The Truth About Better Decision-Making (Collection): (Truth About)

A brand new collection of state-of-the-art tools for making better business decisions…   4 authoritative books bring together hundreds of bite-size, easy-to-use techniques for optimizing every business decision, choice, interaction, and negotiation!   Your decisions drive your business performance and determine your career success. Whether you’re collaborating, leading, negotiating, or persuading, those decisions must be consistently sharp – and this 4 book collection will help you sharpen every decision you make. Start with Robert Gunther’s The Truth About Making Smart Decisions: 50 powerful bite-size “truths” about making better real-world decisions when it matters most. Gunther shows how to systematically prepare to make better decisions... get the right information, without getting buried in useless data... minimize risks and then act decisively... handle emotions... make better group decisions... profit from mistakes... and much more. Next, William S. Kane focuses on the decision to change – and to lead change. In The Truth About Thriving in Change, Kane shares 49 powerful decision-making “truths” about change leadership: which skills you need most, and how to develop them... how to lead change without eroding commitment or productivity... why you must start fast, and “run before you walk”... when to persuade, when to educate, and when to “use force”... how to create the right cultural framework for successful change, and more. Next, Leigh Thompson’s The Truth About Negotiations helps you optimize every decision associated with successful negotiations. Thompson provides realistic game plans that work in any scenario, showing how to create win-win deals by leveraging carefully collected information. Learn how to prepare quickly and efficiently… handle imperfect negotiating situations… establish trust with someone you don’t yet trust… recognize when to walk away. Thompson guides through planning strategy, identifying your “best alternative to a negotiated agreement,” making the right first offer to control the process, resolving difficult disputes, and achieving the goals that matter most. Finally, in The Truth About Getting the Best From People, Second Edition, Martha Finney turns to day-to-day management decision-making, offering 60+ powerful techniques -- including new ways to persuade, manage virtual teams, overcome unconscious decision-making biases, and identify/cultivate high performers. These four books offer definitive, evidence-based principles for optimizing your decision-making throughout your entire management career!   From world-renowned decision-making experts Robert E. Gunther, William S. Kane, Leigh Thompson, and Martha I. Finney

Table of Contents:
The Truth About Making Smart Decisions Preface ix Introduction x Part I The Truth About Preparing for Decisions Truth 1 Before a major decision, get some Z’s 1 Truth 2 Act from a state of clarity 3 Truth 3 If you can’t get distance, get perspective 7 Truth 4 Keep it real 11 Truth5 Use a systematic process 15 Truth 6 Know your decision-making style 19 Part II The Truth About Why Bad Decisions Are Good Truth 7 To make better decisions, make more mistakes 23 Truth 8 Be prepared to profit from your mistakes 27 Truth 9 Learn from your close calls 29 Truth 10 Learn from the decisions of others 33 Truth 11 Don’t judge your decisions based on their outcome 35 Truth 12 Leave yourself room to get back from the pole 39 Part III The Truth About the Limits of Your Mind Truth 13 Understand common “decision traps” 43 Truth 14 Giving up something? Get over it! 47 Truth 15 It’s possible to miss an entire gorilla 51 Truth 16 You may see only what you’re looking for 53 Truth 17 You’re not as clever as you think you are 57 Truth 18 Your view of the world depends on what planet you’re from 61 Truth 19 Beware of seeing patterns that aren’t there 65 Truth 20 Different is not always better 69 Part IV The Truth About Complex Decisions Truth 21 Boil knowledge down to its essence–and then act on it 71 Truth 22 Decisions are not snapshots but movies 75 Truth 23 No decision is an island 79 Truth 24 Build the city around your decision 83 Part V The Truth About Data Truth 25 Listen for the dog that doesn’t bark 85 Truth 26 Sorry, Joe Friday. The facts are never “just the facts.” 