The Truth About Better Decision-Making (Collection)

Robert E. Gunther, founder of Gunther Communications, is co-author or collaborator on more than 20 books. He has appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch, NPR’s Morning Edition, and numerous local and national radio and television programs. William S. Kane is a highly accomplished HR executive with experience in all aspects of global functional management. He has specific expertise in leading, planning, and executing human capital strategies associated with several profitable business transformations. Kane has held senior positions at global leaders such as International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Electrolux/Frigidaire, and FMC Corporation. He is now VP of human resources and general administration for Kyowa Pharmaceutical, and adjunct professor in the MAOB graduate-level certificate program in leadership studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Leigh L. Thompson is J. Jay Gerber Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. An active consultant and internationally recognized scholar, she also directs Kellogg’s AT&T Behavioral Research Laboratory and Leading High Impact Teams Executive Program. Martha I. Finney is a writer and consultant who brings the qualitative perspective of workplace passion and problem-solving to clients who value the transformative power of engaged employees. She is author or co-author of more than 13 books, including HR From the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business, with Libby Sartain.

The Truth About Making Smart Decisions

Preface ix

Introduction x

Part I The Truth About Preparing for Decisions

Truth 1 Before a major decision, get some Z’s 1

Truth 2 Act from a state of clarity 3

Truth 3 If you can’t get distance, get perspective 7

Truth 4 Keep it real 11

Truth5 Use a systematic process 15

Truth 6 Know your decision-making style 19

Part II The Truth About Why Bad Decisions Are Good

Truth 7 To make better decisions, make more mistakes 23

Truth 8 Be prepared to profit from your mistakes 27

Truth 9 Learn from your close calls 29

Truth 10 Learn from the decisions of others 33

Truth 11 Don’t judge your decisions based on their outcome 35

Truth 12 Leave yourself room to get back from the pole 39

Part III The Truth About the Limits of Your Mind

Truth 13 Understand common “decision traps” 43

Truth 14 Giving up something? Get over it! 47

Truth 15 It’s possible to miss an entire gorilla 51

Truth 16 You may see only what you’re looking for 53

Truth 17 You’re not as clever as you think you are 57

Truth 18 Your view of the world depends on what planet you’re from 61

Truth 19 Beware of seeing patterns that aren’t there 65

Truth 20 Different is not always better 69

Part IV The Truth About Complex Decisions

Truth 21 Boil knowledge down to its essence–and then act on it 71

Truth 22 Decisions are not snapshots but movies 75

Truth 23 No decision is an island 79

Truth 24 Build the city around your decision 83

Part V The Truth About Data

Truth 25 Listen for the dog that doesn’t bark 85

Truth 26 Sorry, Joe Friday. The facts are never “just the facts.” 89

Truth 27 Recognize the power of intuition 91

Part VI The Truth About Acting Decisively

Truth 28 The wrong decision is better than none at all 95

Truth 29 Get 80 percent (or less) of what you need, and then act on it 99

Truth 30 Every decision carries risk. Get used to it. 103

Truth 31 Not making a decision is a decision 107

Part VII The Truth About Decisions in Groups

Truth 32 Two heads can be worse than one 111

Truth 33 Use constructive conflict 115

Truth 34 Surround yourself with people smarter than yourself 119

Truth 35 Make decision roles clear 123

Truth 36 Break free from the prisoner’s dilemma 127

Part VIII The Truth About Emotions

Truth 37 A little adrenaline can be a good thing 131

Truth 38 Understand the impact of emotions 135

Truth 39 Beware of the attractive new shortcut 139

Part IX The Truth About Ethical Decision Making

Truth 40 Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want seen on YouTube 143

Truth 41 There are no quiet corners safe from scrutiny 145

Truth 42 To know where you’re going, know where you stand 149

Truth 43 Don’t let power or ego sway you from your course 153

Part X The Truth About Big Decisions

Truth 44 Lower the costs of failure 157

Truth 45 Break down big decisions into smaller ones 161

Truth 46 Don’t forget the screwdrivers 165

Part XI The Truth About Moving On

Truth 47 Keep your eye on the long term 169

Truth 48 Belief in your decision can make it come true 173

Truth 49 Keep a sense of humor 177

Truth 50 Don’t look back 181

Additional Resources 183

References 184

About the Author 188

 

