Gray Matters
The Workplace Survival Guide
Published on 9. October 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
360 pages
978-0-471-45508-0 (ISBN)
Description
An illustrated guide to surviving today's turbulent and challenging workplace from the authors of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Boss's Survival Guide
Forget the Australian Outback or the Amazon jungle-today's toughest survival challenge is the minefield we call work. It's impossible to "do more with less," especially with the looming threat of another reorganization, layoff, or other dramatic change. The good news is that you've got a new power tool for what ails you at work: Gray Matters. This inventive new book combines lively visuals, engaging characters, and impudent humor. But Gray Matters also offers hope and proven strategies to show you how to succeed at work today:
* how to sell successfully
* how to survive a layoff
* how to overcome the stress and pressure of today's frenetic workplace.
Think Dilbert with a solution. Your tour guides are the employees of GlobalGadget: Gray Blanderson, a frazzled employee seeking a promotion; Rick Newman, Gray's nemesis; S. P. Chang, a Gen-Xer and a wise soul; and Virginia Edgarly, Gray's boss who will do whatever is required to be the next CEO.
A follow-up to the bestseller, The Boss's Survival Guide, this new book is a must for all managers in this turbulent work environment. This funny guide will help managers navigate change, improve morale and develop business strategies.
WARNING: Gray Matters is addictive; get ready to laugh and learn.
Bob Rosner (Seattle, WA) writes the internationally syndicated column "Working Wounded," and is the coauthor, with Allan Halcrow, of the bestseller The Boss's Survival Guide and author of the book Working Wounded: Advice That Adds Insight to Injury.
Allan Halcrow (Irvine, CA) is an award-winning business editor and a partner in WorkPositive, a consulting firm that offers assessment, communications strategies, and training.
John Lavin (Seattle, WA) is an award-winning cartoonist and an artist with clients such as Starbucks, Barney's New York, and Nordstrom.
Reviews / Votes
"Don't let the illustrations fool you; GRAY MATTERS is serious about addressing the real challenges we all face at work today." (ABC.com) ".constructive [and its lessons].seem perfectly timed at a moment when the only business constant is constant change." (Fast Company, December 2003)More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 21.6 cm
Width: 18.3 cm
Thickness: 1.9 cm
Weight
562 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-471-45508-0 (9780471455080)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
BOB ROSNER is the coauthor, with Allan Halcrow, of the Wall Street Journal bestseller "The Boss's Survival Guide." He speaks humorously and memorably to groups around the world and writes the internationally syndicated column "Working Wounded: Advice that Adds Insight to Injury."
ALLAN HALCROW is an award-winning business editor, bestselling author and a partner in WorkPositive, a consulting firm that offers assessment, communications strategies, and training.
JOHN LAVIN is an award-winning cartoonist and an artist with such clients as Starbucks, Barneys New York, and Nordstrom.
Content
About the Authors.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
Setting the Scene.
Part One: HOW BUSINESS WORKS.
1. Change: How to thrive during uncertainty by driving change.
2. Walk Your Talk: How to earn respect by aligning what you say with what you do.
3. Dollars and Sense: How to use your company's financial data to set priorities.
4. Politics: How to maneuver through workplace dynamics--good and bad--to get things done.
5. Customers: How to identify what your customers really think.
6. Relationships: How to be a successful team player.
Part Two: SALES.
7. Sales Autopsy: How to make sense of losing a key customer.
8. Know Your Market: How to understand what the market wants so you can deliver.
9. Qualifying: How to identify your most likely buyers.
10. Walk in Their Shoes: How to understand the business challenges your customers face--and how you can help.
11. Objections: How to identify--and overcome--the primary reasons your customers say "no".
12. Secondary Objections: How to identify and overcome the unspoken--and often emotional--reasons customers say "no".
13. Building Relationships: How to listen, establish trust, and go the extra mile for your customers.
14. Closing the Sale: How to ask customers for their business.
Part Three: THE SEVEN DEADLY WORKPLACE SINS.
15. Exhaustion: How to set priorities, say "no," and ease your stress.
16. Anger: How to keep things in perspective and manage your emotions.
17. Surrender: How to leverage your influence and make a difference.
18. Obsolescence: How to hone your skills and stay on top of your field.
19. Incompetence: How to encourage--and use--feedback on your performance.
20. Withdrawal: How to stay focused on your mission and connected to others.
21. Dysfunction: How to stay grounded--and work with those who aren't.
Part Four: INNOVATION.
22. The Spirit of Innovation: How to implement new ideas and build for the future.
23. Obstacles to Innovation: How to overcome the roadblocks to success.