The Compromise Trap: How to Thrive at Work Without Selling Your Soul

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 10
Foreword......Page 16
Introduction: Seeing with Peripheral Vision......Page 24
What to Expect......Page 28
How to Use This Book......Page 31
1 The Compromise Trap......Page 34
Healthy and Unhealthy Compromise......Page 36
Healthy and Unhealthy Pressure......Page 38
How Shall I Engage?......Page 43
The Compromise Trap......Page 46
Redefining the Game......Page 50
Personal Foundations......Page 53
Thriving at Work without Selling Your Soul......Page 55
An Appreciative Inquiry into the “Dark Side” of Work......Page 58
General Pressure to Conform......Page 60
Routine Pressure to Compromise......Page 62
Making a Gradual Deal with the Devil......Page 69
How Playing Along Becomes a Trap......Page 71
How Do You Know If You’re in the Compromise Trap?......Page 76
How to Free Yourself......Page 81
3 Ten Misconceptions about Compromise at Work......Page 85
Misconception 1: Compromise Is Always Healthy......Page 88
Misconception 2: Good Companies Don’t Create Unhealthy Pressure......Page 93
Misconception 3: Unhealthy Pressure Is the Leader’s Fault......Page 95
Misconception 4: You Have to Go Along to Survive......Page 97
Misconception 5: You’ll Always Know If You’re Crossing a Line......Page 98
Misconception 6: The Company Sets the Terms......Page 102
Misconception 7: You Should Just Say No......Page 104
Misconception 8: Refusing to Compromise Means Fighting Back......Page 105
Misconception 9: You Thrive When You Get to the Top......Page 107
Misconception 10: Individual Integrity Adds Up to Organizational Integrity......Page 108
4 How Do I Redefine the Game?......Page 114
Welcome to the Parallel Universe......Page 116
What It Means to Redefine the Game......Page 118
Becoming Bigger......Page 122
Creating Room to Redefine Your Game......Page 126
Bigger Questions......Page 127
Do I Have to Leave to Engage at a Higher Level?......Page 131
5 Reconnect to Your Strengths......Page 138
What It Means to Reconnect to Your Strengths......Page 142
Reconnecting to Your Strengths in the Moment......Page 145
Decision Point Tool #1: Activating Your Strengths......Page 148
Reconnecting to Your Strengths over Time......Page 149
Where to Go from Here......Page 152
6 See the Larger Field......Page 155
What It Means to See the Larger Field......Page 157
Seeing the Larger Field in the Moment......Page 159
Decision Point Tool #2: Questioning the Deal......Page 161
Seeing the Larger Field over Time......Page 166
Where to Go from Here......Page 169
7 Define a Worthy Enough Win......Page 172
Defining a Worthy Enough Win in the Moment......Page 173
Decision Point Tool #3: Defining Your Worthy Enough Win......Page 177
Defining a Worthy Enough Win over Time......Page 179
Where to Go from Here......Page 185
8 Find Your Real Team......Page 189
What It Means to Find Your Real Team......Page 190
Finding Your Real Team in the Moment......Page 194
Decision Point Tool #4: Tapping Your Real Team in a Crisis......Page 196
Finding Your Real Team over Time......Page 197
Where to Go from Here......Page 202
9 Make Positive Plays......Page 206
What It Means to Make Positive Plays......Page 207
The Five Positive Plays......Page 209
Decision Point Tool #5: Which Positive Play?......Page 225
Where to Go from Here......Page 226
10 Keep Your Own Score......Page 230
What It Means to Keep Your Own Score......Page 231
Keeping Your Own Score in the Moment......Page 233
Decision Point Tool #6: Mini After-action Review......Page 236
Keeping Your Own Score over Time......Page 237
Where to Go from Here......Page 242
11 Thriving at Work......Page 246
The Heart of the Choice......Page 249
What It Means to Thrive at Work......Page 251
It Begins with a Decision......Page 256
12 It’s Bigger Than a Game......Page 263
Larger Forces at Work......Page 264
Moving toward Organizational Integrity......Page 268
Let’s Make This Real......Page 271
Individual and Small-group Activities......Page 282
Activity #1: Finding the Strengths in Your Story......Page 283
Activity #2: Redefining-the-game Opportunity Map......Page 287
Activity #3: Discovering Your Professional Quest......Page 290
Activity #4: Strengthening Your Connections with Allies......Page 293
Activity #5: Redefining-the-game Action Planning......Page 296
Activity #6: Personal Goal Review......Page 298
Individual and Small-group Activities......Page 302
Further Reading......Page 303
Acknowledgments......Page 304
Notes......Page 309
B......Page 321
C......Page 322
D......Page 323
F......Page 324
H......Page 325
K......Page 326
N......Page 327
P......Page 328
R......Page 329
S......Page 330
U......Page 331
Z......Page 332
About the Author......Page 333
About WorkLore......Page 335