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How to Be a Star at Work : 9 Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed by ROBERT E. KELLEY Average Customer Review:  Paperback (01 June, 1999) list price: $13.00 -- our price: $10.40 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review For over a dozen years, Carnegie Mellon University instructor and corporate consultant Robert Kelley has studied the difference between superior workplace performers and their average peers. After determining that such stars are made, not born, he identified the game plan many use to secure better jobs, higher pay, and top career opportunities. How to Be a Star at Work: Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed describes these tactics--which he dubs initiative, networking, self-management, perspective, followership, leadership, teamwork, organizational savvy, and show-and-tell--and explains how to incorporate them into real-life work situations. --Howard Rothman ... Read more Reviews (50)
The tips Dr. Kelly provide seem to be common sense, but we all see hard-working 'B players' every day that neglect these at their own peril.(If it were as easy to spot one's own faults as it is to spot faults in others, this book wouldn't be necessary.) It doesn't cover everything, of course, and the strategies aren't necessarily easy to implement, but it's a good starting point for someone truly motivated to improve their promotability.To that end, I'd personally recommend reading Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People", and this book.
The author strategies are also quite original.He stresses how strong "followership" is just as important if not more as "leadership."This is a really important point that is rarely mentioned in management seminars. If you are a Harvard MBA, good for you. Nevertheless, this book will be invaluable to your success as it will give you the strategies and people skills you may need to truly leverage the superior business education you got.
Isbn: 0812931696 |
$10.40 |
Disappointed
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Becoming a Technical Leader: An Organic Problem-Solving Approach by Gerald M. Weinberg Average Customer Review: Paperback (01 September, 1986) list price: $29.95 -- our price: $29.95 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (8)
While a light read, I couldn't help coming away from this book feeling that it was longer than it needed to be -- the information density isn't terribly high. A few of the pseudo-graphs that appeared in the book also seemed to have mislabeled axes, though that may have been corrected in subsequent editions.
Isbn: 0932633021 |
$29.95 |
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The IT Consultant : A Commonsense Framework for Managing the Client Relationship by RickFreedman, Rick Freeman Average Customer Review: Hardcover (February, 2000) list price: $42.00 -- our price: $39.16 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (16)
Better books include "Managing the Professional Service Firm" or "Secrets of Consulting" by Weinberg.
Isbn: 0787951730 |
$39.16 |
Over-rated
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The eConsultant: Guiding Clients to Net Success by RickFreedman Average Customer Review: Paperback (08 August, 2001) list price: $24.95 -- our price: $24.95 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (11)
I have helped to create a series of eConsulting Services Companies and advise a number of consulting companies, I only wish this book could have been available sooner!
I'm keeping my eyes open for Rick's next book... ... Read more Isbn: 0787956295 |
$24.95 |
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Flawless Consulting : A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used by Peter Block Average Customer Review:  Hardcover (15 September, 1999) list price: $47.00 -- our price: $43.82 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review The second edition of Peter Block's Flawless Consulting gracefully updates what many consider the best resource of its kind. New chapters on implementation, "whole-system" strategies, and ethics are included, but in general it simply fine-tunes Block's proven advice to match the transformations that business and society have undergone since initial publication two decades ago. "The days of long studies and expert-driven answers are passing," the author proclaims in his new preface. "The task of the consultant is increasingly to build the capacity of clients to make their own assessments and answer their own questions." He then subtly modifies his established recommendations accordingly for every step, from the initial client meeting and problem diagnosis through data collection and the execution of solutions. In the section on "Conducting a Group Feedback Meeting," for example, he advises: "Treat the group as a collection of individuals.... Ask each person what he or she wants from the meeting. This will surface differences and force the group to take responsibility for some of the difficulties that may arise."--Howard Rothman ... Read more Reviews (26)
Isbn: 0787948039 |
$43.82 |
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Million Dollar Consulting, New and Updated Edition: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice by Alan Weiss Average Customer Review: Paperback (01 November, 1997) list price: $14.95 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (50)
Isbn: 0070696284 |
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Buyer: Beware!
