Book Description Review Quotes Contents
Book Description

Successful natural resource management is much more than good science; it requires working with landowners, meeting deadlines, securing funding, supervising staff, and cooperating with politicians. The ability to work effectively with people is as important for the conservation professional as it is for the police officer, the school teacher, or the lawyer. Yet skills for managing human interactions are rarely taught in academic science programs, leaving many conservation professionals woefully unprepared for the daily realities of their jobs.
 
Written in an entertaining, easy-to-read style, The Conservation Professional’s Guide to Working with People fills a gap in conservation education by offering a practical, how-to guide for working effectively with colleagues, funders, supervisors, and the public. The book explores how natural resource professionals can develop skills and increase their effectiveness using strategies and techniques grounded in social psychology, negotiation, influence, conflict resolution, time management, and a wide range of other fields. Examples from history and current events, as well as real-life scenarios that resource professionals are likely to face, provide context and demonstrate how to apply the skills described.
 
The Conservation Professional’s Guide to Working with People should be on the bookshelf of any environmental professional who wants to be more effective while at the same time reducing job-related stress and improving overall quality of life. Those who are already good at working with people will learn new tips, while those who are petrified by the thought of conducting public meetings, requesting funding, or working with constituents will find helpful, commonsense advice about how to get started and gain confidence.

Review Quotes

"Conserving essential natural resources requires more than specialized knowledge and advanced technologies—it calls for finely honed 'people skills.' Brimming with insights from hands-on experience, this book offers reassuring, wise, and entertaining guidance from a seasoned professional."
Paul R. Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies, Stanford University, author of "One with Nineveh"

"This practical, how-to book is written for resource professionals, ranging from students just embarking on their careers to seasoned managers and supervisors...I enjoyed reading this book and expect to consult it often in the future. I also look forward to bringing this book into my classrooms: Bonar's conversational style and the book's short, effective chapters will encourage reading by students and will provide material for engaging discussions. Furthermore, the high-quality binding and reasonable price of the paperback edition make for a valuable, durable book that is economically accessible to students and professionals alike."
Journal of Mammalogy

"I recommend the book to anyone who is short on time and looking for some new skills to bring to the table: it will make you more aware of your relationships with others and raise your skills—personal and professional— to a higher level."
Ecological Restoration

"This book means you don't have to read a book on conflict resolution, another on managing personnel, and a third on time management. Bonar has nicely summarized these in a single, easy-to-read book that is relevant to the conservation field."
Ecological Management and Restoration

"As a conservation professional himself, Bonar understands the situations one can get into and shows how basic principles of negotiation, customer service, and persuasion can apply to natural resources situations."
Natural Areas Journal

"As a conservation professional himself, Bonar understands the situations one can get into and shows how basic principles of negotiation, customer service, and persuasion can apply to natural resources situations."
Natural Areas Journal


SirReadaLot.org

Contents

Foreword by Duane L. Shroufe
Preface
 
Chapter 1. A Personal Story
Chapter 2. The Importance of Effective People Skills in Conservation
Chapter 3. How to Resolve Conflict and Defuse Contentious Situations: Verbal Judo and Other Communication Techniques
Chapter 4. How to Persuade People
Chapter 5. Customer Service and Getting Funded
Chapter 6. How to Negotiate Effectively
Chapter 7. How to Manage Yourself
Chapter 8. How to Effectively Manage Personnel
Chapter 9. How To Make a Good Impression in the Field
Chapter 10. Defending Yourself From Dirty Tricks, Machiavellianism and Other Annoyances
Chapter 11. Conclusion
 
Notes
Index
About the Author