Dear Friends,

Career success as a safety director (or in any other management position) often hinges on the capacity to manage the boss. Boss management is an art, not a science. When last we spoke, I was telling you about how to develop an effective relationship with your boss. Let's now look at the crucial aspects of communication and relationship maintenance.

Diplomacy in Communications

Communication is the key to the relationship between safety director and company executive just as it is with any other relationship. It's not only what you say to the boss but how you say it that determines effectiveness, especially when directing the boss. The difference between gaining a supporter and getting fired can be either the language that you use or your tone of voice.

The key is to communicate strategically with a balanced view and an understanding of cooperative - rather than combative - language and attitude. To speak respectfully but confidently and with succinct but powerful points supports solutions that pay off for the company and all those involved.

"Depending on the relationship with the boss and the boss's ego strength, you can be diplomatically direct or you have to use finesse if the boss is egotistical or insecure. Finesse often means talking about behaviors rather than about the boss/CEO," advises Dr. Carl Robinson, principal of Advanced Leadership Consulting in Seattle.

"For example, talking about the foibles of another CEO (what you heard through the grapevine or in the press) is one way to subtly educate your boss about a potential problem. If subtlety isn't effective, then one has to be more direct but couch things in cause-and-effect terms and as a hypothesis rather than, 'you do X and that is bad.'"

The Macho Test

"I want to make sure I don't turn people off when I speak," says Shelle Rose Charvet, president of Canadian-based Success Strategies. Charvet recommends using a method she calls "The Macho Test." "Whenever you talk to someone higher up, use The Macho Test as an editing technique to pry open some mental space."

Charvet recommends a quick assessment to determine if someone is coming from a "macho" place:

• Does the person operate as if he already knows everything there is to know, or he is better and more important than others?
• Does he act like he doesn't have any problems, or that all problems stem from other people?

Careful phrasing eliminates any defensiveness that may occur when someone takes a macho stance in the workplace. Charvet suggests these innocuous conversation starters:

• As you probably know...
• You may wish to consider...
• With your experience and knowledge in this area...

Confronting Mistakes

"The best CEOs encourage brutal honesty - in private - and an aligned team in public. The point is pick your time and place for feedback," stresses consultant Alex Ramsey.

"No matter the power or position, anytime someone violates an expectation, misses a deadline or behaves poorly, their behavior must be confronted," stresses Kerry Patterson, co-author of The New York Times' bestselling books, Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations, as well as chief development officer of VitalSmarts.

"Often, we allow their authority to intimidate us and refrain from confronting our leaders for fear of compromising our reputation or job," continues Patterson.

Conclusion

Look, I know that it can be tough to balance deference to the boss with determination to do what you know is right. But nobody said that being a safety director is easy. For the sake of safety and your own career, I hope this guidance will at least point the way.

Wishing you Career Success,

Lauryn Franzoni
ExecuNet
www.execunet.com

WHY NEW HIRES USUALLY FAIL

Here's a bit of sobering news for anybody looking for a new job or seeking to hire somebody new for their company. According to a new study, almost half of all new hires (46 percent) fail within 18 months on the job; only 19 percent of new hires achieve "unequivocal success."

Why do so many new hires fail? Because, says the study, they lack certain qualities essential to success, including:

1. Coachability (26 percent)

Inability to accept and implement feedback from bosses, colleagues, customers and others.

2. Emotional Intelligence (23 percent)

Inability to understand and manage one's own emotions, and accurately assess the emotions of others.

3. Motivation (17 percent)

Not caring enough to achieve one's full potential and excel on the job.

4. Appropriate Temperament (15 percent)

Having an attitude and personality that isn't suited to the job and work environment.

5. Technical Competence (11 percent)

Lack of functional or technical skills necessary to do the job. Surprisingly, this was only fifth place on the list.

Source: Study by Leadership IQ, www.leadershipiq.com.

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