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How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization by Jeffrey J. Fox Average Customer Review: Hardcover (07 October, 1998) list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.87 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Most books about career advancement are either weighty examinations about success in the workplace (e.g., How to Be a Star at Work and Working with Emotional Intelligence) or flippant, humorous takes on surviving the countless inanities of modern work life (e.g., Working Wounded). Jeffrey Fox's book, How to Become CEO: The Rules for Rising to the Top of Any Organization is neither. Instead, Fox presents 75 commonsense rules about successfully conducting your career. Rules like "Know Everybody by Their First Name" and "No Goals No Glory" may seem obvious; others, such as "Don't Take Work Home from the Office" or "Don't Have a Drink with the Gang" may not. Each is accompanied by page or two of succinct and thought-provoking explanation. For example, for rule 27, "Don't Hide an Elephant," Fox writes, "Big problems always surface. If they have been hidden, even unintentionally, the negative fallout is always worse. The 'hiders' always get burned, regardless of complicity. The 'discoverers' always are safe, regardless of complicity." Wise and to the point, How to Become CEO will help just about anybody's career, whether you want to become CEO or not. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more Reviews (85)
Several of the rules have relevance far beyond the boardroom.For example, Lesson 27- Don't Hide an Elephant- which deals with the impulse to ignore a festering and looming problem, sounds a lot like what the United States Congress (and more than a few presidential administrations) does on a routine basis.Other rules, such as Lesson 7- Never Write a Nasty Memo- can have painful personal relevance.I have committed the sin of violating this rule, with disastrous consequences.Please, whatever you do, don't break this rule. From a business standpoint, I believe that lessons two, three and four, which deal with customers, are the most relevant.These three rules should remind you that if you have no customers, then you have no business being in business. From a personal career advancement standpoint, the best lessons are Rules 40, 43, and 45, which remind us to listen, do our homework well if we want to be paid well, and most important, to communicate clearly and effectively by speaking and writing in plain English. Managers and executives of all stripes should memorize Lessons 55 and 63 by heart, and live them every day at work.It really does pay to be on the constant lookout for good ideas, but one should never forget that once a good idea is discovered, realizing its potential is critical to success. On a personal level, I believe everyone can get a lot of mileage out of Lessons 62 and 64.Lesson 62- Become A Member of the Shouldn't Have Club- contains a lot of truth.Though you may lament doing some things, they are often necessary to do in order to achieve a higher purpose.I can attest to the truth of the author's words from personal experience, `Each time you admonish yourself with "Gee, I shouldn't have done that', there will be ten other times when the results will prove that you should have.' However, Lesson 64- Record Your Mistakes with Care and Pride- is probably the most difficult lesson for all.Many advise us not to live in the past and not to obsess over failures and mistakes.However, we can learn more from our mis-steps than from our successes, and we can use failure to grow and become better people.Granted, this hard to imagine when one is failing or has failed, but in retrospect, it can be a powerful learning tool if used. As an aside, Lesson 51- Stay Out of Office Politics- is an insightful and brilliant analysis of too many workplaces.Setting rife with politicking signal for all to see that no matter how beneficial the work or activity may be, they do not count for anything in that particular environment.To escape this pernicious hell, simply prove your worth and demonstrate your ability by working, and soon enough, someone will tap you for a spot in a setting where your work, effort and results do count for something. I personally liked Lesson 34- Go to the Library Once a Month- as it warms my heart.The public library is a wonderful institution, and contrary to what the generals, spooks, and politicians say, is the most vital asset to our national security, and as such deserves our continued and unhesitating support. This book makes an excellent gift for someone just beginning a career.I have a niece who is just starting out, and I think I will pass along a copy to her.It just may prove to be one investment that pays dividends now and later.
