Learning Library

CHANGE

Adapting to Change - Dealing successfully with change has become an essential survival skill. This book helps you make the best of today's changing workplace. It describes how to positively deal with new employer-employee relationships, new job expectations and new standards for success.

Change Navigator, The - In an entertaining and easy-to-read format, this book will help you navigate your way through the uncharted waters of change. It shows you how to prepare for the future by following a proven approach to managing change and facing the challenges of the unknown.

Coping with Workplace Change -Layoffs, mergers, reorganizations, and bankruptcies have generated massive changes and losses for employees. This book explains the workplace-grief reaction to these changes, the predictable patterns of the grieving-healing process, and how to manage the stress of working with grieving employees.

Getting Your Organization to Change - The task of bringing your organization through a change is complex, often daunting, but it is an absolutely vital process that not only must occur, but also must be
sustained if your organization, your colleagues, and your mission are to prevail. This book equips you with a concise methodology for the human side of change and the knowledge needed for creating an environment ready for change.

Managing Change at Work - Times of uncertainty present powerful opportunities to reinvigorate employees and redefine direction. This course shows you how to refocus and motivate your workforce during organizational transition.

Managing Personal Change - Confront changes in a positive and productive manner. Learn to deal with negativity, create workable strategies, and find support during change.

Understanding Organizational Change - With this book, you'll learn how to cope with and understand organizational change. A variety of models are presented that illustrate common workplace challenges in times of change. For managers we've included a section on how to help staff cope with organizational change.

Who Moved My Cheese? - Who Moved My Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths about change. It is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a "Maze" and look for "Cheese" to nourish them and make them happy. "Cheese" is a metaphor for what you want to have in life - whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money, a possession, health, or spiritual peace of mind. And "The Maze" is where your look for what you want - the organization you work in, or the family or community you live in.

The characters are faced with unexpected change. Eventually, one of them deals with it successfully, and writes what he has learned from his experience on the maze walls. When you come to see "The Handwriting on the Wall," you can discover for yourself how to deal with change, so that you can enjoy less stress and more success (however you define it) in your work and in your life.

Written for all ages, the story takes less than an hour to read, but its unique insights can last for a lifetime.

COACHING & MENTORING

Coaching and Counseling - Develop a full set of effective, easy-to-use coaching and counseling skills to 1) accurately identify when your employees require assistance and 2) deliver the help they need - whether it's a timely piece of advice, a sounding board, or an encouraging word.

Coaching for Development - Coaching allows employees to move to higher levels of job responsibility. This book explains the crucial roles of mentor, appraiser, teacher, role model, sponsor, and advocate, and how to perform each of the roles successfully. Tips also include how to help team members coach each other.

Making the Most of Being Mentored - This book is a unique source for people seeking information on the best way to gain from being mentored. Tested in workshops and training programs, this book comes with thousands of uses behind many checklists and worksheets it employs.

Mentoring - Take the fast track to mentoring success by reviewing these helpful tips. Easy guidelines help you clarify both parties' needs and responsibilities, avoid common pitfalls, and make the most of the unique mentoring relationship.

Personal Counseling - In this book, exercises and case studies teach the basic counseling techniques and principles used by professionals. Emphasis is placed on developing good listening skills, diagnosing problems, and constructing alternatives to reach the best solution.

Systematic Succession Planning - Succession planning saves the cost and time of external personnel searches. It improves employee morale, lessens the effects of re-engineering and downsizing, and, most important, it creates a diverse talent pool within your organization. This book was written to guide you through the evaluation process of succession planning. It describes the guidelines for setting up a program, along with benchmarking procedures for ensuring the ongoing success of your plan.

COMMUNICATION

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most - Whether we're dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with our spouse about money or child-rearing, negotiating with a difficult client, or simply saying "no," or "I'm sorry," or "I love you," we attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day. No matter how competent we are, we all have conversations that cause anxiety and frustration.

This book can help. Based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Difficult Conversationwalks you through a proven step-by-step approach for how to have your toughest conversations with less stress and more success. It shows you how to prepare yourself; how to start the conversation without defensiveness; and how to keep it constructive and focused regardless of how the other person responds.

How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less - Milo Frank, America's foremost business communications consultant, shows you how to:
-Focus your objectives
-Utilize the "hook" technique
-Use the secrets of TV and advertising writers
-Tell terrific anecdotes that make your point
-Shine in meetings, question-and-answer sessions, and more!

Milo Frank's proven techniques give you the edge that successful people share - the art of communicating quickly, precisely and powerfully!

Ironing It Out - Written for anyone who needs to resolve conflict, this inspiring and informative book illustrates the practical application of wisdom, wit, and patience throughout the seven simple steps to resolving conflict. There are forms, questionnaires, and checklists that give structure to the mediation process, and case studies to reinforce key points.

Managing Differences - Avoid costly and time-consuming problems and conflicts. This book goes beyond the traditional approach to managing differences between people or groups at the time of conflict. Practical strategies and techniques are offered for managing these differences before they escalate into a crisis.

Managing Disagreement Constructively - Step into a disagreement with the confidence that it will get resolved. The handy tips in this course help you diagnose conflict, prepare strategies to resolve it, and implement productive solutions.

50 Tips for Speaking Like a Pro - Here is a handy guide for everyspeaker - designed by one of the best speakers in the game. The idea is simply to point out the key elements to remember (and the nasty problems to sidestep) while making a speech. Useful for beginners as a brief bible of vital hints and invaluable for the pro as a backup and checklist.

Effective Meeting Skills - This course will help you with all the meeting essentials - planning, creating an agenda, moderating conflict, and summarizing action items.

Effective Presentation Skills - Give confident, enthusiastic, and persuasive presentations. With an emphasis on the need for preparation and practice, this course provides guidance on how to organize, create, and deliver effective presentations.

Graphics for Presenters - Now anyone can create dynamic visual ids. Learn how to use pictures, symbols, and color to present key ideas, develop important images, and give instructions. Both experienced and occasional presenters will benefit from the skills and knowledge gained from this book.

Technical Presentation Skills - Though written specifically for technical presenters who want to enhance their basic speaking skills, this is the ideal book for anyone who has to convey complex technical information in an accurate, logical, interesting, and effective manner.

Thinking on Your Feet - Learn to develop and sharpen your thinking skills in a wide variety of situations. Exercises allow you to practice and apply thinking skills. From casual customer conversations to formal presentations and media interviews, learn how to think as you speak.

Using Visual Aids - Become a better communicator during your presentations. Whether in the board room, at a management conference, in a training session or as part of a regular staff meeting, this manual shows how to plan and use visual aids for maximum impact.

50 One-Minute Tips to Better Communication - Use these handy tips to improve meetings, presentations, memos, and other types of business communication. Add structure, clarity, and impact to your message.

Art of Communicating, The - Master the art of face-to-face communication for successful meetings, sales calls, and more rewarding business relationships. Designed for professionals, this valuable guide teaches the nationally famous Decker system - a powerful communication tool that ememphasizes the role of posture, gesture, dress, voice, and humor in making an impact. This newly revised edition provides proven techniques for getting and holding your audience's attention, nine skills to enhance your credibility, and a discussion about how our habits affect our communication. Also included is a section on new theories about how the brain filters and processes information.

Business of Listening, The - Expand your listening abilities and become a more effective communicator with this concise course. The processes and techniques covered will help you take in more information and hear between the lines.

Communicating with Employees - In this age of information, effective and concise communication with your staff is essential. This easy-to-read book provides you with techniques of communicating with your employees in a deliberate way to accomplish the business objectives of your organization.

Dealing Effectively with the Media - This book is designed to help you handle direct relations with the media confidently. You'll learn how to mentally and physically prepare for interviews, how to maintain reliable media contacts, and much more.

