Amazon.com.au: Sorin Dumitrascu: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Assertive Communication: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 11) 03/05/2017

$4.99

Do you sometimes feel that your professional style is too passive, too hesitant and weak? Or do you find yourself acting aggressively toward others in the workplace, being too critical and overbearing?
Do you wonder if there is another professional business style that might be right for you? The answer may well be yes. Many people find that an assertive style meets their professional needs. Others around you appreciate this solid, constructive approach. And you can feel in control using this style to deal with co-workers or even manage or supervise employees. The assertive style can be your win-win style.
Try the role of an assertive business professional. It can be the right style for you. You can find yourself acting proactively and dealing with others responsibly. What a great feeling. The good news is that you don't have to achieve this role by yourself. This course will give you tools to help. You will learn about: becoming an assertive professional, proactive listening strategies, constructive feedback strategies.
Do you sometimes feel trapped in the way you commonly act at work? Or even angry at others who act as though you're a nonentity or someone to be avoided?
How would you like to take the lead in developing the assertive professional style you've dreamed of having, one that lets you avoid traps and anger? It's up to you to decide when you want to take charge of your life.
You've reached the right conclusion when you decide that you're the best person to take the lead in developing your professional style. You can blossom as an individual when your actions form the foundation for an assertive style that you can build on and strengthen.
Your self-confidence will increase as you use the course's methods and guidelines to change your professional style to the style you've dreamed of having.
If you have an optimistic attitude, your efforts to develop your style can be both personally and professionally rewarding. The material covered in this course will give you the tools to help yourself. The three lessons are: Developing Your Assertive Style, Self-development Strategies, and Assertive Interactions.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Managing Difficult Conversations: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 2) 06/02/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 39 )

$4.99

Preparing for difficult conversations is an important part of effective communication in the workplace. A difficult conversation is one where emotions are involved, there's an element of risk, and the exchange has the potential for confrontation.
When you're preparing for a difficult conversation, don't avoid the situation. Make sure your goal for the conversation is clear, realistic, and relevant. And make sure to choose an appropriate time and place to have the conversation.
There are four steps to changing a negative internal monologue to a positive internal monologue. Step one is to be aware of your negative inner voice. Step two is to consider both positive and negative possible outcomes of having the conversation. Step three is to focus on the goal of the conversation. And step four is to develop a positive internal monologue by reframing negative thoughts in a positive way.
Preparing for a difficult conversation involves analyzing the practical and emotional levels of the conversation, and then planning your approach.
Guidelines for analyzing the practical level are to consider the other person's perspective, consider your own viewpoint, make sure you understand the situation, make sure you don't assign blame, admit your mistakes, and reverse roles to consider the other side of things.
Analyzing the emotional level involves managing both your emotions and the other person's emotions. Planning the conversation involves identifying your goal, outlining the structure of the conversation, and rehearsing the conversation.
When you're preparing for a difficult conversation, it's imperative to examine your own attitude toward the conversation. Your mind-set is the logical thinking that determines how you interpret and respond to communication. The right mind-set will make it easier to communicate effectively and reach the goal of your conversation. The four qualities of an appropriate mind-set are being open-minded, collaborative, empathic, and engaged.
Having a difficult conversation, and making it progress well, requires following a clear structure. It should also involve adopting an appropriate communication style to suit the individual and the context.
There are five steps to creating progress in a difficult conversation. First, open with an agenda. Second, invite dialogue. Third, share views and perspectives to learn from each other. Fourth, look for a mutual understanding, and finally, design an action plan.
Your communication style throughout the conversation is crucial to a positive outcome. It's important that you're clear and direct, and focus on the facts. You need to be honest and fair to your colleague. Also, be assertive but tactful, and listen effectively.
Once a difficult conversation is opened well, the second step is inviting dialogue. This involves connecting with the other person by using strength-focused communication.
Strength-focused communication can keep others engaged. This involves speaking to a person's strengths, acknowledging feelings, and understanding the benefits of another approach.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Customer-Driven Process Improvement: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 7) 12/05/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 37 )

$4.99

Consumer markets are often extremely competitive. For example, wireless service providers or consumer electronics have come to understand that an exemplary product no longer guarantees success. When the quality or value of a product no longer sets a business apart from the competition, other factors come into play.
Companies held high in customers' esteem will typically be successful. Historically, these include businesses focused on increasing efficiency in production, cost reduction, and other internal processes. However, one of the most effective ways to leave customers satisfied is to let their needs and requirements be the driving force behind business process improvements.
Customer-driven process improvement is an approach where customer feedback is an opportunity for organizations to analyze their operations and processes, and find ways to improve customer satisfaction. This book outlines a six-stage framework for the identification and implementation of customer driven process improvement opportunities.
The framework includes learning how to determine customer needs and translating these needs into process requirements. It also discusses how to map and measure current processes, analyze process problems, and identify improvement ideas and solutions. Finally, it includes instruction on how to successfully implement and sustain process improvements.
A business is as unique as the individual processes that it uses. This book offers a foundation for successful customer-driven process improvement. It introduces the ideas and tools for identifying your customers' needs, and incorporating these needs into your processes. Doing this will give you the competitive edge that's important to thrive in contemporary marketplaces.

