Best of
Management

2009

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration


Ed Catmull - 2009
    Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about how to build a creative culture—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.” For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, and WALL-E, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.   As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his founding Pixar with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as:   • Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better. • If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead. • It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them. • The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them. • A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody. • Do not assume that general agreement will lead to change—it takes substantial energy to move a group, even when all are on board.

The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership


Bill Walsh - 2009
    There is no guarantee, no ultimate formula for success. It all comes down to intelligently and relentlessly seeking solutions that will increase your chance of prevailing. When you do that, the score will take care of itself." (Bill Walsh) Bill Walsh is a towering figure in the history of the NFL. His advanced leadership transformed the San Francisco 49ers from the worst franchise in sports to a legendary dynasty that won three Super Bowls. In the process, he changed the way football is played-pushing it into the twenty-first century. Walsh is famous for his strategic brilliance and innovations, such as the West Coast Offense, but his enlightened philosophy of leadership was just as crucial, if not more so, to the unprecedented success of his teams. And that philosophy of leadership is just as powerful and productive in business or any other endeavor as it was for him on the football field. Prior to his death, Walsh granted exclusive interviews to bestselling author Steve Jamison. They became his ultimate lecture on leadership-illustrated by dramatic and apt anecdotes from throughout Walsh's career. A small sample of what you'll learn from one of America's greatest coaches: * Believe in People: Push them hard to be their very best. No one will ever come back later and thank you for expecting too little of them. * Professionalism Matters: There was no showboating allowed after touchdowns, no taunting of opponents, no demonstration to attract attention to oneself: "Champions act like champions before they're champions." * Keep a Short Enemies List: One enemy can do more damage than the good done by a hundred friends. * Protect Your Blind Side: Prompt yourself to aggressively analyze not only your organization's strengths, but also its unseen vulnerabilities. * Sometimes You Can't Have he Last Word. A leader cannot escape harsh criticism. Ignore the undeserving; learn from the deserving. Lick your wounds and move on. Your bruised ego will get over it. Additional insights and perspective are provided by his son Craig Walsh, by legendary quarterback Joe Montana, and by other important figures who knew Bill well. Bill Walsh taught that the requirements of successful leadership are the same whether you run an NFL franchise, a Fortune 500 company, or a hardware store with twelve employees. His final words of wisdom will inspire and enlighten readers in all walks of life.

The Principles of Product Development Flow: Second Generation Lean Product Development


Donald G. Reinertsen - 2009
    He explains why invisible and unmanaged queues are the underlying root cause of poor product development performance. He shows why these queues form and how they undermine the speed, quality, and efficiency in product development.

Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results


Mike Rother - 2009
    Womack, Chairman and Founder, Lean Enterprise Institute. This game-changing book puts you behind the curtain of Toyota, providing new insight into the legendary automaker's management practices and offering practical guidance for leading and developing people in a way that makes the best use of their brainpower. Drawing on six years of research into Toyota's employee-management routines, Toyota Kata examines and elucidates, for the first time, the company's organizational routines--called kata--that power its success with continuous improvement and adaptation. The book also reaches beyond Toyota to explain issues of human behavior in organizations and provide specific answers to questions such as: How can we make improvement and adaptation part of everyday work throughout the organization? How can we develop and utilize the capability of everyone in the organization to repeatedly work toward and achieve new levels of performance? How can we give an organization the power to handle dynamic, unpredictable situations and keep satisfying customers? Mike Rother explains how to improve our prevailing management approach through the use of two kata: Improvement Kata--a repeating routine of establishing challenging target conditions, working step-by-step through obstacles, and always learning from the problems we encounter; and Coaching Kata: a pattern of teaching the improvement kata to employees at every level to ensure it motivates their ways of thinking and acting. With clear detail, an abundance of practical examples, and a cohesive explanation from start to finish, Toyota Kata gives executives and managers at any level actionable routines of thought and behavior that produce superior results and sustained competitive advantage.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action


Simon Sinek - 2009
    It was their natural ability to start with why that enabled them to inspire those around them and to achieve remarkable things.In studying the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world, Simon Sinek discovered that they all think, act, and communicate in the exact same way—and it's the complete opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be lead, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.Any organization can explain what it does; some can explain how they do it; but very few can clearly articulate why. WHY is not money or profit—those are always results. WHY does your organization exist? WHY does it do the things it does? WHY do customers really buy from one company or another? WHY are people loyal to some leaders, but not others?Starting with WHY works in big business and small business, in the nonprofit world and in politics. Those who start with WHY never manipulate, they inspire. And the people who follow them don't do so because they have to; they follow because they want to.Drawing on a wide range of real-life stories, Sinek weaves together a clear vision of what it truly takes to lead and inspire. This book is for anyone who wants to inspire others or who wants to find someone to inspire them.

Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Manager's Guide to Getting Results


Alison Green - 2009
    This is a shift from the tenor of many management books, particularly in the nonprofit world. Managing to Change the World is designed to teach new and experienced nonprofit managers the fundamental skills of effective management, including: managing specific tasks and broader responsibilities; setting clear goals and holding people accountable to them; creating a results-oriented culture; hiring, developing, and retaining a staff of superstars.Offers nonprofit managers a clear guide to the most effective management skills Shows how to address performance problems, dismiss staffers who fall short, and the right way to exercising authority Gives guidance for managing time wisely and offers suggestions for staying in sync with your boss and managing up This important resource contains 41 resources and downloadable tools that can be implemented immediately.

Isn't It Obvious?


Eliyahu M. Goldratt - 2009
    A breakthrough solution is exposed when some unexpected events force Caroline and Paul, a married couple working for their family's retail business, to make a few small changes in the way things are done. A solution that propels the family's regional chain of stores into a very profitable, rapidly growing, international enterprise. If there is a hint of Jonah, from THE GOAL, reappearing in this novel, it is Henry, the soon-to-retire president and majority owner of the company who logically states that, if you do not deal directly with the core problem, don't expect significant improvement. Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints is woven throughout this book but answers are not handed to you. The reader, along with the characters in the book, work through the process together to discover solutions.

Marketing Management: A South Asian Perspective


Philip Kotler - 2009
    Retaining the original frameworks and concepts so vital to the book, this edition presents a contextually relevant text for students of the subcontinent by incorporating South Asian case studies and examples.

Leading Lean Software Development: Results Are Not the Point


Mary Poppendieck - 2009
    They go far beyond generic implementation guidelines, demonstrating exactly how to make lean work in real projects, environments, and companies.The Poppendiecks organize this book around the crucial concept of frames, the unspoken mental constructs that shape our perspectives and control our behavior in ways we rarely notice. For software leaders and team members, some frames lead to long-term failure, while others offer a strong foundation for success. Drawing on decades of experience, the authors present twenty-four frames that offer a coherent, complete framework for leading lean software development. You'll discover powerful new ways to act as competency leader, product champion, improvement mentor, front-line leader, and even visionary.Systems thinking: focusing on customers, bringing predictability to demand, and revamping policies that cause inefficiency Technical excellence: implementing low-dependency architectures, TDD, and evolutionary development processes, and promoting deeper developer expertise Reliable delivery: managing your biggest risks more effectively, and optimizing both workflow and schedules Relentless improvement: seeing problems, solving problems, sharing the knowledge Great people: finding and growing professionals with purpose, passion, persistence, and pride Aligned leaders: getting your entire leadership team on the same page From the world's number one experts in Lean software development, Leading Lean Software Development will be indispensable to everyone who wants to transform the promise of lean into reality--in enterprise IT and software companies alike.

How Did That Happen?: Holding People Accountable for Results the Positive, Principled Way


Roger Connors - 2009
    How Did That Happen? offers a proven way to eliminate these nasty surprises, gain an unbeatable competitive edge, and enhance performance by holding others accountable the positive, principled way.As the experts on workplace accountability and authors of The Oz Principle, the classic book on personal accountability, Roger Connors and Tom Smith now tackle the next crucial step everyone can take, whether as a manager, supervisor, CEO, or individual performer: creating greater accountability in all the people on whom you depend.Connors and Smith have spent decades implementing their approach to creating greater accountability in some of the world's most admired companies. Through hundreds of successful client applications, they have proven that organizational accountability can be the single most important factor in ensuring a company's success. Now, they present the Accountability Sequence, a systematic and sensible approach that includes two essential components: The Outer Ring, which reveals how to establish expectations and positive accountability connections with everyone in the Expectations Chain. The Inner Ring, which shows how to manage unmet expectations when people fail to deliver and thereby reverse the misfortune of missed results.Using case studies, practical models, and self-assessments, the authors make it possible for anyone to install accountability as a central part of their daily work, their team's efforts, or an overall corporate culture-and, in turn, increase profits and generate better results.

The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World


Ronald A. Heifetz - 2009
    A hands-on, practical guide, "Practice of Adaptive Leadership" contains stories, tools, diagrams, cases, and worksheets to help managers develop their skills as leaders who are able to take people outside their comfort zones and address the toughest challenges.

Freedom, Inc.: Free Your Employees and Let Them Lead Your Business to Higher Productivity, Profits, and Growth


Brian M. Carney - 2009
    . ."Whether in troubled economic times or during years of prosperity, there is a proven way for companies to boost productivity, profits, and growth. Remarkably, it costs nothing whether cost is measured in terms of monetary resources or time and is simply based on the belief that, if only people can be free to act in the best interests of their company, the results will be tremendous. "Freedom, Inc." presents the evidence that this is not the Pollyannaish wish of a few dreamers, but a reality built by bottom-line-focused leaders. . . ." The culture of freedom works and "Freedom, Inc." reveals the secrets of a successful business paradigm based on a trusting, nonhierarchical, liberated environment. The visionary leaders profiled here performed near-miracles in driving their companies to unheard-of levels of success, often from unlikely or disheartening beginnings. Businesses as diverse as insurance company USAA, winemaker Sea Smoke Cellars, Gore & Associates, advertising agency The Richardson Group, Harley-Davidson, and Sun Hydraulics have had the insight and courage to challenge long-held management beliefs about human nature and employees and radically depart from the traditional command-and-control structures, rules, and policies. By freeing up the individual initiative and risk-taking instincts of every employee, these companies showed they could dramatically outperform their rivals in an array of fiercely competitive industries. By listening to employees instead of telling them what to do, by treating them as equals and not limiting information through a trickle-down hierarchy, and by encouraging a culture in which employees have commitments (something chosen) as opposed to jobs (something imposed), these companies liberated their workers to fulfill their own individual potential, which has led to more productive, loyal, and engaged workers, as well as significant measurable profits and growth."

