The Truth About Winning at Work (Collection), 2/e

Book description

A brand new collection of management and leadership skills for improving business performance

4 authoritative books deliver world-class skills for leading change and improving performance throughout your team and organization!

You’re facing greater challenges than ever before – both outside your organization, and inside it. To win, you need today’s best skills for improving performance and driving change. Now, this 4-book collection presents hundreds of those skills simply, clearly, and quickly, to support action. In The Truth About Managing People, Third Edition bestselling author Stephen Robbins shares 61 proven principles and solutions for make-or-break, day-to-day management problems. Overcome the true obstacles to teamwork… avoid both over- and under-communication… improve hiring and employee evaluations… manage a culturally/generationally diverse or virtual workforces… combine stronger ethics and greater effectiveness… and much more. Next, in The Truth About Getting the Best From People, Second Edition, Martha Finney shares 60+ proven principles for gaining unprecedented employee engagement. This new edition features 15 new truths for managing virtual teams, overcoming your unconscious biases, managing multiple generations, identifying/cultivating individual high performers, and more. Next, persuade others in any environment with The Truth About Confident Presenting, by James O’Rourke. O’Rourke reveals 51 proven, concise, easy-to-use presenting techniques that work: all you need to know to prepare effectively (not obsessively), manage anxiety, connect with any audience, and succeed. Discover what makes people listen, and what instantly turns them off… how to muster evidence that’ll convince your specific audience… how to listen, establish a great first impression, and make nonverbal cues work for you… use PowerPoint and microphones well… handle hostile questions confidently; and much more. Finally, turn to William S. Kane’s The Truth About Thriving in Change for 49 proven ways to do what everyone wants, and few can deliver: lead successful change. Plan, drive, and sustain positive change that matters… transform organizations without destroying morale… objectively assess whether yours is really the best way… develop the change management skills you need most… know when to persuade, educate, or “use force”… create the right cultural framework you need to keep moving forward. These four eBooks aren’t “just someone’s opinion”: they offer definitive, evidence-based principles for improving performance throughout your entire leadership career!

From world-renowned workplace effectiveness expertsStephen P. Robbins, Martha I. Finney, James O’Rourke, and William S. Kane