|-POSITIVE-| |-NEGATIVE-| Isbn: 0786864370 |
$11.87 |
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Getting Started in Consulting by Alan Weiss Average Customer Review:  Paperback (15 January, 2000) list price: $19.95 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (35)
Isbn: 0471384550 |
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Making the Software Business Case: Improvement by the Numbers by Donald J. Reifer Average Customer Review: Paperback (05 September, 2001) list price: $29.99 -- our price: $19.79 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (9)
Despite his technical background he takes a business-focused approach early in this book by explaining the difference between business and technical cases.Too many technical managers confuse the two, and this plus the other material in Chapter 1 explaining the fundamentals of business cases will set you on the right course. Chapter 2 is the essence of this book, with advice on relating goals to metrics (using the Goal/Question/Metric technique), and the development and alignment of business cases to development life cycles.This is followed by two excellent chapters covering principles, rules, and analysis tools, and strategies. Much of this material is standard fare, but Mr. Reifer's clear explanations are better than most books that cover this material. The second part of the book employs case studies that lead you through the development of a business case using principles, concepts and techniques given in the first part of the book.These reinforce part one of the book, as well as provide clear examples of business cases that work, and the process with which to develop them - including challenges, how assumptions were derived, and other nuances of which you should be aware. The final part of the book is a single chapter on overcoming major barriers, and the sage advice is well worth heeding. Overall, this is one of the best books on business case development because it is business-oriented, has an approach that is financially and tactically sound, and is written for technical-oriented managers in their own language.
Amongst the many nuggets to be found in this book are: ·useful tips on where money can be found This book is not only good in terms of its material, it is also an eminently readable book in terms of style. Reifer elaborates his argument through the clever use of case studies that provide human interest and momentum to otherwise dry material. These case studies include: ·A defense contracting firm implementing software process improvement Reifert places strong emphasis on "making your numbers believable." He argues that this believability must address these nontechnical considerations: He does an admirable job in placing these concepts in context, and providing a clear overview of each. Reifer has much sound general IT management advice mixed in with his financial message. A recurring theme through many of the discussions is the need for an executive sponsor, to provide political cover and tactical advice in forwarding the business case. He also urges the reader to frame benefits in terms of cost avoidance rather than cost reduction-promising cost reductions often lead to the question, "OK, then who are we going to let go?" Not a good way to win friends. I found his observations on the subject of central process quality assurance groups interesting: "Reinventing staff organizations such as process and quality assurance groups is a good idea. Engineers assigned to such staff groups get stale once they've put in more than three years of service. Being in an audit and support role, they forget how hard it is to develop and deliver quality products under extreme deadline pressures." (p 137). The book displays a continual awareness of the need to balance these contending issues of cost, schedule, and quality. The case study based on the industrial controls firm has an explicit architectural theme. This is an especially compelling discussion; software engineers are well aware how critical architectural decisions are, and how often they are compromised in the rush to write code. The discussion demonstrates how to make the case for architecture and include it in an overall work breakdown structure. Reifert is exceptionally creative in his case study creation, taking the opportunity to demonstrate hidden agendas, the pitfalls of contractor estimates, and developing a good working relationship with high-level consultants. The book provides a solid summary of software estimation. There are whole books written on this subject, so the chapter is necessarily at a high level (although it does dive into some detail on the COCOMO II model in particular). However, it provides a valuable discussion of aspects of high-level IT budgeting beyond tactical project estimation, presenting numerous examples of cost breakdowns covering all phases of the systems development lifecycle, from architecture to maintenance. The final case study moves into even more adventurous ground, discussing a company seeking to Internet-enable its internal systems via takeover (hostile if necessary) of a specialist firm. The ensuing narrative outlines the due diligence such a move requires, and the various tactical and strategic issues it may raise. A brief discussion of international intercultural relationships is excellent. The book has only one minor flaw: it was obviously written during the dot-com bubble. There are frequent references to industry dynamics such as a venture-funded firm's survival depending on extreme time-to-market pressures, and perhaps an overemphasis on faddish Web technology. This book is easily on my Top 10 software engineering book list. It provides a lucid, crisp overview of business issues that are all too mysterious to the average software engineer. Given the potential that well-architected, business-responsive software has to increase productivity, this volume is a service to both the software engineers and the enterprises that employ them. ... Read more Isbn: 0201728877 |
