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Managers need to be able to make sense of data and to use it selectively to answer key questions: Why has quality fallen in the last week? Should we subcontract or employ more people? What will consumer demand be in the future? They need to be able to assess the value of data and to detect what is and what isn’t spin.The focus is on analysing numbers. On their own, figures tell us very little. To become meaningful they need to be processed and analysed and it is the patterns that emerge from this that provide the information that is needed for decision-making.The book is arranged in four themes. It starts by considering the value of information in organisations and by assessing how effectively the information is used in a management role. It then goes on to look at different options for presenting figures so that trends become clearer and patterns simpler to spot. As well as making data easier to interpret, the techniques the book presents are valuable communication tools that will help the reader use information more effectively with others.The last two themes then provide a toolkit of techniques that you can use to investigate situations and help solve problems. These include statistical and operational techniques as well as computer tools. Like any toolkit, the key to using it properly lies in knowing not only what each tool does but when to use it. This book will help the reader to develop this ability by applying the methods that are described within a business context.

This book explores the concept of spotting good ideas, linking them to the business context and making them work. In doing so you will be reaching, achieving and even exceeding your goals.Key objectives are: to use objectives and goals to help you set direction and monitor outcomes for you and your team; review the organisational context for innovation and how to make things happen; understand the characteristics of successful innovators and your role in championing opportunities for innovation

John Kotter of the Harvard Business School is one of a number of experts who believe that organisations are over managed and under led, at least partially because people do not appreciate the differences between management and leadership. We start this book by challenging mental models of leadership and management. Agility has become a prerequisite for organisations in a business environment that is characterised by change. Two trends in particular have been evident. First hierarchical systems of management are yielding to a “new leadership” movement which has at its core shared vision and individual empowerment in place of consistency and control. Second, leadership is no longer the preserve of those in positions in the management hierarchy. Increasingly it is dispersed through the organisation. By developing awareness of these and other influential trends, those who have a responsibility for leading and managing in some form will be better equipped to flex their style and to play the diverse roles required of the managerial leader in contemporary organisations.

What makes communication exciting in our age is the application of new media and the individual empowerment that comes with blogs, wikkis, and mobile technology, in other words our sense of connectedness. These don’t come without their difficulties, but they present very interesting opportunities.This book looks at connectedness, models of communication and the barriers to communication. No amount of technology can compensate for a poorly structured message; indeed, the technology itself can eventually become a barrier. As instant communications are now the norm, do we need to spend more time focusing on the message and our audience?It looks in detail at meetings, written communications, presentations and interviews. Introducing elements of communication theory and including activities to practice skills. Franklin D. Roosevelt said about public speaking ‘Be sincere; be brief; be seated’. This book is underpinned by the three themes captured in Roosevelt’s words.

This book focuses on the activities involved in initiating, planning, implementing and completing a project successfully. As well as covering the tools and techniques of project management, it also pays attention to the soft issues involved - how to manage the people side of project management.

This book explores change from the perspective of the organisation and from the individual manager. It considers how change affects organisations; how they respond to changes in the business environment, influence that environment and use change processes to gain competitive advantage. It explores the role of the change agent, and introduces tools and techniques for planning, launching and managing change programmes successfully. It describes the impact of change on individuals and emphasises the role of the manager in supporting individuals through the change process.

To gain competitive advantage all parts of an organisation must be able to talk to one another. It follows then that all managers must be, in some sense, financial managers who are able to speak the common language of finance. This book aims to provide learners with the necessary understanding to input into the financial management of their organisation.

This book considers the associated concepts of quality and operations and places customers at the heart of a quality business operation. It explains how organisations that are focused on delivering quality products and services continuously improve the design, planning and control of their operational processes so that they meet the developing needs of their customer.

A key feature of the role of managers is to develop the people who make up their team. This book explains the development process and contextualises it against the overall aims, strategies and business plans of the organisation. It explores the role of the line manager in creating development opportunities and provides examples to show how managers can use coaching, mentoring, delegation and performance management to help their team develop skills and learn to work together effectively.

Building and leading a successful team is one of the most valuable and rewarding management activities. This book explores why team working has become such a prevalent force in the global workplace and looks at the many different types of teams that now exist. It explores contemporary thinking on leadership, particularly situational leadership, action-centred leadership and ethical leadership and provides practical techniques to build teams and develop their performance.

This book explores the skills of communication and assertive behaviour and how they enable openness and honesty to be brought into a relationship. It looks at how to develop better working relationships by applying these skills in three specific areas: negotiations, meetings and conflict management.

More and more managers are looking for customer focus to help fight the pressures of rising costs, global competition and falling sales. But it's not simply a case of trying to get closer to your customers. There are more strategic decisions that if made can make your marketing more lean, more focused and more successful. Managing Customers and Markets explores what market orientation means and the key things you need to be able to do as a manager to make a difference.

This book explores the managerial roles and responsibilities with regard to safety. Applying key legal requirements to the workplace, it looks at how workplace facilities are managed and how materials and equipment are used, stored and maintained for optimum effectiveness. It not only aids organisations to achieve success, but to maintain it.