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Contents
  4. The Truth About: Managing People, Third Edition
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Dedication Page
    3. Preface
    4. Part I: The Truth About Hiring
      1. Truth 1. First Impressions DO Count!
      2. Truth 2. Forget Traits; It’s Behavior That Counts!
      3. Truth 3. Brains Matter; or Why You Should Hire Smart People
      4. Truth 4. When in Doubt, Hire Conscientious People!
      5. Truth 5. Want Friendly Employees? It’s in the Genes!
      6. Truth 6. Realistic Job Previews: What You See Is What You Get
      7. Truth 7. Throw Out Your Age Stereotypes
      8. Truth 8. Match Personalities and Jobs
      9. Truth 9. Hire People Who Fit Your Culture: My “Good Employee” Is Your Stinker!
      10. Truth 10. Good Citizenship Counts!
      11. Truth 11. Manage the Socialization of New Employees
    5. Part II: The Truth About Motivation
      1. Truth 12. Why Many Workers Aren’t Motivated at Work Today
      2. Truth 13. Telling Employees to “Do Your Best” Isn’t Likely to Achieve Their Best
      3. Truth 14. Not Everyone Wants to Participate in Setting Goals
      4. Truth 15. Professional Workers Go for the Flow
      5. Truth 16. When Giving Feedback: Criticize Behaviors, Not People
      6. Truth 17. Managing Across the Generation Gap
      7. Truth 18. You Get What You Reward
      8. Truth 19. It’s All Relative!
      9. Truth 20. Recognition Motivates (and It Costs Very Little)
      10. Truth 21. There’s More to High Employee Performance Than Just Motivation
    6. Part III: The Truth About Leadership
      1. Truth 22. Five Leadership Myths Debunked
      2. Truth 23. The Essence of Leadership Is Trust
      3. Truth 24. Experience Counts! Wrong!
      4. Truth 25. Effective Leaders Know How to Frame Issues
      5. Truth 26. You Get What You Expect
      6. Truth 27. Charisma Can Be Learned
      7. Truth 28. Charisma Is Not Always an Asset
      8. Truth 29. Make Others Dependent on You
      9. Truth 30. Successful Leaders Are Politically Adept
      10. Truth 31. Ethical Leadership
      11. Truth 32. Virtual Leadership: Leading from Afar
      12. Truth 33. Adjust Your Leadership Style for Cultural Differences, or When in Rome...
    7. Part IV: The Truth About Communication
      1. Truth 34. Hearing Isn’t Listening
      2. Truth 35. Listen to the Grapevine
      3. Truth 36. Men and Women Communicate Differently
      4. Truth 37. What You Do Overpowers What You Say
      5. Truth 38. The Value of Silence
      6. Truth 39. Watch Out for Digital Distractions
    8. Part V: The Truth About Building Teams
      1. Truth 40. What We Know That Makes Teams Work
      2. Truth 41. 2 + 2 Doesn’t Necessarily Equal 4
      3. Truth 42. The Value of Diversity on Teams
      4. Truth 43. We’re Not All Equal: Status Matters!
      5. Truth 44. Not Everyone Is Team Material
    9. Part VI: The Truth About Managing Conflicts
      1. Truth 45. The Case FOR Conflict
      2. Truth 46. Beware of Groupthink
      3. Truth 47. How to Reduce Work–Life Conflicts
      4. Truth 48. Negotiating Isn’t About Winning and Losing
    10. Part VII: The Truth About Designing Jobs
      1. Truth 49. Not Everyone Wants a Challenging Job
      2. Truth 50. Four Job-Design Actions That Will Make Employees More Productive
    11. Part VIII: The Truth About Performance Evaluation
      1. Truth 51. Annual Reviews: The Best Surprise Is No Surprise!
      2. Truth 52. Don’t Blame Me! The Role of Self-Serving Bias
      3. Truth 53. Judging Others: Tips for Making Better Decisions
      4. Truth 54. The Case for 360-Degree Feedback Appraisals: More IS Better!
    12. Part IX: The Truth About Coping with Change
      1. Truth 55. Most People Resist Any Change That Doesn’t Jingle in Their Pockets!
      2. Truth 56. Use Participation to Reduce Resistance to Change
      3. Truth 57. Employee Turnover Can Be a Good Thing
      4. Truth 58. In Cutbacks: Don’t Neglect the Survivors
      5. Truth 59. Beware of the Quick Fix
    13. References
    14. FT Press
  5. The Truth About: Getting the Best from People
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Dedication Page
    3. Praise for the First Edition
    4. Introduction
    5. Part I: The Truth About Employee Engagement
      1. Truth 1. You don’t need the carrot or the stick
      2. Truth 2. You have direct influence over your employees’ passion quotient
      3. Truth 3. You get the best by giving the best
