Success for Dummies / Public Speaking for Dummies

Coping with College: A Guide for Academic Success
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Coping with College: A Guide for Academic Success
Alice L. Hamachek
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Coping with College: A Guide for Academic Success
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Coping with College: A Guide for Academic Success
Alice L. Hamachek
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OI7BZU

Less Is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity As the Ultimate Competitive Edge
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Well Done

Insightful !

On the lean culture of cost leadership firms

You Can Successfully Be a Corproate Leader

Very interesting but divisive and of limited value

Less Is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity As the Ultimate Competitive Edge
Jason Jennings
Manufacturer: New Millennium Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Book Description

The secrets of true productivity have only been mastered by a few companies, and Jason Jennings, author of the New York Times bestseller It's Not the Big that Eat the Small...It's the Fast that Eat the Slow has located ten great examples. The companies profiled here, which range from finance, manufacturing, and industry, all share one secret: they operate at peak productivity. Jennings studied their methods and operations and lays out the secrets to success in clear, easy-to-follow steps. An invaluable resource for everyone in business.

Customer Reviews:

Well Done.......2006-04-22

Stories of successful businesses fill this book. The author got "down and dirty" and did in-the-trenches research to find the best performing companies in the world. Then he spoke with the CEO's to find out what makes them and their businesses tick.

Insightful !.......2005-02-23

This is not just another book about the secrets of famous companies. It is, instead, a book about the secrets of somewhat obscure but great companies. The principles that author Jason Jennings propounds are familiar enough, but most of his examples will not be familiar to the general reader. That is no drawback. Although some of these companies are less well known, they have all achieved great business success (if not fame) by applying some of the most tried, true and proven axioms of management. Treat people with respect, pay them for performance, focus on one clear and understandable mission - there is nothing new about these principles, except that they keep proving their efficacy even in the unlikeliest places. Do not look for a deep examination of management here. The book provides frustratingly scant background information about the companies themselves. But we assure those seeking a handbook of solid if venerable management advice that you will not go wrong with this interesting little book.

On the lean culture of cost leadership firms.......2004-08-02

This spring, I had a night-flight from Houston to Europe. I never got any sleep due to this book. It reads like a fiction novel while the focus is very much on the softer issues of productivity businesses. The well-written behind-the-wall stories and interviews with successful top executives give us insight to many issues that usual case stories do not explain.

Business magazines often glorify top executives by telling about the grand strategic plan behind the success. This little book shows us a different story. It provides insight to the many seemingly small traits of the lean culture that only works because they taken serious by the organization and used in combination. These are the 11 traits required for the leader of a highly productive enterprise: attention to detail, high moral fiber, embracing simplicity, competitiveness, long-term focus, disdain for waste, coach leadership, humility, rejection of bureaucracy, belief in others, and trust.

I'm sure you're really not impressed of this list. Neither am I. But try challenging some of the advice. Humility? When was the last time you saw a big company using this as a standard. When you hear the story of many head offices visited in this book, you'll understand humility. Often you'll find a very simple and humble office building for a huge company. No art on the walls! No lavish entrance hall! In these companies, you don't find huge corporate staff creating immense bureaucracy and all sorts of information requirements from their operating companies or business units. These organizations do actually "walk-the-talk" on lean - unlike many fad-driven major firms who's paying lip service to a lean culture.

PERSISTENCE is a word missing from the 11 traits, though attention to detail and long-term focus do include some of it. They never lose sight of their BIG idea or focus. It includes their performance measurement. "Everyone who works for SRC gathers once a week in their respective lunchrooms and takes part in a review of the business's financial performance for the previous week. By DOING IT WEEK IN WEEK-OUT FOR MANY YEARS the exercise has also become a system".

Okay, I'm sure that the book's research on productivity could have been better. And some of the firms reported on may experience difficulties, though most are still flourishing. But don't read this book for the hard stuff. Read the soft issues that over time usually turn out to be the hardest to beat.