Evidence suggests that a values based approach to management positively impacts employee engagement and motivation. This book explores the most influential areas of this framework including the law relating to employment, consumer protection and product liability:Discover how organisations adopt an ethical and values based approach to governanceAssess the culture and values of your organisation and what effect they have on the behaviour of the organisationReview the legal framework in which an organisation operates and the impact of this on your role as a managerMinimise legal risk by familiarising yourself with essential legal principles relating to the management of contracts, negligence, employment law and product liability

This book provides a clear insight into the meanings that people attach to popular notions such as reputation, image, brand, public relations (PR) and corporate governance. It explains how organisations use reputation and image to create competitive advantage and how to manage situations where the corporate reputation is at risk. It also explores the role that the manager plays in building and managing the business reputation and image both inside and outside the organisation.

The red-hot competition for talented employees is still news. Employers everywhere recognise that they must evolve better recruitment, selection and retention strategies if they are to compete effectively with their rivals for the best people. This book discusses current practices in recruitment and selection and offers advice on how to take an approach that is strategically focused, effective, fair and based on best practice.

Business Environment looks at the major factors that influence an organisation's strategy. It equips learners with a portfolio of tools including PESTLE, portfolio analysis, capability audits, SWOT and stakeholder analysis to analyse the internal and external environment within which their organisation operates and challenges them to develop their understanding of their organisation's strategic direction.

This book is about the skills of personal effectiveness and professional development. Learners are introduced to a wide range of tools and approaches that will enable them to realise their personal and work performance goals by improving the way in which they manage themselves. It highlights how managing yourself means taking responsibility for various aspects of yourself: how you learn and understand, how aware you are of your actions, feelings and preferences, how you build self discipline through managing your time and stress and how you balance your home and work lives.

Managing for results focuses on how to get the best out of people and celebrate the diversity of perspectives and experience that people bring to your organisation. The book explores motivation and how peoples' needs affect the satisfaction that they get from their work. Practical activities encourage learners to consider a number of strategies for increasing the motivation and effectiveness of their team. The book also considers how dissatisfaction impacts on performance and assesses the role of the grievance and disciplinary processes in managing performance.

Individuals and organisations rely on their ability to select and process information, both to make sense of their local environment and to try to understand the bigger picture. This book approaches information management from two key perspectives: The skills of the individuals manager to source, manage and communicate information The organisational processes and systems for managing information and knowledge.

Management Extra brings all the best management thinking together in one package. These are practical training suitable for Diploma level qualifications in management. They are ideal for delivering management development workshops courses at a range of levels.This Facilitator's Guide fully details the books in the series and how to use them to deliver management courses effectively, efficiently and to meet awarding body criteria.

Building and leading a successful team is one of the most valuable and rewarding management activities. This book explores why team working has become such a prevalent force in the global workplace and looks at the many different types of teams that now exist. It explores contemporary thinking on leadership, particularly situational leadership, action-centred leadership and ethical leadership and provides practical techniques to build teams and develop their performance.

John Kotter of the Harvard Business School is one of a number of experts who believe that organisations are over managed and under led, at least partially because people do not appreciate the differences between management and leadership. We start this book by challenging mental models of leadership and management. Agility has become a prerequisite for organisations in a business environment that is characterised by change. Two trends in particular have been evident. First hierarchical systems of management are yielding to a “new leadership” movement which has at its core shared vision and individual empowerment in place of consistency and control. Second, leadership is no longer the preserve of those in positions in the management hierarchy. Increasingly it is dispersed through the organisation. By developing awareness of these and other influential trends, those who have a responsibility for leading and managing in some form will be better equipped to flex their style and to play the diverse roles required of the managerial leader in contemporary organisations.

This book considers the associated concepts of quality and operations and places customers at the heart of a quality business operation. It explains how organisations that are focused on delivering quality products and services continuously improve the design, planning and control of their operational processes so that they meet the developing needs of their customer.

A key feature of the role of managers is to develop the people who make up their team. This book explains the development process and contextualises it against the overall aims, strategies and business plans of the organisation. It explores the role of the line manager in creating development opportunities and provides examples to show how managers can use coaching, mentoring, delegation and performance management to help their team develop skills and learn to work together effectively.

This book explores change from the perspective of the organisation and from the individual manager. It considers how change affects organisations; how they respond to changes in the business environment, influence that environment and use change processes to gain competitive advantage. It explores the role of the change agent, and introduces tools and techniques for planning, launching and managing change programmes successfully. It describes the impact of change on individuals and emphasises the role of the manager in supporting individuals through the change process.

This book explores the managerial roles and responsibilities with regard to safety. Applying key legal requirements to the workplace, it looks at how workplace facilities are managed and how materials and equipment are used, stored and maintained for optimum effectiveness. It not only aids organisations to achieve success, but to maintain it.

This book explores the concept of spotting good ideas, linking them to the business context and making them work. In doing so you will be reaching, achieving and even exceeding your goals.Key objectives are: to use objectives and goals to help you set direction and monitor outcomes for you and your team; review the organisational context for innovation and how to make things happen; understand the characteristics of successful innovators and your role in championing opportunities for innovation

This book explores the skills of communication and assertive behaviour and how they enable openness and honesty to be brought into a relationship. It looks at how to develop better working relationships by applying these skills in three specific areas: negotiations, meetings and conflict management.