The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition


Steven J. Spear - 2009
    While this book is tailored to business leaders, it should be read by high school seniors, college students, and those already in the workforce. With the broad societal application of these ideas, we can achieve levels of accomplishment not even imagined by most people." The Honorable Paul H. O'Neill, former CEO and Chairman, Alcoa, and Former Secretary of the Treasury"Some firms outperform competitors in many ways at once--cost, speed, innovation, service. How? Steve Spear opened my eyes to the secret of systemizing innovation: taking it from the occasional, unpredictable 'stroke of genius' to something you and your people do month-in, month-out to outdistance rivals." Scott D. Cook, founder and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Intuit, Inc."Steven Spear connects a deep study of systems with practical management insights and does it better than any organizational scholar I know. [This] is a profoundly important book that will challenge and inspire executives in all industries to think more clearly about the technical and social foundations of organizational excellence." Donald M. Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., President and CEO, Institute for Healthcare ImprovementAbout the BookHow can some companies perform so well that their industry counterparts are competitors in name only? Although they operate in the same industry, serve the same market, and even use the same suppliers, these extraordinary, high-velocity organizations consistently outperform all the competition--and, more importantly, continually widen their leads.In The High-Velocity Edge, the reissued edition of five-time Shingo Prize winner Steven J. Spear's critically acclaimed book Chasing the Rabbit, Spear describes what sets market-dominating companies apart and provides a detailed framework you can leverage to surge to the lead in your own industry. Spear examines the internal operations of dominant organizations across a wide spectrum of industries, from technology to design and from manufacturing to health care.While he investigates several great operational triumphs, like top-tier teaching hospitals' fantastic improvements in quality of care, Pratt & Whitney's competitive gains in jet engine design, and the U.S. Navy's breakthroughs in inventing and applying nuclear propulsion, The High-Velocity Edge is not just about the adoration of success. It also takes a critical look at some of the operational missteps that have humbled even the most reputable and respected of companies and organizations. The decades-long prominence of Toyota, for example, is contrasted with the many factors leading to the automaker's sweeping 2010 product recalls. Taken together, these multiple perspectives and in-depth case studies show how to:Build a system of "dynamic discovery" designed to reveal operational problems and weaknesses as they ariseAttack and solve problems when and where they occur, converting weaknesses into strengthsDisseminate knowledge gained from solving local problems throughout the company as a wholeCreate managers invested in developing everyone's capacity to continually innovate and improveWhatever kind of company you operate-- from technology to fi nance to healthcare-- mastery of these four key capabilities will put you on the fast track to operational excellence, where you will generate faster, better results--using less capital and fewer resources.Apply the lessons of Steven J. Spear and gain a high-velocity edge over every competitor in your industry.

Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management


Raghubalan - 2009
    It provides an exhaustive coverage of the core concepts of the subject.Students of hotel management will find the book highly useful. With its practice-oriented approach, the text will also be helpful to housekeeping professionals, and students of home science.

The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You


Jack Covert - 2009
    Now they have chosen and reviewed the one hundred best business titles of all time—the ones that deliver the biggest payoff for today’s busy readers.The 100 Best Business Books of All Time puts each book in context so that readers can quickly find solutions to the problems they face, such as how best to spend The First 90 Days in a new job or how to take their company from Good to Great. Many of the choices are surprising—you’ll find reviews of Moneyball and Orbiting the Giant Hairball, but not Jack Welch’s memoir. At the end of each review, Jack and Todd direct readers to other books both inside and outside The 100 Best. And sprinkled throughout are sidebars taking the reader beyond business books, suggesting movies, novels, and even children’s books that offer equally relevant insights. This guide will appeal to anyone, from entry-level to CEO, who wants to cut through the clutter and discover the brilliant books that are truly worth their investment of time and money.

The Lean Manager: A Novel of Lean Transformation


Michael Ballé - 2009
    Full of human moments that capture the excitement and drama of lean implementation, as well as clear explanations of how tools and systems go hand-in-hand, this book will teach and inspire every person working to make lean a reality in their organization today.This book will help you learn both the how of doing lean, as well as the why behind the tools, enabling you to become lean.Lean is the most important business model for competitive success today. Yet companies still struggle to sustain enduring and deep-rooted business success from their lean implementation efforts.The most important problem for these companies is becoming lean: how can they advance beyond realizing isolated gains from deploying lean tools, to fundamentally changing how they operate, think, and learn? In other words, how can companies learn to go beyond lean turnaround to achieve lean transformation?"The Lean Manager: A Novel of Lean Transformation," by lean experts Michael and Freddy Ballé, addresses this critical problem. As we move from what Jim Womack, author, lean management authority, and LEI founder, calls “the era of lean tools to the era of lean management,” The Lean Manager gives companies a definitive guide for sustaining their ability to learn and improve operations and financial performance, while continually developing people.“The only way to become and stay lean is to produce lean managers,” says Womack. “Every isolated effort will recede—or fail—unless companies learn to use the lean process as a way of developing individual problem-solvers with the ownership, initiative, and know-how to solve problems, learn, and ultimately coach new individuals in this discipline. That’s why this book matters so much.”"The Lean Manager," the sequel to the Ballé’s international bestselling business novel "The Gold Mine," tells the compelling story of plant manager Andrew Ward as he goes through the challenging but rewarding journey to becoming a lean manager. Under the guidance of Phil Jenkinson (whose own lean journey was at the core of "The Gold Mine"), Ward learns to use a deep understanding of lean tools, as well as a technical know-how of his plant’s operations, to foster a lean attitude that sustains continuous improvement. Where "The Gold Mine" shows you how to introduce a complete lean system, "The Lean Manager" demonstrates how to sustain it. Ward moves beyond fluency with tools to changing his behavior as a manager and leader. He shifts from giving orders and answers to asking the right questions so people identify and address problems. He learns how to use tools to unleash the creativity and motivation of people, so they learn how to solve problems as well as coach and teach others to solve problems. Ward learns how to create lean managers.

Teamwork 101: What Every Leader Needs to Know


John C. Maxwell - 2009
    Let John C. Maxwell teach you how teamwork is the heart of great achievement in the game of business.Teamwork is a vital part of success in sports, pop culture, and every other industry--including business. In this essential guidebook, New York Times bestselling author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell explains why teamwork is so critical   and shows you how to prioritize teamwork and collaboration to achieve winning results.In Teamwork 101, you’ll learn how to:build a team that lasts;create positive energy on the team;harness a team's creativity;identify weak players who negatively impact your team;and judge if your team can accomplish the dream.You’ll also discover how a winning team is self-fulfilling fuel: because everyone wants to be part of the winning team, you’ll continue to attract only the best talent--and stay on top. A great team is the key to great results--for individual employees, leaders, and the company as a whole.Teamwork 101 demonstrates how to build and maintain one for yourself so you can leverage the benefits--and fun--of exceptional teamwork.

Making Breakthrough Innovations Happen


Porus Munshi - 2009
    Indian companies took up products that came in from the West and either replicated it or re-engineered it. Indians, when they went to other countries, were part of creative teams that came up with, and implemented great ideas. But, when in their own country, Indians do not have a reputation for coming up with innovative ideas. So, what is it that stops them?The author laments this situation in his book Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible. He points out that even the Indian branches of MNCs do not see their Indian operations as centers of innovations. They just work on things that have already been conceived elsewhere.In this book, Munshi tells the true stories of 11 breakthrough ideas conceived and executed by Indians. These ground-breaking examples show that if someone dares to think out-of-the box and follows their dream, then seemingly impossible things can be achieved.The examples cover a wide range of industries. from public sector to private sector, and from MNCs and huge Indian companies to startup firms. The book talks about 11 ideas that had a deep impact, and achievements that were original and influential.The examples include the creation of the slimmest water proof watches by Titan, and the business model of Cavinkare - a small company that took on giants in the field of personal care products and succeeded. It includes the story of how Aravind Eye Hospital came up with an idea - assembly line surgery - to improve the productivity of its surgeons. Today, the hospital treats 70% of its patients free of charge and yet manages to make a good profit.Then, there is the case of the Hindi daily, Dainik Bhaskar, that combined intensive in-house marketing surveys and research with innovative marketing ideas to capture a large segment of the market in each new city they entered.The book throws light on the innovative strategies of Trichy police to turn around a city that was crime prone and known for communal clashes into one of the safest in the country. He further talks about the power backup company Su-kam that succeeded by creating its own niche, and Shantha Biotech that launched a low-cost Hepatitis B vaccine.The other success stories include Surat City’s transformation after the plague outbreak into one of the cleanest cities in the country, and Chic shampoo’s innovation of introducing sachet packs, which revolutionized the retail market. Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible further elaborates how Bosch India came up with a new cost-effective pump that meets the Euro standards, ITC’s e-Choupal marketing model, and Chola Vehicle Finance’s innovative business model.All these real-life examples in Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible give an insight into the ability of Indians to go beyond conventions and create innovative products and strategies that could turn their respective industries on their heads.About the AuthorPorus Munshi is a psychology graduate and has a passion for helping people realize their potential. He is also a partner consultant at Erehwon Innovation Consulting.He previously contributed a column to Hindu Busnessline called Work and You. His book, Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible, is already on its second reprint.Munshi works with clients and helps them release mental blocks and conventional restraints to help them achieve their goals and dreams. He helps facilitate innovative thinking and organizational transformations. Besides his passion for innovation and realizing the human potential, he has an avid interest in martial arts, from Karate to Tai Chi.

