Effectively communi-cating with high-main-tenance high-performers(HMHP) can be achallenge. They areusually geared towardgetting right to business and runningfull speed ahead.When you communicatewith HMHPs underyour charge, be sureto take the followingrecommendations into consideration.Focus on results and benefits. Take a results-oriented, logical approach todiscussions. Identifyopportunities or challenges to keepthem interested.Provide a win-win situation to everythingyou discuss. Ask fortheir feelings andopinions. Finally,involve them in brain-storming so they feellike part of theprocess. Followingthese guidelines withHMHPs will help keepthe lines of communi-cation open.
O N T H E L E V E LC O A C H I N G I N C O R P O R A T E D
VOLUME
4I S S U E
1 S T R A T E G I E S F O R B U I L D I N G C A R E E R A N D B U S I N E S S
X B C O A C H I N G THE ARCHITECTURE OF SUCCESS� 401.682.2859
� 401.682.1902www.xbcoaching.com
WO R K I N G F O R AH I G H - P E R F O R M E Rboss can be the most exhila-rating experience of your lifeor it can be the most exasper-ating. It all depends on howready you are to meet thechallenge. And you will needto be ready because if youhaven’t already, some day you will be working for ahigh-performer boss. That’swhere so many of the highperformers end up - on themanagement fast track. You may have heard themdescribed them this way: “Thisis the best boss I’ve ever had,but also the most demanding,the most difficult.”
If you’ve experiencedthis scenario, chances areyour boss is a high-mainte-nance high-performer. Suchpeople are goal focused,visionary, charismatic, directand driving. On the down-side, high- maintenance high-performers can be con-frontational, demanding, impatient and blunt. Theymay lack empathy and can be relentless.
In task mode, high-maintenance high-performerstend to be very focused. They are intense by natureand the more stress or pressure they’re under, the lesslikely they are to chitchat.
Here are tips that will help you in working withyour high-maintenance high-performer boss.
Get down to business when communicating withyour high-maintenance high-performer boss.
When a high-maintenance high-performer bosswants to chitchat, he’ll let you know. Watch for cluesbefore assuming he’s in the mood to talk about any-thing other than the project at hand. This boss’s senseof urgency and drive can be difficult to work with,
especially if you’re someonewho tends to get caught up inthe analytical side of things oryou don’t like change. If youthink the analytical workyou’re doing is important,communicate to your bosswhat the benefit and resultwill be. Always deliver yourproject on time because ahigh-maintenance high-performer boss does not want to be slowed down bymissed deadlines.
Don’t take it personally!High-maintenance high-
performer bosses tend tothink out loud. They turnideas over in rapid fire, jugglemultiple scenarios, thinkabout the present whileexploring the future.Remember not to take whatthey say and how they say itpersonally, because often the
intensity you hear isn’t directed at you. It’s their internal motivation for getting things right and theirneed to be moving forward at all times that createsthis intensity.
Always listen, evaluate and question when thecomment or direction is not clear or appears inaccu-rate. Being direct communicators, high-maintenancehigh-performer bosses appreciate direct feedback andquestions.
Give your high-maintenance high-performer boss only essential details.
Many high-maintenance high-performer bossesare driven to learn. But because they want to be ableto use what they’ve learned, providing too muchinformation does not work. These bosses want toknow exactly what they need to know, when theyneed it, and then they want
TIP THREE
TIP TWO
TIP ONE
FIVE TIPS TO MAKEWORKING FOR A
DIFFICULTBOSSEASIER
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2
to move on. Don’t bog them down with details whenpresenting ideas or reports. Always start with thebenefits: how will it benefit the company, how will itbenefit the goal, how will it benefit the customers?Then talk about the relevant specifics and attach all ofthe supporting details for later reading.
Always approach your high maintenance high performer boss with solutions.
One misperception about working for high-main-tenance high-performer bosses is that they are intolerantof mistakes. The truth is that they will often take theblame themselves if something goes awry.
If you make a mistake, be prepared to talk aboutit and offer fixes. Don’t hesitate to approach your bosseven if you don’t think your solutions are great. Butnever come to the table without at least some possiblesolutions, because your boss will view that as a wasteof time. Options work better for a high-maintenancehigh-performer boss than no options at all.
TIP FOUR
DIFFICULT BOSS
continued from page 1�
Establish a timeline and priority for projects and requests.
Unfortunately, when high-maintenance high-performer bosses ask for something, they meannow. So it’s important to always get a deadline. Tomake sure you set a realistic deadline, you define it.You can say, “Okay, this is what you need; this iswhen I’m going to get it to you.” Do not leave a project open ended.
Do what you say you’re going to do. If you can’t,make sure you communicate what the obstacles are.High-maintenance high-performer bosses are problemsolvers by nature. They will help you when presentedwith options. Ask for help.
Make sure you communicate your success andyour employees’ success to your boss. Let your bossknow when to recognize someone on your team.Remember, your accomplishments are your boss’saccomplishments. Your success is your boss’s success.Making your high- maintenance high-performer bosslook good is always welcome!
TIP FIVE
Tool of theMonthHigh-Maintenance Employees is the first book to give managers detailed guidanceon how to get the best out of high-maintenance high-performers–those visionary,goal-driven employees who are difficult to keep on track but so important fortoday’s changing and adapting businesses.
These are the strategies Katherine Graham-Leviss has been using for the last 20years coaching thousands of chief executives, front-line managers, and sales groupsto develop employees into organizationally minded problem-solvers and createhighly productive work teams so companies improve their results. Realizing thatthe number one problem facing companies is how to retain and manage theseessential employees, High-Maintenance Employees takes the reader on a step-by-step process that includes:
• Identifying and appreciating high-maintenance high-performers • Understanding their behavior and communication style• Creating the best work environment • Rewarding and leading high-maintenance high-performers • Integrating them into teams
By following these steps, managers will learn how to maximize their employees’ performance and job satisfaction, increasethe ease of managing, and thereby maximize their business results. High-Maintenance Employees available online at XBCoaching.com and at bookstores everywhere.
