The Power of Pause How to be More Effective in a Demanding, 24/7 World

by Guilmartin, Nance

• ISBN13: 9780470478271
• ISBN10: 0470478276
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-12-21
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

One of the most frustrating dilemmas for working people today is how to be effective when we feel we don't have time or we're facing non-stop demands. This book gives readers high-speed tools to solve that dilemma using an approach that, as is often the case in business success, is paradoxical. The solution that is the most powerful is not always the most obvious which is why when you discover it, it's powerful. It's called: The Power of Pause.The Power of Pause process is a 21 st century practice that international author, Nance Guilmartin, has taught thousands of people to use in a 24/7 world. It is a method that dares us to take a moment to wonder what's called for when we feel we're short on time, attention, temper or choices. Whether we're managing or working for a company, a nonprofit organization, a government agency, a hospital, a school, a customer service help line, or ourselves, we can learn to briefly put our assumptions and reactions on hold. In that instant, we can use a simple method to rewire our overloaded circuits, tap into our 'missing-in-action' common sense, and raise our communication intelligence.In a nutshell: This book provides readers with a powerful framework and an "Effectiveness Equation" to make better decisions in a non-stop world. It is not a book about slowing down the pace of workday life. It is a book that enables time-pressed readers to make savvier choices and avoid costly mistakes. How? By quickly uncovering better options that lie beneath the surface of high-speed reactions, which positions readers to be more effective "rapid responders."Readers get mental short cuts to productively respond to what someone said, what someone meant and what was left unsaid. They exercise leadership skills -that save time and strengthen relationships - by taking responsibility, in advance , for being understood rather than assuming their meaning was clear the first time. They regain a sense of humor and tolerance, and stop taking it personally when communication miscues happen in the multitasking, increasingly diverse workplace. They engage one another in productive exchanges instead of attacking or being resigned. In addition, The Power of Pause methods enable managers and teams to save time and money because they can now fix problems and achieve goals with less stress - even in the face of competition, cultural or language differences or tight budgets.

Author Biography

Four-time Emmy Award winner Nance Guilmartin is an executive coach, consultant, educator, and author of Healing Conversations. As a Westinghouse Broadcasting executive, she launched the national designated driver program and the For Kids' Sake and Time to Care campaigns, sparking community problem solving in over 100 cities. She was press secretary to the late U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas and a writer-editor for CBS NewsRadio. Guilmartin is a Fellow of Florida International University's Center for Leadership, where she teaches the executive education program Women on the Move, and is a clinical adjunct faculty member at the College of Business Administration. She lives in Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

An Invitation to the Power of Pause	p. 1
The Power of Pause Process: How to Shift from Running on Automatic	p. 11
Restoring the Ability to Choose	p. 13
What Is a Pause?	p. 21
The Paradox of Pause: You Gain Impact by Taking a (Brief) Time-Out	p. 35
Tips and Yeah, Buts	p. 46
Get Curious Not Furious: Take Back Control to Get New Options	p. 53
What Happens When We're Wired to Snap?	p. 55
Get a Reality Check: Save Time, Money, and Relationships	p. 71
What Is Curiosity?	p. 79
Have You Been Caught in a Decision-Making Speed Trap?	p. 87
When Curiosity Becomes Your New Default Setting	p. 95
Tips and Yeah, Buts	p. 103
What Don't I Know I Don't Know? Ask Better Questions to Drive Sucess	p. 111
How Can We Ensure Success in Times of Uncertainty?	p. 113
Drive Success with an Extra Measure of Humility	p. 127
Revisiting the Resentment Bank Account: Deposits and Withdrawals	p. 147
Tips and Yeah, Buts	p. 153
The Art of the Pause: Do What Matters Most and Make it Count	p. 165
Where Are We Going?	p. 167
What's in It for Me?	p. 191
Appreciations: The Power of Pause in Action	p. 197
Tips for Effectively Giving and Accepting Appreciation	p. 208
The Power of Pause Practices: Twelve Ways to Be Your Best and to Succeed in a Demanding, 24/7 World	p. 211
It's Time: Now it's Up to You	p. 215
Notes	p. 219
Appreciations	p. 227
About the Author	p. 233
Index	p. 235
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