How to Work with (Almost) Anyone - by Michael Bungay Stanier (Paperback)

About the Book

"The secret to work relationships that sing from a top thought-leader in coaching. Have you ever had the experience of working with someone and they just didn't "get" you? They do all the things that wind you up, put you off and drive you nuts. And have you ever worked with someone and you just didn't "get" them? You couldn't figure out what made them tick, and you know you were underwhelming as a manager and leader for them. Of course, you have. We all have. Why do those experiences keep happening? Particularly when we've also experienced the opposite: great working relationships that soar. In How To Work with (Almost) Anyone, internationally bestselling author Michael Bungay Stanier (MBS) shares a tested process that sets up working relationships for the best possible success. It shows you how to communicate about who you are and what brings out the best and the worst in you. It gives you the tools to talk with your colleagues about how you operate, and to set a social contract for how you'll work together (not just what you'll be working on). It teaches you how to keep relationships strong and healthy, clear and clean. Not every relationship can be rainbows and unicorns and free-flowing ginger beer. But everyone who relates can do a better job at amplifying the best of each other, navigating the dark spots, and staying generous. With How To Work with (Almost) Anyone, MBS reveals the secret to better, more successful relationships."--

Book Synopsis

Your happiness and your success depend on your working relationships

The people you manage. How well you work with your boss. The way collaboration happens with colleagues and peers. How you connect with important prospects and key clients.

But the hard truth is this: most of us leave the health and fate of these relationships to chance.

We say "Hi," exchange pleasantries ... and hope for the best.

But every relationship becomes suboptimal at some point, whether it's a good one that goes off the rails or one that was poor from the start.

Mostly we are resigned to the fact that this is what happens: relationships always get a little broken, or a little stale, or a little worse. C'est la vie, c'est la guerre. Carry on.

But it doesn't have to be like this.

Every working relationship can be better.

This book shows you how to build the best possible relationship.

One conversation. Five questions. Detailed guidance on how to prepare and set the relationship up for success. Key insights on how to maintain the relationship so that it will continue to thrive.

Review Quotes

"My favourite thing about Michael Bungay Stanier's work is his ability to deliver actionable, tactical strategies that are based on well-researched ideas and data, then packaged in a book that I can read on a flight. And the wisdom is real--it sticks. I haven't stopped thinking about 'Best Possible Relationships' and 'Keystone Conversations." --Brené Brown, PhD, New York Times-bestselling author of Atlas of the Heart and Dare to Lead

"This little volume has actionable advice on every page, and it's a fun read, too." --Amy Edmondson, Professor at Harvard Business School and author of The Fearless Organization

"A modern classic, this book will save relationships, careers, and organizations." --Seth Godin, author of The Song of Significance

"Here is a practical, tactical guide to help you rebuild the most human of skills: conversation. Essential!" --Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Just Work

"Michael Bungay Stanier's genius for making the complex simple is on full display. Bravo!" --Whitney Johnson, Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of Smart Growth

"Michael Bungay Stanier's practical guide to cultivating Keystone Conversations can unlock the full potential of an individual, and that of the wider team." --Loren I. Shuster, Chief People Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at The LEGO Group

"This deep book will show you how to build brilliant relationships even in difficult times. Reading it made me feel like I could work with anyone. You will too." --Liz Wiseman, New York Times-bestselling author of Multipliers and Impact Players

"This book simplifies the complex processes of starting, improving, and maintaining our best possible connections." --Bruce W. Parker, Chief Sales Officer at Deloitte Canada

"The Keystone Conversation Michael Bungay Stanier teaches us is the framework I've been seeking to help leaders begin any relationship better." --Dave Stachowiak, Host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast

"This exceptional book provides the practical tools and self-reflections that will help you gain critical insights in how to approach any conversation successfully." --Stefani Okamoto, Director of Global Learning & Development at Microsoft

About the Author

Michael Bungay Stanier has a gift for distilling big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people that helps them be a force for good.

His books have sold over a million copies, with The Coaching Habit topping the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. MBS has been featured on the blogs and social media platforms of thought leaders including Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, and Brené Brown, and has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBC, Ted.com, and innumerable podcasts--as well as in notable publications including the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company.

MBS is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company, that helps organizations move from advice-driven action to curiosity-led transformation. They have trained more than half a million people for clients including Microsoft, Salesforce, TELUS and Gucci.

Before establishing Box of Crayons, MBS's accomplishments included publishing an academic article on James Joyce and a Harlequin-esque short story; playing small roles in helping invent Pizza Hut's Stuffed Crust pizza and creating "one of the worst single-malt whiskies in existence"; and spending 20 minutes writing what has remained GlaxoSmithKline's global vision for more than 20 years.

A former Rhodes Scholar, MBS is an Australian who now lives in Toronto, Canada.

You can join others committed to being a force for change at MBS.works