cover image Working PeopleSmart: 6 Strategies for Success

Working PeopleSmart: 6 Strategies for Success

Melvin L. Silberman, Freda Hansburg. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, $18.95 (208pp) ISBN 978-1-57675-208-1

The co-authors of PeopleSmart share tips and strategies for interacting with, relating to and understanding the behaviors of other people in the workplace in order to bring ""out the best in others on the job."" Focusing on six specific strategies-""be curious rather than furious""; ""include the listener rather than talk at him or her""; ""speak up (with tact) rather than suffer in silence""; ""invite others to be your mirror rather than your blind spot""; ""be open to resistance rather than fight it""; and ""think we, not me""-the chapters explain how to apply their principles in a variety of workplace situations. While the repeated mantras tend toward cliche and certain aspects of the writing (such as references to workplace personality types like ""Harvey Hierarchy"" and ""Carol Complainer"") are hokey, the underlying advice is sound and worth taking to heart, even as a simple reminder of how to treat others graciously.