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You are here: > Home > Career Skills > Tolerance in the Workplace

3. Leadership Skills
Leadership Skills – Start Here!
How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?
What is Leadership?
General Leadership
Core Leadership Theories: Learning the Foundations of Leadership
Leadership Motivation Assessment: How Motivated Are You to Lead?
Leadership Motivation Tools: Find the Passion to Lead

4. Authentic Leadership: Being a Leader That People Want to Follow
Ethical Leadership: Doing the Right Thing
Dunham and Pierce's Leadership Process Model
Understanding Power
French and Raven's Five Forms of Power
Winning Expert Power: Leading from the Front
Leadership Styles

5. Leadership Styles: Using the Right One for the Right Situation
The Hersey-Blanchard Situational Leadership® Theory
The Seven Transformations of Leadership: Developing Your Leadership Style
The Tannenbaum-Schmidt Leadership Continuum
Leadership Style Matrix: Choosing the Best Leadership Approach
"Laissez Faire" versus Micromanagement: Getting the Balance Right
The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid: Balancing Task- and People-Orientation
Action Centered Leadership™: Balancing Task-, Team- and Individual-Focus

6. Fiedler's Contingency Model: Matching Leadership Style to a Situation
Path-Goal Theory: Discovering the Best Leadership Style
Six Emotional Leadership Styles: Choosing the Right Style for the Situation
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Learning How to be More Aware
Developing Self-Awareness: Learning "Mindfulness"
The Agile Leader: Adaptability
The Power of Trust: A Steel Cable

7. Optimism: The Hidden Asset
What's Empathy Got to Do With It?
Humility: The Most Beautiful Word in the English Language
The Talisman of Leadership: Authenticity
"I Swear by Apollo": Being Accountable to Yourself in Leadership
Leading by Example: Making Sure You "Walk the Talk"
A Leader's Mood: The Dimmer Switch of Performance
A Bit of Perfume: Giving Praise

8. Degrees of Giving: Leading with Generosity
The Uncertainty Factor
The Green-Eyed Monster: Keeping Envy Out of the Workplace
Becoming a Leader
10 Common Leadership and Management Mistakes: Avoiding Universal Pitfalls
Leading Equals: Motivating People Effectively, Without Authority
Now You're the Boss: Learning How to Manage Former Peers
What a Real Leader Knows: Developing Fundamental Leadership skills

9. Level 5 Leadership: Achieving "Greatness" as a Leader
The Four Factor Theory of Leadership: A Foundation of Good Leadership
Young and Future Leaders
Leadership by the New Generation: Bridging the Gap
Building Tomorrow's Leaders: Identifying and Developing Them
The Leadership Pipeline Model: Developing Your Future Leaders
Crisis and Contingency Planning

10. Crisis Planning: Preparing Your Best Response to the Unexpected
Contingency Planning: Developing a Good 'Plan B'
Leadership in Hard Times: Leading – and Succeeding – in a Downturn
Jennings' Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse: Spotting Moral Downfalls
Team Management
Management Skills
How Good Are Your Management Skills?

11. Team Management Skills
How Good Are Your People Skills?
Mintzberg's Management Roles: Identifying the Roles Managers Play
Seven Surprises for New Managers: Common Management Misconceptions
Management By Wandering Around (MBWA): Staying in touch with your team
Supporting Your People: Helping Team Members Achieve
Deming's System of Organizational Knowledge: Understand Your Organization
Taking Responsibility in a New Leadership Role

12. Improving Team Effectiveness
Building an Effective Team: Creating a Productive and Efficient Group
Team Effectiveness Assessment: How Well Does Your Team Work Together?
DILO (Day In the Life Of): Improving Team Effectiveness by Analyzing Daily Activity
Team Briefings: Sharing Organizational Information Efficiently
Four Dimensions of Relational Work: Matching Tasks to Interpersonal Skills
Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Learning What Your People Think
Accounting for Time: Making Best Use of a Precious Resource

13. Why the Rules are There: Helping people understand and enforce rules
Safety in Teams: Fostering a Culture of Safety
Building Confidence in Other People: Creating Self-Assured Teams
Creating a Healthy Workplace: Maximizing Team Happiness and Productivity
Lencioni's Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Solving Key Teamworking Problems
Birkinshaw's Four Dimensions of Management
Waldroop and Butler's Six Problem Behaviors: Overcoming Obstructive Behavior
Team Dynamics

14. Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing: Helping New Teams Be Effective
Cog's Ladder: Understanding and Accelerating Group Formation
The Leader-Member Exchange Theory: Getting the Best From All Team Members
Belbin's Team Roles: Improving Team Performance
Benne and Sheats' Group Roles: Identifying Positive and Negative Behaviors
The Margerison-McCann Team Management Profile: Maximizing Effectiveness
Team Charters: Getting Your Teams Off to a Great Start
Building Trust Inside Your Team: Creating a Strong, Cohesive Group

15. Gaining the Trust of Your New Team
Team-Building Exercises: Planning activities that actually work
Managing Emotion in Your Team: Maintaining Harmony in a Group
Helping People Flourish at Work: Creating a Thriving Team
Effective Recruitment
Effective Recruitment: Finding the Best People for Your Team
When to Create a New Role: Choosing the Right Time to Expand Your Team
Writing a Job Description: Conveying the Meaning of the Job

16. Hiring People: Questions to Ask
Inbox/In-Tray Assessment: Uncovering How a Candidate Will Perform on the Job
Success Profiling: Benchmarking Potential Recruits Against Your Top People
Using Recruitment Tests: Hiring with Better Results
Understanding Workplace Values: Finding the Best Cultural Fit
Aptitude Testing: Assessing the Potential for Succes
Successful Induction: Getting New Team Members Off to a Great Start!
Engaging New Recruits: Building and Maintaining Motivation

17. Off to the Right Start: Teaching Basic Skills to New Hires
Exit Interviews: Getting Feedback from Departing Staff
The Peter Principle: Avoiding Promotion to a Level of Incompetence
Developing Your Team
How Well Do You Develop Your People?
Understanding Developmental Needs: Help People Reach Peak Performance
Training Needs Assessment: Making Sure Your Team is Properly Trained
Heron's Six Categories of Intervention: Understanding How to Help Effectively

18. Talent Management: Identifying, Developing and Keeping Talented People
Succession Planning: Seamlessly Transferring Key Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
Handling People's Retirement: Transferring Knowledge, Maintaining Motivation
Active Training: Maximizing Engagement in Team Learning
On-the-Job Training: Developing a Hands-On Training Program
Instructor-Led Training: Creating an Effective Learning Experience
Kirkpatrick's 4-Level Training Evaluation Model: Analyzing Training Effectiveness
The Nine-Box Grid for Talent Management

19. Cross-Training: Creating a Flexible Workforce
Helping People Develop Emotional Intelligence
Building a Positive Team: Helping Your People be Happy and Engaged
Coaching Your Team
The GROW Model: A Simple Process for Coaching and Mentoring
What is Coaching?: Understanding What Coaching Is
Coaching for Team Performance: Improving Productivity
Coaching with Feedback: Helping Your People to Improve Their Performance

20. Coaching for Talent Development: Helping People Become More Effective
Coaching Through Change: Helping People Embrace Change
Informal Coaching for Managers: Knowing When to Be a Coach
High-Performance Coaching: Achieving Full Potential
Building Rapport in Coaching: Developing Mutual Understanding and Trust
Coaching to Develop Self-Awareness: Helping People Get to Know Themselves
Coaching to Explore Beliefs and Motives: Understanding What Drives Your People
Motivating Your Team