      4. Truth 4. It’s not money that motivates
      5. Truth 5. Employee engagement isn’t for sissies
      6. Truth 6. Real engagement gains happen after survey scores come in
    6. Part II: The Truth About Yourself
      1. Truth 7. Your behaviors are your brand
      2. Truth 8. You can’t give what you don’t have
      3. Truth 9. “Best” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone
      4. Truth 10. Think you’re a great leader? Think again
      5. Truth 11. You could be your own worst employee
      6. Truth 12. Visionary or beat cop? Your choice
      7. Truth 13. Your health may be compromising your leadership effectiveness
      8. Truth 14. You don’t have to be perfect
      9. Truth 15. Your career can recover from an engagement hit
    7. Part III: The Truth About Engaged Cultures
      1. Truth 16. Employee happiness is serious business
      2. Truth 17. Great leaders make their people cry
      3. Truth 18. Better questions lead to better answers
      4. Truth 19. Individual passion builds a passion-fueled customer service culture
      5. Truth 20. Authentic is better than clever
      6. Truth 21. Retention begins with hello
      7. Truth 22. The bad will do you good
      8. Truth 23. Your biggest complainer may be your best supporter
      9. Truth 24. You can sell an unpopular decision
      10. Truth 25. Flex is best
      11. Truth 26. Nobody cares if you don’t mean to be mean
      12. Truth 27. Controlling your temper is a labor-saving device
      13. Truth 28. There is no “but” in “I’m sorry”
    8. Part IV: The Truth About Motivation
      1. Truth 29. Engagement happens one person at a time
      2. Truth 30. If you’re a manager, you’re a career coach
      3. Truth 31. The candidates you’re seeking may not be the ones you need
      4. Truth 32. Ask for cheese—you might get the moon
      5. Truth 33. You lead better when you get off your pedestal
      6. Truth 34. Trust is your strongest persuasion tool
      7. Truth 35. If they aren’t buying it, they aren’t doing it
      8. Truth 36. Overselling an opportunity can cost you precious talent
      9. Truth 37. Focusing on what’s right can help solve what’s wrong
      10. Truth 38. High performers are motivated by a piece of the action
      11. Truth 39. All the generations want the same things
    9. Part V: The Truth About Performance
      1. Truth 40. Compassion promotes performance
      2. Truth 41. A hot star can brighten your whole team
      3. Truth 42. B players are your A team
      4. Truth 43. High performers have enough coffee mugs
      5. Truth 44. Discipline deepens engagement
      6. Truth 45. You don’t have to inherit the problem employees
      7. Truth 46. Performance appraisals are really about you
      8. Truth 47. New hires can inspire current employees
      9. Truth 48. Terminations are an engagement tool
    10. Part VI: The Truth About Creativity
      1. Truth 49. Innovation begins with y-e-s
      2. Truth 50. Everyone can be creative
      3. Truth 51. You stand between inspiration and implementation
      4. Truth 52. Failures promote progress
      5. Truth 53. People don’t quit their bosses, they quit their colleagues
      6. Truth 54. Extreme pressure kills inspired performance
      7. Truth 55. Creativity is a balancing act
    11. Part VII: The Truth About Communication
      1. Truth 56. Open questions ignite inspiring answers
      2. Truth 57. Serving your employees means managing your boss
      3. Truth 58. Bad news is good news
      4. Truth 59. Trivial conversations are essential
      5. Truth 60. The way you listen speaks volumes
      6. Truth 61. Crap happens
      7. Truth 62. Engaged employees need to know more
    12. Part VIII: The Truth About Teams
      1. Truth 63. Absence makes the employee happier
      2. Truth 64. Your team has untapped talent
      3. Truth 65. People need to fight their own battles
      4. Truth 66. Games don’t build teams
      5. Truth 67. Answers build teams
      6. Truth 68. Your team can lead you to greatness
      7. Truth 69. You’re still the boss
    13. References
      1. Truth 16
      2. Truth 32
      3. Truth 37
      4. Truth 42
      5. Truth 50
      6. Truth 51
      7. Truth 54
      8. Truth 55
      9. Truth 57
      10. Truth 68
    14. About the Author
    15. FT Press
  6. The Truth About: Confident Presenting
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Praise for The Truth About Confident Presenting
