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My guest today is Amy Gallo who is a workplace expert and cohost of Harvard Business Review's Women at Work podcast. Amy is also an author and speaker focusing on gender, interpersonal dynamics, difficult conversations, feedback, and effective communication. Today, we're delving into her book, Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People), because, like it or not, collaboration is an inevitable part of our professional lives.

In our conversation, Amy challenges the common belief that creative introverts, like myself, work best in isolation. She explains why collaboration is essential and highlights the importance of developing the skill to get along with others to achieve our best work. We explore the various types of colleagues we may encounter, including the difficult ones, and discuss how to transform these challenging relationships into productive and collaborative partnerships.

Amy's insights are invaluable, regardless of your industry or whether you work independently. Given that interaction with others is a certainty, it makes more sense to turn these into positive, productive connections.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

How organizational strategies can collapse (even good ones) if people aren't getting along
Why workplace relationships are more important than hard skills
How creative introverts who think they work best alone are actually hindering their creativity
KEY TAKEAWAY: The best idea didn't start as the best idea but as an idea that had some potential
The importance of disagreements and creative friction to bring about the best possible product
KEY TAKEAWAY: Relationships lead to better creativity
The first question you ask when you're overwhelmed and how it can reduce your stress
Why people don't like to work with people
KEY TAKEAWAY: Even with difficult relationships, you can gain something
Why you need to learn how to work with difficult people
Career advice: Follow the relationships
Why we need 'work friends' aside from friends outside work
What are the 8 archetypes of difficult people and how to deal with them
KEY TAKEAWAY: The traits that bother you most often are the ones that are just like you
How to have an environment of creative collaboration
How to frame disagreements so you're all on the same side instead of competing with each other
The 'fluffy little squirrel' strategy and how it can dampen aggressiveness in disagreements
Gender differences and conflict: how to deal with biases
How to deal with conflict brought about by generational gaps
The most important metaskill to learn: strategic empathy
What is the 9th archetype of difficult people and how to deal with them
How to know if it's time to quit

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep260: How to Build Collaborative Cultures & Fix Toxic Creative Environments | with Chris Deaver

Ep218: How to Know (Without a Doubt) If It’s Time to Quit | with Annie Duke

Amy’s newsletter

Continue to Listen & Learn

Ep259: Overcoming Communication Fears for Introverted Creatives | with Bridget Sampson

Ep261: Meetings Don’t Have to Suck: Learn a Better Way to Create and Collaborate | with Dr. Steven Rogelberg

Ep154: Using Humility to Cultivate Relationships and Land Your Dream Gig In Network TV | with Scott Powell, ACE

Ep139: Fostering Better Relationships and Improving Team Culture | with Jason Barger

Ep126: On the Importance of Building Relationships, Asking Questions, and Never Giving Up | with Andi Armaganian

Ep78: How to Build Meaningful Relationships in the ‘Real World’ | with Camille Virginia

Ep251: Building Skills, Relationships, and Weathering Industry Storms | with Shie Rozow

Ep129: How to Cultivate a “Service-Centric” Mindset (and Why It Will Make You More Successful) | with Agustin Rexach

Ep106: On the Vital Importance of “Being Nice” | with Jesse Averna, ACE

Ep133: Improve Your Networking Skills By Serving First (Instead of Selling) | with Liston Witherill

Episode Transcript

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Guest Bio:

[caption id="attachment_21278" align="alignleft" width="400"] amy-gallo-bio Amy Gallo[/caption]

Amy Gallo is a workplace expert who writes and speaks about gender, interpersonal dynamics, difficult conversations, feedback, and effective communication. She is the author of Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People) and the HBR Guide to Dealing with Conflict, as well as hundreds of articles for Harvard Business Review. For the past three years, Amy has co-hosted HBR’s popular Women at Work podcast, which examines the struggles and successes of women in the workplace. She is frequently sought out by media outlets for her perspective on workplace dynamics, conflict, and difficult conversations. Her advice has been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, Marketplace, and The Austin American-Statesman, as well as on WNYC, the BBC, and ABC (Australian Broadcasting

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Ep262: How to Work with Challenging Colleagues Without Losing Your Mind (or your job) | with Amy Gallo

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