21. How Good are Your Motivation Skills?
Motivating Your Team: How to Motivate Your People
Theory X and Theory Y: Understanding Team Member Motivation
McClelland's Human Motivation Theory: Discovering What Drives Members
Herzberg's Motivators and Hygiene Factors: Learn How to Motivate Your Team
Sirota's Three-Factor Theory: Keeping Employees Enthusiastic
The Three Component Model of Commitment
Expectancy Theory: Motivate Your Team by Linking Effort with Outcome

22. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Building a Happier, More Satisfied Team
Alderfer's ERG Theory: Understanding the Priorities in People's Needs
Pygmalion Motivation: Managing High Performance with High Expectations
Amabile and Kramer's Progress Theory: Using Small Wins to Motivate
Handy's Motivation Theory: Motivating People to Work Hard
Broaden and Build Theory: Using Positive Emotions to Build Success
Rewarding and Engaging People

23. Understanding Strategic Compensation: Creating the Right Pay Structure
The Psychological Contract: Meeting Your Team's Unspoken Expectations
Adams' Equity Theory: Balancing Employee Inputs and Outputs
Hackman and Oldham's Job Characteristics: Understanding Job Enrichment
Rewarding Your Team: Learning Why "Thank You" Is So Vital
Job Enrichment: Increasing Job Satisfaction
Keeping Valued Team Members: Preventing Resignations
Job Embeddedness: Reducing Staff Turnover
Re-Engaging Team Members: Turning Negative Back to Positive

24. Motivating Without Bonuses: Keeping Your Team Happy Without a Check
Theory Z: Merging Eastern and Western Management Styles
Helping People Take Responsibility: Encouraging Accountability
Performance Management
Performance Management and KPIs: Linking Activities to Vision and Strategy
Management by Objectives (MBO): Aligning Objectives With Organizational Goals
Performance Appraisals: Getting Real Results from Performance Reviews

25. Dealing with Poor Performance: Is It Lack of Ability or Low Motivation?
Performance Agreements: Increasing Personal Accountability
The Drexler/Sibbet Team Performance® Model
Delegating Effectively
How Well Do You Delegate?
Successful Delegation: How, When, Why
The Delegation Dilemma
Avoiding Micromanagement: Helping Team Members Excel – On Their Own

26. Preventing Manager Dependency: Teaching Your Team to Be More Independent
Task Allocation: Pick the Right Player for the Right Job
Managing Different Groups of Workers
Managing Perfectionists: Harnessing the Commitment to Excellence
Managing Part-Time Staff: Strategies for Your Flexible Workforce
Managing Home-Based Team Members
Managing Working Parents: Creating a Flexible, Happy Workforce
Managing Knowledge Workers: Getting the Most from Them

27. Managing Contractors: Hiring, Managing, and Motivating Contract Workers
Managing Freelancers: Finding and Motivating Independent Workers
Managing Volunteers: Finding the Right Balance
Managing Interns: How to Find and Develop Yours
Working With an Executive Assistant: Building a Successful Relationship
"Blue Collar" Workers: Making the Most of People's Hard Work and Skills
Managing Unskilled Workers: Keeping People Happy and Motivated
Emotional Labor: Helping Workers Present a Positive Face

28. Managing People with Low Ambition: Using Different Motivational Strategies
Managing Generation Y'ers: Harnessing the Talent of a New Generation
Managing Different Types of Teams
Setting up a Cross-Functional Team: Working Effectively with Other Functions
Managing Cross-Functional Teams: Balancing Team and Function Needs
Managing a Geographically Dispersed Team: Achieving Goals Together, Apart
Managing Virtual Teams: Team Working That Overcomes Time and Space
Managing in a Unionized Workplace: Getting Things Done in a Constructive Way

29. Managing Around the World
Managing in Australia: Working Successfully in an Independent Culture
Managing in Brazil: Working in an Emerging Economy
Managing in Canada: Working in a Diverse Country
Managing in China: Working in a Global Powerhouse
Managing in Germany: Working with German Culture and Teams
Managing in Hong Kong: Working in a Diverse, Thriving Culture

30. Managing in India: Achieving Success in a New Culture
Managing in Japan: Etiquette and Management Strategies
Managing in Malaysia: Navigating a Land of Contrasts
Managing in Russia: Negotiating a Rapidly Changing Culture
Managing in South Africa: Doing Business in a Changing Culture
Managing in the U.K.: Working in a Different Culture
Managing in the United Arab Emirates: Balancing the Old and the New
Managing in the U.S.: Working in a Fast-Paced Culture

31. Difficult Management Situations
Resolving Team Conflict: Building Stronger Teams by Facing Your Differences
Bad Behavior at Work: Using Clear Criteria to Identify and Deal with Problems
Managing Overconfident People: Controlling the Effects of Overconfidence
Managing "Rogues": Controlling Disruptive People
Reducing Sick Leave: Decreasing Absenteeism... and Its Costs
Formal Warnings: Understanding and Issuing Them
Rationalizing Team Activities: Reorganizing Priorities in Changing Times

32. When Teams Shrink: Coping with Layoffs, and Moving On
Rumors in the Workplace: Managing and Preventing Them
Managing During a Downturn: Keeping Morale Up When the Economy is Down
Managing Team Negativity: Overcoming a Pessimistic Environment
Rebuilding Morale: Creating a Happy, Committed Workforce
Standing Up for Your People: Showing Support When It Matters
Avoiding Discrimination: Minimize Problems by Being Prepared
Managing "Rebels": Guiding Independent Thinkers

33. Historical Management Theories
Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management: Understanding Taylorism
Elton Mayo's Hawthorne Experiments: Early Exploration of Workplace Motivation
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth: Pioneers of Ergonomics
Henri Fayol's Principles of Management: Early Management Theory
Strategy Tools
What is Strategy?

34. Core Strategy Tools
SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
The TOWS Matrix: Developing Options from an External-Internal Analysis
Porter's Five Forces: Understanding Power in a Situation
PEST Analysis: Identifying "Big Picture" Opportunities and Threats
Critical Success Factors: Identifying the Things That Really Matter for Success
Competitive Advantage
USP Analysis: Finding Your Competitive Position

35. Core Competence Analysis: Building Sustainable Competitive Advantage
Porter's Diamond: Reflecting National Strengths and Weaknesses
Kay's Distinctive Capabilities Framework
The ADL Matrix: How Industry Position Influences Your Strategy
Ohmae's 3C Model: Bringing Together Different Aspects of Strategic Thinking
VRIO Analysis: Making the Most of Organizational Resources
Competitive Intelligence: Understanding Your Competitive Position
Weisbord's Six-Box Model: A Starting Point for Diagnosing Organizational Issues

36. Kotler and Keller's Five Product Levels: Exceeding Customer Expectations
Strategic Options
Developing Your Strategy: Finding Your Path to Success
Porter's Generic Strategies: Choosing Your Route to Competitive Advantage
Bowman's Strategy Clock: Making Sense of Eight Competitive Positions
Mintzberg's 5 Ps of Strategy: Developing a Better Strategy
Blue Ocean Strategy: Leaving Your Competition Far Behind
Scenario Analysis: Exploring Different Futures

37. Understanding Game Theory: Using Reason to Predict Future Behavior
The Value Disciplines Model: Basing Strategy on Value
Value-Based Management: Managing for the Long Term by Maximizing Value
The Business Motivation Model: Preparing a Resilient Business Plan
Disruptive Technologies: Recognize the Impact of New Products
Organization Design
Organization Design: Aligning Organizational Structure with Business Goals

