Social Chemistry: Decoding the Elements of Human Connection


Marissa King - 2021
    Are you an Expansionist, a Broker, or a Convener? The answer matters more than you think. . . .  Yale professor Marissa King shows how anyone can build more meaningful and productive relationships based on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and network analytics. Conventional wisdom says it's the size of your network that matters, but social science research has proven there is more to it. King explains that the quality and structure of our relationships has the greatest impact on our personal and professional lives. As she shows, there are three basic types of networks, so readers can see the role they are already playing: Expansionist, Broker, or Convener. This network decoder enables readers to own their network style and modify it for better alignment with their life plans and values. High-quality connections in your social network strongly predict cognitive functioning, emotional resilience, and satisfaction at work. A well-structured network is likely to boost the quality of your ideas, as well as your pay. Beyond the office, social connections are the lifeblood of our health and happiness. The compiled results from dozens of previous studies found that our social relationships have an effect on our likelihood of dying prematurely—equivalent to obesity or smoking. Rich stories of Expansionists like Vernon Jordan, Brokers like Yo-Yo Ma, and Conveners like Anna Wintour, as well as personal experiences from King's own world of connections, inform this warm, engaging, revelatory investigation into some of the most consequential decisions we can make about the trajectory of our lives.

Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling


Edgar H. Schein - 2013
    But all too often when we interact with people—especially those who report to us—we simply tell them what we think they need to know. This shuts them down. To generate bold new ideas, to avoid disastrous mistakes, to develop agility and flexibility, we need to practice Humble Inquiry.Ed Schein defines Humble Inquiry as “the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person.” In this seminal work, Schein contrasts Humble Inquiry with other kinds of inquiry, shows the benefits Humble Inquiry provides in many different settings, and offers advice on overcoming the cultural, organizational, and psychological barriers that keep us from practicing it.

Stand Out: How to Find Your Breakthrough Idea and Build a Following Around It


Dorie Clark - 2015
    But that’s simply not true anymore. “Safe” jobs disappear daily, and the clamor of everyday life drowns out ordinary contributions. To make a name for yourself, to create true job security, and to make a difference in the world, you have to share your unique perspective and inspire others to take action. But in a noisy world where it seems everything’s been said—and shouted from the rooftops—how can your ideas stand out?Fortunately, you don’t have to be a genius or a worldwide superstar to make an impact. Drawing on interviews with more than fifty thought leaders in fields ranging from business to genomics to urban planning, Dorie Clark shows how these masters achieved success and how anyone—with hard work—can do the same. Whether it’s learning to ask the right questions, developing and building on an expert niche, or combining disparate fields to get a new perspective, Clark outlines ways to develop the ideas that set you apart.Of course, having a breakthrough insight is only half the battle. If you really want to share your ideas, you have to find a way to build an audience, communicate your message, and inspire others to embrace your vision. Starting small is fine; Clark provides a step-by-step guide to help you leverage your existing networks, attract new people to your cause, and, ultimately, build a community around your ideas.Featuring vivid examples based on interviews with influencers such as Seth Godin, David Allen, and Daniel Pink, Clark shows you how to break through and ensure that your ideas get noticed. Becoming a thought leader in your company or in your profession is the ultimate career insurance. But—even more important—it’s also a chance to change the world for the better. Whatever your cause, perspective, or point of view, the world can’t afford for the best ideas to remain buried inside you. Whether it’s how to improve the educational system or how to make your company more efficient, your ideas matter. The world needs your insights, and it’s time to be bold.

The Art of Reading Minds: How to Understand and Influence Others Without Them Noticing


Henrik Fexeus - 2007
    How would you like to know what the people around you are thinking? Do you want to network like a pro, persuade your boss to give you that promotion, and finally become the life of every party? Now, with Henrik Fexeus's expertise, you can. The Art of Reading Minds teaches you everything you need to know in order to become an expert at mind-reading. Using psychology-based skills such as non-verbal communication, reading body language, and using psychological influence, Fexeus explains how readers can find out what another person thinks and feels– and consequently control that person’s thoughts and beliefs. Short, snappy chapters cover subjects such as contradictory signs and what they mean, how people flirt without even knowing it, benevolent methods of suggestion and undetectable influence, how to plant and trigger emotional states, and how to perform impressive mind-reading party tricks. Fexeus gives readers practical (and often fun) examples of how to effectively mind-read others and use this information, benevolently, both in personal and professional settings.

