Resilience (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series): A book review by Bob Morris

Bend and adjust or be broken.

HBR Press offers a series of anthologies (nine volumes thus far) of articles in which contributors share proven research that explains how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambiguous professionals to master.

If you were to purchase reprints of the six articles in this volume separately, the total cost would be $59.70. Amazon now sells the volume for only $10.87.

The HBR editors of this volume ask, “How do some people bounce back with vigor from daily setbacks, professional crises, or even intense personal trauma?

“This book reveals the key traits of those who emerge stronger from challenges, helps you train your brain to withstand the stresses of daily life, and presents an approach to an effective career reboot.”

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From “How Resilience Works,” Diane Coutu:

The ability to see reality is closely linked to the second building block of resilience, the propensity to make meaning of terrible times. We all know people who, under duress, throw up their hands and cry, ‘How can this be happening to me?’ Such people see themselves as victims, and living through hardship carries no lessons for them. But resilient people devise constructs about their suffering to create some sort of meaning for themselves and others.

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From “Find the Coaching in Criticism,” Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone:

If the feedback is on target and the advice is wise, it shouldn’t matter who delivers it. But it does. When a relationship trigger is activated, entwining the content iof comments with your feelings about the giver (or aboyt how, when, or where she delivered the comments), learning is shirt-circuited. To keep that from happening, you have to work to separate the message from the messenger, and then consider both.

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From “Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters,” Jeffrey A. Sonnefeld and Andrew J. Ward:

The decision you will face in responding to a career disaster is the question of whether to confront the situation that brought you down — with an exhausting, expensive, and perhaps embarrassing battle — or try to put it behind you as quickly as possible, in the hope that no one will notice or remember for long. In some cases, it’s best to avoid direct and immediate confrontation.

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Many people need to improve their emotional well-being, not only at work but in all other areas of life. To them and those who supervise them, I highly recommend the HBR Emotional Intelligence Series.

 

 

 

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