Dealing With The Tough Stuff

A practical toolkit for handling workplace conflict and difficult conversations Dealing with the Tough Stuff is the business leader's critical guide to handling difficult conversations in the workplace. Based on the science of human behaviour — both verbal and nonverbal — this book is packed full of practical and pragmatic strategies for managing conflict situations. You'll learn a variety of diagnostics, models and processes that you can start using today, and you'll benefit from expert tips, tricks and tools for leading important conversations with empathy and assertiveness. This updated second edition includes new material on key conversations with distance workers, as well as within the context of a fast-growth company, and a broad selection of real-world case studies from a diverse array of workplaces. Backed by contemporary psychological theory and time-tested amongst thousands of leaders, these highly relevant suggestions give you the power to deal with the tough stuff effectively and compassionately. The human element plays a large part in the manager's role, yet many lack the training needed to deal with people effectively. This book helps you understand what makes people tick, and helps you develop the human skills you need to manage. Achieve clarity and directness in your communications Deal with anger, stubbornness and defensiveness Develop the skills to manage immediate crises Set priorities, and build a foundation of strong communication Avoiding the tough stuff can be extremely costly for managers, staff and the business as a whole. No one enjoys these conversations, but they are inevitable — and the right set of skills goes a long way toward making them run smoothly, with greater results out the other side. Dealing with the Tough Stuff is your indispensable primer on human behaviour, and effectively navigating tough conversations at work.

Your business plan is only going to get you so far. When you’re actually running a values-driven business problems come up that you never could have anticipated. And as a mission-driven organization you face issues your more conventional colleagues never have to grapple with. The whole experience can be incredibly isolating and draining. Margot Fraser and Lisa Lorimer have been there, and they’re here to help. Together with five of their colleagues—including Stonyfield Yogurt founder Gary Hirshberg and former Ms. Foundation president Marie C. Wilson—they offer the kinds of personal insights and seasoned advice you just can’t get in business school. It’s like having a coaching session with some of the nation’s top socially conscious entrepreneurs. Each chapter of Dealing with the Tough Stuff tackles a particular challenge. How open and honest can you really be with your employees and still run an efficient business? At what point do you seek outside expertise? What do you do when things go terribly wrong? When is it time to leave? The authors and the members of their “advisory board” share their experiences—not just what worked, but sometimes what spectacularly didn’t. Some of these stories are harrowing: a worker getting killed by factory equipment, a supplier embezzling funds, a false accusation of intellectual property theft. Others are simply day-to-day conundrums: meeting payroll when you’re always in debt, deciding when and how to expand in a responsible way, balancing business needs with your commitment to the triple bottom line. At the end of each chapter, Lorimer and Frasier draw on the stories to offer practical "survival suggestions" that can guide readers through similar situations. This is a book that readers can look to for affirmation, hope and tools. Others have been through what you’re going through, if not worse. They made it and so can you—because they’re going to show you how they did it. No book can cover every challenge that might arise, but if you learn from the attitudes, techniques and coping mechanisms these seasoned leaders offer, you’ll get through the tough stuff with your sanity and your business intact.

The much-needed leadership tips and tools for new school administrators Fledgling school administrators are often ill-prepared for their new leadership role and are frequently left to their own devices to navigate the slippery terrain of school administration. Dealing with the Tough Stuff: Practical Solutions for School Administrators addresses some of the thornier aspects of being an assistant principal such as handling discipline, mediating student conflicts, working with parents, facilitating parent conferences, and working with staff members. This handy guide will teach the tricks of the trade in order to survive and thrive in the job. Filled with the information that is rarely taught but school leaders need to know to be effective administrators Written by John Gabriel and Paul Farmer, two veteran and award-winning school leaders Includes strategies and illustrative examples for dealing with the down-to-earth problems that confront school administrators Practical and insightful, the book covers everything from working effectively with parents and staff to mediating conflicts.

THE BARRIER TO YOUR TEAM'S PERFORMANCE? It's you. As the speed of change in elite sports has increased, the support infrastructure around head coaches has not kept up. This has left many coaches--supposedly experts in human performance--walking zombies who don't sleep, don't exercise, and don't see their families. To succeed in the modern sporting world, head coaches must face some hard truths. By grappling with these truths, which cut to the very core of who they are as human beings, head coaches can get out of their own way and achieve all-new levels of personal performance. In The Tough Stuff you'll learn: Just how much the emotional toll impacts your ability to coach How to become a high-performance knowledge worker Why communication mastery is key to unlocking your full potential As well as sharing his own struggles as a head coach, Cody Royle enlists the help of some friends who are all too familiar with The Tough Stuff, such as Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, Connacht Rugby head coach Andy Friend, Ryerson Rams basketball head coach Carly Clarke, DC United head coach Ben Olsen, Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns head coach Jay Triano, and Colorado Avalanche head coach Tony Granato. Cody Royle is the head coach of AFL Team Canada, the men's national team for Australian Rules football. He is a standout voice on how teams create sustained success. His debut book, Where Others Won't, is a go-to guide for professional sports teams around the world, and his podcast of the same name was nominated for a Podcast Award in 2019.

