Working Smart And Small

Small states face serious challenges for development due to their size, remoteness and vulnerability. This work suggests how small states can reposition themselves in the global economy and move into knowledge-based and service industries. It provides an overview of factors constraining the development of services sector and trade in services.

Effective problem solving contributes to school leaders' ability to create lasting improvement in classroom and organizational practice. By addressing the practice of school leaders as a first concern, this book focuses on the skills required for smart, effective problem solving. Kruse first focuses on the tasks of problem solving (identifying problems, initiating actions, and evaluating results) and describes three areas (employing effective communication, designing constructive policies, and developing supportive systems ) on which school leaders should concentrate. By linking the tasks of problem solving to the work leaders do, the book provides strategies for school leaders to accomplish their goals.

What really sets the best managers above the rest? It’s their power to build a cadre of employees who have great inner work lives—consistently positive emotions; strong motivation; and favorable perceptions of the organization, their work, and their colleagues. The worst managers undermine inner work life, often unwittingly. As Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer explain in The Progress Principle, seemingly mundane workday events can make or break employees’ inner work lives. But it’s forward momentum in meaningful work—progress—that creates the best inner work lives. Through rigorous analysis of nearly 12,000 diary entries provided by 238 employees in 7 companies, the authors explain how managers can foster progress and enhance inner work life every day. The book shows how to remove obstacles to progress, including meaningless tasks and toxic relationships. It also explains how to activate two forces that enable progress: (1) catalysts—events that directly facilitate project work, such as clear goals and autonomy—and (2) nourishers—interpersonal events that uplift workers, including encouragement and demonstrations of respect and collegiality. Brimming with honest examples from the companies studied, The Progress Principle equips aspiring and seasoned leaders alike with the insights they need to maximize their people’s performance.

How to get your leaders, teams, and organization ready for disruptive change & fast-scaling growth? ""Finally, a book that focuses on the place of humans and organizations in a world driven by digitalization." - Sverre Gotaas, CEO Herøya Industripark AS ""Let Efwa inspire you to meet tomorrow's working life and challenges." - Toril Roberg, MSc, Production Director, REEtec "This book provides a platform for kicking off a conversation with your team to improve your game. A must-read for all of us who appreciate inspiration on how to structure our business - and how to engage people, so we master the great opportunities ahead." - Jon Erik Høgberg, COO Itera Group "I highly recommend this book. This book is an important and relevant contribution to leadership in a digital time with high speed of change. I especially appreciate the author's ability to focus on people and collaboration." - Hilde Kristin Herud, CEO, Norgips Norge AS

One of the New York Post's Top 10 Career Books of 2012 and a Booklist Top 10 Business Book DO YOU WORK WITH A MEAN GIRL? A woman’s field guide to the new frontier of professional development—working with other women Women-to-women relationships in the workplace are . . . complicated. When they’re good, they’re great. But when they’re bad, they can ruin your day, your week—even your year. Packed with proven advice from two of today’s leading experts in workplace relationships, this one-of-a-kind guide gives women the tools they need to navigate difficult situations unique to women-to-women relationships—whether with a boss, a colleague, a client, or an employee. Have you dealt with a woman in the workplace who: “Accidentally” excludes you from important meetings? Seems intent on taking you down professionally? Gossips about you with other coworkers? Makes you look bad by missing deadlines? Forms a “pack” of mean girls to make your life miserable? Mean Girls at Work isn’t just about surviving difficult situations. It’s about transforming a toxic relationship into one that benefits and supports both of you. This book is also for women who engage in mean behavior . . . but don’t know it. After all, who hasn’t gossiped about a female coworker? Who hasn’t rolled her eyes in the presence of a woman she doesn’t like? Who hasn’t scanned another woman head to toe—which is just a nonverbal way of saying, “You’ve just been judged”? The authors provide invaluable advice to the more subtle ways of being mean—even if they’re not intended. With a workforce composed of a higher percentage of women than ever, workplace dynamics have changed. Crowley and Elster cover every conceivable scenario, providing critical advice on how to rise above the fray and move forward professionally. Mean Girls at Work is your map to dodging the mines and moving forward in today’s transformed workplace. Praise for Mean Girls at Work “An invaluable suit of armor for surviving nine to five!” —Leil Lowndes, bestselling author of How to Talk to Anyone “If you think the emotional cruelty of comedies like Mean Girls and Heathers doesn’t exist in the real world workplace, think again. In Mean Girls at Work, Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster valuably chronicle female vs. female predators and offer solid defensive strategies.” —Ann Kreamer, author of It’s Always Personal: Navigating Emotion in the New Workplace “Whether you are in your twenties and just starting your professional career, your midcareer forties, when you are supposed to have figured it out already, or a woman in her fifties or sixties who’s seen it all—this book is a must-read. . . . The authors have finally given women the tools and the sound advice necessary to deal with . . . conflicts that keep us all from succeeding. . . . Carry this book with you to work every day!” —Carolyn Cassin, President, Michigan Women’s Foundation “A must-read for women of all ages in today’s workforce. This book offers what we all need to develop the capacities to endure this ever-changing workplace. We know it is all about relationships and you need the skills outlined in this book to survive and thrive when the Mean Girls attack.” —Kim Harrington, Coordinator, Professional Development and Training, Office of Human Resources, California State University, Sacramento

