Business Problem Solving

So how do you build a company that matters? Companies and people that matter have successfully become the obvious choices in the hearts and minds of their customers, their employees, and their communities. They elevate themselves by consistently finding ways to solve the most pressing needs their markets face. The result? They create more value year after year and build sustainable, differentiated organizations.

In this essential and timely book, behavioral scientists Sanders and Hume demonstrate the astonishing reach of our social networks, and why we need to reclaim their power to effect positive change in our professional and private lives. The rise of social media has sent our social instincts into overdrive, and the impact of our networks has never been greater. But what if we could reclaim the positive power that influences our decisions, to behave better and be happier?

Contending with the 24/7 news cycle and an endless barrage of choices and information has stymied leadership and decision-making strategies. The broad-based reaction to this chaotic, unmanageable assault has been to retrench, and to focus on immediate, controllable decisions. In the process, we lose sight of the horizon. More dangerous still, is the shift we've seen from value creation to wealth creation, in a transaction-based society in which the "deal" is more important than the value it drives or the relationships it is based on.

In this groundbreaking book, T.J. Waters has turned his experience collecting and analyzing competitive intelligence for the CIA into effective strategies for businesses wanting to stay on the leading edge of their industries. The book describes a practical process from planning (identifying competitive threats and determining the resources needed to counter them) through implementation (creating an organizational strategy) to execution (collecting key information and turning it into bottom-line results).

Proven techniques for resolving workplace conflicts. After years of seeing clients struggling and their businesses suffering with destructive conflicts, Diane Katz developed the Working Circle, a step-by-step process that helps everyone in business resolve conflict in a nonconfrontational, creative, collaborative way. Win at Work! provides you with a no-nonsense guide based on real-life examples of people at pivotal points in their careers. Filled with practical wisdom, it reveals how you can move around the roadblocks that, if left unattended, can stop you in your tracks.

Psychologist Woo-kyoung Ahn devised a course at Yale called “Thinking” to help students examine the biases that cause so many problems in their daily lives. It quickly became one of the university’s most popular courses. Now, for the first time, Ahn presents key insights from her years of teaching and research in a book for everyone. She shows how “thinking problems” stand behind a wide range of challenges, from common, self-inflicted daily aggravations to our most pressing societal issues and inequities.

Everybody hates meetings. And why shouldn't they? Most meetings are poorly led, counterproductive, and time-wasting. Based on decades of practice and research, best-selling authors Weisbord and Janoff have come to the conclusion that most people lead meetings incorrectly. They, instead, propose 10 contrarian principles that actually get things done.

In Tune In, award-winning Nuala Walsh champions understanding behavior as an insurance policy against mishearing, misinformation, and misjudgment. This timely masterclass stands apart in its original treatment of 'deaf spots,' the hidden judgement killers that stop us from hearing what really matters. It not only explains your worst mistakes but equips you to prevent future error and the sting of regret.

What makes a great team tick? Leadership guru John C. Maxwell says the answer is simple: great players. In 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player, Maxwell teaches leaders how to develop better players and teaches each player how he or she can achieve true greatness from the inside out. Drawing on examples from some of history's most winning team players--including Quincy Jones, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Taylor--he shows readers how to develop qualities such as discipline, enthusiasm, communication, preparation, and commitment.

Did you ever have the feeling that you need to improve your sense of analysis? Or you found yourself in the situation of not knowing what decision to make? Have you ever thought that you probably need a guide to take your productivity to the next level? With a professional guide and good quality information, you can train your mind and become more confident. With this audiobook you will learn how to control yourself and your feelings.

The Art of Strategic Decision-Making will teach you to seize control of your life and make sure your decisions aren’t making you. This book cites years of research and scientific studies about what constitutes a great decision and the factors that will inevitably lead you there. It is an in-depth look at human nature and psychology and why we make decisions in the way we do - for better or for worse. This book is packed with theory, but it is all practical and actionable. Use these mental models and pieces of analysis on your decisions today.

The modern practice intended to motivate individuals has ensured that humans no longer think for themselves. Using rewards, punishment, and feedback undermines not just our personal growth, but the very fabric of life and living systems. Award-winning author and business disruptor Carol Sanford proposes a smarter, faster, and deeper key to unlock a future of profound creativity and success. This guide allows you to challenge prevailing theories, promote a holistic understanding of education and change, and redefine the way we approach our work and the results we seek.

In The Creator Mindset, Bashan shows you how to use creativity as a decision-making tool and do so every bit as confidently as you use spreadsheets and data analysis.

Today, the pace of change is so great that no company can afford to wait to respond to new developments. You need nimble and creative problem solving, and the most intelligent and efficient decision-making doesn't come from the top - it comes from your employees on the frontlines who interact with customers and have the ability to see and respond to the shifting landscape before anyone else.

An organization's future success depends on their decision makers' ability to anticipate changes and disruptions in the marketplace. This book provides the information you need to anticipate the future, understand tomorrow's market dynamics, and make the necessary decisions to meet the future on your terms. Small Data, Big Disruptions lets you exploit the period between the moment you could know about emerging disruptions and the moment most everybody will know about it. It's the difference between being ahead of the curve and struggling to catch up.

While it may not occur to us on a daily basis, there is a widespread cultural tendency toward quick decisions and quick action. Though the root cause is by no means malicious, we have begun to reward speed over quality, and the negative effects suffered in both our personal and professional lives are potentially catastrophic. Best-selling author and Chief Envisioner Dan Pontefract offers the solution to this predicament with what he coins "Open Thinking".

Six Sigma is the most common - and perhaps least understood - methodology for streamlining processes in manufacturing, service delivery, management, and almost any other business activity. For business leaders seeking increased efficiency and customer service, Six Sigma is the key. Written specifically for Six Sigma beginners - whether they’re small business owners who want to implement Six Sigma or professionals and students who need to get up to speed fast - Six Sigma for Dummies is the most straightforward, non-intimidating guide on the market.

This book is all about the equations that make our world go round. Ten of them, in fact. They are integral to everything from investment banking to betting companies and social media giants. And they can help you to increase your chance of success, guard against financial loss, live more healthfully, and see through scaremongering. They are known by only the privileged few - until now.

The Leadership Continuum: How Flexing Across the Seven Facets of Leadership Increases Effectiveness can help aspiring leaders grow and develop and can help experienced leaders become even more effective. This book is different from others because it walks the listener through when and how to most effectively employ the key facets of leadership, with many real-life examples. The book is written in an encouraging and relatable tone with insights from the authors’ decades of experience.

Dr. Adizes’s premise, developed in this book, is that the ideal leader, manager, or executive - ideal in the sense that he can fulfill by himself all the roles necessary for the long- and short-term effectiveness and efficiency of an organization - does not and cannot exist. And that is the problem with contemporary management literature: It presents what the executive should do (because that is what the organization needs), even though no one can do it.