Getting Your Message Across - Making certain that your message is heard is one of the keys to effective communication. This friendly book outlines innovative ideas, practical examples, and exercises to help you clarify your messages and improve your presentations.

Giving and Receiving Feedback - There is both opportunity and peril in feedback. Make the most of your opportunities by shifting feedback from critical to constructive and mindsets from defensive to receptive. This course will show you how.

Making Humor Work - There is a definite role for humor in the workplace. Learn how to problem-solve, defuse resistance to change, disarm anger, and improve and increase memory through the effective use of humor on the job. This book provides material to improve the quality of work - and life - by using humor appropriately.

Successful Negotiation - Strive to approach every negotiation with both parties' interests in mind. The six-step process in this course will help you make each negotiation a "win-win," draft agreements that will succeed, and create lasting relationships.

Better Business Writing - Learn to write with confidence! Starting with the basics, this course helps you recognize and correct problems, avoid redundancies, and write with your goals in mind.

Building Blocks of Business Writing, The - If you want to build your writing skills, this book introduces a three-stage process for success. It shows how to master the fundamentals, develop an effective style, and select an appropriate format. Most importantly, it helps you prepare the "base" for further writing improvement.

Clear Writing - This basic, self-study book will help you develop a direct, clear, and concise writing style. It presents a step-by-step approach for writing effective sentences, paragraphs, and other informational formats. Self-editing techniques for avoiding common writing problems are explained.

Copyediting - Filled with sound, practical advice, this book is a must if you wish to become an effective copyeditor. In addition to being a comprehensive guide to the "real world" of copyediting and publishing, sections on diction and style answer practical questions not addressed in other copyediting books.

Fat-Free Writing - This is a dynamic new writing book in which Andrus introduces us to what she calls "Shirtsleeve English" which trims the fat and brings focus to writing. By keeping things short and simple, using active verbs, and keeping the reader's eye for format and clarity she encourages everyone to roll up their sleeves and get the fat out of their written communication.

Powerful Proofreading Skills - Ever send out an embarrassing, costly, typo-filled business letter? Now, this practical book is here to help. Each section contains exercises and activities that strengthen your proofreading skills and eliminate errors and inaccuracies from your documents.

Technical Writing in the Corporate World - This clearly written book was developed for those who want to learn the basics of effective technical writing. Special attention is paid to how to plan, organize, develop, and edit technical documents for best results.

Writing Business Proposals and Reports - Writing effective reports and proposals takes more than fundamental writing skills. This book teaches readers how to organize, research, develop, and edit complex documents as well as sharpen one's overall business writing skills.

Writing Effective E-Mail - Finally a book on e-mail that works from page one to simplify and examine whether e-mail is the appropriate communication tool for every message. You'll work through the critical steps of creating e-mail that has the right tone, while avoiding e-mail pitfpitfalls, and polishing up cybergrammar skills. The book contains key sections on formatting, as well as managing your e-mail - from messages to viruses.

Writing Fitness - Filled with practical business writing exercises and activities, this workbook covers basic organizational skills, clear and concise writing, spelling, punctuation tips, and much more. The focus is on ways to edit, tone, and clarify business memos, letters, and reports.

Writing That Sells - Sales writing, by definition, is writing that gets people to buy your products and services. Use some of the tried-and-true techniques not just of sales writing but of face-to-face sales.

CREATIVITY

Art of Discovery, The - The word creativity is approaching the status of "buzzword," but this book will show how to take the word seriously and make discovery an instrument of change in any organization.
The whole process can be of enormous value throughout an organization as creativity and discovery are valued as a process and become a reality in a technically creative company.

Creativity in Business - Creativity provides a competitive advantage! Learn to spot creative blocks (fear of failure, rule-following, making assumptions, etc.) and how to block bust. Learn techniques such as idea generating, point-of-view exercises, journalizing, and use of metaphor and analogy, problem solving and visual thinking, plus group creativity and how to sell ideas.

Innovations - A hands-on guide to developing an innovative culture in any organization, this book is designed to help managers and entrepreneurs create the kind of environment that encourages constant effort to find new answers, new ideas, and new products. From the heart of 3M comes a surprisingly simple set of guidelines.

Invent! - This book leads you through a technique called Constructive Discontent and shows you how this can develop a way of critical thinking that unleashes a flood of ideas. The book provides thinking tools like Crazy Criteria and a wonderful checklist called The Ten Commandments for Increasing Creativity. There are hundreds of ideas for stimulating innovation.

Inventing Small Products - In addition to outlining how to become a professional inventor, Stanley Mason demonstrates, by examples, how to focus on the two keys to the process - inventing things that change and improve existing products, and inventing entirely new products.

Rousing Creativity - Here's a book that takes the philosophical challenge of building a creative environment in an organization and turns it into a practical, understandable approach that works. This book doesn't stop at the fostering of new ideas but actually offers the tools people need to translate those new ideas into effective action. It provides a unique, intelligent approach to a group process that will win over anyone who doesn't quite know where to start.

Universal Traveler, The - This unique book will open your eyes to effective and stimulating formulas for solving problems. Discover how techniques developed in specialized disciplines can be applied to almost any business, social, or personal situation.

Wake Up Your Creative Genius - This book presents common-sense techniques designed to increase creative potential. Examples, pointers, and illustrations provide an invigorating course in creativity. This fresh approach to creativity will turn bright ideas into success.

DECISION MAKING

Creative Decision Making - Learn a flexible approach to decision making that uses a combination of both rational and intuitive techniques. With this proven decision strategy, called Positive Uncertainty, you'll discover how to "invent the future."

Decision Economics - The tools of managerial economics are familiar - models, cost estimates, objectives, valuations. What this slim volume provides is an understanding of how these tools relate and how they can be used effectively.

Ethics in Business - The honesty, integrity, and goodwill of those who manage an organization set the stage for effective and profitable results. With this book you'll recognize and think through ethical questions as they arise and have more confidence in reaching an ethical answer.

Risk Taking - Risk is everywhere and often avoiding one risk backs us into another. The issue for people in organizations is not whether to take risks but how to take reasonable risks. This book presents a systematic way of evaluating risks and a three-step process for making decisions in risky situations.

DESKTOP PUBLISHING

Information Design Desk Reference - Information Design Desk Reference, approaches the design of information as simply communication. The point of view is that of people who do not have the skills or tools of a professional designer. When a poster, brochure, document or presentation needs to be prepared most people feel that they lack the ability to create what they need, to produce the kind of impact they know that their material requires. Graphic elements throughout the book complement the text with examples. It presents step-by-step approaches and methods for working through about everything from a brochure to a simple Web site - the book itself is a model of what it presents.

DIVERSITY

Dynamics of Diversity - Diversity is a key element in any successful workplace, but to be successful, a diverse workforce must learn to work together. This book helps you implement a company-wide diversity training program. Learn how to expose key issues, get your management's buy-in, develop and implement your plan, and more.

Men and Women - Say what you will about Venus or Mars - men and women are different! Learn how to create successful cross-gender partnerships in the workplace.

Working Together - Help teams understand the origin of their beliefs, the value of other perspectives, and the benefits of working in an inclusive environment. Learn the practical communication tools needed when combining the talents of a diverse group.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

New Entrepreneur's Guidebook - Urging a different approach than many of the "how-to-start" books, this helpful guide suggests that you don't have to become an overnight expert in essential business skills. Instead, you can build these strengths over time.

Starting Your New Business Everything you need to know to create, launch, and operate any small business successfully, from preparing a business plan to launching the venture.

FINANCE

Accounting Cycle, The - Written for the beginner, this concise guide maps out the accounting cycle: balance sheets, income statements, ledger transactions, trial balances, and closing entries. Ideal for small or new businesses, this book explains single-entry and double-entry accounting and cash versus accrual accounting.

