The Extraordinary Workplace

Millions of people, whether leaders or employees, spend three-quarters of their waking hours in energy-depleting environments. Today's workplace is often a web of egos competing for power, managers disempowering employees, and co-workers hurting and sabotaging each other. The troubles within the auto and financial industries are simply extreme examples of what is occurring in many businesses and in government. In a complex, uncertain workplace environment, many feel on the brink, desperate for a way out of their sense of entrapment. This book reveals the source of fear and conflict in organisations and provides the solution for unravelling the complex web of interacting egos. It offers a personal restoration plan that leads to inner security and a path to freedom. As individuals connect with their higher selves, they are rejuvenated and can contribute to transformation in the workplace. This book shows us how to heal the workplace culture by rebuilding relationships to honour our own and others' spirits. When fear is replaced with trust and compassion, a shift in consciousness can occur. The shallow interpretation of ourselves as people who need to battle for power and validation belies our incredible authentic power. You will learn how to: Rebuild relationships throughout organisations; Give up the constraints of the ego and its need for external validation; Replace fear with trust and compassion so people can perform at their best; Build teamwork, co-operation and synergism instead of internal rivalry and competition; Expand productivity, creativity, profitability and enthusiasm of team members; Increase loyalty, respect, retention, and commitment; End power struggles, paranoia, gossip, personal agendas and drama that drain time and money; Develop leaders and managers who have the inner courage and authenticity of great leaders.

For readers of Malcolm Gladwell, Daniel Pink, and Freakonomics, comes a captivating and surprising journey through the science of workplace excellence. Why do successful companies reward failure? What can casinos teach us about building a happy workplace? How do you design an office that enhances both attention to detail and creativity? In The Best Place to Work, award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman, Ph.D. uses the latest research from the fields of motivation, creativity, behavioral economics, neuroscience, and management to reveal what really makes us successful at work. Combining powerful stories with cutting edge findings, Friedman shows leaders at every level how they can use scientifically-proven techniques to promote smarter thinking, greater innovation, and stronger performance. Among the many surprising insights, Friedman explains how learning to think like a hostage negotiator can help you diffuse a workplace argument, why placing a fish bowl near your desk can elevate your thinking, and how incorporating strategic distractions into your schedule can help you reach smarter decisions. Along the way, the book introduces the inventor who created the cubicle, the president who brought down the world’s most dangerous criminal, and the teenager who single-handedly transformed professional tennis—vivid stories that offer unexpected revelations on achieving workplace excellence. Brimming with counterintuitive insights and actionable recommendations, The Best Place to Work offers employees and executives alike game-changing advice for working smarter and turning any organization—regardless of its size, budgets, or ambitions—into an extraordinary workplace.

Resource added for the Administrative Professional program 101066 and Office Professional program 311061.

"What would it feel like to have an extraordinary workplace culture that generates both joy and remarkable financial results? Many leaders and managers find culture to be abstract, intangible and elusive. Perhaps you've noticed people walking on eggshells or avoiding conversation landmines. Is your team's performance waning due to gossip, silos or apathy? Culture Works helps you navigate around and through these kinds of obstacles. In this book you will learn how to create an extraordinary workplace culture. Not with rainbows and unicorns, but with concrete innovative concepts, enlightening stories and tangible tools. After reading this book, you will be ready to take action with doable, down-to-earth steps to energize your team and yield real deal results"--Amazon.

You spend more than 60 percent of your waking hours at work. So if you’re miserable in the office, you are therefore miserable more than half of the time you’re awake! Imagine what your life would be if you turn those long working hours of sheer drudgery into Extraordinary Joy – something you only dream about while you sleep! While it’s not hard to accept “Extra Joy” as a poetic pitch and as a religious experience, can it really be found – of all the places in the world – in your office cubicle? This book answers with a thundering YES! and shows you how.

While you can't personally transform the corporate culture, you can influence the workplace climate and create meaningful and lasting change. Supported by the latest research, this eye-opening book argues that our best work is the product of a positive environment. When it comes to work these days, we're expected to do more with less--but is this nose-to-the-grindstone philosophy the best way to run a business? Alarmingly low employee engagement numbers indicate otherwise. So, if pushing everyone harder isn't the path to productivity, what is? Advocating a steward model of management, The Optimistic Workplace reveals how to: Explore personal and organizational purpose--and align them for astonishing results Overcome resistance and skepticism Build camaraderie and deepen loyalty Increase intrinsic motivation Help your team find meaning in their work Identify goals collaboratively and track progress Examples from companies large and small demonstrate how this people-centric focus ignites employee potential, increases innovation, and catapults the organization to new levels of performance. The Optimistic Workplace presents an array of surprisingly simple strategies as well as practical 30-, 60-, and 90-day plans designed to focus your actions and make employee optimism not just a worthy goal--but a real and measurable result.

Culture transformation expert Siobhan McHale defines culture simply: “It’s how things work around here.” The secret to the success or failure of any business boils down to its culture. From disengaged employees to underserved customers, business failures invariably stem from a culture problem. In The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change, acclaimed culture transformation expert and global executive Siobhan McHale shares her proven four-step process to demystifying culture transformation and starting down the path to positive change. Many leaders and managers struggle to get a handle on exactly what culture is and how pervasive its impact is throughout an organization. Some try to change the culture by publishing a statement of core values but soon find that no meaningful change happens. Others try to unify the culture around a set of shared goals that satisfy shareholders but find their efforts backfire as stressed employees throw their hands up because “leadership just doesn’t get it.” Others implement expensive new IT systems to try to bring about change, only to find that employees find “workarounds” and soon go back to their old ways. The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change walks readers through McHale’s four-step process to culture transformation, including how to: Understand what “corporate culture” really is and how it impacts every aspect of the way your organization operates Analyze where your culture is broken or not adding maximum value Unlock the power of reframing roles within your company to empower and engage your employees Utilize proven methods and tools to break through deeply embedded patterns and change your company mind-set Keep the momentum going by consolidating gains and maintaining your foot on the change accelerator With The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change, watch your employees go from followers to change leaders who drive an agile culture that constantly outperforms.