151 Quick Ideas to Improve Your People Skills

151 Quick Ideas to Improve Your People Skills

by Robert Dittmer, Stephanie McFarland
Released December 2008
Publisher(s): Career Press
ISBN: 9781601630377

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Book description

Do you work with other people? Fellow employees; your boss; customers; vendors; colleagues? Of course, we all work in organizations comprised of people. People with whom we must have strong, positive relationships in order to ensure our own success as well as the organization’s.

Do we get any training or education on this key skill at our companies? Rarely.151 Quick Ideas to Improve Your People Skills is constructed to help everyone do a better, more effective job of working with others.

These ideas are culled from the study of human behavior, relationships, and communication. Everything here will help you be more effective, efficient and in control of your relationships with people. In this book you will:

* Learn the difference between social intelligence and technical knowledge

* Create friends, allies, and supporters

* Learn how to analyze tough personal situations and solve them

* Understand when and how to negotiate

Robert E. Dittmer, APR, is author of 151 Quick Ideas to Manage Your Time and co-author with McFarland of 151 Quick Ideas for Delegating and Decision Making. He has served as a Director of Media Relations for NATO and the U.S. Army and has owned and operated public relations agencies for more than 15 years. He is an accredited public relations consultant and faculty member with the Indiana University School of Journalism in Indianapolis. He and his wife live in Indianapolis.

Stephanie McFarland is an 18-year veteran of the public relations profession. She has been a supervisor at Fortune 500 corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. McFarland has won numerous awards for her project and operational management skills. She is an accredited public relations professional and faculty member with the Indiana University School of Journalism in Indianapolis

