Review by Ian Mann, knowledge director, Gateways Business Consultants (Pty) Ltd
If you don't confront the difficult issues at work, your team's functioning could deteriorate, collegial relationships could sour, and if your staff do succeed, it will be sheer luck.
Few people enjoy initiating the difficult conversations required of a manager, mainly because so few people know how to have these conversations successfully.
Maureen Collins has written what must be one of the most accessible books on this subject. It has a narrative running through the book describing a year in the career of a new head of department and the issues he has to confront. The manager, Michael, confronts problems that practising managers will recognise. There is the young and ambitious Dan who thinks success comes before experience or hard work. There is Peter who didn't get Michael's job. There is the report that wasn't delivered on time, the meetings that don't start on time. The staff member who is lonely and depressed, the unwilling, sexual harassment and more.
The Sunday Times Review
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Review by Dr Angela Lecore, MB, BS (Lond), LRCP, MRC, FRSM, FP Cert., MBSMDH
Your book is such a valuable contribution to the skills of literature on effective communication. I love it and I have already lost count of the number of my patients and friends to whom I have recommended it.
It is quick and easy to read, budget priced and packed full of "How to" skills along with such lovely real characters in the story: edutainment at its best.
I believe your book should be essential reading for every manager who signs a contract for his or her new job. Board members and senior managers should preferably be required to do your course as well every three years so they constantly improve and upgrade their skills.
What if every trade union official, every politician, every teacher and lecturer as well as all our managers in South Africa had understood the contents of your book and put it into action. I'm sure you have imagined that dream coming true. What a world that would be to live in!
Read this book. Put it into action and halve your stress level at work!
Review by Business Brief
In every work environment, there needs to be proper communication and diplomatic confrontation of difficult issues to ensure overall success in a business. If not, one is left with a bitter taste, a decrease in productivity and just an all round disaster.
Maureen Collins’ book, Straight Talk: conversations at work that get results is a must have as it deals with this subject using real life cases depicting how each situation should be dealt with to obtain positive results.
Business Brief is a Business Management publication aimed at providing decision-makers with information that will help them make better business decisions.
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