The Power of Positive Relationships

Whale Done!

( Ken Blanchard With Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tompkins and Jim

Ballard / Free Press/ 2002 /128 pages / $21.00)

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 Whale Done!
The Power of Positive Relationships

The Big Idea

What do you and the people around you have in common with a killer whale? Both
whales and people perform at their best when you accentuate the positive. It is
important, therefore, to always redirect negativity to increase productivity both at work
and at home.

Bestselling author and business guru Ken Blanchard teams up with coauthors from
Seaworld to write a business parable that urges you to use techniques used by killer
whale trainers. You can use these easy-to-apply techniques both at work and at home to
become better managers, better parents and better spouses.

Chapter 1

Wes Kingsley is a troubled man. He had come to Orlando to attend a business

conference and yet still, he cant seem to leave his problems behind. Wes is having

trouble getting his work staff to perform to the best of their abilities. To make things

worse, Wes is experiencing the same problems at home with his kids.

In between his otherwise busy business schedule, Wes decided to visit the famous

marine zoological park, SeaWorld. During the show, he marveled at the way the

whales performed and at the brilliance of the trainers.

Right after the show, Wes approached one of the trainers, Dave Yardley, to ask him

how he got the killer whales to perform. Daves explanations both surprised and

enlightened Wes.

Whale Done Tips and Techniques:

*People, very much like whales, will not do anything for you until they trust you. You

must show good intentions and convince them that you mean no harm.

*To build trust, you must accentuate the positive and not the negative.

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* Do not accentuate negative behavior. Remember, the more attention you pay to a

certain behavior, the more it will be repeated.

*When negative behavior occurs, redirect the energy.

*Do not look down on others. Do not expect them to do something just because you

want something done.

Chapter 2

When Dave Yardley found out that Wes Kingsley was interested in the behavior of

whales and its relation to human behavior, Dave introduced him to Anne Marie Butler.

Anne Marie Butler is one of the top women executives in the country with a great record

for retaining top employees.

Wes found out that Anne had been incorporating animal training secrets into both her

work and her life. They both decided to meet up the following Monday to share their

point of views.

That Monday, Wes drove to a hotel where Anne was scheduled to be a speaker. It.

was there that Wes heard Anne speak about accentuating the positive and redirecting

the negative.

Whale Done Tips andTechniques:

*In order to motivate the people around you, you must be able to manage their energy.

Increase energy by focusing on the positive behavior of others.

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*Learn the ABCs of performance management.

A = Activator (Whatever Gets Performance Going). This is what gets people to do tasks.

Examples of activators include a set of instructions, a stern order, and goals. Goals

are the most common activators of all and all good performances starts with clear goals.

B = Behavior (The Performance That Occurs). Next, you must observe the behavior that

occurs. After you have set clear goals, are your salespeople meeting their quotas? Is

your teenaged son meeting his curfew?

C = Consequence (Your Response to the Performance). This is how you respondwhen

you get the behavior you were looking for. How will you react if your employee has

made a small error in the figures? How will you react if your employee has finished the

task way before the deadline?

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*You must remember that there are four kinds of consequences:

1.No Response. The most common response people get for doing something right is no

response at all. People are used to do this and think it is a way of life.

2. Negative Response. This is the response that people pay the most attention to.

Most of the time, a boss or a parent will only respond when they see mistakes or errors.

Negative response includes verbal comments, stern looks or some degree of

punishment.

3. Redirection. You should not ignore negative behavior or poor performance. You

must instead redirect their energy back to what they were supposed to do or to a

different task where they can excel.

4.Positive Response. This is the response you give good behavior. At work, you may

reward someone with a promotion. At home, you might allow your kid an extra hour of

television. By rewarding good behavior with something positive, you can be sure that

the behavior will continue.

*Use the Redirection Response.

1.When you come across a problem, talk to the person involved as soon as possible.

2.Describe the problem clearly and without blame.

3.Explain its negative impact.

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4.If possible, take the blame to ease pressure off the other persons shoulders. Explain

that maybe you have not made the task clear.

5.Go overthe details of the task carefully. Make sure that you are understood.

Assure the other person of your trust and confidence in his or her abilities.

*Utilize the Whale Done Response

+Praise people immediately.

+When doing so, be specific about what they did right (or made progress on).

+Share positive feelings.

+Encourage them to keep up the good work.

* Dont waste your energy trying to catch people doing things wrong. Instead, catch

people doing things right.

Chapter 3

Anne Marie met up with Wes as soon as she finished giving her talk. Anne Marie told

Wes about how she discovered that the management techniques trainers used on

whales can be applicable to people too. Soon, Anne Marie and Wes were deep in

conversation about how Whale Done techniques can change your life, both at work and

at home, for the better.

Whale Done Tips and Techniques:

*You must be able to influence people to do the right thing even when you are not

around. To do this, you must help people become self-motivating.

*You must find out what motivates other people. One of the best ways to do so is to

actually ask them how they wish their efforts to be recognized.

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* Never assume that you know what motivates a person. If you are unsure, always

ask.

*Whale Done techniques only work when you are sincere and honest. If other people

suspect you are insincere, prove them wrong.

Chapter 4

It was Wes Kingsleys first day back at work and he immediately started gathering

information about anything positive that had occurred while he was gone.

The next morning, Wes presided over a meeting with his six top managers. During the

meeting Wes promised them all that he would try to be a Whale Done manager. Wes

noticed that some were cynical about his professed change but Wes was determined to

do better.

A couple of weeks later, Wes took his family to Orlando to watch Shamu and the other

whales perform after he witnessed an argument between his wife, Joy, and their

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14-year-old daughter, Allie. After the show, Wes took them backstage to meet Dave

Yardley and another trainer, Pam Driscoll.

Whale Done Tips and Techniques:

*Remember that Whale Done techniques can improve your life at home as well. Try to

accentuate the positive when it comes to your spouse and children. It isthe key to a

good relationship.

*Always remember that people want approval from others. They will enjoy the positive

attention and keep doing what is right.

Chapter 5

Wes called a family meeting as soon as they returned from Orlando. Wes and Joy told

their kids that they want to implement Whale Done methods at their home. The kids

responded enthusiastically to the idea.

Wesley and Joy also decided that they needed a Whale Done makeover in their

relationship. The both of them decided to meet up with Anne Marie Butler to seek

some much needed advice.

Whale Done Tips and Techniques:

*When you first fall in love, all you see is the positive. As time goes on, you will find

yourself focusing on the negative behaviors more. You must not fall into this trap.

* Dont just try to make a relationship work. You must ensure that both you and your

partner are committed to making the relationship work.

*Remember that positive responses motivate people to do positive things.

Chapter 6

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One day, Wes wascalled into the office of Jim Barnes. Jim Barnes is Wes boss and

Jim wanted to know why sales figures were dropping. To Wes surprise, Jim accused

Wes of turning soft because of his Whale Done techniques. Jim gave Wes an

ultimatum to bring the sales back up.

Over the next few months, Wes discovered that his staff was actually inspired by the

Whale Done techniques. Even his previous detractors offered to help. To everyones

surprise, the sales figures went up and Wes new management approach had become a

certified hit.

The Whale Done method had also done wonders at the Kingsley household. Not only

had Wes and Joys relationship drastically improved, their relationship with their children

had never been better. Wes almost cant believe that he had killer whales to thank for

his great new life.

Whale Done Tips and Techniques:

* It is not enough that you catch other people doing something right, you must catch

yourself doing something right as well.

*Remember that people like to be around people who sincerely like themselves.

*It never hurts to blow your own horn once in a while.

* * *

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