Leaders help Happy thrive by offering recognition and support. The leader calls on Happy first (he'll be anxious to speak up) to help the less cooperative participants get involved.
Londonderry, NH (PRWEB) August 23, 2007
Conducting successful meetings can be as easy as becoming familiar again with a children's classic fairytale, says Sharon Livingston, Ph.D.
"Every employee's personality type can be tagged to one of Walt Disney's Seven Dwarfs," according to Dr. Livingston, creator of the revolutionary new Snow White Theory. "By identifying which 'dwarf' you are dealing with, you can make business meetings run more smoothly and stay in better control."
In her 25-year career as one of the country's top marketing consultants, Dr. Livingston has conducted more than 5,000 meetings.
"It's amazing that in every meeting I lead, people always fall into one of the classic dwarf roles. That particular 'dwarf' even sits in the same position each time," said Dr. Livingston, founder of The Livingston Group for Marketing, Inc. in Londonderry, NH.
"Docs" almost always sit opposite the leader where they can make direct eye contact, Dr. Livingston explained. "These are people who feel intense pressure to 'know it all.' They can't provide an idea unless they are sure it's the right one - and the only one - and they may try to wrest control of the meeting away from the leader. To help, you have to do something to take that pressure off," she continued. "For instance: Ask them, 'What's the worst way you could think of to ....' or 'let's discuss ten ways we could accomplish this.' Avoid asking them for THE answer."
"Happys" smile a lot at the leader, try to make eye contact with the leader and position themselves to the leader's immediate right. "Happys promptly do anything asked," noted Dr. Livingston. "Leaders help Happy thrive by offering recognition and support. The leader calls on Happy first (he'll be anxious to speak up) to help the less cooperative participants get involved."
"Sleepys" dread meetings. "They're either bored to tears with the usual protocol or simply haven't had enough sleep," said Dr. Livingston, who now offers Snow White Theory in her nationally renowned facilitator training courses. "Either way, you need to do something unusual to get their attention - say something provocative and be ready with a joke to diffuse the tension once it's out."
To learn about all seven dwarf personalities and to find out your own dwarf personality, go to: http://www.snowwhitetest.com.
For more information on Snow White Theory contact Dr. Livingston at: sharonl@tlgonline.com or call her at (603)505-5000.
Sharon Livingston has spent twenty-five years interviewing executives, professionals, employees, and consumers in group settings. She has consulted for dozens of major U.S. companies including AT&T, Lipton, Panasonic, Citibank, Ciba Geigy, Parke Davis, Lincoln-Mercury, Nabisco, Exxon, Hallmark, Colgate-Palmolive, Hunt-Wesson, Sara Lee, American Express, Vanguard, Gannett Outdoor Group, Novartis, Astra Zenica and Kraft.
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