Play Your Best Hand: How to Manage the Four Types of Knowledge Workers--and Stack the Odds for Maximum Success Book

Learn the New Game     1
Lead the Wild Card-Managing Knowledge Workers     3
Customers Want More     3
Leaders Want More     4
Employees Want More     4
The New Game of Business     5
Knowledge Workers Are the Wild Card     6
A New Approach to Leadership     7
Focusing on Strengths Yields Benefits     7
Getting Started     9
Are You in or Out of the Game?     10
Employees Have a Choice     10
It's Now a Take-Charge World     11
The Seven Deadly Sins of Leading Knowledge Workers     12
What Knowledge Workers Really Want     15
Get in the Game     18
Learn the Rules     19
We're in This Together     19
Leverage Individual and Team Talents     20
Manage Personal Attributes     23
Build Trust with Others     25
Seek Feedback from the Customer     26
How to Play     28
Focusing on Talents Brings Success     29
The Play-to-Your-Strengths Principles     30
Recognize That Every Person Has Unique Strengths     30
We Are Often Blind to Our Strengths     32
Strive to Maximize Strengths-and Minimize Weaknesses     32
Strengths Can Also Be Weaknesses     33
Seek Feedback to Leverage Strengths     33
Maximize Employee Talents     37
Discover the Four Talent Types     39
Efficiency Programs Miss the Mark     40
The Four Distinct Talent Types     40
Summary of the Four Talent Types     42
Leverage Diamond Talents     43
How to Lead Diamond Talents     46
Maximize Club Talents     47
How to Lead Club Talents     50
Energize Spade Talents     50
The Spade-Type Organization     53
How to Lead Spade Talents     54
Value Heart Talents     54
Recognizing Heart Talents     55
How to Lead Heart Talents     58
Appreciate Each Employee's Unique Talent     58
Deal With Talent Differences     60
Set Others Up for Success     61
Strive for the Right Mix of Talents     61
Recognize Too Much of a Good Thing     62
Notice When Talents Are Either Under- or Overplayed     63
Eliminate the "It's Not My Job!" Mindset     65
Ensure Accountability      65
Stay Involved in Project Handoffs     66
Value the Kaleidoscope of Talents on Your Team     66
Mesh Talents and Organizational Culture     67
Help Employees Sell Their Value     70
Leverage Personal Attributes     73
Attributes Enhance Talents     74
Attributes Can Be an Asset or a Liability     74
Create Your Personal Brand     75
Manage Attributes As Well As Talents     77
Easy Ways to Discover Your Attributes     78
Solicit Peer Feedback on Attribute Strengths     79
Develop a Powerful Contribution Statement     80
Speak Up about Your Value     82
Ensure Employee Talents Are Visible     82
Discover Your Success Pattern     84
Everyone Has a Success Formula     85
Lay Out Your Success Pattern     86
Success Patterns Operate Behind the Scenes     87
The Sequence of Your Talents Is Crucial     88
People Can Misunderstand Your Success Pattern     89
Success Patterns Don't Change     90
Recognize Your Failure Pattern     91
Ask Employees to Share Their Success Patterns     93
The Leader's Success Pattern Dominates the Group     94
Play to Win     97
Create Awinning Team     99
Find a Shared Purpose     100
Key Questions to Discover Your Purpose As a Team     102
Meet Regularly     103
Identify Key Initiatives     104
Assess What a Project Needs     104
Leverage Team Member Talents     105
Help Each Other Succeed     106
Maximize Talent Differences     108
Enjoy Your High-Performing Team     109
Develop Employees-The Right Way!     111
The Talent and Viability Approach     112
Align Talents with Priority Business Needs     114
Promote Networking with Peers     114
Turn Frustration into Opportunities     115
Proactively Contribute Ideas     115
Help Employees Take Charge     116
Stay True to What You Do!     116
We're All Learning     119
Address Performance Issues     121
Stop Blaming the Forms     122
Don't Ignore a Weakness     123
Tackle the Tough Stuff     124
Find the Strength in a Weakness     126
Five Strategies to Manage a Weakness     127
Succeed with Core Competencies      130
Ensure Key Competencies Are Achieved     131
Challenge Yourself     133
Build Trust to Succeed     134
Trust Is Good Business     135
Don't Assume Trust Is Present     136
What Exactly Is Trust Anyway?     136
The Competence Trust Factor     137
The Commitment Trust Factor     139
The Conflict Trust Factor     141
The Communication Trust Factor     142
The Caring Trust Factor     144
Use Trust Factor Language in Conversations     146
Conflict-Call It Off     147
Talent Differences Cause Tension     147
How and When to Get Involved     150
Reduce Conflict Between Different Talent Types     152
Make It Safe to Address Issues     154
Action Steps to Resolve Conflicts     155
Know the Score!     157
The Value of Strength Feedback     158
Feedback Is a Powerful Tool     158
Teams Benefit from Strength Feedback     159
Give Strength Feedback     160
Create a Feedback-Rich Culture     161
Leaders Benefit from Feedback     162
Use Different Feedback Methods     163
Take the Lead      167
Play Your Trump Wisely     169
Become a Strength Coach     170
Watch from the Sidelines     170
You Are Both a Manager and a Coach     171
Recognize Your Coaching Strengths     172
Ask Great Coaching Questions     173
Listening Skills Help You Stay on Track     174
Follow Guidelines for Coaching     175
Opportune Times for Coaching     177
Coach Others to Win     179
The Employee Has a Role in Coaching     179
Bring Out the Best in Others     180
Develop a Coaching Contract     181
Learn the 5 Step Coaching Process     182
Keep Your Eye on Success     186
The Benefits of Coaching     187
Up the Ante!     188
Do Things Differently     189
Track Progress and Results     190
Learn from Experience     191
Don't Leave It to Chance     192
Get Ready to Play     192
Play Your Best Hand     195
Play Your Best Hand Tool Kit     197
Great Resources     204
Index     208