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The Right Phrase for Every Situation . . . Every Time

Communication is the single most important skill for excelling as a manager. What you say and how you say it sets the tone for your department and your entire organization.

Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors, second edition, has been completely revised to help you communicate in today's workplace, where collaboration, cooperation, and personalization are critical to building an efficient, productive work environment. Learn the most effective language for:

• Setting a tone of mutual trust and respect
• Dealing with difficult employees and delicate problems
• Conducting interviews and performance reviews
• Empowering your people
• Disciplining workers or terminating employment

Introduction: How Perfect Phrases Help You Manage More Effectively
The Challenge of the Accidental Manager
Why Perfect Phrases? The Importance of Managing Your Words
The Value of Scripting
How to Use This Book
Chapter 1. The Principles That Make PowerPhrases Perfect Phrases
The Rules of Responsible Communication
The Rules of Responsible Communication in Full
PowerPhrases: The Perfect Phrases to Use for Responsible Communication
Chapter 2. Put Your Best Foot Forward: Perfect Phrases to Establish Your New Role
Perfect Phrases to Address Former Peers Who Are Now Your Employees
Perfect Phrases to Address Friends Who Are Now Your Employees
Perfect Phrases to Address Employees Who Wanted the Promotion You Got
Perfect Phrases to Address the Acting Supervisor You Are Replacing
Perfect Phrases to Set the Tone
Perfect Phrases for Your Initial Employee Meetings
Perfect Phrases to Handle Questions You Can't Answer
Perfect Phrases to Establish Yourself with Your Boss
Perfect Phrases for Handling Employees Who Think They Are in Charge
Perfect Phrases to Introduce Hands-on Involvement
Perfect Phrases to Announce Changes Gracefully
Perfect Phrases to Handle Resistance to Change
Perfect Phrases to Support a Change You Don't Agree With
Chapter 3 Perfect Phrases to Create a Mission-, Vision-, and Values-Based Team
Perfect Phrases to Establish Mission
Perfect Phrases to Establish Vision
Perfect Phrases to Establish Values
Perfect Phrases to Make the Mission, Vision, and Values Real
Chapter 4. Perfect Phrases to Foster an Open Communication Culture
Perfect Phrases to Ensure That You Are Kept in the Loop
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Feedback
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Questions on Policies and Directives
Perfect Phrases to Get a Quiet Employee to Open Up
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Employees to Communicate Directly and Effectively with Each Other
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Employees to Admit Mistakes
Perfect Phrases to Promote Diversity
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Employees to Resolve Conflict
Perfect Phrases to Invite Feedback About Your Performance as Manager
Chapter 5. Perfect Phrases to Ace the Interview You Conduct
Perfect Phrases to Learn Facts and Personal Information
Perfect Phrases to Learn Work Styles and Preferences
Perfect Phrases to Learn Work Expectations
Perfect Phrases to Learn Work Perceptions
Perfect Situation-Specific Questions
Perfect Phrases to Learn Interpersonal Skills
Perfect Phrases to Determine Self-Directedness and Personal Motivation
Perfect Phrases to Determine Leadership Qualities
Perfect Phrases to Determine Experience
Perfect Phrases to Determine Education and Training
Perfect Phrases to Determine Career Goals
Perfect Phrases to Determine Self-Assessment
Perfect Phrases to Determine Creativity
Perfect Phrases to Determine Decisiveness
Perfect Phrases to Determine Motivation
Perfect Phrases to Determine Work Standards
Perfect Phrases to Determine Presentation Skills
Perfect Phrases to Determine Written Communication Skills
Perfect Phrases to Determine Flexibility
Perfect Phrases to Determine Stress Tolerance
Perfect Multipurpose Interview Sentence Stems
Chapter 6. Perfect Phrases for Orientation
Perfect Phrases to Greet and Welcome
Perfect Phrases to Create Safety and Reassure the New Employee
Perfect Phrases to Introduce the New Employee to the Company
Perfect Phrases to Reinforce Disciplinary Policies
