Recommended reading |
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The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by
Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox Over 2 million copies sold! Used by thousands of companies and hundreds of business schools! Required reading! This book changed how the world does business. The Goal is a gripping, fast-paced business novel about overcoming the barriers to making money. You will learn the fundamentals of identifying and solving the problems created by constraints. From the moment you finish the book you will be able to start successfully addressing chronic productivity and quality problems. People by books by the likes of Tom Peters for display purposes, the one management book they have actually read from cover to cover is The Goal. Goldratt's system, in essence, forces production managers and workers alike to coordinate their work-with an underlying principle in mind: that 'bottlenecks'... are what ultimately constrain the manufacturing environment. He provides a persuasive solution for factories struggling with production delays and low revenues. Like Mrs. Fields and her cookies, The Goal was too tasty to remain obscure. Companies began buying big batches and management schools included it in their curriculums. Anybody who considers himself a manager should rush out, buy and devour this book immediately. If you are the only one in your place to have read it, your progress along the path to the top may suddenly accelerate...one of the most outstanding business books I have ever encountered. netgm.com rating 
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It's Not Luck by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Learn more about the powerful techniques first presented in the best-selling business novel, The Goal. In It's Not Luck, Dr. Goldratt, through examples in a variety of industries, shows how to apply the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to sales and marketing, inventory control, and production distribution. In addition, techniques in conflict resolution are introduced on both a business and personal level. netgm.com rating |
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Critical Chain by Eliyahu M. Goldratt Critical Chain's powerful yet simple techniques...solve project management's toughest problems. Eli Goldratt's first novel, The Goal, shook up the factory floor...Goldratt essentially adds a discipline for understanding what drives project performance and therefore what the focus of a project manager's attention should be. Critical Chain is valuable to two main audiences: project managers and senior managers... useful for dealing with one of the most difficult and pressing management challenges: developing highly innovative new products. Anyone who doesn't snap up a copy is missing a wonderful opportunity for professional and personal development. netgm.com rating  |
| Thinking for a Change : Putting the TOC
Thinking Processes to Use by Lisa J. Scheinkopf |
Thinking for a Change : Putting the TOC
Thinking Processes to Use by Lisa J. Scheinkopf Lisa Scheinkopf hit the bull's-eye with this book! A superb book all around. She makes it fun and INTERESTING to learn how to use the TOC Thinking Processes. This is the best contribution to disseminating the practical use of these tools to date. After an overview of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and the types of constraints that exist in any organization, you are led through the step-by-step process of the two foundational thinking methods on which the Thinking Processes are based. You can then use the book as a field guide, learning the five processes as needed, based on your own particular issues. |
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Managing the Professional Service Firm by David Maister International expert and consultant David Maister offers a brilliant and accessible guide to every management issue at play in professional firms Professional firms differ from other business enterprises in two distinct ways: first, they provide highly customized services and thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Second, professional services are highly personalized, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must therefore compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Drawing on more than ten years of research and consulting to these unique and creative companies, David Maister explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, human resources policies to profit improvement, strategic planning to effective leadership. Although these issues can be complex, Maister simplifies them by recognizing that "every professional service firm in the world, regardless of size, specific profession, or country of operation, has the same mission statement: outstanding service to clients, satisfying careers for its people, and financial success for its owners." netgm.com rating |
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The Competitive Enterprise by Geoff Bell In The Competitive Enterprise, Geoff Bell draws on the experience and expectations of the major international quality awards - the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the European Foundation for Quality Management and the Australian Business Excellence Framework – to present 10 concise, sound and universal principles that make a real difference and guarantee continued success. He has done this because, though the awards point towards what an organisation should look like, they do not explain how to put into practice the steps needed to get there. In simple terms, Geoff Bell fills the gap and presents an easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement plan for ensuring business success in 10 basic and integrated steps. This book is for people in managerial positions and anyone trying to find a lever to get ahead of the competition. It covers areas such as: senior executives as role models, goals, customer perception of value, improving systems, knowledge management, change, enthusiastic employees, learning and innovation, corporate citizenship, and value for all stakeholders. Clearly written and incorporating useful examples of good and bad practices, the book explains: - the benefits of each principle - how each principle can be practically applied - how primary stakeholders (shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers and the community) might respond |
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The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook : Strategies and
tools for Building a Learning Organization by Peter M. Senge
