LW_Mag_WINTER_FINAL (1) 2014 | Page 17

GIVING. PRAYING. FASTING 17 unrighteousness, and, so, in business, it’s the same thing, when you recognize that you making a mistake, and you recognize that there are things that are happening with employees, or situations, or contracts, it’s easy just to fall on the mercy and say, ‘Lord, help me, give me your wisdom. I’ve messed up again. I’m a sinner. My righteousness is as filthy rags before you. I need your help,’ and He’s faithful and just to forgive you. He’s faithful and just to intervene on our behalf but it takes humility in order to get that help that we need often. LW: You mentioned how you had to confront one of your staff members in a direct but positive way. How does a manager who is not naturally inclined to be confrontational become so? Jackson: Well, I think that as a manager you have to be directive and instructional and so, I’m confident now because I’ve been doing it for some time but I wasn’t always that way. Sometimes, I could be a little bit obtuse about what I was actually asking an employee to do or someone to do and then the results weren’t what I had envisioned. And, so, I just tried to narrow my language and narrow my scope and just make it what is the deliverable. I find as women we use-they say that we use seven times more words than men and so in interacting with male employees, I try to use fewer words and give them one thing to do as opposed to hitting them with a whole bunch of stuff because we as women we can go from topic to topic, bounce back and forth, and still stay with the main thing. So, taking those gender differences and as personal To find out more about criticism for myself to say, Joni Michele Jackson, ‘Okay, where am I missing the visit her blog at mark in terms of when I ask for http://positivityandpumps.tumblr.com. things, what’s the best way to go about that?’ And, then, as you practice you develop your style in terms of what works in your environment.