
Hard-Won Wisdom
True Stories from the Management Trenches
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $25.78
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Jathan Janove
-
By:
-
Jathan Janove
About this listen
From dealing with underperformers to fighting off lawsuits, employee problems are the bane of a manager's existence. So what do most do? Ignore them!
And that's a recipe for more problems. Written by a seasoned HR expert and employment attorney, Hard-Won Wisdom takes you inside the messy reality of situations gone wrong, including:
- A joking comment taken as a command
- An email exchange that escalates ridiculously out of control
- A request for confidentiality that backfires in a big way
- The right employee...fired the wrong way
- The wrong employee...hired the right way
These sometimes funny, always cautionary tales reinforce crucial lessons for managers. From failing to give feedback and withholding key information to exercising poor judgment and making faulty assumptions, every story highlights the role management plays in exacerbating (or easing) trouble.
And each story suggests simple strategies to turn the situation around. The memorable lessons help managers motivate underachievers, defuse angry employees, discipline without inviting legal action - and handle every tricky people issue they simply can't avoid.
©2016 Jathan Janove (P)2016 Gildan Media LLCListeners also enjoyed...
-
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
- How Successful People Become Even More Successful
- By: Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What's holding you back? Marshall Goldsmith is an expert at helping global leaders overcome their (sometimes unconscious) annoying habits and attaining a higher level of success. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag. But with this audiobook, you'll get Marshall's great advice without the hefty fee!
-
-
Good book, but didn't lend to the audio format
- By Carla on 03-21-11
By: Marshall Goldsmith, and others
-
The Essential HR Handbook, 10th Anniversary Edition
- A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional
- By: Sharon Armstrong, Barbara Mitchell
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you're a small business owner, a manager in a business without an HR department, or even a seasoned HR professional, The Essential HR Handbook will help you handle any personnel problem - from onboarding to outplacement - quickly and easily. This fully updated 10th anniversary edition is packed with information, tools, checklists, sample forms, and timely tips to guide you through the maze of personnel issues in today's complex business environment.
-
-
Good technical HR resource
- By Amazon Customer on 02-02-24
By: Sharon Armstrong, and others
-
Getting Along
- How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
- By: Amy Gallo
- Narrated by: Amy Gallo
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Work relationships can be hard. The stress of dealing with difficult people dampens our creativity and productivity, degrades our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions, and causes us to disengage. In Getting Along, workplace expert and Harvard Business Review podcast host Amy Gallo identifies eight familiar types of difficult coworkers—the insecure boss, the passive-aggressive peer, the know-it-all, the biased coworker, and others—and provides strategies tailored to dealing constructively with each one.
-
-
Getting Along
- By Anonymous User on 02-09-24
By: Amy Gallo
-
Getting to Yes
- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- By: Roger Fisher, William Ury
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry. It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats.
-
-
Maybe I Could Go to Four and One-Half Stars
- By John on 01-14-12
By: Roger Fisher, and others
-
The Self-Aware Leader
- Play to Your Strengths, Unleash Your Team
- By: John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Self-awareness is key for new and seasoned leaders who want to avoid micro-managing, handle criticism with grace, and give others the credit they deserve. Maxwell also aims to help current and new managers looking to identify their strengths, become a better learner, and improve listening skills.
-
-
Great insightful book
- By Abasi on 12-28-22
By: John C. Maxwell
-
Workplace Ethics
- Mastering Ethical Leadership and Sustaining a Moral Workplace (The Paul Falcone Resource Series)
- By: Paul Falcone
- Narrated by: John Behrens
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ethical challenges ranging from designing a diversity and inclusion strategy to creating a process for handling harassment allegations or establishing an employee discipline or termination process can overwhelm even senior leaders. This quick-guide walks you through these and many more critical ethical challenges you’ll face when managing a team and workplace.
By: Paul Falcone
-
What Got You Here Won't Get You There
- How Successful People Become Even More Successful
- By: Marshall Goldsmith, Mark Reiter
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What's holding you back? Marshall Goldsmith is an expert at helping global leaders overcome their (sometimes unconscious) annoying habits and attaining a higher level of success. His one-on-one coaching comes with a six-figure price tag. But with this audiobook, you'll get Marshall's great advice without the hefty fee!
-
-
Good book, but didn't lend to the audio format
- By Carla on 03-21-11
By: Marshall Goldsmith, and others
-
The Essential HR Handbook, 10th Anniversary Edition
- A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional
- By: Sharon Armstrong, Barbara Mitchell
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether you're a small business owner, a manager in a business without an HR department, or even a seasoned HR professional, The Essential HR Handbook will help you handle any personnel problem - from onboarding to outplacement - quickly and easily. This fully updated 10th anniversary edition is packed with information, tools, checklists, sample forms, and timely tips to guide you through the maze of personnel issues in today's complex business environment.