Basics of Budgeting - The title of this clearly written book says it all. Virtually every aspect of budgeting - from preparing income statements and company expense reports, to developing your own personal plan - is covered. Understanding the basics of budgeting will help your career and the organization you manage.

Financial Analysis - Written by the author of Understanding Financial Statements, this book provides more advanced, useful information on topics such as forecasting, budgeting techniques, corporate statements, and the use of common stock and debts for capitalization. Ideal for middle managers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.

Forecasting for Control & Profit - The key to forecasting is to accept that you will be called upon to predict outcomes over and over again, and that you can be well equipped in the simplest terms with the most basic of tools. Whether you are trying to make sense of trends, seasonal patterns, cycles, or plain old averages, this book can help with careful and clear directions that work.

Japanese Cost Management - In this book you will learn about five business practices and four engineering tools that make Japanese accounting techniques work.

New Management Accounting - Important areas such as quality, customer satisfaction, innovation, and capital management need to be evaluated beyond dollars and cents. Case studies from Toyota, Pitney Bowes, and others describe these new measures of overall performance.

Personal Financial Fitness - Newly revised to provide the latest in personal financial planning techniques and investment strategies, this book includes a step-by-step plan to help reduce taxes, increase investment income, build wealth, and plan for a more secure retirement.

Understanding Financial Statements - Everything you always wanted to know about those confusing financial statements but were too embarrassed to ask! This friendly primer of basic business finances takes you step-by-step through all the fundamentals from balance sheets to profit and loss statements - and translates them into meaningful, usable information. A beginner's bible!

Using Business Statistics - Statistics are an important part of the business world, yet most people dread having to deal with them. This book provides a simple explanation of statistics to help you understand the basic concepts involved. Real-world models enable you to manage your own research projects.

Value-Added Purchasing - Purchasing will become the catalyst for partnering with suppliers to achieve shared goals, and a resource for internal processes. Many leading technology companies are already using these ideas to design service schedules, control costs, and maintain quality throughout an organization.

HUMAN RESOURCES

50 One-Minute Tips for Recruiting Employees - Build excitement about your company and its job offerings by following a few simple guidelines. This course's easy-to-read format with its abundance of checklists, template forms, and quick tips is sure to help you work a little recruiting magic.

50 One-Minute Tips for Trainers - This book contains information applicable in many different training situations such as groups, one-on-one, internal, or external training sessions. It examines the purpose and importance of training and development programs, presenting clearly and succinctly the fifty most important tips to consider before any training session.

About Pay - Most of us feel uncomfortable about discussing pay. Now, with this book, you can learn how to communicate about pay effectively and with minimum discomfort for both you and your employees. The case studies in this book are based on real-life incidents and illustrate problems that can arise.

Behavior-Based Interviewing - It is not enough to hire a person based solely on what you think they can do. Behavioral, objective, fact-based criteria must be developed to increase your chance of placing the right person in the right job. This highly-interactive book will give you all you need to conduct an effective interview and make a successful hiring decision. Learn how to prepare for an objective interview, ask the best questions, interpret behavior, and follow up after an interview. We've included a comprehensive list of 200 behavior-based questions to get you started!

Competency and the Learning Organization - Competency models have proven to be one of the most cost-effective and quickest ways to put ideas into practice. This book presents a brief but comprehensive overview of competency-based programs and how they can be used to improve the performance of any size organization.

Conducting a Needs Analysis - Discover the value of conducting a needs analysis in response to performance issues. This systematic, information-gathering process will help you evaluate current issues and reveal whether a well-targeted training program is needed. Learn how to pre-plan your needs analysis, how to investigate problems, how to evaluate data and training possibilities, and how to report your findings and recommendations.

Creating a Learning Organization - To create a learning organization, learning must be integrated as a regular part of the job. Written for managers on all levels, this book explores what it takes to become a learning organization, using case studies to demonstrate why learning is important and how to achieve on-going learning success. The individual's learning responsibility is also discussed, including attitudes to learning, learning stages, and risk taking.

Delivering Effective Training Sessions - Imagine delivering a training session that really energizes the audience. Think of all the positive change and growth you could bring about! This course will guide you through the first steps.

Developing Instructional Design - After completing this practical self-study book, readers will be able to organize and present ideas in meaningful learning modules, function effectively as instructors, and measure their own effectiveness.

Disaster Preparedness - We see news of disasters every day - earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and even workplace violence - that bring businesses to a grinding halt and wreak havoc on personal and professional lives. Now, you can be prepared for these potentially damaging events. Learn how to set up your organization's disaster plan to prevent, respond to, and recover from the next potential disaster.

Effective Recruiting Strategies - The success of any organization depends on the quality of the people it hires. This book describes a marketing approach to finding the best candidates. In addition to traditional recruiting, effective alternative strategies like networking, job fairs, and employee referral programs are also discussed.

Guide to Affirmative Action - This practical resource provides guidelines to ensure that managers make correct decisions about affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, age and sex discrimination, and sexual harassment.

High Performance Hiring - Your organization is only as good as the people you hire. This book explains how to recruit and hire for the best results. Legal issues are explored in a practical, easy-to-understand manner, as are recruiting strategies, compensation plans, and testing methods.

How Organizations Learn - Applying the techniques of the U.S. Army's After Action Review, this book presents a model for any organization to use in learning from what it has done - both its successes, and its failures - to ensure future success. The whole approach rests on the "Three I's" - Identify, Integrate, Institutionalize.

Manager's Guide to OSHA, A - This book clearly explains rights and responsibilities under OSHA. Topics include how to manage inspections, handle citations, and get penalties reduced. Most important, the book shows how to help managers understand and exercise their own responsibilities for maintaining a safe working environment.

New Employee Orientation - Learn how to start new employees off on the right foot. Checklists and exercises show managers and supervisors how to create a motivating climate for new hires. Readers learn how to develop and implement a customized orientation plan for new employees (both salaried and hourly).

New Vision for Human Resources, A - People are the most dynamic asset in the success of an organization and, thus, it is essential the HR professionals align their goals with the goals of the organization. This book offers the Top Ten Measures of HR Effectiveness to use as a tool and urges all managers to join in the effort to bring HR into the role it must assume in management.

Personnel Testing - The modern practice of personnel testing originated with the need to accurately assess many job applicants quickly. This book illustrates the limitations of traditional interviewing practices and presents you with guidelines for effectively testing your job applicants to find the best candidate.

Quality Interviewing - Avoid the seven unforgivable mistakes of interviewing. Use this concise, quick-read book to help you master the interviewing process - and make sound hiring decisions you won't regret. You'll learn how to easily assess strengths and weaknesses, and what to look for in a prospective employee. It's just as invaluable for job seekers!

Rightful Termination - When managers are faced with having to dismiss an employee, termination can be made easier by understanding the process involved. This book is designed to help correct the myths and misconceptions, and to explain the legal ramifications of employee termination.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace - Learn how to handle complaints and how to prevent sexual harassment in your workplace by understanding the legal, professional, and personal aspects of sexual
harassment.

Sexual Harassment: What You Need to Know - This integrated course explores sexual harassment issues in depth and with realistic role-plays. Nationally recognized experts help you understand this difficult topic better.

Training Managers to Train - Use this newly revised best-seller to improve your bottom line with the most cost-effective, time-wise training methods available. This concise guide teaches managers how to efficiently prepare for, plan, present, and follow up on any size training program. The proven checklists, tips, and activities will strengthen the skills of any manager regardless of experience. Included are secrets for training adults effectively and a four-part plan for productive training. A must for managers and supervisors who want to train their staff to achieve greater productivity.

Training Methods That Work - This book describes innovative training methods and shows how to select the best one. Where to find the most appropriate training exercises, and how to conduct and evaluate each exercise is also included. Case studies and examples show how to apply these methods to real-world situations.