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Emotional Intelligence Essentials: A Practical Guide 13/02/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 28 )

$0.00

You're likely to have gone through a day during which you experienced a range of emotions. But do you pay enough attention to these? If you've been taught to suppress your emotions or always to prioritize rational thought above what you feel, it can actually have negative consequences – for you personally, and even in a business context.
As you may have deduced, emotions can have enormous power. They can motivate you to act by steering you toward what you desire and away from what you find unpleasant. Even negative emotions like anger can be beneficial by providing you with a stimulus to take productive action.
Emotions also help you understand your needs and those of others.
And recognizing and taking them into account can help you build strong, healthy relationships and improve your ability to relate to others.
To live full, rewarding lives, people need to make use of their minds and their hearts. Intellect and emotion aren't opposed to each other – they work together, informing your perceptions and reactions.
Favoring one or the other throws things out of balance.
But it's not possible to use emotions to your advantage if you suppress or misinterpret them. So emotional awareness is vital. It involves accurately recognizing your emotions and those of others.
A person's emotional intelligence quotient – or EQ for short – is the capacity to reason about emotional information. EQ is increasingly recognized as important in both personal and work environments.
Even in business contexts, where rational thought is traditionally valued over emotional skills, research shows that EQ is an important predictor of success.
This applies especially in areas where dealing well with others is crucial, like sales. People with high EQs relate better to others, make better use of feedback to develop themselves, and generally possess greater understanding of their environments than those with low EQs.
EQ can be divided into four general areas of competence – self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and relationship management.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Leading Teams: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 3) 22/04/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 18 )

$4.99

Creating a successful team takes more than throwing a group of people together and saying "Now you're a team. Let's get to work." Teamwork doesn't happen automatically. In fact, when a new team first comes together, there's often a period of uncertainty, mistrust, and conflict. What happens during this critical time can make or break not only the team's ability to meet its goal but also the team itself.

If your organization decides to take a team approach, it's crucial for you, the team leader, to make the effort to set the stage for success during the Forming phase of team development. The main purpose of this course is to show you how to bring together a group of individuals and turn that group into a true team.
But what exactly is a true team? And how does it differ from a regular work group? Well, in a traditional work group, members don't work toward a common purpose. Each person is accountable only to himself and doesn't depend on the rest of the group.
Now compare this to a team. A true team is typically comprised of a small number of individuals whose skills complement each other. A team works toward the same purpose and goals – this is its reason for being. And members of an effective team are open and honest. They feel like they can count on each other.

Now that you know what a team is, consider some of the benefits of taking a team approach: you'll have group buy-in, with the result being more motivation and better performance, you'll be able to pool expertise and resources, and you'll find that the team has better ideas and problem-solving abilities than an isolated employee.
Leading a team is like being the captain of a ship. You'll have to ride the calms and storms, but with the support of your crew, you'll reach your final destination. This course will focus on the formation phase of team development, and will provide you with strategies to ensure your team succeeds in spite of the storms you encounter.

As team leader, one of the most important jobs you will perform is building the foundation for an effective, high performance team.
Ultimately, it's the team leader who's responsible for team success. The sooner you can get your team working as a united force, the better its chances of success. As team leader, you need to concentrate on building a productive and effective team early in the team-building stage.
Team leaders who fail to put the work in up front to build a strong, productive team run the risk of developing a team hampered by a lack of direction, internal conflict, and misassigned team roles. All of which can result in the team failing to achieve its objectives.
Three areas are particularly important when building an effective team.

It's important to establish team goals in the early stages of team building to set the team's direction. The team leader's job is to provide the leadership necessary to establish team goals. However, this is a team activity and must involve all team members.

Assigning the right people to the right roles is important because, when done correctly, the effectiveness of the team increases. Team leaders are responsible for assigning roles, and they must assign the right people to the right roles based on ability. This helps ensure the team achieves its objectives or goals.