89 Truth 27 Recognize the power of intuition 91 Part VI The Truth About Acting Decisively Truth 28 The wrong decision is better than none at all 95 Truth 29 Get 80 percent (or less) of what you need, and then act on it 99 Truth 30 Every decision carries risk. Get used to it. 103 Truth 31 Not making a decision is a decision 107 Part VII The Truth About Decisions in Groups Truth 32 Two heads can be worse than one 111 Truth 33 Use constructive conflict 115 Truth 34 Surround yourself with people smarter than yourself 119 Truth 35 Make decision roles clear 123 Truth 36 Break free from the prisoner’s dilemma 127 Part VIII The Truth About Emotions Truth 37 A little adrenaline can be a good thing 131 Truth 38 Understand the impact of emotions 135 Truth 39 Beware of the attractive new shortcut 139 Part IX The Truth About Ethical Decision Making Truth 40 Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want seen on YouTube 143 Truth 41 There are no quiet corners safe from scrutiny 145 Truth 42 To know where you’re going, know where you stand 149 Truth 43 Don’t let power or ego sway you from your course 153 Part X The Truth About Big Decisions Truth 44 Lower the costs of failure 157 Truth 45 Break down big decisions into smaller ones 161 Truth 46 Don’t forget the screwdrivers 165 Part XI The Truth About Moving On Truth 47 Keep your eye on the long term 169 Truth 48 Belief in your decision can make it come true 173 Truth 49 Keep a sense of humor 177 Truth 50 Don’t look back 181 Additional Resources 183 References 184 About the Author 188   The Truth About Thriving in Change Preface ix Part I The Truth About Staying or Going Truth 1 Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react 1 Truth 2 If your values don’t agree, it’s probably time to flee 5 Truth 3 Service awards aren’t what they used to be 9 Truth 4 Teaching long division doesn’t work on a Blackberry 13 Part II The Truth About What You should Pack Truth 5 It’s not what you’ve got; it’s what you need 17 Truth 6 To manage change, you must lead change 21 Truth 7 You can’t do without a “can-do” attitude 25 Truth 8 If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything 29 Part III The Truth About those Early Days Truth 9 Run before you walk 33 Truth 10 Keep your boss your biggest fan 37 Truth 11 There are only three ways to introduce change 41 Truth 12 Build the case: It’s a challenge and an opportunity 45 Truth 13 Teach others how to treat you 49 Part IV The Truth About Planning Truth 14 If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll get there 53 Truth 15 To realize the future, you must create it 57 Truth 16 Convert aspiration to invitation 61 Truth 17 Having organizational values matters; living then means more 65 Truth 18 Make the change agenda everyone’s agenda 69 Part V The Truth About Communications Truth 19 We listen with our eyes 73 Truth 20 Email is the tool of the devil 77 Truth 21 People can’t drink from a fire hose 81 Truth 22 Conversion is for missionaries and crusaders 85 Part VI The Truth About Matching People with Purpose Truth 23 Organizational structure: Look in from the outside 89 Truth 24 Build your team around your “A” players 93 Truth 25 Candidate screening: Let the facts speak for themselves 97 Truth 26 Avoid the ten potential “placement pitfalls” 101 Truth 27 Don't surround yourself with yourself 105 Truth 28 Why you need to get staffing right 109 Truth 29 If you must “right-size,” do it the right way 113 Part VII The Truth About Managing Performance Truth 30 One style doesn’t fit all 117 Truth 31 You can influence without authority 121 Truth 32 You can’t work the plan if you don’t plan the work 125 Truth 33 There’s no excuse for excuses 129 Truth 34 Know what buttons to push 133 Part VIII The Truth About Creating your Cultural Framework Truth 35 Calm waters make for easier sailing 137 Truth 36 Trust is a currency not easily earned, but easily spent 141 Truth 37 If you’re out of sight, you’re probably out of touch 145 Truth 38 Teams aren’t a necessary evil 149 Truth 39 Your way may not be the best way 153 Truth 40 The whole is greater than the sum of the parts 157 Truth 41 Embrace[md]don’t run from[md]the questions! 