Management decision making Books

Book SynopsisAndy Brophy is a lean & innovation facilitator who has been working in the lean field for the past twelve years in domains including manufacturing, hospital, software development, hospitality, food and financial services. He is Director of the consultancy business Lean 2 Innovative Thinking. Andy holds a 1st Class MSc in Lean Operations and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. In 2010 he published a co-authored book with John Bicheno called Innovative Lean.   http://www.lean2innovativethinking.com/  Table of Contents Part I: Getting started: Lean orientation and diagnostic phase Chapter 1 Lean management Chapter 2 Hoshin Kanri strategy deployment Chapter 3 Value stream mapping Part II: Lean transformation practices Chapter 4 Lean methods and tools (part I) Chapter 5 Lean methods and tools (part II) Chapter 6 Lean methods and tools (part III) Chapter 7 Lean methods and tools (part IV) Chapter 8 Lean methods and tools (part V) Chapter 9 Lean methods and tools (part VI) Part III: Leading the Lean transformation Chapter 10 Developing the Lean culture Chapter 11 The technical side of sustaining Lean Chapter 12 The people side of sustaining Lean Chapter 13 Putting it all together: The Lean Roadmap to Transformation References and further reading Glossary Appendix Index

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Book SynopsisThis new textbook focuses on how data and analytics can be used to help inform organisational decision-making across the business by complementing human judgement. Taking a highly practical approach, it covers major use cases for analytics across different business areas, including marketing analytics, HR analytics, operational analytics and financial analytics. This concise and readable book grounds discussion in the fundamentals of data, analytics and data visualisation, and in an understanding of the legal and ethical responsibilities that come with working with data. Key features include: • Analytics in Practice vignettes show how data and analytics have been applied in real organisations • Video interviews with industry professionals bring examples to life • A running case study and accompanying dataset allow you to apply what you have learnt Suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying business analytics. Mary Ellen Gordon is Senior Professional Teaching Fellow/Senior Lecturer in the School of Information Systems at the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.Table of ContentsChapter 1: How Data And Analytics Can Enhance Human Decision-Making In Organisations Chapter 2: Why Organisational, Legal, Cultural, And Ethical Considerations Shape What Can And Should Be Done With Data And Analytics Chapter 3: Preparing To Work With Data Chapter 4: Analysis Fundamentals Chapter 5: Communicating Analytical Results Chapter 6: Marketing Analytics Chapter 7: HR / People Analytics Chapter 8: Operational Analytics Chapter 9: Financial Analytics Chapter 10: The Future Of Data And Analytics

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Book SynopsisSimon Mueller is a Project Leader at Boston Consulting Group. Previously he served as the General Manager of the BCG Henderson Institute, the firm's strategy and macroeconomics think-tank. Simon has advised industrial and technology clients in North & Latin America, Europe and Asia, where he worked extensively on strategic and transformative projects focusing on advanced technologies such as robotics and 3D-printing. Simon is also co-founder of the global non-profit organization The Future Society, which develops governance solutions to ensure safety, fairness and shared prosperity in light of the rise of intelligent/autonomous systems. Julia Dhar is a Partner at Boston Consulting Group. She co-founded and leads BeSmart, the firm's behavioral economics initiative, where she uses her expertise to make organizations more productive, profitable and happier. She has works extensively across the United StateTable of Contents Part 1 Collect evidence 1 Illuminate your blind spots 2 Bust your biases 3 Explore your data Part 2 Connect the dots 4 Drill down 5 Move the needle 6 See the big picture Part 3 Craft the approach 7 Think on the margin 8 Score points 9 Walk the talk Part 4 Complete the mission 10 Multiply your possibilities 11 Engineer incentives 12 Make it happen 13 Conclusion Appendix: Confidence calibration Further resources

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Book SynopsisA Washington Post BestsellerWinner of the 2017 Axiom Business Book Award in Business TechnologyAmy Webb is a noted futurist who combines curiosity, skepticism, colorful storytelling, and deeply reported, real-world analysis in this essential book for understanding the future. The Signals Are Talking reveals a systemic way of evaluating new ideas bubbling up on the horizon-distinguishing what is a real trend from the merely trendy. This book helps us hear which signals are talking sense, and which are simply nonsense, so that we might know today what developments-especially those seemingly random ideas at the fringe as they converge and begin to move toward the mainstream-that have long-term consequence for tomorrow.With the methodology developed in The Signals Are Talking, we learn how to think like a futurist and answer vitally important questions: How will a technology-like artificial intelligence, machine learning, self-driving cars, biohacking, bots, and the Internet of Things-affect us personally? How will it impact our businesses and workplaces? How will it eventually change the way we live, work, play, and think-and how should we prepare for it now?Most importantly, Webb persuasively shows that the future isn't something that happens to us passively. Instead, she allows us to see ahead so that we may forecast what's to come-challenging us to create our own preferred futures.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED: Business Book Awards 2022 - Leadership Find out what makes great leaders tick, learn what it takes to be credible and read about the things that they'd do differently if they had to do it all again. The Nine Types of Leader introduces some obvious and some not so obvious types of leader through stories, anecdotes and insight garnered from hundreds of encounters with world-class leaders. Featuring interviews with industry titans including Jean-Francois Decaux of JC Decaux, Michael Rapino of Live Nation, Zhang Ruimin of Haier, Gavin Patterson of Salesforce and Isabelle Kocher of Engie, it explores how the leaders of tomorrow will improve their game by borrowing from the very best of the nine types of leader that exist today. Renowned journalist, James Ashton assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each leadership type, highlighting where and when they are best deployed, whilst helping you identify who you are and how you can improve performance. As the world seeks to recover from drastic disruption and uncertainty and the most acute test of leadership in living memory, it projects how future leaders can learn from what has gone before.Trade Review"This is a very well researched and uniquely observed encyclopaedia of leaders and leadership. A must-read for all current and aspiring leaders." * Dame Cilla Snowball, Wellcome Trust Governor, GREAT Private Sector Council Chair and former Group CEO and Group Chairman of AMV BBDO *"Every successful business is the result of successful leadership. However, there are wildly different types of leaders, with different strategies. Different markets, organizational cultures and industries require different leadership. And your own abilities and style determine your own leadership. James Ashton has produced a fresh, thoughtful, modern look at business leadership that will provide key insight to leaderships everywhere." * Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn Co-founder, author of Blitzscaling and host of Masters of Scale podcast *"I've always said life is 50 per cent luck and 50 per cent what you do with it. James Ashton's The Nine Types of Leader captures the luck and actions of CEOs around the world, and then turns it into an opportunity for you to look at what you've been given and use it to shape the leader you will become." * Ajay Banga, Mastercard Executive Chairman *"From interviews with a who's who of global business glitterati, James Ashton's new breakdown of nine types of leader is purposeful, authentic and delivered with his trademark readability." * Stevie Spring, Chairman of the British Council and the mental health charity Mind *"James Ashton has managed to produce a book about leadership that stands out in a busy field and cuts through management waffle. Pin-sharp analysis of the different types of leader, insightful commentary about the many leadership personalities he has interviewed over the years and vivid storytelling. As you read, you can't help but think about the type of leader you are yourself (and secretly hope it's the Human one). A great read - thoroughly enjoyed it." * Rita Clifton, CBE, portfolio chair, non-executive director and author of Love Your Imposter *"Business leaders are peculiar and brave. Few aspire to it; even fewer succeed. James Ashton has shrewdly tabulated his own butterfly collection of this exotic breed. Long on narrative, short on jargon and very entertaining." * Sir Peter Bazalgette, ITV Chairman and former Chair of Arts Council England *"James Ashton has a knack for unpicking how leaders' motivations and methods develop over many years. This book neatly compiles a range of different approaches and suggests where leadership goes next as modern corporations and stakeholder demands evolve." * Gavin Patterson, Salesforce President and Chief Revenue Officer and former Chief Executive of BT Group *"The world needs more great leaders, and James's thoughtful taxonomy points the way towards better leadership. Career-minded executives should pick it up." * Dambisa Moyo, global economist, author, 3M and Chevron Board Director and former Board Director of Barrick Gold and Barclays *"Packed full of fascinating real-world examples of the leaders that James Ashton has spent years researching and interviewing, this entertaining book shows how the different personality traits of leadership can play out in the human beings running some of our biggest businesses." * Chris Hirst, Havas Creative Global Network Chief Executive and author of No Bullsh*t Leadership *"A very readable book about the types of modern business leadership, sprinkled with great personal anecdotes and inside stories. If you only buy one book on leadership this year, make it this one!" * Brian McBride, Trainline Chairman, Standard Life Aberdeen, Wiggle and Kinnevik Non-executive Director, former Chairman of Asos and former Chief Executive of Amazon.co.uk *"A timely book - definitely one for the Davos crowd." * Sarah Sands, former BBC Radio 4 Today programme Editor and former Evening Standard Editor *Table of Contents Section - 00: Introduction; Section - 01: Alphas; Section - 02: Fixers; Section - 03: Sellers; Section - 04: Founders; Section - 05: Scions; Section - 06: Lovers; Section - 07: Campaigners; Section - 08: Diplomats; Section - 09: Humans;

