PeopleSmart News Issue 1

IN THE NEWS-

• WORKING PEOPLESMART CAN SAVE YOUR COMPANY TIME AND MONEY
• CALENDAR
• THINGS TO LOOK FOR

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WORKING PEOPLESMART CAN SAVE YOUR COMPANY TIME AND MONEY

A recent survey found that of the top ten management skills needed for organizational success “interpersonal skills” ranked number one. Another survey found that 33% of companies polled cited a positive work environment at the top of the list of considerations for keeping employees satisfied, surpassing compensation and praise.

PeopleSmart helps companies develop and retain their workforce by training employees at all levels of the organization to sharpen their interpersonal intelligence.

In a rapidly changing environment, key employees must have the flexibility to successfully manage the demands of internal and external customers. By learning to apply the eight PeopleSmart skills,you willincrease your awareness of your own and other people's interpersonal skills.

Organizations benefit when employees work together more effectively. Creating a positive work environment and retaining key employees does not happen by chance. It takes a PeopleSmart organization to recognize this and to take action.

PeopleSmart seminars are presented as a series of modules that can be customized to fit your organizational needs.

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This is what people are saying about PeopleSmart:

Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - As e-commerce commodotizes the world. PeopleSmart is the preeminent intelligence...Theoretically sound. Well researched. Very reader-friendly.

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DEALING WITH CONFLICT

Each month, PS News brings you advice on one of the eight essential people smart skills. This month we will examine different approaches to dealing with conflict.

As long as there are differences among people, there will be conflicts and competing interests. And who can say that this is bad? Out of our conflicts have come our most enduring institutions, governments, and religions. Nations have all been forged out of the struggle to express our needs, resolve our disputes, and accept our differences. Like sun and rain or day and night, conflict is part of the rhythm of life. Our challenge is to master it and grow through it.

Fortunately, most of us do handle conflict without resorting to violence. Let's consider a fairly typical case example.

In his work at an engineering firm, Jim is generally deferential, especially to his superiors, who perceive his as loyal and cooperative. He accepts last-minute projects, sometimes venting his irritation with a sarcastic remark. In fact, on the job, sarcasm is Jim's weapon of choice when he's dissatisfied. He has a rapier wit, which others find amusing, but also disconcerting. Colleagues aren't always quite sure when Jim is seriously displeased.

Last week, Jim had a rare burst of explicit anger at work when he learned that a female subordinate he himself had trained received the promotion he'd been hoping for. Steaming, Jim dashed off an e-mail message to his boss that just dripped with venom. He even included a crack about how his boss had obviously been “swayed by the curves” of the woman who got the promotion. Now his boss has asked him to come to his office to discuss the situation, and Jim feels like a nervous wreck.

Do you see any of yourself in Jim? Or are you more people smart about conflict, like Stu:

People usually know where they stand with Stu, a middle manager in a large communications company. He's direct with others, and likes them to treat him the same way. He tries to deal with issues promptly, rather than push them under the rug. Stu is observant with others and tends to pick up the signals when they're upset or annoyed. When he engages someone in discussing a conflict, he makes it a point to be calm and direct, even if he needs to talk himself down before he goes to confront the person.

Stu has a knack for setting the stage for dealing with conflict by inviting people to find solutions. He'll say s omething like “let's sit down and see if we can figure out how to improve communication between our departments,” even if his first impulse was to say: “what is it with your people, anyway?” Before he goes to the negotiating table, Stu prepares himself by thinking through his own wants and needs and doing some detective work, whenever possible, to know where the other guy is coming from. Experience has taught him not to try to win the battle at the expense of the war, so he tries to show respect for the other party. He's skillful at brainstorming possible solutions to conflicts that will allow everyone to walk away with something they want, even though this isn't always easy.

Rather than shy away from conflict, people smart individuals use these key behaviors to constructively navigate their differences with others: Creating a climate of mutual interest:

1. People who handle conflicts well know how to surface disagreements without being disagreeable. They take a positive approach and elicit cooperation from others.

2. Putting the real issues on the table: good negotiators focus on the important needs and concerns, instead of bogging down or getting sidetracked.

3. Negotiating win/win solutions: people who are successful at negotiating resolutions to conflicts are creative and persistent about finding ways for all parties to meet at least some of their needs. They know how to handle setbacks and deal with “curve balls” in the negotiating process.

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UPCOMING APPEARANCES

February 6, 2001, 9:00 am to 4:45 pm:

“Working PeopleSmart”: A full day workshop for the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of American Society of Training & Development (ASTD).
Korman Suites Hotel, 2001 Hamilton St. Philadelphia, PA.
Topics to be covered in this workshop:

- Are You Working PeopleSmart?
- Understanding People
- Exchanging Feedback
- Influencing Others
- Being a Team Player

For reservations, please contact ASTD at 610-342-1895. You may also register online at www.astdphl.org.

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February 16, 2001, 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm:

“Training Tips for Developing a PeopleSmart Organization”:
The Northern New Jersey Chapter of American Society of Training & Development.
Savannah's Restaurant, 1640 Broad Street,
Bloomfield, New Jersey.
To register for this event, please contact Sabine Schubert at 973-728-7810 or sschubert@io111.com.

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March 6, 2001, 2:00 pm:
“Developing a PeopleSmart Workforce”:
Training 2001 Conference, Georgia World Congress Center,
Atlanta, GA.
To register for this event, go to www.trainingconference.com.

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June 4, 2001, 2:30 pm:
“Developing a PeopleSmart Workforce”:
American Society of Training & Development International Conference,
Orlando, Florida.
To register for this event, go to www.astd.org.

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THINGS TO LOOK FOR:

Would you like to be a contributing editor to PS News? If so, please submit an article of no more than 200 words on ways you have applied the people smart skills in your organization. Your article could appear in our 101 Ways to be PeopleSmart section of PS News.
Have a people smart question you would like to have answered? “Ask Dr. Freda” will be a monthly feature appearing in PS News. Dr. Freda Hansburg noted psychologist and facilitator, and Vice-President of Active Training will be addressing your questions on how you can be more people smart in any situation.