Book picks similar to
The Surprising Solution: Creating Possibility in a Swift and Severe World by Bruce Piasecki
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Great Demo!: How to Create and Execute Stunning Software Demonstrations
Peter E. Cohan - 2003
It draws upon the experiences of thousands of demonstrations, both delivered and received from vendors and customers. The distinctive "Do the Last Thing First" concept generates a "Wow!" response from customers. The Great Demo! method is presented simply and clearly, and is elaborated more fully in each successive chapter, providing a rich toolkit for software sales teams. Real-life anecdotes, examples, and axioms offer humorous and effective punctuation. Updated with new best practices, tips and techniques, this second edition now includes a complete chapter on remote demonstrations--an area of increased activity and unique challenges. An additional chapter on managing evaluations (for fun and profit) extends the utility of the book to those in sales and management. Great Demo! is a terrific read on an airplane or between customer visits. It offers a straightforward process for creating and delivering highly compelling software demonstrations, excellent advice, tips, and the occasional epiphany.
Construction Management Jumpstart
Barbara J. Jackson - 2004
This second edition of a bestselling introduction to construction management walks you through each stage of the construction management process.Written from the constructor's perspective, this book will familiarize you with all the construction management fundamentals and how Building Information Modeling (BIM) is impacting the construction management profession.Covers interoperability of technology advances in the construction industry Explains how BIM is challenging the traditional approach to project delivery and how this affects the constructor's role Elaborates each stage of the design and construction process and the tasks associated with each of them Shows step-by-step how to estimate project costs, administer contracts, manage job site and construction operations, plan and schedule a project, monitor project performance, manage project quality and safety, and assess project risks Provides review questions at the end of each chapter to help enforce understanding The tried-and-true project management principles presented in this book will help ensure you a successful start to your career.
Delegating Work (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series)
Harvard Business Review - 2014
But it's not easy to do. Delegating Work quickly walks you through the fundamentals of:
Establishing a productive environment
Assigning the right work to the right people
Conducting an effective hand-off meeting
Monitoring without micromanaging
Don't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a key management topic. Advice you can quickly read and apply, for ambitious professionals and aspiring executives--from the most trusted source in business. Also available as an ebook.
The Power of the Other: The startling effect other people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond-and what to do about it
Henry Cloud - 2016
These are necessary, but not sufficient. Using evidence from from neuroscience and his work with leaders, Dr. Cloud shows that the best performers draw on another vital resource: personal and professional relationships that fuel growth and help them surpass current limits. Popular wisdom suggests that we should not allow others to have power over us, but the reality is that they do, for better or for worse. Consider the boss who diminishes you through cutting remarks versus one who challenges you to get better. Or the colleague who always seeks the limelight versus the one who gives you the confidence to finish a difficult project. Or the spouse who is honest and supportive versus the one who resents your success. No matter how talented, intelligent, or experienced, the greatest leaders share one commonality: the power of the others in their lives. Combining engaging case studies, persuasive findings from cutting-edge brain research, and examples from his consulting practice, Cloud argues that whether you’re a Navy SEAL or a corporate executive, outstanding performance depends on having the right kind of connections to fuel personal growth and minimize toxic associations and their effects. Presenting a dynamic model of the impact these different kinds of connections produce, Cloud shows readers how to get more from themselves by drawing on the strength and expertise of others. You don’t have a choice whether or not others have power in your life, but you can choose what kinds of relationships you want.
Leading So People Will Follow
Erika Andersen - 2012
Using Erika Andersen's proven framework, new leaders and veterans alike have increased their capacity for leading in a way that creates loyalty, commitment and results. Step by step, Andersen lays out six key attributes (far-sightedness, passion, courage, wisdom, generosity, and trustworthiness) and gives leaders the tools for developing them. This innovative book offers a practical guide for building the skills to become a truly 'followable' leader.Filled with examples from forward-thinking organizations such as Apple, NBC Universal, Union Square Hospitality Group, and MTV Networks Maps out the six attributes of leadership Includes a free online Followable Leader assessment Author Erika Andersen is one of Forbes' most popular bloggers and coaches some of the most successful leaders in America Using self-assessments, real-world examples, and concrete tools, Leading So People Will Follow helps build timeless core skills that work for leaders in any field.
Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior
Ori Brafman - 2008
Sway introduces us to the Harvard Business School professor who got his students to pay $204 for a $20 bill, the head of airline safety whose disregard for his years of training led to the transformation of an entire industry, and the football coach who turned conventional strategy on its head to lead his team to victory. We also learn the curse of the NBA draft, discover why interviews are a terrible way to gauge future job performance, and go inside a session with the Supreme Court to see how the world’s most powerful justices avoid the dangers of group dynamics.Every once in a while, a book comes along that not only challenges our views of the world but changes the way we think. In Sway, Ori and Rom Brafman not only uncover rational explanations for a wide variety of irrational behaviors but also point readers toward ways to avoid succumbing to their pull.
Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence
Daniel Goleman - 2013
In Focus, he delves into the science of attention in all its varieties, presenting a long overdue discussion of this little-noticed and under-rated mental asset that matters enormously for how we navigate life. Attention works much like a muscle: use it poorly and it can wither; work it well and it grows. In an era of unstoppable distractions, Goleman persuasively argues that now more than ever we must learn to sharpen focus if we are to contend with, let alone thrive, in a complex world.Goleman boils down attention research into a threesome: inner, other, and outer focus. A well-lived life demands we be nimble at each. Goleman shows why high-achievers need all three kinds of focus, as demonstrated by rich case studies from fields as diverse as competitive sports, education, the arts, and business. Those who excel rely on what he calls Smart Practices such as mindfulness meditation, focused preparation and recovery, positive emotions and connections, and mental "prosthetics" that help them improve habits, add new skills, and sustain excellence. Combining cutting-edge research with practical findings, Focus reveals what distinguishes experts from amateurs and stars from average performers. Ultimately, Focus calls upon readers not only to pay attention to what matters most to them personally, but also to turn their attention to the pressing problems of the wider world, to the powerless and the poor, and to the future, not just to the seductively simple demands of here-and-now.
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Jonah Berger - 2013
People don't listen to advertisements, they listen to their peers. But why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral? Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger has spent the last decade answering these questions. He's studied why New York Times articles make the paper's own Most E-mailed List, why products get word of mouth, and how social influence shapes everything from the cars we buy to the clothes we wear to the names we give our children. In this book, Berger reveals the secret science behind word-of-mouth and social transmission. Discover how six basic principles drive all sorts of things to become contagious, from consumer products and policy initiatives to workplace rumors and YouTube videos.Contagious combines groundbreaking research with powerful stories. Learn how a luxury steakhouse found popularity through the lowly cheese-steak, why anti-drug commercials might have actually increased drug use, and why more than 200 million consumers shared a video about one of the seemingly most boring products there is: a blender. If you've wondered why certain stories get shared, e-mails get forwarded, or videos go viral, Contagious explains why, and shows how to leverage these concepts to craft contagious content. This book provides a set of specific, actionable techniques for helping information spread - for designing messages, advertisements, and information that people will share. Whether you're a manager at a big company, a small business owner trying to boost awareness, a politician running for office, or a health official trying to get the word out, Contagious will show you how to make your product or idea catch on.
Versace and Dior: A Hood Love Story
Siren - 2019
The betrayal cut so deeply that Versace had vowed never to love again. It was just about her and her babies for now on. However, her brother's friend may change all that. Hurricane Katrina has taught Dior LaCroix that nothing in that life is promised to anyone. So, when Ferrari's little sister, Versace comes into his life, Dior wants to shoot his shot. But there's only one problem... she's mean as hell. Versace got Dior breaking down every emotional wall that her baby daddy has put up. Will Dior and Versace's hood love be able to survive Versace's distrust, or will it phase out as quickly as Versace's temper? Jump into this standalone of when a hood nigga meets a project chick, New Orleans style. Ain't nothing like hood love.
How we can be Kings even without Kingdoms (Management Sutras)
Devdutt Pattanaik - 2016
His profound management sutras are derived from his bestselling books on business and management. They show how individuals can realize their potential, create wealth and achieve lasting success by following uniquely Indian principles (based on Hindu, Jain and Buddhist mythology) of goal setting, strategic thinking and decision-making.