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Book SynopsisIn this witty and wise guide to the dilemmas of entrepreneurship, Rizwan Virk debunks misconceptions about how the world of startups works and offers hard-earned advice for every step of the journey. Startup Myths and Models is an ideal companion for readers from those just embarking on the startup life to those looking for their next adventure.Trade ReviewIn this lively read, Riz Virk scrutinizes popular startup myths and provides crystal-clear startup models to guide entrepreneurs on their journey. Fortify yourself on this book’s rich experience and insights before you set out. -- Randy Komisar, partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, author of The Monk and the Riddle and Straight Talk for StartupsRiz Virk has been a founder, advisor and investor in startups for twenty-five years; Startup Myths and Models condenses those years of experience into a set of coherent lessons about the real challenges entrepreneurs face and how to overcome them. If you are going on the entrepreneur's journey, this book is a great companion for every stage of the adventure! -- Brad Feld, cofounder of Foundry Group and author of #GiveFirst and Venture DealsWhen launching a new business, there's no one I'd rather have at my side than Riz Virk as a cofounder or adviser. Having Riz's book, Startup Myths and Models, is the next-best thing. Equip yourself to win the battles that you'll encounter in your startup adventure by reading and digesting the lessons in this book. 100% results, no fluff! -- Mitchell Liu, cofounder of SLIVER.tv, Theta Labs, Gameview, and TapjoyIn Startup Myths, Riz Virk debunks common misconceptions about life in Startup Land. Both funny and wise, this book is a worthwhile read for any entrepreneur. -- Jeffrey Bussgang, Harvard Business School, general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners, and author of Mastering the VC GameI’ve founded five companies, made angel investments in over 100, and served on numerous startup boards—I wish I'd had a book like this before I started! Packed with hard-earned wisdom, Riz Virk does a great job of debunking myths and over-simple rules of thumb in the startup universe. -- Michael Dornbrook, COO of Harmonix (makers of Guitar Hero), member of Common Angels, and VP of marketing at InfoCom (makers of Zork)Startup Myths and Models is one of the best textbooks for founders who are going through accelerators, (and, of course for those that aren't). Riz Virk reveals secrets about starting, funding, growing, and selling your startup all while doing what's most important - staying sane and healthy. This is one of my go-to recommendations for any founder beginning or currently on the startup journey. -- Pat Riley, CEO of GAN (Global Accelerator Network)Riz Virk was one of my inspirations to be an entrepreneur. My advice to would-be entrepreneurs is to read Riz's book Startup Myths and Models, because it contains wisdom drawn from his twenty-five years of startup battles. -- Rajeev Surati, cofounder of Flash Communications (sold to Microsoft) and Photo.netWhether you're a curious student or a serial entrepreneur, Startup Myths and Models is on my recommended reading list for any startup founder. Riz's use of the Hero's Journey will help you understand how answering the call to the startup adventure will forever change you for the better! -- Tim Miano, associate director, Harvard Innovation Labs, and cofounder/CEO, SP@CEStartup Myths and Models cuts through all the startup noise, bringing real world experience to every entrepreneur in a super easy to access reference book. -- Will Herman, coauthor of The Startup Playbook, angel investor, founder of 5 startups (2 IPOs)This cogent, far-thinking explanation of how start-ups work will be invaluable for any aspiring founders stymied by traditional business wisdom. * Publisher’s Weekly *There are practical do's and don'ts, and a nuanced discussion of how to tell if a truism is going to help or hurt your particular situation. This is the kind of expertise most founders don't have direct access to, and there are plenty of useful nuggets here. * ZDNet *Table of ContentsIntroductionStage 1: The Call to Adventure: Myths About Starting a CompanyMyth #1: Build a Billion-Dollar CompanyMyth #2: Founders Start Companies to Make a Lot of MoneyMyth #3: You Have to Be First to MarketBonus Myth #B-1: Start Something You Are Passionate AboutStage 2: Fuel for the Journey: Myths About Raising MoneyMyth #4: A Great Product and a Big Market Are the Most Important ThingsMyth #5: Two Guys and a Business Are Better Than Two Guys and a PlanMyth #6: Talk to as Many Investors as You CanMyth #7: Take the Highest Valuation You Can GetBonus Myth #B-2: Raise as Little (as Much) Money as PossibleStage 3: Travel Companions: Myths About Hiring and ManagementMyth #8: Hire the Most Experienced People You Can FindMyth #9: Get Out of the Way and Let People Do Their Jobs, or I Can Do It Faster Myself!Myth #10: Better Management Causes Faster GrowthBonus Myth #B-3: If I own X%, Then My Stock Is worth $x!Stage 4: The Road of Trials: Myths About Going to MarketMyth #11: Focus, Focus, FocusMyth #12: My Product Failed Because My Sales Guy SucksMyth #13: If Only We Could Spend More on Marketing!Myth #14: Fail Fast, Pivot QuicklyBonus Myth #B-4: There Is No Such Thing as Bad PublicityStage 5: Acquiring the Treasure: Myths About Exiting Your CompanyMyth #15: At This Rate, My Startup Will Be Worth Twice as Much Tomorrow!Myth #16: They’re Buying Us Because Our Product is Awesome!Myth #17: The Best Way to Cash Out Is to Sell or Go PublicBonus Myth #B-5: Upfront Cash Is Better than Stock or an EarnoutStage 6: The Underworld and the Return: Myths About Life and Death in a StartupMyth #18: Startups Are Hard WorkMyth #19: Whew, I’m Glad That’s Over! No More Startups for Me!Bonus Myth #B-6: If My Startup Fails, My Life Is Over!Bonus MythsAppendix A: The Startup Market Lifecycle and CurvesAppendix B: Meet Our Cast of Characters and StartupsAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorIndex

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Book SynopsisTackle complex situations with critical thinking.You're facing a problem at work. There are many ways you can approach the situation, but each comes with its own pros and cons. How do you sort through all the information so that you know you're taking the right path?The answer is in how you think. The HBR Guide to Critical Thinking will help you navigate your most challenging issues, from difficult problems to tough decisions to complex scenarios. By carefully observing the situation, gathering information, inviting other perspectives, and analyzing what's in front of you, you can move forward with confidence while building this crucial leadership skill.You'll learn how to: Question your assumptions Keep an open mind to opposing viewpoints Sidestep cognitive biases Use data—when appropriate Grow comfortable with ambiguity Find innovative and creative solutions Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

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Book SynopsisSociologist Duncan Watts explains in this provocative book that the explanations that we give for the outcomes that we observe in life - explanations that seem obvious once we know the answer - are less useful than they seem. Watts shows how commonsense reasoning and history conspire to mislead us into thinking that we understand more about the world of human behavior than we do; and in turn, why attempts to predict, manage, or manipulate social and economic systems so often go awry.Only by understanding how and when common sense fails can we improve how we plan for the future, as well as understand the present-an argument that has important implications in politics, business, marketing, and even everyday life.Trade ReviewFrom the reviews of Everything is Obvious:'A fascinating book that ranges through psychology, economics, marketing and the science of networks.' Wall Street Journal 'Watts is an enjoyable companion... His enthusiasm is admirable and the book will hold valuable insights for a great many professions.' Prospect 'Penetrating and engaging... Common sense is a kind of bespoke make-believe, and we can no more use it to scientifically explain the workings of the social world than we can use a hammer to understand molluscs... It's this sort of study, not common sense, that will shed bright light on human affairs.' * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisAddresses the central dilemma established firms face: how to continue to harvest past success while driving the organization, its people and its processes, toward future growth and opportunities.Trade Review"A pragmatic framework to help mature enterprises escape the pull of their pasts and embrace the new reality of work." -- John Chen, CEO, Sybase

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Book SynopsisFor fans of The Black Swan and written by a veteran Wall Street Journal reporter, this is a fascinating deep dive into the world of billion-dollar traders and high-stakes crisis predictors who strive to turn extreme events into financial windfalls. There’s no doubt that our world has gotten more extreme. Pandemics, climate change, superpower rivalries, technological disruption, political radicalisation, religious fundamentalism — all threaten chaos that put trillions in assets at risk. But around the world, across a wide variety of disciplines, would-be super-forecasters are trying to take the guesswork out of what formerly seemed like random chance. Some put their faith in ‘black swans’ — unpredictable, catastrophic events that can’t be foreseen but send exotic financial instruments screaming in high-profit directions. Most famous among this group of big-bet traders are those who run the Universa fund, who, on days of extreme upheaval, have made as much as $1 billion. Author Scott Patterson gained exclusive access to Universa strategists and met with savvy seers in a variety of fields, from earthquake prediction to counterterrorism to climatology, to see if it’s actually possible to bet on disaster — and win. Riveting, relevant, and revelatory, this is a must-read for anyone curious about how some of today’s investors alchemise catastrophe into profit.Trade Review‘It’s not just the wild success of the catastrophists that makes this book fascinating but the way their philosophy reversed many of the “rules” of investing.’ -- John Arlidge * The Sunday Times *‘A closely observed chronicle of the storm-chasing edgelords of finance and the critics with whom they clash … Even those unfamiliar with, or uninterested in, the oscillations of the stock market may find themselves gripped by Patterson’s account.’ -- Marie Solis * The New York Times *‘In Chaos Kings, the indefatigable Scott Patterson has done it again: delivered a riveting account of Wall Street mavericks whose unconventional understanding of risk has netted them a fortune and us a fascinating account of how they did it. The unlikely partnership between Mark Spitznagel and Nassim Taleb has made them rich, saved their clients from financial calamity, and, under Patterson’s deft pen, produced an epic page turner.’ -- William D. Cohan, New York Times bestselling author of Power Failure, Money and Power, and House of Cards‘Scott Patterson’s Chaos Kings is an extraordinary exploration of cutting-edge efforts to understand the manifold and interconnected risks slamming civilisation at an alarming rate. It’s a critical read for anyone with an interest in what’s coming next and how to prepare for it, financially and otherwise. Scott has an uncanny knack for diving into the fascinating convergence of technology and investing, so I’m always excited to see what he’s discovering.’ -- Bradley Hope, New York Times bestselling co-author of Billion Dollar Whale and co-founder of Project Brazen‘Fast paced like a thriller but, also, thought-provoking in its willingness to show us the range of possible catastrophes, Chaos Kings tracks the adventures of contrarian investors who, rather than hide from chaos and confusion, seek it out. Their reward in many cases: a fortune. This book teems with great stories as well as market insights that you won’t get from conventional investors.’ -- Aaron Brown, former Chief Risk Manager at AQR Capital Management, and author of The Poker Face of Wall Street and Red-Blooded Risk‘Financial markets covet stability; they don't like surprises. In our new age of crisis, Scott Patterson convincingly recounts how a unique type of trader has learned to embrace the disruptions and make a lot of money doing so. Combining risk theory, finance, and portraits of some of the most interesting billionaires of doom, Patterson takes us on a disturbing tour of what could come tumbling down. But he also provides a detailed road map showing average citizens how to steer past catastrophe. You’ll be left wondering whether these Chaos Kings are brilliant, opportunistic, visionary, or even loathsome. In Patterson’s lively account, you’ll definitely find them fascinating.’ -- Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and author of The Devil Never Sleeps: learning to live in an age of disasters‘The world is an increasingly unstable place, threatening to go off the rails at any time. This chaos is devastating to many, but a boon to a few who are cashing in on it. Read this engaging book to learn about who they are and how they do it.’ -- Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics and author of Financial Shock and Paying the Price‘We live in a world of pandemics, climate change, war, and unstable institutions. Scott Patterson’s fascinating Chaos Kings is a provocative look at those placing big bets who believe they have tamed the financial risk whipped up by these unruly beasts. It holds perceptive insights for anyone who lives — or invests — in our modern uncertain world.’ -- Russell Gold, author of Superpower and The Boom‘A captivating, important, and unsettling book. Chaos Kings takes a timely look at how to survive and prosper in an increasingly uncertain and unstable world of global warming, pandemics, and geopolitical danger.’ -- William Green, author of Richer, Wiser, Happier: how the world’s greatest investors win in markets and life‘A richly reported work that features a fascinating ensemble of quirky characters. Important reading for anyone interested in risk-taking now — and in the future.’ -- Anita Raghavan, author of The Billionaire’s Apprentice‘Rock-star status is reserved for a clique who have made storm-chasing in stocks and bonds into something between an art and a science, and an extraordinarily lucrative one at that. They are the subject of Chaos Kings, a new book by Scott Patterson, who casts an engaging and accessible light on what makes these oddball savants tick, and how they make fortunes from disaster … Chaos Kings avoids making readers feel like they’re out of their depth … The power of the competing egos at play and the urgency of their message on everything from pandemics to the climate to the health of your lifesavings carry the tale.’ -- Katie Martin * Financial Times *‘Wall Street Journal stalwart Patterson continues his explorations of high finance with a clutch of contrarian risk takers … Deft, accessible analysis and guidance. Complex economic and scientific theories lucidly rendered.’ -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review‘Wall Street Journal reporter Patterson (Dark Pools) delivers an illuminating investigation into those who profit from anticipating crises … [T]he author has a knack for translating complicated financial manoeuvres into easily comprehensible terms … Detailed yet accessible, this will appeal to fans of Michael Lewis’s The Big Short.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Chaos Kings will provide the reader with plenty of food for thought — along with some sleepless nights.’ -- Matthew Partridge * Money Week *‘The book highlights those who have made money while the world falls apart. But not just any money — this book talks about making billions while there is metaphorical, or literal blood on the streets … It’s fascinating, a little sickening, and one heck of a yarn of a book. It is well worth the read and the learning that will come from it … Patterson’s book is one of the best financial stories around. Highly recommended.’ -- Chris Reed * NZ Booklovers *Praise for Dark Pools: ‘Richly reported … an invaluable piece of timely journalism that should be read by regulators and anyone with a cent in the stock market … You will never look at the opening bell in the same way.’ * Financial Times *Praise for Dark Pools: ‘Remarkable … even long-time participants in electronic markets will learn a lot from this book.’ * Forbes *Praise for The Quants: ‘Fascinating and deeply disturbing … Patterson gives faces and personalities to the quants, making their saga accessible and intriguing … [he’s] onto a big story that begs follow-up.’ * New York Times *Praise for The Quants: ‘Scott Patterson has the ability to see things you and I don't notice. In The Quants he does an admirable job of debunking the myths of black box traders and provides a very entertaining narrative in the process.’ -- Nassim Nicholas Taleb, New York Times bestselling author of Fooled by Randomness and The Black Swan