Virtual HR - The knowledgeable workers of today's workforce have made Human Resources a critical element that must be as sophisticated as any part of your organization. In this book you'll explore the technology-assisted model of HR. Discover how the use of some key techniques and applications can offer a flexible human resources model and how adapting to "Virtual HR" can also become a source of competitive advantages.

Wellness in the Workplace - Geared toward management, this book explores the benefits of a well-planned organizational wellness program. Case studies and exercises outline the components of an effective health program and its often unappreciated contribution to business success.

Writing a Human Resources Manual - Regardless of company size, employees need to know certain organizational policies, practices, and procedures. This book helps you determine what to include. You'll learn to write an effective policy and how to test and verify what has been written.

INTERNET

Doing Business on the World-Wide Web - As a place to do business, the Internet is big and getting bigger. All types of companies are positioning themselves to take advantage of the global opportunities presented by this new communication medium. Written for business people who want to learn the possibilities and potentials of doing business on the World-Wide Web, this book clearly describes what you need to get started on the Internet. Included are sections on establishing your own Web site, how to use it to sell subscriptions and services, and how to thwart hackers and keep your site secure. Especially helpful is the hands-on guide to navigating the Web.

Getting on the Information Superhighway - Maybe you're considering going online, but haven't because you just don't know where to start. This excellent resource will provide you with everything you need to know about how to get online.

Using the Internet Smarter and Faster - Finally a book that breaks the Internet down into digestible chunks of information. Explore over 400 topics that will help you to gradually build your skills on the Internet. Get familiar with the often confusing language of the Internet, discover how search engines work and how to avoid some common errors in using them, and learn the common procedures and processes on the Internet and some timesaving shortcuts.

JOBS & CAREERS

Achieving Job Satisfaction - Are you getting as much satisfaction out of your job as you should? This book will help you determine your level of satisfaction and then it will assist you in making positive changes to increase both your satisfaction level and quality of work.

Career Discovery Program - "Success is finding the right career the first time." Well, pick up a pencil and plan to do just that. Through a series of tested exercises you'll discover career possibilities related to your life goals that are within your ability and comfort zone.

Creating Your Skills Portfolio - Different from a resume, this little-known tool allows you to present a unique image of your experience drawn from some of the best examples of your previous work. It describes the seven steps to preparing an attention-grabbing portfolio and the best technique for presenting it during an interview. Also included is how to develop an electronic portfolio.

Effective Networking - Networking means sharing information, resources, and support to build and maintain effective career and personal relationships. This book not only explains how to network, but how to build solid human relations. Exercises and case studies help readers establish realistic personal networking goals.

Find the Bathrooms First - This book is a practical guide to the first three months of a new job. It looks at that period of adjustment in the first six weeks of a new job where indicators of potential success or failure can lead to an action plan.

Finding Your Purpose - This book launches you on a journey of personal exploration and growth. Practical exercises challenge you to discover insights about the way you think and behave. Then the author provides a plan that can lead to significant positive personal changes.

Preparing for a Behavior-Based Interview - This book presents suggestions on how to prepare for an interview in which you will be asked to describe your experience with tasks valued by potential employers. The book also provides tips on researching companies and making a good impression even before the interview.

Preparing for Your Interview Learn insider information on how to develop successful interviewing techniques. This concise, practical guide prepares and primes interviewees for the job-hunting process. It provides tips on do's and don'ts of interviews, including how to avoid common interview-related mistakes.

Preventing Job Burnout Introducing eight proven strategies for beating job burnout, this newly revised edition also contains expanded information on networking, growing your social support system, and personal goal setting.

Successful Career and Life Planning - Everyone at work today, or who hopes to work, is in learning for the long haul - for life! This revision of a Crisp classic first helps learners work through learning goals, assess their styles of learning, and adopt the important A.S.K. (actively seek knowledge) attitude. Then it teaches some "brain-friendly" techniques - concentration and attention, association and patterns, repetition and practice - along with listening, memory, and reading skills. Finally, it covers new learning technologies, effective learning habits, experiential learning, and available options for lifelong learners.

Take This Work and Love It - As the working world continues to undergo huge transformations, many are experiencing loss of identity and meaning in their working lives. When this happens, motivation plummets. Written primarily for those in mid-career, this book explains how to regain motivation by tapping into your own sense of inner meaning. It describes the methods of increasing your creativity and level of productivity even in the face of fast-moving change. Included are tips for boosting one's energy and sense of accomplishment. If you'd like to rekindle the initial joy you first found in your work, this book is for you.

Your First Thirty Days - This newly revised guide for career development during the first month on a job is for anyone just hired or anticipating a new position. Get off to a good start in a new job using this book's practical advice on grooming, timeliness, and productivity. Learn the secrets of surviving office politics, building a professional image, and using your attitude to shape your ultimate success.

MANAGEMENT

50 One-Minute Tips for Retaining Employees - It is hard enough to retain highly trained and technical workers but facing the challenge of keeping hourly workers, getting new people off on the right foot, and training people to become good trainers are major challenges today. The second of two books providing 50 Tips that are just that - handy quick ideas for employers to start their thinking on a topic.

Administrative Assistant Today, The - The administrative assistant operates at a high level, often reporting to more than one person. Learn vital skills such as how to anticipate needs, be a communication liaison, act as a project manager, and operate as your boss' information manager.

Attacking Absenteeism - American businesses lose $30 billion a year to absenteeism. This self-study book helps you recognize the symptoms of absenteeism. A step-by-step plan, case studies, and exercises will help you cut absenteeism and increase employee productivity.

Beyond Generation X - Because entry-level workers can make or break a service business, today's managers have to understand how to work with and motivate young employees. This practical manual explains how today's young workers are different from previous generations, including how their work ethic differs. Learn how to reduce costly turnover and improve the productivity of your younger employees by understanding their world view.

Delegating for Results - What's the biggest weakness of most managers? The inability to delegate effectively. Get the basics of this essential skill in the revised best-seller. Exercises and worksheets help you evaluate your current skills, easily identify the problems, and quickly find solutions. You'll discover how to develop your workers' potentials while getting the job done. New sections on increasing positive exposure for your team and using delegation as a tool for managing organizational change.

Designing Feedback - This book explains these methods and describes the kinds of feedback they require. These measures are designed to lead to real and continuing improvements. Now organizations of all types can benefit from the groundwork of industry leaders.

Effective Performance Appraisals - Make the next appraisal you conduct a positive experience for all. This hands-on course teaches techniques that will foster high morale, increase productivity, and strengthen workplace relationships.

Empowerment - Generate excitement and ownership in every level of your organization by using this step-by-step plan for empowerment. Gauge the current environment, strengthen team relationships, and develop new processes that support a proactive workforce.

Excellence in Management - This book contains six keys to excellence in management. Examples of "best" and "worst" managers are provided for comparison. Exercises and case studies cover succeeding as a leader, communicating, persuading and influencing people, creating superior service, managing time, and much more.

Excellence in Supervision - Gives supervisors the tools needed to start on the right track. Provides existing supervisors with practical and proven strategies for success.

First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently - In First, Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman of the Gallup Organization present the remarkable findings of their massive in-depth study of great managers across a wide variety of situations.

In today's tight labor markets, companies compete to find and keep the best employees, using pay, benefits, promotions, and training. But no matter how generous its pay, or how renowned its training, the company that lacks great front-line managers will suffer. Buckingham and Coffman explain how the best managers select an employee for talent rather than for skills or experience; how they set expectations; how they motivate people by building on each person's unique strengths; and, finally, how great managers find the right fit for each person, not the next rung on the ladder.

There are vital performance and career lessons here for managers at every level, and, best of all, the book shows you how to apply them to your own situation.

Frank and Ernest Manager, The - In this light and humorous book, popular "Frank and Ernest" cartoons are used to illustrate basic principles of management. Its fresh, practical delivery explains important concepts for understanding human behavior in organizations and brings life to the theories of management.