FYI: For Your Improvement - For Learners, Managers, Mentors, and Feedback Givers


Michael M. Lombardo - 2009
    Latest 5th edition of FYI

Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life


Jim Murphy - 2009
    This step-by-step training manual from one of the world's top mental skills coaches will teach you how the mindset of some of the best performers and leaders on the planet allowed them to have freedom and confidence when so much was out of their control. Whether you’re an athlete or entrepreneur, single mother or father of five, you’ll find exercises, techniques and tools in this book that will improve every area of your life. Your life will take on new meaning as you move beyond the pursuit of happiness to a life of purpose and fulfillment. Jim Murphy's complete program of proven mental techniques is based on the powerful principles of love, wisdom, and courage, that came from over six years of full-time research and writing (after his masters degree in Coaching Science).“I read the first version of Inner Excellence six times. I recommend all my clients read it.” – Matt Killen, PGA Tour coach to Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods and many othersINNER EXCELLENCE WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO:DEVELOP SELF-MASTERY—and let go of what you can’t controlOVERCOME ANXIETY—and build powerful mental habitsREMOVE MENTAL BLOCKS—and get out of your own wayTRAIN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND—and release limiting beliefsAs professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization, Jim’s sense of worth and identity revolved around his performance. He was obsessed with fame but also afraid of failure, and that fear in his heart made him struggle under the pressure to perform. When he started coaching professional and Olympic athletes, he saw the same pattern over and over again: athletes had lost their joy and passion for life as the fear of failure engulfed their lives.This book will share with you how some of the best athletes in the world have learned Inner Excellence, how it propelled them to extraordinary performance even when they were filled with doubt and uncertainty, and how you can excel in the same way in your life. The insights and exercises within will help you achieve higher levels of performance than you ever thought possible—and bring incredible peace and confidence. “Inner Excellence changed how I see the world, how I think, and how I play golf.” - Vaughn Taylor, three-time PGA Tour winnerJim Murphy is a Performance Coach (mental skills) to some of the best athletes and leaders in the world. The majority of his clients achieved the best year of their career their first year working with Jim (or their best year in the previous five years)

Succeeding with Agile: Software Development Using Scrum


Mike Cohn - 2009
    Leading agile consultant and practitioner Mike Cohn presents detailed recommendations, powerful tips, and real-world case studies drawn from his unparalleled experience helping hundreds of software organizations make Scrum and agile work. "Succeeding with Agile" is for pragmatic software professionals who want real answers to the most difficult challenges they face in implementing Scrum. Cohn covers every facet of the transition: getting started, helping individuals transition to new roles, structuring teams, scaling up, working with a distributed team, and finally, implementing effective metrics and continuous improvement.Throughout, Cohn presents “Things to Try Now” sections based on his most successful advice. Complementary “Objection” sections reproduce typical conversations with those resisting change and offer practical guidance for addressing their concerns. Coverage includes: - Practical ways to get started immediately–and “get good” fast - Overcoming individual resistance to the changes Scrum requires - Staffing Scrum projects and building effective teams - Establishing “improvement communities” of people who are passionate about driving change - Choosing which agile technical practices to use or experiment with - Leading self-organizing teams - Making the most of Scrum sprints, planning, and quality techniques - Scaling Scrum to distributed, multiteam projects - Using Scrum on projects with complex sequential processes or challenging compliance and governance requirements - Understanding Scrum’s impact on HR, facilities, and project managementWhether you've completed a few sprints or multiple agile projects and whatever your role–manager, developer, coach, ScrumMaster, product owner, analyst, team lead, or project lead–this book will help you succeed with your very next project. Then, it will help you go much further: It will help you transform your entire development organization.

Getting to Plan B: Breaking Through to a Better Business Model


John W. Mullins - 2009
    And you've crafted a business plan so detailed it's a work of art. Don't get too attached to it.As John Mullins and Randy Komisar explain in Getting to Plan B, new businesses are fraught with uncertainty. To succeed, you must change the plan in real time as the inevitable challenges arise. In fact, studies show that entrepreneurs who stick slavishly to their Plan A stand a greater chance of failing-and that many successful businesses barely resemble their founders' original idea.The authors provide a rigorous process for stress testing your Plan A and determining how to alter it so your business makes money, solves customers' needs, and endures. You'll discover strategies for:-Identifying the leap-of-faith assumptions hidden in your plan-Testing those assumptions and unearthing why the plan might not work-Reconfiguring the five components of your business model-revenue model, gross margin model, operating model, working capital model, and investment model-to create a sounder Plan B.Filled with success stories and cautionary tales, this book offers real cases illustrating the authors' unique process. Whether your idea is for a start-up or a new business unit within your organization, Getting to Plan B contains the road map you need to reach success.

Personnel and Human Resource Management


P. Subba Rao - 2009
    Nature and Scope of Human Resource Management Human Resource Management: Environment and Strategies Job Analysis, Team Analysis and Flexible Job Enviornment Human Resources Planning Recruitment Selection, Placement and Induction Human Resource Development Performance Appraisal Employee Training Management Development Career Planning and Development Promotion, Transfer and Demotion Absenteeism and Labour Turnover Management of Change and Development Job Evalutation Wage and Salary Administration Social Security and Welfare Motivation and Job Satisfaction Morale Communication Leadership Work Environment, Industrial Accidents, Safety and Health Indian Labour Market Industrial Relations Trade Unions and Employer's Association Grievance and Discipline, Counselling and Mentoring Collective Bargaining Industrial Conflicts Participative Management, Quality Circles and Empowerment Work Life: Quality and Related Issues Total Quality and Human Resources Management Human Resource Records, Accounting, Audit and Research Recent Techniques in HRM Ethics in Human Resource Management International Human Resource Management E-Human Resources Management Appendix - I Method of Case Analysis Appendix - II Cases Subject Index

Pmp Exam Prep Questions, Answers, & Explanations: 1000+ Pmp Practice Questions with Detailed Solutions


Christopher Scordo - 2009
    So why aren't students laser-focused on taking practice exams before attempting the real thing? Reflects the current PMP exam format and the PMBOK(r) Guide - Fifth Edition! The practice tests in this book are designed to help students adjust to the pace, subject matter, and difficulty of the real Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. Geared towards anyone preparing for the exam, all tests include clear solutions to help you understand core concepts. If you plan on passing the PMP exam, it's time to test your knowledge. It's time for PMP Exam Prep - Questions, Answers, & Explanations. Now packed with Over 1,000 realistic PMP sample questions to help you pass the exam on your FIRST try. In this book: 1000+ detailed PMP exam practice questions including 18 condensed PMP mock exams that can be completed in one hour; 11 Targeted PMBOK Knowledge Area tests, and detailed solution sets for all PMP questions which include clear explanations and wording, PMBOK Knowledge Area and page references, and reasoning based on the PMBOK Guide - Fifth Edition. Includes FREE PMP exam formula reference sheet! ** For PMP exams AFTER March 2018 **

Get Your Business to Work!: 7 Steps to Earning More, Working Less and Living the Life You Want


George Hedley - 2009
    Get Your Business to Work! 7 Steps to Earning More, Working Less and Living the Life You Want uses tried-and-true methods to help fledgling business owners as well as seasoned ones who are just looking to increase capital and productivity. The book offers a step-by-step process to help small business owners get what they want: profits, wealth, and freedom.Hedley explains where owners go wrong at each stage while growing their companies and details steps in the book to show how to make the inner-workings of the business more predictable in order to eliminate micromanaging and allow for maximum profitability with minimum stress.Get Your Business to Work! identifies areas owners struggle in the most:• Trusting employees and forgoing micromanagement• Satisfying customers• Writing business plans and implementing systems• Marketing and sales• Pricing and achieving overhead and profit goalsMost companies never get to the next level because the owner isn’t willing to make the necessary changes to make it happen. Through sound advice, as well as interactive exercises, Get Your Business to Work! encourages readers to work toward financial stability and independence by setting clear goals and following through.

Courage Doesn't Always Roar


Mary Anne Radmacher - 2009
    "Courage does not always roar. . ." is the alltime bestselling Mary Anne Radmacher art poster. And now she's created a book that celebrates and promotes courage in our everyday lives. With twenty pieces of art created originally for this book, Courage Does Not Always Roar will quietly and grandly make its way into the hearts of readers everywhere.

Walking the Corporate Beat: Police School for Business People


Michael Tabman - 2009
    Drug Cartels. Undercover Operations. Terrorism Investigations. Street Crimes. What can we learn? Dr Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young says,"CEOs looking for simple ways to avoid complex problems should read this book. Tabman imparts valuable information in a witty and readable style. I have seen his consulting firm put these concepts into action, and they work. Read the book and have Tabman's company on speed dial." Read true stories retired FBI Agent and ex-cop Michael Tabman relates to teach us some valuable life lessons. Tabman shares behind-the-scenes decision making that resulted in an operation either succeeding or failing. Readers will be intrigued by parallels between police work and daily life challenges, and how basic law enforcement concepts can resolve problems and conflicts. The parallels are compelling. In an approach that captivates the reader, Tabman explains the similarities with candid descriptions and dramatic, and often humorous, vignettes from his days on the force. The concept that rushing into a melee without stopping to think is as dangerous in police work as it is in business and our relationships is one example of how this book will open new and energizing doors. Walking the Corporate Beat: Police School for Business People is a gift to anyone seeking new and effective ways to recognize and prevent problems.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition


American Psychological Association - 2009
    

The ETTO Principle: Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade-Off: Why Things That Go Right Sometimes Go Wrong


Erik Hollnagel - 2009
    Countless books and papers have been written about how to identify, classify, eliminate, prevent and compensate for it. This bias towards the study of performance failures, leads to a neglect of normal or 'error-free' performance and the assumption that as failures and successes have different origins there is little to be gained from studying them together. Erik Hollnagel believes this assumption is false and that safety cannot be attained only by eliminating risks and failures. The ETTO Principle looks at the common trait of people at work to adjust what they do to match the conditions - to what has happened, to what happens, and to what may happen. It proposes that this efficiency-thoroughness trade-off (ETTO) - usually sacrificing thoroughness for efficiency - is normal. While in some cases the adjustments may lead to adverse outcomes, these are due to the very same processes that produce successes, rather than to errors and malfunctions. The ETTO Principle removes the need for specialised theories and models of failure and 'human error' and offers a viable basis for effective and just approaches to both reactive and proactive safety management.

Key Management Ratios: The Clearest Guide To The Critical Numbers That Drive Your Business


Ciaran Walsh - 2009
    From earnings per share and cash flow to return on investment and sales to fixed assets ratios, this book guides managers through the key ratios at the heart of business practice.

Selling in a New Market Space: Getting Customers to Buy Your Innovative and Disruptive Products


Brian Burns - 2009
    Now, you have to change the rules for selling it . . .Providing a truly innovative product or service is the difference between life and death for companies today. But once you've produced it, you have to answer the next big question: How do I sell this unique offering to customers who don't even know they have a need for it?Brian C. Burns and Tom U. Snyder compared 27 highly successful emerging-growth and start-up corporations with 78 less successful companies in similar fields. The difference, they learned, lies neither with the product nor with marketing but with the sales strategy. In short, the losers relied on conventional sales methods; the winners deployed a unique sales strategy that focused on how organizations make decisions.Selling in a New Market Space helps you develop a sales strategy to approach potential buyers the right way--the first time around-- using what the authors call the "Maverick Method." This game-changing guide explains:What Maverick sellers do differently and why they hold the key to your successWhere to find salespeople with the skills for selling to a new marketHow to create early market segments and marginalize competitorsWhen to transition them away from Maverick sellingDon't be a victim of your own success. What good is the product you put all that money into if you can't sell it?If you want to get the most out of your innovative offering, you need to create a new class of salesperson. With Selling in a New Market Space, you have the tool for driving your new product to the limits of its potential.

