Working Relationships: The Simple Truth About Getting Along with Friends and Foes at Work

By Bob Wall

This work provides everyone from corporate executives to front-line workers with the basic tools to improve their relationships at work. The author reminds the reader that the simple truths to getting... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0891061339
• ISBN13: 9780891061335
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Davies-Black Publishing
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Practical advice on an issue that's always emotional

The simple truth is that being good at what you do simply isn't good enough if you can't work with people. Technical abilities may get you promoted into a management position, but it takes interpersonal skills to keep you there. Bob Wall explores first, what makes work relationships successful and what makes them fail. He then provides some common-sense steps you can take to improve work relationships that aren't working. The most effective way to improve work relationships, says the author, is to learn to distinguish between personal and professional relationships. A professional relationship exists solely for the purpose of getting work accomplished, while personal relationships can have many purposes. In personal relationships there is an assumption of equality, while professional relationships are often hierarchical. Conflict at work is often based on miscommunication. We are often blind to how our behavior affects others, while we are very critical of the faults of others. When there isn't adequate communication, we often stereotype others as "aggressive jerks" or "incompetent" without understanding the issues or perspective of the other. To confront conflict at work, you must first understand that most people honestly mean well, but often fail to understand how their behavior and attitudes affect others on the team. Unless someone tells them about it, how will they know they should change? This is true of your own behavior as well. You must be willing to listen to how others are affected by your behavior on the job. The easiest way to begin fixing problems at work is to agree on goals, roles and procedures. The most common source of problems in teamwork is ambiguity. The team should begin by asking themselves: · What goals are we going to accomplish? · What role is expected of every team member? · How will we coordinate our work with each other?

An important job and business practice guide.

This practical, important business books offers specific advice for users interested in business advice and enhancement. Bob Wall's Working Relationships presents facts on how to get along with friends and foes alike in a business setting. From building professional relationships and understanding different personality types and their motivations to handling complaints and requests, this provides an important job guide.

Working Relationships: The Simple Truth about Getting Along

This book is both practical and insightful. I could easily relate the situations described to my own. Mr. Wall provides down-to-earth and effective solutions to at-work problems that have the potential to ruin the day, the week - and sometimes the job! The principles can be applied to personal relationships as well.

great tool for anyone who works with people

I found this book to be an enjoyable read as well as a great resource for solving problems at work. It has some great excersizes to do and believe me they do work. This book is a must to own for anyone who needs help with a situation or problem at work .