From Technical Specialist to Supervisor - This book is designed to help you make the transition from technical expert to people management. The basic building blocks of communicating, motivating, and delegating are clearly presented. In addition, completing the Technical Supervisor Action Plan will help you implement your new supervisory skills on the job.

Gainsharing - Gainsharing is an improvement strategy and a compensation strategy. This book addresses employees in two ways - measure of productivity and quality of work done, and the excellence of the end product or service from the customer's point of view. Linking at least a part of the employees' overall compensation to those measures provides a direct connection between their efforts and the profits from which their increased share will come.

Handling the Difficult Employee - Sooner or later every supervisor must deal with a difficult employee. This book helps managers understand why performance problems occur, and how to resolve them. It includes a six-step intervention model, and a thorough discussion of discipline and termination procedures.

Job Performance and Chemical Dependency - This book carefully explains how you can recognize a performance problem caused by chemical dependency. It then expands to show you how to use a performance appraisal to discuss the problem, how to find professional help, and how to gain an employee's commitment to correct the problem.

Listen Up, Leader! - Ever wonder what your employees think about your leadership style? Would they say it's too demanding, to bureaucratic? Would they be willing to do more for you? Get ready for some straight answers.

Manager's Communication Handbook, The - The Manager's Communication Handbook is a practical guide to deal with one of today's important and challenging responsibilities - communication.

This handbook will help leaders at all levels:
-Learn the characteristics of effective communication plus 44 "how to" tips
-Build understanding, support, and acceptance for organizational change
-Use proven communication techniques to enhance credibility, build trust, breakdown "we vs. they" behaviors, and help your organization focus on common goals.

Managing Employee Performance Problems - At some point every manager has to cope with "people problems." From alcoholism to illiteracy, this book has a case study to help you learn how to handle 29 specific problem behaviors. With a view to the changing needs of the new workforce, you'll learn how to tell the difference between legitimate complaints and insubordination. Discover why your employees work and how to encourage good performance. Also included are tips on resolving disputes fairly. The real-world situations in these case studies provide practical solutions to boost performance in any organization.

Managing for Commitment - Traditional views of commitment and loyalty are no longer applicable in today's workplace. With this book, you'll learn the changing value system of today's employees, explore a two-way street of mutual commitment and trust, and discover the importance of your role as a proactive leader.

Managing Negative People - Negative people are more likely to be dissatisfied with their lives and jobs, leading to increased absenteeism and lowered productivity. This book has activities and exercises to help readers cope with negativity in others and make their own work more satisfying and productive.

Monday Morning Leadership - Everyone likes a good story, especially if there are lessons that can be immediately applied to life. This book is one of those stories - about a manager and his mentor.

Monday Morning Leadership offers unique encouragement and direction that will help you become a manager, employee, and person.

Multipoint Feedback - Multipoint feedback provides one of the most effective ways of getting the information necessary for successful personal and organizational transformation. Ideal for team building and leadership improvement, this innovative guide shows how to use multipoint feedback as a powerful catalyst for change.

New Supervisor, The - Jump into the challenges of supervising with a solid base of knowledge. This course show you how to delegate, solve problems, and make decisions with confidence in your role and authority.

Office Management - A concise guide to effective office management. Topics include how to plan, organize, and establish controls for better results. Exercises and case studies cover leadership in the office, building performance measurement, coaching and counseling skills, and more.

On Being the Boss - This book teaches how to balance management expectations, customer relations, and the needs of your employees through such hot topics as discrimination, sexual politics, religion in the workplace, and crisis management.

One Minute Manager, The - 'I'm a One Minute Manager.' 'You're a what?' The manager laughed and said, 'I'm a One Minute Manager. I call myself that because it takes very little time for me to get very big results from people.' How does the One Minute Manager do this? Behind his success lies just three secrets. The leaders of American and Japanese industry have made this book compulsory reading for all their managers. You can't afford to miss out.

Partners in Performance - Structure performance agreements to reduce ambiguity and set the stage for peak performance. The entire process of developing, communicating, achieving, and monitoring performance objectives is outlined in this course. Performance Appraisal Most senior managers, despite recent innovations, still find it difficult to evaluate senior employees. In this book the founder of the world's largest human resources consulting firm tells why most review systems fail. He then outlines a simple set of guidelines to help establish an environment of trust and a system that achieves the goal of improved performance.

Personal Performance Contracts - A step-by-step plan that will show you how to establish performance goals and measure progress. Containing exercises, assessments, case studies, and a ten-step checklist for creating a performance contract.

Professionalism in the Office - The role of the secretary has blossomed into many different roles with the advent of new communication tools and the many changes in the workforce. This book has been revised and updated to blend the idea, the tasks, and the roles of the secretary and to show how the standards and professionalism that the secretarial role embraced can be modernized and shared throughout an office.

Rate Your Skills as a Manager - This comprehensive book discusses twelve primary management functions, then provides a self-evaluation inventory for each. You can measure your performance for each skill and learn how to strengthen those that need improvement.

Recognition, Gratitude & Celebration - Recognizing the work and achievement of others is an important responsibility of leadership and a great opportunity to demonstrate the values of an organization. Recognition can make a vital contribution to survival in any highly competitive business environment.

Reconnecting with People - Learn the strategies that high-performance companies have used to attract, motivate, and retain the best and the brightest.

Retaining Your Employees - Keep your best people! This idea-packed book focuses on the critical Three R's of Employee Retention - Respect, Recognition, and Rewards.

Stepping Up to Supervisor - Like a mentor-on-call, this best-selling book brings a wealth of wisdom and information to the new supervisor. It's clearly organized into four logical parts that focus on the biggest concerns: understanding the basics of supervisory responsibilities, developing personal effectiveness, managing many personalities, and working with groups. Instructor's manual now available.

Supervising for Success - Managers and supervisors who want to enhance their professional skills will find a valuable resource in this new guide. Learn what it means to be a great supervisor to your subordinates - and how that will enhance your career. Discover how your attitude can make or break your team's spirit. This book is a must for all new supervisors and a beneficial refresher for even the most experienced supervisor.

Supervising Part-Time Employees - With forty-hour work weeks no longer the norm, every manager will benefit from this valuable guide to part-time employees. Learn the techniques for getting high productivity and company loyalty from all your part-timers, whether they're younger, seasoned, or retired. Exams and exercises help you apply your new tactics immediately.

Unchaining the Chain of Command - Learn how to apply modeling and "systems thinking" to your company operations - including the management structure. This book provides the roadmap.

Walk Awhile in My Shoes - Gut-level, real-world messages from employees to managers and from managers to employees.

X'ers and the Boomers, The - This book leads readers through a communication process that bridges two generations known as Baby Boomers and Generation X'ers. Looking at 12 key issues called "Delineators," the book examines the different views of each of these two groups and the contempt for each other's views that often exists. Using fill-ins, vignettes, checklists, and some very creative table turning, the book shows that there are ways to resolve these conflicts and create a new set of shared concerns and values.

ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN

Basics of Manufacturing - An ideal primer for those interested in learning more about manufacturing processes. The theory, tools, and technology offered in this book will expand the reader's knowledge base to enhance existing skills, and introduce new information and skills.

Benchmarking Basics - Benchmarking is a tool to help your organization continually improve its processes by learning how others do it. This book defines benchmarking, its benefits, and even the objections to benchmarking. Also included is what it takes to benchmark, types of benchmarking, how to begin, and which pitfalls to avoid.

Building a Total Quality Culture - Exploring the concept of Total Quality Management, this book proposes business leaders establish a strong system of values. By promoting ethics, empowered decision making and leadership in the workplace, you set an example for the future and build a Total Quality Culture.

