Workplace Relationships

ASTD 2008 Copyright

Uncovering the unconnected employee
T+D, v62 n5 p60-66 (2008 May)
Networking has many connotations, but the emphasis in this article is the link between employee engagement and networking. A large percentage of Americans describe themselves as shy (50 percent of Gen Ys). Organizations want to increase networking but don't provide the tools or the training to close this gap. The article covers eight ways unconnected employees affect the success of their organizations and suggests ways to combat the ill affects on the corporate bottom line.

Playing the 'office politics' game
T+D, v62 n3 p76-79 (2008 Mar)
Development. New managers often face challenges from their staff. This article discusses how a new manager moved from one department to another is being sabotaged by a disgruntled internal candidate. Strategies to work-around awkward situations include identify the power holders, tailor your workstyle, be an expert, recognize others, use your influence wisely, and network, but don't align. A sidebar with a self-assessment on office politics is included.

Strategic woo
T+D, v62 n7 p76-78 (2008 Jul)
The savvy employee looking for acceptance of their creative ideas follow these steps--define your idea and identify the decision-maker, remove barriers to "yes,"make the pitch, and secure commitment.

Man versus machine
Learning Circuits, v9 n1 (2008 Jan)
This article reports on the status of leadership and management development via simulations, games, and other e-learning-type delivery methods. While progress is being made, this author asserts there are layers related to soft skill changes that are not present with technical skills—behavioral learning. Behavioral learning requires personal commitment to change or improve which can not be measured or determined by a game or simulation.  

Watch your language
T+D, v62 n8 p94-95 (2008 Aug)
Development. Research supports the importance of  body language,  tone of voice, and other non-verbal signals that affect your professional message. Here are some of the elements to pay attention to your smile, your handshake, eye contact, hand gestures, and posture. As the world shrinks, it is critical to know about world cultures, too.

Take emotion out of conflict resolution
T+D, v62 n4 p84-85 (2008 Apr)
Development. This article introduce a new model for conflict resolution E-R-I which stands for emotion, reason, and intuition. This approach helps those involved in conflict and decisionmaking to think through the process differently. The first step is to remove the negative emotions that prevent clear and open thinking, followed by reasoning techniques, and concluded by using one's intuition.

Teaching the intangibles
T+D, v61 n10 p23-25 (2007 Oct)
Fundamentals. The need to offer programs on interpersonal skills is high as is the interest in offering this content via online methods. The article outlines the advantages and the disadvantages of virtual soft skills training. The author asserts the key to any type of training is the quality of the design not just the delivery method.

The human element of successful training
T+D, v61 n6 p68-72 (2007 Jun)
This article emphasizes the importance of establishing and nurturing workplace relationships with co-workers, business partners, and customers. The authors contend that relationship-building is vital to company success yet very few organizations devote time to training employees in this skill.

Turn your blind spots into assets
T+D, v61 n7 p76-78 (2007 Jul)
Recognizing and doing something about personal blind spots can make a significant difference in career success. The article covers ways to identify and manage blind spots.

Being smart only takes you so far
T+D, v61 n1 p64-68 (2007 Jan)
Research indicates that IQ and training account for as little as 20 percent of the difference between star performers and ordinary employees. The remaining 80 percent is attributed to emotional intelligence. These statistics are doubly important for  managers and leaders who are called upon to serve as coaches.

Put emotional intelligence to work
ISBN:978-1-56286-482-8, 164p (2007)
Developing well-grounded work relationships benefits employees, organizations, and the world at large. This primer on developing emotional intelligence (EI) skills begins with background on emotional intelligence and its role in relation to self-confidence, self-esteem, and performance. It moves into a discussion of cognitive and behavioral strategies, defining and achieving goals,  social awareness, workplace issues, the influence of EI,and concludes with showing the reader how to create a personal actionable plan.

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