About the authors ix

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction xiii

1 What's your tough stuff? Getting clear on what's tough for you 1

2 Dealing with the tough stuff — foundational skills 9

3 Dealing with the fluff stuff — get more direct in your language and achieve clarity 33

4 Dealing with the unsaid stuff — ensuring maximum leverage from your non-verbal communication 55

5 Dealing with the gruff stuff — addressing anger and managing high emotions 67

6 Dealing with the huff stuff — dealing with resistant, defensive and stubborn behaviour 83

7 Dealing with the bluff stuff — handling emotional manipulation in the workplace 107

8 Dealing with the rough stuff — the big three: restructure, redundancy and dismissal 127

9 Dealing with the off-the-cuff stuff — building skills to handle immediate crisis 149

10 Dealing with enough stuff — prioritising things that matter 165

Conclusion 181

Index 189