VERBAL JUDO: TACTICAL COMMUNICATION FOR SUPERVISORS

The foundation for the program for supervisors is based in the same principles and tactics of the basic Verbal Judo program.  The principles of Aristotle take a different angle when dealing with our peers, supervisors, and subordinates because the issue of credibility in leadership is more crucial.

In the basic Verbal Judo program (Half, Full, and Two-Day programs) we cover how to deal with citizen objections, and problems as they are perceived or viewed from outside the department or organization as they are looking in.  Yet, frequently the problems that plague us regarding complaints and even liability are rooted in how we treat each other inside the work place.  As internal morale is affected so is citizen service affected.

As we represent both the department or organization and the citizen by understanding the Art of Representation, we must now learn to work the principles and tactics up and down the chain of command.  As supervisors we must gain support for the department from subordinates annoyed at our performance or policy and changes within the organization which will undermine our efforts to have a smooth operation.  It does not matter if subordinates do this intentionally or unintentionally because it creates the same result: lower production and quality of effort.  This basic problem reduces morale within the organization which will eventually creates complaints, potential lawsuits, poor professional behavior, higher stress levels, and finally have a detrimental affect on our personal safety and that of the citizens with whom we interact on a daily basis.

Credibility is far more difficult to maintain within the work place as it is with the quick contact in the field.  We are seen with such frequency that we must be on the top of our professional game every day to the people who may well know how we really think about situations that trouble us.  Even one explosion of temper can have a lasting affect on how we are treated or looked upon daily after the event.  And, on the other side we often find ourselves in work environments where we may only see some people a few times a year, if at all, so if we act inappropriately it becomes the measuring tool for all future contact until our image in their eyes is changed.

Using the same philosophy as the basic program we create a better work place by teaching how to govern what we say and how we say it.  Out actions will speak even louder than our words as we condition our thinking to be less reactive and become more responsive to situations as they occur unexpectedly.  It is all about control -- over our self.  This Habit of Mind is taught from the practical thinking of JUDO as not a martial art of destruction but what Dr. Jigoro Kano, the creator intended.  JU means gentle, and DO is the art of the path to achieve such an end.  So JUDO means the Gentle Art or the Gentle Path to redirecting the power of anger or harsh words into more workable or positive channels we can better govern.  We diffuse anger, frustration, and verbal violence by not feeding it with our own feelings and emotion.

The program for supervisors requires us to think about and accept certain inevitable conditions for change if we are to be consistently successful in our interaction with others.

There are specific paths of reasoning we can follow to better our opportunities.

The first is time.  You can change the behavior that has created the problem but it requires time to enhance our credibility.  Our supervisory position creates “instant” credibility.  But, what that really means is that credibility lasts only for an instant if we lose control in the presence of our subordinates. Credibility is created over time working with others.

People will watch and listen carefully to those who are in the process of trying to improve their communication skills during stressful situations.  We learn in the basic Verbal Judo program that in person-to-person communication over 90% of our ability to move people is gained by how information is delivered and not by the actual information.  Ours is not a very trusting profession to begin with and suspicion must be set aside even though caution will always be warranted.

We demonstrate we are trying and effort is worth its weight in gold to the people around us for as long as they can see improvement.  Over time we will occasionally backslide and the Art of the Apology will allow us to recover quickly from a slip of the tongue with greater ease.  No one is perfect and no one should cast the first stone but,…

The second requirement is accepting responsibility for our actions and those of the organization.  This governing principle is a prized and necessary quality for leadership.  You may not be the one causing the situation but if it happens on your watch you are the one expected to correct it, and with dispatch.  It is easier to accept our supervisor duties if we are able to deal with the heat of the problem and the thunderous winds of verbal criticism that will always blow in with the problem.  This section of the supervisory program includes a basic understanding of decision-making skills.  We create an overview of these skills and fine-tune them for participant use under stressful conditions.  Also covered is collateral issue of delegation and how to review past, current, and future performance empathetically.

The third is the ability to rhetorically analyze the problem and the situation.  The three acronyms of are defined and demonstrated from problem solving.

            P.A.V.P.O

            P.A.C.E.

            L.E.A.P.S. 

L.E.A.P.S., is covered as a customer service element in the basic one and two-day Verbal Judo program but is not shown as a complete picture of both service to the citizen and how it can be developed and cultured to and with our subordinates.  The effective use of LEAPS can make subordinates more supportive, and help those above us in a position to become better leaders.  Everyone can use improve in how we deal with others but it becomes a delicate issue helping those who lead you if they are intimidated by your actions.  Helping people work better for the organization makes for a better organization so locker room/roll call/in the field discussions regarding management remain more professional and productive. 