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Book SynopsisPhil Renshaw started his career in international banking and treasury, going on to become a Finance Director in the IT sector. Then he tuned into the fact that people, and hence people skills, generate the numbers. And with that insight, he launched a new career. He is now a management and executive coach, leadership development facilitator and an expert in the value of international assignments. Jenny Robinson has worked all over the world; been kidnapped (yes, but it wasn't that serious); driven through the Borneo jungle as her commute to work; and learnt to be effective in the normal office environments of Asia, Europe, America and Africa. She works on leadership development and as a mindfulness coach to senior executives.Table of Contents Chapter 1 First things first: chocks away! Chapter 2 Giving feedback: revving up Chapter 3 Being present: lift-off Chapter 4 Using Pause-Points: wheels up Chapter 5 Building trust and rapport: soaring high Chapter 6 Creating awareness: facing air turbulence Chapter 7 Changing perspective: admiring the view from 35,000 feet Chapter 8 Understanding through empathy: maintaining your altitude Chapter 9 Succeeding together: onward and upward Chapter 10 Creating actions to move forward: smooth landings Chapter 11 Learning to learn: time for reflection Chapter 12 More about YOU Chapter 13 More about OTHERS Chapter 14 More great TOOLS Chapter 15 More about ‘IS IT WORKING?’ Chapter 16 More about PROFESSIONAL COACHING Before you disembark Appendix: Coaching competencies

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Book SynopsisAdam Bock is a research academic, serial entrepreneur, and professional financier and venture consultant. As an academic, he has studied business models globally, from the US and UK to Russia and India, and has published highly cited articles about business models, including the first large-scale global study of business model innovation. As Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at The University of Edinburgh, he teaches and has taught courses on business models to hundreds of international students across every field of study. Adam has given invited lectures on business models at top global Business School as well as Academy of Management, the most prestigious management scholarship conference. In 10 years of entrepreneurial activity, he co-founded three life science ventures spun-out of universities. One of those ventures, Nerites Corporation, was purchased by Kensey-Nash (Royal DSM, NA) for $20 million in 2011. He managed multiple angel networks, facilitatinTable of ContentsTable of Contents Introduction How to use this book Part 1: The truth about business models 1. Business models in practice 2. A brief history of business models 3. There are no magic bullets Part 2: Business model architecture 4. Looking at your raw materials 5. Collecting and connecting your stakeholders - Customers, users, suppliers, purchasers, competitors 6. Solid structure - creating and capturing value in business models 7. Crafting compelling stories- the power of business model narratives 8. The business model life cycle · First steps for entrepreneurs · Lean education for start-ups · Coherent storytelling for growing up · Rejuvenating mature firms Part 3: Business model change and innovation 9. When business models fail 10. Change and adaptation, Innovation and disruption 11. Back to the beginning Resources developed throughout the book: 25 brilliant business model tips 12 brilliant examples to highlight specific business model elements, designs, or innovations. Links to online resources, including free online business model design sites; Links to short third-party videos covering specific business model topics

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Book SynopsisThe need for HR professionals to understand and apply data analytics is greater than ever. Today’s successful HR professionals must ask insightful questions, understand key terms, and intelligently apply data, but may lack a clear understanding of the many forms, types, applications, interpretations, and capabilities of HR analytics. HR Analytics provides a practical approach to using data to solve real HR challenges in organizations and demystifies analytics with clear guidelines and recommendations for making the business case, starting an HR analytics function, avoiding common pitfalls, presenting data through visualization and storytelling, and much more.

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Book SynopsisSystems Thinking, Systems Practice Whether by design, accident or merely synchronicity, Checkland appears to have developed a habit of writing seminal publications near the start of each decade which establish the basis and framework for systems methodology research for that decade.Trade Review"...a primer and hidden gem..." (Health Service Journal, 20 June 2002)Table of ContentsThe Subject of Systems. SYSTEMS THINKING-THE SYSTEMS MOVEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF SCIENCE. Science as a Human Activity: Its History and its Method. Science and the Systems Movement. Some Systems Thinking. SYSTEMS PRACTICE-ACTION RESEARCH TO ESTABLISH THE USE OF SYSTEMS CONCEPTS IN PROBLEM-SOLVING. `Hard' Systems Thinking-The Engineers' Contribution. The Development of `Soft' Systems Thinking. The Systems Methodology in Action. Implications of Systems Practice for Systems Thinking. Appendices. Bibliography. Glossary. Indexes.

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Book SynopsisDiscover fundamental principles of high-stakes change and organizational transformation The primes are universal and unavoidable patterns of group behavior that emerge whenever people attempt to transform systems or collaborate to solve complex problems.Table of ContentsIntroduction xxv Part 1: Universal Patterns of Leading in Uncertain Times 1 How do some people, organizations, and coalitions thrive in uncertain times? What enables them to appear so certain and take decisive action amid ambiguity about the future? Chapter 1 – Being Clear on What’s Really Important 3 How did you decide how you spent your time yesterday? What criteria are you using to allocate your time tomorrow? Leading 5 Does being called a ‘‘leader’’ mean you are ‘‘leading’’? What does ‘‘leading’’ mean? In–on 9 Are you seduced by working ‘‘in’’ the business at the expense of ‘‘on’’ it? Change Versus Transformation 13 Are you fixing or creating? Chapter 2 – Being Intentional and Going First 18 What are you committed to making happen and by when? What does ‘‘committed’’ mean? What does your commitment mean to others? Integrity 21 Does your ‘‘yes’’ really mean ‘‘yes’’? xvii Trust the Universe 25 Is your vision limited to what you’ve already seen? Declaration 29 Are you willing to live unreasonably? Chapter 3 – Enrolling Others 32 Can you call people, from disenfranchisement and mere compliance, to their highest level of commitment? Dynamic Incompleteness 35 Can you create a vision that is compelling because of what it says and at the same time inviting—for what it leaves yet to be said? Ennoblement 39 Does your vision elevate people in degree and excellence and respect and inspire them to act boldly? Power 45 Do you know how to turn strangers, competitors, cautious allies, and suspicious stakeholders into powerful, outcome-driven coalitions? Part 2: Universal Patterns of Powerful Alliances 47 How do you generate unprecedented power within the group? Is this question all that important to you? Chapter 4 – Gaining Shared Perspective 49 Everyone claims to value diversity. Can maintaining diverse perspectives ever be a bad thing? Blind Men and the Elephant 51 How do you help people to see the ‘‘whole thing’’? Levels of Perspective 55 How do you help people to see the same ‘‘whole thing’’? S-curves 59 How do you lead people to a shared sense of now? Chapter 5 – Establishing Shared Intent 62 How do you lead the group to be intentional? Core Prime 65 How do you help the group to focus on the right things and feel urgent about acting? Parity 73 What is the right ratio of analyzing versus imagining? Stake 77 How do you get the group ‘‘all in’’? Chapter 6 – Taking Coordinated Action 80 How do you get the group to do everything persistently about a few critical things versus doing a few things about everything? Cohesion 83 Cohesion is an unnatural state for a group. How good are you at establishing and sustaining it? Redpoint 85 A good question to ask is, ‘‘What is important to do?’’ A better question is, ‘‘Of all the important things we could do, what are the fewest, most important?’’ Muda 93 Can you distinguish ‘‘non-value-added activity’’? How much of your group’s resources is it consuming? Part 3: Universal Patterns of Outstanding Group Performance 96 What do high-performance groups know and do that low-performance groups do not? Chapter 7 – Making Decisions 98 What does the word ‘‘decision’’ actually mean? How are decisions made? Leadership Spectrum 101 Are you the kind of leader who likes to facilitate consensus? The right answer is, ‘‘That depends.’’ Consensus 105 Are you still using the traditional definition of consensus? Are you aware of how destructive the traditional definition is? Open–close–decide 109 How do groups actually make decisions? Chapter 8 – Building An Intentional Culture 113 Quick—what does ‘‘culture’’ mean? There are consequences to using more than seven words to define culture. Culture 115 Culture happens. You shape it or it shapes you. How good are you at shaping a culture? Congruence 119 What is the dark side of a stated culture? Feedback as Caring 123 How good are you at giving it? How good are you at getting it? Why does it matter? Chapter 9 – Social Contracting and Accountability Within the Group 126 How do peers give each other commands? Request 129 Why saying ‘‘no’’ protects your saying ‘‘yes.’’ Trust 133 We all say how important trust is. What is trust? How do you generate it and how do you destroy it? Breach 137 What do you do when your ‘‘yes’’ turns out to be a ‘‘no’’? Chapter 10 – Saying and Not Saying; Listening And Not Listening 140 How do high-performance groups sound? Perimeter 143 How small a fence have you built around what can and cannot be said? Facts, Stories, and Beliefs 147 Can you distinguish facts from stories from beliefs? Do you use facts the way a drunk uses a lamp post—for support versus illumination? Gossip 151 What is it? What makes it so destructive? How do you stop it? Part 4: Universal Patterns of Group Failure 153 How good are you at anticipating, avoiding, and slaying the dragons that inevitably show up and threaten your group and the outcomes your group is standing for? Chapter 11 – Overcoming Resistance 155 Are you okay with favoring some people and ignoring others? Laggards 157 Do you know how to starve ‘‘possibility killers’’? Fragmentation 161 How skilled are you at overcoming resistance from the powerful middle? Same–different 165 Everybody’s special. Really? Chapter 12 – Managing Intractable Dilemmas 168 How do you end a never-ending argument? Big Hat–little Hat 171 What do you do when the needs of the many conflict with the needs of the few? Right Versus Right 175 Resolving conflicts about right and wrong is child’s play. How skilled are you at resolving matters of right versus right? Resolution Principles 179 Right versus right arguments have been going on forever. What can we learn from our ancestors? Chapter 13 – Avoiding Tripping Hazards 181 Tripping hazards are easier to avoid when you know where they are. When it comes to working in groups, can you see them coming? Chase–lose 183 Chase teamwork, leadership, morale, and culture and you will surely lose them all. Process–content 189 You can run the process. You can contribute to content. Pick one. Shape Shifting 191 How to destroy your power in groups. Chapter 14 – Refusing to Hide Out 194 We all live our lives trying to avoid embarrassment. Can you recognize when you and your group are hiding out and playing safe? Victim–leader 197 What does ‘‘going victim’’ sound like? Court–locker Room 199 Do you find planning to be a near-death experience? Confusion 203 Why is confusion such a wonderful way of being? Part 5: Universal Patterns of Thriving in Ambiguity 205 How do you stay healthy when the world is sick? Chapter 15 – Avoiding Bright and Shiny Objects and Squirrels 206 How do you manage distractions? A Clearing 209 How skilled are you at creating nothing? Issues Forward 213 Looking behind and looking ahead are both important. What is the right ratio? Chapter 16 – Taking Great Care of Yourself 216 Can you give up coming from ‘‘something is wrong’’? Commitment Versus Attachment 219 Why saying ‘‘This project makes me so frustrated’’ is irrational. Be 223 How good are you at cutting grass when you are cutting grass? Conclusion: Now What? 226 Notes 228 Index of the Primes 237 About the Author 239

