6.2. Effective Communications

Four principles should drive the way you communicate during performance analysis:

  1. Understand your sources.

  2. Be authentic.

  3. Remember that performance analysis might be perceived as threatening, controversial, and intrusive—and deal with it.

  4. Emphasize planning. It is at the heart of effective communications.

6.2.1. Understand Your Sources

No surprise here, but still a challenge. Before you go out in the field, consider the following questions:

Who are the sources, and what are their perspectives?
Are they delighted to participate? Are they hesitant? Why?
Where are their managers on this topic?
Will this effort influence the status quo? How?
How is the source invested in the status quo?
If things change, how might their world ...

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