Establishing effective guidelines for the conduct of the team is important because it helps the team work together. Team leaders have to take a proactive role in working with the team to define guidelines for conduct so that everyone is certain about how to behave, communicate, and work together.

The team leader plays the key role in building a successful team.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Dismissing an Employee: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 10) 06/05/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 34 )

$4.99

Dismissing an employee is never a stress-free task. It can be emotionally daunting and – if done improperly – could have legal ramifications. However, with preparation, you can make this tough experience easier on yourself, your company, and the employee being dismissed.
To make the dismissal process run smoother, there are four steps you can take when considering whether to dismiss an employee. The first is to ensure the employee knows the rules. The second is to warn the employee of inappropriate performance or behavior, and plan corrective actions. The third is to assess the employee's improvement after a given time frame and then make a final decision. The fourth is to prepare a clear and concise dismissal letter, if necessary.
In this course, you'll learn more about the appropriate steps to take prior to dismissing an employee. This includes using documentation to facilitate awareness and following a progressive disciplinary procedure. You'll also find out how to determine if a dismissal is warranted based on the offense, an assessment of the employee, and the organizational impact.
At some point in their careers, most managers will have to undertake the unpleasant task of dismissing an employee. Although this can make for an uncomfortable conversation, both the manager and the employee can learn and grow from the experience if it's handled correctly.
If you feel unsure about how to handle dismissals there are guidelines you can follow that will increase your confidence and make for a smoother experience. Handling dismissals effectively means preserving the dignity of the employee and minimizing the impact on the team and the organization.
You, as a manager, can follow three steps to managing dismissals effectively. This course outlines the steps involved in preparing for dismissals; guidelines for conducting a dismissal interview, such as dealing with employee reactions; and what to consider when following up on the dismissal after the meeting.

Other Formats:: Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Delegation Essentials: A Practical Guide (Advance Book 5) 21/01/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 20 )

$4.99

Many managers, perhaps yourself included, think that if they want a job done right, they'd better do it themselves. Maybe you've had a negative experience delegating in the past and were disappointed with the results. Or perhaps you have perfectionist tendencies, and believe you can do the job better than anyone else.
Possibly you don't delegate often because you simply don't know where to begin or how to do it effectively. Regardless of your own experience with delegating, chances are if you don't delegate, you have way too much on your plate.
When you insist on doing everything yourself, as many managers tend to do, you're not devoting your full attention to your true responsibilities as a manager – coaching, motivating, planning, and monitoring.
This course will provide you with the information and tools you need to begin delegating effectively. In it, you'll learn several key aspects of delegating:
¥ exactly what delegation involves and how it can benefit you, your employees, and
¥ the organization the qualities that all good delegators have in common, and
¥ the four different delegation styles.
Whether you've never delegated before or are a seasoned delegator, this course will show you how to use delegation to empower your employees to take responsibility for tasks. Instead of worrying that the job won't be done right, you'll be confident that your employees know just what to do. And even more importantly, you'll no longer waste time doing tasks that could be better done by someone else. You'll be able to get back to doing your real job – managing.
Do you remember when you first started working in business? You probably got that job because you had special abilities or skills your employer found valuable. Now think about your first good performance review or promotion. It's likely you were praised or rewarded because you were detail-oriented, took responsibility for completing tasks yourself, and didn't try to pass your work on to other people. Well, now you're a manager and it's time to let go of all that.
It's often a little shocking for people to realize that the very qualities that made them good employees may hold them back as managers. After all, it was those traits that allowed them to become managers in the first place. But management involves a special skill – delegation. Delegating involves letting go of doing everything yourself, and learning to get things done through other people.
There are four steps in the task delegation process. First, choose which task to delegate. Then select the person to perform the task. Next, assign the task to the person. And finally, monitor the person's performance and give feedback.
In this course, you'll learn how to implement the four steps of task delegation to delegate work effectively. You'll discover how to determine which tasks should or shouldn't be delegated, and how to choose the right people for those tasks. You'll discover the best way to assign tasks so your employees understand and accept their new responsibilities. You'll also learn how to monitor your employees, and give feedback that will help them be successful at their delegated tasks.
It seems like delegating work should be simple – just ask someone to do it, and that's one less thing for you to worry about. But even when you've done your best to match the right task with the right person, problems can arise. Delegation is a learning process – for you and for your team.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Essential Skills for Administrative Support Professionals: A Practical Guide 15/02/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 26 )