-
-
Good technical HR resource
- By Amazon Customer on 02-02-24
By: Sharon Armstrong, and others
-
Getting Along
- How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)
- By: Amy Gallo
- Narrated by: Amy Gallo
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Work relationships can be hard. The stress of dealing with difficult people dampens our creativity and productivity, degrades our ability to think clearly and make sound decisions, and causes us to disengage. In Getting Along, workplace expert and Harvard Business Review podcast host Amy Gallo identifies eight familiar types of difficult coworkers—the insecure boss, the passive-aggressive peer, the know-it-all, the biased coworker, and others—and provides strategies tailored to dealing constructively with each one.
-
-
Getting Along
- By Anonymous User on 02-09-24
By: Amy Gallo
-
Getting to Yes
- Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- By: Roger Fisher, William Ury
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Getting to Yes is a straightorward, universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken - and without getting angry. It offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict - whether it involves parents and children, neighbors, bosses and employees, customers or corporations, tenants or diplomats.
-
-
Maybe I Could Go to Four and One-Half Stars
- By John on 01-14-12
By: Roger Fisher, and others
-
The Self-Aware Leader
- Play to Your Strengths, Unleash Your Team
- By: John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: Henry O. Arnold
- Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Self-awareness is key for new and seasoned leaders who want to avoid micro-managing, handle criticism with grace, and give others the credit they deserve. Maxwell also aims to help current and new managers looking to identify their strengths, become a better learner, and improve listening skills.
-
-
Great insightful book
- By Abasi on 12-28-22
By: John C. Maxwell
-
Workplace Ethics
- Mastering Ethical Leadership and Sustaining a Moral Workplace (The Paul Falcone Resource Series)
- By: Paul Falcone
- Narrated by: John Behrens
- Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ethical challenges ranging from designing a diversity and inclusion strategy to creating a process for handling harassment allegations or establishing an employee discipline or termination process can overwhelm even senior leaders. This quick-guide walks you through these and many more critical ethical challenges you’ll face when managing a team and workplace.
By: Paul Falcone
-
Think Again
- The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
- By: Adam Grant
- Narrated by: Adam Grant
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn.
-
-
Only Good if you've never questioned anything.
- By Victor Alvia on 02-10-21
By: Adam Grant
-
Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office (10th Anniversary Edition)
- Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers (A Nice Girls Book)
- By: Lois P. Frankel
- Narrated by: Lois P. Frankel
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times bestseller, which for 10 years has been a must-have for women in business, is now completely revised and updated. In this new edition, internationally recognized executive coach Lois P. Frankel reveals a distinctive set of behaviors-over 130 in all-that women learn in girlhood that ultimately sabotage them as adults. She teaches you how to eliminate these unconscious mistakes that could be holding you back and offers invaluable coaching tips that can easily be incorporated into your social and business skills.
-
-
Listen with a critical ear
- By Michelle on 12-15-18
By: Lois P. Frankel
-
Sales Management. Simplified
- The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team
- By: Mike Weinberg
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why do sales organizations fall short? Every day expert consultants like Mike Weinberg are called on by companies large and small to find the answer - and it's one that may surprise you. Typically the issue lies not with the sales team - but with how it is being led. Through their attitude and actions, senior executives and sales managers unknowingly undermine performance. In Sales Management. Simplified. Weinberg tells it straight, calling out the problems plaguing sales forces and the costly mistakes made by even the best-intentioned sales managers.
-
-
Results over Activity? Results win
- By Amazon Customer on 04-01-16
By: Mike Weinberg
-
The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive
- A Leadership Fable
- By: Patrick Lencioni
- Narrated by: Charles Stransky; introduction by Patrick Lencioni
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As CEO, most everything that Rich O'Connor did had something to do with at least one of the four disciplines on his famed "yellow sheet." Rich never suspected that it would become the blueprint of an employee's plan to destroy the firm. Best selling author Lencioni brings us a fable that focuses on a leader's crucial role in building a healthy organization.
-
-
A great reminder about the important basics.
- By Joel Ordesky on 03-08-03
By: Patrick Lencioni
-
How to Be a Great Boss
- By: Gino Wickman, René Boer
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In How to Be a Great Boss, Gino Wickman and René Boer present a straightforward, practical approach to help bosses at all levels of an organization get the most from their people. They share time-tested tools that have worked for more than 30,000 bosses in every industry. You can learn to be a great boss - and dramatically improve both your organization's performance and your team's excitement about their work.
