Dr. Lipkin's Forthcoming Book: 

What Was I Thinking? A Corporate Shrink Answers The Tough Questions That Keep Leaders Awake at Night.

Whether you preside over a global manufacturer of insomnia medicine, a regional chain of mattress stores, or a three-person sleep counseling service, you make the occasional leadership misstep with people.  Most of your screw-ups don’t cost you market share, drive valued employees out the door or send your share price tumbling. But some of them do. And those stupid mistakes not only rob you of sleep, they can cost you your job or even your company. Most leadership and management gurus preach perfection, urging you to lead “straight from the gut” and to make all the moves that will propel your company from “good to great.” Yet you know in your heart that no matter how many Six Sigma programs you launch, no matter how many lean initiatives you install and no matter how much careful thought you give to your major decisions, you will mess up. We all do. But what do you do then? Do you lie awake at night, rocking back and forth in the fetal position as you wrestle over your predicament? Or do you open your dog-eared copy of WHAT WAS I THINKING: The Corporate Shrink Answers the Tough Questions That Keep Leaders Awake at Night?

Psychologist Dr. Nicole Lipkin has written this book to provide sleep-deprived executives the understanding they need to prevent or resolve the inevitable leadership mistakes they make with their people.  She answers such tough questions as:

  • Why Does a Bright Boss Like Me Make Stupid Mistakes?
  • Why Can’t I Develop My People’s Full Potential?
  • How Can I Keep Smart Individuals from Making Dumb Team Decisions?
  • How Do I Remain Cool in Hot Situations?
  • What Can I Do to Make this Place Feel Less Toxic?

When it comes to effective leadership, “It’s all in your head.” It’s all about the messy, complicated, illogical and fallible human variables. That’s why busy leaders in high-pressure jobs can benefit from an occasional visit to the corporate shrink, an expert who has spent her career examining the underlying psychology and neuroscience that plays a bigger role in the workplace than all the whiz-bang software and management fads in the world. She knows all about the “gooey stuff”: engagement, motivation, expectations, emotions, interpersonal dynamics, and all the rest of the fundamental psychology that plays itself out in the workplace.  Her insights into neuroscience, psychology and group dynamics shine a bright light into the dark corners where all leaders struggle with their own shortcomings.

Switch off your computer, fluff up your pillow, lie back with your arms folded under your head, and let Dr. Lipkin illuminate the basic principles that have guided human interactions for millions of years. You may not solve all your leadership problems, but you will sleep better at night.

 

What Was I Thinking? Table of Contents

Introduction                  Mind Your Head

Chapter One                Why Does a Bright Boss Like Me Make Stupid Mistakes?

Chapter Two                Why Can’t I Develop My People’s Full Potential?

Chapter Three             Why Do Some of My Stars Suddenly Lose Their Mojo?

Chapter Four               Why Do So Many of My Best People Bolt Out The Door?

Chapter Five                Why Don’t People Heed My Sage Advice?

Chapter Six                  Why Do Smart Individuals Make Dumb Team Decisions?

Chapter Seven            Why Do I Feel Happy When I See Someone Fail?

Chapter Eight               Why Do I React The Way I Do When Someone Threatens My Job?

Chapter Nine               Why Do I Lose My Cool In Hot Situations?

Chapter Ten                 Why Does This Place Feel So Toxic?

Chapter Eleven            Why Does My Ambition Turn Me Into An SOB?

Conclusion                   Keep Your Head in the Game   

Y in the Workplace: Managing the "Me First" Generation

Flip Flops , iPods, MySpace, "Dude", Instant messaging? Whatever happened to dress shoes, yes sir/ma’am, in-person meetings, and traditional work etiquette? Well, the entry of 73 million Generation Ys into the workforce is what happened-the largest influx since 78 million baby boomers two generations ago. It’s a new world and a workplace revolution is underway, creating confusion and friction between the new workforce and their entrenched superiors. This transition, however, is also stimulating innovative methods of thinking, behaving, communicating and doing business as previous generations learn how to limit the liabilities and utilize the astonishing strengths of their new employees.


In order to help shape and develop these talented youth, one must first understand what they are made of and why they act like they do. "Y in the Workplace: Managing the "Me First" Generation" provides readers with a map of the environmental, social, cultural and psychological factors that contribute to Generation Y’s unique system of values, attitudes and expectations and outlines how, as a whole, this group has impacted the corporate environment, inter-generational functioning, and management strategies. To help this Generation successfully transition into the workplace while creating a shared vision, the authors provide you with the following:

  • Psychological insight into the character of this generation
  • An exploration of the cultural, psychological, environmental and social influences that have shaped the characteristics of this generation
  • Strengths and challenges that Generation Y is bringing to the workplace
  • 45 Coaching strategies and solutions to help transition this generation into the workforce by honing their strengths, minimizing their weaknesses and helping them illuminate their talents.
  • An instillation of optimism and understanding about their abilities as supervisors and managers to impact the future legacy of companies in an exciting and highly productive way


Whether you are an executive, leader, small business owner, manager, HR professional, or teacher working with Generation Y, this book is designed to give you insight into why this generation is the way they are and how, for the benefit of your organization, to help them become the best they can be.

To learn more about the book or to see some excerpts visit www.yintheworkplace.com.

 

Y in the Workplace Table of Contents

Chapter 1       Flip Flops and MySpace: Introduction to Gen Y and the Workplace

Chapter 2       It’s All About Me (okay, and you too): Self Esteem and Generation Y

Chapter 3       Helicopters, Hoverers, Boomerangs and Parachutes?:  Generation Y and their Parents

Chapter 4       Gold Stars for Everyone: Motivation and Generation Y

Chapter 5       Talk 2 Me in Full Sentences Instead of Txting Me:  Communication and Generation Y

Chapter 6       I’m The Boss of Me: Work Ethic and Generation Y

Chapter 7       You Hired Me Because I’m Qualified for The Position, But I’m Also a Specialist in Socializing:  Generation Y and Relationships

Chapter 8       Ritalin, Xanies, Prozac…:  Managing Your Gen Ys and Their “Drugs, Attentions, Moods and Quarter Life Crises

Chapter 9       Politics and Gen Y: Playing the Game Versus Choosing Not to Play the Game

Chapter 10     The Shoulders of Giants