Filled with original essays by Howard Gardner, William Damon, Mihaly Csikszenthmihalyi, and Jeanne Nakamura and based on a large-scale research project, the GoodWork® Project, Responsibility at Work reflects the information gleaned from in-depth interviews with more than 1,200 people from nine different professions—journalism, genetics, theatre, higher education, philanthropy, law, medicine, business, and pre-collegiate education. The book reveals how motivation, culture, and professional norms can intersect to produce work that is personally, socially, and economically beneficial. At the heart of the study is the revelation that the key to good work is responsilibilty—taking ownership for one’s work and its wider impact.
Bestselling author David Taylor returns with his take on business coaching. No fuss. No jargon. Just great ideas. The Naked Coach is the back-to-basics book on coaching that will make sense of coaching and place it back at the very heart of the business agenda. It will make understanding, learning and teaching coaching simple. The Naked Coach tells real, practical, fun, exciting and above all else relevant stories that you can apply straightaway. David Taylor strips away the hype, jargon and mystery to give coaching a clear definition in all its forms, including mentoring, training, facilitation and interventions of every kind. The Naked Coach explains coaching without being patronising, defines without being arrogant, and does it in a fun, accessible way. It is coaching from a different perspective – yours. The fundamental principle of The Naked Coach is to be yourself – always. Find what works for you, and do it, again and again and again. Remember. No fuss. No Jargon. Just great ideas.
The only complete technical guide to building integrated business systems using the convergent architecture approach In his groundbreaking Business Engineering with Object Technology (0-471-04521-7), David Taylor introduced the concept of convergent architecture (CA), a framework for building the business design directly into the software systems that support it. Now, in this important follow-up to that 1995 classic, expert Richard Hubert provides systems developers and architects with their first complete blueprint for building integrated CA business systems using the hottest technologies, including Enterprise JavaBeans, XML, UML, Rational Rose, and others. Following a detailed introduction to the elements of CA, he walks readers through the entire CA design and implementation process, using examples in Java and EJB to illustrate key points. Companion Website provides hands-on tutorials, links to related tool sites, and updates to the CA methodology.
In this landmark book, Preston Smith attributes the recent decline in innovation to pressure from financial markets that drives management toward rigid development approaches such as phased development processes, Six Sigma, and project office. These processes have unintentionally (but effectively) made changes during development more difficult, disruptive, and expensive, while the need for change continues at an accelerating pace. Flexible Product Development is a hands-on resource that provides the tools and strategies needed to restore flexibility to any organization and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of responsive new product development. Preston Smith introduces approaches that can enhance development process flexibility by creating and maintaining development options, delaying decisions, and, in general, reducing the cost of change. Step-by-step, he explains the basics of flexible product development, provides a broad array of flexibility-enhancing tools, and guides the reader in modifying the organization?s values to embrace this new way of operating.
Established companies are clamoring for breakthrough innovation, but are often hamstrung by the highly reliable, repeatable processes of their management systems. Based on years of research, Grabbing Lightning shows how twelve companies have tried to develop a capability for sustainable breakthrough innovation and outlines best practices for your organization. The authors show how the management system for innovation is different from the traditional one in that it allows?and even encourages?mistakes and failures in order to promote learning. Grabbing Lightning outlines the three building blocks of breakthrough innovation (BI) and shows what it takes to become an organization that values the BI management system.
How can you tap into your team’s creativity to tackle today’s toughest business challenges? In The Firefly Effect, Kimberly Douglas presents inspiring yet pragmatic insights into getting your entire team firing on all cylinders and aiming in the right direction. Comparing the difficult act of harnessing and capturing creativity to the act of catching fireflies on a summer night, she will explain: What to do when the fireflies don’t show up (or when creativity dries up) How to know when it’s time to find a new meadow (or a new approach, place or process) What to do if the leader is keeping too tight a lid on the jar (and team innovation is gasping for air) How to get inventive when it rains on your firefly hunt (or parade of ideas) What happens when everyone is too busy to join in (and group problems remain unresolved)
A step-by-step guide to bringing up happy, responsible children… One of the greatest challenges any parent will face, is teaching their children the difference between right and wrong and helping them to learn good social behaviour, whilst maintaining a satisfying, loving relationship. Today, more than ever before, parents are concerned about their children's behaviour and its effect not only on the child, but also upon society. This step-by-step guide provides well-researched information for parents who want to positively encourage their children and teenagers to behave well and to achieve their full potential. A practical guide which incorporates plenty of useful advice on issues such as: ? Providing positive attention for children ? Using rewards ? Communicating Effectively ? Empowering Teenagers ? Negotiating Rules and Boundaries
More than just another business self-help book, The Equation is a groundbreaking formula that looks at how all business is an art. The book will help business people rethink how they manage their art form and help businesses accelerate their productivity by creating a corporate culture driven by passion and zeal, as art is. The book will help entrepreneurs rethink how they manage their art form and help businesses accelerate their productivity by transforming corporate culture to be driven by passion and zeal, as art is. The Equation (L/A*S=B) reveals a foolproof blueprint for business and life. Readers will learn that, first you have to love what you do (L) and become a highly-skilled artist at it (A), while developing promotional and marketing tools to gather public and professional support (S), which ultimately leads to big business (B).
Proven strategy for reducing production and operating costs while increasing profits As the growth of the Internet shifts power to consumers, the pressure on companies to keep prices low will continue to mount. Increasingly corporations are relying on «margin management» and supply chain management as a means of keeping prices low while raising profits. Activity-based costing and management (ABC/M) data is key to succeeding in both these critical management strategies. This book explains how executives can effectively use the information furnished by cutting-edge ABC/M systems. The author, an acknowledged expert in the field, clearly defines the ABC/M system and explains how to use the information it provides for best results. He provides a rational framework for understanding the fifteen key defining characteristics of ABC/M and arms readers with an ABC/M Readiness Assessment test along with extremely user-friendly exhibits.
On The Deal Maker: How William C. Durant Made General Motors: «A well-written biography.»-New York Times On Stanwyck: The Life and Times of Barbara Stanwyck: «Madsen's admirably researched, insightful portrait of her aloof nature . . . reveals she was always torn between her wish to give of herself and her need to be in control.»-Christian Science Monitor On Chanel: A Woman of Her Own: «Fascinating . . . . Takes the reader behind the coromandel veneers of Chanel's life.»-New York Times Book Review «Carefully knits together the complex pattern of Chanel's complicated existence. It's not an easy task.»-Toronto Globe and Mail On Gloria and Joe: «Axel Madsen finally gives the public a fascinating chronicle of the romance that could have ruined more than two careers.»-Dallas Morning News On Cousteau: «Both critical and understanding. And it is exceptionally readable. Readers are well advised to take the plunge.»-Chicago Tribune On Malraux: «Will stand as the best of more than a dozen books about Malraux in print.»-Kansas City Star