The Wisest One in the Room: How You Can Benefit from Social Psychology's Most Powerful Insights


Thomas Gilovich - 2015
    Friends, relatives, and colleagues: someone with the best advice about how to boost sales, the most useful insights into raising children, or the sharpest take on an ongoing conflict. In The Wisest One in the Room, renowned social psychologists Thomas Gilovich and Lee Ross ask: Why? What do these people know? What are the foundations of their wisdom? And, as professors and researchers who specialize in the study of human behavior, they wonder: What general principles of human psychology are they drawing on to reach these conclusions? They begin by noting that wisdom, unlike intelligence, demands some insight into people—their hopes, fears, passions, and drives. It’s true for the executive running a Fortune 500 company, the candidate seeking public office, the artist trying to create work that will speak to the ages, or the single parent trying to get a child through the tumultuous adolescent years. To be wise, they maintain, one must be psych-wise. Gilovich and Ross show that to answer any kind of behavioral question, it is essential to understand the details—especially the hidden and subtle details—of the situational forces acting upon us. Understanding these forces is the key to becoming wiser in the way we understand the people and events we encounter, and wiser in the way we deal with the challenges that are sure to come our way—perhaps even the key to becoming “the wisest in the room.”

Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great


Carmine Gallo - 2018
    As the forces of globalization, automation, and artificial intelligence combine to disrupt every field career, having a good idea isn't good enough. Mastering the ancient art of persuasion is the key to standing out, getting ahead, and achieving greatness in the modern world. Communication is no longer a "soft" skill--it is the human edge that will make you unstoppable, irresistible, and irreplaceable--earning you that perfect rating, that fifth star.In Five Stars, Carmine Gallo, bestselling author of Talk Like TED, breaks down how to apply Aristotle's formula of persuasion to inspire contemporary audiences. As the nature of work changes, and technology carries things across the globe in a moment, communication skills become more valuable--not less. Gallo interviews neuroscientists, economists, historians, billionaires, and business leaders of companies like Google, Nike, and Airbnb to show first-hand how they use their words to captivate your imagination and ignite your dreams.In the knowledge age--the information economy--you are only as valuable as your ideas. Five Stars is a book to help you bridge the gap between mediocrity and exceptionality, and gain your competitive edge in the age of automation.In Five Stars, you will also learn:-The one skill billionaire Warren Buffett says will raise your value by 50 percent.-Why your job might fall into a category where 75 percent or more of your income relies on your ability to sell your idea. -How Airbnb's founders follow a classic 3-part formula shared by successful Hollywood movies.-Why you should speak in third-grade language to persuade adult listeners. -The one brain hack Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, and Picasso used to unlock their best ideas.

Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go: Career Conversations Employees Want


Beverly Kaye - 2012
    Nevertheless, it’s frequently back-burnered. When asked why, managers say the number one reason is that they just don’t have time—for the meetings, the forms, the administrative hoops.But there’s a better way. And it’s surprisingly simple: frequent short conversations with employees about their career goals and options integrated seamlessly into the normal course of business. Beverly Kaye, coauthor of the bestselling Love ’Em or Lose ’Em, and Julie Winkle Giulioni identify three broad types of conversations that will increase employees’ awareness of their strengths, weaknesses, and interests; point out where their organization and their industry are headed; and help them pull all of that together to design their own up-to-the-minute, personalized career plans.Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go is filled with practical tips, guidelines, and templates, as well as nearly a hundred suggested conversation questions.

Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People: Over 325 Ready-To-Use Words and Phrases For Working With Challenging Personalities


Renée Evenson - 2013
    But interacting effectively with employees, colleagues, and bosses is essential for success. With Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Difficult People, anyone can confront problems head-on, before they fester and spread. Practical and easy to use, the book helps you identify button-pushing situations and deploy simple phrases to regain control and resolve conflicts—no matter who you’re dealing with. Helpful features include: • Thirty common personality traits, behaviors, and workplace scenarios along with the phrases that work best with each• Nonverbal communication skills to back up your words• Sample dialogues that demonstrate how phrasing improves interactions• A five-step process for moving from conflict to resolution• “Why This Works” sections that provide detailed explanations Like it or not, the bulk of our waking hours are spent with people at work. This book’s pithy, powerful communication tips will make those hours far more harmonious and productive.

Zarrella's Hierarchy of Contagiousness: The Science, Design, and Engineering of Contagious Ideas


Dan Zarrella - 2011
    Social media master Dan Zarrella has amassed years of experience helping people negotiate the often mystical place of social media marketing. Now, he has condensed those well-tried ideas into this concise and conversational book. Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness demystifies and deconstructs how social media works, who it benefits and why we all depend upon it to help our good ideas spread.

