Behavioural scientist Darren Hill and psychologists Alison Hill and Dr Sean Richardson are directors of the behavioural strategy company Pragmatic Thinking. They work with top companies in Australia and North America to equip and support managers and leaders to work more confidently with people.

Preface v 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