Employee Suggestion Systems - Employee-generated ideas can be a company's greatest competitive advantage. Now supervisors, managers, and business owners can learn how to benefit from employee suggestions. This book explains how to encourage employees to submit their improvement ideas, monitor submissions, evaluate suggestions, communicate results, and establish a reward program. How to overcome negativity, apathy, fear, and other attitudes that hinder improvement is also discussed. Other covered topics include how to get a steady flow of improvement ideas from employees, how to encourage employees to actively think about and search for improvement ideas, and much more.

Inventory Management - This book contains a logistics approach to inventory management - from the warehouse through the distribution system, from the supplier to the customer. Written for managers, it outlines objectives and performance measures pertaining to customer service, inventory investment, and operational efficiency. Factors affecting inventory are fully discussed and warehouse environments are fully explored, including types and objectives, packaging, material handling, and costs involved.

ISO 9000 - This friendly, easy-to-read book introduces you to ISO 9000. You'll learn how to get certified, discover how ISO 9000 will streamline your business practices, and see how ISO 9000 can result in higher customer confidence in your products and services.

JIT Forecasting and Master Scheduling - Now you can slash manufacturing and inventory costs while improving customer service through just-in-time forecasting and scheduling. Manufacturing managers and supervisors will discover proven skill-building exercises and five major forecasting tools to help them keep their businesses competitive.

Organization Design - This book is written for managers, as well as team leaders and members, who need to design or redesign their organizations. It describes business processes, work flow, organization, and management structure, as well as coordination and control of group and individual activities. Different design alternatives are explained, along with what works well under unique circumstances. The book also includes guidelines to follow in designing your organization.

Organization Development - Organization development (OD) is a planned, system-wide change that focuses on achieving improved organizational health. Written for training professionals and other change agents, this easy-to-understand book is full of helpful ideas and tips on OD, contracting, diagnosis, interventions, plan change, and more.

Process Improvement - This book is aimed at the reader who wants to understand and apply re-engineering and process improvement techniques. It describes the steps to identifying problem areas, using process flows, considering possible solutions, and determining the right solution.

Quality at Work - Professional results are based on high personal quality standards. This self-study book explains why personal quality standards are essential and establishes guidelines to help you develop and apply them on the job.

TQM - This book provides managers and team members with an easy-to-understand overview of the TQM philosophy. Fifty ideas for practicing the TQM concept are given for use by organizations, teams, and individuals.

Value Management - This is an accessible book about the concept of Value Engineering. The focus is on the new use of FAST (Function Analysis System Technique) in TQM and other processes, and is now being directed at marketing.

World Class Production System, A - This book presents you with a snapshot of powerful JIT (Just-In-Time) concepts that can be applied to your business and how those concepts can be the basis of a change strategy for developing your own World Class system.

World-Class Management Practices - In this thorough and imaginative review of management practice in the major industrialized countries, a strong case is made for leadership, creativity, and perseverance in the highly competitive new economy contemporary managers face. Examples are drawn from Asian, American, and European sources to show how quickly and decisively managers must act today.

World-Class Quality and Productivity - The sixteen-point program outlined in this book deals with the major activities that must be monitored in order to reach the goals associated with world-class standards from the original concept to the truly satisfied customer.

PEER RELATIONSHIPS

Business Etiquette & Professionalism - This is a superb guide to the subtleties and complexities of business etiquette. This book shows how to maintain a professional and competitive edge by understanding basic business etiquette. In addition to the exercises and activities on making introductions, dining out, sending and receiving gifts, public manners, tipping, and attire, there is updated information on electronic etiquette.

Improving Peer Relationships - This book describes how the information network should connect all the players - to effectively communicate - in order to complete what needs to be done. It discusses why peer relationships can be difficult, and how to effectively negotiate and persuade team members and customers to successfully meet your goals.

Influence - Some of us have influence, some of us don't . . . incorrect! In this book, you'll discover how to develop your influence - a set of powerful communication skills - to establish support, credibility,
and cooperation from supervisors and peers. A must in today's less structured, more dynamic business environment.

Influencing Others - Influence others more effectively through written and verbal communication. Exercises and examples help you understand your audience and influence them accordingly. Learn how to determine the responsiveness or resistance to ideas and how to change resistance into receptiveness.

Managing Upward - An excellent guide if you're wishing to position yourself for upward professional mobility. This book introduces techniques for developing positive working relationships with those above you in the organization. It's not easy to "manage your boss," but the tips provided will help you handle and offer both praise and criticism.

Office Politics - Designed to be used by workers at all levels, this innovative new book addresses both the positive and negative aspects of office politics. It not only explains why political situations are so common, it also shows how you can use them to your benefit. Learn how to confidently and diplomatically respond to unfair situations, and even how to recover from your own political blunders. Discover the five simple rules of office politics that will enhance your career. The importance of mutual understanding and respect in dealing with office politics is emphasized, but tips for recognizing devious tactics are also provided.

Winning at Human Relations - Create positive working relationships. This book was written for those who want to develop an early warning system to prevent poor interpersonal relations and avoid self-victimization. A friendly guide with practical exercises to help readers develop better human relations skills.

PROJECTS & PLANNING

Creating Environmental Business Value - This book presents a road map for establishing environmental initiatives within an organization using a five-step program developed by the author and others at Arthur D. Little. It includes process and evaluation of priorities for shareholders, for customers, for employees, and for the community in which the organization operates.

Developing Strategic Alliances - This book identifies several types of alliance possibilities and describes the critical process of selecting the right partner. After explaining the advantages and benefits of forming alliances, it examines some problems and challenges and how to overcome them.

Goals and Goal Setting - Strive to set goals that are not only achievable, but empowering and motivating as well. This course will help unlock hidden productivity through a fundamental process of goal setting.

Internal Consultant, The - This book addresses the major kinds of internal help: problem solving, enacting change, giving advice, and working on large-scale transformations. Included are clear descriptions of the seven-phase internal consulting process and why it is important to conduct a "lessons learned" wrap-up meeting to explore outcomes.

Open-Book Management - Open-book management is one of the most popular ideas for growing a business because it encourages employees at all levels to look for ways to make and save money for their company. This book is designed to help managers and supervisors involve their employees in building a more productive and profitable enterprise. Learn how to teach people in your company how money gets made - and lost - and what they can do about it.

Project Management - Take the most complex project and break it down into simple, achievable steps - from initial planning to celebration! All of the techniques and tools you need to get started can be found in this handy course.

Project Office, The - As a crucial component of many medium to large organizations, project management is emerging as a highly valued discipline in its own right, as well as becoming a focus for group training and information sharing. While everyone in project management is concerned with time and resource allocation, the positive interaction of team members is also vital - as this book clearly demonstrates by drawing on the best practical examples from two of the most experienced people in the field.

Successful Strategic Planning - In successful organizations, strategic planning leads management in defining and achieving a vision that is ultimately linked to the customer. This book is based on a revolutionary systems thinking approach that will help individuals, teams, departments, and businesses of all sizes and types in a simple four-phase process to create and implement strategic planning successfully. It begins with defining the end goal or vision first and then focuses all activities
toward that outcome.

RETIREMENT PLANNING

Comfort Zones - Make a positive transition from work to retirement. These hands-on planning tools and exercises help you create a plan based on your individual needs and comfort zones.

SALES, MARKETING & CUSTOMER SERVICE

Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service - All organizations are driving toward the same goal - how best to serve the people who purchase their products and services. Whether they are called clients, customers, constituents, or, in Disney-speak, guests - they must be satisfied or risk being lost.

Even before authors Tom Peters and Bob Waterman profiled Walt Disney World Resort in their groundbreaking book In Search of Excellence, the most popular resort destination in the world enjoyed a reputation as a company that set the benchmark for outstanding business practices. Now, for the first time, one critical element of the methodology behind the magic that is the Walt Disney World Resort - quality service - is revealed in Be Our Guest.

