The Los Angeles Rams have a mantra on the wall of their locker room. That mantra is- The standard is the standard.
It serves as a reminder to the team that the standard is non-negotiable. Excellence is self-evident, and it is always the goal. No, if’s and's or but’s.
Now, the actual results may miss the mark. Perfection is not possible and human beings are error-prone by nature, and that is okay. They as a team can accept losses, dropped passes, or other missed assignments. They learn from them, get better, more resilient, and move on. But what is NOT up for debate and never will be is the standard.
Admittedly, I am a football nut, but lemme try and bring this back to our world.
Business is a game of human beings making commitments and then following through, But where the real work begins is in the managing of the follow-through. The people in your business are going to make mistakes, are going to screw up, are going to have lapses in judgment, are going to say and do things they regret. This much we know is inevitable. What matters is the ability to effectively coach, them back to the standard. And this is the hard part.
Today's episode is about Critical Conversations. How to communicate when the stakes are high? These are those conversations you know you need to have but rather avoid. Your project manager blows up inappropriately at a customer. Your Journeyman shows up hungover and late for the 3rd time in a month. Your usually excellent sub-trade partner messes up their scheduling and pushes your entire project back two weeks.
You can’t build a performance culture, a strong brand, or leaders within without Critical Conversations. And yet most people, even accomplished entrepreneurs, are terrified to have them.
In today’s episode, Igor and I break down a 5 step process for how to have these that will reduce whatever anxiety you feel about these and facilitate a way more productive conversation for everyone involved.
We have also included a super easy-to-follow downloadable framework you can download and keep nearby. I hope you enjoy this, and remember, the standard is the standard.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- - Why do you need to uphold your standards, especially when it is uncomfortable
- How to decide if a Critical Conversation is worth engaging in so you don't waste your emotional energy
-- How to define the focus of the conversation you are about to have
- Where you should have the conversation and how to set it up with the person you are talking to
- The way to have a critical conversation so that you're able to explore both parties' perspectives
- The simple action plan that creates a foundation for positive behavior moving forward
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