I agree that it resembles "In Search of Excellence" to some degree, but remember that this book is on the lean culture of Cost Leadership firms (my interpretation, not the author's).

Peter Leerskov,
MSc in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business

You Can Successfully Be a Corproate Leader.......2004-03-15

This book is an excellent example of the types of practices and procedures almost any company can follow to be successful both financially and ethically.
Jennings cites numerous companies who have carved out success while still remaining true to their customers, their employees and their values.
Not surprisingly, few of these companies are ones that so called pundits regularly review.
As the other reviews have noted, these companies are very successful financially, but they get there by asking the really pertinent business questions, and not by hiding behind an air of executive invulnerability. The leaders are real leaders, more focused on growing the company, serving customers, and doing right by employees.
What vividly differentiates these companies from the "name brands," is that in the "name" companies, executives are more concerned with their own compensation, preserving their own existence, and with profits at all costs, than long term success.
The questions you should ask yourself after reading this book are, "Where have all the leaders gone?" and "Why don't all companies follow many of Jennings' researched best practices?
After that, I would run, not walk, to one of these companies and see if you can start at the bottom and learn what it's like to work in a real company.

Very interesting but divisive and of limited value.......2003-12-30

Jennings reads his book on the unabridged audiocassette. He definitely has an announcers voice and is easy to understand. I found his inflections sort of larger-than-life/not natural at first but I quickly got acclimated, not a big issue. The book is fairly long and repeats many important themes like the need for healthy culture, process and vision in many different ways. It might be able to be shorter.

The research method Jennings and his team utilized for the book is the driver that makes the book so interesting. By carrying out detailed analysis to locate several under-the-radar, but incredibly productive companies, they managed to isolate some of the common threads for corporate success without being sucked into the vortex of large mega-companies whose stories are already well known and perhaps over-documented. The companies chosen represent a fairly good cross-section of international business, but I would have like to have seen at least one very high tech computer vendor make the cut. There are probably good reasons why there wasn't one, but there was no mention of this if my memory serves... In addition to the excellent research on the case companies, there are also some good insights into legendary companies like Ford and Toyota briefly provided for specific instances.

The significant flaw in this book is that when it is taken as a whole, it amounts to not much more than a very interesting, carefully crafted, indictment of most executive management in corporations today. The executives profiled all really know the nuts and bolts of their business and have been with them long enough to really cast Deming-like vision into reality. That plays well for well a while, but with 6 tapes, I'd like something more practical I can start at work tomorrow since I'm not an executive and probably never will be. The book does try to service this need for mid-managers like me towards the end of the book by encouraging that we apply at least some of the key principles to some degree in the hope of making a grass roots difference at least within our department. Actually, the department I work with abides by many of the principles given and they do help. But that doesn't stop large-scale lay-offs, frozen budgets and other realities that most managers really have to live with. The book's untitled theme is that strong success only flows from the top down. In the highly successful cases analyzed, each has exceptional Level 5 leaders (to use Jim Collins terminology). What if where I work is like 90% of all places where the executives turn-over a lot, are forced to optimize all decisions for short-term profit on Wall Street and de-rail some good plans due to economic realities? The book's primary advice to me would seem to be: go to work somewhere else, find that 10% club. Maybe true, but not particularly helpful today.

Even for those top-level executives whom this book will reach, it is likely to fall on deaf ears. Not because executives really are the "wing tip shoe wearers, peacock strutting" jerks Jennings occasionally alludes to. No, it is Jennings own inflammatory and derisive language that will tend to make executives shut the book. I wanted to lend my tapes to the president of my company because of the good macro-productivity ideas, but decided I wouldn't because he might take it as my endorsement of this class-warfare attitude.

There are other sources out there for most of the information here on egalitarian culture, continuous process improvement, open-book management, profit sharing incentives, etc. I'd be interested to know the average working hours of the employees in the case study companies as a cultural factor but I don't recall this being mentioned. In any case, the productivity measures would factor this in, just a cultural question I have about these companies.