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H OW M U C H T I M E do you devote to
resolving workplace problems whose root
cause is miscommunication?
Unfortunately, for many leaders, the
answer to that question is a resounding
“way too much.” Project delays, false starts,
misconceptions, and even outright conflicts
occur because people fail to understand the
differing communications styles of their
peers and their bosses.
Likes and dislikes regarding how goals
are communicated or instructions are given
and how they are received can vary widely
within any work team. Some people prefer
communications to be formal; others are
happier with a casual tone. Some people
want any discussion to get right to the
point, while others are offended if time
isn’t allowed for social interchange first.
You can smooth the flow of communica-
tion and reduce the frequency of miscom-
munication by understanding these and
other communications preferences and
adjusting your own style accordingly.
While you need to learn how to com-
municate effectively with everyone on your
team, no type of individual is more impor-
tant to master communicating with than
your high-performers, those who get more done faster.
These people have the potential to be the strongest
contributors to your organization’s success and to your
own success as a leader.
At the same time, many high-performers are
high-maintenance and can disrupt your whole team if
not communicated with appropriately. Their abrupt-
ness and hard-driving style can be off-putting to oth-
ers, causing them to frequently be the source of tur-
moil or hurt feelings. So understanding this group’s
communication preferences is particularly critical to
boosting their performance as well as keeping them
from interfering with the whole team’s performance
and chemistry.
Let’s Do It My WayHigh-maintenance high-performers want to do thingstheir way, a trait that shows through in their directand often abrupt communication style. These folkshave their own ideas, know precisely what they want,and are not afraid to ask for it. Here are three communication strategies that are effective with high performers:
� Coach or guide your high-performers, don’t tell them.High-performers, particularly the high-mainte-nance ones, really dislike being told what to do. When you communicate with your high-maintenance high-performers, don’t prescribeexactly how to do something. Give them options.Many managers of
If you are an organized,
methodical manager,
you may be feeling a
great deal of tension with
your high-maintenance
high-performing (HMHP)
employees. As free spirits,
HMHPs are exceptionally
uncomfortable with
someone who attempts
to force them into a
mold. For the best
results with reducing
miscommunication and
increasing productivity,
coach your HMHPs
toward an end result,
don’t tell them what to
do. Also, don’t focus on
rules and restrictions.
Instead, highlight
rewards the HMHPs will
receive for following
procedures or timelines.
TOP THREE TIPS FOR PREVENTING
MIS-COM-MUNI-CA-TION
TOP THREE TIPS FOR PREVENTING
MIS-COM-MUNI-CA-TION
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4
UNCOVER HIDDEN STARS ON YOUR TEAM
Need your independent,
high-maintenance
employees to participate
on a team? Put them in
charge. High-mainte-
nance high-performers
are usually born achiev-
ers. They thrive by
accomplishing goals:
theirs or a team’s. By
placing them at the head
of the pack (or perhaps
in charge of one phase of
a project for junior
employees who are still
perfecting their leader-
ship skills) you allow
them to fill their needs
and contribute to the
team effort.
high-performers make the mistake of telling ratherthan guiding. Often it is simply a matter of how arequest is phrased, so ask questions rather than givinganswers, give options rather than prescribing.Remember, they like the freedom to operate in theirown way.
� Give them the information they need to makedecisions.High-maintenance high-performers are probablythe most impatient people you will ever meet.They exhibit their impatience in almost everythingthey do. For example, high-maintenance high- per-formers get very frustrated with people who can’tstick to the subject at hand. And while they appre-ciate small talk, they don’t want to indulge in ituntil after the topic that is of immediate interest tothem has been covered.
As results-oriented people, high-performers areready to see the bottom line. They want to go forthe gold right now. Give them the informationthey need and turn them loose!
� Don’t talk about rules and restrictions.High-maintenance high-performers don’t likebeing told what they can’t do. If you need tochange the direction in which a high-maintenancehigh-performer is charging, then use coaching lan-guage to help them understand the consequences,for example, you might ask them “what if” ques-tions. Imposing rules will only challenge them toovercome those rules.
Mastering how to communicate with high-per-formers will help minimize the time you spendcorrecting miscommunications. You will have todevote less time resolving conflicts and the wholegroup will spend more time moving forwardtogether to achieve your organization’s objectives.
MISCOMMUNICATION
continued from page 3�
D O YO U H AV E troubled employees on your team?You know the ones… always late, never on top of thedetails, difficult to communicate with. It could be thatthese aren’t trouble employees at all. Rather, they may behidden stars.
High-maintenance high-performers (HMHP) possessthese same characteristics. When coached and mentored,HMHPs are some of the most valuable employees youcan have. However, for team members who aren’t iden-tified as HMHPs, life can be miserable.
When placed in a position that is not compatible withtheir natural behavioral style, HMHPs are highly dys-functional. They can disrupt workflow and cause other
internal problems for supposedly unexplained reasons.
If you notice employees within your organization thatcontinually behave in such a manner, take time toinvestigate. Observe and note behavioral styles andcommunication methods. Then conduct an experi-ment.
Encourage these hidden stars using the same tech-niques outlined for HMHPs. Do you see a positivechange? Did the employee become more productive?More efficient? Happier? If so, you’ve got a hiddenstar than needs all the encouragement and directionyou can give. In return for your favor, this employeewill likely become one of your top producers.
