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Recommendations
Here are books, Web sites, and resources that support
my Boosting Business Performance formula and related business
development. Several of these appear in my books and reports in
the Additional Resources sections.
If you have complementary products or services, or
wish to recommend resources that you have found useful, please send
an e-mail with your suggestions.
Meetings
and Decision Making
Articles on effective
meetings available from the extensive collection atEffectiveMeetings.com.
This is an excellent archive of information on many aspects
of managing meetings.
Decision-making
tools and guidebooks at
GoalQPC.com. GoalQPC is a pioneer and leader in bringing
many highly effective management and problem-solving tools to
the attention of American industry.
Productivity
and Effectiveness
“Analyzing
Performance Problems: Or You Really Oughta Wanna”
third edition (1997), by Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe (available
at Amazon.com).
This is an enjoyable, easy-to-read classic by masters of human
performance and instructional design.
“First, Break
All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently”
(1999), by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman (available
at Amazon.com).
These researchers from the Gallup Organization present their
unprecedented findings of a massive, in-depth study of what
makes great managers successful across a wide variety of industries
and situations.
“Now, Discover Your Strengths” (2001), by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton (available at Amazon.com). Once again, researchers from the Gallup Organization present findings of a mammoth, 25-year study that identifies the 34 most prevalent human talents. The book helps individuals identify and develop their talents into strengths, and also helps managers nurture the talents of their personnel.
“The E-Myth
Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to
Do About It,” second edition (2001) by Michael E.
Gerber (available at
Amazon.com). Using engaging stories and anecdotes, Gerber
weaves a compelling argument that most people merely “buy
a job” when starting their own companies. Owners often
assume the familiar role of technician or manager instead of
adopting the indispensable new role of entrepreneur. Gerber’s
advice is to learn to work on the business rather than in the
business, primarily by systematizing each process so that all
key tasks can be performed by others.
Project
and Risk Management
“Project Management
Memory Jogger: A Pocket Guide for Project Teams” (1997),
by Paula Martin and Karen Tate, available at Amazon.com.
Ensure that your team’s projects are completed on time,
within budget, and with exceptional results. An indispensable
tool for employees at all levels of the organization, this pocket
guide enables teams to prepare for, charter, execute, and close
out successful projects.
“The Deadline:
A Novel about Project Management” (1998), by software
expert Tom DeMarco (available at
Amazon.com). This enjoyable example of “business fiction”
explains cutting edge project management techniques through
a riveting plot filled with international intrigue.
“Business
@ the Speed of Stupid: How to Avoid Technology Disasters in
Business” (2001), by Dan Burke and Alan Morrison (available
at
Amazon.com). Despite the lack of charm in the title, the
book reveals in articulate detail how several project teams
these two consultants witnessed or studied insisted on making
major mistakes that resulted in painful failure.
“Product Development
for the Lean Enterprise: Why Toyota’s System Is Four Times
More Productive and How You Can Implement It” (2003),
by Michael Kennedy (available at Amazon.com).
Another highly readable example of business fiction, this excellent
book unveils, through a compelling story about a company in
crisis, the secrets behind Toyota’s stellar success with
product design. The lessons involved can be applied to many
industries.
“Critical Chain” (1997), by Eli Goldratt (available at Amazon.com).
In another compelling business novel, Goldratt's story characters explore, debate, and discover why projects often run late and over budget, or fail to complete everything that was originally specified. The story line covers a variety of important issues including critical path vs. non-critical path tasks, resource conflicts, safety buffers, negotiating with subcontractors and suppliers, and the effects of early vs. late starts.
Project Management Institute (PMI), an international professional organization of project management professionals from every major industry in over 125 countries. For more information, see pmi.org.
Product
and Service Value
“Necessary
But Not Sufficient” (2000), by Eliyahu M. Goldratt,
et al. (available at Amazon.com).
Similar to Goldratt’s earlier novel, “The Goal,”this insightful and enjoyable example of business fiction
examines in cliff-hanging detail a range of problems that result
from excess complexity in software products. By examining these
problems from both the vendor’s and the customers’
viewpoints, the book illustrates how over-complexity, especially
in large systems, can quickly become a lose-lose proposition.
“Paper Prototyping:
A How-To Training Video,” by the Nielsen Norman Group,
available
here. This 32-minute video recorded in international DVD
format explains, and gives a step-by-step demonstration of,
everything you need to know to test mockups and prototypes of
Web sites, software, devices, and hardware interfaces. The usability
tests occur early in the design stage, before finalizing the
system requirements.
“Don’t
Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability,”
second edition (2005), by Steve Krug, available from Amazon.com.
A practical Web design usability guide, this book is based on
the author's empirical observation, not exhaustive statistics.
Krug's years of usability consulting and testing are distilled
down to this thin, yet gem-filled guide book. The humorous,
well-illustrated procedures show you step by step how to conduct
your own usability tests in very inexpensive ways.
“Overpromise
and Overdeliver: The Secrets of Unshakable Customer Loyalty”
(2004), by Rick Barrera (available at
Amazon.com). The author reveals his in-depth research and
explains how an increasing number of product and service firms
are developing highly recognizable brands in record time. How?
By making — and keeping — great promises to their
customers.
Marketing
and Other Assistance for Entrepreneurs
AccidentalMillionaire.com - A great book and a compendium of resources, by bestselling author Stephanie Frank
