The Leaders in Virtual Delivery
Check out our world-class PTV studio — the new standard for online learning and training delivery.
More infoGreat Team Framework
Discover patterns the best teams are built on.
Dealing with the Tough Stuff
Build a phenomenal feedback culture.
Coaching Mastery
Step into the next level of leadership with effective coaching skills.
Boss of Busy
Craft strategies to thrive in relentless change.
Virtual Leaders
Maximise people and performance via remote and distributed workplace scenarios.
High Performing Hybrid Teams
Master autonomy, culture, and performance in hybrid teams.
Lead Boldly
Create a generation of female leaders for the future of work.
Check out our world-class PTV studio — the new standard for online learning and training delivery.
More infoOur strategic consultancy services encompass three key areas of: culture, capability, and experience. Grounded in human-centred design methods, we help you drive effective and sustainable behavioural change within your teams and craft strategies to attract, engage, and retain valued talent.
Cultural Transformation Strategy
Guide organisations through major transitions, aligning the workforce with a unified vision.
Employee Engagement Strategy
Craft initiatives that connect your people to purpose.
Learning and Development Strategy
Identify capability gaps and creating targeted development programs and frameworks for future-ready businesses.
Employee Experience Design
Create seamless, engaging, and meaningful employee experiences across their journey.
Are you on a quest to improve the feedback culture in your organisation? That’s a noble quest, we’ll be the Gandalf to your Frodo for this one.
Read MoreA collection of behavioural scientists, human-centred designers, and generally self-confessed people geeks, we work with ambitious leaders who are passionate about driving change across their organisations.
Equip your teams with practical and engaging guides that go hand-in-hand with our most popular leadership programs.
Shop nowGreat Team Framework
Discover patterns the best teams are built on.
Dealing with the Tough Stuff
Build a phenomenal feedback culture.
Coaching Mastery
Step into the next level of leadership with effective coaching skills.
Boss of Busy
Craft strategies to thrive in relentless change.
Virtual Leaders
Maximise people and performance via remote and distributed workplace scenarios.
High Performing Hybrid Teams
Master autonomy, culture, and performance in hybrid teams.
Lead Boldly
Create a generation of female leaders for the future of work.
Check out our world-class PTV studio — the new standard for online learning and training delivery.
More infoOur strategic consultancy services encompass three key areas of: culture, capability, and experience. Grounded in human-centred design methods, we help you drive effective and sustainable behavioural change within your teams and craft strategies to attract, engage, and retain valued talent.
Cultural Transformation Strategy
Guide organisations through major transitions, aligning the workforce with a unified vision.
Employee Engagement Strategy
Craft initiatives that connect your people to purpose.
Learning and Development Strategy
Identify capability gaps and creating targeted development programs and frameworks for future-ready businesses.
Employee Experience Design
Create seamless, engaging, and meaningful employee experiences across their journey.
Are you on a quest to improve the feedback culture in your organisation? That’s a noble quest, we’ll be the Gandalf to your Frodo for this one.
Read MoreA collection of behavioural scientists, human-centred designers, and generally self-confessed people geeks, we work with ambitious leaders who are passionate about driving change across their organisations.
Equip your teams with practical and engaging guides that go hand-in-hand with our most popular leadership programs.
Shop nowIf you’re looking for something you can action today that’ll make you a better manager, the ‘live person’ rule is gonna be your new best friend. It’s a concept that many therapists use as a guiding principle and it’s a lot easier to implement than you may think.
Grab out a pen and paper and get ready for your mind to be blown. This simple change in language will improve your communication skills and help to decrease undesired behaviours within your teams.
Let’s get straight to it.
Not to be confused with The Walking Dead, this rule has nothing to do with zombies and everything to do with requests we make of the people we lead.
In its simplest form, the ‘live person’ rule means that you should never ask someone to do something that a dead person or inanimate object could do.
For example, you could say to a team member, ‘Don’t walk out the door’, and they could achieve the task by simply doing nothing. In fact, a glass on the table could also get the job done simply by being there – as could a pen or a bunch of fake flowers.
Instead of saying ‘Don’t walk out the door’ your request might be ‘Stay in the room so that we can continue this conversation’. Participating in a conversation is not something a glass of water can do, it’s something that only a live person can do.
To create behaviour-change within your team and organisation, you need to have people doing stuff rather than being passive and not doing stuff.
By using this rule you’ll actually remove any room for assumptions as to why you want someone to do something.
Let’s take that ‘Don’t walk out of the door’ request – if you said that to one of your team members, do you think they’d immediately know why you are asking them to do that? They might guess it right, but it is also likely that they’ll interpret your request in a way that’s different than intended.
The aim here is to be mindful of the language you use during key conversations. Focus on giving tasks in a way that a live person could complete the request.
Don’t come in late for work / Please be at work on time for a 9am start
I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but… / Let’s make sure we’re both on the same page…
Don’t come to these meetings without contributing / It is important that you contribute to these meetings
Don’t do it that way / By following the process for this task, you’ll be able to get it done a lot quicker
Don’t walk out the door / Stay in the meeting until we’ve covered everything
If you want to become a better manager, you’ve got to work on your communication skills. Small adjustments like the ‘live person’ rule will allow you to facilitate transformation within your teams and potentially, throughout your entire organisation.
Think you’re finished with this topic? The fun doesn’t end here. I’m going to challenge you to pay attention to the conversations you hear in the office around you and listen for how often people make requests that an inanimate object could carry out. The results may surprise you.
If you’d like to delve deeper into the science of human behaviour as well as advanced communication techniques that’ll make you a better manager, take a look at our Dealing with the Tough Stuff program.
Your inbox, our newsletter. Subscribe for practical tips, our take on the latest industry trends, and strategic insights to share with your teams.
At Pragmatic Thinking we acknowledge First Nations people both here in Australia and around the world. We have the great privilege of working on ancient country that has had countless millennia of teaching, learning, leadership and culture; we pay our deepest respects to the wisdom of Indigenous people and custom past, present and emerging.