38. The McKinsey 7S Framework: Ensuring All Parts of an Organization Work Together
The EPRG Model: Growing Into a Global Company
Miles and Snow's Organizational Strategies: Aligning Structure and Strategy
Mintzberg's Organizational Configurations: Understanding Organization Structure
The Greiner Curve: Surviving the Crises That Come With Growth
The Pyramid of Organizational Development: Managing the Steps of Growth
Strategic Alliances: Partnering for Mutual Benefit
Diversification: Reducing Business Risk and Expanding Market Size
Adizes' Corporate Lifecycle: Identifying the Patterns of Growth and Decline

39. Strategic Prioritization
The Boston Matrix: Focusing Effort to Get the Greatest Return
The GE-McKinsey Matrix: Determining Investment Priorities
Porter's Value Chain: Understanding How Value is Created Within Organizations
Value Chain Analysis: Achieving Excellence in the Things That Matter
Executing Strategy
Mission Statements and Vision Statements: The Power of Purpose

40. Practical Business Planning: Understanding the Components of Future Success
The Pyramid of Purpose: Communicating Strategy Concisely
VMOST Analysis: Ensuring Organizational Activities Deliver Your Vision
The Hoshin Planning System: Steering Everyone in the Right Direction
The Balanced Scorecard: Motivating Employees to Deliver Your Strategy
The Triple Bottom Line: Measuring Your Organization's Wider Impact
Corporate Governance: Keeping Organizations Accountable
Employer Branding: Creating a Worker-Friendly Culture

41. Simons' Seven Strategy Questions: Improving Implementation of Your Strategy
Turnaround Management: Rescuing a Struggling Organization
Sourcing and Purchasing Strategy
The Outsourcing Decision Matrix: Analyzing the Make-or-Buy Decision
Working with Outsourced Suppliers: Communication is Key
The Kraljic Portfolio Purchasing Model: Assessing Risk and Maximizing Profits
Procurement Management: Increasing the Strategic Value of Purchasing
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Managing Suppliers Effectively

42. Words Used in Outsourcing: A Glossary of Terms
10 Cs of Supplier Evaluation: Evaluating Potential Suppliers
Marketing Strategy
Developing Your Marketing Strategy: Connecting Products with Customers
The Marketing Mix and 4 Ps: Understanding How to Position Your Market Offering
The 4S Web Marketing Mix: Considering Key Online Marketing Elements
Market Segmentation: Understanding Different Customer Needs Are Key

43. The Product Life Cycle: Managing Your Product to Maximize Success
The Product Diffusion Curve: Keeping Your Marketing Message Fresh
The Ansoff Matrix: Understanding the Different Risks of Different Options
The Sales Funnel: Keeping Control of Your Sales Pipeline
Customer Experience Mapping: Seeing Your Business Through Customers' Eyes
The Brand Pyramid: Building Customer Loyalty
Keller's Brand Equity Model: Building a Powerful Brand
Kapferer's Brand Identity Prism: Identifying Your Brand's Voice
Corporate Social Responsibility: Benefiting Your Business and the Community

44. Manufacturing and Operations
Lean Manufacturing: Working More Efficiently
Kaizen: Gaining the Full Benefits of Continuous Improvement
Kanban: Creating Efficiency in the Workplace
The Product-Process Matrix: Using the Right Process
Just In Time (JIT): Reducing Inventory and Minimizing Waste
The 5S System: Reducing Waste and Increasing Productivity

45. Business Process Reengineering: Using Radical Change
Value Stream Mapping: Making Improvements That Add Value
Achieving Economies of Scale: Understanding Why Bigger Can Be Better
The Innovation Circle: A Process for Introducing New Products and Services
The RATER Model: Five Ways to Measure Service
The Theory of Constraints (TOC): Strengthening Your "Weakest Link"
Green Management: Taking Steps Towards A Greener Brand
Quality Strategy

46. Zero Defects: Getting It Right First Time
Crosby's 14 Steps for Improvement: Organizing Quality Improvement
Total Quality Management (TQM): Delivering Quality at Every Level
Deming's 14-Point Philosophy: A Recipe for Total Quality
Six Sigma: Improving Quality Systematically
House of Quality Diagrams: Building Customer Satisfaction Into New Products
Benchmarking: Comparing Your Performance with the Best
Critical to Quality (CTQ) Trees: Translating Broad Needs to Requirements

47. Problem Solving
Problem Solving Skills – Start Here!
How Good Is Your Problem Solving?
General Problem-Solving Tools
Constructive Controversy: Arguing For and Against Options
Inductive Reasoning: Drawing Good, Generalized Conclusions
Avoiding Logical Fallacies: What They Are, and How to Avoid Them

48. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA): Spotting Problems Early
Heuristic Methods: Using Rules of Thumb
Means-End Analysis: Identifying the Steps Needed to Solve a Problem
Problem-Solving Approaches
The Problem-Definition Process: Developing the Right Solution
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA): Implementing New Ideas in a Controlled Way
Soft Systems Methodology (SSM): Understanding Very Complex Issues
8D Problem-Solving Process: Solving Major Problems in a Disciplined Way

49. Appreciative Inquiry: Solving Problems by Looking at What's Going Right
The Simplex Process: A Robust Creative Problem-Solving Process
The Straw Man Concept: Build It Up, Knock It Down
Hurson's Productive Thinking Model: Solving Problems Creatively
The Four-Step Innovation Process: Solutions to Complex Problems
Finding the Cause of a Problem
Root Cause Analysis: Tracing a Problem to Its Origins
CATWOE: Understanding the Elements That Contribute to a Problem

50. 5 Whys: Quickly Getting to the Root of a Problem
Drill-Down: Breaking Problems Down Into Manageable Parts
Cause and Effect Analysis: Identifying Likely Causes of Problems
Appreciation: Extracting Maximum Information from Facts
The Four Frame Approach: Finding Other Ways Forward
Interrelationship Diagrams: Identifying Cause and Effect Relationships
Improving Business Processes

51. Writing a Procedure: Avoiding Mistakes and Omissions
Flow Charts: Understanding and Communicating How a Process Works
Using Aide-Mémoire: Creating Memory Aids and Checklists
Swim Lane Diagrams: Mapping and Improving Processes
Storyboarding: Planning and Checking a Process as a Team
Unblocking Bottlenecks: Fixing Unbalanced Processes
Queuing Models: Optimizing Service and Resources
Diagram-based Tools

52. Concept Fans: Widening the Search for Solutions
Affinity Diagrams: Organizing Ideas Into Common Themes
Systems Diagrams: Understanding How Factors Affect One Another
Decision Making
Decision Making Skills – Start Here!
How Good is Your Decision-Making?
Decision Making Models

53. The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision Model: Deciding How to Decide
The Kepner-Tregoe Matrix: Making Unbiased, Risk Assessed Decisions
OODA Loops: Understanding the Decision Cycle
The Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) Process
Choosing Between Options
Grid Analysis: Making a Choice Balancing Many Factors
Paired Comparison Analysis: Working Out Relative Importances
The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP): Weighing Up Many Subjective Factors

54. Conjoint Analysis: Measuring Buyer Preferences
Pareto Analysis: Using the 80:20 Rule to Prioritize
Decision Trees: Choosing by Projecting "Expected Outcomes"
The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix: Choosing the Best Way Forward
The Futures Wheel: Identifying Future Consequences of a Change
Deciding Whether to Go Ahead
Go/No-Go Decisions: Deciding Whether to Go Ahead

55. Risk Analysis: Evaluating and Managing Risks
Plus, Minus, Interesting: Weighing the Pros and Cons of a Decision
Force Field Analysis: Analyzing Pressures For and Against Change
"What If" Analysis: Making Decisions by Exploring Scenarios
Impact Analysis: Identifying the Consequences of a Decision
Business Experiments: Taking Intelligent Risks
Financial Decisions
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Deciding, Quantitatively, Whether to go Ahead

