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Tip 285: Know the criteria before pushing the solution. |
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Gain agreement on a group's or boss's criteria and then work backward: What does the decision maker consider the most important issue? A selling price under $5000? A maintenance agreement with a 4-hour response for problems? Delivery within 60 days? A vendor with a TQM program in place? Unless your criteria matches theirs, you'll look like a solution waiting for a problem to happen. |
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Tip 286: Limit your objectives. |
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Rome wasn't built while they were working on Sicily. You can't accomplish everything at once. Determine your primary objective in presenting your case, and focus your efforts on accomplishing that one goal. If your chief concern is getting your boss to hire three extra people in your department, leave discussions about rearranging the workstations and lobby until another day. |
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Tip 287: Make a conscious decision about whether to present all sides of an issue or only yours. |
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If you expect a hostile audience, one biased against your plan from the beginning, present all sidesall options and the pros and cons of each. When chances are great that the group will hear other options and arguments before the decision is made, you'll create the extra credibility of being thorough, open, and objective about all the facts and alternatives. |
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If the audience is either positive or neutral, present only your alternativean overview or message, the action you want, and the detail to take the action. Then do a quick test before you conclude. "Are you ready to decide, or would you like to hear other alternatives and why I'm suggesting we reject those alternatives?" If they want more options, you can provide them with thorough analysis. If they don't want to hear other options and trust your judgment based on criteria they agreed with, then you'll not waste their time on the "also rans." |
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Tip 288: Organize your ideas for greatest impact. |
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The simple approach calls for these steps: |
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2. Overview the conclusion/action/decision you want and the key benefits. |
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