Perfect Phrases to Get the New Employee Started
Perfect Phrases to Establish Feedback
Perfect Phrases to Introduce the New Employee to the Culture
Chapter 7. Perfect Phrases for Delegation
Perfect Phrases to Encourage Buy-in
Perfect Phrases to Express the Benefit of an Assignment
Perfect Phrases to Ensure Clarity in Delegation
Perfect Phrases to Ensure Understanding of an Assignment
Perfect Phrases to Elicit Input During Delegation
Perfect Phrases to Make Sure a Task Is Accepted
Perfect Phrases to Eliminate Reverse Delegation
Perfect Phrases to Refuse an Employee Request
Perfect Phrases to Credential Your Employees
Perfect Phrases to Follow up on Delegated Projects
Chapter 8. Perfect Phrases to Set and Communicate Standards and Goals
Perfect Phrases to Set Job Standards
Perfect Phrases to Gather Input to Identify Job Standards
Perfect Phrase Questions to Ask Employees Currently or Formerly in the Position to Determine Job Standards
Perfect Phrase Questions to Ask Those Who Depend on the Position to Determine Job Standards
Perfect Phrases to Ensure Agreement to Job Standards
Perfect Phrases to Reinforce Job Standards
Perfect Phrases to Negotiate Performance Goals
Perfect Phrases to Ensure Agreement to Performance Goals
Chapter 9. Perfect Phrases to Coach Employees
Perfect Phrases for Informal Interaction
Perfect Phrases to Uncover Employee Strengths
Perfect Phrases to Build Employee Strengths
Perfect Phrases for Positive Reinforcement
Perfect Phrases to Uncover and Address Issues and Obstacles
Perfect Phrases to Develop Solutions
Perfect Phrases to Address Personal Issues
Perfect Phrases to Counsel Employees Going Through a Difficult Time
Chapter 10. Perfect Phrases to Handle Employee Performance and Behavior Problems
Perfect Phrases for Real-Time Corrective Verbal Feedback
Perfect Phrases to Turn Informal Feedback into Verbal Warnings
Perfect Phrases for Written Warnings and Counseling Sessions
Perfect Phrases to Suspend an Employee
Perfect Phrases to Inform Employees About an Employee on Suspension
Perfect Phrases to Receive a Complaint
Perfect Phrases to Inform an Employee of a Complaint
Perfect Phrases to Interview Witnesses About a Complaint
Chapter 11. Perfect Phrases for Conducting Performance Reviews
Perfect Phrases to Announce a Performance Review and Advise the Employee to Prepare
Perfect Phrases to Set Expectations and Create Ease
Perfect Phrases to Review Performance
Perfect Phrases to Address Poor Performance During the Review
Perfect Phrases to Develop Goals During the Review
Perfect Phrases to Create an Improvement Plan
Chapter 12. Perfect Phrases for Termination
Perfect Phrases to Open a Meeting to Terminate Due to Performance
Perfect Phrases to Explain the Situation and Terminate Due to Performance
Perfect Phrases to Open a Meeting to Terminate Due to Cutbacks
Perfect Phrases to Explain the Situation and Terminate Due to Cutbacks
Perfect Phrases to Reaffirm the Employee and Close the Meeting
Perfect Phrases to Answer Common Termination Questions
Perfect Phrases to Tell Other Employees About a Termination
Perfect Phrases for the Exit Interview
Chapter 13. Perfect Phrases for Meetings and Announcements
Perfect Phrases to Keep the Meeting on Track
Perfect Phrases to Bring up an Issue
Perfect Phrases to Emphasize a Point
Perfect Phrases to Handle Interruptions
Perfect Phrases to Elicit Opinions
Perfect Phrases to Comment on Opinions
Perfect Phrases to Correct Information
Perfect Phrases to Focus Decisions
Chapter 14. Perfect Phrases That Empower Employees
Perfect Phrases to Express Appreciation
Perfect Phrases to Motivate
Perfect Phrases to Create Autonomy
Chapter 15. Perfect Phrases to Communicate Up the Ladder
Perfect Phrases to Stay in Sync with Your Boss
Perfect Phrases to Disagree with Your Boss
Perfect Phrases to Warn Your Boss of Developing Problems
Perfect Phrases to Refuse the Boss's Request and Focus Priorities
Perfect Phrases to Manage a Difficult Boss
Perfect Phrases for Bringing an Idea to Your Boss
Perfect Phrases to Break Bad News to the Boss
Perfect Phrases to Support Your Team When Reporting to the Boss
Perfect Phrases to Give Due Credit to Your Team
Chapter 16. Tips for Making Your Perfect Phrases PowerPhrases
Body Language
Tone of Voice
Balance of Power
The 24-Hour Rule
When Silence Is Golden