$19.79 |
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Managing by the Numbers: A Commonsense Guide to Understanding and Using Your Company's Financials : An Essential Resource for Growing Businesses by Chuck Kremer, Ron Rizzuto, John Case Average Customer Review: Paperback (15 May, 2000) list price: $18.00 -- our price: $12.60 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Chuck Kremer, Ron Rizzuto, and John F. Case believe "50 percent of small-company owners and managers don't get complete, timely information about their business's financial performance" and "90 percent don't really understand or use the information they do get." Kremer, a business-literacy consultant, Rizzuto, a university finance professor, and Case, a business journalist, further contend that such data and their proper application are critical to the successful operation of any small business. That's why they've assembled Managing by the Numbers as a self-help guide to the ins and outs of corporate finance. In the first section, they show how to decipher three major reports that everyone should review monthly (balance sheet, income statement, cash flow). In the second, they discuss how resultant figures tie in to "three bottom lines of business" (net profit, operating cash flow, return on assets) that can be examined collectively. And in the third, they explain ways that stimuli for each can be optimized to achieve overall business goals. The combination allows you to "translate your financial understanding into better financial performance," the authors conclude. While much of the material may seem intimidating, it is presented clearly and could indeed provide an edge in today's hypercompetitive business environment. --Howard Rothman ... Read more Reviews (11)
At the end of this chapter, I refer to several terrific books that delve into much greater detail of these aspects, and I highly recommend that you read them.At the bare minimum, you need to understand the basics. Folks who speak the language of finance use three financial statements; the income statement, the balance sheet, and cash flow. Each set of numbers tracks a different function.Each one is important for your business.(Note: I highly recommend the terrific book Managing by the Numbers by Chuck Kremer et. al.-see "Resources" at the end of the chapter.) The balance sheet provides what experts call a "snapshot" of your business's financial condition at one particular point in time.Think of this statement as what your business owns and what it owes.This statement lists your assets (what the business owns or is due), your liabilities (what the business owes), and difference between assets and liabilities, which is called owner's equity.This sheet is constructed so that your assets minus your liabilities necessarily equal the owner's equity; thus, when it is produced correctly, the sums are balanced. The income statement tracks your company's profitability over a given period of time.It says whether, in a specific period, you made money or didn't.But, and this is a huge but, it's an abstraction.It shows the promises that people have made to pay you money, and the agreements you have made to pay others."It shows whether you're making money on the goods and services you provide, once you have taken all your costs and expenses into account.But it isn't real," write Kremer et al.It doesn't show how much cash you've put in you bank account or how much cash you spent."Income statements are subject to manipulation.Because income statements are subject to intangible factors such as depreciation (which tracks how an asset loses value over time), you can show a profit-or loss-that is not directly tied to your activities in that span of time.Moreover, income statements count promises that others have made to you as actual income, while the daily reality may be quite different.So these statements indicate profitability-which is good-but they don't necessarily reflect your daily, actual situation. For that you have cash flow.Cash flow is, very simply, the difference between your cash receipts and your cash expenditures.It's what you have left after you spend the money that you take in.Consider this measure to be your business checkbook; what cash is actually coming into your business and what is actually being spent?There is no fudging cash.It's what you have on hand-the balance in your account. EXCERPTED FROM Chapter 3 (The Numbers That Count: Resources), Page 93* Managing the Numbers by Chuck Kremer and Ron Rizzuto with John Case (Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2000) *Tom Ehrenfeld, the startup garden (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002).
