Contents
The Truth About: Making Smart Decisions
Part I The Truth About Preparing for Decisions
TRUTH 1 Before a major decision, get some Z's
TRUTH 2 Act from a state of clarity
TRUTH 3 If you can't get distance, get perspective
TRUTH 5 Use a systematic process
TRUTH 6 Know your decision-making style
Part II The Truth About Why Bad Decisions Are Good
TRUTH 7 To make better decisions, make more mistakes
TRUTH 8 Be prepared to profit from your mistakes
TRUTH 9 Learn from your close calls
TRUTH 10 Learn from the decisions of others
TRUTH 11 Don't judge your decisions based on their outcome
TRUTH 12 Leave yourself room to get back from the pole
Part III The Truth About the Limits of Your Mind
TRUTH 13 Understand common "decision traps"
TRUTH 14 Giving up something? Get over it!
TRUTH 15 It's possible to miss an entire gorilla
TRUTH 16 You may see only what you're looking for
TRUTH 17 You're not as clever as you think you are
TRUTH 18 Your view of the world depends on what planet you're from
TRUTH 19 Beware of seeing patterns that aren't there
TRUTH 20 Different is not always better
Part IV The Truth About Complex Decisions
TRUTH 21 Boil knowledge down to its essence—and then act on it
TRUTH 22 Decisions are not snapshots but movies
TRUTH 23 No decision is an island
TRUTH 24 Build the city around your decision
TRUTH 25 Listen for the dog that doesn't bark
TRUTH 26 Sorry, Joe Friday. The facts are never "just the facts."
TRUTH 27 Recognize the power of intuition
Part VI The Truth About Acting Decisively
TRUTH 28 The wrong decision is better than none at all
TRUTH 29 Get 80 percent (or less) of what you need, and then act on it
TRUTH 30 Every decision carries risk. Get used to it
TRUTH 31 Not making a decision is a decision
Part VII The Truth About Decisions in Groups
TRUTH 32 Two heads can be worse than one
TRUTH 33 Use constructive conflict
TRUTH 34 Surround yourself with people smarter than yourself
TRUTH 35 Make decision roles clear
TRUTH 36 Break free from the prisoner's dilemma
Part VIII The Truth About Emotions
TRUTH 37 A little adrenaline can be a good thing
TRUTH 38 Understand the impact of emotions
TRUTH 39 Beware of the attractive new shortcut
Part IX The Truth About Ethical Decision Making
TRUTH 40 Don't do anything you wouldn't want seen on YouTube
TRUTH 41 There are no quiet corners safe from scrutiny
TRUTH 42 To know where you're going, know where you stand
TRUTH 43 Don't let power or ego sway you from your course
Part X The Truth About Big Decisions
TRUTH 44 Lower the costs of failure
TRUTH 45 Break down big decisions into smaller ones
TRUTH 46 Don't forget the screwdrivers
Part XI The Truth About Moving On
TRUTH 47 Keep your eye on the long term
TRUTH 48 Belief in your decision can make it come true
TRUTH 49 Keep a sense of humor
The Truth About Thriving in Change
Part I The Truth About Staying or Going
TRUTH 1 Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react
TRUTH 2 If your values don't agree, it's probably time to flee
TRUTH 3 Service awards aren't what they used to be
TRUTH 4 Teaching long division doesn't work on a Blackberry
Part II The Truth About What You should Pack
TRUTH 5 It's not what you've got; it's what you need
TRUTH 6 To manage change, you must lead change
TRUTH 7 You can't do without a "can-do" attitude
TRUTH 8 If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
Part III The Truth About Those Early Days
TRUTH 10 Keep your boss your biggest fan
TRUTH 11 There are only three ways to introduce change
TRUTH 12 Build the case: It's a challenge and an opportunity
TRUTH 13 Teach others how to treat you
Part IV The Truth About Planning
TRUTH 14 If you don't know where you're going, you won't get there
TRUTH 15 To realize the future, you must create it
TRUTH 16 Convert aspiration to invitation
TRUTH 17 Having organizational values matters; living them means more
TRUTH 18 Make the change agenda everyone's agenda
Part V The Truth About Communications
TRUTH 19 We listen with our eyes
TRUTH 20 Email is the tool of the devil
TRUTH 21 People can't drink from a fire hose
TRUTH 22 Conversion is for missionaries and crusaders
Part VI The Truth About Matching People with Purpose
TRUTH 23 Organizational structure: Look in from the outside
TRUTH 24 Build your team around your "A" players
TRUTH 25 Candidate screening: Let the facts speak for themselves
TRUTH 26 Avoid the ten potential "placement pitfalls"
TRUTH 27 Don't surround yourself with yourself
TRUTH 28 Why you need to get staffing right
TRUTH 29 If you must "right-size," do it the right way
Part VII The Truth About Managing Performance
TRUTH 30 One style does not fit all
TRUTH 31 You can influence without authority
TRUTH 32 You can't work the plan if you don't plan the work
TRUTH 33 There's no excuse for excuses
TRUTH 34 Know what buttons to push
Part VIII The Truth About Creating Your Cultural Framework
TRUTH 35 Calm waters make for easier sailing
TRUTH 36 Trust is a currency not easily earned, but easily spent
TRUTH 37 If you're out of sight, you're probably out of touch
TRUTH 38 Teams aren't a necessary evil
TRUTH 39 Your way may not be the best way
TRUTH 40 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts
TRUTH 41 Embrace—don't run from—the questions
TRUTH 42 Decision making: The fastest don't always finish first
TRUTH 43 Exceptions: Can't live with them; can't live without them
TRUTH 44 Employee discipline: Ask the more meaningful question
Part IX The Truth About Recognition and Reward
TRUTH 45 Make every employee feel like your only employee
TRUTH 46 A little formal recognition goes a long way
Part X The Truth About Sustenance
TRUTH 47 Your best investment is in... YOU
TRUTH 48 Your title is manager; your job is teacher
TRUTH 49 Trying to be all things to all people is a slippery slope
Part 1: Negotiation: A 30,000-foot view
Truth 1 Negotiation: A natural gift?