The Truth About Thriving in Change

Preface ix

Part I The Truth About Staying or Going

Truth 1 Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react 1

Truth 2 If your values don’t agree, it’s probably time to flee 5

Truth 3 Service awards aren’t what they used to be 9

Truth 4 Teaching long division doesn’t work on a Blackberry 13

Part II The Truth About What You should Pack

Truth 5 It’s not what you’ve got; it’s what you need 17

Truth 6 To manage change, you must lead change 21

Truth 7 You can’t do without a “can-do” attitude 25

Truth 8 If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything 29

Part III The Truth About those Early Days

Truth 9 Run before you walk 33

Truth 10 Keep your boss your biggest fan 37

Truth 11 There are only three ways to introduce change 41

Truth 12 Build the case: It’s a challenge and an opportunity 45

Truth 13 Teach others how to treat you 49

Part IV The Truth About Planning

Truth 14 If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll get there 53

Truth 15 To realize the future, you must create it 57

Truth 16 Convert aspiration to invitation 61

Truth 17 Having organizational values matters; living then means more 65

Truth 18 Make the change agenda everyone’s agenda 69

Part V The Truth About Communications

Truth 19 We listen with our eyes 73

Truth 20 Email is the tool of the devil 77

Truth 21 People can’t drink from a fire hose 81

Truth 22 Conversion is for missionaries and crusaders 85

Part VI The Truth About Matching People with Purpose

Truth 23 Organizational structure: Look in from the outside 89

Truth 24 Build your team around your “A” players 93

Truth 25 Candidate screening: Let the facts speak for themselves 97

Truth 26 Avoid the ten potential “placement pitfalls” 101

Truth 27 Don't surround yourself with yourself 105

Truth 28 Why you need to get staffing right 109

Truth 29 If you must “right-size,” do it the right way 113

Part VII The Truth About Managing Performance

Truth 30 One style doesn’t fit all 117

Truth 31 You can influence without authority 121

Truth 32 You can’t work the plan if you don’t plan the work 125

Truth 33 There’s no excuse for excuses 129

Truth 34 Know what buttons to push 133

Part VIII The Truth About Creating your Cultural Framework

Truth 35 Calm waters make for easier sailing 137

Truth 36 Trust is a currency not easily earned, but easily spent 141

Truth 37 If you’re out of sight, you’re probably out of touch 145

Truth 38 Teams aren’t a necessary evil 149

Truth 39 Your way may not be the best way 153

Truth 40 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts 157

Truth 41 Embrace[md]don’t run from[md]the questions! 161

Truth 42 Decision making: The fastest don’t always finish first 165

Truth 43 Exceptions: Can’t live with them; can’t live without them 169

Truth 44 Employee discipline: Ask the more meaningful question 173

Part IX The Truth About Recognition and Reward

Truth 45 Make every employee feel like your only employee 177

Truth 46 A little formal recognition goes a long way 181

Part X The Truth About Sustenance

Truth 47 Your best investment is in… YOU 185

Truth 48 Your title is manager; your job is teacher 189

Truth 49 Trying to be all things to all people is a slippery slope 193

References 197

About the Author 211

 

