No Nonsense Management

Learn the Best Practices That Make the Difference Between Troubled Projects and Consistently Successful Projects There's no better way to learn the nuts and bolts of a profession than by having a mentor at your side. But most project managers and leaders don't have that advantage — and that's why Neal Whitten wrote this book. Having Neal Whitten's No-Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects on hand is like having a mentor to guide you at every turn in the road. Neal shows you how to avoid a painful learning curve with a set of best practices for leading consistently successful projects. In this book, Neal distills his 30 years of experience into tips and strategies that are easy to learn and apply to your projects. These strategies will give you a decisive competitive edge in leading projects and working with stakeholders, clients, and team members. Learn How to: • Run your project like you'd run your own business • Become a “benevolent dictator” for the most effective leadership • Recognize and deal with professional immaturity • Deal with difficult people • Master behaviors that will make your team leaders' jobs easier and benefit your own career • Assess if you're too soft — and learn to make unpopular decisions if they're necessary to project success • Create a culture that fosters the success of your project • Gain the respect of your team members • Avoid making long-term project commitments • Manage to your top three problems

This book provides a ‘no-nonsense’ guide to project management which will enable library and information professionals to lead or take part in a wide range of projects from large-scale multi-organization complex projects through to relatively simple local ones. Barbara Allan has fully revised and updated her classic 2004 title, Project Management, to incorporate considerable developments during the past decade, including: the development and wide-scale acceptance of formal project management methodologies; the use of social media to communicate and disseminate information about projects and the large shift in the types of project library and information workers may be involved in. The text is supported by practical case studies drawn from a wide range of LIS organizations at local, regional, national and international levels. These examples provide an insight into good practice for the practitioner, from an individual working in a voluntary organization on an extremely limited budget, to someone involved in an international project. Content covered includes: an introduction to project management, project workers and the library and information professiondifferent approaches to project management, the project cycle, the people side of projects and management of changediscussion of project methodologies, project management software, open source software, collaborative working software and use of social mediaproject initiation, communication, analysis and project briefsdeveloping project infra-structure, scheduling, working out the finances and carrying out a detailed risk analysisworking in partnerships, in diverse and virtual teams, and managing change. If you are an LIS professional involved in project work of any kind, whether on a managerial, practical, academic or research level, this is an invaluable resource for you.

Defeat distraction: “Karen and Keith’s easy-to-implement advice will maximize your efficiency and enable you to find more time in your day.” —Tory Johnson, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Shift Written by a longtime consultant who has served clients in over fifty countries, No Nonsense: Time Management helps you overcome overload and avoid the traps that lead to an unproductive relationship with time. You’ll find smart solutions, powerful habits, and proven time hacks for improving everyday work situations: •Harness the power of completion •Stay sane when dealing with social media •Get a procrastination inoculation •Play the 80/20 game of accomplishment •Set goals •Make lists •Have more efficient conversations •Organize your inbox •Retool your priority system •Identify your interruptions •Overcome multitasking madness, and more

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER As featured in New Scientist: 'Meditation could retune our brains and help us cope with the long-term effects of the pandemic' 'Readers in search of an introduction to mindfulness that's free of woo-woo promises should look no further.' Publishers Weekly 'For a boost to your wellbeing don't miss the brilliant The No-Nonsense Meditation Book, which unites brain science with practical tips' – Stylist Rigorously researched and deeply illuminating, world-leading neurologist Dr Steven Laureys works with celebrated meditators to scientifically prove the positive impact meditation has on our brains. Dr Steven Laureys has conducted ground-breaking research into human consciousness for more than 20 years. For this bestselling book, translated into seven languages worldwide, Steven explores the effect of meditation on the brain, using hard science to explain the benefits of a practice that was once thought of as purely spiritual. The result is a highly accessible, scientifically questioning guide to meditation, designed to open the practice to a broader audience. A mix of fascinating science, inspiring anecdote and practical exercises, this accessible book offers thoroughly researched evidence that meditation can have a positive impact on all our lives.

There are plenty of books and theories about leadership. What these rarely describe, though, is HOW to manage effectively. This book fills that void. Often find yourself explaining to your employees how they should do their jobs? Tend to duck difficult conversations? Sometimes at a loss when trying to deal with complaining, quarrelling, or underachieving employees? Need some guidance on how to support employees who want to develop? No-Nonsense Leadership helps you adopt a confident, coaching leadership style. Coaching leadership is a surprisingly effective leadership style. Your employees will take more responsibility, allowing you more time and energy for important management tasks. This book helps you recognize and bypass your reflexes and pitfalls, and teaches you coaching skills and easy-to-use conversation techniques. The practical pointers and countless real-life examples in this book enable you to immediately put it all into practice. You will soon notice that you are getting more out of your people - and out of yourself. Nadia van der Vlies is the co-owner of the NONONS training institute. She has held management positions at various organizations, develops leadership programs and trains managers to become more effective by adopting a coaching mindset. 'Instantly applicable in my day-to-day work. Highly relatable and a must-read for any manager who wants to save time and get the most out of themselves and their team.' Joris Herremans, Manager Digital Grandvision Benelux 'This book is an engaging combination of self-reflection and useful stepping stones.' Hugo de Koning, founder Young Capital