-
-
Great principles, but repetitive of Traction
- By Amazon Customer on 11-03-16
By: Gino Wickman, and others
-
The Oz Principle
- Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
- By: Roger Connors, Tom Smith, Craig Hickman
- Narrated by: Wayne Shepherd
- Length: 8 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Oz Principle is the groundbreaking work that demonstrates the vital role of accountability in the achievement of business results and the improvement of both individual and organizational performance. With more than a half million copies sold, The Oz Principle has emerged as one of the most influential and useful business ideas of recent times. The Oz Principle shows how to overcome The Blame Game that is so prevalent in organizations today.
-
-
Trustless Accountability
- By Michael on 04-23-17
By: Roger Connors, and others
-
Who
- The A Method for Hiring
- By: Geoff Smart, Randy Street
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Geoff Smart and Randy Street offer a simple, four-step method for hiring with confidence, designed for everyone from the CEO on down. Who shows you how to avoid the most common pitfalls of hiring, how to identify "A Players" - people who can perform their job better than 90 percent of the candidates in their field - and how to make sure the best candidate will be excited to join your organization.
-
-
Great book but need PDF of Scorecard material
- By Nancy Walsh on 10-17-12
By: Geoff Smart, and others
-
Fierce Conversations
- Achieving Success at Work & in Life, One Conversation at a Time
- By: Susan Craig Scott M.D.
- Narrated by: Susan Craig Scott
- Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the master teacher of positive change through powerful communication, Susan Scott wants you to succeed. To do that, you must transform everyday conversations in effective ways to get your message across.
-
-
loved it
- By Jason R. Parrish on 08-01-17
-
Business Without the Bullsh*t
- 49 Secrets and Shortcuts You Need to Know
- By: Geoffrey James
- Narrated by: Brett Barry
- Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Contrary to popular belief, the business world is not that complicated. While every industry and every profession requires specific expertise, the truth is that the "business of business" is relatively simple. In Business Without the Bullsh*t, listeners will learn surprising but tried-and-true secrets about being an extraordinary boss, about coping with annoying coworkers, and navigating the thorny problems that recur in every workplace.
-
-
Some of these will get you fired for sure
- By Amazon Customer on 01-23-17
By: Geoffrey James
-
Fierce Leadership
- A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Business Practices of Today
- By: Susan Scott
- Narrated by: Susan Scott
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Fierce Leadership, Scott teaches us how to spot the worst "best" practices in our organizations using a technique she calls "squid eye" - the ability to see the "tells" or signs that we have fallen prey to disastrous behaviors by knowing what to look for. Only then, she says, can we apply the antidote.
-
-
UNBELIEVABLE
- By jason kramer on 02-20-18
By: Susan Scott
-
The Little Black Book of Human Resources Management
- By: Barry Wolfe
- Narrated by: Ray Allaire
- Length: 3 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's about the stuff you learn when you've worked for a boss you'd swear jumped out of a Dilbert cartoon; worked in a business whose performance careened up and down like a runaway clown car; faced legal or ethical problems that needed the wisdom of Solomon to sort out while they roiled your guts at night; and sat on the stand across from some third-rate Perry Mason or tried to be one yourself.
-
-
A non-HR person's opinion
- By Guillermo A. Guzman on 08-04-16
By: Barry Wolfe
-
Workplace Poker
- Are You Playing the Game, or Just Getting Played?
- By: Dan Rust
- Narrated by: Dan Rust, Rick Adamson
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A career advisor explains why many talented, hardworking people often miss out on their full career potential, revealing the tells, blind spots, secrets, and unspoken rules you need to know in order to play the game to win.
-
-
A must read for your life
- By Belinda on 06-05-18
By: Dan Rust
What listeners say about Hard-Won Wisdom
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Megan M.
- 12-29-16
Funny, Informative and Useful Stories
Would you listen to Hard-Won Wisdom again? Why?
I think books are best read by the author and this one is a great example of why. Jathan's stories all come from real-life experiences are and expertly recounted with all the hilarious/tragic details included. I felt like he was telling me the stories in person and offering each moral with sincerity.
What did you like best about this story?
The different stories are grouped into chapters. If you have a particular issue or question you can go to that chapter and see what Jathan has to say about it.
Which character – as performed by Jathan Janove – was your favorite?
Although characters aren't exactly performed, Jathan's impersonation of "Texas Wes" is actually pretty great.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
It would be possible except that there is so much information to soak in! I would listen to each chapter separately and really give yourself a chance to think about the morals at the end of each story.
Any additional comments?
Jathan's reading style makes listening to this book pleasant and enjoyable. It made me laugh out loud at times, and at other times feel genuinely bad for all involved in the story!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A faithful reader
- 03-18-20
You’ll be a better manager
Jathan Janove’s style is light hearted and full of humor interspersed within dozens of extremely easy to adopt Managememnt techniques. I’ve studied interpersonal communication my entire career but still learned numerous ways to better communicate with coworkers, friends and family members. I highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!