56. Break-even Analysis: Determining When a Product Becomes Profitable
Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Cash Flow Forecasting: Forecasting the Impact of a Financial Decision
Improving Decision Making
The Ladder of Inference: Avoiding "Jumping to Conclusions"
Decision Making Under Uncertainty: Choosing With Limited Available Information
"Cautious" or "Courageous"?: Understand Your Risk Preference
Six Thinking Hats: Looking at a Decision From All Points of View

57. Critical Thinking: Develop the Skills for Successful Thinking
Blindspot Analysis: Avoiding Common Fatal Flaws in Decision Making
Reactive Decision Making: Making Good Decsions Under Pressure
Linear Programming: Optimizing Your Limited Resources
Monte Carlo Analysis: Bringing Uncertainty and Risk Into Forecasting
The Impact of Ethics and Values
The Foursquare Protocol: Learning to Manage Ethical Decisions

58. What Are Your Values?: Deciding What's Most Important in Life
Spiral Dynamics: Understanding How People's Values May Affect Decisions
Group Decision Making
Organizing Team Decision-Making: Reaching Consensus for Better Decisions
Multi-Voting: Choosing Fairly Between Many Options
The Nominal Group Technique: Prioritizing to Achieve Consensus
The Stepladder Technique: Making Better Group Decisions
The Delphi Technique: Achieving Consensus Among Experts

59. Avoiding Groupthink: Avoiding Fatal Flaws in Group Decision Making
Harnet's CODM Model: Developing Solutions Collectively
Project Management
Project Management – Start Here!
How Good Are Your Project Management Skills?
Program Management
The Iron Triangle of Project Management

60. Project and Program Management Glossary
Project Management Framework
Project Management Phases and Processes: Structuring Your Project
The Planning Cycle: A Planning Process for Medium-Sized Projects
Logframes and the Logical Framework Approach: Planning Robust Projects
How to Write a Business Case: Getting Approval and Funding for Your Project
Project Initiation Documents: Getting Your Project Off to a Great Start
Project Charters: Getting Your Project Off to a Good Start

61. Request for Proposal (RFP) Documents: Using a Competitive Bidding Process
Risk Impact/Probability Chart: Learning to Prioritize Risks
Project Issue Management: Identifying and Resolving Issues
Business Testing in Projects: Involving Real Users as an Important Testing Step
Benefits Management: Getting the Greatest Possible Benefit from a Project
Rationalizing Your Project Portfolio: Delivering Benefits With Limited Resources
Managing Project Finances: Understanding and Controlling Project Costs
Project Close Activities: Ending Projects Properly

62. Scheduling
Project Schedule Development: Planning the Timing and Sequence of Activities
Action Plans: Small-Scale Planning
Planning Large Projects and Programs
Gap Analysis: Identifying What Needs to be Done in a Project
Estimating Time Accurately: A Key to Project Success
Gantt Charts: Planning and Scheduling More Complex Projects
Critical Path Analysis and PERT Charts: Planning More Complex Projects

63. Scope Management
Business Requirements Analysis: Clearly Agreeing What You're Going to Deliver
Work Breakdown Structures: Mapping Out the Work Within a Project
Scope Control: Avoiding Too Many Changes in Projects
Building Support for Your Projects
Stakeholder Analysis: Winning Support for Your Projects
Stakeholder Management: Planning Stakeholder Communication

64. Project and Program Governance: Using Senior Management Support
Working with Project Sponsors
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM): Knowing Where the Buck Stops
The RACI Matrix: Structuring Accountabilities for Maximum Efficiency and Results
Influence Maps: Uncovering Where the Power Lies in Your Projects
Communication
Project Dashboards: Quickly Communicating Project Progress
Project Milestone Reporting: Monitoring Significant Check Points

65. Change Management
How Good Are Your Change Management Skills?
Change Management: Making Organizational Change Happen Effectively
Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Change: Moving to a High Performance Culture
Lewin's Change Management Model: Understanding the 3 Stages of Change
Beckhard and Harris' Change Equation: Overcoming Resistance to Change
The Change Curve: Accelerating and Improving Change
Leavitt's Diamond: An Integrated Approach to Change

66. Burke-Litwin's Change Model: Unraveling Organizational Change
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model: Implementing Change Successfully
Changing People's Habits: Encouraging and Sustaining New Behaviors
Why Change Can Fail: Knowing What Not to Do
SIPOC Diagrams: Making Sure Your Change Process Serves Everyone
The ADKAR Change Management Model: Using Goals to Accomplish Change
Bridges' Transition Model: Guiding People Through Change
Project Improvement and Review

67. After Action Review (AAR) Process: Learning from Your Actions
Post-Implementation Reviews: Making Sure That Your Deliverables Actually Work
Conducting a Project Healthcheck: Finding Out How a Project Is Progressing
Why Do Projects Fail?: Learning How to Avoid Project Failure
Time Management
Time Management – Start Here!
How Good is Your Time Management?

68. 10 Common Time Management Mistakes
How Productive Are You?
General Time Management Tools
Activity Logs: Finding Out How You Really Spend Your Time
Prioritized To Do Lists: Taking Control of Your Time
Action Programs: Becoming Exceptionally Well Organized
Allen's Input Processing Technique
Valuing Your Time: Finding Out How Much Your Time Is Worth

69. Multitasking: Can It Help You Get More Done?
Leverage: Achieving Much More With the Same Effort
How to Be Organized: Taking Control of Your Day
The Art of Filing: Managing Your Documents... and Your Time
Managing Electronic Files: Efficient File Management
Managing Email Effectively: Strategies for Taming Your Inbox
Prioritization

70. Prioritization: Making Best Use of Your Time and Resources
The Urgent/Important Matrix: Using Time Effectively, Not Just Efficiently
The Action Priority Matrix: Making the Very Most of Your Opportunities
Managing Conflicting Priorities: Keeping People Satisfied
Scheduling
Effective Scheduling: Planning to Make the Best Use of Your Time
The Pickle Jar Theory: Make Your Schedule Work. Leave Time for Fun!
Is This a "Morning" Task?: Scheduling Activities for the Right Time of Day

71. Time Management Challenges
Managing Interruptions: Maintain Focus. Keep Control of Your Time.
Dealing with Lateness: Solving Punctuality Problems
Organizing Disorganized People: Motivating Your Team to Change
Minimizing Distractions: Managing Your Work Environment
The Art of Concise Conversations: Stick to the Point – Humanely
Creating Time in Your Day: Maximizing a Busy Schedule

72. Concentration and Focus
Improve Your Concentration: Achieving Focus Amid Distractions
In Flow: Maximizing Productivity Through Improved Focus
The Flow Model: Balancing Challenge and Skills
Working From Home: Staying Focused Amid Distractions
Goal Setting
Personal Goal Setting: Planning to Live Your Life Your Way
Locke's Goal Setting Theory: Understanding SMART Goal Setting

73. Backward Goal-Setting: Using Backward Planning to Set Goals
Golden Rules of Goal Setting: Five Rules to Set Yourself Up for Success
Using Well-Formed Outcomes in Goal Setting
Personal Mission Statements: Defining Your Goals
Visualization: Imagining – and Achieving – Your Goals
Treasure Mapping: Visualizing Your Goal for Greater Achievement
New Year's Resolutions: Planning for a Year of Achievement
Self-Motivation