The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 18 Minutes unlocks the secrets of highly successful leaders and pinpoints the missing ingredient that makes all the difference You have the opportunity to lead: to show up with confidence, connected to others, and committed to a purpose in a way that inspires others to follow. Maybe it’s in your workplace, or in your relationships, or simply in your own life. But great leadership—leadership that aligns teams, inspires action, and achieves results—is hard. And what makes it hard isn’t theoretical, it’s practical. It’s not about knowing what to say or do. It’s about whether you’re willing to experience the discomfort, risk, and uncertainty of saying or doing it. In other words, the most critical challenge of leadership is emotional courage. If you are willing to feel everything, you can do anything. Leading with Emotional Courage, based on the author’s popular blogs for Harvard Business Review, provides practical, real-world advice for building your emotional courage muscle. Each short, easy to read chapter details a distinct step in this emotional “workout,” giving you grounded advice for handling the difficult situations without sacrificing professional ground. By building the courage to say the necessary but difficult things, you become a stronger leader and leave the “should’ves” behind. Theoretically, leadership is straightforward, but how many people actually lead? The gap between theory and practice is huge. Emotional courage is what bridges that gap. It’s what sets great leaders apart from the rest. It gets results. It cuts through the distractions, the noise, and the politics to solve problems and get things done. This book is packed with actionable steps you can take to start building these skills now. Have the courage to speak up when others remain silent Be stable and grounded in the face of uncertainty Respond productively to opposition without getting distracted Weather others’ anger without shutting down or getting defensive Leading with Emotional Courage coaches you to build your emotional courage, exercise it effectively, and create an environment in which people around you take accountability to get hard things done.

Black & White on White paper 5.5" x 8.5" (13.97 x 21.59 cm) 246 pages In today's workforce, most people feel obligated to work hard. Working hard is assumed to be correlated with delivering results, meeting deadlines, and overcoming obstacles. But is it really? While working hard is seen by many as an obligation, working smart (the more effective and sustainable driver of success) remains completely optional and up to you. I mean, when was the last time someone at work sat you down to brainstorm about making your job easier and more enjoyable or offered up ideas to help you work less? But there is a proven formula for working smart that absolutely accelerates your professional success. This book is for ambitious professionals who want to learn to work smarter (not harder) to progress in their careers. The book exposes common beliefs, habits, and behaviours that erode your work performance, thus forcing you to work harder. The WORK SMART formula covers the nine areas that individuals must get right in order to excel and fully enjoy their professional lives. When properly applied, this formula unleashes your ambition and motivation and taps into incremental determination and passion for your work-everything you need to take your performance to the next level but with much less effort. I spent many of my 20 years in advancing leadership roles in corporate America working hard to get ahead. But my best years were never my hardest. Despite being exposed to the best professional development and coaching programs on the market, I noticed that I was often mentored and persuaded to apply an effort- and disciplined-based approach that included more hours, more stress, and more fatigue. True, some of these techniques did enable my ascension to the leadership ranks, but these patterns were never sustainable. Over time, my performance and satisfaction eroded when I relied on working way too hard. What I discovered first hand is that much of the advice I received was extremely ineffective at enabling my best work in a sustainable way. Later, as I transitioned to my current career as an executive coach for top leaders, I noticed my clients repeating these same errors, largely because of these misguided historic practices. By now, hundreds of corporate executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs have already benefited from the WORK SMART approach to their work. Steven, a managing director at a leading management consulting company said, "The tools provided in this book are so practical, applicable, and relevant that I apply them every day." This book will provide you with solutions and approaches that will activate your career and fulfil your desire for meaningful and enjoyable work. I promise that if you apply these principles, you will easily achieve your goals and be flooded with new opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. Now, I know you are busy, but don't miss out on the opportunity to significantly improve your relationship with your work. Investing in enjoying your work is the best gift you can give yourself. The impact of this framework is trans-formative-you will not regret it, and everyone will notice and want to know your secret. The WORK SMART formula has proven to have positive, long-lasting results for my clients. All you have to do to tune your capabilities is to read this book. Each chapter will give you new insights as you master your new work habits. Take action right now, and claim your best work! This book provides your road map to transform you and your organisation into the thriving leader and environment that will yield unprecedented results and amazing opportunities.