WARNING -- sarcasm approaching...

Yeah -- it's really awful that somebody has so much confidence in himself...

The key here is -- does he really have skills and maybe needs to pull back some on the ego? Or is he really not as good as he thinks he is? Maybe he's trying to be funny, and everyone else is being too hyper-sensitive and not able to see it as humorous?

quote:

Originally posted by Kizzy:
2 thoughts ...

It sounds like this guy doesn't have an awareness of how his ideas are coming across and believes he's a better communicator than he is proving himself to be.

I think Kizzy has a good point. Turn the tables a bit and see who is listening to who. You mentioned that he can pitch an idea and no one responds to it but then you can pitch an idea and everyone loves it. Try letting him explain his point of view and then asking another team member to explain what he just said. While he might be rough around the edges in presentation, maybe others are just not listening. Or maybe they are and he will realize that how he presented it gave the wrong interpretation.

Kelly

I'm eager to know... does this guy ever bother to supply any resources/evidence to support his opinions/assertions?

I used to have a manager who, no matter how much background information someone on our team would supply to support what he/she thought was best, he would only do what his boss (who incidentally knew nothing of instructional design or learning) would tell him to do. He got furious at one meeting when I provided full data and resources to support something that went in the opposite direction from what he was insisting we do. Is there even the smallest possibility that there is "hard-headedness" going on with more than just your "egotist"? (and no - I'm not implying that it's you - I'm just hoping that you explore more than just the behavior of this one person; his teammates in particular)

quote:

Originally posted by Laura L:
I'm eager to know... does this guy ever bother to supply any resources/evidence to support his opinions/assertions?

When first hired, he based most of his suggestions on what seemed like "opinion". After having a dicussion with him on "giving a little background on where you get these ideas" he has recently (last six months) been researching more and finding arcticles and dicussions and surveys that back-up what was typically referred to the others as "opinion". It's happened a couple times that when his research is presented to the group, the others have research that shows different. Which is purely part of the creative process we use. Having a different opinion is not bad, just another option to consider.

Often there is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak. I recognize this in the whole picture of our quarterly and annual goals, and I will typically only make a "management call" on items that I feel affect the bottom line. I can see how this may contribute to the "my opinion is better" arguments. However, whereas the other trainers can work within the group and come to a solution, he is often left on an island.

One thing I've done is take one of the other trainers, one whose opinion is valued in the group (let's call her Betty), and couple the two together in a project to present together to the group. It went well, until the presentation steadily began leaning toward Betty, and she had to begin repeating what Fred was saying so the others didn't get frustrated.

As a result of this, I have been paying a LOT more detail to the way that Fred speaks. It's apparent to me that it's purely his presentation and communication skills. My dilema is getting him to recognize this in a way that encourages personal change.

I've started a dialogue with him in a Q&A format. I hope to draw down on his communication methods and get him to recognize the problems himself...then we'll work on solutions together.

I'll let you all know what happens...it might be interesting.

TRNG,

Along the way findout why he communicates
the way he does with this particular group. He is telling you something. What is it ?
Again when did this behavior begin ?
Nero