Little Book of Big Management Questions, The

James McGrath worked as an accountant and senior manager in industry, local government and as a self-employed management consultant before becoming Course Director for the MA in Education and Professional Development at the City of Birmingham University.

‘An essential guide to help managers do their absolute best.’John Elbro ACIOB, Managing Director, UK Service Lifts Ltd  ‘This is a book that every ambitious manager will findvery useful.’Darren Hughes, Managing Director, PP Screeds & Drywall Ltd

• Section 1: Managing yourself Introduction       Q1 What’s my management style?   Q2 Do I manage or lead people?      Q3 What power do I have and how can I use it?    Q4 How can I work smarter, not harder, and become more productive? Q5 Is it ever ok to rely on gut instinct?   Q6 How do I become better at receiving negative feedback?    Q7 Looking at what I do which stuff adds the most value? Q8 How can I manage my boss and get away with it?   Q9 How do I deliver a really effective presentation? Q10 How can I make meetings more productive?       Q11 How can I get everyone to contribute/speak at meetings? Q12 How do I delegate effectively?      Q13 How do I make better decisions?   Q14 How do I project a professional image? Q15 How do I manage my career and prepare myself for promotion?  Section 2: Managing staff Introduction       Q16 How do I win the recruitment lottery and constantly select the right people?    Q17 How much should I know about the day to day work of my staff?  Q18 How can I increase my team’s productivity?    Q19 How can I use staff training and development to improve performance?     Q20 How can I stamp out recurring problems? Q21 How can I motivate staff? Q22 How do my staff perceive their relationship with management? Q23 How can I reward staff when the budget is tight? Q24 How can I handle conflict between members of staff?   Q25 How can I give negative feedback to a member of staff without demotivating them? Q26 How can I get my team and myself noticed by the people that matter?   Q27 How can I turn around an underperforming group of staff? Q28 What should I be doing at each stage of the change process?    Q29 How do I deal with those people who oppose change?    Q30 How do I set targets for myself and staff? Section 3: Managing projects   Introduction Q31 What are the three rules of project management?    Q32 What am I supposed to do as project leader? Q33 Who do I need in my project team to be successful?   Q34 How do I build team spirit?   Q35 How do I plan a project and set milestones? Q36 How do I calculate the length of the project?   Q37 How can I minimise the risks associated with my project?    Q38 How can I deliver the most valuable parts of the project ahead of schedule?   Q39 How do I keep the project on time and under budget?    Q40 How do I improve my team’s effectiveness? Q41 How do I deal with requests from management to amend the project after it’s started?      Q42 What can I do if the project starts to go wrong?    Q43 How can I pass on what I’ve learnt to other project managers? Section 4: Navigating the wider organisation Introduction Q44 Where do I find an organisation chart that shows how things really work?   Q45 What is the organisation’s culture and does it suit me?   Q46 How d