The People Skills Revolution
In a nutshell This book is aimed at business leaders looking to change their behaviour and present themselves more positively at work. It describes how you can learn to better understand how people tick, gain influence by establishing credibility, remove blocks which prevent you achieving goals and save time and money through negotiation skills. The message? Life becomes a playground not a battlefield.
What's right? Based on her experience of working with numerous organisations, Milne has developed a tool that will improve "impoverished" interpersonal skills. In a step-by-step fashion, it ticks off assertiveness, influencing, negotiation, conciliation, taking a stand, making peace and "defusing the arch manipulator". The skills chapters have "reactionnaires" where you can apply what you've learnt to your business environment.
What's wrong? Hard-nosed businesspeople might baulk at its self-help style.
Verdict Why wouldn't you want to eradicate the manipulation, politics and game-playing in your organisation by empowering yourself and others? Worth a read.
And in a similar vein…
Your First 100 Days, by Niamh O'Keeffe
FT Prentice Hall, £14.99
They're the most important in any job. Hit the ground running and succeed faster in those crucial first three months.
Charisma, Andrew Leigh
Prentice Hall Life, £10.99
How to make a lasting impression by enhancing your presence and gravitas. Turns out it's as easy as A-B-C.
