Peer Power: Transforming Workplace Relationships

Peer Power " Peer Power is my pocket coach. Useful, insightful, and immediately applicable, the book is a life saver in building business relationships and resolving conflicts." — Pamela J. Schmidt , executive director, ISA – The Association of Learning Providers " Peer Power is a great resource, full of practical suggestions for employees, managers and leaders. Cynthia Clay and Ray Olitt have gone beyond giving us the usual platitudes for dealing with difficult co–workers. Through a series of case studies, they outline specific steps one can take to improve relationships across the board in a company or organization. I highly recommend Peer Power." — Fred Allemann , national learning manager, United States Tennis Association "If you are looking for a practical and engaging book to help you transform your interpersonal relationships, read Peer Power . You will find the key principles and strategies eye opening, simple and powerful. The case studies will help you better understand the dynamics of interpersonal relationships. The cheat sheets and worksheets throughout the book will help you diagnose and devise your own solutions to refine and build your interpersonal relationships at home or at work." — Ghenno Senbetta , learning team leader, US Pipelines and Logistics, BP America, Inc. "This book offers tools for improving interpersonal relationships, with the improvement always starting ′at home.′ The content is presented for quick comprehension. Cynthia and Ray have gone to extraordinary lengths to deepen the readers′ understanding of each concept and strategy with real life examples, along with questionnaires at the end of each case chapter." — Nancy Scholl , CFO, Wright Hotels, Inc.

Acknowledgments xv Introduction xvii 1 Mistakes We Have Made (And You Can Avoid): Manipulating, Whining, Attacking, and Bullying 1 2 What We Have Learned: Four Key Principles 11 3 Strategies for Transforming Relationships 27 4 From the Attacker to the Constructive Critic 39 5 From the Whiner to the Problem Solver 61 6 From the Scene Stealer to the Ally 83 7 From the Drive–by Boss to the Engaged Leader 103 8 From the Manipulator to the Open Communicator 125 9 From the Clueless Colleague to the Considerate Teammate 145 10 From the Faux–Smart Boss to the Knowledgeable Leader 167 11 From the Slacker to the Contributor 193 12 From the Bully to the Assertive Leader 215 13 From Challenges to Collaboration 235 14 Technology: A Blessing and a Curse 253 15 Moving Forward: From Passive Reader to Active Communicator 265 Appendices Appendix 1: Interpreting Your Responses to the “About You” Questionnaire 269 Appendix 2: Principles and Strategies Used in the Case Chapters 275 Appendix 3: References 277 About the Authors 279 Index 282

Cynthia Clay is the founder and president of NetSpeed Learning Solutions. Her career has centered on helping managers, teams and individuals work together more effectively. Ray Olitt consults with and coaches leaders in a variety of for–profit and non–profit organizations.