74. How Self-Motivated Are You?: Taking Charge of Your Goals and Achievements
Motivating Yourself: Practical Tools and Strategies
Are You a Procrastinator?
Beating Procrastination: Manage Your Time. Get It All Done.
Self-Discipline: Developing the Persistence You Need to Achieve Goals
Self-Determination Theory: Enhancing Self-Motivation by Meeting Basic Needs
Breaking Bad Habits: Overcoming Negative Behaviors

75. Stress Management
Stress Management – Start Here!
The Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale
Stress Diaries
Albrecht's Four Types of Stress
Action-Based Strategies
Job Analysis: Zeroing In On What Your Job's About
Managing Your Boundaries: Ensuring Others Respect Your Needs

76. The Breaking Point
Perception-Based Strategies
Are You a Positive or Negative Thinker?: Learn About How You Think
Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking and Positive Thinking
Cognitive Restructuring: Reducing Stress by Changing the Way You Think
Imagery: Mental Stress Management
Using Affirmations: Harnessing Positive Thinking

77. The ABC Technique: Overcoming Pessimistic Thinking
Perfectionism: Overcoming All-or-Nothing Thinking
Overcoming Fear of Failure: Facing Fears and Moving Forward
Fear of Success: Overcoming Fear of Change
Coping Strategies
Toffler's Stability Zones: Finding Peace Amid Chaos
Coping With Change: Managing Your Emotions and Expectations
Dealing With Anxiety: Coping With Stress and Worry

78. Meditation for Stress Management: Simple Meditation Techniques
Surviving Long Work Hours: Thriving With a Demanding Schedule
Surviving a Stressful Job: Thriving in a High-Pressure Environment
How to be Patient: Learning to Stay Calm
Ready for a Real Vacation?: Preparing to Make the Most of Your Precious Time
Minimizing Work Space Stress: Creating a Comfortable Work Environment
Surviving Business Travel: Minimizing Stress During Business Trips
Managing Performance Stress

79. Performance Planning: Planning Ahead to Reduce Performance Stress
Centering: Gaining Control at the Start of a Performance
The Inverted-U Model: Balancing Pressure and Performance
Happiness and Well-Being
The Wheel of Life®: Finding Balance In Your Life
The Life Career Rainbow: Finding a Work/Life Balance That Suits You
Subjective Well-Being: Living Your Own Good Life

80. Ben-Shahar's Happiness Model: Finding the Right Path to Happiness
The PERMA Model: Bringing Well-Being and Happiness to Your Life
Getting More Exercise: Fitting Exercise Into a Busy Schedule
Relaxation and Sleep
Physical Relaxation Techniques: Deep Breathing, PMR, and Centering
How to Relax After a Hard Day: Leaving Work at Work
Rest, Relaxation and Sleep
Getting a Good Night's Sleep: Starting Each Day Fresh, and Full of Energy

81. Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem
How Self-Confident Are You?
Building Self-Confidence: Prepare Yourself for Success
Boosting Your Self-Esteem: Improving the Way You Feel About Yourself
Beating Self-Sabotage: Recognizing and Overcoming It
Anger Management
How Good is Your Anger Management?

82. Anger Management: Learning to Control Aggression
Burnout
Burnout Self-Test
Avoiding Burnout: Maintaining a Healthy, Successful Career
Recovering From Burnout: Finding Passion for Your Role Again
Communication Skills
Communication Skills – Start Here!

83. How Good Are Your Communication Skills?
Planning and Structuring
Communications Planning: Getting the Right Message Over, in the Right Way
Monroe's Motivated Sequence: Perfecting the Call to Act
The Rhetorical Triangle: Making Your Writing Credible, Appealing and Logical
The 7 Cs of Communication: A Checklist for Clear Communication
The Communication Cycle: Six Steps to Better Communication
Jargon Busting: Communicating Without Creating Barriers

84. Creating a Value Proposition: Communicating Benefits Simply and Clearly
Business Story-Telling: Using Stories to Inspire
Chunking: Grouping Information So It's More Easily Understood
Questioning Techniques: Asking Questions Effectively
Developing Surveys: Asking the Right Questions the Right Way
Keep It Simple: Avoiding Confusion and Complexity
Communicating in Person

85. Making a Great First Impression
Body Language: Understanding Non-Verbal Communication
Mehrabian's Communication Model: Learning to Communicate Clearly
Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Achieving Excellence in Communication
Assertiveness: Getting What You Want by Working WITH People
Developing "Character": Learning How to Stand Your Ground
Active Listening: Hear What People Are Really Saying
Empathic Listening: Going Beyond Active Listening
Thinking On Your Feet: Staying Cool and Confident Under Pressure

86. Using the Phone Effectively
Working with the Media: How to Make a Good Impression
Sales Skills for Non-Salespeople: Using "Consultative Selling"
Consultative Selling: Meeting the Needs of Your Potential Client
Feedback
Giving Feedback: Keeping Performance High, and Well-Integrated
Getting Feedback: Taking Responsibility for Your Performance

87. Giving Praise: Recognizing Good Work
360-Degree Feedback: Encouraging Teamwork and Improving Performance
Feedback Matrix: Using Feedback Constructively
The Losada Ratio: Balancing Positive and Negative Interactions
Managing Complaints and Feedback: Improving the Way That You Do Things
Stop - Keep Doing - Start: Simple Questions for Improving Performance
Meetings
Running Effective Meetings: Establishing an Objective and Sticking to It

88. Writing Meeting Notes: Creating Effective, Actionable Records
Running Teleconferences: Chairing Effective Phone Meetings
Planning a Workshop: Organizing and Running a Successful Event
Planning an "Away Day": Getting the Most From Your Off-Site Meeting
Ice Breakers: Easing Group Contribution
The Role of a Facilitator: Guiding an Event Through to a Successful Conclusion
Dialogue Mapping: Bringing Order to Chaotic Meetings
Managing Conflict in Meetings: Handling Disagreements on the Spot

89. Company Town Hall Meetings: Communicating to a Large Audience
Presentations
How Good Are Your Presentation Skills?
The Presentation Planning Checklist
Better Public Speaking: Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker
Delivering Great Presentations: Ensuring the Right Delivery, Content and Slides
Creating Effective Presentation Visuals: Connecting People With Your Message
Speaking to an Audience: Communicate Complex Ideas Successfully

90. Managing Presentation Nerves: Coping with the Fear Within
Crafting an Elevator Pitch: Introducing Your Company Quickly and Compellingly
Communicating in Writing
Writing Skills: Getting Your Written Message Across Clearly
Writing Effective Emails: Making Sure Your Messages Get Read and Acted Upon
Writing Reports: Using the Business Report Format
Charts and Graphs: Choosing the Right Format
AIDA: Attention-Interest-Desire-Action: Inspiring Action With Your Writing

91. Using Twitter for Work: Using Social Media Effectively
Using LinkedIn Effectively: Growing Your Professional Network
Using Instant Messaging Effectively: Dos and Don'ts for Quick Communication
Negotiation, Persuasion and Influence
Win-Win Negotiation: Finding a Fair Compromise
Integrative Negotiation: Negotiating a "Win-Win" Solution
Lewicki and Hiam's Negotiation Matrix: Choosing the Best Bargaining Strategy

92. Distributive Bargaining: Negotiating When You Can't Both Win
"Yes" to the Person, "No" to the Task: Saying "No" But Maintaining Relationships
Powers of Persuasion: Understanding the Dos and Don'ts of Persuading
The Persuasion Tools Model: Finding the Right Negotiation Style
The Influence Model: Using Reciprocity to Gain Influence
Cialdini's Six Principles of Influence: Convincing Others to Say "Yes"
Minority Influence Strategy: Changing People's Minds... Despite the Odds
Difficult Communication Situations