P.A.V.P.O., the Rhetorical Perspective, helps us understand that we cannot control what we think but we can gain control over why we think that way.  It is useful in gaining insight in our preparation for dealing with others in the department.  We will be blind-sided less if we have learned how to think of the problem from the perspective of the person we will soon deal with so we can prepare for what would otherwise be a total surprise.  We develop the skill to organize our thinking before the encounter.  Important because,  “Success favors the prepared mind.”

P.A.C.E., the Four Elements in any Verbal Encounter, reveals the valuable benefit of examining the problem from other than our individual point of view.  It enables us to use our Ethical Presence to calm, to see the problem from their thinking, and then to develop options to circumvent the typical constraints found in disagreement.

The fourth is developing the ability to move the behavior of others positively, especially if it is not the first meeting regarding the problem.  We must always think in the on-going mode regarding supervision.  Problems with subordinates are rarely solved in one meeting or counseling session.  People who have problems rarely only have one, and even more rarely are those problems resolved to their total satisfaction.  The Five-Step Approach, covered in the basic program is now examined and developed for internal use.  If we must act we can act professionally, and within organizational protocols.

Occasionally, supervision is likened to baby-sitting duties but we believe it is more like guiding and herding.  The term herding is often thought of as negative until it is examined fully.  “You can lead but if now one follows what is the point?”  This very statement means we must “inspire” our people.  The word inspire comes from Greek meaning ‘Divine breath’ and we must influence our people to be better than they would naturally desire under current circumstances.  Remember that we are training subordinates that will be our support mechanism as we rise up a chain of command.

One of the chief goals of leadership is to obsolete yourself in that particular position when you are ready for a change or promotion.  We must culture, nurture, and educate our people so they can take our position and we can move up.  This creates problems if insecure supervisors have a protective need to feel indispensable.  This classic mistake actually will give the impression that you are too valuable to promote or too unwilling to help others.  In addition it can even give the impression that you are a dunce.  The actual meaning of the word is not to be stupid, but to be unwilling or unable to learn.  This will translate to people in charge that such a supervisor is not a progressive thinker and may not be able to adapt when situations call for creative or imaginative thinking.  There is much talk in society about “empowerment” but seldom teaches us how to do it.  Simply giving the authority to act can be folly.  It is blind trust.

The Verbal Judo program concedes the line of reasoning that people have hidden talents.  If allowed to explore new ideas they may well create valuable and workable lines of thinking.  We need conflict resolution tactics as their thinking and hence their actions will often they move in areas that need to be ‘herded’ back into organizational rules of structure or protocols.  We must not try to control but guide their reasoning.  Any negative statement that will damage their desire to better things and will reduce their desire to be involved in future efforts.  We start with the maxim, “There is no such thing as constructive criticism; there is only criticism!”  Because of this fact there will always be conflict as supervisors guide and teach subordinates and generating voluntary compliance becomes an imperative.

The fifth element is to be able then to praise and punish effectively and with the goal of not only modifying the current behavior but also altering the thinking that caused the problem originally.  We have established a clear, concise, effective, and inarguable process of punishing and giving praise thereby enhancing our leadership credibility.  Delivering bad news is much easier if we can reduce the natural anger and frustration that accompanies such an uncomfortable duty.

The sixth is to learn to “think correctly” before we criticize or condemn.  The manner of how we think before we speak is critical if we are to survive in a society where suing has become the national pastime.  Our comments as leaders speak with great weight to those listening an we must be cautious of how our professional credibility can be damaged by what we say.  Using the Habit of Mind learned earlier we now teach the manner of rhetorically breaking down a line of reasoning to find flaws, holes, or lumps that require ironing before someone implements a perceived solution that will surely fail.

This thinking is called the (The) Means versus (the) End Argument.  It is a way to listen to powerful and persuasive people to explore gaps in their planning or to see benefits in their reasoning.  The argument becomes a way to teach ourselves how to think well so we are less likely to be discredited in our own plans, and as a way to gain the confidence of the people above us in the chain of command.   As they begin to rely on our judgment we gain credibility.  It is a manner of being soft spoken but carry a big stick of credibility to those around us which will enhance our leadership abilities by inspiring confidence in others as a person who thinks before they act.  Avoiding of the appearance of rash thinking is a prized skill in leaders.