Complexity and Organizational Reality


Ralph D. Stacey - 2009
    The global financial recession and the collapse of investment capitalism (surely not planned by anyone) make it quite clear that top executives are simply not able to choose future directions. Despite this, current management literature mostly continues to avoid the obvious – management’s inability to predict or control what will happen in the future. The key question now must be how we are to think about management if we take the uncertainty of organizational life seriously.Ralph Stacey has turned to the sciences of uncertainty and complexity to develop an understanding of leadership and management as the ordinary politics of daily organizational life. In presenting organizations as a series of complex responsive processes, Stacey’s new book helps us to see organizational reality for what it actually is – human beings engaged in many, many local conversational interactions and power relations in which they negotiate their ideologically based choices. Organizational continuity and change emerge unpredictably, rather than as a result of any overall plan. This is a radically different picture from the one painted by most of the management literature, which explains "organizational continuity and change" as the realization of the global plans and choices of a few powerful executives within an organization.Providing a new foundation for understanding complexity and management, this important book is required reading for managers and leaders wanting to understand the reality of complexity in organizations, including those engaged in postgraduate studies in leadership, organizational behaviour and change management.

Performance Breakthrough: The Four Secrets of Passionate Organizations


Mike Goldman - 2009
    That's like an engine running at less than one-third of its power! How can a team reach its potential, or even come anywhere close, with that level of engagement? Now imagine the impact of injecting more passion into your team. Imagine a company where eight out of ten people are truly engaged. What would this mean to your team's productivity, morale, retention, and ability to recruit top talent?Revised and enhanced from the popular first edition, Performance Breakthrough reveals the four secrets for creating a more passionate, productive, and profitable organization. You'll find that the ideas discussed are not expensive. In fact, many can be executed without spending a dime.This book's message is communicated in the form of a fictional story to help make these ideas real and implementable, as opposed to fuzzy concepts. That is augmented by valuable new case studies, summaries, checklists, and other tools that will help you create positive energy, find passion, and achieve your own Performance Breakthrough!Mike Goldman is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant with over twenty-five years of success at coaching organizations of all sizes and missions, from the local entrepreneur to the Fortune 500. Throughout his career at Accenture and Deloitte Consulting, he has helped Verizon, Disney, Polo Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Kmart, Dillard's, Liz Claiborne, Levi Strauss, and numerous other outstanding companies. In 2007, Mike founded Performance Breakthrough to help mid-sized companies break through the inevitable, predictable barriers to growth.performance-breakthrough.com

25 Ways to Win With People / The 360 Degree Leader


John C. Maxwell - 2009
    Book by Maxwell, John C.

How the Best Leaders Lead: Proven Secrets to Getting the Most Out of Yourself and Others


Brian Tracy - 2009
    Essential for success in any organization and every leadership position, they are:Setting and achieving goalsFostering innovationProblem solving and decision makingSetting prioritiesSetting high standards and leading by exampleInspiring and motivating othersPerforming and achieving resultsThis book will take you through a thorough self-analysis with which you will discover what is truly important to you—and identify the specific steps you must take to achieve it. You’ll then listen Tracy’s life-changing lessons culled from the leading edges of business, the annals of history and military strategy, and the wisdom of the world’s most powerful leadership and management thinkers past and present.Leadership is an exact science but a simple one, born of clear vision and courage, self -knowledge and integrity, focus and confidence. With acute insight and Tracy’s accessible guidance, How the Best Leaders Lead brings those powerful attributes and leadership greatness easily within your reach.

Bringing Out the Best in Everyone You Coach: Use the Enneagram System for Exceptional Results


Ginger Lapid-Bogda - 2009
    With Bringing Out the Best in Everyone You Coach, you have everything you need ensure that every employee exceeds his or her goals on a regular basis and contributes valuable talent to the entire business organization.

Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior: Indispensable Knowledge for Evidence-Based Management


Edwin A. Locke - 2009
    Locke. Malden, MA: Blackwell Business, 2000.

The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What to Do about It


Christine Pearson - 2009
    And they reveal strategies that successful organizations are using to stop incivility before it takes hold. Whether it's a standoffish coworker or an arrogant boss, incivility at the office doesn't just affect the moods of a few employees; it hurts an entire company. Consider these statistics: 12 percent of all employees say they've left jobs because they were treated badly. Fortune 1000 executives spend roughly seven weeks per year resolving employee conflicts. And an astonishing 95 percent of Americans say they've experienced rudeness at work. Christine Pearson and Christine Porath examine the devastating toll that bad behavior can have on otherwise well-functioning companies. Combining their own scientific research with stories from fields as diverse as criminology, education, and psychology, they show how to spot the roots of incivility, rip them out, and create a culture of respect. They urge managers to stop making excuses, set a zero-tolerance policy, and lead by example. Bestsellers like "The No Asshole Rule" and "The Power of Nice" have shown the hunger for more civility at work; now "The Cost of Bad Behavior" shows exactly what to do about it.

The Toyota Mindset: The Ten Commandments of Taiichi Ohno


Yoshihito Wakamatsu - 2009
    From the brilliant mind of a legend in the Lean Manufacturing world comes the reasoning behind the importance of using your intellect, challenging your workers and why continuous improvement is not only a helpful tool but a necessity on the shop floor.

War in the Boardroom: Why Left-Brain Management and Right-Brain Marketing Don't See Eye-to-Eye--and What to Do About It


Al Ries - 2009
    Typical characteristics of a left brainer.What makes a good marketing executive? A person who is highly visual, intuitive, and holistic. Typical characteristics of a right brainer.These different mind-sets often result in conflicting approaches to branding, and the Ries' thought-provoking observations—culled from years on the front lines—support this conclusion, including:Management deals in reality. Marketing deals in perception.Management demands better products. Marketing demands different products.Management deals in verbal abstractions. Marketing deals in visual hammers.Using some of the world's most famous brands and products to illustrate their argument, the authors convincingly show why some brands succeed (Nokia, Nintendo, and Red Bull) while others decline (Saturn, Sony, and Motorola). In doing so, they sound a clarion call: to survive in today's media-saturated society, managers must understand how to think like marketers—and vice versa. Featuring the engaging, no-holds-barred writing that readers have come to expect from Al and Laura Ries, War in the Boardroom offers a fresh look at a perennial problem and provides a game plan for companies that want to break through the deadlock and start reaping the rewards.

How to Do Better Creative Work


Steve Harrison - 2009
    Harrison reveals the dynamic that lies at the heart of all great work and provides a step-by-step process to ensure you too produce award winning creative work that sells.

Biodesign: The Process of Innovating Medical Technologies


Stefanos A. Zenios - 2009
    A three-step, proven approach to the biodesign innovation process - identify, invent, implement - provides a practical formula for innovation. The experiences of hundreds of innovators and companies, in the form of case studies, quotes and practical advice, offer a realistic, action-orientated roadmap for successful biodesign innovation. Real-world examples, end-of-chapter projects, and Getting Started sections guide the reader through each of the key stages of the process and provide a template to create their own new medical devices. Addressing common medical, engineering, and business challenges to develop well-rounded expertise, this book is the complete package for any biodesign entrepreneur. The text is supported by valuable resources, including up-to-date industry changes: found at ebiodesign.org.

Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices


Bob Tricker - 2009
    Taking an international perspective, the author examines different models and theories of corporate governance and applies them in a real world context. Theoretical insights from economics, law, psychology and sociology and their influence on corporate governance are analysed at a level which is suitable for MBA and Masters students. The author has been examining governance issues for 30 years and is credited as being the person who coined the phrase "corporate governance" in 1984. This experience-led discussion and use of case studies ranging from Northern Rock to Lord Black lend a practical emphasis to this text.The textbook will be accompanied by an online resource center which will comprise the following features:Student site: Links to corporate governance codes, the SOX Act and the UK Companies Act. Links to further reading and resources. Self-assessment exercises. MP3 files of interviews with board members and experts in the field.Lecturer site (password protected): Further (longer) cases.

Why Don't They Follow Me? 12 Easy Lessons to Boost Your Leadership Skills


Lonnie Pacelli - 2009
    Whether you're a pastor, nurse administrator, PTA president, non-profit leader, or first-line manager, Why Don't They Follow Me? gives you the essential leadership lessons to help you be a better leader fast!Why Don't They Follow Me? is great for New Leaders | Nurse Administrators | Project Managers | Program Managers | Pastors | New Supervisors | New Managers | Healthcare Administrators | Sales Managers

The Financial Times Guide to Corporate Valuation


David Frykman - 2009
    It tackles the most commonly used valuation methods in a quick and easy - yet comprehensive - way.

How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy: The R.C. Willey Story


Jeff Benedict - 2009
    Any entrepreneur will love and appreciate this

The Global Airline Industry


Peter Belobaba - 2009
    Drawing on the editors' extensive experience with airline and air transport issues, The Global Airline Industry provides a definitive introduction to our air transportation system. Featuring contributors from 3 different continents, all affiliated to MIT's Global Airline Industry Program, this book's unique and holistic perspective is allied with detailed coverage ofair transportation economics airline planning and operations industrial relations and human resource issues aviation safety and security aviation infrastructure and environmental impacts airline pricing and distribution. The Global Airline Industry is accompanied by a book companion website hosting databases with regular updates of airline & air transport related statistics and information as well as updates of the book material, housed at www.wiley.com/belobaba. It engenders a crucial understanding of the essential parameters within which the interfacing disciplines in the industry must operate that will benefit both students in air transportation/ aviation management degree programmes as well as professionals working in the industry.

The Business Devotional: 365 Inspirational Thoughts on Management, Leadership & Motivation


Lillian Hayes Martin - 2009
    This collection of daily devotionals provides motivational words on career growth and positive change, along with guidance on both day-to-day and long-term decision-making in the workplace.

101 Activities for Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service


Ann Thomas - 2009
    How can organizations ensure that they are prepared to meet that challenge? The latest addition to the bestselling Knock Your Socks Off Service® series, 101 Activities for Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service provides readers with the practical tools and cost-effective training required to meet their customers' needs. Written in the same accessible and humorous style that made Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service so popular, this companion guide takes the unique position of seeing things from the customer's perspective--providing a collection of fun, fast, and enlightening exercises to teach customer service managers and employees valuable ways to help their organizations provide top-notch service. You’ll discover how to create an action plan for improvement, reviewing topics such as: how to say no, empathy vs. sympathy, service recovery, listening, email and telephone skills, customers from hell, winning words and soothing phrases, anticipating customer needs, building reliability, customer feedback, keeping a stress log, and more. These simple but effective activities take only minutes, but deliver truly powerful, lasting results.