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Book SynopsisPublisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.Use machine learning to understand your customers, frame decisions, and drive value  The business analytics world has changed, and Data Scientists are taking over. Business Data Science takes you through the steps of using machine learning to implement best-in-class business data science.  Whether you are a business leader with a desire to go deep on data, or an engineer who wants to learn how to apply Machine Learning to business problems, youâll find the information, insight, and tools you need to flourish in todayâs data-driven economy. Youâll learn how to: â Use the key building blocks of Machine Learning: sparse regularization, out-of-sample validation, and latent factor and Table of ContentsPreface Introduction 1 Uncertainty 2 Regression 3 Regularization 4 Classification 5 Experiments 6 Controls 7 Factorization 8 Text as Data 9 Nonparametrics 10 Artificial Intelligence Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe definitive guide on how to price services to deliver profit, fund for product development and meet the needs of the customer/client at a price they are happy to pay.   As traditional manufacturing companies move to service provision, how should they price their services? What pricing model should they develop and what buyer behaviour model should they nurture? What will happen if you get your services offering right, but your pricing model wrong?     Mastering Services Pricing shows you how to create pricing that allows you to deliver maximum profit and high client satisfaction.   Learn that the cost plus' model won't work for service provision Understand how your competitors will use pricing to gain market share, create growth and tie in existing customers Recognise that Product pricing is coercive, services pricing is collaborative Understand that serviceTable of Contents 1 How clients buy services 2 Cost-plus pricing and beyond 3 Pitching for work 4 Negotiating price 5 The pricing lever 6 Alternative fees 7 Pricing tactics 8 Drivers of value 9 Learning from industry 10 Saving clients money 11 Pricing controls and capabilities

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction: What is Enduring | What is New | Keeping it Simple xi Chapter 1 A Consultant by Any Other Name 1 Part 1 Fundamentals 11 Chapter 2 Techniques Are Not Enough 13 Chapter 3 Being Right–Really 25 Chapter 4 Flawless Consulting 41 Part 2 Entry and Contracting 53 Chapter 5 Contracting Overview 55 Chapter 6 The Contracting Meeting 69 Chapter 7 Some Nuances of Contracting 87 Chapter 8 Some Agonies of Contracting 97 Chapter 9 The Internal Consultant's Dilemma 117 Part 3 More Fundamentals 125 Chapter 10 Understanding Resistance 127 Chapter 11 Dealing with Resistance 145 Chapter 12 Technology: A Marriage of Myth, Convenience, and the Virtual Hour 155 Part 4 Discovery and Underlying Concerns 163 Chapter 13 From Diagnosis to Discovery 165 Chapter 14 Whole-System Discovery 177 Chapter 15 Discovering Gifts, Capacities, and Acting on What We Know 183 Part 5 Analysis and the Decision to Act 203 Chapter 16 Focusing on the Picture 205 Chapter 17 Preparing for Feedback 217 Chapter 18 Managing the Meeting for Action 225 Part 6 Engagement and Implementation 239 Chapter 19 Implementation 241 Chapter 20 The Structures of Engagement 249 Part 7 Extension, Recycle, or Termination 263 Chapter 21 Transformation Will Not Be Televised, Livestreamed, or Managed 265 Online Appendix: Handy Checklists You Can Use 275 Further Reading 277 Acknowledgments 279 About The Author 283 Index 285

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Book SynopsisA guide to the essential skills of project management, enabling you to bring in projects on time and within budget.Juggling all the tasks and resources you need to make a project run smoothly can seem like an onerous task - from engaging with stakeholders and scoping out the full specification of the project, through to keeping a rein on costs and sticking to schedules. Manage Projects Successfully offers calm and practical advice to help you with setting priorities, communicating with others, monitoring progress and dealing with unexpected events.Practical, easy to read and jargon-free, the book contains a quiz to assess strengths and weaknesses, step-by-step guidance and action points, top tips to bear in mind for the future, common mistakes and advice on how to avoid them, and summaries of key points.

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Book SynopsisThe future may still be unpredictable, but nowadays, disasters are not. We live in a time of constant, consistent catastrophe, where things more often go wrong than they go right. So why do we still fumble when disaster hits? Why are we always one step behind?In The Devil Never Sleeps, Juliette Kayyem lays the groundwork for a new approach to dealing with disasters. Presenting the basic themes of crisis management, Kayyem amends the principles we rely on far too easily. Instead, she offers us a new framework to anticipate the "devil's" inevitable return, highlighting the leadership deficiencies we need to overcome and the forward thinking we need to harness. It's no longer about preventing a disaster from occurring, but learning how to use the tools at our disposal to minimize the consequences when it does.Filled with personal anecdotes and real-life examples from natural disasters like the California wildfires to man-made ones like the Boeing 737 MAX crisis, The Devil Never Sleeps is a guide for governments, businesses, and individuals alike on how to alter our thinking so that we can develop effective strategies in the face of perpetual catastrophe.

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Book SynopsisWhere should I live? Is it time to get a new job? Which job candidate should I hire? What business strategy should I pursue? We spend the majority of our lives making decisions, both big and small. Yet, even though our success is largely determined by the choices that we make, very few of us are equipped with useful decision-making skills. Because of this, we often approach our choices tentatively, or even fearfully, and avoid giving them the time and thought required to put our best foot forward. In Smart Choices, John Hammond, Ralph Keeney, and Howard Raiffa--experts with over 100 years of experience resolving complex decision problems--offer a proven, straightforward, and flexible roadmap for making better and more impactful decisions, and offer the tools to achieve your goals in every aspect of your life. Their step-by-step, divide-and conquer approach will teach you how to: * Evaluate your plans * Break your potential decision into its key elements * Identify the key drivers that are most relevant to your goals * Apply systematic thinking * Use the right information to make the smartest choice Smart Choices doesn't tell you what to decide; it tells you how. As you routinely use the process, you'll become more confident in your ability to make decisions at work and at home. And, more importantly, by applying its time-tested methods, you'll make better decisions going forward. Be proactive. Don't wait until a decision is forced on you--or made for you. Seek out decisions that advance your long-term goals, values, and beliefs. Take charge of your life by making Smart Choices a lifetime habit.

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Book SynopsisIn the face of ever more complex societal challenges, this book provides an essential new model for transforming the public sector and getting things done.Pandemics. Climate change. Refugee resettlement. Global supply chains. We face a new generation of complex problems that stretch across the public and private sectors and flow over organizational boundaries. To meet the moment, we need a fresh, new approach that strengthens institutions and government agencies by breaking free from organizational boxes and rigid, top-down leadership.As William D. Eggers, executive director of Deloitte's Center for Government Insights, and Donald F. Kettl, public management scholar, show in this indispensable book, we need a government of bridgebuilders who collaborate with partners—inside and outside government—to get the job done. These leaders manage horizontally instead of vertically; they see their role as connectors; and they identify which players have the assets needed to solve the unprecedented problems at hand.Each chapter examines one of the ten core principles of bridgebuilding and features practical tips and dynamic cases of how effective leaders have put each bridgebuilding principle to work. The book also includes a special section that helps government leaders create a hundred-day bridgebuilding plan.Throughout, Eggers and Kettl tell fascinating and instructive stories about some of today's bridgebuilders—federal, state, and local government leaders who transcend boundaries, partner across sectors, and get stuff done.Trusted and effective government has never been more important than today. Bridgebuilders provides a new model that current government decision makers—as well as young leaders who aspire to public service—can learn from and apply right now to transform government and restore public trust.Trade Review"A fresh look at the federal workforce and the skills needed to solve today's pressing problems" — Government ExecutiveAdvance Praise for Bridgebuilders:"Bridgebuilders should be on the reading list of every public official, CEO, and civic leader. It's a manual for all of us who seek to make democracy work for the people it's intended to serve, nationally and globally." — Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America; author, The Chessboard and the Web"Once in a generation, a book comes along that not only redefines an entire field of study and practice but revolutionizes it. For public management and government reform, Eggers and Kettl's Bridgebuilders is that book!" — John J. DiIulio Jr., Frederic Fox Leadership Professor of Politics, Religion, and Civil Society, University of Pennsylvania; coauthor, American Government: Institutions & Policies"Eggers and Kettl offer an innovative, thoughtful, and compelling road map for the federal government to successfully meet America's growing and complex challenges, rebuild democracy's promise, and restore public trust in our nation's most important institution." — Max Stier, founding President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service"In this highly readable book, Eggers and Kettl give public and private leaders a road map—a series of strategies to make what they call 'blended government' work." — David Osborne, author, Reinventing America's Schools; coauthor, Reinventing Government, Banishing Bureaucracy, and The Reinventor's Fieldbook"As mayor of Philadelphia, I saw every day how addressing the biggest challenges facing cities, from homelessness to crime, from traffic congestion to economic development, requires leaders to effectively work across sectors and levels of government. Bridgebuilders provides the essential playbook for how to do this." — Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia; David N. Dinkins Professor of Professional Practice in Urban and Public Affairs, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs"Bridgebuilders offers important guidance to the next generation of government leaders. As the authors point out, government organizations operate vertically, but the problems are horizontal. Only by adopting the strategies outlined in this book can the public sector start solving this generation's problems." — Elaine Kamarck, founding Director, Center for Effective Public Management; Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution

