"Distinguished psychologist Jane Dutton details the small acts of sensitivity to people that add up to big differences in morale and effectiveness. Managers seeking to improve their people skills need look no further than her helpful and practical book."— Rosabeth Moss Kanter, professor, Harvard Business School, and author Evolve! and World Class

"Dutton's useful and original book brings to life in lucid writing what winning organizations look like and how they got there."

— Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business, University of Southern California, and author, On Becoming a Leader andGeeks and Geezers

"Jane Dutton speaks to everyone in the workplace, and especially to leaders, about practical ways to dramatically increase two vital resources: the energy and achievements of organizations and the dignity, competence, and contributions of individual members. I can' think of a single way to improve organizational effectiveness and individual's work lives that is more readily available (and more widely underutilized!) than people making more "high-quality connections," which is the theme of Dutton's book."

— B. Joseph White, managing director, Fred Alger Management, Inc., and former dean, University of Michigan Business School

"Jane Dutton is superbly qualified to write this book— it reflects her deep knowledge of the subject and wisdom gleaned from her own special gift for building and sustaining high-quality relationships at work. Readers will find the book an informative, practical, and inspiring contribution to making life at work more energized, engaging, and effective."

— Peter J. C. Frost, Edgar F. Kaiser Professor of Organizational Behaviour, Faculty of Commerce, University of British Columbia, and author, Toxic Emotions at Work

Corrosive work relationships are like black holes that swallow up energy that people need to do their jobs. In contrast, high-quality relationships generate and sustain energy, equipping people to do work and do it well.

Grounded in solid research, this book uses energy as a measurement to describe the power of positive and negative connections in people's experience at work. Author Jane Dutton provides three pathways for turning negative connections into positive ones that create and sustain employee resilience and flexibility, facilitate the speed and quality of learning, and build individual commitment and cooperation.

Through compelling and illustrative stories, Energize Your Workplaceoffers managers, executives, and human resource professionals the resources they need to build high-quality connections in the workplace.

Using energy as a measurement, Jane E. Dutton describes the power of positive and negative connections on people's experience at work and provides practical steps to enhance the quality of workplace relationships--including five pathways for turning negative relationships into positive ones. The author utilizes powerful stories about relationship-building and relationship-destroying taken from her research and includes tables, cartoons, and other illustrative elements to help animate and deepen understanding of various points in the book.

Jane E. Dutton is the William Russell Kelly Professor of Business Administration at The University of Michigan. She is the author of three books and numerous articles in the area of relational work in organizations, which have appeared in Academy of Management Review, Strategic Thinking, and Administrative Science Quarterly, among others. Dutton's article, "Leading in Times of Trauma," appeared in the January 2002 issue of Harvard Business Review.

Series Foreword.

Preface.

1. Creating Energy Through High-Quality Connections.

2. Respectful Engagement.

3. Task Enabling.

4. Trusting.

5. Dealing with Corrosive Connections.

6. Building High-Quality Connections in Your Organization.

Notes.

The Author.

Index.