93. Transactional Analysis: Learning the Secret Games People Play
Role Playing: Preparing for Difficult Conversations and Situations
Delivering Bad News: Communicating Well Under Pressure
Opening Closed Minds: Getting Past an Initial "No"
How to Handle Criticism: Accepting Feedback With Good Grace
Dealing with Unfair Criticism: Responding Calmly to Unwarranted Criticism
Conflict Resolution: Resolving Conflict Rationally and Effectively
Communicating in a Crisis: Don't Shut Down Communication

94. Letting People Go: Terminating Employment Honestly and Respectfully
Dealing with Unhappy Customers: Turning a Challenge Into an Opportunity
Bell and Hart's Eight Causes of Conflict
Dealing with Unreasonable Requests: Asserting Yourself Effectively
Confidentiality in the Workplace: Understanding Your Obligations
Working With People You Don't Like: Improving Bad Working Relationships
Understanding Others Better
The Johari Window: Using Self-Discovery and Communication to Build Trust

95. Perceptual Positions: Seeing Other Points of View
Concept Attainment: Reaching a Shared Understanding of Important Ideas
The Betari Box: Linking Attitude and Behavior
Empathy at Work: Developing Skills to Understand Other People
Creativity Techniques
Creativity Skills – Start Here!
How Creative Are You?

96. Brainstorming
Brainstorming: Generating Many Radical, Creative Ideas
Brainwriting: Getting More From Your Idea Session
Reverse Brainstorming: A Different Approach to Brainstorming
Starbursting: Understanding New Ideas by Brainstorming Questions
The Charette Procedure: Brainstorming Multiple Ideas with Multiple Stakeholders
Crawford's Slip Writing Method: Gathering Ideas from Many Contributors
Round Robin Brainstorming: Allowing Everyone to Contribute

97. Rolestorming: Improving Group Brainstorming
Other Idea-Generation Tools
Random Input: Making Creative Leaps
Metaphorical Thinking: Using Comparisons to Solve Problems
Provocation: Carrying Out Thought Experiments
Reversal: Improving Products and Services
SCAMPER: Generating New Products and Services
Attribute Listing: Creating New Products and Services

98. The Reframing Matrix: Generating Different Perspectives
Creativity Processes
DO IT: A Simple Process for Creativity
TRIZ: A Powerful Methodology for Creative Problem-Solving
Practical Innovation: Managing Ideas Effectively
Kano Model Analysis: Developing Products That Delight
Generating New Ideas: Think Differently and Spark Creativity
Turn Your Idea into Reality: Getting Good Ideas Off the Drawing Board

99. The Disney Creative Strategy: Fusing Imagination and Planning
Synectics: A Backstop Creativity Process
Encouraging Team Creativity: Helping Your People Think Creatively
Doblin's 10 Types of Innovation®: Expanding Organizational Innovation
Learning Skills
Learning Skills – Start Here!
Personal Learning Skills

100. Mind Maps®: A Powerful Approach to Note-Taking
Cornell Note Taking: Another Good Note-Taking Approach
Getting the Most from Training Programs: Managing Your Learning
Online Training: Pros and Cons of Virtual Learning
Finding Time for Professional Development
Understanding How People Learn
Learning Styles: Learn in the Way That Suits You

101. Herrmann's Whole Brain® Model: Maximizing Your Thinking Power
Gardner's Multiple Intelligences: Distinguishing Individual Profiles
The Conscious Competence Ladder: Making Learning a More Satisfying Process
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Learning at the Right Level
The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition
ABCD Learning Objectives Model: Outlining Learning Essentials
The ADDIE Model: Developing Learning Sessions From the Ground Up
Gagne's Nine Levels of Learning: Training Your Team Effectively
Learning Curves: Learning Faster to Improve Efficiency

102. Case Study-Based Learning: Enhancing Learning Through Application
4MAT: Delivering Instruction Everyone Understands
The 5 E Learning Cycle: Guiding Active, Effective Learning
Developing a Learning Environment
Encouraging Learning in the Workplace: Helping Others Learn
Training the Trainer: Developing In-House Instructors
Engaging People in Learning: Creating Enthusiasm for Team Development

103. Knowledge Management: Making the Most of Intellectual Assets
Competency Frameworks: Company Objectives and Personal Performance
Reading More Effectively
Speed Reading: Learning to Read More Efficiently
Reading Strategies: Reading Quickly by Reading Intelligently
Overcoming Information Overload: Strategies for Managing Information
SQ3R: Fully Absorbing Written Information
Review Strategies: Committing Learning to Long-Term Memory
Information Gathering: Information is Inspiration

104. Keeping Up-to-Date on Your Industry: Staying Informed
Memory Techniques
Memory Improvement Techniques – Start Here!
Improve Your Memory: Developing Your Ability to Remember
The Link and Story Methods: Remembering a Simple List
The Number/Rhyme Mnemonic: Remembering Ordered Lists
The Number/Shape Mnemonic: Remembering Ordered Lists

105. The Alphabet Technique: Remembering Middle Length Lists
The Journey System: Remembering Long Lists
The Roman Room System: Remembering Grouped Information
The Major System: Remembering Very Long Numbers
Memory Games: Have Fun While You Improve Your Memory
How to... Remember People's Names
Career Skills
Career Skills – Start Here!

106. Thinking About Career Direction
Finding Career Direction: Discover Yourself and Your Purpose
Developing a Career Strategy: Creating Your Ideal Career
Identifying Career Opportunities: Setting Yourself Up For Success
Schein's Career Anchors: Understanding What Inspires You In Your Career
How Do You "Add Value"?: Understanding How You Contribute to the Bottom Line
Possibilities: Unlocking Your Own Potential
Holland's Codes: Shaping Your Career to Suit Your Work Personality

107. Locus of Control: Are You in Charge of Your Destiny?
Understanding Your Strengths
Test Your Skills: Find the Resources That Will Help You Most
Personal SWOT Analysis: Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities
StrengthsFinder: Discovering Your True Potential
Benziger's Personality Types: Using Your Natural Talents
Your Reflected Best Self™: Getting a Deeper Understanding of Your Strengths

108. Career Tests
Psychometric Testing: Measuring "Hidden" Traits
Myers-Briggs Personality Testing: Understanding How We Relate to the World
The DiSC Model: Understanding People's Personal Styles
FIRO-B: Understanding Your Interpersonal Needs
The California Psychological Inventory (CPI): Identifying Leadership Traits
The Hogan Development Survey: Identifying Career Derailing Behaviors
Behavioral Assessments: How Personality Affects the Way People Do Their Jobs

109. The Big Five Personality Traits Model: Comparing Personalities With Roles
Enhancing Your Job
Creating Job Satisfaction: Getting the Most From Your Job
Working with Purpose: Bringing More Meaning to Your Career
Job Crafting: Shaping Your Job to Fit You Better
The MPS Process: Discovering Work That You Love
Effective Working Relationships

110. Emotional Intelligence: Developing Strong "People Skills"
Why Soft Skills Matter: Making Sure Your Hard Skills Shine
Working with Powerful People: Managing Relationships for Career Ssuccess
Managing Your Boss: Developing an Effective Working Relationship
Motivating Managers: Improving Morale and Engagement
Getting a New Boss: Starting an Important New Relationship in a Positive Way
Finding Your Allies: Building Strong and Supportive Relationships at Work
Professional Networking: Building Relationships for Mutual Benefit