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Book SynopsisSoftware organizations in South Asia have particular organizational cultures and hierarchies, where teamwork and creativity are essential. Investigating research methodologies and collected data from team leaders across these industries, Team Work Quality subjects them to statistical analysis in order to infer how team work quality contributes towards the enhancement of creativity with respect to software organizations. Team Work Quality, a very recent term being widely applied in software organizations across the world now, has been measured in this book using Weimar’s model of Team Work Quality. The relationship of five team characteristics namely, team size, team age, team ethnicity, team role and tenure of the team leader, on the relationship between ‘Team Work Quality’ and ‘Creativity is also explored in this book. Strategies are also offered to software organizations for improving their levels of organizational creativity, through enhancement of Team Work Quality thereby helping its readers in creating a better work environment.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Team Work Quality Chapter 3. Evolution of Creativity Chapter 4. Importance of Team Characteristics in Determining Team Performance Chapter 5. Conceptual Model Associating TWQ, Creativity and Team Characteristics Chapter 6. Research Methodology Employed Chapter 7. Strategies for Indian Software Organizations for the Enhancement of Team Work Quality and Organizational Creativity

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Book SynopsisIn The Joys of Compounding, value investor Gautam Baid builds a holistic approach to value investing and philosophy from his wide-ranging reading, combining practical approaches, self-cultivation, and business wisdom. He integrates the strategies and wisdom of preeminent figures whose teachings have stood the test of time.Trade ReviewOver the years, as I’ve realized the importance of learning through wisdom instead of suffering, my favorite gift has been to give a person a great book. This book is going to go to the top of that list. -- Arnold Van Den Berg, founder of Century ManagementGautam Baid presents exactly the types of examples and insights from fabled investment practitioners that I believe can help investors avoid common yet predictable traps. The Joys of Compounding is a most useful reference for lifelong investment learning. -- Thomas A. Russo, managing member, Gardner Russo & Gardner LLCGautam’s book The Joys of Compounding provides a foundational framework on investing that is required reading for all investors. This book is the best investment one can make from those beginning their investment journey all the way to experienced practitioners. Successful investing requires a lifelong love of learning and this book provides a broad array of concepts and tools to guide you with your own personal investments or making investments for your clients. The most comprehensive investing book I have ever read. I highly recommend The Joys of Compounding for anyone interested in becoming a better investor. -- Paul Lountzis, president of Lountzis Asset ManagementGautam's book is wonderfully insightful. It is truly a pleasure to read and a reminder of some of the most essential tenets of sound investing. -- Sanjoy Bhattacharyya, managing partner, Fortuna CapitalGautam Baid is a marvelous role model because he's such a joyful and passionate student of worldly wisdom. This book, which is infused with invaluable insights and inspiring quotations from many great investors and thinkers who have guided him on his journey, is a powerful reminder of how enriching it is to dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of continuous, lifelong learning. -- William Green, author of The Great Minds of Investing and Beyond RichAn instant classic! Gautam Baid’s book is the definitive guide to lifelong learning for investors and anyone seeking to reach their full potential. A must read. -- John Mihaljevic, chairman of MOI GlobalThis edition benefits from a clearer focus on Gautam’s voice and insights as well as offering a fresh opportunity to learn and relearn those key lessons that will make us better investors and better human beings. -- Guy Spier, CEO of Aquamarine Capital and author of The Education of a Value InvestorDestined to become a must-read investment classic. * Rational Walk *This book forces readers to think about compounding in terms of human traits such as positive thoughts, good health, good habits, wealth, knowledge, and goodwill. * Enterprising Investor *Table of ContentsForeword1. Introduction: The Best Investment You Can Make Is an Investment in YourselfPart I: Achieving Worldly Wisdom2. Becoming a Learning Machine3. Obtaining Worldly Wisdom Through a Latticework of Mental Models4. Harnessing the Power of Passion and Focus Through Deliberate PracticePart II: Building Strong Character5. The Importance of Choosing the Right Role Models, Teachers, and Associates in Life6. Humility Is the Gateway to Attaining Wisdom7. The Virtues of Philanthropy and Good Karma8. Simplicity Is the Ultimate Sophistication9. Achieving Financial Independence10. Living Life According to the Inner Scorecard11. The Key to Success in Life Is Delayed GratificationPart III: Common Stock Investing12. Building Earning Power Through a Business Ownership Mind-Set13. Investing Between the Lines14. The Significant Role of Checklists in Decision-Making15. Journaling Is a Powerful Tool for Self-Reflection16. Never Underestimate the Power of Incentives17. Always Think About the Math, but Avoid Physics Envy18. Intelligent Investing Is All About Understanding Intrinsic Value19. The Three Most Important Words in Investing20. Investing in Commodity and Cyclical Stocks Is All About the Capital Cycle21. Within Special Situations, Carefully Study SpinoffsPart IV: Portfolio Management22. The Holy Grail of Long-Term Value Investing23. The Market Is Efficient Most, but Not All, of the Time24. The Dynamic Art of Portfolio Management and Individual Position Sizing25. To Finish First, You Must First FinishPart V: Decision-Making26. Read More History and Fewer Forecasts27. Updating Our Beliefs in Light of New Evidence28. Life Is a Series of Opportunity Costs29. Pattern Recognition30. Acknowledging the Role of Luck, Chance, Serendipity, and Randomness31. The Education of a Value InvestorConclusion: Understanding the True Essence of CompoundingAppendix AAppendix BAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Adaptive Action offers new ways to think about the limitations in traditional planning: it enables you to name and explore the uncertainty in your systems; it promotes shorter cycles of action and feedback, enabling you to respond to unexpected events and take corrective action more quickly."—Leadership Excellence"Adaptive Action does an excellent job of building on the theories and methods that underlie our current thinking about complexity. Eoyang and Holladay provide an introduction to practical tools that, before now, have not been gathered into one volume. They organize these resources in a way that takes the reader progressively deeper into the application of adaptive action and brings complexity into greater focus. This book demonstrates how a powerful, but simple framework can uncover deeper meanings and influence change."—Maya Townsend, Founder and Principal Consultant, Partnering Resources"Adaptive Action takes a giant leap forward. It moves us closer to understanding how complexity impacts us, our organizations, and society. Then, it reveals how we can be proactive in managing today and influencing tomorrow."—David W. Jamieson, University of St. Thomas and Past President, American Society for Training & Development"Staying a step ahead is very difficult, but Adaptive Action provides the tools and questions that every leader should ask at work and at home. Presenting a simple, flexible, and iterative approach that includes inquiry, discovery, shifts, and action, this book provides a blueprint for everyone looking to increase organizational capacity and creative thinking."—Cindy Elkins, Vice President, IT Americas at Genentech

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisDavid Cotton spent 21 years with Arthur Andersen and PwC before becoming a freelance trainer in 2002. He has worked in four continents and more than 40 countries, delivering a wide range of training in management, leadership, communication skills, business networking, confidence building, dealing with difficult people, change management, business strategy, coaching and mentoring. David's clients span local and national government and nearly every industry sector and include the European Parliament, European Commission and many of its agencies, the United Nations, BBC, Syrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Russian Federal Commission, Croatian MOD, PwC, most of the major Middle Eastern oil and gas companies, Manchester Business School and many others. He has published scores of articles and more than a dozen books, including Key Management Development Models (FT Publishing, 2015).Trade Review“The essential guide for any problem solving situation. Effective, practical and very accessible. Highly recommended.” Chris Garthwaite, CEO CGA Consulting "There isn't a single individual or organisation that could fail to benefit from the many practical approaches to problem-solving in this book. Everyone should read it!” Andrew Hilton, Managing Director, Corporate Training Partnerships Ltd “F. Durrenmatt says 'What concerns everyone, can only be solved by everyone' - and David's book is the practical guide to getting everyone fully engaged with a creative technique to solve any of your challenges.” Peter Schwanh™ußer, Partner, papilio ag, ZurichTable of ContentsAbout the author Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1 - Which tools to use and when Tools for broad problem areas Tools for specific problems Part 2 - Problem solving essentials Barriers to problem solving Framing a problem Stages in problem solving Preparation for group problem solving Equipment needed Part 3 - Problem solving techniques for individuals and small groups 1. Force field analysis and graphical force field analysis 2. Tough questions 3. Ritual dissent (and ritual assent) 4. Brain-friendly brainstorming 5. Reverse brainstorming 6. Procrastination 7. Cartesian logic 8. Brainwriting 9. Individual and collective mind mapping 10. Structured walkthroughs 11. Life through a lens 12. Nominal group technique 13. GROW for problem-solving 14. Head/Heart-Push/Pull 15. Osborne-Parnes critical problem solving process 16. Appreciative inquiry 17. Competitive ideas 18. Why not? 19. MUSE 20. Ishikawa fishbone diagrams 21. Deming’s PDSA Cycle (The ‘Shewhart Cycle’) 22. 3D stakeholder mapping 23. Two words technique 24. The association grid 25. Delphi technique 26. Lotus blossom technique 27. Photographic associations 28. Random word technique 29. Challenging assumptions 30. Metaphorical problem-solving 31. Who else has solved this problem? 32. How-How? 33. The 5 Whys/Question Everything 34. Jelly Baby Tree 35. Future shock 36. What if? 37. What if we didn’t? 38. Reframing 39. Ripple effect (systems thinking) 40. What I need from you 41. Concentration diagrams 42. Pareto analysis – simplified version 43. Solution effect analysis 44. The work map 45. Competing values framework 46. Timelining 47. One question 48. Peer assist 49. Action learning 50. Story circles 51. Swim Lane diagrams (Rummler-Brache diagrams) Part 4 - Large group problem solving techniques 52. Crawford’s Slip 53. Charrette Procedure 54. Starbursting 55. Open space 56. World café 57. Pro-action cafe Part 5 - Problem solving business games When and how to use business games 58. Retirement speeches 59. Convince me 60. Evolution 61. It’s in the news 62. The trial 63. Tortoise and hare 64. Art gallery 65. Proverbial problem solving 66. There are no rules 67. Documentary 68. Pitch Perfect Part 6 – Sharing and implementing solutions Sharing solutions Implementing solutions

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Book Synopsis"Artful scenario spinning is a form of convergent thinking about divergent futures. It ensures that you are not always right about the future but--better--that you are almost never wrong about the future. The technology is powerful, simple, and enjoyable, and so is Schwartza s book.Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Paperback Edition: The Strategic Conversation - Broadening The Long View The Pathfinders Tale The Smith & Hawken Story: The Process of Scenario-Building Uncovering the Decision Information-Hunting and Gathering Creating Scenario Building Blocks Anatomy of a New Driving Force: The Global Teenager Composing a Plot The World in 2005: Three Scenarios Rehearsing The Future Epilogue: To My Newborn Son Afterword: The Value of a Strategic Conversation Appendix: Steps to Developing Scenarios

