Friendly Persuasion: How to Get the Things You Want

So much of a working mother’s battle is lobbying to get a challenging project similar to one Mister-Married-Without-Kids just landed, or persuading the babysitter to stay an extra hour just so you can get couple more hours in with the hubby for a late-night dinner. So much of being a working mother is bargaining and the only way to do that is to be friendly and genuine about it.

It’s all a matter of framing when it comes to getting your spouse to help with your share of the household chores. The same rule applies to work and everything else. I have found that life would be easier if we all learned to communicate better. I found these awesome book & materials that could help you take your communication to the next level.

Never Eat Alone: The secret, master networker Keith Ferrazzi claims, is in reaching out to other people. As Ferrazzi discovered early in life, what distinguishes highly successful people from everyone else is the way they use the power of relationships—so that everyone wins.

How to Win Friends and Influence People: Proven advice for success in life: Carnegie believed that most successes come from an ability to communicate effectively rather than from brilliant insights. His book teaches these skills by showing readers how to value others and make them feel appreciated rather than manipulated.

 Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ: Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High: The first edition of Crucial Conversations exploded onto the scene and revolutionized the way millions of people communicate when stakes are high. This new edition gives you the tools to: Prepare for high-stakes situations, transform anger and hurt feelings into powerful dialogue, make it safe to talk about almost anything, be persuasive, not abrasive.

While these are all great books, it is more important to respect yourself in every conversation you hold with your spouse, family, coworkers and loved ones. Don’t get into a confrontational conversation that undermines the other person.

How do you make sure you get what you want at home and the workplace. What techniques have you tried?