Gray matters : the workplace survival guide

An illustrated guide to surviving today's turbulent and challenging workplace from the authors of The Wall Street Journal bestseller The Boss's Survival Guide

Forget the Australian Outback or the Amazon jungle-today's toughest survival challenge is the minefield we call work. It's impossible to "do more with less," especially with the looming threat of another reorganization, layoff, or other dramatic change. The good news is that you've got a new power tool for what ails you at work: Gray Matters. This inventive new book combines lively visuals, engaging characters, and impudent humor. But Gray Matters also offers hope and proven strategies to show you how to succeed at work today:

how to sell successfully how to survive a layoff how to overcome the stress and pressure of today's frenetic workplace.

Think Dilbert with a solution. Your tour guides are the employees of GlobalGadget: Gray Blanderson, a frazzled employee seeking a promotion; Rick Newman, Gray's nemesis; S. P. Chan g, a Gen-Xer and a wise soul; and Virginia Edgarly, Gray's boss who will do whatever is required to be the next CEO.

A follow-up to the bestseller, The Boss's Survival Guide , this new book is a must for all managers in this turbulent work environment. This funny guide will help managers navigate change, improve morale and develop business strategies.

WARNING: Gray Matters is addictive; get ready to laugh and learn.

Author Notes

Bob Rosner speaks humorously and memorably to groups around the world and writes the internationally syndicated column "Working Wounded: Advice that Adds Insight to Injury."
Allan Halcrow is an award-winning business editor, best-selling author and a partner in WorkPositive
John Lavin is an award-winning cartoonist and an artist

About the authors	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. xiii
Setting the scene	p. xx
Part 1 How Business Works
1. Change: How to thrive during uncertainty by driving change	p. 1
2. Walk Your Talk: How to earn respect by aligning what you say with what you do	p. 18
3. Dollars and Sense: How to use your company's financial data to set priorities	p. 33
4. Politics: How to maneuver through workplace dynamics--good and bad--to get things done	p. 46
5. Customers: How to identify what your customers really think	p. 66
6. Relationships: How to be a successful team player	p. 83
Part 2 Sales
7. Sales Autopsy: How to make sense of losing a key customer	p. 96
8. Know Your Market: How to understand what the market wants so you can deliver	p. 110
9. Qualifying: How to identify your most likely buyers	p. 121
10. Walk in Their Shoes: How to understand the business challenges your customers face--and how you can help	p. 133
11. Objections: How to identify--and overcome--the primary reasons your customers say "no"	p. 150
12. Secondary Objections: How to identify and overcome the unspoken--and often emotional--reasons customers say "no"	p. 161
13. Building Relationships: How to listen, establish trust, and go the extra mile for your customers	p. 175
14. Closing the Sale: How to ask customers for their business	p. 189
Part 3 The Seven Deadly Workplace Sins
15. Exhaustion: How to set priorities, say "no," and ease your stress	p. 203
16. Anger: How to keep things in perspective and manage your emotions	p. 219
17. Surrender: How to leverage your influence and make a difference	p. 234
18. Obsolescence: How to hone your skills and stay on top of your field	p. 246
19. Incompetence: How to encourage--and use--feedback on your performance	p. 259
20. Withdrawal: How to stay focused on your mission and connected to others	p. 272
21. Dysfunction: How to stay grounded--and work with those who aren't	p. 292
Part 4 Innovation
22. The Spirit of Innovation: How to implement new ideas and build for the future	p. 311
23. Obstacles to Innovation: How to overcome the roadblocks to success	p. 325

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Author Notes

Table of Contents