Isbn: 0738202568 |
$12.60 |
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Customers.com: How to Create a Profitable Business Strategy for the Internet and Beyond by Patricia B. Seybold, Ronni T. Marshak Average Customer Review: Hardcover (10 November, 1998) list price: $29.95 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review Lots of books have been written about how to do business on the Internet, but few can match the understanding and passion for making e-commerce work of Patricia Seybold's Customers.com. Drawing on case studies of companies and organizations as diverse as Boeing, Babson College, National Semiconductor, Hertz, PhotoDisc, and Wells Fargo, Seybold identifies what makes e-commerce work successfully. She argues that any e-commerce initiative has to begin with the customer. She writes: In the electronic commerce world, knowing who your customers are and making sure you have the products and services they want becomes even more imperative than it is in the "real" world.... The corner grocery needs only to approximate what customers really want because the convenience factor brings in the business. But when you eliminate this advantage--when customers can go anywhere to get what they want--you'd better know what they're looking for.The first section of the book outlines five steps aimed at any organization grappling with the challenge of doing e-commerce right. The final section offers a technology roadmap and suggestions for getting e-commerce initiatives off the ground. But the heart of the book is the 16 case studies of companies that have successfully embraced e-business and e-commerce. Each is well researched, and includes an executive summary and "take-aways" about what each firm did right. If you're looking to develop your business online, this book belongs on your desk, not your bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more Reviews (126)
Isbn: 0812930371 |
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Under the Radar: Starting Your Internet Business without Venture Capital by Arnold S. Kling, Arnold Kling Average Customer Review: Hardcover (18 September, 2001) list price: $26.00 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Editorial Review In an era when venture capital for a proposed Net startup is about as forthcoming as a politician caught in a sex scandal, Under the Radar by economist-turned-entrepreneur Arnold Kling offers timely advice on opening a new cyber-business without such big-time outside money. Combining experiences gleaned from his own self-funded Homefair.com (which he eventually sold for $85 million) along with examples of 25 other online enterprises also financed that way, Kling presents a practical how-to that readers with real ideas and realistic expectations could use to build viable Internet concerns, even in less-than-optimal times. Kling says there are still feasible niches for online businesses aiming between the $5 million entry level and the $1 billion minimum that satisfies venture capitalists--the "under the radar" zone of opportunity of his title--and outlines a route similar to those he and his other sources have used to fill them. One core suggestion does away with the traditional, time-consuming, and usually unproductive process of preparing and continually revising an extensive business plan; instead, he details a more effective program of 12 initial steps (developing the proper team, identifying a personal commitment threshold, recognizing operational milestones that will take you to the next level) that "netstrappers" can combine with internal and more modest funding sources to build a business that outlasts the next shakeout. --Howard Rothman ... Read more Reviews (7)
It will not make you rich overnight, but it will explain patiently the unique challenges of starting and operating an Internet-based business. Not all ideas are VC-worthy and this book describes the basic VC premises. The case studies are quite in-depth and definitely will help you avoid same mistakes. The author does not shy away from early failures and fatal choices of wrong business partners. In short, you'll enjoy the book and learn many things. I highly recommend it to any enterpreneur.
His title suggests that he has insight into how one could use true bootstrap techniques to get a company started. Yet, in one of his ten or fifeteen bullets about how to start a business successfully, he discusses the topic "when to line up funding".How under the radar is that?! I would have been more impressed to learn that Mr Kling understood and articulated how to start a business using founding customers or how he worked the corporate banking system to gain access to lines of credit.I think Homefair was a great idea, but 99% of most net businesses today can not be started that cheaply.Same goes for the dozens of Web Design Firms he cites as success stories (Most were bought by companies like IXL, USWeb (Which became MarchFirst), Homestore and where all know where these have ended up. I could continue about the lack of flow or organization in the book itself but I feel the description of lack of useful content is plenty for this review.I was truly disappointed with this book.
Isbn: 0738204684 |
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Entrepreneurship.Com by Tim Burns Average Customer Review: Paperback (01 October, 2000) list price: $19.95 US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (11)
Isbn: 1574101366 |
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Visualizing Project Management : A Model for Business and Technical Success (with CD-ROM) by KevinForsberg, HalMooz, HowardCotterman Average Customer Review: Hardcover (14 April, 2000) list price: $50.00 -- our price: $31.50 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (22)
"At each level, the DA&R process is driven by higher level requirements, constaints of approved baselines such as the utilities provided to the structure and the influences of users and stakeholders at the system level and at every level of decomposition to the level under construction." No, I am not making this up, this is what these authors pass off as writing. In my opinion, these two authors, and some of the reviewers that gave this book high marks, are in a profession that needs to build its reputation by making what they do seem complex and scientific.Absolute bunk! ... Read more Isbn: 047135760X |
$31.50 |
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SPIN Selling by NeilRackham Average Customer Review: Hardcover (01 May, 1988) list price: $29.95 -- our price: $29.95 (price subject to change: see help) US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France Reviews (56)
Isbn: 0070511136 |
$29.95 |
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