    3. Introduction
    4. Part I: Some Initial Truths
      1. Truth 1. Public speaking is not easy, but it's certainly doable
      2. Truth 2. The key to success is preparation
      3. Truth 3. Rehearsal is essential
      4. Truth 4. Emulating good speakers makes you better
      5. Truth 5. Establish goals for your presentation
      6. Truth 6. A presentation is a learning occasion
    5. Part II: The Truth About Getting Ready to Speak
      1. Truth 7. Talk is the work
      2. Truth 8. Know what your audience is looking for
      3. Truth 9. There is a difference between speaking and writing
      4. Truth 10. Preparing a presentation is a relatively simple process
      5. Truth 11. Begin by analyzing your audience
      6. Truth 12. Know your audience
    6. Part III: The Truth About What Makes People Listen
      1. Truth 13. Understand what makes people listen
      2. Truth 14. Your speaking style makes a difference
      3. Truth 15. Anticipate the questions your audience brings to your presentation
      4. Truth 16. Listening matters
      5. Truth 17. Being an active listener brings real benefits
      6. Truth 18. You can overcome the barriers to successful communication
    7. Part IV: The Truth About Developing Support for Your Presentation
      1. Truth 19. Develop support for your presentation
      2. Truth 20. Understand the power of your content
      3. Truth 21. The kinds and quality of evidence matter to your audience
      4. Truth 22. Structure can help carry an inexperienced speaker
      5. Truth 23. Find support for your presentation
      6. Truth 24. Use the Internet to support your presentation
    8. Part V: The Truth About Getting Up to Speak
      1. Truth 25. Select a delivery approach.
      2. Truth 26. Your introduction forms their first impression
      3. Truth 27. Begin with a purpose in mind
      4. Truth 28. Keep your audience interested
      5. Truth 29. Conclusions are as important as introductions
      6. Truth 30. Have confidence in your preparation
      7. Truth 31. Repeat the process as often as possible
    9. Part VI: The Truth About Managing Anxiety
      1. Truth 32. All speakers get nervous
      2. Truth 33. Recognize anxiety before it begins
      3. Truth 34. Deal with nervous behaviors
      4. Truth 35. Keep your nervousness to yourself
    10. Part VII: The Truth About Nonverbal Communication
      1. Truth 36. Most information is transferred nonverbally
      2. Truth 37. The nonverbal process can work for you
      3. Truth 38. Nonverbal communication has specific functions
      4. Truth 39. Nonverbal communication is governed by key principles
      5. Truth 40. Nonverbal communication has an effect on your audience
    11. Part VIII: The Truth About Visual Aids
      1. Truth 41. Visual aids can help your audience understand your message
      2. Truth 42. Understand visual images before you use them
      3. Truth 43. Choose the right visual
      4. Truth 44. Use PowerPoint effectively
      5. Truth 45. Consider speaking without visuals
    12. Part IX: The Truth About Handling an Audience
      1. Truth 46. Assess the mood of your audience
      2. Truth 47. Answer the audience's questions
      3. Truth 48. Handle hostility with confidence
    13. Part X: The Truth About What Makes a Presentation Work
      1. Truth 49. Know as much as possible about the location
      2. Truth 50. Use the microphone to your advantage
      3. Truth 51. Know your limits
    14. References
    15. Acknowledgments
    16. About the Author
  7. The Truth About: Thriving in Change
    1. Copyright Page
    2. Praise for The Truth About: Thriving in Change
      1. HR Leaders
      2. Academia
      3. Business/Human Resources Consultants
      4. Training and Development Practitioners
      5. Operations/Manufacturing/General Management
    3. Preface
      1. What is organizational change?
      2. The benefits of organizational change
      3. What's different today?
      4. Is the time right?
      5. Is there a checklist you can follow?
      6. Is it fun?
    4. Part I: The Truth About Staying or Going
      1. Truth 1. Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react
      2. Truth 2. If your values don't agree, it's probably time to flee
      3. Truth 3. Service awards aren't what they used to be
        1. Short-term considerations
        2. Long-term considerations
        3. Implications
      4. Truth 4. Teaching long division doesn't work on a Blackberry
    5. Part II: The Truth About What You should Pack
      1. Truth 5. It's not what you've got; it's what you need
      2. Truth 6. To manage change, you must lead change
      3. Truth 7. You can't do without a "can-do" attitude
      4. Truth 8. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
    6. Part III: The Truth About Those Early Days
      1. Truth 9. Run before you walk
      2. Truth 10. Keep your boss your biggest fan
      3. Truth 11. There are only three ways to introduce change
      4. Truth 12. Build the case: It's a challenge and an opportunity
      5. Truth 13. Teach others how to treat you
    7. Part IV: The Truth About Planning
