Versatility
How to Optimize Interactions When 7 Workplace Behaviors Are at Their Worst
By: Francie Dalton
Published: August 16, 2008
Format: Hardcover, 160 pages
ISBN-10: 0880343001
ISBN-13: 978-0880343008
Publisher: ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership
"With broad implications for organizational America and for the nonprofit sector specifically, coping successfully with these changes will elevate the function of management to a veritable art form. Paramount among the managerial competencies required is versatility", writes speaker, management consultant, and CEO of Dalton Alliances, Inc., Francie Dalton in her perceptive and practical book Versatility: How to Optimize Interactions When 7 Workplace Behaviors Are at Their Worst. The author describes how to achieve versatility and become a successful manager of people through recognizing and working with difficult personalities for positive results.
Francie Dalton employs a mixture of humor and insightful observations as she shares the seven most challenging workplace personalities. Each type of problem person is different, and provides their own special difficulties for peers, subordinates, and their superiors. The seven challenging behavior types are:
* Commanders: Relentless, driven, unstoppable implementers
* Drifters: Fickle, flighty, creative geniuses,
* Attackers: Caustic, hostile, conquerors
* Pleasers: Sensitive, friendly, humanizers
* Performers: Cunning, manipulative, charismatic ambassadors
* Avoiders: Diffident, enigmatic, spectators
* Analyticals: Micromanaging, procrastinating, masters of process
Francie Dalton (photo left) recognizes that a manager, who reads this book, won't be able to change the personalities of the people in the organization. What the author does is provide the skills to recognize the challenging character types, and shares the tools to work with those difficult people effectively. With a more clear understanding of the motivations of the other people within the organization, a manager can reach better decisions collectively, in a much shorter length of time. The ability to assess and interact in an optimum form with different types of people is a critical skill for a manager in the modern organization. Francie Dalton lists ten guiding principles to help managers become more effective at optimizing talent that affects every part of the business or nonprofit organization. The ability to optimize interactions is a core management value that is essential for the practice of versatility.
For me, the power of the book is how Francie Dalton presents the seven challenging behavior types in a non-degrading format, through humor and example. The ability of the person behind the personality barrier, when approached and optimized correctly, is of tremendous value to the organization. The author shares ten guiding strategies that build on the ability to assess the seven personalities, and transform those individuals into strong contributors to the business. The author's combination of gentle humor, theory, and practical skills arms the manager with the background and tools necessary for gaining the attribute of versatility. As an added bonus, Francie Dalton provides access to to a versatility self assessment test that will benefit all managers in their striving for the achievement of versatility. Combining the results of the test with the skills taught in the book is a very valuable and important opportunity for any manager.
I highly recommend the insightful and informative book Versatility: How to Optimize Interactions When 7 Workplace Behaviors Are at Their Worst by Francie Dalton, to any manager seeking to improve their ability to optimize interactions with people who are perceived to be problem personalities. The assessment and management techniques described in this fine book will help a manager to utilize the talents of all employees, peers, and superiors for the overall benefit of the organization.
Read the useful and essential book Versatility: How to Optimize Interactions When 7 Workplace Behaviors Are at Their Worst by Francie Dalton, and discover how to work successfully with individuals with even the most challenging personality types. This critical knowledge will assist the manager in helping all members of the organization to contribute to their fullest extent. This book teaches versatility for the manager in all areas of managing and motivating people of all types. That ability will provide you and your company with a powerful competitive edge.
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