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Book SynopsisThis revised and updated fifth edition of Accounting for Managers builds on the international success of the previous editions in explaining how accounting is used by non-financial managers. Emphasizing the interpretation as opposed to the construction of accounting information, Accounting for Managers encourages a critical rather than unthinking acceptance of accounting techniques. Whilst accounting information is immensely valuable for planning, decision making and control, users need to recognize the assumptions behind, and the limitations of, particular accounting techniques. As in the previous editions, Accounting for Managers combines theory with practical examples and contemporary case studies drawn from real business situations across a wide range of manufacturing, retail and service industries. Accounting for Managers is an ideal companion for postgraduate and undergraduate students, as well as non-financial managers in execuTable of ContentsPreface to the Fifth Edition xiii About the Author xvii Acknowledgements xix Part I Context of Accounting 1 1 Introduction to Accounting 3 Accounting, accountability, and the account 3 A short history of accounting 5 Introducing the functions of accounting 7 The role of financial accounting 7 The role of management accounting 8 Recent developments in accounting 10 The relationship between financial accounting and management accounting 12 A critical perspective 14 Conclusion 16 References 16 Questions 17 2 Accounting and its Relationship to Shareholder Value and Corporate Governance 19 Capital and product markets 19 Shareholder value‐based management 21 Shareholder value, strategy, and accounting 23 Company regulation and corporate governance 25 Risk management, internal control, and accounting 28 A critical perspective 29 Conclusion 30 References 30 Questions 31 3 Recording Financial Transactions and the Principles of Accounting 33 Business events, transactions, and the accounting system 33 The double entry: recording transactions 35 Extracting financial information from the accounting system 38 Basic principles of accounting 42 Cost terms and concepts: the limitations of financial accounting 45 Conclusion 47 References 47 Questions 47 4 Management Control, Accounting, and its Rational‐Economic Assumptions 51 Management control systems 51 Planning and control in organizations 54 Non‐financial performance measurement 58 A theoretical framework for accounting 64 Conclusion 65 References 65 Websites 67 Questions 67 5 Interpretive and Critical Perspectives on Accounting and Decision Making 69 Research and theory in management control and accounting 70 Alternative paradigms 73 The interpretive paradigm and the social construction perspective 75 Culture, control, and accounting 77 The radical paradigm and critical accounting 78 Power and accounting 80 Creative accounting, ethics, and accounting 84 Conclusion 90 References 91 Questions 93 Part II The Use of Financial Statements for Decision Making 95 6 Constructing Financial Statements: IFRS and the Framework of Accounting 97 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 98 Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements 100 True and fair view 103 Reporting profitability: the Income Statement and Statement of Comprehensive Income 104 Reporting financial position: the Balance Sheet or Statement of Financial Position 107 The matching principle and accruals accounting 109 Depreciation 111 Specific IFRS accounting treatments 112 Reporting cash flow: the Statement of Cash Flows 116 Differences between the financial statements 118 A theoretical perspective on financial statements 120 A critical perspective on financial statements and accounting standards 121 Conclusion 122 Reference 122 Websites 122 Appendix to Chapter 6: List of IFRS and FRS 123 Questions 125 7 Interpreting Financial Statements 129 Annual Reports 129 The context of financial statements 131 Ratio analysis 132 Profitability 133 Liquidity 135 Gearing 135 Activity/efficiency 136 Working capital 137 Managing receivables 138 Managing inventory 138 Managing payables 139 Managing working capital 139 Shareholder return 140 The relationship between financial ratios 141 Interpreting financial statements using ratios 143 Using the Statement of Cash Flows 145 Limitations of ratio analysis 152 A wider view on corporate reporting 156 Intellectual capital 157 Institutional theory 158 Corporate social and environmental responsibility 158 Applying different perspectives to financial statements 161 Conclusion 162 References 163 Questions 163 8 Accounting for Inventory 171 Introduction to inventory 171 Methods of costing inventory in manufacturing 175 Management accounting statements 180 Conclusion 181 Questions 182 Part III Using Accounting Information for Decision Making, Planning, and Control 185 9 Accounting and Information Systems 187 Introduction to accounting and information systems 187 Methods of data collection 188 Big data 190 Types of information system 190 Business processes 192 Information systems design and controls 194 Conclusion 196 References 196 Questions 196 10 Marketing Decisions 197 Marketing strategy 197 Cost behaviour 199 Cost–volume–profit analysis 201 Alternative approaches to pricing 208 Segmental profitability 212 Customer profitability analysis 216 Conclusion 219 References 219 Questions 220 11 Operating Decisions 223 The operations function 223 Managing operations – manufacturing 225 Managing operations – services 227 Accounting for the cost of spare capacity 228 Capacity utilization and product mix 229 Theory of Constraints 231 Operating decisions: relevant costs 232 Supply chain management, total cost of ownership, and supplier cost analysis 237 The cost of quality 239 Environmental cost management 241 Conclusion 246 References 247 Questions 247 12 Human Resource Decisions 251 Human resources and accounting 251 The cost of labour 252 Relevant cost of labour 255 Conclusion 261 References 262 Questions 262 13 Overhead Allocation Decisions 267 Cost classification 267 The overhead allocation problem 271 Shifts in management accounting thinking 272 Alternative methods of overhead allocation 273 Differences between absorption and activity‐based costing 282 Contingency theory 285 International comparisons 286 Behavioural implications of management accounting 287 Conclusion 290 References 291 Questions 292 14 Strategic Investment Decisions 297 Strategy 297 Capital expenditure evaluation 298 Accounting rate of return 301 Payback 304 Discounted cash flow 304 Comparison of techniques 307 Conclusion 311 References 311 Appendix to Chapter 14: Present value factors 311 Questions 313 15 Performance Evaluation of Business Units 317 Structure of business organizations 317 The decentralized organization and divisional performance measurement 320 Controllability 323 Comparison of methods 326 Transfer pricing 327 Transaction cost economics 329 Conclusion: a critical perspective 330 References 331 Questions 332 16 Budgeting 335 What is budgeting? 335 The budgeting process 336 The profit budget 339 Cash forecasting 345 A behavioural perspective on budgeting 349 A critical perspective: beyond budgeting? 350 Conclusion 354 References 354 Questions 354 17 Budgetary Control 359 What is budgetary control? 359 Variance analysis 361 Flexible budgets and sales variances 362 Flexible budgets and cost variances 363 Interpreting variances 365 Criticism of variance analysis 366 Applying different perspectives to management accounting 368 Conclusion 368 References 369 Questions 369 18 Strategic Management Accounting 371 Trends in management accounting 371 Strategic management accounting 372 Accounting techniques to support strategic management accounting 374 Lean production, lean accounting, and backflush costing 381 Conclusion 384 References 384 Further reading 385 Questions 386 Part IV Supporting Information 387 Readings 389 Reading 1 Cooper and Kaplan (1988). How cost accounting distorts product costs 390 Reading 2 Dent (1991). Accounting and organizational cultures: a field study of the emergence of a new organizational reality 403 Glossary of Accounting Terms 435 Solutions to Questions 449 Index 509

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Book SynopsisJohn Adair is acknowledged internationally as an authority on leadership, based in Guildford, UK. The world's first Professor of Leadership Studies, he advises organizations and has received the Lifetime Achievement in Leadership Award. He is the author of the bestselling classics Not Bosses But Leaders, The John Adair Lexicon of Leadership and The Inspirational Leader, all published by Kogan Page.Table of Contents Chapter - 00: Introduction; Chapter - 01: Your mind at work; Chapter - 02: The art of effective decision making; Chapter - 03: Sharing decisions with others; Chapter - 04: Key problem-solving strategies; Chapter - 05: How to generate ideas; Chapter - 06: Thinking outside the box; Chapter - 07: Developing your thinking skills; Chapter - 08: Appendix; Chapter - 09: References and Further reading

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Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Everyone negotiates. Whenever any person, company, or country needs someone else to accomplish something, they must negotiate. Negotiation is essential for peace and international relations, but also for economically efficient trades and bargains in business, and for problem solving skills in workplaces, families, and interpersonal interactions.This Very Short Introduction provides a comprehensive and accessible review of both conceptual and behavioural approaches to the human process of negotiation. Carrie Menkel-Meadow draws on research in constituent fields of human psychology, diplomacy, law, business, anthropology, game theory, decision making, international relations, sociology, public policy, and economics, suggesting models for creative problem solving to often intractable problems. Considering that most people are tense and frightened of what they perceive to be scarce resource confrontations with opponents and competitors, Menkel-Meadow offers different ways to plan for and approach others to solve human problems and seek solutions that satisfy both parties. Alongside this, Menkel-Meadow summarises recent research on the variations of human behaviour, providing vivid examples from history and current affairs to solve some of the most difficult problems. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1: When we need others to accomplish something 2: Frameworks of negotiation: winning for self or problem solving for all? 3: Contexts in negotiation 4: Behavioral choices in negotiation 5: Challenges to reaching negotiated agreements 6: Complex multi-party multi-issue negotiations 7: Ethical and legal issues in negotiation 8: The future of negotiation

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Book SynopsisStrategic Project Organizing takes a unique approach to project management that places emphasis on the strategic and organizational aspects of projects and their leadership. Structured around the Three Domains model, it covers all the fundamental project management concepts, whilst guiding the reader through the organizational challenges of enabling positive change.Through the lens of strategic leadership, this text equips students to know how to respond proactively to threats, as well as seize opportunities, in order to advantageously change the socio-economic environment in an organization''s favour. The text also helps students to understand the tools and techniques adopted during the process of organizational transformation.All chapters offer review and discussion-based questions to encourage critical thinking; as well as case vignettes and a longer, end-of-chapter case study to help students apply theory to practice. Real life projects featured in the case studies include the EdenTrade ReviewPerhaps the world's premier textbook on project organizing and strategy. If you would like to learn how organizations change through their investment projects and how they change the world we live in, this book is yours. Its focus on three domains and three interfaces of project organizing, and its unique 'project society' approach combine to make it a fascinating, down-to-earth, and useful reading on the art and science of projecting for students. * Lavagnon Ika, University of Ottowa *This book is a must. It takes stock of the strategic, organizational aspects of projects and the leadership required by proposing to look at them under the lens of three domains. It allows students but also practitioners and academics to master these concepts. Brilliantly structured, it offers vignettes and other online resources to deepen these concepts and test your knowledge. I highly recommend it, the book is in itself is an interesting "Voyage of life"! * Nathalie Drouin, Université du Québec à Montréal; and University of Technology Sydney *Strategic Project Organizing is a forward-thinking text that progresses our understanding of project management and must be read by students, project owners and suppliers alike. It provides a systemic look at the project profession, offering a new level of maturity that is currently missing from the content of many project management texts which seem to have difficulties moving away from the in-house, manufacturing-led, thinking of the 1950s. This text should be standard reading for any project management Masters course, as well as any modern MBA course that understands the increasing importance of project management." * Nicolas Lambrou, University of Westminster *Strategic Project Organizing offers a unique take and focus on projects which provides a welcome alternative to other textbooks. With research-based insights for different members of project teams, it offers advanced discussion around projects, their role in our current world and the people managing and leading these projects." * Christine Unterhitzenberger, University of Leeds *Table of Contents1: Introduction: projecting the modern world Part One: The Core Concepts of Strategic Project Organizing 2: The three domains of project organizing 3: Leading 4: Visioning and inventing Part Two: The Three Domains of Strategic Project Organizing 5: The owner domain 6: The supplier domain 7: The delivery domain Part Three: The Three Interfaces 8: The governance interface 9: The commercial interface 10: The resource interface Part Four: The Profession of Strategic Project Organizing 11: The core skills 12: Being a project leader

