book

The Human Touch

by Philippa Thomas, Debra Paul, James Cadle

December 2012

Intermediate to advanced

256 pages

7h 53m

English

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT

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IntroductionThe importance of peopleCategorising peopleThe sense of the individualThe nature of business change workCategories of skillThe human touchConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterThe nature of rapportWhy rapport is so important in working relationshipsThe business context for rapportThe psychology of rapportTechniques for creating and sustaining rapport face to faceTechniques for creating and sustaining rapport over the phoneTechniques for creating rapport via emailHow to destroy rapportConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterGroups and teamsTeam rolesTeam developmentManagement and team buildingConclusionChapter references
IntroductionContents of this chapterTypes of negotiation situationsNegotiation outcomesThe ‘getting to yes’ approachProcess for successful negotiationManaging conflict situationsConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterWhat is leadership?How leadership differs from managementThree keys to effective leadershipTheories of leadershipLeadership stylesThe modelsLateral leadershipConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterInfluence versus powerStarting out: Defining our circle of influenceInfluencing and the three universal human goalsCialdini’s ‘six principles of influence’The outcome frameQuestions: The golden key to influenceInfluencing according to social preferenceThe influencing processConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterThe pros and cons of written communicationThe communication process and the barriers to communicationPlanning the written communicationTypes of written communicationA process for written communicationThe emotional impact of writingWriting styleAssessing readability: The fog indexEmail: Perils and pitfallsWriting for the webConclusionFurther reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterPlanning the presentationDeveloping the presentationSpeaker’s notesPresentation aidsDelivering the presentationThe team presentationConclusionFurther reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterWhat is commercial awareness?Making sense of the economic environment and the marketMaking sense of the organisationAppreciating cultureFinancial literacyConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterWhat is coaching?Distinguishing between coaching, mentoring, counselling and trainingThe business context for coaching and its benefitsThe key qualities and skills of a manager–coachA process for coachingA simple structure for an informal coaching sessionFormal coaching: The STEER modelFormal coaching: The GROW modelUseful coaching questionsCoaching pitfallsReferences and further reading
IntroductionFocus of this chapterContents of this chapterCategories of expectationSources of expectationsA process for managing expectationsMonitor the expectationsPositive use of expectationsConclusionFurther reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterWhy facilitation is importantThe essence of facilitationRoles in a facilitated eventStructure of an eventThe elements for successful facilitationPreparation and planningEffective facilitation behavioursWorkshop techniquesParticipation preferencesThe benefits of effective facilitationConclusionReferences and further reading
IntroductionContents of this chapterDeveloping creativityCreative problem-solving processIdea generation techniquesDe Bono’s Six HatsConclusionReferences and further reading

Overview

Strong interpersonal skills are a fundamental requirement in all work environments. This book provides expert guidance for IT and other professionals on key skills including: building rapport; team working; leadership; negotiation; written communication; managing conflict; presentation skills; coaching and mentoring; problem solving.