What's the hard truth? Soft skills get little respect but will make or break your career. Master your soft skills and really get ahead at work! Fortune 500 coach Peggy Klaus encounters individuals every day who excel at their jobs but aren't getting where they want to go. It's rarely a shortfall in technical expertise that limits their careers, but rather a shortcoming in their social, communication, and self-management behaviors. In The Hard Truth About Soft Skills Klaus delivers practical tools and techniques for mastering soft skills across the career spectrum. She shows how to: manage your workload - handle the critics - develop and promote your personal brand - navigate office politics - lead the troops - and much more! Klaus reveals why soft skills are often ignored, while bringing their importance to life in her trademark style—straightforward, humorous, and motivating. Perfect for readers at all professional stages—from those who are just starting out to seasoned executives—this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to take his or her career to the next level. “[Klaus’s] practical advice is delivered in the conversational style of a one-on-one session with a personal coach.... The volume is recommended for those who are in need of a more personable approach to rising up professionally.” - Publishers Weekly “The authors offer 54 important workplace lessons...[and]...offers important insight for career management which will be helpful to a wide range of library patrons.” - Booklist “This is a good book to read with a notebook at your side, in case you spot anything you’ve been doing to hold yourself back in the workplace.” - Atlanta Journal-Constitution What's the hard truth? Soft skills get little respect but will make or break your career. Master your soft skills and really get ahead at work! Fortune 500 coach Peggy Klaus encounters individuals every day who excel at their jobs but aren't getting where they want to go. It's rarely a shortfall in technical expertise that limits their careers, but rather a shortcoming in their social, communication, and self-management behaviors. In The Hard Truth About Soft Skills Klaus delivers practical tools and techniques for mastering soft skills across the career spectrum. She shows how to: manage your workload - handle the critics - develop and promote your personal brand - navigate office politics - lead the troops - and much more! Klaus reveals why soft skills are often ignored, while bringing their importance to life in her trademark style—straightforward, humorous, and motivating. Perfect for readers at all professional stages—from those who are just starting out to seasoned executives—this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to take his or her career to the next level. Peggy Klaus trains professionals worldwide at leading companies that include Credit Suisse, Disney, UNICEF, and Kaiser Permanente. Author of BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It , she is regularly featured in a wide range of media including the Today Show , 20/20 , BusinessWeek , the Wall Street Journal , the New York Times , and O Magazine . Klaus has lectured at Harvard; the University of California, Berkeley; and Wharton. She lives in Berkeley, California. The Hard Truth About Soft Skills Workplace Lessons Smart People Wish They'd Learned Sooner By Peggy Klaus HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright ©2008 Peggy Klaus All right reserved. ISBN: 9780061284144 Chapter One Control yourself Knowing yourself is as important as knowing how to do the job. - There's no such thing as work-life balance, only trade-offs. - Years of loyalty can work against you. - Listen to your gut—it's full of data. - No risks, no rewards. - Get out of your own way. - Learn the honest truth about integrity. - You have to be good to be lucky. A few years ago, an HR executive at a Fortune 500 company said to me, "Peggy, I can't believe how many people believe their bosses wake up in the morning thinking, 'Gee, let's see what I can do for you today.'" Her point was this: Chances are, nobody will ever care about your career more than you do—except for, well, maybe your parents or spouse. This means you must take responsibility for managing your own career—don't even think about leaving it to anyone else. I'm not saying that those around you at work aren't interested in helping you succeed. But their focus is mainly on themselves—their own projects, trajectory, and careers. And similarly, your focus should remain squarely on you. Even when you don't work for yourself, managing your own career means wearing the many hats of an entrepreneur. Start thinking like the CEO, marketing manager, sales force, HR director, head of product design, and talent coordinator of your own company—a company of one, which is you . Why is it so important that you take the reins when it comes to career management? First, gone are the days of job security. Merger