Solutions

Whether you are an employee or an employer, this book will resonate. Unless you have been living under a rock, you have already been exposed to many of these problems that cause conflicts at work, resulting in stress and lost productivity, and negatively affecting health and happiness. The advice and case histories in the book are distilled from the author's experience during a long and successful career in human resource management and consulting. Names have been changed for obvious reasons, but at one time or another we have all experienced the Managerial Darth Vader, the Scrooge employee, and the two-faced co-worker, to mention a few of the characters in the short stories that illustrate the various chapter segments. Lynne Curry's book serves as a convenient manual in which you can look up a specific problem, and obtain professional advice on how to handle it, for a fraction of the cost of hiring your own human resource consultant. There is useful advice for employers on improving communication and productivity, motivating employees, effective hiring and retention practices, and meeting legal obligations. The book also provides excellent coaching for employees and prospective employees in dealing with difficult bosses and co-workers, setting and achieving goals, managing expectations, career building, and taking effective interviews. The author is not afraid to be specific, has a very direct, easy-to-read style, and each issue is dealt with in short, one to two page well indexed segments that are internally consistent and can be consulted as needed. This book is a great reference: it's all here. Either as insurance, or as damage control, this book is an excellent investment.