161 Truth 42 Decision making: The fastest don’t always finish first 165 Truth 43 Exceptions: Can’t live with them; can’t live without them 169 Truth 44 Employee discipline: Ask the more meaningful question 173 Part IX The Truth About Recognition and Reward Truth 45 Make every employee feel like your only employee 177 Truth 46 A little formal recognition goes a long way 181 Part X The Truth About Sustenance Truth 47 Your best investment is in… YOU 185 Truth 48 Your title is manager; your job is teacher 189 Truth 49 Trying to be all things to all people is a slippery slope 193 References 197 About the Author 211   The Truth About Negotiations, Second Edition Introduction vii Part 1: Negotiation: A 30,000-foot view 1 Truth 1: Negotiation: A natural gift? 3 Truth 2: The magic bullet: Preparation 7 Truth 3: Your industry is unique (and other myths) 11 Truth 4: Win–win, win–lose, and lose–lose negotiations 15 Truth 5: Four sand traps in the golf game of negotiation 19 Truth 6: If you have only one hour to prepare 23 Part 2: The bottom line on bottom lines 27 Truth 7: Identify your BATNA 29 Truth 8: Develop your reservation price 33 Truth 9: It’s alive! Constantly improve your BATNA 37 Truth 10: Don’t reveal your BATNA 41 Truth 11: Don’t lie about your BATNA 45 Truth 12: Signal your BATNA 49 Truth 13: Research the other party’s BATNA 53 Part 3: Black belt negotiation skills 55 Truth 14: Set optimistic but realistic aspirations 57 Truth 15: The power of making the first offer 61 Truth 16: What if the other party makes the first offer? 65 Truth 17: Plan your concessions 69 Truth 18: Be aware of the “even-split” ploy 73 Truth 19: Reveal your interests 77 Truth 20: Negotiate issues simultaneously, not sequentially 81 Truth 21: Logrolling (I scratch your back, you scratch mine) 85 Truth 22: Make multiple offers of equivalent value simultaneously 89 Truth 23: Postsettlement settlements 93 Truth 24: Contingent agreements 97 Part 4: Psychology 101 Truth 25: The reciprocity principle 103 Truth 26: The reinforcement principle 107 Truth 27: The similarity principle 111 Truth 28: The anchoring principle 115 Truth 29: The framing principle 119 Part 5: People problems (and solutions) 123 Truth 30: Responding to temper tantrums 125 Truth 31: How to negotiate with someone you hate 129 Truth 32: How to negotiate with someone you love 133 Truth 33: Of men, women, and pie-slicing 137 Truth 34: Your reputation 141 Truth 35: Building trust 145 Truth 36: Repairing broken trust 149 Truth 37: Saving face 153 Part 6: I-negotiations and E-negotiations 157 Truth 38: Negotiating on the phone 159 Truth 39: Negotiating via email and the Internet 163 Truth 40: When negotiations shift from relational to highly transactional 167 Truth 41: Negotiating across generations 171 Truth 42: Negotiating with different organizational cultures 175 Truth 43: Negotiating with different demographic cultures 179 Part 7: Negotiation Yoga 183 Truth 44: What’s your sign? (Know your disputing style) 185 Truth 45: Satisficing versus optimizing 189 Truth 46: Are you an enlightened negotiator? 193 References 197 Acknowledgments 203 About the Author 204   The Truth About Getting the Best from People, Second Edition Introduction xi PART I The Truth About Employee Engagement Truth 1 You don’t need the carrot or the stick 1 Truth 2 You have direct influence over your employees’ passion quotient 4 Truth 3 You get the best by giving the best 8 Truth 4 It’s not money that motivates 11 Truth 5 Employment engagement isn’t for sissies 15 Truth 6 Real engagement gains happen after survey scores come in 19 PART II The Truth About Yourself Truth 7 Your behaviors are your brand 23 Truth 8 You can’t give what you don’t have 26 Truth 9 “Best” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone 30 Truth 10 Think you’re a great leader? Think again 34 Truth 11 You could be your own worst employee 38 Truth 12 Visionary or beat cop? Your choice 41 Truth 13 Your health may be compromising your leadership effectiveness 44 Truth 14 You don’t have to be perfect 48 Truth 15 Your career can recover from an engagement hit 52 PART III The Truth About Engaged Cultures Truth 16 Employee happiness is serious business 55 Truth 17 Great leaders make their people cry 58 Truth 18 Better questions lead to better answers 61 Truth 19 Individual passion builds a passion-fueled customer service