The Hammer Principle John Maxwell Summary

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Success in the educational environment hinges on the relationships built between all individuals involved. John C. Maxwell writes Winning With People, to elaborate on techniques that will allow for successful relationships in a person’s life. The “Hammer Principle” refers to someone who tries to get the upper hand in the disagreement by using an aggressive stance. Throughout the article, Maxwell describes four vital components to promote in a relationship: the total picture, timing, tone, and temperature. These four techniques help to strengthen and ensure positive relationships along with effective discussion.
In a working environment individuals may often use the hammer method when talking with another person. Maxwell discusses how strong personalities usually jump to conclusions before a conversation is even complete, which can create unnecessary problems (Maxwell, 2004). In the article, the author explains when talking to someone a good practice is to use the approach of “listening, ask questions, listen again, ask more questions, listen some more, then respond” (Maxwell, 2004, p. 38). In the administrative role, …show more content…

Maxwell explains the importance of the reaction to a problem and how the reaction can either increase or decrease a problem (Maxwell, 2004). The author also gives a reprimand rule; this rule indicates the person will, “share their feelings for 30 seconds and then it’s over” (Maxwell, 2004, p. 40). When interacting with children, teachers and administrators should use the reprimand rule with students. Hammering a point into a student who has made a mistake will only escalate the situation and create a barrier between the student and the adult. Relationships and rapport are what create the successful communities in the school system. Ensuring that staff members are managing their reactions to problems will allow for more learning success among the

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