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Book SynopsisChristopher Bones is co-founder of GoodGrowth, He is an established thought leader in organizational strategy and change management in companies such as Diageo, Cadbury, Schweppes and Shell. He is Professor of Creativity and Leadership at Alliance Manchester Business School.James Hammersley is a co-founder of GoodGrowth whose clients include Bupa, The Open University, Barclays Connector and O2.Nick Shaw is Director of Digital for Good Growth. He has over 10 years of experience in leading and helping a variety of organizations to improve their sales effectiveness and innovation performance.Trade Review"Optimizing Digital Strategy successfully challenges the perception that more and more technology is the always answer - the organization is often the biggest barrier to online success and this book explores why and what to do about it. It's a commercial and engaging book that shows leaders how to improve performance. Full of useful frameworks and case examples, it sets out a structure with which leaders can assess their business and then focus on what needs to change to drive growth online." * Anna Rawling, Managing Director, Product and Portfolio Strategy, The Economist *"Every retail leader should read this book. What the authors have written will help today's leaders navigate the maze of the digital world. They remove the mask of mystery to help understand where a business should focus its energy, people and capital. Optimizing Digital Strategy perfectly illustrates that technology alone is not the answer - the answer of course is the customer." * Darren Topp, Chairman, Retail Executives Limited, and experienced retail CEO *"Optimizing Digital Strategy gives business leaders a practical toolkit for thinking about and executing their digital strategy. The Good Growth team have condensed years of research and experience into a genuinely useful handbook." * Alex Murray, Digital Director, Lidl UK *"A practical handbook on running an online business, this is a must-read for the online practitioner through to the executive. Clear models, simple language, with plenty of examples across sectors make this an invaluable asset - it sits permanently on my desk! Importantly, Optimizing Digital Strategy offers good insights, perspective and practical advice on leadership and organizational challenges as a business develops." * Ann Steer, Chief Customer Officer, N Brown Group plc *"An informative and insightful book that should be read by all directors and business leaders. The distinction between good and best practice in this fast-moving area is a point well made. The case studies add richness and amplify the content." * Helen Pitcher OBE, Chairman, Advanced Boardroom Excellence; President, INSEAD Directors Network; Chairman, pladis; Chairman, KidsOut *"It would be hard to imagine a more authoritative guide to the pitfalls and opportunities of multichannel transformation." * Ian Shepherd, former COO, Odeon Cinemas Group *"An essential read for any executive seeking to leverage the opportunities and mitigate the risks posed by digital transformation. This is a book that lays out a clear road map for how organizations can deliver on their digital strategies." * Professor Michael Hartmann, Executive Director, EMBA in Digital Transformation, McMaster University *"This is a compelling guide to the creation and execution of business growth strategy in a high-rate-of-change digital age. It takes a systems-thinking approach and draws out the criticality of active and accountable business leadership, culture, ethics and, above all, the need for ruthless customer-, consumer- and marketplace-centricity." * Stuart Fletcher, Portfolio Director and angel investor, former Global CEO, Bupa, and President International, Diageo plc *"An excellent guide, full of insight, for those of us working in digital leadership. Whether you're starting your journey in digital leadership or have a few years under your belt, this book is a must-read." * Tom Weeks, Sales Director UK, AB Tasty *"The rate of change in this area continues exponentially, but there are some universal truths the book points out that you need to hang on to. Everyone should have a copy in their favourites." * Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, Senior leader, global consumer goods, Coty, Carlsberg, Reckitt Benckiser, Cadbury Schweppes *Table of Contents Chapter - 01: Building digital strategy that works; Chapter - 02: Why digital strategies fail and how to recognize failure; Chapter - 03: Levers for digital growth and how to use them; Chapter - 04: The importance of innovation in driving success; Chapter - 05: The dark side of digital; Chapter - 06: Emerging digital business models; Chapter - 07: The e-commerce system; Chapter - 08: Building a customer-centric culture; Chapter - 09: Making digital choices that differentiate success from failure; Chapter - 10: This is the business of transformation

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times and Economist Book of the Year''Wonderfully stimulating... will teach you to see around corners'' - TIM HARFORD''A paean to cognitive agility and the elasticity of the imagination'' - ECONOMIST''Captivating... will transform the way you think'' MARISSA KING, PROFESSOR AT YALE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENTThe power of mental models to make better decisionsWe''re often told that humans make bad decisions and that more data is better. But this is backwards: people are good at decisions precisely because we use mental models and can envision new realities outside of data. Great outcomes don''t depend so much on the final moment of choosing but on generating better alternatives to choose between. That''s framing. It''s a cognitive muscle we can strengthen to improve our lives, work and future -- to meet this historical moment. Framers shows how.Trade ReviewA tightly written prescription for smart thinking... A bold call to reinject pluralism and progressive human values into a decision-making process dominated by algorithms or gut instinct * Financial Times -- 2021 Summer Books List *A simply wonderful reimagining of human ingenuity. It will teach you to see around corners * Tim Harford, bestselling author of How To Make The World Add Up *Reveals how you can recognize the lenses that you're applying ... an important read -- a steady hand for our turbulent times * Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THINK AGAIN *A fascinating look at what makes humans special and how people can improve the way they think to stay ahead of the machines * Mustafa Suleyman, Co-founder of DeepMind, Vice-President of Google *A paean to cognitive agility and the elasticity of the imagination * The Economist *Packed with big ideas, great stories, values and verve that make it a delight to read. It will certainly change how you think-and might just change the world too * Annie Duke, best-selling author of THINKING IN BETS and former poker champion *A great book filled with fresh perspectives to help us out during the rise of AI so we can usher in the Age of Humanity * will.i.am, musician and entrepreneur *A captivating read... Framers will transform the way you think * Marissa King, Professor at Yale School of Management *Brilliantly shows that mental models are at the heart of creativity, critical thinking and innovation, and how we can get better at it to solve our toughest business and social challenges * Aaron Levie, CEO of Box *Provides insight into how we can all nurture more of a beginner's mind and manifest breakthrough ideas for building a better future * Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO, Salesforce *An appealing pop-science guide to creativity [and] an astute analysis of problem-solving * Kirkus Reviews *Humans today live a much easier, more comfortable, and more pleasant existence than ever before, but we also face our greatest existential challenges as a species, and in order to survive we will need not only cooperation, but a new and diverse set of cognitive frames ... [this book] teaches us how to better frame things for ourselves as individuals * Porchlight BOOK TO WATCH *

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Book SynopsisJohn O'Brien is an ethical purpose expert who has worked closely with clients including HRH The Prince of Wales, individual entrepreneurs and over half the FTSE 100. He is co-founder of Destria Partners, the international purpose agency based in London, whose clients have included amongst others, Virgin Atlantic, Etihad, L'Occitane, WWF, Walgreen Boots Alliance, Banco Intessa and the UK Government. He is Chair of the London based Knot network of ethical leaders: www.theknot.so. As a committed philanthropist he is patron, trustee and special representative of a variety of not for profit initiatives including INTBAU, MPCT, The Patchwork Foundation, United Purpose and Remember WW1. Andrew Cave is a renowned business journalist and author of 25 years' experience. He has written for the Daily Telegraph since 1996, for three years as the New York based US Business Correspondent, five yea

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Book SynopsisDive inside this textbook for an accessible guide to the discipline of public services; explore core public service topics and understand the fundamental elements of working in the public services.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Defining and understanding public services - Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey and E.K. Sarter Part 1: Public services and the welfare state 1. Public services and public policies - E.K. Sarter 2. Mixed economy - Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey 3. Public services and the law - Simon Read Part 2: The internal dynamics of public services 4. Organisations and institutions - Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey 5. Strategy and strategic management - Jennifer Law 6. Leadership and management - David Phillips and Simon Read Part 3: Achieving social and environmental impact 7. Public services and the challenge of sustainability - E.K. Sarter 8. Public services and equality - E.K. Sarter, Wendy Booth and Vida Greaux 9. Public services and the environmental crisis - E.K. Sarter 10. Adapting organisations: public services, climate change and the energy transition - Filippos Proedrou Conclusion: Current developments and the future of public services - Elizabeth Cookingham Bailey, E.K. Sarter, Wendy Booth, Vida Greaux, Stuart Jones, Jennifer Law, David Phillips, Filippos Proedrou and Simon Read