52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication


Donna M. Stringer - 2009
    Every culture has a "communication style norm" and when that style mixes with another, stereotypes and misperceptions arise. 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication explores cross-cultural communication issues with an eye toward increasing understanding and effectiveness. 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication is a practical trainer's manual that includes applications from many sectors, such as business, diversity, cross-cultural fields, and from many trainers in the U.S., Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Exercises are organized according to audience, time required to perform and the risk level for participants, a unique feature created by the authors, and are easily adaptable to the user's particular need and situation. Many of the exercises are written with instructions that address requirements for a specific audience (e.g., gender or generation). There is something for everyone: those who like hands-on, practical activities; those who prefer experiential exercises; and those who learn best through reflection.

Strategy Without Design: The Silent Efficacy Of Indirect Action


Robert C.H. Chia - 2009
    Yet not all organisational accomplishment can be explained with recourse to deliberate choice and purposeful design on the part of strategic actors. This book shows why. Using examples from the world of business, economics, military strategy, politics and philosophy, it argues that collective success may inadvertently emerge as a result of the everyday coping actions of a multitude of individuals, none of whom intended to contribute to any preconceived plan. A consequence of this claim is that a paradox exists in strategic interventions, one that no strategist can afford to ignore. The more directly and deliberately a strategic goal is single-mindedly sought, the more likely it is that such calculated instrumental action eventually works to undermine its own initial success"--Provided by publisher.

A Retailer's Guide To Frugal In-Store Promotions: How-To Increase Profits And Spit In The Eyes Of Economic Downturns Using Thrifty Events And Sales Te


Carolyn Howard-Johnson - 2009
    In-store promotion-everything from in-store branding to events-is the most effective and economical way to do that. A Retailer's Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions gives retailers the benefit of Carolyn Howard-Johnson's nearly three decades experience as founder and manager of her own chain of stores, a stint as a New York publicist, and as a retail consultant and journalist. It is the first in the Survive and Thrive series for retailers in her USA Book News award-winning HowToDoItFrugally.com books.

The Birth of Lean


Koichi Shimokawa - 2009
    But as the pioneers in The Birth of Lean explain, there was no master plan—TPS came about through experimentation, trial and error, and an evolution of ideas that shaped Toyota’s structure and management system. This is an honest look at the origins of Lean, written in the words of the people who created the system. Through interviews and annotated talks, you will hear first-person accounts of what these innovators and problem-solvers did and why they did it. You’ll read rare, personal commentaries that explain the interplay of (sometimes opposing) ideas that created a revolution in thinking. In The Birth of Lean, you’ll get a glimpse inside the minds and thought processes of the system’s creators and innovators: • Taiichi Ohno—the man who envisioned a way of working that would evolve into the Toyota Production System • Eiji Toyoda—the former Toyota President and Chairman who oversaw the development of TPS and the inclusion of TQC at Toyota • Kikuo Suzumura—the Toyota manager recognized as the most influential in translating Ohno’s ideas into actionable items • Michikazu Tanaka—the manager and executive at Toyota affiliate Daihatsu who adapted TPS to his organization • Kaneyoshi Kusunoki—the former head of Toyota’s production engineering organization who refined the buffering system in use in Toyota’s operations • Masao Nemoto—the Toyota executive central to the deployment of TQC at Toyota In this English translation of a previously published Japanese book, you’ll hear the words of the people who created the countermeasures that Toyota devised to address issues as they arose—countermeasures that they continue to use and adapt today. By understanding that the great minds that developed such a powerful system started with simple experiments, you’ll be encouraged to begin your own experiments and transform your organization.

How to Implement Lean Manufacturing


Lonnie Wilson - 2009
    Filled with detailed examples, the book focuses on the rapid application of lean principles so that large, early financial gains can be made.How to Implement Lean Manufacturing explains Toyota Production System (TPS) practices and specifies the distinct order in which lean techniques should be applied to achieve maximum gains. Global case studies illustrate successes and pitfalls of lean manufacturing initiatives. Discover how to: Rigorously test and retest the state of your "leanness" with unique evaluatorsDevelop and deploy plant-wide strategies and goalsImprove speed and quality and dramatically reduce costsReduce variation in the manufacturing system in order to reduce inventoryReduce lead times to enable improved responsiveness and flexibilitySynchronize production and supply to the customerCreate flow and establish pull-demand systemsPerform system-wide and specific value-stream evaluations Generate a comprehensive list of highly focused Kaizen activitiesSustain process gains Manage constraints and reduce bottlenecksImplement cellular manufacturing

Fundamental Principles of Lean Manufacturing


Shigeo Shingo - 2009
    Shigeo Shingo, engineering genius and a driving force behind the successful realization of the Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing. This first-time-in-translation book will give modern readers total access to the fundamentals of improving any process.

Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture


Sami Bahri - 2009
    Sami Bahri describes how he and the staff in his dental practice tackled each of these questions. The book describes how their organization, the Bahri Dental Group, transformed their work and their thinking from a traditional batch-and-queue approach to one focused directly on the needs of the patient, not on the needs of the practitioners. The book is organized into three sections -- Creating the Practice, Leading the Transformation, and Discovering the Principles of Lean Leadership -- that describe a personal and professional journey in terms that anyone, at any level, can learn from. It explains the technical changes that they made in the way that they scheduled and treated patients, as well as the understanding of the human interactions needed to make this new model succeed. Along the way, it demonstrates the universal application of lean concepts and methods in an environment with which you may be familiar, but is a long way from the traditional manufacturing roots of the Toyota Production System. Dr. Bahri has created an honest and straightforward look at organizational transformation. He describes the experiments that led to rapid improvement and dramatic change, as well as the lessons he learned that changed his own definition of what it meant to be a leader. And he has created a leadership model of continuous improvement that lean thinkers and leaders everywhere can understand and relate to.

The Ultimate Improvement Cycle: Maximizing Profits through the Integration of Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints


Bob Sproull - 2009
    When this happens, efforts become distracted, improvements indefinitely delayed, and results mediocre at best.The Ultimate Improvement Cycle (UIC) integrates Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints into a combined strategy that will help you immediately focus your efforts on those areas that will make the greatest difference. The book presents basic laws of factory physics that show why the UIC delivers significant bottom-line improvement while other initiatives so often fail. It explains to you why focusing your efforts on apparent problems rather than systemic concerns is wasted effort. Focus on key areas and take improvement to the next level The Ultimate Improvement Cycle: Maximizing Profits through the Integration of Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints show you how to draw the best from Lean and Six Sigma by employing principles drawn from the Theory of Constraints. This approach will ensure that your effort is focused in the right place, at the right time, using the right tools, and the right amount of resources. This multi-pronged approach addresses cost accounting, variation, waste, and performance measurements. But most importantly, it focuses your organization on the right areas to optimize.Applying years of hands-on work in many environments, Bob Sproull has developed a unique proven method that capitalizes on a time-release formula for evoking the key tools that improvement requires. He shows you how to take advantage of the cyclical nature of improvement to implement change that is perpetually effective, and his approach does not require more resources than you have on hand. Although originally developed in manufacturing, the UIC works equally well in any environment whether it be manufacturing or service-oriented, including Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM).

Pocket World in Figures 2010


The Economist - 2009
    This work also contains facts on more than 200 topics, data on more than 180 countries and profiles of more than 65 of the world's major economies.

Applying Design for Six Sigma to Software and Hardware Systems


Eric Maass - 2009
    This clear, practical, example-rich guide to successfully applying design for Six Sigma in developing systems, software, or hardware, presents widely-used methods as well as novel approaches that have a high success rate or provide high confidence in difficult situations.

The Me Myth: What do you mean it's not all about me?


Andrew Griffiths - 2009
    Andrew defines 'The Me Myth' as the limiting belief that the world revolves around 'me'. In short chapters he gives advice on how to shift the focus away from 'me' and start living a better life through simple actions like mastering empathy, giving generously, inspiring people and having fun. The message is simple, but profound. And, most importantly, Andrew makes the journey fun! The Me Myth is a result of Andrew's observations as well as his own personal journey. His life has been filled with extraordinary hardships and obstacles, from an unusual childhood to near-death experiences, which he has not only overcome, but thrived on. This is the next step in personal growth - it's time to move away from internal analysis and move the focus outwards

alibaba: The Inside Story Behind Jack MA and the Creation of the World's Biggest Online Marketplace


Liu Shiying - 2009
    Ma's rise to prominence presents a riveting story: Despite growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution—in a period of total state control of the economy—he developed the keen entrepreneurial instincts that propelled him to billionaire status and enabled him to build a company outside the usual government channels. These instincts and habits incorporated martial arts training and allowed him to recognize, early on, that the Internet could leverage his company to rapid growth and also transform the way business is done around the world. Alibaba.com, where businesses can buy and sell everything from air beds to zippers, started with a modest initial investment of $60,000 and has grown exponentially since its founding in 1999 to become the world's biggest business-to-business Web site. In 2007 it became the second largest IPO in history (after Google), and Fast Company has named it one of the world's most innovative companies. As a result, smart investors and technology insiders will be keeping a close eye on Alibaba for years to come. Whether you're seeking to understand China's meteoric rise, or just searching for the next Google, Yahoo!, or Amazon, Alibaba is crucial reading.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recruiting and Managing Volunteers


J.L. Lipp - 2009
    However, because of their work's special nature, they're one of the most challenging work-forces to manage and retain. Lipp has managed these workers for over 20 years and shares his experience in recruiting, balancing paid and volunteer staff, creating schedules that work, addressing the transient nature of volunteers, motivation, and retention.? Expert Author in the field? There is a growing need for volunteer workers as budgets are cut? Most current book on the subject? Clear, jargon-free text full of anecdotes and step-by-step advice

The Discipline of Teams (Harvard Business Review Classics)


Jon R. Katzenbach - 2009
    The result is improved productivity and teams that can be counted on to deliver more than just the sum of their parts. Since 1922, Harvard Business Review has been a leading source of breakthrough ideas in management practice. The Harvard Business Review Classics series now offers you the opportunity to make these seminal pieces a part of your permanent management library. Each highly readable volume contains a groundbreaking idea that continues to shape best practices and inspire countless managers around the world.

Paper Flow the ultimate guide to making paperwork easy


MaryAnne Bennie - 2009
    Written with warmth and humour,this easy to follow guide is for everyone who handles the paper of life: households, home businesses, small businesses, corporate employees and CEOs alike with benefit from having their Paper Flow. Filled with tips, handy hints, case studies and photographic illustrations, Paper Flow is a practical and inspiring guide that will coach you from beginning to end in setting up a 'you' centred paper management system. Your Paper Flow system will evelove and support you through all the changes in your life.

Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst "Best" Practices of Business Today


Susan Scott - 2009
    In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted and adopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse, they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees and profitable customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers. Yet they are so deeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them. Until now. 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.. Informed by over a decade of conversations with Fortune 500 executives, this book is that antidote. With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corporate diversity to customer relations, Scott offers fresh and surprising alternatives to six of the so-called “best” practices permeating today’s businesses. This refreshingly candid book is a must-read for any manager or leader at any level who is ready to take a long hard look at what trouble might be lurking in their organization - and do something about it.

Essential Guide to Operations Management: Concepts and Case Notes


David Bamford - 2009
    It takes a fresh insight to this increasingly important topic, exploring fundamental principles equally applicable to service and manufacturing situations. The book adapts a strategic stance by providing a framework for effective decision making and is aimed at practising managers who need to design working processes, manage change and make decisions within a strategic framework. The framework and supporting case vignettes allow the practitioner to grasp essential concepts quickly in a range of different operational contexts. ""Bamford and Forrester have done an excellent job in creating a concise, salient, and appealing approach - they have captured the essential elements of designing processes, products and work organizations; exploring approaches to operations planning and control; managing change through effective project management and technology transfer; and then managing quality and improvement strategies."" Professor Rob Handfield, Professor of Supply Chain Management North Carolina State University, USA ""This is an excellent concise text that introduces students to all of the key areas - it's an invaluable aid for students in understanding all of the major aspects of operations and their importance to the success of businesses."" Professor Steve Brown, Professor of Management University of Exeter Business School, University of Exeter, UK ""For today's or tomorrow's business leaders this text has well structured invaluable content ready for immediate adoption. Follow the guide, put it into practice, and the rewards will follow."" Mr Vernon Barker, Managing Director First TransPennine Express, First Group Plc, UK ""This book combines technical theory 'book smarts' with real life experience 'street smarts' in a flowing read."" Mr Stephen Oliver, Vice President Marketing & Sales Vicor Corporation, Boston, USA.

The Death of Modern Management: How to Lead in the New World Disorder


Jo Owen - 2009
    The recent financial crisis highlighted problems not just in the economic system, but also in the way that many companies are governed and managed. Now modern management has reached its end game and we approach a new era in leadership. Rather than the certainties of command and control, this new epoch will be based on co-operation and commitment. There has been a strategic revolution - instead of following the rules, we now have to make them. For some this represents great risk; for others it is an enormous opportunity. The Death of Modern Management is a how-to guide for surviving and thriving amidst the new uncertainties of contemporary business....a joyride through new ideas, memorable stories and superb writing. Philip KotlerJo Owen gives a fascinating insight into how 21st century management now works. It is helpful to have someone with his experience, intellect and vision explain the radical changes in a way that makes sense and is immediately usable. Juliet Hope, CEO, Startup"Jo Owen delivers a robust and wide-ranging assault on the delusions of management, strategy, finance and marketing that have created an aura of justified mistrust around the modern corporation, but does so with wit, lucidity and lots of enlivening illustrations. The answers for 21st century business are helpfully accessible." Professor Nigel Nicholson, London Business School, author of Managing the Human Animal and Family Wars...offers insights that help encourage different thinking. Director Magazine

The Power of Strategic Commitment: Achieving Extraordinary Results Through Total Alignment and Engagement


Josh Leibner - 2009
    Yet most managers and executives don't have a clear system for ensuring the support they need from those around them. The Power of Strategic Commitment helps readers improve their strategic processes by enlisting the support of managers, employees, boards, suppliers, investors, and others. The book outlines the key factors that determine commitment, providing powerful ways to build buy-in that cost nothing. Readers will discover how to: - continuously measure buy-in - involve everyone in creating their own piece of a larger organizational future - tailor commitment strategies for individual employees - keep everyone on the road to achieving stated goals - create a commitment-inspiring rewards system - hire fully-engaged talent This book provides practical methods for getting everyone behind the kind of important organizational actions that drive results.

The Network Challenge (Paperback): Strategy, Profit, and Risk in an Interlinked World


Paul R. Kleindorfer - 2009
    A must read for a world where unpredictability reigns supreme." --John Seely Brown, Independent Co-Chair of the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation, and Senior Fellow at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California "I couldn't wait to get my hands on this research...I have already begun to put the ideas into practice in designing next-generation open innovation networks...the diversity of ideas and perspectives is truly amazing and will be a terrific resource to anyone seeking to move to new business models based on the power of networks for innovation, marketing, and creating and leveraging big ideas. Job well done!" --Larry Huston, Creator of the "Connect and Develop" program for Procter & Gamble, and Managing Director of 4iNNO, a major Open Innovation consulting practice "In our borderless world, every manager needs to understand the strategic implications of networks. For the first time, The Network Challenge brings together thought leaders from many fields--a team of experts as broad as the network challenge itself." --Kenichi Ohmae, author of more than 100 books, including the seminal work, The Mind of the Strategist, advisor on global strategy to foreign governments and scores of multinational corporations, selected by The Economist as one of five management gurus in the world. Networks define modern business. Networks introduce new risks (as seen by the rapid spread of contagion in global financial markets) and opportunities (as seen in the rapid rise of network-based businesses).While managers typically view business through the lens of a single firm, this book challenges readers to take a broader view of their enterprises and opportunities. This book's 28 original essays include CK Prahalad on networks as the new locus of competitive advantage Russell E. Palmer on leadership in a networked global environment Dawn Iacobucci and James M. Salter II on the business implications of social networking Franklin Allen and Ana Babus on contagion in financial markets Steven O. Kimbrough on artificial intelligence, evolutionary computation, and networks Satish Nambisan and Mohan Sawhney on tapping the "global brain" for innovation Manuel E. Sosa on coordination networks in product development Christophe Van den Bulte and Stefan Wuyts on customer networks Christoph Zott and Raphael Amit on using business models to drive network-based strategies Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Victor Fung, and William Fung on network orchestration Valery Yakubovich and Ryan Burg on network-based HR strategy Howard Kunreuther on risk management strategies for an interdependent world Paul R. Kleindorfer and Ilias D. Visvikis on integrating financial and physical networks in global logistics Witold J. Henisz on network-based political and social risk management Boaz Ganor on terrorism networks And much more...

Teaching New Literacies in Grades 4-6: Resources for 21st-Century Classrooms


Barbara Moss - 2009
    This practical handbook helps teachers in grades 4–6 harness the instructional potential of fiction, poetry, and plays; informational texts; graphic novels; digital storytelling; Web-based and multimodal texts; hip-hop; advertisements; math problems; and many other types of texts. Twenty-four complete lessons promote critical literacy skills such as comprehending, analyzing, and synthesizing information and using writing to communicate new ideas and pose questions. Snapshots of diverse classrooms are accompanied by clear explanations of the research base for instruction in each genre. Ready-to-use reproducibles are included.

Building Business Value: How to Command a Premium Price for Your Midsized Company


Martin O'Neill - 2009
    Presents a road map for leaders of mid-sized companies to: assess their current situation, paint a compelling picture of the future, build alignment among the leadership regarding that future, and develop specific transformational initiatives that will build real value.

Creating Passion-Driven Teams: How to Stop Micromanaging and Motivate People to Top Performance


Dan Bobinski - 2009
    But perhaps more accurately, a team leader must create the right conditions for passion to emerge. Those conditions must be nurtured, not unlike a gardener creating the right conditions for his plants to flourish. Make your job easier. Get the inside scoop on the secrets of success that motivate teams to top performance. In the matrix of workplace roles and responsibilities, managers are pivotal to corporate success. Yet a manager is often the unsung hero who must adapt to demands from all sides--and do so with little or no training, and without mentorship for the role. Learn from Dan Bobinski, who draws from 20 years of consulting experience, extensive studies of best practices, and the latest in neuroscience research. You'll learn the principles and methods top managers use to develop passionate, engaged employees who are dedicated to success. You'll be able to: -- Motivate without manipulating -- Turn mistakes into a fervent drive for quality -- Equip teams to enthusiastically adapt to change -- Create environments in which people strive for excellence--and more -- Today's workforce requires managers to be more than just a person in charge. Creating Passion-Driven Teams show you how to tap your team's natural motivations and achieve consistent, sustained top performance.

Five Questions That Change Everything: Life Lessons at Work


John Scherer - 2009
    Some get the lesson. This quote by T.S. Eliot captures the essence of Five Questions That Change Everything. So what turns an experience into a learning opportunity? It has to do with your attitude, the way you approach the experience. The only requirement is that you seek the lesson in the experience. And the more you need that lesson, the more likely it is to show up in your everyday experiences through your relationships. If you could start to see your entire life - relationships, work, recreation, and devotional practice - as a classroom, then all the stuff that happens to you every day could be seen as grist for your learning mill, and could become the curriculum for your development course you are taking in this life. To know yourself allows you to know every other human. The kind of learning we humans are here to receive is not just about mastering a subject or a set of skills - the object of most classrooms. This book is more about the self-mastery of learning how to manage things like success, failure, fear, pride, confusion, and/or anger.

Manager's Guide to Operations Management (Briefcase Books)


John Kamauff - 2009
    This quick-reference guide explains how to:Improve your production processesBoost quality using the Six Sigma approachManage supply chains and inventoryForecast, plan, and schedule efficientlyWith Manager's Guide to Operations Management, you have the tools you need to ensure a smooth, steady work flow while producing products and services of the highest quality--the secret to business success.

