Hard Decisions Made Easy

Hard Decisions Made Easy' sets out effective and practical ways to tackle the twin challenges of: balancing non-financial and financial outcomes, and getting stakeholders on board.

Based on more than two years of surveys of more than 2,000 senior executives and managers, Tough Management may be one of the most important and practical business books of our time. Bestselling author, weekly columnist, and sought-after speaker Chuck Martin has tapped into his research firm's vast network of business connections to discover that 80 percent of executives and managers are experiencing increased levels of work stress. On the bright side, Martin has found that tough times have brought out the best in the world's most successful leaders and managers. And now, in his groundbreaking new book, he offers a refreshing bottom-line approach to what really matters in today's difficult market--and what really works in today's demanding workplace. The seven skills every manager should know: 1.Focus on Results 2.Force the Hard Decisions 3.Communicate Clearly 4.Remain Flexible 5.Prove Your Value to the Company 6.Force Collaboration 7.Don't Be a Tough Guy Using these practical, powerful, and proven techniques, Martin reveals how other business leaders have met the demand to do more, deliver more, and increase more--without raising stress levels. By focusing on actual results and forcing the hard decisions, you can learn to communicate and collaborate while remaining flexible. It's one of the few business books available that provide real solutions to real challenges. Because when the going gets tough, smart managers get Tough Management--and get real results.

Miracle Star Above the Sky is a touching poetic story of a Dreamer who desires a child so immensely that they imagine having a miracle baby, one who fills them with wonder and joy. Their immense desire translates to daily prayers to God or to the universe to bring a blessed miracle into their life. This little miracle has been a dream of theirs for a very long time.... Not only do they imagine this blessing, they envision their baby as if it's already here and think of all the things they plan to do with their little bundle of joy. This book creates wonder with beautiful and sometimes humorous illustrations. This is not just a story for children; it's a book for adults and children alike to embrace and read together. It's about the feeling of a wish fulfilled, the beauty and joy of holding this miracle close to their heart. Miracle Star Above The Sky is the perfect gift for baby showers, Mother's Day and for anyone who dreams of a child of their own.

A guide to preparing budgets and accurate cash flow forecasts for businesses of all sizes. Using case studies, checklists and practical working examples, the book covers the whole process: planning; forecasting; budgeting; monitoring performance; managing overheads and income; capital expenditure and disposals; controlling costings amd margins; accounting for VAT; and using computers.

Anyone who watches the television news has seen images of firefighters rescuing people from burning buildings and paramedics treating bombing victims. How do these individuals make the split-second decisions that save lives? Most studies of decision making, based on artificial tasks assigned in laboratory settings, view people as biased and unskilled. Gary Klein is one of the developers of the naturalistic decision making approach, which views people as inherently skilled and experienced. It documents human strengths and capabilities that so far have been downplayed or ignored. Since 1985, Klein has conducted fieldwork to find out how people tackle challenges in difficult, nonroutine situations. Sources of Power is based on observations of humans acting under such real-life constraints as time pressure, high stakes, personal responsibility, and shifting conditions. The professionals studied include firefighters, critical care nurses, pilots, nuclear power plant operators, battle planners, and chess masters. Each chapter builds on key incidents and examples to make the description of the methodology and phenomena more vivid. In addition to providing information that can be used by professionals in management, psychology, engineering, and other fields, the book presents an overview of the research approach of naturalistic decision making and expands our knowledge of the strengths people bring to difficult tasks.

This book presents insights into the experiences and perspectives of educators in formal positions of leadership involved in decision-making processes in an education system. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in the New Brunswick education system, the author identifies factors in the decision-making process which influence whether or not a decision is implemented. Probing what is required for effective decision-making, defined as decision-making that results in implementation, the book examines not only the role of formal educational leaders of schools (administrators) but also the roles played by district and department of education formal leaders. It uses five central themes that surfaced from research to develop a novel leadership model for ensuring implantation of decisions. These include knowledge and skill; collaboration and communication; balance of autonomy, accountability, and direction; political and bureaucratic considerations; and strong moral imperative. The newfound model is presented in the form of antecedent steps to the decision-making process. Extending the literature by offering new, empirically grounded insights for influencing the likelihood of implementation following a decision-making process, it will appeal to leaders, scholars, and students of educational leadership and reform.

Human Resource Management made Easy is exactly what it says it is – a book that makes the complex world of recruitment, contracts, workforce development and everything else to do with employing people as simple and accessible as possible. This book is designed for the busy manager of a small business or charity with no access to a Human Resource Department, the aspiring professional taking their first steps towards a career in this exciting profession and anyone simply wanting to know that bit more about the management, motivation and development of people in the workplace. The author takes all the common areas that managers ask of HR professionals in large and complex organisations and makes sense of it for the smaller business or organisation. Mike takes the reader on a journey through the employee life cycle from pre-employment, through recruitment, workforce and individual development, to the parting of ways, using combinations of step by step activities, models and anecdotes from his extensive experience in the business of human resources. By following the advice within this book and putting the actions it describes into practice, the reader will gain both skills and knowledge in the art of human resource management.

Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long-distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—both big and small—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. As Americans, we assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision-making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice—the hallmark of individual freedom and self-determination that we so cherish—becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse. By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counter intuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on those that are important and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.