Non-Obvious Guides – serie

An unusual and irreverent guide to transforming your meetings from time-sucking interruptions to productive moments of collaboration – whether your team is together or virtual.What if meetings could be the high point of collaboration in your day, instead of the usual time-sucking soul-draining experience they often become?In this guide, expert facilitators Douglas Ferguson and John Fitch tackle the myth that the most effective way to get more out of meetings is to just avoid having them or to have less of them. In a well-run organization, meetings should actually be integral to getting sh*t done.Meetings are the secret underappreciated weapon that businesses are using badly. And why do they use them so badly? Because no one has been taught how to make them better. In this guide, you will learn:What if having an agenda has no effect on whether you have a great meeting?What happens when you actually do the work in the meeting?What are the five common elements of every meeting that sucks, and how do you avoid them?Douglas and John show you how to adopt and adapt the non-obvious Meeting Mantras they developed at their company, Voltage Control. Their methods have helped companies and teams transform the perception of meetings from “going to the dentist” (ie – something you have to do but hate) into something you can’t wait for – like a rock concert or great dinner.

“In the undeniably vast crowd of books about public speaking, this one stands out for its intelligent, direct approach … An indispensable manual on all aspects of public speaking and a boon to those who may be anxious about it.” —KIRKUS STARRED REVIEWA timely guide to effectively presenting virtually by Fortune 500 presentation skills coach and former Yale Drama School lecturer Jacqueline Farrington.The ability to shine online has suddenly become one of the most important skills for us personally and professionally. Whether you’re presenting to a team of 7 on Zoom or 7,000 on WebEx, the practical and proven insights in this book will build confidence, skills and positive outcomes.Read this book to learn:Why you must rehearse over and over, so it looks like you’ve never done it beforeThe science of why connecting and engaging online is harder—and exactly what to do about itWhy you must understand the difference between authentic presence and strategic presenceWhy congruency matters and how to use it in your favorWhat happens to our voices in virtual realms—and how to effectively compensateHow to produce like a pro—and become a pro in every aspect of your deliveryAnd much moreThis Non-Obvious Guide is to become the most comprehensive, readable and actionable collection of principles for performing at your best online. Written by a globally known presentation skills coach who delivers her results-driven process for shining online (and on stage), this guide also features plenty of humor and fun references to relevant lines from our favorite flicks to keep you engaged—and help you learn more in less time.Read this book to learn how to apply actionable principles from stage and screen to your virtual presentations.  The future of presentations, workshops, and meetings is virtual and acting, producing, directing skills are required, no matter who’s in your audience, and no matter what your topic.Based on the science of how our brains encode virtual experiences, this pithy, entertaining guide details how to create your most authentic and strategic presence; make the most of your voice, body language and stories; format options; visual considerations; equipment set up; tapping the backchannel and more.

Let’s face it. Most events are boring. But they don’t have to be. This highly actionable, fast-reading guide is chock-full of unconventional, un-borifying tools, ideas and strategies to help you design more captivating and unmissable events for less money and in less time.Whether a veteran, newbie or “accidental” event planner, you’ll learn fresh strategies to smartly select speakers, manage logistics, set a content road map, as well as plan and execute rave-worthy events of all types. Inspired by decades of delivering everything from large-scale corporate events to multiple TEDx gatherings, this fun, practical book will transform how you plan your next event—no matter how large or small.“Any event can become irresistibly engaging. This book will show you how.”—SALLY HOGSHEAD, New York Times bestselling author and CEO of How to Fascinate®“...Fun, creative and pragmatic insights on the why and how of strategic event design...”—LORIE THOMAS, Certified Meeting Professional, Certified Meeting Manager, Executive at SHWorldwide Events in Seattle, WA“The tips and tools in this guide will make any event more impactful and engaging.”—BRIGETTE GROSS, Corporate Events ManagerA sampling of what you’ll learn in this guide…Why are some events memorable while others are forgotten immediately?How can you conquer distraction and truly engage participants?What does it really take to uncover the most inspiring speakers, negotiate their participation and create a memorable event?What do TED Talks teach us about events?How can your events be more innovative?How can you handle logistics like a pro—and manage unrealistic timelines, implausible goals and results-hungry stakeholders?What if attendees remember nothing? It’s highly probable unless you do something different.How can you “think outside the slide”?BONUS: This guide also gives readers quick and easy access to robust online resources, including a reusable Content Map, videos and planning templates that streamline and simplify event planning.