111. Eldred's Power Strategies: Avoiding "Tall Poppy Syndrome"
Gifts in the Workplace: Showing Your Appreciation Appropriately
Building Trust: Creating Open, Honest Relationships
Tolerance in the Workplace: Respecting Others' Differences
Winning by Giving: Succeeding Through Kindness
Building Rapport: Establishing Bonds
General Career Skills
Managing Your Emotions at Work: Controlling Feelings Before They Control You

112. Professionalism: Developing This Vital Characteristic
Customer Service Mindset: Getting Passionate About Satisfying Others
Representing Your Organization at a Conference
Working Abroad: Making the Most of an Overseas Placement
When Work Involves Socializing: Knowing What's Appropriate and What's Not
How to be a Good Role Model: Setting a Good Example at Work
How to Be a Good Team Player: Maximizing Your Contribution
Preserving Integrity: Consistently Making the Right Choices

113. Being Effective at Work: Essential Traits and Skills
Authenticity: How to Be True to Yourself
Developing Charisma: Increasing Your Influence in the Workplace
Building Your Reputation as an Expert: Making the Most of Your Knowledge
Getting Ahead
Making the Right Career Move: Choosing the Role That's Best for You
Getting Noticed: Staying "Visible" at Work
Get the Recognition You Deserve: Learning How to Get Praise

114. Future Proof Your Career: Developing Skills For Your Future As Well As For Today
How to Ask for a Pay Raise: Objectively Evaluating Your Value to Your Organization
Success Programming: Affirming Your Successful Future
What's Your Reputation?: Building a Reputation Consistent With Career Goals
Self-Mastery: Learning Personal Leadership
Building Expertise: Developing In-Depth Knowledge
Taking Initiative: Making Things Happen in the Workplace
The PVI Model: Standing Out from the Crowd

115. Intentional Change Theory: Achieving Manageable, Meaningful Change
Getting a New Role
Writing Your Résumé (CV): Highlighting Your Skills and Experience
Interview Skills: Preparing for Your Ideal Role
Get Ready for Promotion: Showing What You Can Do
Promotion Selection Panels: Creating a Great Impression for Everyone
Succeeding in Test and Assessment Centers: Highlighting Your Skills
Changing Career Within Your Organization: Staying Challenged with a New Role

116. "Re-interview" for Your Own Job: Getting Rehired After a Company Restructure
Key Career Points
Starting a New Job: Getting Used to Your New Role
From Technical Expert to Manager: Learning Management Skills
Surviving a Merger: Taking Control and Proving Your Value
Life after Job Loss: Coping with the Emotional Turmoil
I'm Back!: Returning to Work After an Extended Absence
A Happy Ending: Wrapping Up Your Current Role Before Moving On

117. Returning from Vacation: Handling Work After a Break
Planning a Later-Life Career Change: How to Start a New Career in your 40s, 50s, or 60s
Achieving Quick Wins: Building Confidence with Quick Results
Mentoring and Coaching
Mentoring: A Mutually Beneficial Partnership
Mentoring Skills: Using Your Knowledge and Experience to Help Others
Finding a Mentor: Getting Support from Someone Who's Been There Before

118. Mentoring: An Essential Leadership Skill
Coach Yourself to Success: Learning to Help Yourself
Finance for Non-Specialists
Understanding Accounts: Basic Finance for Non-Financial Managers
Managing a Budget: Setting and Sticking to Financial Targets
The Thrifty Manager: Cutting Costs the Smart Way
Supply and Demand Curves: Balancing Price and Quantity
Activity-Based Costing (ABC): Understanding What Really Drives Costs

119. Words Used in Financial Accounting: A Glossary of Terms
Words Used in Corporate Finance: A Glossary of Terms
Understanding Different Sectors
Managing in Nonprofit Organizations: Understanding the Not-for-Profit
Professional Services Organizations: Understanding How They Work
Managing in Public Sector Organizations: Exploring the Challenges
Working for a Small Business: Understanding the Pros and Cons
Working in a Family Business: Understanding the Pros and Cons

120. Entrepreneurial Skills: The Skills You Need to Build a Great Business
Working for Yourself: Surviving and Thriving in Self-Employment
Understanding Culture
Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions: Workplace Values Around the World
The 7 Dimensions of Culture: Understanding and Managing Cultural Differences
Cross-Cultural Leadership
Wibbeke's Geoleadership Model®: Effective Cross-Cultural Leadership

121. The Cultural Web: Aligning Your Organization's Culture With Strategy
Deal and Kennedy's Cultural Model: Understanding Corporate Rites and Rituals
The Congruence Model: Analyzing the Elements That Define Organization Culture
The Competing Values Framework: Analyzing Corporate Culture
Cross-Culture Communication: Collaborative Efforts a Must!
Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette: The Ins and Outs of Global Business
Avoiding Cross-Cultural Faux Pas: Understanding Impact of Cultural Differences
Cultural Intelligence: Working Successfully With Diverse Groups

122. Dealing With Challenges
Asking for Help: Getting Help Without Looking Weak
Living with a Lack of Job Security: Coping With Uncertainty
Surviving a Downturn: Managing Your Career in an Unstable Economy
Generation Y's First Recession: Standing Out While Blending In
Overcoming a Lack of Qualifications: Gaining the Skills You Need
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Reaching for the Top With Everyday Tools
Career Progression in a Flat Organization

123. Escaping Micromanagement: Becoming More Independent
Combining Parenthood and Work: Understanding and Managing the Challenges
Doing More than One Job: How to Juggle Multiple Roles at Work
Back On Track: Overcoming a Major Setback in Your Career
Developing Resilience: Overcoming and Growing From Setbacks
Whistleblowing: Understanding the Issues and Risks
Dealing With Discrimination: Addressing Unfair Treatment
Making Amends: Moving On After a Mistake

124. Dealing With Difficult People
Good Manners in the Office: Realizing There's No Excuse for Discourtesy
Egos at Work: Managing a Co-Worker's Superiority Complex
Dealing with Difficult People: Learning to Fight Back... On Your Terms
Dealing with Office Politics: Navigating the Minefield
Stop Playing "The Blame Game": Finding Solutions Rather Than Finding Fault
Bullying in the Workplace: What Is It and What Can You Do?
Working with Lazy People: Motivating Idle Colleagues

125. Dealing with Bossy Co-Workers: Managing Controlling People in the Workplace
Training and Development Managers!
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Tolerance in the Workplace
Respecting Others' Differences
Tolerance of difference is essential in 21st-century workplaces.
© iStockphoto/kozsiv
"What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us
pardon reciprocally each other's folly – that is the first law of nature."
– Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet), French Writer.
Bob has worked for his organization for many years. He has lots of hard-won, practical experience, and
he has a specific, preferred way of doing his job. His new manager, Janisha, is straight out of business
school. She has an advanced degree and a fast-paced style, and is keen to improve the way that things
are done.
Although Bob and Janisha try to get along, they're becoming increasingly intolerant of one another. Bob
resents Janisha's desire to change the way he works. It frustrates Janisha that Bob won't adopt certain