$0.00

Organizations can't thrive without good managers to direct people, planning, and events. And many managers couldn't survive without their right hands – their administrative support professionals, or admin professionals.
Also known as an administrative assistant, administrative secretary, executive assistant, or even office manager, the admin professional handles an astonishing variety of tasks in today's organizations.
For example, they draft business correspondence, manage projects, create and maintain databases, schedule their boss's time, and conduct research. They also order office supplies, work with contractors and vendors, answer and handle telephone calls, create spreadsheets and reports, and plan and coordinate small and large meetings and events. It's no wonder that many managers consider their admin professionals to be their partners.
Admin professionals are often highly capable of operating state-of-the-art hardware and software. They are usually good communicators and are able to adapt to different personalities and work styles. Nowadays, admin professionals work side-by-side with their boss. They also often attend meetings in their boss's place and have authority to speak on behalf of the boss.
In this book, you'll learn about the skills needed to be a successful admin professional, including communication skills, organizing and managing skills, problem-solving skills, and basic office skills.
You'll also learn how to work effectively for your boss by anticipating your boss's needs, making your boss look good, and keeping your boss informed.
Finally, you'll learn some effective methods for communicating your boss's decisions to the people who will carry them out.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Fundamentals of Cross Cultural Communication (Essential Book 7) 08/04/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 6 )

$0.00

With so much business happening on a global scale, cross-cultural communication is more important than ever before. Communication is always a challenge, and when diverse cultures interact, good communication can be even more challenging.
For example, after a major U.S. corporation introduced a new breakfast cereal in Sweden, the company was horrified to discover that the cereal's name translates roughly as "burned peasant" in Swedish.
Imagine the embarrassment, not to mention the loss of revenues that probably ensued. And while this example seems amusing after the fact, cross-cultural miscommunications aren't always benign.
For instance, a large airline manufacturer developed its newest plane model to be flown by two pilots, with both pilots helping and correcting each other.
But what do you suppose happens when the pilots are from a culture in which a subordinate is inhibited by custom from correcting a superior? At least one airline company has had several close calls as a direct result of this "design flaw" – which is ultimately a communication lapse.
Now, you may not be involved in public safety or an industry in which communication errors can cause horrendous mishaps. But you'll likely soon be working with people from different cultures, if you aren't already. You need to learn how to handle cultural differences and maximize your communication opportunities.
And this book will help you do just that. You'll learn about important cultural differences that will help you adapt your communication style to be more effective. In the first topic, you'll learn about the importance of achieving a proper mind-set for cross-cultural communication. In the second topic, you'll study aspects of cultures that affect how people communicate across cultural boundaries. In the third topic, you'll learn about a model of cultural dimensions that will help you enhance your communication abilities.
First topic - In this topic, you'll learn about why cross-cultural communication is so important. You'll also learn why it's beneficial for you to learn how to improve your ability to communicate across cultural boundaries. Then you'll learn about some guidelines for achieving the mind-set that's essential for effective communication.
Second topic - In the second topic, you'll learn about a pioneer who studied and classified important cultural differences. Edward T. Hall was an anthropologist who made early discoveries of factors that differ among cultures. He is known for having identified what he called low-context and high-context factors.
Hall determined that people from low-context cultures communicate explicitly, with words. People from high-context cultures use contextual elements such as shared assumptions, knowledge, and body language to understand each other and communicate.
Third topic - In the third topic, you'll learn about some dimensions common to every culture that affect how people communicate. The cultural model created by Geert Hofstede identifies dimensions of culture – power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation. These dimensions influence how groups, societies, and cultures think about the world and respond to events.
At its conclusion, this topic also presents some important guidelines for communicating effectively based on Hofstede's dimensions.
After you've finished this book, you'll be much more aware of the differences among cultures. And you'll have a good sense of how you need to approach others from different cultures in order to maximize your communication opportunities with them.
But before you begin the book, there is one important disclaimer you should be aware of.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Achieving Success Through Delegation: A Practical Guide (Essential Book 8) 17/09/2020

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 32 )

$0.00

Delegating work motivates your team and frees you up for other tasks, but there is more to delegating than just handing out assignments.
There are many factors and strategies to consider when choosing what to delegate and to whom you should delegate. In this book, you'll explore delegation styles and fundamentals. You'll also learn about preparing and launching a delegation and educating and authorizing delegates.

The delegation process doesn't end with a decision to delegate. In many respects, that's just the beginning. Getting good delegation results depends on the right level of supervision, including follow-up, encouragement and handling mistakes.
In this book, you'll learn how to supervise and motivate your delegates. You'll also learn how to identify and avoid engaging in negative or demotivating behaviors. In addition, you'll learn how to respond when things go wrong and provide constructive criticism.