culture 65 Truth 20 Authentic is better than clever 69 Truth 21 Retention begins with hello 72 Truth 22 The bad will do you good 75 Truth 23 Your biggest complainer may be your best supporter 78 Truth 24 You can sell an unpopular decision 82 Truth 25 Flex is best 85 Truth 26 Nobody cares if you don’t mean to be mean 89 Truth 27 Controlling your temper is a labor-saving device 93 Truth 28 There is no “but” in “I’m sorry” 97 PART IV The Truth About Motivation Truth 29 Engagement happens one person at a time 101 Truth 30 If you’re a manager, you’re a career coach 104 Truth 31 The candidates you’re seeking may not be the ones you need 107 Truth 32 Ask for cheese—you might get the moon 111 Truth 33 You lead better when you get off your pedestal 114 Truth 34 Trust is your strongest persuasion tool 118 Truth 35 If they aren’t buying it, they aren’t doing it 121 Truth 36 Overselling an opportunity can cost you precious talent 124 Truth 37 Focusing on what’s right can help solve what’s wrong 128 Truth 38 High performers are motivated by a piece of the action 131 Truth 39 All the generations want the same thing 135 PART V The Truth About Performance Truth 40 Compassion promotes performance 139 Truth 41 A hot star can brighten your whole team 142 Truth 42 B players are your A team 146 Truth 43 High performers have enough coffee mugs 149 Truth 44 Discipline deepens engagement 152 Truth 45 You don’t have to inherit the problem employees 155 Truth 46 Performance appraisals are really about you 159 Truth 47 New hires can inspire current employees 162 Truth 48 Terminations are an engagement tool 165 PART VI The Truth About Creativity Truth 49 Innovation begins with y-e-s 169 Truth 50 Everyone can be creative 172 Truth 51 You stand between inspiration and implementation 176 Truth 52 Failures promote progress 179 Truth 53 People don’t quit their bosses, they quit their colleagues 182 Truth 54 Extreme pressure kills inspired performance 186 Truth 55 Creativity is a balancing act 189 PART VII The Truth About Communication Truth 56 Open questions ignite inspiring answers 193 Truth 57 Serving your employees means managing your boss 196 Truth 58 Bad news is good news 200 Truth 59 Trivial conversations are essential 203 Truth 60 The way you listen speaks volumes 206 Truth 61 Crap happens 210 Truth 62 Engaged employees need to know more 213 PART VIII The Truth About Teams Truth 63 Absence makes the employee happier 217 Truth 64 Your team has untapped talent 221 Truth 65 People need to fight their own battles 224 Truth 66 Games don’t build teams 228 Truth 67 Answers build teams 231 Truth 68 Your team can lead you to greatness 234 Truth 69 You’re still the boss 237 References 240 About the Author 242  

About the Author :
Robert E. Gunther, founder of Gunther Communications, is co-author or collaborator on more than 20 books. He has appeared on CNBC’s Power Lunch, NPR’s Morning Edition, and numerous local and national radio and television programs. William S. Kane is a highly accomplished HR executive with experience in all aspects of global functional management. He has specific expertise in leading, planning, and executing human capital strategies associated with several profitable business transformations. Kane has held senior positions at global leaders such as International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., Electrolux/Frigidaire, and FMC Corporation. He is now VP of human resources and general administration for Kyowa Pharmaceutical, and adjunct professor in the MAOB graduate-level certificate program in leadership studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Leigh L. Thompson is J. Jay Gerber Distinguished Professor of Dispute Resolution and Organizations in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. An active consultant and internationally recognized scholar, she also directs Kellogg’s AT&T Behavioral Research Laboratory and Leading High Impact Teams Executive Program. Martha I. Finney is a writer and consultant who brings the qualitative perspective of workplace passion and problem-solving to clients who value the transformative power of engaged employees. She is author or co-author of more than 13 books, including HR From the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business, with Libby Sartain.