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. How to Use This Book
  5. Introduction
  6. 1 - Why Interpersonal Skills Are So Important
  7. 2 - People Don’t Care How Much You Know Until They Know How Much You Care
  8. 3 - Social Intelligence vs. Technical Knowledge
  9. 4 - Be Socially Aware
  10. 5 - Relationships Are Priority
  11. 6 - The Nature of Your Relationships
  12. 7 - Envision What You Want From Your Relationships
  13. 8 - Behave in a Way That Secures Relationships
  14. 9 - Look for Ways to Serve Others
  15. 10 - Don’t Ingratiate
  16. 11 - Apply the Pygmalion Effect
  17. 12 - Believe That All People Start With Good Intentions
  18. 13 - Give ’Em the Benefit of the Doubt
  19. 14 - Live by the Golden Rule
  20. 15 - Practice the Platinum Rule
  21. 16 - Always Look Toward Solutions
  22. 17 - Have Reasonable Expectations of Yourself
  23. 18 - Have Reasonable Expectations of Others
  24. 19 - Be Principle-Centered
  25. 20 - Allow Others to Hold to Their Principles
  26. 21 - Set Boundaries
  27. 22 - Defend Your Boundaries
  28. 23 - Be Genuine
  29. 24 - Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously
  30. 25 - Have a Sense of Humor
  31. 26 - Laugh at Yourself
  32. 27 - Cherish Your Goofs
  33. 28 - Social Skills Are Always a Work in Progress
  34. 29 - Your Character—and Your Reputation—Is Your Calling Card
  35. 30 - Be Authentic
  36. 31 - Act With Integrity
  37. 32 - Build Trust
  38. 33 - Keep Your Word
  39. 34 - Be Straight Up
  40. 35 - View Discernment as a Gift
  41. 36 - Always Show Respect
  42. 37 - Practice Tolerance
  43. 38 - Choose Words Carefully
  44. 39 - Words: I vs. We
  45. 40 - Use Kind Words
  46. 41 - Don’t Kill Relationships With Your Behavior
  47. 42 - Do Not Gossip
  48. 43 - Don’t Be Dismissive
  49. 44 - Don’t Be Condescending
  50. 45 - Don’t Be Manipulative
  51. 46 - Don’t Make Assumptions
  52. 47 - Don’t Be Pessimistic
  53. 48 - Don’t Be a Cynic
  54. 49 - Don’t Be Over-Reactive
  55. 50 - Don’t Be Domineering
  56. 51 - Don’t Be Overly Opinionated
  57. 52 - Don’t Be Overly Aggressive
  58. 53 - Help Others Grow
  59. 54 - Believe in Others
  60. 55 - Wage Peace in Your Relationships
  61. 56 - Be a Peacemaker Between Friends
  62. 57 - Respect Different Personality Types
  63. 58 - Understand Different Styles
  64. 59 - Recognize That Styles Differ From Opinions
  65. 60 - Know Your Own Style
  66. 61 - Stretch Beyond Your Style
  67. 62 - Embrace Different Styles
  68. 63 - Determine if You Are Shy
  69. 64 - Overcome Shyness
  70. 65 - Overcome Feeling Inferior
  71. 66 - Overcome Feeling Intimidated
  72. 67 - Don’t Be Too Talkative
  73. 68 - Listen, Don’t Talk
  74. 69 - Get Out of Your Own Way
  75. 70 - Douse the Domineering
  76. 71 - Don’t Be Reactive
  77. 72 - Tackle the Intimidator
  78. 73 - Strive for Live Interaction
  79. 74 - Practice Face-to-Face Communication
  80. 75 - At Least Make It Live
  81. 76 - Beware of E-mail
  82. 77 - Remember That People Are Creatures of Emotion
  83. 78 - Fill the Emotional Bank Account
  84. 79 - Make Friends
  85. 80 - Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
  86. 81 - Remember Names
  87. 82 - Look ’Em in the Eye
  88. 83 - Give Your Undivided Attention
  89. 84 - Be “Present”
  90. 85 - Practice Good Listening
  91. 86 - Connect With People Through Questions
  92. 87 - Be Careful With Your Opinions
  93. 88 - Withhold Judgment
  94. 89 - See Both Sides
  95. 90 - Edify, Edify, Edify
  96. 91 - Give Honesty With an Equal Dose of Compassion
  97. 92 - Help Others Be Heard
  98. 93 - Help Others Be Understood
  99. 94 - Allow People to Save Face
  100. 95 - Encourage
  101. 96 - Encourage With Words and Perspective
  102. 97 - Pat Others on the Back
  103. 98 - Be a Cheerleader
  104. 99 - Help Others Achieve Their Goals
  105. 100 - Let Others Shine
  106. 101 - Look for Reasons to Celebrate
  107. 102 - Remember Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Such
  108. 103 - Fill Your Own Emotional Bank Account
  109. 104 - Feed Your Own Needs
  110. 105 - Call on Your Support Group
  111. 106 - Keep Honest Company
  112. 107 - Get Inspired
  113. 108 - Find Friends Who Edify You in Your Absence
  114. 109 - Find a Class Act to Follow
  115. 110 - Take a “People Break”
  116. 111 - Sharpen the Saw by Sharpening Your Mind
  117. 112 - Get Away From Your Desk for Lunch
  118. 113 - Attend Social Events
  119. 114 - Handle Conflict With Confidence
  120. 115 - Can’t We All Just Get Along?
  121. 116 - 365 Opportunities for Conflict—366 in a Leap Year
  122. 117 - See Conflict or Disagreement as an Opportunity
  123. 118 - See Rough Starts as an Opportunity
  124. 119 - Breathe!
  125. 120 - Give Yourself a Pep Talk
  126. 121 - Have the Difficult Conversations Beforehand
  127. 122 - Handle Conflict One-on-One
  128. 123 - Having Your Say Doesn’t Mean Always Having Your Way
  129. 124 - Learn to Eat Crow
  130. 125 - Bring the Peace Pipe
  131. 126 - Break Bread
  132. 127 - Fight Fair
  133. 128 - Be Mindful of Your Thoughts; They Can Be a Path to the Dark Side
  134. 129 - Don’t Take Things Personal
  135. 130 - Don’t Make Things Personal
  136. 131 - He Who Keeps His Mouth Shut, Keeps His Life
  137. 132 - Dial Down the Volume
  138. 133 - Watch Your Body Language—It Speaks Volumes
  139. 134 - Give People Space
  140. 135 - What Goes Over the Devil’s Back, Always Comes Under His Belly
  141. 136 - There Is No Right or Wrong
  142. 137 - Winner Never Takes All
  143. 138 - Fight for the Relationship
  144. 139 - Get Clear
  145. 140 - Present, Don’t Persuade
  146. 141 - Ask, Don’t Tell
  147. 142 - Look for Middle Ground
  148. 143 - Start From a Point of Commonality
  149. 144 - Some Nuts Are Worth Cracking
  150. 145 - Put the “Moose on the Table”
  151. 146 - Pick Your Battles
  152. 147 - Mend Fences
  153. 148 - Forgive Yourself for Failings
  154. 149 - Forgive Others as Well
  155. 150 - Be the First to Offer the Olive Branch—or the Peace Pipe
  156. 151 - Every Difficult Relationship Has Lessons
  157. About the Authors

Product information

  • Title: 151 Quick Ideas to Improve Your People Skills
  • Author(s): Robert Dittmer, Stephanie McFarland
  • Release date: December 2008
  • Publisher(s): Career Press
  • ISBN: 9781601630377