The Truth About Negotiations, Second Edition

Introduction vii

Part 1: Negotiation: A 30,000-foot view 1

Truth 1: Negotiation: A natural gift? 3

Truth 2: The magic bullet: Preparation 7

Truth 3: Your industry is unique (and other myths) 11

Truth 4: Win–win, win–lose, and lose–lose negotiations 15

Truth 5: Four sand traps in the golf game of negotiation 19

Truth 6: If you have only one hour to prepare 23

Part 2: The bottom line on bottom lines 27

Truth 7: Identify your BATNA 29

Truth 8: Develop your reservation price 33

Truth 9: It’s alive! Constantly improve your BATNA 37

Truth 10: Don’t reveal your BATNA 41

Truth 11: Don’t lie about your BATNA 45

Truth 12: Signal your BATNA 49

Truth 13: Research the other party’s BATNA 53

Part 3: Black belt negotiation skills 55

Truth 14: Set optimistic but realistic aspirations 57

Truth 15: The power of making the first offer 61

Truth 16: What if the other party makes the first offer? 65

Truth 17: Plan your concessions 69

Truth 18: Be aware of the “even-split” ploy 73

Truth 19: Reveal your interests 77

Truth 20: Negotiate issues simultaneously, not sequentially 81

Truth 21: Logrolling (I scratch your back, you scratch mine) 85

Truth 22: Make multiple offers of equivalent value simultaneously 89

Truth 23: Postsettlement settlements 93

Truth 24: Contingent agreements 97

Part 4: Psychology 101

Truth 25: The reciprocity principle 103

Truth 26: The reinforcement principle 107

Truth 27: The similarity principle 111

Truth 28: The anchoring principle 115

Truth 29: The framing principle 119

Part 5: People problems (and solutions) 123

Truth 30: Responding to temper tantrums 125

Truth 31: How to negotiate with someone you hate 129

Truth 32: How to negotiate with someone you love 133

Truth 33: Of men, women, and pie-slicing 137

Truth 34: Your reputation 141

Truth 35: Building trust 145

Truth 36: Repairing broken trust 149

Truth 37: Saving face 153

Part 6: I-negotiations and E-negotiations 157

Truth 38: Negotiating on the phone 159

Truth 39: Negotiating via email and the Internet 163

Truth 40: When negotiations shift from relational to highly transactional 167

Truth 41: Negotiating across generations 171

Truth 42: Negotiating with different organizational cultures 175

Truth 43: Negotiating with different demographic cultures 179

Part 7: Negotiation Yoga 183

Truth 44: What’s your sign? (Know your disputing style) 185

Truth 45: Satisficing versus optimizing 189

Truth 46: Are you an enlightened negotiator? 193

References 197

Acknowledgments 203

About the Author 204

 

The Truth About Getting the Best from People, Second Edition

Introduction xi

PART I The Truth About Employee Engagement

Truth 1 You don’t need the carrot or the stick 1

Truth 2 You have direct influence over your employees’ passion quotient 4

Truth 3 You get the best by giving the best 8

Truth 4 It’s not money that motivates 11

Truth 5 Employment engagement isn’t for sissies 15

Truth 6 Real engagement gains happen after survey scores come in 19

PART II The Truth About Yourself

Truth 7 Your behaviors are your brand 23

Truth 8 You can’t give what you don’t have 26

Truth 9 “Best” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone 30

Truth 10 Think you’re a great leader? Think again 34

Truth 11 You could be your own worst employee 38

Truth 12 Visionary or beat cop? Your choice 41

Truth 13 Your health may be compromising your leadership effectiveness 44

Truth 14 You don’t have to be perfect 48

Truth 15 Your career can recover from an engagement hit 52

PART III The Truth About Engaged Cultures

Truth 16 Employee happiness is serious business 55

Truth 17 Great leaders make their people cry 58

Truth 18 Better questions lead to better answers 61

Truth 19 Individual passion builds a passion-fueled customer service culture 65

Truth 20 Authentic is better than clever 69

Truth 21 Retention begins with hello 72

Truth 22 The bad will do you good 75

Truth 23 Your biggest complainer may be your best supporter 78

Truth 24 You can sell an unpopular decision 82

Truth 25 Flex is best 85

Truth 26 Nobody cares if you don’t mean to be mean 89

Truth 27 Controlling your temper is a labor-saving device 93

Truth 28 There is no “but” in “I’m sorry” 97

PART IV The Truth About Motivation

Truth 29 Engagement happens one person at a time 101

Truth 30 If you’re a manager, you’re a career coach 104

Truth 31 The candidates you’re seeking may not be the ones you need 107

Truth 32 Ask for cheese—you might get the moon 111

Truth 33 You lead better when you get off your pedestal 114

Truth 34 Trust is your strongest persuasion tool 118

Truth 35 If they aren’t buying it, they aren’t doing it 121

Truth 36 Overselling an opportunity can cost you precious talent 124

Truth 37 Focusing on what’s right can help solve what’s wrong 128

Truth 38 High performers are motivated by a piece of the action 131

Truth 39 All the generations want the same thing 135

PART V The Truth About Performance

Truth 40 Compassion promotes performance 139

Truth 41 A hot star can brighten your whole team 142

Truth 42 B players are your A team 146

Truth 43 High performers have enough coffee mugs 149

Truth 44 Discipline deepens engagement 152

Truth 45 You don’t have to inherit the problem employees 155

Truth 46 Performance appraisals are really about you 159

Truth 47 New hires can inspire current employees 162

Truth 48 Terminations are an engagement tool 165

PART VI The Truth About Creativity

Truth 49 Innovation begins with y-e-s 169

Truth 50 Everyone can be creative 172

Truth 51 You stand between inspiration and implementation 176

Truth 52 Failures promote progress 179

Truth 53 People don’t quit their bosses, they quit their colleagues 182

Truth 54 Extreme pressure kills inspired performance 186

Truth 55 Creativity is a balancing act 189

PART VII The Truth About Communication

Truth 56 Open questions ignite inspiring answers 193

Truth 57 Serving your employees means managing your boss 196

Truth 58 Bad news is good news 200

Truth 59 Trivial conversations are essential 203

Truth 60 The way you listen speaks volumes 206

Truth 61 Crap happens 210

Truth 62 Engaged employees need to know more 213

PART VIII The Truth About Teams

Truth 63 Absence makes the employee happier 217

Truth 64 Your team has untapped talent 221

Truth 65 People need to fight their own battles 224

Truth 66 Games don’t build teams 228

Truth 67 Answers build teams 231

Truth 68 Your team can lead you to greatness 234

Truth 69 You’re still the boss 237

References 240

About the Author 242