Be Our Guest outlines proven Disney principles and processes for helping your organization focus its vision and assemble its people and infrastructure within a cohesive strategy that delivers on the promise of exceptional customer service.

Beyond Customer Service - This book can help you and your organization go beyond customer service to retain and satisfy established clientele. Within this self-study guide are 50 useful tips to increase customer satisfaction, generate meaningful feedback, and develop loyalty.

Building & Closing the Sale - Set the stage for an easy and effective closing transaction every time. Learn techniques to build rapport with your prospects and guide them to a successful close.

Call Center Success - Master the skills needed to face the challenges of a Customer Service Representative position. Guaranteed to turn out top-notch CSRs!

Calming Upset Customers - Effectively handle an upset customer and you may have a customer for life. This course gives your employees techniques and guidelines for managing even the most difficult customers.

Closing Sales & Winning Your Customer's Heart - Good sales people have always known that each of their customers needs to be treated differently, each person requires a different approach. Here is the book that brings in personality typing from the world of counseling, which can be the key to understanding your customers and making more effective sales presentations.

Consultative Sales Power - For salespeople who want to achieve ongoing sales success in a competitive, constantly changing business environment, this book shows how to develop a mind-set that considers the customer in each part of the selling process.

Customer Focus - This book provides a clear road map for developing the focus on customers. Market research, performance measures, and quality systems tools are introduced throughout to aid in developing a cohesive plan and strategy.

Customer Satisfaction - Improve your employees' people skills, and you'll be rewarded with satisfied customers. This course develops the skills needed to provide top-notch customer service.

Customer Service Nightmares - From the experience of everyone's worst day comes a collection of real stories of some of the worst customer service nightmares ever experienced. With invaluable clarity, Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor®, examines these incredible stories and shares her experienced insights with you. A perfect primer on the worst customer service practices and how to avoid or correct them.

Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service - Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service reveals how to:
· Become a fantastic fixer and powerful problem solver. (Take positive action to bring disappointed customers back to a state of satisfaction.)
· Ask your customers intelligent questions - and get the most useful information out of their answers.
· Cope with "customers from hell' (from "Please give me chance to help
you" to "I'm sorry we couldn't find a way to work together").
· Avoid the 10 Deadly Sins of Customer Service. (Example: "I don't
know" loses customers; "I don't know, but I'll find out" keeps them.)
· Delivering Knock Your Socks Off E-Service
· Creating Trust with Your Customer
· Service Recovery Expectations, and
· Putting Your Best E-Mail Foot Forward

Plus lots of stories, real-world examples, and humorous illustrations.

Today's customer is smarter, more demanding, and more mobile than ever. But Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service- featuring the breezy, accessible style that's helped make this book a customer service classic - gives you all the strategies, techniques, and tips you'll need to satisfy and delight those online, telephone, and in-person customers, and keep them coming back.

Direct Marketing Techniques - This book is packed with hundreds of great ideas and proven direct marketing techniques that the author has used successfully in building a multimillion dollar business. This is a "quick start" approach that entrepreneurs can use to expand their business.

Effective Sales Management - Everything you ever wanted to know about recruiting, hiring, training, and evaluating top salespeople is at your fingertips - and condensed into 83 pages. This guide gives you the insider's track on finding - and keeping - outstanding sales reps. How-tos, case studies, and exercises help you apply your newly learned techniques on the job.

Exhibiting at Tradeshows - This technique-oriented guide shows you how to increase the quality and profitability of your tradeshow exhibits. Simple, practical, and proven steps are suggested to assist you in gaining a competitive edge through cost-effective methods.

Managing Quality Customer Service - This practical, self-study book was developed to help you establish and manage a quality service operation. Learn how to determine customer needs, how to effectively and efficiently meet those needs, and how to continually measure your service level.

Marketing Your Consulting or Professional Services - A tactical handbook for management consultants and other professionals who want to learn how to market their services successfully. You'll learn how to define your market, build a marketing plan, identify and promote unique strengths, and more.

Measuring Customer Satisfaction - For organizations serious about improving customer service, it is essential to know how customers feel about the service they receive. The proven techniques and methods in this book will help you evaluate customer satisfaction and make any needed improvements in your service.

New Product Introduction - Today many companies devote enormous effort to the introduction of their new products. The solid information and supporting techniques in this book will help you cut R&D costs, reduce product development lead times, and provide more vital management information. It also includes a review of ROA and ROI and how you can improve these very significant numbers.

Professional Selling - If you earn your living in sales, this income-boosting guide is a must-read. Practical exercises reveal the secrets of professional selling, including creative prospecting techniques, defrosting cold calls, strategizing and conducting successful face-to-face sales calls, and overcoming objections. It describes the attributes leading to sales success in a way that allows you to integrate them easily and comfortably into your own sales efforts.

Prospecting - On average you must make 25 contacts to find five prospects and eventually close one sale. Obviously, successful prospecting is vital to your sales success. This book supplies turn-key ideas on streamlining your prospecting to successfully reach decision makers.

Providing Personalized Customer Service - Superior customer service makes a difference. Help spread the word (and the skills!) with this easy-to-use trainer's guide. Creative exercises and clearly written guidelines help anyone - from your top training professional to a store shift supervisor - to deliver engaging customer service lessons. Focuses on national retail skills standards for initiating customer contact and building customer relations. Designed to reinforce the topics covered in Workbooks 1-4 of the Retailing Smarts Series.

Quality Customer Service - Help every employee provide excellent customer service. This course describes the numerous factors - operational and personal - that all combine to create a winning environment.

Sales Training Basics - A primer for those new to selling. You'll explore the psychology of selling, questioning techniques, closing a sale, telephone selling, and more. Through a series of lively exercises you'll learn techniques of selling and the importance of a positive attitude and self-image.

Selling & Promoting Products - It's simple - better prepared sales associates sell more products. Help your employees coach new associates in the finer points of salesmanship with this easy-to-use trainer's guide. Includes engaging exercises and memorable tips to strengthen key competencies identified in the national retail skills standards: determine customer needs, build the sale, and close the sale. Designed to complement lessons covered in Workbooks 5-8 of the Retailing Smarts Series.

Success as a CSR - Written for CSRs and their managers, this guide emphasizes how success as a CSR enhances your career as you help your company grow by creating customer loyalty. It describes in detail everything a CSR needs to know to succeed. Presented are the key challenges of the position and workable solutions to meet them. Also contains helpful tools for time management and explains the secrets of the CSR attitude that turn a hard job into a satisfying career.

Taking Technology to Market - This brief book can equip any manager with an understanding of the technological process development from getting the idea through the business proposition, model, and plan to the creation of the envisioned business and the actual market entry.

Telemarketing - In business, every phone call is an opportunity not only for telemarketing, but for improved customer service. With this book, you can discover the skills and techniques needed to convert these opportunities into sales and future business.

Telemarketing Basics - Geared toward today's telemarketing professional, this book outlines a ten-step process to increase your sales success. Checklists, tips, and exercises help you learn to organize, create credibility, and ask the right questions.

Telemarketing Tips from A to Z - With the same easy-to-understand style of her first book, Telephone Skills from A-Z, Nancy Friedman, The Telephone Doctor®, creates a handy guide for people in telemarketing. It is filled with advice on how to approach any situation with a creative and positive attitude.

Telephone Courtesy & Customer Service - Give employees effective telephone skills and you will see what a powerful business tool the phone can be. Everything from voice inflection to follow-up calls is covered in this course.

Telephone Skills from A to Z - Your company's reputation is on the line - literally. Make good phone skills a standard throughout your organization with this practical guide to the basics. Teaches everyone how to adopt a professional, friendly tone from the initial greeting to the final good-bye - and how to handle whatever arises in between. A vital reference tool.

