[Part II of II]
Self-Coaching
For the really resistant, brittle individual who is impervious to almost any suggestion that he or she could use some coaching, I’ve developed a brief self-coaching list. These 12 items often lead to good conversations, but this is something you send to the executive, ask for 10 minutes to review it, be turned down, but wait for the phone to ring.
Lukaszewski’s Twelve Quick Performance Tips for Spokespersons:
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Use positive declarative language. Avoid using negative words and phrases. They cause confusion, generate negative follow-up questions and make you feel defensive.
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Talk about the future rather than the past. Everyone remembers the past differently. Going there often causes confusion and disagreements.
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If you must talk about the past, speak only about the lessons you learned there that will help you build a better tomorrow. Generally, the past holds very few, if any, useful lessons for tomorrow.
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Be constructive. Make suggestions or give helpful advice rather than criticize. Criticism creates critics and victims and is remembered forever.