There are many components of effective delegation. Getting the job done is the obvious first objective, but it's not the only or even always the primary objective. Staff development is a crucial aspect of delegation.
It takes you and your team to the next level. In this book, you'll learn how to develop your team mitigating common delegation risks. You'll also learn how to assess and develop your delegation technique.

Other Formats:: Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Peer Relationships: A Practical Guide (Essential Book 10) 07/07/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 15 )

$0.00

Employees spend a large part of their lives at work. Their relationships with their peers help determine how productive and enjoyable this time is. In the workplace, peers can provide friendship, support, mentoring, and help on the job.
Having good relationships with peers boosts employees' confidence levels. Employees are more able to find support for their ambitions, and are better able to solve problems with the help of others.
All this makes for happier and more productive employees.
Good peer relationships also have many benefits for an organization. For example, friends at work are more likely to share information and help each other out. This leads to higher productivity and better problem solving. Also, when employees have good relationships, they feel more positive about going to work and are typically more loyal to the organization. This results in higher attendance and lower attrition, or turnover.
In this book, you'll learn what a peer relationship is, how it differs from other types of relationships you may have, and what general expectations govern professional relationships. You'll learn about the benefits of good peer relationships for organizations. Finally, you'll learn how to cultivate peer relationships that contribute to your own and your organization's success.
There's no such thing as a workplace without office politics. It's natural that, in any organization, individuals and departments try to achieve their work goals partly through their professional relationships with others. It's also natural that, in any group of people, some exert more influence than others and are more successful in obtaining the support they need.
Participating in office politics doesn't have to be petty, malicious, or coldly manipulative. Instead, it can involve recognizing that part of what contributes to anyone's success in the work environment is how well an individual – or a group – gets along with and influences others.
Using office politics to your advantage involves focusing on building mutually beneficial professional relationships that will further your goals and the goals of your organization.
It's important not to confuse personal relationships with those that are professional. Because you spend lot of time at work, it's likely that you've developed personal relationships and that you work with good friends. However, it's the successful professional relationships – those you have with people in a work capacity – that can help you achieve your work-related goals.
In this book, you'll learn to be more aware of the political relationships in your workplace and of your colleagues' personal approaches to politics.
You'll learn how to identify the key peers who can significantly affect your ability to do your work well and to achieve your goals. Finally, you'll learn how to build and maintain strategic professional relationships with your key peers.

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Effective Time Management: A Practical Guide (Career Book 1) 11/02/2017

by Sorin Dumitrascu

( 33 )

$4.99

Before you can improve your use of time, you need to know how much time you have – typically eight hours in a workday – and how you currently use this time. Keeping a time log for a week and using it to record how long it takes you to complete each of the activities you perform can help you to do this.
You should categorize activities and assign them priority levels so that you can create a summary of how you allocate your time over a typical week. From this summary, you can determine where you are wasting time and then address those areas.
Energy levels fluctuate throughout the day. Knowing how these "peaks" and "valleys" affect your ability to perform certain tasks can help you schedule your tasks in the most effective way.
Generally, energy levels are highest in the morning, so this is a good time to handle difficult or complex tasks that require good short-term memory and high concentration.
In the early afternoon, your energy levels start to drop, so it's best to focus on only moderately demanding tasks. By late afternoon, you have the least energy and should focus on tasks that are the easiest to complete. Afternoons lend themselves to creative tasks, processing information, or drawing on long-term memory.
Energy levels are moderate in the evening, so this is a suitable time for repetitive tasks that require concentration.
The Myers-Briggs test measures your preferences in terms of information gathering, decision making, energy source, and dealing with the outside world to determine your personality type and how you are likely to behave.
These personality traits affect how you manage your time. Each personality type has certain strengths and weaknesses. So knowing more about yourself can help you to determine how to improve your time management skills.
To manage your time and work effectively, you need to start with goals. You need to set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-related. Once goals are set, you break them down into tasks to create a comprehensive to-do list. These tasks should be action-centered, incremental, measurable, and scheduled.
Once you know what tasks you need to perform to achieve your goals, you should prioritize each according to its importance and urgency. To do this, you can use a priority matrix, which categorizes tasks as either urgent and important, urgent but not important, not urgent but important, or not urgent and not important.
To prioritize your workload effectively, you can sequence or queue the tasks you need to perform.

Other Formats:: Hardcover , Paperback

includes tax, if applicable

This title and over 1 million more available with Kindle Unlimited.

Sorin Dumitrascu

Similar authors to follow

About Sorin Dumitrascu

Customers Also Bought Items By

Author updates

Books By Sorin Dumitrascu