The Little Black Book for Managers - by John Cross & Rafael Gomez & Kevin Money (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A smart, small book for any manager's pocket. In every manager's career there are moments where decisions need to be made in order to achieve success and this smart, nicely packaged little book can be there to help each time. The trick to succeeding in these moments is to identify each of these situations ahead of time and understand how to act and what to do to reduce the chances of failure. That is exactly what The Little Black Book for Managers has done. The authors have listed a whole host of situations most managers face, based on thousands of personal experiences, and have mapped out how to deal with each situation. The book contains specific examples of words and phrases that can be used as well as illustrations and exercises to analyse your current performance. It is short on waffle and high on practical wisdom. It is designed to be dipped in and out of - reached for whenever a situation arises. This is a practical support tool for managers at all levels, from shop-floor supervisor to main board director.The Little Black Book for Managers explains how to deal with scenarios such as; Having a lack of confidence to deal with other people in the way that is needed Times when you have to assert your authority more Allocating critical work. Who to choose? Needing to get extra effort from the team when under pressure Incentivising Delegation Having to deal with under-performers Personality clashes between work colleagues Managing a meeting with senior leaders "--

Book Synopsis

A smart, small book for any manager's pocket.

In every manager's career there are moments where decisions need to be made in order to achieve success and this smart, nicely packaged little book can be there to help each time. The trick to succeeding in these moments is to identify each of these situations ahead of time and understand how to act and what to do to reduce the chances of failure. That is exactly what The Little Black Book for Managers has done. The authors have listed a whole host of situations most managers face, based on thousands of personal experiences, and have mapped out how to deal with each situation. The book contains specific examples of words and phrases that can be used as well as illustrations and exercises to analyse your current performance. It is short on waffle and high on practical wisdom. It is designed to be dipped in and out of - reached for whenever a situation arises. This is a practical support tool for managers at all levels, from shop-floor supervisor to main board director.

The Little Black Book for Managers explains how to deal with scenarios such as;

• Having a lack of confidence to deal with other people in the way that is needed
• Times when you have to assert your authority more
• Allocating critical work. Who to choose?
• Needing to get extra effort from the team when under pressure
• Incentivising
• Delegation
• Having to deal with under-performers
• Personality clashes between work colleagues
• Managing a meeting with senior leaders

From the Back Cover

"An utterly engaging book that offers practical advice for managers at all levels. If you want to be a better manager - keep this little book handy and refer to it often."
--Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Expedition Leader and Writer

Your handy guide to being the best manager you can be

There are moments every day that can change the course of your business and relationships. How you perform at these moments can be the difference between success and failure.

The trick to being a successful manager is to identify your critical moments and do the right thing when it counts.

Maximize your key management moments of power

The best managers know how to leverage their moments of power to improve individual and team performance.

You may be handling a difficult conversation, or need to find a way to inspire your team. You may be celebrating a new deal or announcing a change. Key management moments occur all the time, from goal setting to meetings, from responsibility to strategy, and they are all covered in this little guide.

Learn from the successes and failures of other managers and apply that knowledge to your own circumstances.

Once you get into the habit of recognizing and leveraging your moments of power, not only will you be better off, but so will your team, your colleagues and your bosses.

Keep this book handy. It may be the only help you get.

Review Quotes

"Accessible and well set-out, it forms an indispensable guide for any manager to dip into when the need arises." (inManagement, Spring 2014)

"For sheer readability and practicality, this book deserves a place in your briefcase on your next business trip." (The CA, February 2014)

"... easy to find your way around, quick to read and relatively simple to absorb each lesson. This book is just like that little black dress that you know will be perfect, no matter what the occasion." (Edge, January 2014)

"... a good book for new and experienced line managers alike. The Little Black Book for Managers is very well written -- in an encouraging, supportive style -- and gives enough information for the reader to make relevant decisions." (HR, January 2014)

"There's enough to teach almost any leader something new...." (People Management, November 2013)

"This is a practical handbook on how to deal with almost any situation." (Talk Business, November 2013)

About the Author

John Cross has designed and delivered learning and development programmes and has the real-world practitioner experience -- RAF instructor, sales director, marketing director and business owner. He spent 15 years as a middle manager before starting his own training business.

Kevin Money is Associate Professor at Henley Business School. He is the Director of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation and teaches on the MBA programme (6000 students). He is mentor and tutor in Henley's Advanced Management Programme. He is also a chartered psychologist, NLP practitioner and Director of the Positive Psychology Forum. He regularly speaks to both academic and practitioner audiences eg World Marketing Congress, BSkyB and the Future Leaders event.

Rafael Gomez has previously taught Management at the London School of Economics and is currently Associate Professor in Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto. He has worked with both public and private sector organizations and presented his findings at 50 national and international conferences. He is a member of a number of related associations.