Truth 2 The magic bullet: Preparation
Truth 3 Your industry is unique (and other myths)
Truth 4 Win–win, win–lose, and lose–lose negotiations
Truth 5 Four sand traps in the golf game of negotiation
Truth 6 If you have only one hour to prepare...
Part 2: The bottom line on bottom lines
Truth 8 Develop your reservation price
Truth 9 It’s alive! Constantly improve your BATNA
Truth 10 Don’t reveal your BATNA
Truth 11 Don’t lie about your BATNA
Truth 13 Research the other party’s BATNA
Part 3: Black belt negotiation skills
Truth 14 Set optimistic but realistic aspirations
Truth 15 The power of making the first offer
Truth 16 What if the other party makes the first offer?
Truth 17 Plan your concessions
Truth 18 Be aware of the “even-split” ploy
Truth 19 Reveal your interests
Truth 20 Negotiate issues simultaneously, not sequentially
Truth 21 Logrolling (I scratch your back, you scratch mine)
Truth 22 Make multiple offers of equivalent value simultaneously
Truth 23 Postsettlement settlements
Truth 24 Contingent agreements
Truth 25 The reciprocity principle
Truth 26 The reinforcement principle
Truth 27 The similarity principle
Truth 28 The anchoring principle
Truth 29 The framing principle
Part 5: People problems (and solutions)
Truth 30 Responding to temper tantrums
Truth 31 How to negotiate with someone you hate
Truth 32 How to negotiate with someone you love
Truth 33 Of men, women, and pie-slicing
Truth 36 Repairing broken trust
Part 6: I-negotiations and E-negotiations
Truth 38 Negotiating on the phone
Truth 39 Negotiating via email and the Internet
Truth 40 When negotiations shift from relational to highly transactional
Truth 41 Negotiating across generations
Truth 42 Negotiating with different organizational cultures
Truth 43 Negotiating with different demographic cultures
Truth 44 What’s your sign? (Know your disputing style)
Truth 45 Satisficing versus optimizing
Truth 46 Are you an enlightened negotiator?
The Truth About: Getting the Best from People
PART I The Truth About Employee Engagement
Truth 1 You don’t need the carrot or the stick
Truth 2 You have direct influence over your employees’ passion quotient
Truth 3 You get the best by giving the best
Truth 4 It’s not money that motivates
Truth 5 Employment engagement isn’t for sissies
Truth 6 Real engagement gains happen after survey scores come in
PART II The Truth About Yourself
Truth 7 Your behaviors are your brand
Truth 8 You can’t give what you don’t have
Truth 9 “Best” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone
Truth 10 Think you’re a great leader? Think again
Truth 11 You could be your own worst employee
Truth 12 Visionary or beat cop? Your choice
Truth 13 Your health may be compromising your leadership effectiveness
Truth 14 You don’t have to be perfect
Truth 15 Your career can recover from an engagement hit
PART III The Truth About Engaged Cultures
Truth 16 Employee happiness is serious business
Truth 17 Great leaders make their people cry
Truth 18 Better questions lead to better answers
Truth 19 Individual passion builds a passion-fueled customer service culture
Truth 20 Authentic is better than clever
Truth 21 Retention begins with hello
Truth 22 The bad will do you good
Truth 23 Your biggest complainer may be your best supporter
Truth 24 You can sell an unpopular decision
Truth 26 Nobody cares if you don’t mean to be mean
Truth 27 Controlling your temper is a labor-saving device
Truth 28 There is no “but” in “I’m sorry”
PART IV The Truth About Motivation
Truth 29 Engagement happens one person at a time
Truth 30 If you’re a manager, you’re a career coach
Truth 31 The candidates you’re seeking may not be the ones you need
Truth 32 Ask for cheese—you might get the moon
Truth 33 You lead better when you get off your pedestal
Truth 34 Trust is your strongest persuasion tool
Truth 35 If they aren’t buying it, they aren’t doing it
Truth 36 Overselling an opportunity can cost you precious talent
Truth 37 Focusing on what’s right can help solve what’s wrong
Truth 38 High performers are motivated by a piece of the action
Truth 39 All the generations want the same thing
PART V The Truth About Performance
Truth 40 Compassion promotes performance
Truth 41 A hot star can brighten your whole team
Truth 42 B players are your A team
Truth 43 High performers have enough coffee mugs
Truth 44 Discipline deepens engagement
Truth 45 You don’t have to inherit the problem employees
Truth 46 Performance appraisals are really about you
Truth 47 New hires can inspire current employees
Truth 48 Terminations are an engagement tool
PART VI The Truth About Creativity
Truth 49 Innovation begins with y-e-s
Truth 50 Everyone can be creative
Truth 51 You stand between inspiration and implementation
Truth 52 Failures promote progress
Truth 53 People don’t quit their bosses, they quit their colleagues
Truth 54 Extreme pressure kills inspired performance
Truth 55 Creativity is a balancing act
PART VII The Truth About Communication
Truth 56 Open questions ignite inspiring answers
Truth 57 Serving your employees means managing your boss
Truth 58 Bad news is good news
Truth 59 Trivial conversations are essential
Truth 60 The way you listen speaks volumes
Truth 62 Engaged employees need to know more
PART VIII The Truth About Teams
Truth 63 Absence makes the employee happier
Truth 64 Your team has untapped talent
Truth 65 People need to fight their own battles
Truth 66 Games don’t build teams
Truth 68 Your team can lead you to greatness