Working PeopleSmart: 6 Strategies for Success

by Mel Silberman, Freda Hansburg

Bringing out the best in others is good business. When we bring both respect and interpersonal savvy to our work relationships, we do more than make people feel good. We enhance personal and organizational performance. And as the workplace grows more complex and competitive, managing our work relationships becomes even more essential and difficult. Now more than ever we need to work people smart. Working PeopleSmart describes the six core strategies used by people-smart individuals and shows how to apply them in the toughest workplace situations. Individuals who are people smart know how to open others up rather than make them defensive or resistant. They have a knack for diffusing tension rather than creating it. They set a good example through their own behavior on the job and can inspire and influence others with less developed skills. Working PeopleSmart can serve as your virtual coach to guide you through difficult work relationships skillfully. How do you deal with a critical colleague? Make your boss listen to you? React to an offensive joke? Get the resources you need? The authors look at over 50 real-life situations and offer people-smart prescriptions for handling them effectively. They provide coaching tips for each scenario and describe exactly what a people-smart response sounds like. As two psychologists with both organizational and clinical expertise, coauthors Mel Silberman and Freda Hansburg are highly qualified to deliver the message that we can emerge from even the toughest interpersonal moments on the job with dignity and grace. Where other books rely on typologies that categorize people according to their interpersonal styles and then offer advice on how to deal with each type, the strategies described in Working PeopleSmart are straightforward and universal. They can be used immediately to deal with any type of person or any situation, no matter how difficult or sensitive.

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Dr. Melvin L. Silberman was president of Active Training, a provider of cutting-edge training seminars, including Surefire Ways to Make Your Meetings Active and The Consummate Team Facilitator. He was also a professor of adult and organizational development at Temple University, as well as a best-selling author. His books include 101 Way to Make Training Active (Pfeiffer, 1995), Active Learning (Allyn & Bacon, 1996), Active Training (2nd Ed.) (Pfeiffer, 1998). Silberman consulted for corporate, governmental, educational, and human service organizations worldwide. He was also a speaker at professional conferences.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept to simple language, Working PeopleSmart is more about getting you thinking than necessarily providing groundbreaking and innovative ideas. As I transition into a people-management role, Working PeopleSmart has helped me think about how to handle differences amongst people on my team and the eventual conflicts that can (and will!) create. I definitely recommend it as a read to a new manager and a reference to keep handy.

[Daniel Kilby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read. Some of it was clear to me through past schooling, but it's alway nice to have a refresher on how to treat people with respect through communication.

[Debie Orrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though provoking for everyone in comunicating and handling others. Great suggestions to try for a week to implement and make improvements into your worklife.