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Filibuster Flanders

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Everyone office has at least one Filibuster Flanders in it.

He is the one who can talk, talk, talk, and talk; all in an effort to keep control of the discussion. You’ll know you’re talking with a Flanders because every time you would expect a natural pause (such as a subject of discussion running its course), he will fill the gap with an extended “uhhhh….,” “ummmm…” or “but…emmm” to maintain his filibuster-like grip on the floor. If you try to take the reins of the discussion, he’ll raise his voice to keep the floor. 

Flanders motivation is normal monkey stuff–to keep attention the him.

By keeping the control of a discussion, Flanders hopes to maintain his opinion, and therefore position, at the center of the group.

How to deal with Flanders types? Because he prevents the possibility of a natural give-and-take discussion, Flanders can quickly wear you down. So be patient; listen and wait and when you see the chance, pounce, and wrestle the floor from Flanders!

Man over Monkey

The Source of All Monkey Evil

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Does the following sound familiar?

• Pete complains about everything and everybody all the time.

• John just made yet another provocative statement in what should have been a straightforward discussion.

• Bill seems to put others down all the time to make himself look better.

• Mike openly bends the truth to support his stance, no matter the subject is.

So many behaviors in the workplace – and far too many are an annoyance, disruption, or detriment. What motivates us to act in these ways? How can you get your arms around all this turbulence, deal with the issues, and still affect positive change? We need to put these negative behaviors in perspective first. —-

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Imagine a tree. At its extremity are hundreds of leaves. All are similar in shape, form, and function, yet all are distinctly different. Now trace a path along this great structure from the leaves all the way back to their source.

Start with the smallest of twigs and work your way progressively lower down the tree: from small twigs, to slightly bigger, to medium-sized, and on to larger, until you arrive at the core, the main trunk.

It is from this central point that every single part of the tree began its journey. It is also the location from which the source code of all those leaves at its extremities originated.

Now go back to the personalities we listed at the beginning of this section. Imagine the various personalities we meet in life and at the workplace as the leaves of a tree – each similar yet distinct, and all programmed from the same source code at the core of our minds.

What is the source code perpetuating all these similar behaviors in the workplace?…

…read on by getting your own copy of Men, Monkeys, and Management at http://managemonkeys.com/

Man over Monkey, Techniques and Tools

The Art of Communication

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Communication is the foundation of everything we do in the workplace. Without communication, we couldn’t get anything done.

To be efficient and successful, make sure all forms of communication in your workplace are as well prepared and effective as possible.

Doing it just right is an art – too much data and people will ignore the message; too little information and the message is ineffectual. The ‘just right’ touch can be best summed up by means of an analogy.

If you look at a Chinese painting of a natural setting, you get a feeling of perfection from the precisely controlled minimalistic expression. If you take one thing out of the painting, it would make the painting incomplete; if you add something new to the painting, it would be unnecessary and overdone.

Communications in the workplace are the same – you shouldn’t be able to take out any words, nor need to add any words, to communicate your message.

Being as near perfect as is possible, you will receive little to no comments back when you send it for review because it conveys just the right amount of data.

Man over Monkey

The Art of Producing a Great Document

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The ability to produce a top notch, holistic, and fully complete document is a skill separating men from the monkeys.

How many people have you met–including yourself, which are capable of producing great documents? Work that is near perfect and 100% complete?

And I don’t just mean the ‘big stuff’ of document producing like focus/relevance, aesthetics/balance, a top-down delivery, and comprehensiveness–I also mean the little stuff like grammar, font consistency, checking yourself, accuracy, etc.

I can only count a dozen or so people capable of obtaining such high levels. It’s sadly true–but few people can produce great documents.

So how can you get better?

To start producing great documents you need to start right away (and as young as possible). Study and research good structure. Save good documents you run across for future reference.

Overcome your pride! Don’t fight people who offer suggestions. Be open and receptive–learn from others. Look at your work objectively.

Most of all work hard at it! You’ll be glad you did. Once you start to produce fine work, the world will notice and you’re life/job will become easier.