Smart People Work People Smart

Larry Cole Phd

Description

This eBook addresses two critical leadership responsibilities: Managing Change and Improving Interpersonal Effectiveness to maximize working relationships.First, virtually every leader that I have worked with (number in the thousands during my 23 year career) has agreed that one of their responsibilities is to lead change efforts. So I asked them to diagram the energy systems inherent in the change processes and show how these energies interact. You can probably guess the number who has volunteered to do so. Zero. How can a leader successfully manage change if they do not know the energy systems that drive the change process? That probably speaks to the fact that 70% of organizational change efforts are buried in the "idea of the month cemetery."Upon reading this book, you will learn the Seven Step Personal Change process and know how to manage the sources of energy that propel or interfere with change. Without doubt, your next change effort will exceed expectations.Second, we are tired of hearing that interpersonal skills can't be taught! They can be. Yes, it is more difficult to do so than teaching technical skills, but interpersonal skills can be taught. We've identified interpersonal skills that drive the crucial values of trust, respect, communication, teamwork, positive, innovation, accountability, and professionalism. We show you how you can use the Seven Step Personal Change process to learn these interpersonal skills and to teach others to do the same.Enjoy the book.

Sujets

• Gestion et management
• Office management

Informations

• Publié par: Larry Cole
• Date de parution: 01 janvier 0001
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780984479443
• Langue: English

Extrait

Copyright © 2010 Larry Cole, Byrd Baggett, and Michael S. Cole
All Rights reserved.
Published by TeamMax®
5 E. Towering Pines
Conway, AR 72032
www.teammax.net
Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to Larry Cole, 5 E. Towering Pines, Conway, AR 72032
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought from the American Bar Association and a committee of publishers.
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher of this book.
First printing 2010
ISBN: 978-0-9844794-4-3
One day an eagle will fly higher than any eagle has ever flown before. The sky is a living, ever-present challenge the eagle will never conquer, nor will the sky ever tame the will of the eagle. This endless pursuit, beyond any reach, could be perceived by the eagle as the pursuit of excellence.
Life is a pursuit—a journey to excellence, a journey without final destination. It is a continuing desire to hold on for a reason to live—one more year—one more month—one more week—one more day—one more minute. For life is excellence and the pursuit of excellence is life. And I live. Thank you, God
—Bud Hadfield
Acknowledgments
Thank you, clients, for the confidence you placed in us and for helping us fine-tune the Seven-Step Personal Change Process to manage the energy systems inherent in the change process.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Why Change?
Step One: Accepting Responsibility
Step Two: Recognizing the Need to Change
Step Three: Knowing the Desired Behavior
Step Four: Willing to Change
Step Five: Having a Personal Image
Step Six: Practicing Change
Step Seven: Feedback Is Crucial
The End Is a New Beginning
Why Not?
Authors
Introduction
It’s a fact that interpersonal performance is crucial in every aspect of our lives. A roadside billboard may have said it best: “We’re not going to get very far, unless we get along with people.” Think about that for a moment. How I treat people could be the determining ingredient that family, friends, coworkers, and strangers use to decide if they want to play or work with me. Or, for that matter, even speak to me. This means that success depends on my ability to interact with others—that is, it depends on my ability to act people smart.
A commonly held belief is that our basic personality is formed by the age of six. That doesn’t mean that some of us receive the “bad personality gene” and, therefore, are doomed to have a “bad personality.” Learning experiences also impact the development of interpersonal skills, and our freedom of choice provides continuing opportunities to modify interpersonal performance. In reality, you can decide to integrate whatever behavior you want to be part of your day-to-day interactions. That’s the basis behind Dale Carnegie’s famous statement “Act enthusiastic, be enthusiastic.” Yes, introverts can learn to be more extraverted. The missing ingredient, though, is teaching people how to change their behavior to be more enthusiastic or more extraverted. Wishing doesn’t make it happen. Changing does.

“Act enthusiastic, be enthusiastic.”
We’re introducing a Seven-Step Personal Change Process so you can work people smart. With this easy-to-follow seven-step process you have the tools to take control and use interpersonal skills to enrich every relationship in your life.
Smart People Work People Smart is the first in a series of e-books written to show you how to improve your interpersonal performance, coach others to do the same, institutionalize improved interpersonal performance within your organization’s culture, and develop the leadership principles required for you to be a people-smart leader. We have several free articles available and encourage you to log into www.teammax.net .
Why Change?
When you die, do you want employees to come to your funeral to bid you farewell or to make certain you’re dead? The answer to that question is determined by how you interact with employees while you are alive. The fact is, if people don’t like you, they don’t want to work with you. The truth of that truism is that your lack of interpersonal skills could adversely impact morale, production, and profitability. The question is, are you using the interpersonal skills that will result in people wanting to work and communicate with you? Whatever your answer to this question, the odds are, there’s something about your interpersonal skills that would benefit from change.
This chapter highlights several cornerstones of the change process. We start that discussion by explaining the similarities of a railroad track, organizations, you, and change.
Railroad Track
You know that the railroad company must maintain both rails of the track in order for the train to reach its destination. Similarly, your organization has two rails: technical and personal. Obviously, your organization needs both rails. Most likely, the technical rail gets the bulk of the attention. We will convince you that the personal rail needs as much attention, because people determine the success of your technical performance and therefore of your organization. Likewise, you have two sets of skills: technical and interpersonal (people). Obviously, both skill sets are important, but we maintain that your interpersonal skills are ultimately more important than your technical skills. Keep reading.

Are you using the interpersonal skills that will result in people wanting to work and communicate with you?
The looming questions are, would you promote someone to your staff that you did not like? Do you think you would be promoted if you were not liked? Do you know your reputation in your workplace?
Research shows that when valuable employees quit their jobs, 80 percent leave due to a supervisor whose poor interpersonal skills adversely impacted the working relationship. Interestingly, the number-one reason employees are terminated is also their interpersonal incompetence. Examine your workplace environment and consider the number of employees, who, despite having ineffective interpersonal skills, are being tolerated because of the inability to find the necessary talent. The important question is, are you a member of this labor pool? We hope not. The bottom line is that your interpersonal skills can be your most valuable asset or greatest liability. What is it going to be?

Do you know your reputation in your workplace?
There are also two rails in the change process: the first is the desired interpersonal behaviors and the second is the system required to change behaviors. Consider the traditional manner in which change is introduced in your organization’s technical rail. A system is changed and that change template is set down over people who are forced to use the new system. Unfortunately, we don’t have the same degree of control when working with the people rail, and to complicate matters, people act like rubber bands.
Change and Rubber Bands
Imagine changing the rubber band’s original state by stretching it for six inches. To keep the rubber band in this different position, something (i.e., a system) must keep it stretched. Otherwise, the rubber band returns to its original position.
In spite of having the most powerful information process known to mankind (i.e., the ability to think), we still act like that silly rubber band. Fold your arms. Now refold your arms and put the other arm on top. Most people can do that without too much of a struggle even though it is a bit uncomfortable.