Understanding and Changing Your Management Style: Assessments and Tools for Self–Development

Understanding and Changing Your Management Style Drawing on recent findings in the neuro- and cognitive sciences, this second edition of Understanding and Changing Your Management Style offers a guide for identifying, analyzing, and understanding the building blocks that successful managers share in common. Robert Benfari outlines the six building blocks (Psychological Type, Needs/Motivation, Use of Power, Conflict Style, Our Basic Values, and Our Reaction to Stress) that you need to develop as an effective manager. He shows how to utilize behavioral strategies for resolving conflicts, solving problems, managing stress, handling difficult situations at work, and positively influencing others. The book utilizes self-assessments, concept development, cases, and exercises to enhance the building blocks. "Robert Benfari's new book, Understanding and Changing Your Management Style , represents the distillation of a lifetime of teaching, research, and professional practice in this critical field. His multidisciplinary approach will prove an asset to students as well as to practitioners of management as they develop their successful leadership style." — Michael Shinagel , PhD, Dean of Continuing Education and University Extension, Harvard University "A fascinating view into our brain and our management style, much needed today to cope with the 21st century work environment." — Ricardo Altimira , PhD, faculty, IE Business School, Spain "Robert Benfari is a seasoned expert who offers the rare combination of insightful research and practical tools for exploring oneself and adapting to the ever-changing corporate world—as demonstrated by the vast appreciation of students and managers he has taught and advised around the world." — Prof. Dr. Ana Mar??a Mass , Dean, Virtual UADE (Universidad Argentina de la Empresa)

Preface v About the Author vii Introduction: What Leaders and Managers Need to Know About Human Nature 1 1 Assumptions, Perceptions, and Feelings: How They Influence Performance 17 Pre–Chapter 2 Activity: What Is My Psychological Type? 51 2 Psychological Type: A Cognitive Approach 63 Pre–Chapter 3 Activity: What Are My Needs? 115 3 Needs: Our Pathways to Competence 125 Pre–Chapter 4 Activity: What Are My Power Bases? 145 4 The Bases of Power: The Uses and Abuses of Influence 153 Pre–Chapter 5 Activity: What Is My Conflict Style? 181 5 Conflict: Getting to Resolution 193 6 Values: Our Compass in Life 223 Pre–Chapter 7 Activity: What Is My Stress Quotient? 243 7 Stress: Responding to Pressure 255 8 Management Scenarios 289 9 Integration of the Building Blocks 317 Bibliography 331 Index 337

Robert C. Benfari, AB, MBA, PhD, MSPH , is a multidiscipline behavioral scientist who has spent most of his career in teaching, research, and practice as a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Division of Continuing Education. Benfari also consults to industry and government and conducts workshops on developing one′s management style.