ALL-NEW SECOND EDITION COMING APRIL 2021! This book is like having coffee with an award winning marketing expert. Most business guidebooks treat you like a dummy or an idiot. Not this one. This is a short and easy-to-read guidebook filled with useful, no bullshit, only-what-you-need-to-know, immediately actionable advice for marketing your business or startup. The book focuses on the most common small business marketing challenges, including: Why is setting a budget the worst way to start a marketing plan?How can you create unstoppable word-of-mouth for your business?Why is it a mistake to try and be on every social media platform? Within these pages you’ll get the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to promote your business like these. Along the way, you'll learn how to fit your entire marketing strategy on a single page, what it takes to create a tagline that people remember, how to buy advertising at a fraction of the "sticker price," why some customers remain loyal while others leave as soon as they get a better deal, and the #1 most important thing about branding that most small businesses forget.  Inspired by real life conversations and experiences with hundreds of small business owners and entrepreneurs, this is the rare guide that will skip all the useless definitions, avoid the fluff and cut right to the point to give you the real-life advice you need to hear with an irreverent "non-obvious" perspective you deserve. From downloadable one page guides to real life stories and examples, this guide will give you the inspiration and tools to put together a winning marketing strategy to grow your business - no matter how much you know about marketing already.

Today‘s leaders are more stressed than ever. Whether you are leading a Fortune 500 company trying to retain top talent, or are an entrepreneur trying to cultivate the next great idea, the current corporate landscape is unpredictable, multi-factored, and complex. This is where the power of emotional intelligence comes in. In this guide, Aperio founder and CEO Kerry Goyette challenges the conventional wisdom of EQ by breaking down the neuroscience of emotional intelligence and offering a bold and applicable new approach. See how emotional intelligence tactics empower you to leverage the impact of emotion, thrive in competitive environments, and prevent fight or flight responses from hijacking your best intentions. Explore ways to leverage EQ to connect with people, add value, and grow your business.  IN THIS BOOK YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO: > Improve your decision-making when it matters most.> Navigate change and better manage disruption. > Identify the derailers that may be holding you back.> Trace problems to their roots so they can be solved more easily.> Be agile and thrive in today’s chaotic environments.> Shape your company culture to drive loyalty and engagement.

People with technical backgrounds and talent have provided some of the greatest innovations to mankind. They also have their own idiosyncrasies, biases and blindspots that can make leading them particularly challenging at times.  The Non-Obvious Guide to Leading Technical People (whether you are a Nerd or Not!) provides practical ways to effectively lead engineers, IT pros, scientists and other analytical talent and take your career and contributions to whole new levels.  You don’t necessarily need an MBA to learn to be an effective technical manager and drive innovation, high-performance projects and stress-free execution.  Learn how to be an inspiring, influential and successful leader of technical people --  quirks and all!In this refreshing book, leadership and innovation experts, Paresh and Eliza share insights and skills on technical leadership from over 30 years of direct experience as techies themselves and as advisors to leading-edge organizations.As part of the Non-Obvious Guide series published by IdeaPress, learn the 7 great strengths that can be leveraged to motivate, drive performance and innovate with technical teams.  Become attuned to the 7 major blindspots that most technical staff and their leaders suffer from that lead to poor project execution, lack of innovation and team conflict. Then learn, practice and master the 7 Leadership Essentials to equip you and your tech teams with cutting-edge methods to drive performance such as:1.     Balancing the technical, the business and human dimensions2.     Customer-Centric Listening to Understand3.     Sparking Non-Obvious Innovation On-Demand4.     Fostering Productive Dialog in Team Conflicts5.     Storytelling for Inspiration and Persuasion6.     Moving from Micro to Macro Management7.     Activating Lifter Leadership for motivate today's workers

ALL-NEW SECOND EDITION COMING APRIL 2021! WRITTEN DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WITH ALL-NEW INSIGHTS.FEATURING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OVER 50 TOP EXPERTS. Why do virtual meetings usually suck and how can you make yours better?What are the five secrets to delivering a compelling virtual presentation?How can you collaborate with people you have never met in real life?Most guides to virtual work pretend like it is better than being face to face. It usually isn’t. But in today’s business world, there are many reasons you may need to work remotely or do virtual meetings, from taking parental leave to navigating a global health pandemic. In this short guide featuring a compilation of the best advice and insights from more than 50 experts from all industries, you will learn the keys to being effective from afar. Whether you need to deliver a presentation to a virtual audience or collaborate with a global team, this handy guide will help you be more productive when you can't be there in person.