The seventh is an understanding more of why we are what we are and why we think in a certain way.  The psychiatrist Carl Jung developed a manner to understand people via a “quadrant” of personality styles.  We all have all of them present in our reasoning or thinking but one will be dominant.  These characteristics make us what we are and explain why we make decisions in the manner that we do.  They are the cause of why we react so some circumstances and respond calmly to others.  Our actions work from the premise that we are usually right or at least more correct than others so we act upon our thinking.  Leaders must understand both their own line of thinking but how to govern and use the way others think for the advantage.  Everyone is motivated by something and knowing what the primary motivation is for others allows us to develop arguments that make sense to people so we can gain their cooperation.   Leaders can learn to anticipate problem areas so duties can flow smoother.  It will assist in getting our own ideas through the gauntlet of people who must approve our plans or tactics, and helps protect the feelings or reputations of our people if we think they are about to make serious career mistakes.

Tests have been developed by hundreds of corporations that “predict” how people will react to situations.  These companies and their tests have often brought issues to the surface resembling a “Pandora’s Box” of problems.  People have argued bitterly that their self-description is not “really like them at all” but a mistake by the test examiner.  These tests have also been used as a trial way to manipulate people into doing things that were self-defeating.  The problem is not Jung’s work, but its poor application.  There are however, numerous corporations that have made positive advances for the companies hiring them to offer such exams.  People have learned much about themselves and others and much good has come from the development of such “profiles.”  The secret is in how these exams are administered and to what end will the results be used or misused.

Our manner of administering the self-examination is non-critical.  There are no right or wrong answers.  We do not create the explosive atmosphere because we are not truly interested in the answers from the test.  In truth, the test is administered for the sole purpose of satisfying people’s expectations and curiosity.  Because of the credibility we build during the Verbal Judo class people are more trusting of our approach.  Because we teach dealing with conflict effectively we demonstrate the positive benefits to understanding how your possible weaknesses can be used against you and “what you don’t know can be dangerous.” 

Our goal is to get a consensus on the value of Jung’s thinking so we can do what we came to accomplish—learn to deal with conflict and generate voluntary compliance by redirecting the negative behavior of others. 

We move quickly to how to deal with conflict and with other people in conflict with us.  Knowing what is important emotionally can reduce problems before they erupt.  As a quick example, people who are people oriented want to know how a project will benefit their subordinates prior to backing such a proposal.  Someone who is oriented to thinking about the bottom line does not want to be bothered by large quantities of paperwork or large, extended, time consuming meetings.  A person who thinks analytically is more interested in the overall plan and its implementation that the day-to-day activities resulting from it.  And, people who want to express their opinion or like having it asked need a forum at which that can occur.

Motivation is an internal mechanism.  We teach the ability to influence behavior but we must accept that we cannot “make” anyone do anything without actually using force.  Influence means we create the foundation or the external forces that work on how people naturally think.  This is a form of advanced sales training for people who do not realize they are salespeople. What we sell is compliance with department policies and rules.  All sales professionals know that the customer must be made to feel good to be happy with the purchase.  All leaders must make people feel good about decisions or policies or they will not back them completely.  Without this the department will not be able to carry a cohesive partnership with the community.  Younger officers often hate the term of  "To Protect and Serve."  We believer it is for the same reason they hate terms like Community Policing.  They sound bureaucratic and subservient.  In reality we protect people from themselves and from each other, and we serve their needs.  Not what they want but what they need, even if that means they need to go to jail!  We demonstrate that the department is the key or the glue that holds a community together by simply doing what we do every day on the streets.

This section is often one of the most entertaining portions of the class as people experience self-discovery and recognize weaknesses or errors from their past.  They learn to deal more effectively with others in the department and in their personal lives.

Number eight is a clear understanding of when words have failed and we must seek alternative measures to correct behavior.  The acronym S.A.F.E.R. was also taught in the basic Verbal Judo class but now is aimed at non-compliant subordinates.  Prior to punishment we must be able to defend our actions.  In this time of litigious thinking we must always be on top of the issues we face.  We must demonstrate to our chain of command even before we get to the courts that we acted appropriately and correctly.  We must show the line of thinking that governed our actions was lawful.  We must show that we were compassionate and empathetic to the issue and the other person prior to the punishment and that we reasonably tried to do we could to lessen the problem before taking action.  We protect both our self and our organization from potentially harmful press and public condemnation.  We learn how to resolve the matter now at lower levels before it grows to dangerous proportions.

TIME CONSTRAINTS FOR THE SUPERVISOR CLASS IN VERBAL JUDO

If participants have already taken the basic Verbal Judo class in a full day program then the supervisor class can be offered in a one or a two-day format.  If it is a new audience then no less than two days will be offered except under special circumstances, as time is needed to perform the class correctly.  Three days is the standard course.  Time is the measure of what our organizations will one day become.  Choose wisely.

There are shorter programs for experienced managers and supervisors available.  They are used to sample content or for overview of material but for integrity of the program and benefit to the audience present we strongly encourage the longer programs.

Call Lee Fjelstad with any questions at 888-255-5353