Managing Sticky Situations at Work

Personality Overlay 27Resolve the Issue: Nancy came up with her own resolution,namely, she promised not to talk about current cases with people outsidethe department. To nail down the resolution Lewis specified twoconsequences, one positive and one negative. He intimated that ifshe changed her behavior, she could become more successful in herjob. On the other hand, if she continued talking about cases outsidethe department, he would begin disciplinary procedures.To summarize the SIJR Model: The Decision Points (costs, limits,power sources) determine whether we begin a conversation and if wedo, what limitations and risks we face. The Three C’s (change, compassion,and curiosity) hold the model together because they keep usfocused and oriented toward a positive and realistic solution. Togetherthe Decision Points and the Three C’s tell us what to say. The SIJRConversation (specify the problem, invite the other person to talk, joinfeelings with facts, resolve the issue) guides us in how to say it. As wesaw in this chapter, Personality Overlay assures a successful outcomeby taking into account to whom we are saying it.Some of the stickiest situations we face are those that deal with ourbosses. The next chapter examines how the SIJR Model works in thesekinds of encounters.NOTES1. Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster, Working with You Is Killing Me(New York: Warner Business Books, 2006), 70–72.2. Ibid., 4–10.3. James H. Brewer, J. Michael Ainsworth, and George E. Wynne, PowerManagement: A Three-Step Program for Successful Leadership (EnglewoodCliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1984).4. James H. Brewer, Associated Consultants in Education, 1989.5. To order My BEST Profile go to www.hrdq.com.6. Joanne Shortell limerick, www.shortellcoaching.com. The incident hasbeen altered and the names changed.