THE BLANCHARD MANAGEMENT

ESSENTIALS CHALLENGE
TM

Essential Skills from

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Welcome to the Blanchard
Management Essentials Challenge TM

Overview of the Challenge

Practice the management essential skills while getting your work done by completing the
six steps in the Blanchard Management Essentials Challenge. This document contains the
TM

Challenge Assignments and many of the support tools you will need to complete them. The
six Challenge Assignments are listed below and outlined on the following pages—complete
them in whatever order you find most helpful. All the worksheets you will need can be found
in this booklet.

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Teaching Others Conduct a Goal Conduct a Praising
the Four Core Setting Conversation Conversation
Conversations

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Conduct a Redirecting Conduct a Wrapping Share Your Success

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Conversation Up Conversation Story
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© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 2
Challenge Assignments

Teaching Others the Four Core Conversations

It’s much easier to use these conversations with team members if they know about them, too.

Task to Complete
1. Invite your team members to a meeting to share what you have learned in the
workshop.
2. Use the At a Glance job aid you received in class to help teach them about the

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Four Core Conversations.

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3. Encourage your team members to ask for the conversation they need the most.
This will get everyone using the same language and help you learn faster.

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Conduct a Goal Setting Conversation

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Have a conversation that establishes clear goals and sets the person up for success.
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Tasks to Complete
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1. Clarify your purpose and intention for this conversation (balancing people
and performance issues) and identify what you think the goal should be.
2. Use the Goal Setting Conversations Guide to prepare what you will say
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and do.
3. Conduct the Goal Setting Conversation, remembering to Listen to Learn and
Inquire for Insight.
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© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 3
Conduct a Praising Conversation
When someone has done something well and is moving toward their goal, reinforce their work
with a Praising Conversation.

Tasks to Complete
1. Think carefully about the positive behavior the person has exhibited. Be
specific about what they did that was important, and why.

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2. Use the Praising Conversations Guide to prepare. These collaborative

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conversations are very rewarding for you and your team member if you’ve
done your homework.

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3. Conduct the Praising Conversation, trying to get the other person to talk
about their reactions and experience.

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Conduct a Redirecting Conversation
Have a Redirecting Conversation when you need to get someone back on track.
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Tasks to Complete
1. What’s your goal for this conversation? Are you trying to provide redirection
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and build motivation at the same time?

2. Use the Redirecting Conversations Guide to prepare what you will say and
do. This is important.
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3. Conduct the Redirecting Conversation by following your outline. Resist the

urge to do most of the talking, but ask for thoughts and reactions along
the way.
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© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 4
Conduct a Wrapping Up Conversation
When a goal has been reached, or abandoned, make sure to express appreciation for the work
and clear the air.

Tasks to Complete
1. Get clear on your goal for this conversation. This is an opportunity to
discuss what was successful and what was learned as you’re completing a

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task or project.

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2. Prepare using the Wrapping Up Conversations Guide. What questions will
you ask about accomplishments, improvements, and learning?

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3. Have the Wrapping Up Conversation and remember to express confidence.

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Share Your Success
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Celebrate your progress in as a successful manager and share what you’ve learned with others.
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Tasks to Complete
1. Recall an experience when you successfully used one of the Four Core Conversations with a
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team member and had a positive outcome.

2. What was the situation and how did you approach it? How did it go? Did anything surprise
you? What made all the difference?
O O

3. Share your success story with your leader and/or the sponsor of this program in your
organization.
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© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 5
 Goal Setting Conversations Guide
Be clear about the goal and how to
present it
• What is the purpose of this
conversation?
Before
Plan

• What is my intent?
• What do I know about the person?
• What information might I be
missing?

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Greet the person and set a
positive tone
Connect

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Link the goal to the person’s
strengths, interests, and capabilities

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Introduce the goal
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Focus and Discuss

Get feedback to refine the goal

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Identify steps to make progress on
During

the goal
Say honestly and bravely what needs
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to be said

Document the goal before leaving

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the meeting
Review

Clarify next steps and plan check-ins

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Express confidence

Learn from the conversation

• How useful was this conversation?
• What did I learn that can be used
Reflect
After

moving forward?
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• What do I think this person will say

about this conversation at dinner
tonight?

© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 6
 Praising Conversations Guide
What is the goal?
Identify the positive behaviors as
specifically as possible. Consider:
Before
Plan

• What is the purpose of this

conversation?
• What is my intent?
• What do I know about the person?

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Greet the person and set a positive
tone
Connect

Communicate the praising in as much

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detail as possible

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Discuss how the behavior is helping
Focus and Discuss

to achieve the goal

During

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Encourage the person to reflect on
the accomplishment
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Express confidence and encourage

continued good work
Review

O O
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Learn from the conversation

• How useful was this conversation?
• What did I learn that can be used
Reflect
After

moving forward?
• What do I think this person will say
D

about this conversation at dinner

tonight?

© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 7
 Redirecting Conversations Guide
What is the goal?
Be as specific as possible about the
off-track behavior
Before
Plan

• What is the purpose of this

conversation?
• What is my intent?
• What do I know about the person?
• What information might I be missing?

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Greet the person and set an appropriate
Connect

tone

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Reclarify the goal
Share an observation about a behavior

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or result that you’d like to change
Focus and Discuss

Ask for the person’s perspective or

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confirmation—be sure to listen to learn!
Encourage reflection on impact and
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During

solutions
Communicate honestly what needs to
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be different and gain agreement—be

willing to tell your truth

Ask for a review of next steps and

actions
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Review

Pay attention to and ask about verbal

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and nonverbal responses

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Express confidence

Learn from the conversation

• How useful was this conversation?
• What did I learn that can be used
Reflect
After

moving forward?
D

• What do I think this person will say

about this conversation at dinner
tonight?

© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 8
 Wrapping Up Conversations Guide
Be aware when the goal, task, or project is
complete. Consider:
• What was the goal, task, or project?
• What is the purpose of this conversation?
Before
Plan

• What do I know about the person?

• What would best bring closure?
• How can this conversation be
encouraging and inspiring for future
goals?

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Express appreciation
Connect

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Ask how the person feels about the goal or
project

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Discuss the results and impact
collaboratively
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Ask about key learnings or areas for
improvement (the purpose is to accelerate
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Focus and Discuss

learning, not to make the person wrong).

For example:
During

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• What did you think went well?

• What did you learn from doing this
project?
• What could you do differently next time?
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• What could I have done differently?

• How can our team benefit from what’s
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happened and what’s been learned?

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Express confidence for this and future goals

Review

Learn from the conversation

• How useful was this conversation?
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Reflect
After

• What did I learn that can be used moving

forward?
• What do I think this person will say about
this conversation at dinner tonight?

© 2016 The Ken Blanchard Companies. All rights reserved • Item # EL1914 • V051516 9
 The Four Core Conversations

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Goal

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Setting
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Praising Redirecting
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Wrapping
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Up
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