Much of what Jennings says is true and interesting. There are some things that can be learned here, but much of it comes down to re-invent almost everything, starting with your executives. Who can implement that? Again, it is the detailed case study research that puts compelling value into this book.

Book Description

Do your teams work? They’d better. America has gone mad for teams. They are proliferating in industry, government, small business and not-for-profits and they promise to be a part of the landscape for a long time to come. But despite their popularity, most organizations don’t know how to make teams successful. And it’s costing them money. That’s where Climbing from the Fifth Station comes in. It’s a comprehensive, practical guide to making teams successful from design to delivery. It challenges cherished beliefs about team building while generating spectacular productivity gains. Learn how Station Teams deliver 200% to 400% more solutions than traditional teams at a fraction of the cost. Discover the popular management tool that is responsible for up to 96% of your lost creativity. Find out how anyone on the team can boost productivity by 8% to 20% with no additional training and at no additional cost. Best of all, the techniques are intuitive, common sense and ready for implementation now. Climbing From the Fifth Station will show you how to build a team that works!

Customer Reviews:

Best New Program of the new Millennium.......2004-04-20

This book and the program it describes is a must for managers as well as people in the helping professions. It is so common sense that you find yourself thinking, "why didn't I think of that?" While it is very enlightening, it is also very enagaging and entertaining. Very hard to put down and will be a favorite reference for a long time to come.

Book Description

In this volume leading scholars look at the heritage and impact of the important work done by the Stockholm School from the 1920s to the present. The first part of The Stockholm School of Economics Revisited covers the early years, followed by an extensive review of the approaches to economics adopted by the school. A number of contributors investigate the relation and impact of the Stockholm School on their own work, the work of other economists, and the approaches pursued at other schools. A final roundtable discussion delves into the question of "What remains of the Stockholm School?." A readable collection for anyone interested in economic history, history of economic thought, or the many economic ideas lying behind the success of the Swedish economy.

Book Description

"High flyers" are high-potential employees expected to progress rapidly in their careers with the prospect of eventually filling senior positions. One cannot, however, simply recruit high flyers at will - to earn their status they must go through a necessary process of building an identity with the organization and developing loyalty to it. This book emphasizes the paradoxes involved in this process. It is a guide to the complex strategic issue of replenishing core leadership within the context of future uncertainty and within new organizational structures.

Customer Reviews:

A roadmap to recruiting good executives.......2000-09-28

This book will give you sound insight into the needed knowledge and techniques in recruiting your top management team. An insiders view into the world of attracting and communicating with top people and convincing them to join your team. If you are serious about wanting top people, this book should be on your desk.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "The Recruiting and Retention Handbook" and "Breakthrough Technical Recruiting" docwifford@msn.com

Customer Reviews:

Greate & Easy to read book.......2000-07-08

Its a great book! Its simple and with lots of graphics! Best for those who doesn't like lengthy paragraphs. It uses cartoon to introduce the basics of developing a marketing plan.

Great & Easy to read book!.......2000-06-15

Its a great book! Its simple and with lots of graphics! Best for those who doesn't like lengthy paragraphs. It uses cartoon to introduce the basics of developing a marketing plan

Great & Easy to read book.......1999-05-19

Its a great book! Its simple and with lots of graphics! Best for those who doesn't like lengthy paragraphs. It uses cartoon to introduce the basics of developing a marketing plan

Product Description

The 10 Minute Guide to Project Management offers simple, practical help for busy people who need fast results. Through goal-oriented, 10-minute lessons, you learn all the skills you need to get even the most complicated projects out of the gate and headed for the finish line!

Customer Reviews:

Wow........2006-08-04

This book is nifty beyond words. It takes the complex topic of project management and boils it down to the essence, all in less than two hundred pages. If you've been assigned some project to head up at work, or you aspire to be a project manager, the ten minute guide to project management is as good a starting text and you probably will find.

