In 2002, McGraw Hill kicked off its Perfect Phrases Series with Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews. Since then, they have published a total of 54 books and eBooks by a variety of experts and authors. This helpful series provides the reader with language for effective communication around a wide range of critical topics that are relevant to supervisors, managers and leaders in the workplace. Some examples of the books available include:
Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews
Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals
Perfect Phrases for Executive Presentations
Perfect Phrases for Communicating Change
Perfect Phrases for Negotiating Salary and Job
Perfect Phrases for Building Strong Teams
Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors
Perfect Phrases for Employee Development Plans
Perfect Phrases for Leadership Development
We all have those times when we simply cannot find the right words and it is incredibly helpful to see the various ways something might be phrased. For those of you getting our Monday Morning Business Coach, you know we recently wrote about how important it is to broaden and strengthen your drop down menu. The Perfect Phrase series is an excellent tool that enables you to add to your drop down menu by giving you new ways of responding to traditionally difficult situations.
In Perfect Phrases for Setting Performance Goals by Douglas Max and Robert Bacal, Max and Bacal take you through writing performance goals and also guide you in creating goals that are specific and measurable. They have created helpful lists that guide your word choice so that you can articulate behaviors you need to see and want to measure, i.e., “ensure that all participants in group discussions can express themselves without being embarrassed, bullied, or belittled by other participants” (pg. 47) or “ensure that employees who are not performing to standards either improve within three months . . . or are terminated.” (pg. 71) Clear, succinct, and respectful.
Bottom Line: When you find yourself in struggling with how to talk to people about the critical aspects of your job, take a look at this series to see if there is a book that will help you create effective, strong, professional communications that get results.