“Any remote worker would find this book useful.” —Booklist An all new updated 2021 edition of the popular original guide to working from home and adjusting to virtual work featuring the best tips and advice from more than 50 top experts. Most books on remote work repeat the same tired advice about being productive while wearing sweatpants. The advice in this book is different. Award winning author Rohit Bhargava reveals the secrets of remote work by curating advice from the experts.In this book, you’ll learn:Why trying to recreate a “home studio” for presentations is overrated.How you can build powerful relationships with people you’ve never met.The seven rules of virtual meetings that everyone should know.How to look and sound amazing on video, without spending a fortune.Most guides to virtual work pretend like it is better than being face-to-face. It usually isn’t. But in today’s business world, there are many reasons you need to work remotely or do virtual meetings, from taking parental leave to navigating a global health pandemic.In this short guide featuring a compilation of the best advice and insights from more than 50 experts from dozens of industries, you will learn the keys to being effective from afar. Whether you need to deliver a presentation to a virtual audience or collaborate with a global team, this handy guide will help you be more productive when you can't be there in person.This is not a book that will convince you that you need to work remotely every day or that you should go to a Caribbean island and become a digital nomad. It’s a guide for anyone forced to work remotely, stuck on too many Zoom calls, and looking for quick actionable advice on how to shift the way they work to get more done every day.

An all new updated 2021 edition of the popular original guide to marketing and branding featuring actionable advice that will help you tell a better story, win more customers, earn more loyalty and make more money. Being good at marketing might seem like a dark art. All those in-your-face ads, annoying pop-ups and desperate $497 online training courses make most people hate marketing. But the truth is, every business leader and entrepreneur needs to understand how marketing really works.In this candid guide, bestselling author and award-winning marketing expert Rohit Bhargava offers the ultimate guide to every part of marketing – from writing a tagline to building a simple one-page marketing strategy. In this guide, you’ll learn:How to get an unlimited marketing budget by doing things that work.The key to creating unstoppable word of mouth for your idea or product.Why it is a mistake to try and be on every social media platform.The secret to buying advertising at a fraction of the “sticker price.”How to create a tagline that people remember for your business.Fit your entire marketing strategy on one page and maintain your focus.Inspired by real life conversations and experiences with hundreds of business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as the author’s 15+ year career leading marketing for some of the most successful brands in the world, this is the rare guide that will skip all the useless definitions, avoid the fluff and cut right to the point to give you the real-life advice you need to hear with an irreverent "non-obvious" perspective you deserve.From downloadable one page guides to real life stories and examples, this guide will give you the inspiration and tools to put together a winning marketing strategy to grow your business - no matter how much you know about marketing already.

Unlock the True Potential of Your WorkforceIf you want your organization to start meeting and exceeding the expectations you have for it, then you need to address the problem of your disengaged workforce. The challenge, however, is that the business world has misunderstood the concept of employee engagement, thus our efforts have been failing—despite years of effort and billions of dollars spent.In this refreshing new book, future-of-work experts Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter reveal a new path for tapping into the power of your people in ways that produce tangible, measurable results. Part of the Non-Obvious Guide series published by IdeaPress, this book will teach you:How to define employee engagement in a way that connects directly to what makes both your organization and your employees more successful.Why engagement surveys are so flawed and how to dig into your culture to go beyond “symptom” metrics.When to let those Millennials (and others for that matter) hop to a new job after two years, and when to fight hard to keep them.Why culture is more important than engagement and what the relationship is between the two.Real, proven, and actionable advice on how to actually improve engagement.How to drive engagement even if you’re not “in charge of” engagement at your company.