Twenty Ways to Improve Customer Service - Are you interested in improving your customer service, especially the skills of frontline representatives? This book highlights twenty key elements to customer service and supports them with skill-builders, suggestions, and recommended personal actions to help you increase your service skill inventory.

Twenty-Five Ways to Improve Sales - Not everyone has a large advertising budget to throw at their product or service. In fact most businesses don't, but they must find ways to market their product or service effectively and profitably. This book lists 25 ways for implementing strategies and a checklist for each that covers the completeness and sequence of activities.

Winning the Inner Game of Selling - Here's a book about the mind-game of selling. With a set of proven exercises and a series of techniques, this book will help you develop the inner vision of a winner. This is not just a book for salespeople - it is a practical and direct means for anyone who has to put across an idea, to convince someone to act.

Workbook #1: Get to Know Your Customer - This book is packed with advice on how to greet customers and begin establishing rapport to keep your customers coming back.

Workbook #10: Promoting Safety - This book will teach you the basics of store safety by anticipating and preventing potential hazards and ensuring a safety-first attitude.

Workbook #11: Stocking the Shelves - This book highlights the duties and responsibilities of employees in a store and the supporting mechanisms of that store in dealing with maintaining inventory.

Workbook #2: Meet Your Customers' Needs - Learn how sales associates can expand on the services your store offers by providing for the unique needs of each customer.

Workbook #3: Build a Continuing Relationship - This book provides detailed lessons on how to use return policies, product warranties, and customer complaints to your advantage.

Workbook #4: Go the Extra Mile - In this book, sales associates will learn how to use information about shoppers' needs and interests to turn occasional customers into long-term clients.

Workbook #5: Explaining Features and Benefits - This book teaches sales associates how to explore and explain the features and benefits that customers care about most.

Workbook #6: Building the Sale - Learn how to gain customers' trust and loyalty by paying close attention to shoppers' interests, suggesting ways to enhance their purchases, and alerting them to opportunities to save money.

Workbook #7: Closing the Sale - Learn how easy it is to help customers make buying decisions that leave them with a good feeling about their purchases and about your store.

Workbook #8: Completing the Sales Transaction - This book teaches sales associates how to handle cash, process charge cards and checks, and complete other paperwork in the final step of the sales
process.

Workbook #9: Preventing Loss - A sales associate is the first line of defense and this book focuses on techniques you can use to identify and prevent loss.

Writing and Implementing a Marketing Plan - Every business needs an effective marketing plan. This concise book shows how you can compete using cost-effective marketing programs. It presents guidelines, easy-to-use charts, forms, and tips to help you write and implement your plan.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT

7 Habits of High Effective People, The - In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

Achieving Results - This book presents a simple, time-tested four-step process that will guide your journey towards success. Whether you have set your sights on a personal or professional goal, this road map will save you time, energy, and resources in achieving results that are meaningful and enduring. Learn to solve problems, manage risk and change, develop leadership skills, and improve the quality of your life and of those around you.

Always in Style - A complete guide for a woman who wants to create her best look. It covers style (not to be confused with fashion), and describes how to make bodyline, wardrobe, color, hair and make-up work for you. Includes thirty-two pages demonstrating coordination of lipstick and blush with wardrobe.

Attitude - Polish people skills, energize your outlook, and retain a healthy perspective. This course will help you stay positive and focused in today's busy, pressure-filled world.

Balancing Home & Career - Written for busy working individuals who have other home and/or outside commitments. This revised edition includes new chapters on business, travel, and relocation. Case studies, tips, and checklists focus on how to put quality time where you want it.

Be Your Own Coach - Self-coaching may be just the ticket for you or your organization when changed or improved performance needed. Learn to spot best opportunities for self-coaching, learn the techniques for assessing your present situation, and then apply tools from the "coach's toolbox" - choice management, self-inquiry, self-observation, powerful conversations, effective requests, and more!

Concentration! - We all wish we could learn to concentrate better. Now, with this book, you can! Discover how to build the necessary mental discipline to keep the mind from wandering. Exercises are included to help you develop the skill of concentration and improve your listening and memory habits.

Continuously Improving Self, The - This book helps readers set goals and continuously implement personal quality improvement. Models and exercises built around Deming's principles have been developed to stimulate self-awareness and questioning.

Developing Positive Assertiveness - Make positive assertiveness a productive force in your life. This course will help you examine your posture, language, and attitude while learning to deal openly with others.

Developing Self-Esteem - Maximize your marketable strengths. Create a permanent, positive belief system. The rewards will touch every area of your life.

Emotional Intelligence Works - People who are not emotionally smart waste time on personality conflicts, lose self control when faced with stressful situations, and undermine their own happiness and success. This book will help anyone learn how to build better interpersonal skills by developing guidelines on how to manage reactions and raise their level of emotional intelligence.

Essential Guide to Hair, Makeup, & Skin, The - A major book dealing with grooming for today's busy business and personal life. Concentrating on "starting at the top," this book dwells on everything above the shoulders - complete with beautiful hair fashion photos and line drawings showing makeup and hair style options in great detail.

Life is an Attitude! - Take charge of your attitude and take charge of your life with new strategies for beating negativity, eliminating doubts, and setting positive goals.

Managing Anger - The most successful people know how to manage their anger as well as the anger of others. With the help of intriguing exercises and self-tests, this book provides readers with an individual assessment of the causes and effects of their anger.

Managing Stress for Mental Fitness - You can't eliminate stress - but you can learn to minimize its negative effects. Follow these real-world guidelines, then enjoy a less hectic workday!

Memory Skills in Business - Improve your organizational effectiveness by learning proven ways to improve your memory. This book explains how memory works, along with techniques to make your memory work better. Improve your ability to remember names, numbers, procedures, and more.

Organizing Your Workspace - Tackle that endless paper flow with creative filing tips, clutter-busters, and workable action plans. Start today!

Personal Time Management - Get a grip on priorities, identify your "time traps," and make every minute count by using these practical planning aids.

Plan Your Work: Work Your Plan - Use the practical planning tools in this book to turn your goals and dreams into reality. This easy-to-read book describes the essentials of planning. Self-assessment tools, case studies, and exercises provide a step-by-step approach to successful planning.

Practical Time Management - This book provides a more extensive treatment of time management than Marion Haynes' best-seller Personal Time Management. Considerable attention is paid to planning, delegating, and analyzing time utilization, both on the job and at home. A series of behavioral objectives are also included.

Secrets of Style - Geared toward today's woman this fashion-oriented book offers a new approach to personalizing your wardrobe, make-up, and hairstyle. Exercises and questionnaires help you design a practical wardrobe unique to your career and lifestyle.

Self-Empowerment - Self-empowerment is for anyone who is called upon to move up in an organization - or who wants to move ahead in life. Learn skills such as how to build confidence with self-talk, self-image and self-determination exercises, and how to hold yourself to high expectations and positive attitudes. Also covered: basic communication skills (listening, speaking) and management skills.

Speed-Reading in Business - The need to increase reading and comprehension abilities grows greater as information becomes available at faster and faster rates. This book teaches proven speed-reading skills and provides exercises to assess your present reading levels and guidelines to increase your comprehension and speed.

Stress That Motivates - Don't let 'em get you down! Keep your self-image intact by learning the most powerful tool to overcoming doubt, burnout, and stress. This upbeat, motivational handbook on self-talk teaches you how to build and maintain high self-confidence by banishing negative thoughts and making positive, goal-oriented thinking your natural inclination.

Successful Self-Management - Make a dramatic change in personal productivity, accomplishments, and life satisfaction. This logical, five-step approach guides you to take charge of your successes. Master time and task management, improve personal productivity and balance.

Successful Style - A man's guide to a complete, professional image. Friendly advice to enhance your unique style is provided. Topics such as wardrobe (fabrics and color), manners, travel tips, business dining, body language, and much, much more are covered.