Startup Fundamentals: An Introductory Guide to Registering a Startup in India, Fundraising, Taxation, Marketing, and Sales
Nanda Kumar - 2017
The aim here is not to motivate you to get started, but to educate the various possibilities of getting things done. Hence the ideal reader is someone who has a product / service in their mind, completed their business calculations, is willing to manage the risks and just about to get started. Right from naming your company, registering it, banking, taxation through selling your products / services, this book will guide you on how to get it done in a quicker and affordable manner. Entrepreneurship is a journey. It needs proper fundamentals and systems in place to run the distance. The founder must plan well ahead while starting up or be willing to adapt to changes as the company grows. I sincerely hope this book will give that initial clarity, help you explore the possibilities and get started quickly.
Architecting for the AWS Cloud: Best Practices (AWS Whitepaper)
Amazon We Services - 2016
It discusses cloud concepts and highlights various design patterns and best practices. This documentation is offered for free here as a Kindle book, or you can read it in PDF format at https://aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/.
The Best Story Wins: How to Leverage Hollywood Storytelling in Business and Beyond
Matthew Luhn - 2018
Former Pixar and The Simpsons Animator and Story Artist Matthew Luhn translates his two and half decades of storytelling techniques and concepts to the CEOs, advertisers, marketers, and creatives in the business world and beyond. A combination of Luhn’s personal stories and storytelling insights, The Best Story Wins retells the “Hero’s Journey” story building methods through the lens of the Pixar films to help business minds embrace the power of storytelling for themselves!
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age
Sherry Turkle - 2015
And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. Preeminent author and researcher Sherry Turkle has been studying digital culture for over thirty years. Long an enthusiast for its possibilities, here she investigates a troubling consequence: at work, at home, in politics, and in love, we find ways around conversation, tempted by the possibilities of a text or an email in which we don’t have to look, listen, or reveal ourselves. We develop a taste for what mere connection offers. The dinner table falls silent as children compete with phones for their parents’ attention. Friends learn strategies to keep conversations going when only a few people are looking up from their phones. At work, we retreat to our screens although it is conversation at the water cooler that increases not only productivity but commitment to work. Online, we only want to share opinions that our followers will agree with – a politics that shies away from the real conflicts and solutions of the public square. The case for conversation begins with the necessary conversations of solitude and self-reflection. They are endangered: these days, always connected, we see loneliness as a problem that technology should solve. Afraid of being alone, we rely on other people to give us a sense of ourselves, and our capacity for empathy and relationship suffers. We see the costs of the flight from conversation everywhere: conversation is the cornerstone for democracy and in business it is good for the bottom line. In the private sphere, it builds empathy, friendship, love, learning, and productivity. But there is good news: we are resilient. Conversation cures. Based on five years of research and interviews in homes, schools, and the workplace, Turkle argues that we have come to a better understanding of where our technology can and cannot take us and that the time is right to reclaim conversation. The most human—and humanizing—thing that we do. The virtues of person-to-person conversation are timeless, and our most basic technology, talk, responds to our modern challenges. We have everything we need to start, we have each other.
Hacking Leadership
Mike Myatt - 2013
Leadership isn't broken, but how it's currently being practiced certainly is. Everyone has blind spots. The purpose of Hacking Leadership is to equip leaders at every level with an actionable framework to identify blind spots and close leadership gaps. The bulk of the book is based on actionable, topical leadership and management hacks to bridge eleven gaps every business needs to cross in order to create a culture of leadership: leadership, purpose, future, mediocrity, culture, talent, knowledge, innovation, expectation, complexity, and failure. Each chapter:Gives readers specific techniques to identify, understand, and most importantly, implement individual, team and organizational leadership hacks. Addresses blind spots and leverage points most leaders and managers haven't thought about, which left unaddressed, will adversely impact growth, development, and performance. All leaders have blind-spots (gaps), which often go undetected for years or decades, and sadly, even when identified the methods for dealing with them are outdated and ineffective - they need to be hacked. Showcases case studies from the author's consulting practice, serving as a confidant with more than 150 public company CEOs. Some of those corporate clients include: AT&T, Bank of America, Deloitte, EMC, Humana, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, PepsiCo, and other leading global brands. Hacking Leadership offers a fresh perspective that makes it easy for leaders to create a roadmap to identify, refine, develop, and achieve their leadership potential--and to create a more effective business that is financially solvent and professionally desirable.