What's wrong with this conversation? - Part 2

❌ Last week I showed you this sample conversation. It feels way too real for many.

Manager: "James, have you received the supplier evaluation report?"

James:"Yes."

Manager:"Have you already read it?"

James: "Yes, I have. It was quite complex."

Manager:"Ok. So have you understood the new evaluation matrix?"

James: "Yes, of course." (What else can he say...)

Manager: "Have you already thought about how to present it?"

James:"No, not yet."

Manager:"Can you squeeze that in somehow until our next 1:1 in a week?"

James: "Yes...sure."

Manager: "Glad to hear that. Then let's move on to the next topic."

Quite a few of you responded and noticed the obvious closed questions and apparent 'narrow' mindset of the Manager.

And yes, that's exactly what happened here. The Manager asks questions, but really does not learn *anything*. In the end, whether James is successful or not is more of a gamble.

✅ Let's try a different version:

Manager: "What's your opinion about it?"

James:"In my view, the overall matrix is useful, but the detailed rules are very complex."

Manager:"I see. What's your concern?"

James:"I wonder how our stakeholders will see it. I have doubts how helpful it is like this."

Manager:"Ok, I see where you are coming from. Hmm, given we have 2 weeks left still before we share it, what's your recommendation right now?"

James: "Well, while reading it, I had 2-3 ideas how to make it easier to understand. If I talk to them this week, turnaround could still be fast enough for us to fix it."

Manager: "Oh, that's excellent to hear. Do you foresee any obstacle or risk? And also, how else could I support, if any?"

James:"I am worried that they don't agree and block it. Would it possible for me to copy you, so you can send a reinforcing note on top of my email? I think this would be a clear signal that this is important."

Manager:"Yes, absolutely. Just tag me on teams on this. I am glad you brought it up. And for now, what else do we need to address around this?"

James:"I am good. This helped!"

Manager:"Ok, shall we move on to the next topic?"

Quite different, isn't it?

What are 2-3 key differences in style/tone that you notice in this conversation?

Send me short email/reply!

Next week, I will share some commentary on it!