The People Solutions Sourcebook

Working with people requires engaging with the issues that inevitably affect their lives and work – whether conflict or stress, relationship difficulties or communication breakdown. This hands-on sourcebook is an essential introduction to tackling the problems that arise between people. Offering a wealth of practical advice, methods and strategies, it will support you in building your own toolkit of methods, enabling you to turn problems into successes with both fairness and sensitivity. The book is divided into three easy-to-navigate parts: Part I provides a theoretical backdrop for the book. It explores the factors that contribute to a range of problems and discusses the knowledge, skills and values involved in effective problem solving. Part II is a collection of over eighty tools. Organized alphabetically, each technique is thoroughly explained so that you know when and how it can be used and what results it can deliver. Part III is a guide to further learning, packed with suggestions for reading and designed as a springboard for more advanced learning and skill development. This versatile resource builds on the success of its predecessor (People Problems) to demonstrate the important role that methods can play in working with people and their problems, whatever the setting. Grounded in realism and informed by the author's extensive experience, it will be indispensible for teaching, study and practice across the fields of social care, nursing, human resource and business management and any other professional role which is defined by its contact with people.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Why, What and How.- PART I: UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE AND THEIR PROBLEMS.- Introduction.- What is a Problem?.- What is a 'People' Problem?.- Why is the Context Important?.- How Do We Start?.- How Do We Get People Motivated?.- How Do We Find the Right Way Forward?.- How Do We Promote Change?.- Why Do We Need PRECISE Practice?.- What Are the Challenges Involved?.- Is There a Problem-solving Process?.- Is a Problem Always an Opportunity?.- What is the Role of Reflective Practice?.- How Do We Make Things Happen?.- Conclusion.- PART II: PROBLEM-SOLVING METHODS.- Introduction.- Important Notes.- Avoiding Attribution Errors – Avoiding Oversimplifying the Reasons for People's Behaviour.- Avoiding Avoidance – Facing Up to Our Responsibilities.- Brainstorming Maximizing Our Range of Options.- Brokerage – Redirecting People to Sources of Help.- Capitalizing on Crisis – Realizing the Potential of Critical Moments in a Person's Life.- The CBC approach – Putting People at their Ease.- Challenging Cognitive Distortions Trying to Get a Balanced View of the Situation.- Chunk Up or Chunk Down – Finding the Right Level of Analysis.- The CIA Framework – Managing Pressure and Stress.- Circular Questioning – Establishing the Importance of Interrelationships.- Confronting Without Being Confrontational – Using Assertiveness Skills.- Congruence – Getting on the Same Wavelength.- Consequences – Exploring Options and Their Likely Outcomes.- Cost-benefit Analysis – Balancing the Pros and Cons.- Creative Tension – Making Sure Expectations are Realistic.- Critical Incident Technique – Learning from Significant Experiences.- Culture Audit – Making Sense of Organizational Cultures.- Dealing with Objections – Persuading People to Move Forward.- Doing the Right Things vs. Doing Things Right – Balancing Efficiency and Effectiveness.- The Drama Triangle – Avoiding Being Drawn into Being a 'Rescuer'.- Eating an Elephant – Being Realistic About What We Can Achieve.- Eco Maps – Mapping Out Relationships Across Groups of People.- Educating – Problem Solving Through Helping People Learn.- Elegant Challenging – Being Constructive in Challenging Unacceptable Behaviour or Language.- Embedded Whys – Establishing Reasons for Our Actions.- Encouraging Creativity – Avoiding Getting Stuck in Ruts.- The Empty Chair – Exploring the Influence of an Absent Person.- Exchange is No Robbery – The Importance of Reciprocity.- Finding the Growth Zone – Finding the Balance Between Comfort and Fear.- Fishbone Analysis – A Visual Aid to Problem Solving.- Fishing for Red Herrings – Not Allowing Ourselves to Get Distracted.- Force-field Analysis – Managing Change.- Gantt Charts – Visual Aids for Project Management.- Giving Feedback – Letting People Know Where They Stand.- Grief Audit – Getting an Overview of People's Experiences of Grief.- Helicopter Vision – Obtaining an Overview.- Holding – Helping to Provide Emotional Security.- Inviting Innocent Questions – Getting a Perspective from Outside the Situation You Are Dealing With.- Know Your Enemy – Coping With Anxiety.- Lateral Thinking – Finding New Ways to Think About Problems and Solutions.- The Magic Wand – Getting as Close to the Ideal as Possible.- Making the Most of Meetings – Avoiding Time and Energy Being Wasted.- Mind Mapping – Developing a Picture of the Situation You Are Dealing With.- Modelling and Use of Self – Using Yourself as a Tool to Help Others.- Motivational Interviewing – Using Ambivalence to Bring About Change.- Motivation Audit – Getting an Overview of Key Motivational Factors.- Naming the Process – Bringing Hidden Agendas Out into the Open.- Negotiating Expectations – Being Clear About What We Can Expect From Each Other.- Not Tolerating Vagueness – Avoiding the Dangers of Being Too Vague.- Objectives Tre