We live in a time when things are tough for a lot of folks. The boomers are beginning to feel anxiety as they move toward retirement. Many people are facing financial pressure and are up to their ears in debt. We are having to care for both our kids and our parents. The pace of life, and the demands of life, just keep getting more intense. And for many, these tough times bring life crises. This is a book of encouragement, hope and freedom... an invitation to meet Christ at the crossroads of our lives and move beyond the tough times.

Such desperately cheery responses from your students don't fool you---you've been in youth ministry long enough to sense when they're up to their ears in life's tough stuff. You know it better than most adults: There's just a lot of brokenness out there---families splitting up and recombining, abuse of all kinds (physical, psychological, sexual, substance), rampant sexual pressures, violence, isolation . . . the list seems endless. So let Tough Stuff be your guide through these deep and painful issues. It's a 12-session curriculum that not only familiarizes you with the complex roots and symptoms of these major hurts, but also informs and inspires your high schoolers on dealing with them from the inside out. Tough Stuff can start the healing process in the areas of--- Denial (escaping denial and admitting our pain) Parents (God is the perfect parent---not Mom or Dad) Masks (removing the facades and living confidently as the real you) Abuse (healing the hurts of abuse from the inside out) Forgiveness (how forgiveness sets us free) Temptation (resisting temptation and breaking addictions) Boundaries (how boundaries affect . . . everything!) Orientation (making sense of gender identity) . . . and more. And don't think you'll be doing all the talking---Tough Stuff is full of engaging and provocative teaching tools: improv and drama, thematic worship, video and music clips, inductive discussions, as well as creative exercises. Tough Stuff is everything you need to navigate your kids through the heartrending realities that they (and their friends) are facing daily. Get into this curriculum, and let the healing begin.

Life is tough. It's that simple. If you don't agree, you haven't lived long enough, because when we stop to think about the trials that life sends our way, it's always something! Despite our deep-seated and very natural desire for a trouble-free, happy, secure existence, Christians everywhere face family struggles, financial crises, debilitating diseases, and crushing disappointments. So what do you do when life gets so tough you think you can't endure another minute? If you're feeling . . . Sandwiched between aging parents who need your help and teenagers with demanding schedules; Stretched beyond your limits at work, trying to survive the next round of corporate downsizing; Dazed and emotionally bruised after your spouse walked out on the marriage you thought would last for a lifetime . . . This Getting Through the Tough Stuff Workbook offers help and hope! Based on Chuck Swindoll's characteristic insight, humor, and powerful yet gentle teaching style, this workbook delivers a strong message of encouragement, hope, faith, and the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. This practical resource will help you to get through the tough times of life. Perfect for personal devotions, small-group Bible studies, and church curriculum, this workbook offers special features including "Getting to the Root," which explores biblical words and concepts, and "Taking Truth to Heart," which guides you into personal reflection and application.

Now more than ever, today's at-risk families need home visitors who can address their complex challenges with skill and sensitivity. This timely second edition will help home visitors manage even the toughest situations they encounter on the job--and support and empower vulnerable families of children birth to 3. The authors present their highly effective PAUSE framework (Perceive, Ask, Understand, Strategize, and Evaluate), a blend of relationship-based practice, reflective skills, and recommended strategies for supporting at-risk families. Readers will learn how to develop positive partnerships with parents and caregivers, address specific challenges in skillful and culturally sensitive ways, and give families the tools and knowledge they need to generate their own solutions. Vignettes, sample dialogues, and fillable PDF forms help home visitors translate evidence-based strategies into everyday action. WHAT'S NEW Coverage of contemporary topics such as virtual home visiting, reflective supervision, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) Expanded content on setting boundaries and avoiding professional burnout Updated research on child-based issues like self-regulation, aggression, and separation anxiety, as well as parent issues like substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental illness Updates to reflect the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on families and children More on the PAUSE framework's compatibility with home visiting programs such as Parents as Teachers, Early Head Start, and Healthy Families America New downloadable, fillable PDFs for easier use