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Sunday, 27 May 2012
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Cold
Water Comments—What They Are And How to Manage Them!
by
Kevin Eikenberry
When co-workers try their utmost to dampen your enthusiasm
with negative comments especially designed to discredit and
disparage your ideas and suggestions, here's how to fight back
and ensure that their minds stay open.
Cold Water Comments are those comments, phrases and ideas that
are meant to discourage, disparage, discredit and generally
douse your ideas!
There are several things you can do to keep those comments
in someone's bucket or warm them up once they've been tossed.
Planning For The Cold Water—With Towels In Each
Hand!
Step 1 - Identify the Possible Cold Water
Make a list of all the comments you have heard in the past
and might expect to hear now. Once you have identified the list,
determine how you will respond to each of them. (Remember that
at this stage you are trying to sell your idea, not start an
argument!)
Step 2 - Determine the Source
Ask yourself, who carries that bucket of cold water with them
most of the time? When you can envision not only the water,
but the source of the water up front, you can be better prepared
to respond.
Step 3 - Is it a Question?
If it's cold water disguised as a question, just answer the
question! For example if you are asked, "Is there money
to do that?", it may just be the question form of the popular
cold water "It's not in the budget". If you get questions,
consider yourself lucky and answer them...persuasively!
Step 4 - Who's Got the Authority?
The people manning the buckets, ready to douse you and your
idea may have more authority than you...or they may have less.
In other words, your boss may have the bucket, your peers may
have the bucket, or those who work for you may be carrying it.
It's important to recognize where the buckets are so you can
sell your ideas appropriately.
Acknowledging The Cold Water—Taking A Team's
Buckets Away
If you want to reduce the use of cold water comments, or perhaps
make the water a bit warmer, you can use the suggestions below!
Talk About Cold Water Comments
Explain the concept of Cold Water Comments to those you work
with. Once people hear the phrase, they will begin to notice
the use of the cold water! Recognition of the tendency is the
first step towards reducing its impact.
Bring Your Towel!
Help people get better at planning for encounters with Cold
Water Comments by helping them learn how to use the planning
steps above—what we like to call the
Towel for the Cold Water.
Fight About It!
If you are planning a meeting where you want as little cold
water present as possible, encourage people to fight back against
the cold water! Provide everyone with some paper to make paper
wads, some Koosh, or Nerf balls. Then encourage them to toss
their 'ammo' at anyone using a cold water comment.
This activity will not only reduce the number of such comments,
but the levity that the throwing brings will reduce the affect
of the cold water that is splashed around.
Make 'Em Pay!
Establish a rule for a meeting (or for all meetings!) that
people have to pay into the pot (a quarter?) every time they
tip their cold water bucket. Come up with a plan for how you'll
use the accumulating cash—coming up with that plan would
be a good idea generation exercise in itself!
Make A List!
Have everyone in your group or organization brainstorm a list
of the most popular and prevalent cold water comments around
your organization. Put them all on a list and post them in places
where people gather, like conference rooms, training rooms,
etc.
Copyright © 2005, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry.
Kevin is the President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a
learning consulting company that helps their clients reach their
potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking
services. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/training/training.asp
to learn more about customized workshops and training on creativity
or call toll free 888.LEARNER.
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