Adversaries into Allies: Win People Over Without Manipulation or Coercion


Bob Burg - 2013
     Now Burg is back with a new book, offering deeper insight about what it means to be truly influential and providing powerful strategies for mastering the art of persuasion.   Faced with the task of persuading someone to do what we want, most of us expect, and often encounter, resistance. We see the other person as an adversary and often resort to coercion or manipulation in order to get our way. But while this approach might at times bring us short-term results, it leaves people with a bad feeling about themselves and about us. At that point, our relationship with the person is weakened and our influence dramatically decreased.   There is a better way.   Drawing on his own experiences and the stories of other influential people, Burg offers five simple principles of what he calls “ultimate influence”—the ability to win people to your side in a way that leaves everyone feeling great about the outcome…and about themselves!: ·Control your own emotions: Responding calmly rather than allowing your emotions to get the better of you will ensure not putting the other person on the defensive but rather help them remain open to your ideas. ·Understand the clash of belief systems: Every individual operates based on an unconscious set of beliefs, experiences, and ideas, which are most likely very different from yours. Understand this and you can avoid confusion and numerous misunderstandings that stand in the way of most people’s ability to influence. ·Acknowledge their ego: People want to feel good about themselves; if you make someone genuinely feel good, you’re one step closer to making an ally. ·Set the proper frame: People react and respond to other people. Approach potential conflicts from a position of benevolence, resolution, and helpfulness and they will follow suit. ·Communicate with tact and empathy: While the first four principles are vital, this is what brings it all home. Saying the right thing at the right time makes all the difference in terms of moving people to your side of the issue and taking the appropriate action that benefits all concerned.   In the tradition of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and Robert Cialdini's Influence, Burg offers a tried-and-true framework for building alliances at work, at home, and anywhere else you seek to win people over.

Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy


Siva Vaidhyanathan - 2018
    Of course, none of that was part of the plan. In this fully updated paperback edition of Antisocial Media, Siva Vaidhyanathan explains how Facebook devolved from an innocent social site hacked together by Harvard students into a force that, while it may make personal life just a little more pleasurable, makes democracy a lot more challenging. It's an account of the hubris of good intentions, a missionary spirit, and an ideology that sees computer code as the universal solvent for all human problems. And it's an indictment of how social media has fostered the deterioration of democratic culture around the world, from facilitating Russian meddling in support of Trump's election to the exploitation of the platform by murderous authoritarians in Burma and the Philippines. Both authoritative and trenchant, Antisocial Media shows how Facebook's mission went so wrong.

Biff: Quick Responses to High Conflict People, Their Hostile Emails, Personal Attacks and Social Media Meltdowns


Bill Eddy - 2011
    We also live in a Culture of Blame and Disrespect in which emails, social media posts, and personal attacks are on the increase. We must learn to respond to people who communicate this way -- people with high-conflict personalities. A BIFF response can be applied in any communication anywhere - on the Internet, in a letter or in person. It can be used at work, earning you respect and success. It can help you get along with difficult family members, friends, neighbors and others anywhere in your life. BIFF was designed to protect you and your reputation by responding quickly and civilly to people who treat you rudely - while being reasonable in return. BIFF stands for Brief, Informative, Friendly and Firm. A BIFF response is easy to remember, but hard to do. It takes practice! This little book gives over 20 examples of BIFF responses for all areas of life - plus additional tips to help you deal with high-conflict people anywhere.

Understanding Other People


Beverly D. Flaxington - 2009
    Suitable for those who wants to improve the quality of their relationships, this title helps readers to gain the insights they need to identify relationship missteps, and then apply easy-to-learn techniques to bring relationships to a more meaningful level in both personal and business settings.

Negotiation


Brian Tracy
    It's part of how we establish relationships, work together, and arrive at solutions for our clients, our organizations, and ourselves. Simply put, those who don't negotiate well risk falling victim to those who do.Throughout his career, success expert Brian Tracy has negotiated millions of dollars worth of contracts. Now, with this concise guide, you too can become a master negotiator and learn how to:• Utilize the six key negotiating styles• Harness the power of emotion in hammering out agreements• Use time to your advantage• Prepare like a pro and enter any negotiation from a position of strength• Gain clarity on areas of agreement and disagreement• Develop win-win outcomes• Use the power of reciprocity• Know when and how to walk away• Apply the Law of Four• Plus much moreSmart negotiation can save you time and money, make you more effective, and contribute substantially to your career. Jam-packed with Brian Tracy's trademark wisdom, this practical and portable book puts the power of negotiation right in your hands.