      1. Truth 14. If you don't know where you're going, you won't get there
      2. Truth 15. To realize the future, you must create it
      3. Truth 16. Convert aspiration to invitation
      4. Truth 17. Having organizational values matters; living them means more
        1. Organizational values have a holistic impact
        2. Values are the basis of community
        3. Values define relationships: they're the link to your team
        4. Values are a required managerial competency
        5. Values are a critical aspect of organizational viability
        6. The key to values identification is enforcement
        7. Get started
        8. On an ongoing basis
      5. Truth 18. Make the change agenda everyone's agenda
    8. Part V: The Truth About Communications
      1. Truth 19. We listen with our eyes
        1. Verbals
        2. Vocals
        3. Nonverbals
      2. Truth 20. Email is the tool of the devil
      3. Truth 21. People can't drink from a fire hose
      4. Truth 22. Conversion is for missionaries and crusaders
        1. Can-doers
        2. Fence-sitters
        3. Naysayers
    9. Part VI: The Truth About Matching People with Purpose
      1. Truth 23. Organizational structure: Look in from the outside
      2. Truth 24. Build your team around your "A" players
      3. Truth 25. Candidate screening: Let the facts speak for themselves
      4. Truth 26. Avoid the ten potential "placement pitfalls"
      5. Truth 27. Don't surround yourself with yourself
      6. Truth 28. Why you need to get staffing right
      7. Truth 29. If you must "right-size," do it the right way
        1. Explore all alternatives
        2. Your business needs should drive the selection process
        3. Be proactive with communications
        4. Treat everyone in accordance with your organization's values
        5. Give appropriate notice
        6. Be done with it
        7. Prepare for tomorrow
    10. Part VII: The Truth About Managing Performance
      1. Truth 30. One style does not fit all
        1. Telling
        2. Selling
        3. Participating
        4. Delegating
      2. Truth 31. You can influence without authority
      3. Truth 32. You can't work the plan if you don't plan the work
      4. Truth 33. There's no excuse for excuses
      5. Truth 34. Know what buttons to push
    11. Part VIII: The Truth About Creating Your Cultural Framework
      1. Truth 35. Calm waters make for easier sailing
      2. Truth 36. Trust is a currency not easily earned, but easily spent
      3. Truth 37. If you're out of sight, you're probably out of touch
      4. Truth 38. Teams aren't a necessary evil
      5. Truth 39. Your way may not be the best way
      6. Truth 40. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
      7. Truth 41. Embrace—don't run from—the questions
        1. You must establish a "safe to say" environment
        2. You should lead with questions
        3. You should be a critical listener
        4. You should gently prod people for feedback
        5. You may say, "I don't know" however, then say, "I'll get back to you."
        6. You should make sure that everyone's opinion is welcomed and respected
      8. Truth 42. Decision making: The fastest don't always finish first
        1. Work the room ahead of time
        2. Don't be afraid to make decisions
        3. Act with appropriate haste
        4. Know that your credibility is on the line every day
        5. Unless new information becomes available, stick to your word
      9. Truth 43. Exceptions: Can't live with them; can't live without them
      10. Truth 44. Employee discipline: Ask the more meaningful question
    12. Part IX: The Truth About Recognition and Reward
      1. Truth 45. Make every employee feel like your only employee
      2. Truth 46. A little formal recognition goes a long way
    13. Part X: The Truth About Sustenance
      1. Truth 47. Your best investment is in... YOU
        1. Anticipate
        2. Be a consummate reader
        3. Have curiosity
        4. Stay "linked" to your customer
        5. Join professional associations
        6. Pursue training opportunities
        7. Keep your network alive
        8. Be bold
      2. Truth 48. Your title is manager; your job is teacher
        1. Start by selecting the "right" people to develop.
        2. How do you invest in these people?
      3. Truth 49. Trying to be all things to all people is a slippery slope
        1. Closing Thoughts
    14. References
    15. About the Author
    16. Acknowledgments
    17. Appendix A. Career Reflections
    18. Appendix B. Vision/Mission Statements
    19. Appendix C. Strategic Objectives
    20. Appendix D. Tactics
    21. Appendix E. Values
    22. Appendix F. Behavioral Interviewing Examples
    23. Appendix G. Types of Organizational Learning
    24. Appendix H. Prompting a Dialog About Values

Product information

  • Title: The Truth About Winning at Work (Collection), 2/e
  • Author(s): Stephen Robbins, Martha I. Finney, James O'Rourke, William S. Kane
  • Release date: April 2013
  • Publisher(s): Pearson
  • ISBN: 9780133445848