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Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page i Say It Right the First Time This page intentionally left blank. Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page iii Say It Right the First Time Loretta Malandro, Ph.D. McGraw-Hill New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto ebook_copyright 6x9.qxd 5/15/03 2:05 PM Page 1 Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. 0-07-142599-3 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-140861-4. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occur- rence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps. McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at [email protected] or (212) 904-4069. TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. 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DOI: 10.1036/0071425993 Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page v This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother, Josephine, whose kindness and passion for life inspire me daily, and to my father, Rudy, whose guidance, love, and support are my foundation. This page intentionally left blank. Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page vii For more information about this title, click here. Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction xi Section I:Your Power and How It Impacts People 1. 100% Accountability: 3 Harnessing the Power of Your Words 2. The Key to the Kingdom: 31 How to Capture Discretionary Effort and Build Accountability 3. Your Power, Your Position, and Its Impact: 57 How to Gain Trust and Create Alignment Section II: Your Words and How They Trigger Action or Reaction 4. The Black Hole: 79 How to Make Your Point So What You Say Is What They Hear 5. 15 Irritating Word Habits: 111 How They Trigger Reaction and What to Do About It vii Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page viii viii Contents 6. When Your Words Get You in Trouble: 137 How to Recover Quickly and Prevent a Repeat Performance Section III: Your Words and How They Inspire or Derail 7. Talking Straight Responsibly: 171 How to Be Direct and Handle People Who Are Not 8. Commitments with Integrity: 207 How to Replace Casual Promises with Real Ownership 9. Holding People Accountable: 239 How to Demand the “Best in Performance” and Get It Index 283 Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page ix Acknowledgments Nothing is ever created by a single person. The people who surround us make all things possible. Inspiration to write this book came from a small, select team who talk straight and hold me accountable for excellence, especially when I become resigned. My father, Rudy, and sister, Rosemary, both financial experts and CPAs, provided logic, rea- son, and support for why I should write another book. My treasured book coach and friend, Sharon Ellis, encouraged me when I doubted I had enough to say and laughed good-naturedly when I discovered I had too much to say. Judy Lacey, my one-of-a-kind assistant, did the impossible by making sure everything ran smoothly in my life. Sue Cahoon, a constant idea-generator, made sure I used technology appropriately and taught me how to “cut and paste,” both literally and metaphorically. Valerie Demetros worked closely with me to make sure we used the right words to talk about using the right words. Nicole Lacey worked hard to make the book “look good” on paper. And Jon Harlow kept me at the top of my game with his encourage- ment and optimism. Through the years there have been extraordinary CEOs and corporate leaders who have made a significant difference in my life and have contributed to the messages in this book. A special thanks goes ix Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page x x Acknowledgments to Gian Fulgoni, Hal Logan, Frank Patalano, Nido Qubein, John Talucci, John Van Brunt, and John Willson. From my roots in the academic world, Dr. Larry Barker and Dr. Kevin Toomb, mentors and dear friends, have encouraged and applauded the use of my cre- ative side. In each of our lives there is a group of “silent partners,” people who are not center stage but who quietly change our lives by their presence. My life choices have been shaped by Chip Dashiell and Susan Maxwell through their expertise, caring, and coaching. Finally, there is my wise editor, Barry Neville, who started me down this path to “write the book that needs to be written.” And that’s what I’ve done, with the support of many special people. Thank you all. Dr. Loretta Malandro Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page xi Introduction There are many different ways to produce high-performance results in organizations. Some companies create an internally competitive environment where the toughest, but not necessarily the most competent, rise to the top. Other organizations build a consensus culture where agreement replaces quality by reducing decisions to the lowest common denominator. Organizations of the future, however, are choosing a longer-term approach to producing results by investing in people. The most prized possession in these companies is the high level of accountability and collaboration among people. People are placed at the heart of the organization, and leaders recognize that their most important resource walks through the front door every day and will walk out again if they are uninspired. This book is for leaders and managers at all levels who believe that how people work together is the key to long-term success. Several prem- ises underlie this belief: 1. People want to do their best. 2. People will give their discretionary effort when they are inspired. xi Malandro 00 3/4/03 3:01 PM Page xii xii Introduction 3. People will produce unprecedented results with inspired leadership. Communication, language in particular, is the vehicle for unleash- ing the power of people. This is the tool that leaders use to either moti- vate people to reach higher or to derail them completely. Words are potent. They move the action forward or backward; there is no such thing as a neutral comment from a leader. All words have meaning and impact. Leaders who understand this can use language to harness the boundless energy of people toward focused business outcomes. Those who fail to recognize the power of their words will find themselves frustrated with the constant cycle of rework and communication breakdowns. The truth is that leadership competence, expertise, and commitment will not overcome poor communication skills. Most competent leaders and managers have been schooled, both formally and informally, in many different facets of leadership. But few have had the opportunity to learn how words shape reality and determine both their future and the future of the organization.

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