Great introduction to project management! .......2006-05-13

This is a great introduction to project management for anyone in any field. It covers the basic concisely and includes and lot of tips and principles that will help you to be successful and avoid the most common errors beginning project managers make.

The book is laid out well and the most important information is set off and highlighted. It is an especially good book for beginning managers or others who are responsible for the completion of projects, but may not be project managers themselves.

This book is also a very quick read. However, it is packed with lots of useful content and no fluff. However, it is not comprehensive. For this you will have to go somewhere else if you will be managing complex projects. It also doesn't cover using project management software in-depth.

Letter from the author.......2005-06-08

If you are unfamiliar with project management, or it has been a while since you managed a project, you will find this handy book to be just what the doctor ordered. Project management can be a rewarding, exhilarating experience. Yet, far too many people head into it feeling a mild streak of terror, if not outright dread. And why not? The levels of sophistication one can bring to the task of project management varies so wildly that it is easy to be left confused, overwhelmed, and without direction.

The very largest of projects such as launching a space capsule, building an intercontinental shipping fleet, or developing a gene therapy process can involve months and months of work, if not years and years, involving several hundred to several thousand people with a budget that ranges well into the millions. If that is the kind of project that you are going to be involved with, you need a different book.

This book is for the typical career professional who is asked to manage a project of anywhere from just himself or herself to a staff of say 10 or so. The project is probably going to be 6 months or less and cost far less than a million dollars. Still, there are lots of things that you need to know, and you need to know them in a hurry. That is what the 10 Minute Guide to Project Management is all about.

Each of the 18 chapters provides the essential nuggets of wisdom that will carry you along with a full understanding of what your role as project manager involves, kinds of tasks you will be handling, the interpersonal issues that will arise, and how to stay on time and on budget in pursuit of desired outcome. Each chapter takes about 10 minutes to read and absorb. Key glossary terms are provided in the appendix along with a list of further reading and a handy index.

Each chapter is presented in the form of a lesson and includes at the outset a list of three or four things that you will learn as a result of completing the chapter. The great news is that if you are a fairly organized person and have been able to accomplish great things on your own, you probably have great potential for being an effective project manager as well.

Today, there are a variety of supporting tools at your disposal that will see you through to a successful end. These include everything from notebooks and planning guides, to wall charts, to a sophisticated array of software tools--the initial portions of which you can learn within a day and be up and running by the second day.

Once you have successfully completed your first project, or your first project in a while, you just may find that you are so integrated that you are ready to tackle the next and the next. That will work out well in terms of your career progression because managing projects gives you visibility and exposure within your organization that you may not otherwise muster.

While the topic of project management may seem somewhat dry on the surface, the book will hold your attention with insightful quotes and witticisms from leaders throughout history, and will offer tips, cautions, and definitions of terms in plain English.

Yours Truly,
Jeff Davidson

Great intro to Project Management.......2004-09-13

I had to use this book for a class in Project Management and this was required reading. The "10 Minute Guide to Project Management book is very concise, to the point and yet it is not dry were I lost interest in reading it. In fact, if one really takes what the author writes to heart, they will glean much in a short amount of time.

Remember, this book is NOT all-inclusive and for the low price one shouldn't expect it to be. However, it is time well spent in reading it.

A quick overview of project management.......2001-02-04

The book is a good, quick read about the hows 'n' whys of project management. I'd like to have seen a bit more about the pros 'n' cons of using project management software, but that's OK.

Book Description

An invaluable resource for companies big and small, Database Management Systems equips readers with the tools to select, implement and manage database management systems that actually accomplish what they're designed to do. Packed with practical analysis and solutions for a variety of data management problems and applications, the book helps managers make the best database management decisions. It includes guidelines for administering corporate data resources in multiple environments spanning multiple hardware and software platforms, as well as provides a step-by-step guide for navigating the many options and architectures of database management systems.

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