127. new technologies, such as the organization's instant messaging program, to speed up his work. Because
of this, they avoid each other as much as possible.
If Bob and Janisha tried to find common ground, instead of being intolerant of one another's working
styles, they could build a relationship of trust and mutual respect, instead of their current, strained one.
21st-century workplaces are often filled with people from different backgrounds, ages, races, sexual
orientation, viewpoints, and religions. To work well together, it's essential that team members embrace
these differences with respect and compassion. However, you also need to know where to draw the line
with some behaviors.
In this article, we'll look at tolerance in the workplace: what it means, how to handle intolerance, and
how to tell what shouldn't be tolerated.
What is Tolerance?
Robert Green Ingersoll, a 19th-century American politician, once said, "Tolerance is giving to every other
human being every right that you claim for yourself." The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines
tolerance as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race,
religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry."
Put simply, tolerance means keeping an open mind when interacting with others who are different from
you, and treating everyone with respect and compassion, even when you don't share their opinions or
values. It means embracing differences and recognizing that these differences help to make our world
such a rich, diverse, and exciting place.
These differences can include race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, philosophy, values,
physical abilities, and age. There might also be differences in viewpoints, family obligations, background,
dress, work practices, political beliefs, attitude, education, and class.
Why Tolerance is Important
Human beings aren't born intolerant. If you watch young children playing in a schoolyard, they care
nothing for the color of someone's skin, their gender, or the way that they're dressed. They see nothing
other than a playmate.
Often, as we get older, we're taught to embrace the differences around us. For some, however, these
differences may begin to challenge a sense of "safety." People often relate easily to those who are
similar to themselves, but they may struggle with those who are different.
No matter how different someone else may seem, the reality is that we all share the common bond of
humanity. Our emotions and life experiences bind us together, and we often have far more in common
with one another than we might think.
This is why tolerance is so important. When we have an attitude of inclusion, a world of possibilities can
open up.

128. Tolerance encourages open and honest communication, promotes creativity and innovation, fosters
respect and trust, improves team work and cooperation, and encourages good work relationships. It
also enhances cooperation, loyalty, and productivity – all of which are highly important in the
workplace!
What Tolerance Looks Like
Tolerance in the workplace can exist in many different ways, both large and small.
Janet is a Christian. She respects the right and obligation that her direct report, Aamir, has to pray five
times daily in accordance with his Muslim faith. She avoids scheduling meetings during these times, and
makes sure that everyone on the team understands that when he closes his door, Aamir shouldn't be
disturbed.
Sam is from a small town in the southern United States, a region known for its slow, unhurried business
style. His new boss, Mark, is from New York City, which is known for doing business at the speed of light.
Although the two have dramatically different working styles and expectations, they try hard to
accommodate one another. Mark accepts that while Sam will always meet his deadlines, he won't
answer email at night, during lunch, or on weekends. Sam understands that Mark likes things done as
quickly as possible, so he does his best to get his work done before it's due.
Put simply, whenever you demonstrate understanding, empathy, and respect to someone different from
you, you're practicing tolerance.
How to Encourage Tolerance in Your Team
You can do many things to encourage tolerance in your workplace.
Seek to Understand
Your team members may not believe in the same things or act in the same way as one another, and this
may be causing friction. So, what can you do to improve relationships?
Start by encouraging your people to take a courteous interest in one another's beliefs and behaviors,
and coach them in active listening skills, so that they can best hear what others are saying.
You can then coach them to appreciate the business importance of tolerance, and practice using the
Perceptual Positions technique during these sessions to explore different points of view. Your goal is to
help your people be more empathic. As such, they need to be able to put themselves in other people's
shoes and see things from their perspective.
Watch What You Say
Ralph Ellison once said, "If the word has the potency to revive and make us free, it has also the power to
bind, imprison, and destroy."

129. Being tolerant of others also extends to what you say: words have consequences, both good and bad.
This is why it's important that people think carefully before they speak about sensitive things. Coach
your team members to think about the people around them, and the people who will read what they
write. Are they saying, or implying, anything that might hurt someone else? Is their message one of
tolerance, respect, and compassion? If not, then it might be best for them stay quiet, or to revise their
messages.
Set an Example
Sometimes, it's easier to teach tolerance than to practice it. So, lead by example. Don't forget that your
words and actions can influence others, so set a good example by demonstrating kindness, compassion,
and tolerance with others.
As Mahatma Gandhi once said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
If your people are struggling with tolerance, it's important that you let them know that intolerance, or
discrimination, is not acceptable. You need to address bad behavior at work quickly.
Understand Cultural Differences
Chances are, your team members work with people from different cultures. Every culture has different
values and worldviews, which can make it challenging at times to find common ground and work
together.
There are several techniques that can help people overcome these cultural barriers.
Encourage your people to use Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner's Seven Dimensions of Culture to
understand the preferences and values of different people's cultures. Also, knowing about Hofstede's
Cultural Dimensions will give them an insight into the positions and views of people from other
countries. You can also teach Cross-Cultural Communication to help them communicate and collaborate
more effectively.
Understand Different Working Styles
Tolerance also extends to people's attitudes and ways of working. Others may not do things in the same
way, but this doesn't necessarily mean that they're in the wrong!
It's easy for people to become frustrated when others have different working styles. Use psychometric
tests like Myers-Briggs® Personality Testing, the DiSC® Model, and the Big Five Personality Traits Model
to help team members appreciate others' characteristics and working styles. This will help them get
along better with people who work differently.
Models like the Margerison-McCann Team Management Profile and Belbin's Team Roles are useful for
helping your people understand one another's different natural team roles.
When to Draw the Line

130. Although being tolerant means accepting others' behavior or viewpoints, it's not the same as
indifference, indulgence, apathy, or condescension. It doesn't mean accepting or justifying behavior that
is morally or ethically wrong, or that is harmful to someone else.
When practicing tolerance, you have to know where to draw the line with some behaviors. However, it
can be challenging to know where to draw the line between "acceptable" and "unacceptable."
To determine whether a behavior is acceptable or not, ask your people to think about whether it's doing
any of the following:
Harming someone else unnecessarily.
Damaging your team's mission, or damaging the organization.
Undermining the cohesion of the team.
Breaking any organizational rules or being dishonest.
Negatively affecting the person's work or relationships.
If they feel that the other person is behaving badly, or is doing something ethically or morally wrong,
then they should know that it's OK to challenge the behavior.
For example, imagine that you work in an open plan office. Your colleague, Lee, sits near several new
team members. These new people are loud, often talking to each other about topics unrelated to work,
and their language and stories make him extremely uncomfortable. Lee likes to work quietly, and has
trouble concentrating when these people are talking.
In this case, it's fine for him to ask them to quieten down, because their behavior is making it difficult for
him to work. And it's right that you support him when he does speak up.
How people should speak up in these situations is a highly personal decision, so encourage them to use
their best judgment. Instinctively, most of us know the difference between right and wrong, so people
shouldn't discount what they're feeling.
Encourage your team members to ask themselves, "Will I regret not speaking up later on?" Often,
people avoid speaking up against intolerance because they feel that they don't have the right, or they
think that they're stepping on the other person's freedom of speech. However, with later reflection,
they regret not taking a stand.
If people are unsure about what to do, let them know that they can approach you with their concerns,
especially if the person in question is a team member. Ask them to let you know specifically what
happened, and to communicate their concerns.
If they decide to speak up immediately, make sure that they know to keep their emotions under control.
Anger or frustration will only make other people defensive: they probably won't listen, and they
certainly won't reconsider their actions with an open mind. Emotion will only entrench poor behaviors.

131. Instead, they should be firm and assertive. Encourage them to quietly point out the problem and gently
explain why it is an issue. They should resist the urge to reprimand or embarrass their colleague; this
breeds resentment and will likely eliminate the chance for long-term change.
Key Points
Tolerance is defined as "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions,
practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry."
To encourage tolerance at work, people should first seek to understand others, be aware of what they
say, set an example, and make an effort to understand cultural differences.
It's important to learn where to draw the line with tolerance. If someone is being hurt, or a person's
words or actions are harming your mission, your team members or your organization, your people
should know that it's OK to step in.
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138. Appreciation: Extracting maximum information from facts
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141. Conflict Resolution: Resolving conflict rationally and effectively
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