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Book SynopsisFrom polar explorers and politicians to CEOs and sports coaches, we are fascinated with the makeup of leaders. How do they thrive under pressure and inspire others to do the same? How do they establish a culture of long-term success?Performance psychologist Tom Young has worked closely with teams and individuals at the highest level of professional sport. He has seen how leaders in these high-pressure environments communicate, how they maintain focus and respond to challenges. In The Making of a Leader, Young shares the practical principles of sustained elite performance and shows how any individual can add value to their own business or organisation by applying these insights.You will learn how to develop a leadership philosophy that is true to your values, effectively manage and get results from individuals and teams, establish a high-performance culture and bring value to your organisation - in short, the ingredients that make a leader. TheseTrade ReviewThere is no such thing as a single "recipe for success" . . . yet this book shows that in the world of professional sport these proven and renowned leaders all have their own rules of strategy, which have brought continued success and recognition. Especially, of course, Sean Dyche of Burnley FC! -- Alastair Campbell, bestselling author, strategist, communicator and lifelong fan of Burnley FCSport, and especially golf, has so many elite, standout individual performers, but the key to building a winning team is understanding each individual within it. This book offers fascinating insight into man management and the attributes needed to be an effective leader, which is incredibly useful and relevant to me ahead of captaining the 2020 European Ryder Cup team -- Pádraig Harrington, three-time Major champion and captain of the 2020 European Ryder Cup teamFull of important lessons that you learn as a leader in sport that are as applicable to business environments as they are to elite sports -- Sir Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby and former England and British & Irish Lions captainA great insight into how leaders help shape and nurture high performance environments. Full of relevant lessons for any current or aspiring leader -- Heather Knight OBE, captain of the England women's cricket teamAlthough elite athletes understand the keys to excellence, you rarely have the chance to get inside their heads. You're in luck: Tom Young has solved that problem. As a performance psychologist, he's worked closely with some of the world's best in both individual and team sports. In this fascinating book, he shares his rich experiences and his keen insights on the science - and the practice - of achieving and sustaining success -- Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the chart-topping TED podcast WorkLifeI am always looking to learn from other sports and this book gives a unique insight into what it takes to navigate the challenges of high performance -- Tommy Fleetwood, professional golferA valuable addition to the high performance literature. Read it -- James Kerr, bestselling author of LegacyDrawing on rich narratives of proven leaders in elite sports like rugby, soccer and NFL, this engaging book steers clear of the jargon and the buzzwords to leave readers with compelling lessons for their own leadership at the end of every chapter. If you want to be a leader or become a better leader, man or woman, in sport or any other sector, this book is for you -- Professor Andy Hargreaves, Professor Emeritus, Boston College and author of Uplifting LeadershipTales from the trenches. Engaging, insightful and above all authentic -- Michael Calvin, award-winning sportswriter and Sunday Times bestselling authorA global account of what it takes to lead in elite sport: culture, relationships and resilience -- Mike Forde, executive chairman, Sportsology, and former director of football operations, Chelsea FCHis first-hand experience inside the minds of elite sportspeople makes Tom a compelling storyteller and speaker. It is his humility and ability to turn that experience into relevant and applicable learnings to workplace leadership, at all levels, that make him unique -- Simon Potts, CEO, The AlchemistThe Making of a Leader provides a unique insight into the inner workings of established leaders' minds. Young draws common methods together while also allowing room for distinct individual approaches and opinions to come through . . . Well worth a read to gain useful leadership intel -- Rebecca Symes, senior performance psychologist, the FAThe business world can take valuable lessons from top sporting organisations. This book pulls together the experiences of acclaimed sports coaches, and highlights strategies that are applicable across industry -- Barry McNeill, CEO Sportsology and former Group COO of Catapult SportsGrounded in academic research, The Making of a Leader gives an authentic view of leadership, as seen through the eyes of those who do it -- Dr Martin Eubank, Liverpool John Moores UniversityTo bring out the best in a player who will always put the team first takes a unique skillset. This book highlights how seven different leaders understand and develop their people to do just that -- Andrew Trimble, CEO of Kairos, and former Ireland and Ulster rugby union playerI have been part of some special teams and this book gives an honest and authentic account of leadership at the highest level. Young writes with clarity and precision about what it takes to succeed as a leader -- Isa Nacewa, former Leinster Rugby captainPacked full of real-life experiences and strategies, a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their leadership skills -- Blake Wooster, co-founder and CEO, 21st Club and 15th ClubCompelling, relevant and honest. A real account of what it takes to lead in team environments. I enjoyed reflecting on what was a brilliant part of my career at Burnley -- Joey Barton, manager of Fleetwood Town FCThe Making of a Leader is an invaluable trove of leadership wisdom. Drawing on interviews with seven coaches at the peak of their profession, it explains not only what a great leader is but how you can make yourself into one * Blinkist *

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking book about making once-in-a-lifetime decisions, from the bestselling author of How We Got to Now and Where Good Ideas Come FromTrade ReviewRiveting... As a deep thinker and gifted storyteller, Johnson is the right author to tackle the topic. He's at his best when analyzing impossibly complex decisions... One of Johnson's thought-provoking points is that [people who excel at long-term thinking] read novels, which are ideal exercises in mental time travel and empathy. I think he's right * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *Precision planning or gut instinct? Well-placed to dig into the dilemmas of decision making, Steven Johnson gracefully serves up examples ranging from 17th-century urban planning to contemporary artificial intelligence... Now we all have to learn from their example. * FINANCIAL TIMES *Johnson is explicitly focused on real-life decisions that (ideally) involve serious deliberation... [He] reminds us that, fundamentally, choices concern competing narratives, and we're likely to make better choices if we have richer stories, with more fleshed-out characters, a more nuanced understanding of motives, and a deeper appreciation of how decisions are likely to reverberate and resound. * WALL STREET JOURNAL *Steven Johnson is a great science writer * BILL CLINTON *Steven Johnson's mind works in wondrous ways * SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER *An infectiously exciting writer... Steven Johnson is that rarest of commodities among twenty-first-century public intellectuals... His is a questing intelligence, eager to consider opposing arguments, explore opposing arguments, explore new terrain, and notice underlying patterns he hasn't seen before. * SALON.COM *A fascinating history of how people made decisions with lasting impacts over recent centuries, exploring ways to plan wisely for now and for future generations. Johnson's book rightly devotes ample space to climate change, and shows how we can learn from past mistakes in warfare, banking and other realms * NEW SCIENTIST *Insightful but eccentric book . . . Farsighted is intelligent . . . impressively erudite * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *

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Book SynopsisThis new edition Workbook has been fully updated for 2019 and covers Theme 3 Business behaviour and the labour market A-level Paper 1 Markets and business behaviour, and A-level Paper 3 Microeconomics and Macroeconomics will both draw on topics from Theme 3.Up-to-date and focused to help students practice their skills and improve their subject knowledge both inside and outside the classroom, this Practice Workbook:- Covers specific aspects of the course, providing targeted support for complex and challenging topics- Reinforces students' understanding, with more new practice questions and exam-style questions to develop their skills and improve their confidence- Includes more sample answers with commentary to help students meet the demands of the specification- Adapts easily and flexibly to existing textbooks and schemes of work - Provides opportunities for self-directed learning and self-testing, helping students revise on their own terms

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Book SynopsisDiscover what you need to win at life before it's too late.

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Book SynopsisLearn how to make better; faster decisions.You make decisions every day--from prioritizing your to-do list to choosing which long-term innovation projects to pursue. But most decisions don't have a clear-cut answer, and assessing the alternatives and the risks involved can be overwhelming.You need a smarter approach to making the best choice possible. The HBR Guide to Making Better Decisions provides practical tips and advice to help you generate more-creative ideas, evaluate your alternatives fairly, and make the final call with confidence.You'll learn how to: Overcome the cognitive biases that can skew your thinking Look at problems in new ways Manage the trade-offs between options Balance data with your own judgment React appropriately when you've made a bad choice Communicate your decision--and overcome any resistance Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

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Book SynopsisIs Apple conscious? Could a cyber–human system sense a potential terrorist attack? Or make diagnosing a rare and little-known disease routine? Computers are not replacing us: they are enhancing us. Different intelligences are joining together to do things we thought were impossible. Whether it’s devising innovations to tackle climate change, helping job seekers and employers find one another, or identifying the outbreak of a serious disease, groups of humans and machines are already working together to solve all sorts of problems. And they will do a lot more. The future will be like another world – a place where we’ll think differently. In many ways, we are already there.Trade Review‘Malone does a terrific job of explaining how collective intelligence has evolved.’ * City A.M. *‘Superminds is the first book I have seen that deeply explores the power of information technology to enable truly new forms of human organization. I really love the premise and thoughtfulness of the book, and I highly recommend it if you want to understand and make sense of what we are likely to see in the next few years!’ -- Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder‘Superminds offers a fascinating deep dive into the science of collective human intelligence, and how communities of minds may ultimately be integrated with AI to produce a new, composite super-intelligence that might soon be leveraged to help solve some of humanity’s most pressing problems.’ -- Martin Ford, author of the bestselling The Rise of the Robots‘From the father of collective intelligence…a refreshingly realistic view of how computers will supercharge collective intelligence and how these superminds can help us tackle the most complex problems that face the world today.’ -- Joi Ito, Director, MIT Media Lab, and author of Whiplash‘Thomas Malone was a decade ahead of most of the rest of us in thinking about the future of work. Now – in this fascinating book – he has done it again, looking ahead to a hyper-connected world and introducing us to new vistas of human capability and creativity achievable through collective intelligence. By thinking imaginatively about our future, Malone helps us think differently about the present.’ -- Anne Marie-Slaughter, CEO of New America and author of Unfinished Business‘Malone takes us on an intentional journey into thinking about thought, intelligence, reasoning, and consciousness. He sees these notions in extremely broad terms that have changed my views of what it means to “think” – a property that emerges from aggregations and organized structures. I may never see a four-legged table the same way again!’ -- Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google‘Forget artificial intelligence. Instead, think collective intelligence, putting “AI in combination with humans who provide whatever skills and general intelligence the machines don’t yet have themselves.” The possibilities are endless. A book rich in speculation about how collective thinking might solve big problems such as climate change; of interests to fans of Daniel Dennett, Steven Pinker, and other big-picture thinkers.’ * Kirkus *‘The story of human civilization has fundamentally been the story of coordination: in families, tribes, markets, nations. The challenge we now face is learning how to collaborate at an unprecedented scale, with both human and nonhuman partners alike – be they institutions, decentralized networks or intelligent machines. Superminds opens a window into what may be the defining question of the coming century.’ -- Brian Christian, author of Algorithms to Live By‘An energizing book, filling the reader with a sense of wonder and hope for the future.’ * Booklist *‘After helping introduce the phrase “Future of Work” in his 2004 book with that name, Tom Malone is back to remind us that the real impact of technology will come not only from AI but also from harnessing human minds at hyperscale. In this well-researched and highly readable book, he explores provocatively and practically the opportunities and challenges that superminds will help us address in businesses and society. Leaders who care about the power of human minds in a world enabled by digital technologies must read this book.’ -- James Manyika, Chairman, McKinsey Global Institute

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Book SynopsisStanding still in today’s business environment is not an option if you are to survive and thrive. But navigating your way through change can be complex, challenging and daunting. Business Morphology is here to help break down this complexity.No matter what sector you’re in or what challenges your organization is facing, there are five fundamental levers that you can apply to effect real change.This book explores each of those five levers through a Morphology Map – an easy-to-use visual tool to help guide your thinking and prioritisation, and create a plan of action to help ensure you reach your outcomes. As an added bonus, there is also a Morphology Map to help you maximise your own personal impact too.Julie Nerney, MBA, CDir, FloD has been a serial entrepreneur, and is now a business transformation expert, spanning private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Geoff Robins BSc, PhD has led a number of major transformation programmes in the private and public sectors and is now a strategic advisor and Non-Executive Director.Trade ReviewExcellent and concise guide to how to set solid foundations for delivering a transformation journey. The real life experiences shine through. - AmazonTable of ContentsForeword by Tim Morris, Emeritus Professor of Oxford University Said Business SchoolPrefaceChapter 1. Morphology Maps: Navigating ChangeChapter 2. Modifying Your Operating ModelChapter 3. Product or Service DiversificationChapter 4. Mergers and AcquisitionsChapter 5. PeopleChapter 6. CultureChapter 7. Maximising Your Personal ImpactChapter 8. Bringing it all togetherEpilogueAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisDevelop the mindset and presence to successfully manage others for the first time. If you read nothing else on becoming a new manager, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you transition from being an outstanding individual contributor to a great manager of others. This book will inspire you to: * develop your emotional intelligence * influence your colleagues with the science of persuasion * assess your team and enhance its performance * network effectively to achieve business goals and for personal advancement * navigate relationships with employees, bosses, and peers * get support from above * view the big picture in your decision-making * balance your team's work and personal life in a high-intensity workplace

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Book SynopsisDon't let a fear of numbers hold you back.Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.You'll learn how to: Identify the metrics you need to measure Run experiments and A/B tests Ask the right questions of your data experts Understand statistical terms and concepts Create effective charts and visualizations Avoid common mistakes

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