The Organization of the Future 2: Visions, Strategies, and Insights on Managing in a New Era


Frances Hesselbein - 2009
    Outsmart Your Rivals by Seeing What Others Don't, Jim ChampyOrganization Is Not Structure but Capability, Dave Ulrich & Norm SmallwoodThe Leader's Mandate: Create a Shared Sense of Destiny, James M. Kouzes & Barry Z. PosnerA Different Kind of Company, Srikumar S. RaoFree to Choose: How American Managers Can Create Globally Competitive Workplaces, James O'TooleManaging the Whole Mandate for the Twenty-First Century: Ditching the Quick-Fix Approach to Management, Paul Borawski & Maryann BrennanThe Values That Build a Strong Organization, Thomas J. MoranRevisiting the Concept of the Corporation, Charles HandyMobilizing Emotions for Performance: Making the Most of the Informal Organization, Jon R. Katzenbach & Zia KhanBeyond Retirement: Mature Workers Are Essential Talent for Organizations of the Future, Richard J. LeiderThe Best Hope for Organizations of the Future: A Functioning Society, Ira A. JacksonReframing Ethics, Spirit, and Soul, Lee G. Bolman &Terrence E. DealEnvironment Drives Behavior and Expectations, Bill Strickland with Regina CroninDynamic Organizations for an Entrepreneurial Age, Christopher Gergen & Gregg VanourekMultidimensional, Multinational Organizations of the Future, Jay R. GalbraithDesigning Organizations That Are Built to Change, Edward E. Lawler III & Christopher G. WorleyRefounding a Movement: Preparing a One-Hundred- Year-Old Organization for the Future, Kathy CloningerThree Challenges Facing Nonprofits of the Future: People, Funding, and Strategy, Roxanne SpillettPioneering the College of the Future: Building as We Walk, Darlyne BaileyThe Organization of the Future Will Foster an Inclusive Environment, Lee CockerellThe Leader as Subculture Manager, Edgar H. ScheinThe New High-Performance, Horizontal Organization, Howard M. GuttmanThe Leadership Blueprint to Achieve Exponential Growth, David G. ThomsonLeadership Judgment: The Essence of a Good Leader, Noel M. Tichy & Christopher DeRoseThe Leader of the Future, William A. CohenLeadership by Perpetual Practice, Debbe Kennedy

Mm4 (with Coursemate, 1 Term (6 Months) with Career Transitions 2.0 Printed Access Card)


Dawn Iacobucci - 2009
    MM4 employs an integrated marketing management framework using new and proven learning features to detail key concepts, and useful exhibits and graphics further describe key principles. This engaging book incorporates the latest statistics as well as new coverage that highlights the importance of social media and the impact of consumer behavior on successful marketing management. A complete set of accompanying cases align best-selling business cases from leading case providers, such Harvard Business School Publishing, with specific MM4 chapters. Trust the unique MM4 comprehensive content and complete resources to help students better understanding and apply marketing management for business success.

Don't Be That Boss: How Great Communicators Get the Most Out of Their Employees and Their Careers


Mark Wiskup - 2009
    But it's not enough to just communicate; you have to communicate in the right way to get the results you want from your people and teams. In Don't Be That Boss, renowned executive coach Mark Wiskup shows you how to communicate effectively with colleagues and workers to create a healthy, productive, happy work environment.The story follows two leaders through a typical workday and all their typical communications-including meetings, conferences, one-on-one discussions, break room banter, phone calls, and even emails. Based on real situations you'll probably recognize, you'll watch as two committed, intelligent people take different approaches to communication and reap very different results. Along the way, you'll realize what good communication is, how it works, and how it makes your business better in virtually every way.Written by an experienced communications coach who works with Fortune 500 clients, CEOs and managers across the country Shows that how you communicate in the office is just as important as what you communicate Explains why excellent communication skills are vital to individual and organizational success Effective communication is vital for the success of both large and small businesses Mark Wiskup is also the author of The It Factor and Presentation S.O.S.Whether you're an executive, manager or small business owner, this book will show you how to improve your communication skills to better your business.

Managing Facilitated Processes: A Guide for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Event Planners, and Educators


Dorothy Strachan - 2009
    The book's ten chapters are divided into three parts:From Contact to Contract--building customized agreements; eighteentypes of facilitated processes, their deliverables and unique featuresApproach and Style--ensuring integrated, customized, and systematic elements; a forget-me-not prompter; effective management stylesManagement x 5: Participants, Speakers, Logistics, Documents, Feedback--practice guidelines, examples, and time-saving toolsManaging Facilitated Processes also includes a companion Web site with handy e-versions of the book's tools and templates.Praise for Managing Facilitated Processes"This book honors the importance of the details and care that every gathering deserves.It should be a standard reference?for people who come together to produce results." --Peter Block, author of Community: The Structure of Belonging, and consultant and partner, Designed Learning, Ohio, USA"The authors' combined experience of nearly 60 years in process facilitation is generously shared in this clearly written guide." --Sharon Almerigi, certified professional facilitator (CPF), Barbados International Association of Facilitators, Latin America and the Caribbean"In a world of 'expert-centered' workplaces, Managing Facilitated Processes offers a much-needed focus on the process of creating effective, customized environments for learning and work." --Marilyn Laiken, professor and chair, Department of Adult Education and Counseling Psychology, The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada"A comprehensive and practical guide to making group sessions effective and outcome driven--great insights from cover to cover and a terrific 'go to' reference guide." --Gabriella Zillmer, senior vice-president, Performance Alignment and Compensation, BMO Financial Group, Canada"A time-saving gem for planning facilitated sessions effectively. It is unique in its thoroughness without being overwhelming. To be pulled off the shelf over and over again." --Julie Larsen, associate adviser for social policy and development, United Nations Headquarters, New York, USA

Strategy without Design


Chia/Holt - 2009
    Performance is about sustaining distinctiveness. This direct and deliberate approach draws inspiration from ancient Greek roots and has become orthodoxy. Yet there are downsides. This book shows why. Using examples from the world of business, economics, military strategy, politics and philosophy, it argues that success may inadvertently emerge from the everyday coping actions of a multitude of individuals, none of whom intended to contribute to any preconceived design. A consequence of this claim is that a paradox exists in strategic interventions, one that no strategist can afford to ignore. The more single-mindedly a strategic goal is sought, the more likely such calculated instrumental action eventually works to undermine its own initial success.

Work Organisations: A Critical Approach


Paul Thompson - 2009
    This unique approach illuminates the ways in which managers employ organizational theories from a global, sociological perspective.

Business Ethics: A Case Study Approach


Stephen K. Henn - 2009
    Topics featured include: what drives individual decision making; how groups and environments influence decision making; the role of leadership; and much more.

The Policy Governance Model & the Role of the Board Member


John Carver - 2009
    Policy Governance enables a board to fulfill its accountability to its organization's "owners," whether the owners are association members, city residents, company shareholders, or a community of interest. Policy Governance addresses the board's engagement in financial, programmatic, and personnel matters; roles of officers and committees; reporting and evaluation; agendas; and other aspects of the board job. The Policy Governance Model and the Role of the Board Member sets out a clear vision for excellence in board leadership. It gives board members an understanding of the concepts and principles that are at the very heart of John Carver's innovative Policy Governance model. This guide details members' main tasks and presents the guidelines needed to transform a board into an effective group that consistently leads powerfully.The Policy Governance model is based on the functions rather than the structure of a governing board. It outlines commonsense principles about governing that fit together into an entire system. The practices of the Policy Governance board, which are consistent with the principles, allow it to control without meddling, focus on long-term organizational outputs, powerfully delegate to a CEO and staff, and discharge its fiduciary responsibility in a visionary, strategic manner. Because the model is a total system, the Carver Policy Governance Guide series offers boards a complete set of principles for fulfilling their various obligations.

American Foreign Policy and the Politics of Fear: Threat Inflation since 9/11


A. Trevor Thrall - 2009
    The Bush administration's aggressive campaign to build public support for an invasion of Iraq reheated fears about the president's ability to manipulate the public, and many charged the administration with 'threat inflation', duping the news media and misleading the public into supporting the war under false pretences.Presenting the latest research, these essays seek to answer the question of why threat inflation occurs and when it will be successful. Simply defined, it is the effort by elites to create concern for a threat that goes beyond the scope and urgency that disinterested analysis would justify. More broadly, the process concerns how elites view threats, the political uses of threat inflation, the politics of threat framing among competing elites, and how the public interprets and perceives threats via the news media.The war with Iraq gets special attention in this volume, along with the 'War on Terror'. Although many believe that the Bush administration successfully inflated the Iraq threat, there is not a neat consensus about why this was successful. Through both theoretical contributions and case studies, this book showcases the four major explanations of threat inflation -- realism, domestic politics, psychology, and constructivism -- and makes them confront one another directly. The result is a richer appreciation of this important dynamic in US politics and foreign policy, present and future.This book will be of much interests to students of US foreign and national security policy, international security, strategic studies and IR in general.Trevor Thrall is Assistant Professor of Political Science and directs the Master of Public Policy program at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. Jane Kellett Cramer is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon.

Managing Conflict Resolution


Sean McCollum - 2009
    Whether a dispute turns destructive or constructive often depends on how it is handled. Managing Conflict Resolution examines the causes of conflict in homes, schools, and the wider world. It also explores different methods people have developed to guide conflicts to positive "win/win" resolutions.

Seven Turning Points: Leading Through Pivotal Transitions in Organizational Life


Susan Gross - 2009
    If they are to move to a new level of effectiveness, they must periodically adjust their leadership, management, structure, governance, and operating style to fit their changed circumstances. Author Susan Gross calls these adjustments "turning points." The author's forty years of work with nonprofit organizations has shown that turning points are most likely to arise at seven predictable times in a group's life. Recognizing these turning points and taking action can ease the adjustments necessary as your organization pivots in a new direction. The seven turning points are: 1) When a loose, family style of operating leads to disorganization and a lack of professionalism or accountability; 2) When the management needs of an organization outstrip its executive director's management skills; 3) When a founding volunteer board hires its first executive director but finds it hard to delegate and adjust to a less involved role; 4) When opportunistic, unplanned growth results in an absence of focus and priorities and spreads an organization too thin; 5) When strong central direction becomes micromanagement, top-down control, and over-dependency on the leader 6) When decentralization goes too far, splitting the organization into autonomous units that have little or no connection, coherence, or coordination; and 7) When a longtime, cherished executive director must prepare to step down. This lively text includes charts, illustrations, and an engaging graphic design to help readers assess the state of their organizations and decide what changes to make.

Book-Keeping and Accounts for Entrepreneurs


Martin Quinn - 2009
    It follows the cycle of events of a typical new business venture from an accounting view.After a grounding in some fundamental accounting concepts and terms, the reader is guided on the accounting elements of a business plan and sources of finance for a business venture. Basic book-keeping is then explained and this leads into the preparation of key financial statements - the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. Finally, guidance on how to analyse accounts and value a business is given, both of which are particularly relevant to the entrepreneur who is ready to move on to the next venture or expand an existing one.Examples in plain English throughout the book explain key book-keeping and accounting topics. Additionally, QuickBooks accounting software is used in several chapters to augment these examples and expose the benefits of accounting software to a busy entrepreneur.

The Surprising Solution: Creating Possibility in a Swift and Severe World


Bruce Piasecki - 2009
    In this new frontier, sustainability and innovation are inextricably linked and are the only two guarantors of long-term corporate success and profitability."-- Vance D. Bell ] Chairman and CEO, Shaw Industries Group, Inc.The world today is more swift, more severe...and has never been more full of opportunity.The rapid wave of change is sweeping outdated strategies away quicker than ever before, but those who can get in front of this wave will achieve untold success and customer loyalty. And the solution for how to get in front of this wave is as inspiring as it is surprising.The Surprising Solution describes the revolution in business in which the corporations that can best address environmental and social issues by creating superior products will thrive and profit in this new world. Discover how to take hold of this vital new force in business and improve both the world and your bottom line at the same time.Going green is no longer something businesses just do for good PR...it's the most important and revolutionary factor driving the incredible success of businesses that are a part of the movement, and hurting those that are falling behind.

Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation


George Koenigsaecker - 2009
    He also led The Hon Company's successful lean conversion, which doubled productivity and tripled revenues, leading Industry Week to recognize HON on their list of the "World's 100 Best Managed Firms." Written to help executives in determining right from wrong during a lean initiative, Leading the Lean Enterprise Transformation shows that lean is more about an approach than it is about tools. It presents the successful strategies and case histories of several key American leaders who have been instrumental in bringing lean to the forefront of various industries.Organized in the chronological sequence that a leader embarking on a lean journey would experience, this lively work:Describes the simple, yet powerful, True North metrics used by Toyota and describes how they drive every line item in the good directionExplains the use of value stream analysis at the leadership levelShows how to structure successful kaizen events that improve the value streamPresents tactical organizational steps necessary to sustain double-digit improvementsExplores the development of a corporate assessment and review structure in support of a lean transformationIntroduces leadership tools such as strategy deployment, transformation value stream analysis, and transformation plan of careLastly, the book discusses what may well be the least understood and most critical aspect of a lean transformation: the building of a lean culture. That ability is what separates the tactician from the technician. While many books exist that detail all the tools needed for a lean implementation, this book explains those tools needed at the enterprise level by executives, but more importantly it provides potential change agents with the skills to define, develop, and communicate a vision. It helps cultivate the willingness to innovate and learn by doing. Such a course is not for everyone, just leaders.

Toyota Supply Chain Management: A Strategic Approach to Toyota's Renowned System


Ananth Iyer - 2009
    Now you can model your own processes after those of the company that "wrote the book on supply chain management."Written by two experts on the subject, along with a former Toyota senior executive, this book details the most celebrated supply chain operation in the world to help you form an integrated, synchronized system that will be the envy of your industry.You will find key insight into the logic behind every point of Toyota's supply chain, along with both the tactics and strategies you can use to build an outstanding system of your own. Toyota Supply Chain Management explains how to achieve balance and efficiency by focusing on:Variety: Determine your variety of offerings based on operational efficiency and market demandVelocity: Maintain a steady flow through all processes of the supply chainVariability: Manage inconsistencies carefully to reduce cost and improve qualityVisibility: Ensure the transparency of all processes to enable continuous learning and improvementThe authors provide valuable insider tips and offer hands-on guidance for improvingproduction and operations in a variety of industries, including health care, insurance, banking, credit processing, and retailing.With careful attention paid to every aspect of the subject--from principles and theories to operations and best practices--Toyota Supply Chain Management is the most comprehensive, insightful guide to forging a world-class supply chain system.

Kaizen Express: Fundamentals for Your Lean Journey


Toshiko Narusawa - 2009
    It also preserves the illustrations or charts on every page that reinforce key points.The book also includes a glossary of TPS terms in English and Japanese and a set of standard forms used to implement TPS at production sites.

GO NEGOSYO: Joey Concepcion's 55 Inspiring Stories of Women Entrepreneurs


Joey A. Concepcion - 2009
    

不殺 (精裝版) 2 The Sealed Killer


Yu Wo - 2009
    

Harvard Business Review on Developing High-Potential Leaders


Harvard Business School Press - 2009
    How can you prevent your most promising employees from being derailed? Should you schedule more coaching or training--or is it simply too soon to promote an employee to the next level? In a world of intensifying talent wars, companies that can develop high-potential leaders throughout their ranks stand the best chance of consistently trouncing rivals. As a manager, you play a crucial role in cultivating leadership skills in your own teams.In this book, you'll find a wealth of strategies for fulfilling this key responsibility, such as:· When to promote a rising star to management -- and why promoting too early can jeopardize a star's career and your company· How to help newly minted team leaders avoid the classic errors that trip up beginners· The predictable stages leaders must go through to master the job of heading a new business or large division· Ways to tailor your development strategies to four types of leaders-in-trainingThis collection of HBR articles provides a range of advice on the best ways for companies to keep their next generation of leaders on the right track.

The Relational Manager: Transform Your Workplace and Your Life


Michael Schluter - 2009
    Relationships are at the heart of all that we do and achieve, indeed our very identity. When relationships are neglected in a business context, the authors argue, they lead to poor health, ineffective management and low output at work. The authors focus on 5 key components of successful relationships and how these can be achieved: - Encounter (personal rather than impersonal contact is best) - Storyline (strength of the relationship over time) - Knowledge (how deeply is information shared?) - Fairness (equal treatment and mutual respect) - Alignment (sharing values, objectives and purpose)

Value Stream Mapping for Healthcare Made Easy


Cindy Jimmerson - 2009
    Two fundamental principles of Toyota's push for excellence are especially relevant to healthcare: ensuring quality at every step and keeping improvement processes simple enough that they are viable, reproducible, and teachable.Developed with the input of more than 60 healthcare organizations, Value Stream Mapping for Healthcare Made Easy introduces healthcare managers to the essential method developed by Toyota known as the Value Stream Map (VSM). The first half of the book provides an introduction to VSMs that shows healthcare workers at all levels how to look at any process with eyes that probe all the value-added and non-value-added activities in the delivery of a requested service or product. This will allow all stakeholders the opportunity to evaluate, create, and communicate innovation in their workplace.The second half reviews real value stream maps at real healthcare facilities created by teams of administrators, managers, physicians, and staff members. Most participants were not experienced with lean thinking and for many this was their first engagement with lean methods. What becomes clear through these examples is the importance of initiating realistic improvements that can quickly demonstrate successful change and encourage even more problem solving.This ability to be involved with creating a better way to work has been exceptionally well received by workers both at Toyota and now throughout the healthcare industry. Lean thinking involves employees in improving work that is meaningful to them, at a level where they can see and appreciate the changes they have participated in creating. This satisfaction is essential to retaining good workers, as well as to the everyday improvement of safety, patient satisfaction, and affordability.VSM is a proven high-level view tool that can be used in every aspect of healthcare to identify, understand, and improve processes. Information included illustrates the simplicity and completeness of the tool and describes its applications to staff communication, regulatory documentation, and activities of daily work. The book also highlights simple-to-use data collection and interpretation as part of the VSM process.

I Did It My Way: A Remarkable Journey to the Hall of Fame


Bud Grant - 2009
    From surviving polio in childhood to a shining college sports career and playing both basketball and football professionally, and from coaching a championship-winning Canadian team to leading the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowls, Grant shares his personal perspective for the first time in this autobiography with entertaining detail and refreshing openness. The book recounts his experiences with star players and gives the inside story on Grant's controversial retirement in 1983 and his return to the sideline in 1985. Minnesota sports lovers will also enjoy Grant's reflection on his own idiosyncrasies, including his famous love of cold-weather football and banning of sideline heaters, and his postretirement life spent devoted to environmental protection and being an outdoorsman.

The Strategic Drucker: Growth Strategies and Marketing Insights from the Works of Peter Drucker


Robert W. Swaim - 2009
    His 39 books and countless scholarly and popular articles predicted many of the major economic developments of the late twentieth century, and his influence upon modern business is almost immeasurable. In The Strategic Drucker, Drucker associate and student Robert Swaim has distilled Drucker's most important business strategies and philosophies into one valuable book. Swaim recounts and compiles Drucker's insight on growth, strategic planning, sales, marketing, innovation, and a wealth of other vital business topics. For anyone who wants to get to know the real Drucker, without digging through all of his books and articles, The Strategic Drucker is a valuable resource.Robert Swaim, PhD (Beijing, China), has taught at numerous universities around the world and collaborated with Peter Drucker in developing an MBA and executive development program for Chinese executives and managers.

The 200 Superfoods That Will Save Your Life: A Complete Program to Live Younger, Longer:


Deborah A. Klein - 2009
    The 200 SuperFoods That WillSave Your Life gives you the healthy news aboutfoods you should eat and enjoy, including sweet, yethealthy indulgences like tomatoes, guacamole, and semisweetchocolate chips. More than just a list of foods,this encyclopedic guide contains recipes, dietary adviceand meal plans to get you to your healthiest levelever. Author Deborah Klein provides a comprehensivetour of the world's healthiest foods, as well as tips forincorporating them into a diet. This is a one-stopresource for information on how to live healthierand longer.

Successful Presentations: Get Brilliant Results Fast


Brian Lomas - 2009
    It's perfect for business owners, working professionals and anyone wanting to learn how to give great presentations. Practical and easy to use, this book is a step-by-step guide to making good presentations great, from managing nerves to tips and tricks to engage the audience, keep them interested and deliver your message effectively. The book is packed with helpful examples and practical exercises to complete. Brian Lomas is a business consultant and trainer. He has presented to audiences in excess of a thousand, faced the friendly and the not-so-friendly, and been asked numerous difficult questions, so he is well placed to advise on giving the best presentations.

The Oxford Handbook of Critical Management Studies


Mats Alvesson - 2009
    Critical of established social practices and institutional arrangements, it challenges prevailing systems of domination and promotes the development of alternatives to them. CMS draws upon diverse critical traditions. Of particular importance for its initial articulation was the thinking of members of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory. From these foundations, CMS has grown into a pluralistic and inclusive movement incorporating a diverse range of perspectives--ranging from labour process theory to radical feminism. In recent times, a set of ideas broadly labelled "poststructuralist" have been developed to complement and challenge the insights of Critical Theory, giving new impetus for scholars seeking to challenge the status quo and articulate a more inclusive and humane future for management practice. The Oxford Handbook of Critical Management Studies provides an overview of theoretical approaches, key topics, issues, and subject specialisms in management studies, as well as a set of reflections on the progress and prospects of CMS. Contributors are all specialists in the respective fields and share a concern to interrogate and challenge received wisdom about management theory and practice. Given the rapid growth of the CMS movement, its ever increasing theoretical and geographical diversity and its outreach into the public sphere, The Oxford Handbook of Critical Management Studies is a timely publication. In addition to UK contributors, where CMS has developed most rapidly, there is strong representation from North American contributors as well as from areas where CMS has taken hold more recently, such as Australasia. About the SeriesOxford Handbooks in Business & Management bring together the world's leading scholars on the subject to discuss current research and the latest thinking in a range of interrelated topics including Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Public Management, International Business, and many others. Containing completely new essays with extensive referencing to further reading and key ideas, the volumes, in hardback or paperback, serve as both a thorough introduction to a topic and a useful desk reference for scholars and advanced students alike.