Not this: “Jim, twice this past month you turned in late reports. You know that my expectation is that all reports will be completed by deadline. Do you realize that you turned in two late reports?”

This: “Jim, twice this past month you turned in late reports. You know that my expectation is that all reports will be completed by deadline. Do you agree that there’s a problem here that needs attention?”

To get employee to agree that a problem exists, a manager must do two things. First, he or she has to paint a mental picture for an employee that there is a difference between what is expected and what employee is doing. To paint that picture clearly, a manager must juxtapose two pieces of information for an employee to visualize:

• a description of what employee has done, using whatever numbers or facts can be gathered about employee’s performance
• a clarification of manager’s expectations of employee in performance area under discussion.

Positioning those two pieces of information together, using specifics, enables an employee to see difference between his performance and what is expected or what others are doing.

Imagine that an employee has been late to several team meetings in a row. Although you did not single out employee, you made it clear at last meeting that you expected everyone to be on time. In this case, you might say something like: “I wonder if you are aware that you've been late to four team meetings in a row. I thought I clarified at last meeting that I expect everyone to be on time.”

Second, manager must help employee understand negative affects associated with his behavior. Imagine that employee’s performance is a balance scale. Before a management coaching meeting, scale is tilted towards side stacked with all of reasons an employee might see for continuing his behavior. A manager’s task is to tilt scale in other direction so that an employee can see more negatives than positives associated with behavior. Then, manager will be able to get an employee to agree that a problem exists.

The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE) seeks to improve individual leadership and team member skills within organizations.

1. Define and describe your dream or vision in writing.

2. Convert that vision or dream into a set of specific goals.

3. Convert each goal into a set of specific steps.

4. Convert each complex step into a specific set of tasks. Look through all of task and circle ones that you cannot achieve on your own due to your lack of know-howl, resources (time, talent or money) or certain personality traits. Then write down specific type of person or outside resource that you need to enlist to accomplish that task.

Set target completion dates for each task, step and goal.

Other Keys To Achieving Your Vision

Keep in mind following pointers:

1. Be flexible and realistic – don’t assign target dates that are so hard to meet that you are likely to miss them.

2. When you are falling behind schedule, ask for help or move your target dates back.

3. Writing down your vision, goals, steps and task is key. Without this road map, trying to achieve your vision will be like climbing to roof using a ladder without rungs.

4. You can tackle one dream at a time, or start on as many as are important to you.

If you can achieve your vision, you will be able to get money that you want.