Whatever Works: The Small Cues That Make a Surprising Difference in Our Success at Work--And How to Create a Happier Office

Thalma E. Lobel is an internationally recognized psychologist who has served as the chair at the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University, the director of the Adler Center for Child Development and Psychopathology, the Dean of Students and a member of the executive board of the university. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, and a visiting scholar at Tufts University, the University of California at San Diego, and New York University. Lobel has published dozens of articles in some of the most prestigious academic, peer-reviewed journals and has received many prestigious research grants. Her latest book, Sensation, was published in 15 countries.

Thalma Lobel, one of the world's leading experts on human behavior, explores groundbreaking psychological research on job performance, satisfaction, and creativity, revealing the hidden factors-often unrecognized, counterintuitive, or invisible-that have profound effects on how well we can do our jobs and how happy we are at work.

ContentsIntroductionI Whatever Works at the OfficeThe Cues in Your Environment1 The Office LayoutHow Your Office Design Influences Your Productivity and Satisfaction2 Let There Be LightThe Influence of Light on Our Performance and Well-Being3 I Am Too Cold, I Am Too HotThe Impact of Temperature4 Take a Walk in NatureThe Influence of Green and Blue SpacesII Whatever Works for Your TeamSurprising Factors That Change How We Work Together5 Wordless InteractionsHow Our Subtle Gestures Speak Volumes to Our Colleagues6 We Need to TalkExpressing Emotions, Negotiating, and Giving Gifts7 Sticky FingersEthical and Unethical Behavior in the Office8 Diversity in the WorkplaceDifferent Is the New Efficient9 Will This Tie Get Me Hired or Fired?How the Clothes We Wear Affect Us and Our Team10 Judging a Book by Its CoverHow Our Physical Attributes Shape Perceptions and InteractionsIII Whatever Works for YouThe Power of Our Personal Habits11 Switching On and OffHow Your Technology Use Affects You12 The Sound of MusicWhat Happens When We Listen at Work?13 Tidy Desk, Tidy Mind?Order and Disorder14 CreativityAn Essential Skill for the Twenty-First Century