(Editor), Art Kleiner (Editor), Charlotte Roberts A step-by-step guide on how to build a learning organization in your own company. This participative book offers tools, techniques, exercises for both individuals and teams, suggested approaches and ideas and success stories to help put Senge's revolutionary theories into practice. The Fifth Discipline led Business Week to dub Senge the "new guru" of the corporate world; in this Fieldbook, he offers executives a step-by-step guide to building "learning organizations" of their own. The Fieldbook was compiled by Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, Rick Ross, Bryan Smith, They tried to develop a new form of management writing: To find the examples of great business practice in the field, and describe them so that others can learn from them. That means not just picking up "best practices" but understanding the reasoning which led to those best practices. For that reason, the Fieldbook is a compendium of stories, exercises, recipes for action, essays, book reviews, etc netgm.com rating
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The Dance of Change by Peter M. Senge, Art Kleiner
(Editor), Charlotte Roberts, George Roth, Rick Ross More practical ideas on how to drive positive change in your organization than you will find between any other two covers anywhere. The Dance of Change is a cornucopia of advice for making your organization a truly worthy place to work. The Dance of Change is an extraordinary book. Dancing with Peter Senge and company inspires us to learn new steps and gain new insights. The format and presentation of this provocative and accessible guide to change are as dazzling as its content. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FROM COVER TO COVER. Just dip in anywhere and you'll be surprised and challenged. This is an original and refreshing take on organization change, at times quirky, at other times perplexing, but always on every page an idea that stops you in your tracks and makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about the subject. Dance of Change provides a formidable response to businesspeople wondering how to make his programs stick. Dance of Change outlines potential obstacles (such as initiating transformation, personal fear and anxiety, and measuring the unmeasurable) and proposes ways to turn these obstacles into sources of improvement. netgm.com rating
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Deming Management Method by Mary Walton, W. Edwards
Deming Whether you are the owner of a small business, a middle manager in a mid-sized company, or the CEO of a multinational, this book can show you how to improve your profits and productivity. Change, Dr. Deming believes, should start at the top with an informed, quality-conscious management. His 14 points for managers offer practical applications for everyday business life. The industrial miracle in Japan is a prime example of what can happen when a nation commits itself to quality and long-range vision instead of the "Turning a Fast Buck" illness. Economically, Japan may be in hot water, but in less then 50 years, Japan went from making junk, to turning out some of the highest quality precision work in the world. When Dr. Deming first began speaking in America, America was still riding along on the post-war victory wave. No one would listen to him. The Japanese welcomed him, and even today, traces of his quality-control methods are still seen in the industrial workplace. netgm.com rating |
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Out of the Crisis by W. Edwards Deming Dr. Deming explains with abundant illustrations what he believes managers have been doing wrong, informs them what they must do, and shows them Deming's way Out of the Crisis. Deming highlights the essential roots to performance in his now famous 14 pts. for management. He attested that management is the key that allows quality improvement to occur within organizations and stated that the function of management is not supervision but leadership; which must work on sources of improvement, the intent on quality of product and service and on the translation of that intent into design and actual product. netgm.com rating  |
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The New Economics : For Industry, Government,
Education by W. Edwards Deming This is the last book written by Dr. Deming before his death in 1993 at the age of 93. Dr. Deming is perhaps best known for the work he did in Japan at the end of World War II, and his famous 14 points. In this book Dr. Deming introduces his System of Profound Knowledge, which consists of: An understanding of Systems, A Theory of Knowledge, An understanding of Variation and Psychology Dr. Deming defines a system as: "A series of interdependent components that try to work together to achieve the aim of the system." The system must have an aim, without an aim there is not system. Dr. Deming explains variation as follows: All systems have some variation in them. The secret is to know what kind of variation is occurring and to respond accordingly. Common cause variation is the random variation that occurs in any system. Special cause variation is a result of something outside the system acting on the system. An example would be that it normally takes you 25 minutes to drive to work, give or take a few minutes, but this morning, because of an accident the commute required 50 minutes. The normal drive time, with variation represents common cause variation, while the accident represents special cause variation. A theory of Knowledge is a way of doing experiments, or defining a mind set. According to Dr. Deming without theory no learning takes place. He give an example of a rooster that has a theory that he causes the sun to rise because he gets up early and crows. One morning he forgets to crow. The sun rises anyway. While the rooster's theory is blown out of the water he has learned that he is not responsible for causing the sun to rise and in the future he can sleep in. Dr. Deming's discussion on psychology has to do with the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. His basic theory is that people enter the world motivated to learn and do well and that the excessive use of extrinsic motivation kills the intrinsic motivation. In this book Dr. Deming also discusses in some detail his famous Red Beads Experiment which he uses to demonstrate the power of systems and how they victimize the people working in them. netgm.com rating |
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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful
Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges. Covey takes you through a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. This change affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your "proactive muscles" (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. This isn't a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are sometimes intricate, and you'll want to study this book, not skim it. When you finish, you'll probably have Post-it notes or hand-written annotations in every chapter, and you'll feel like you've taken a powerful seminar by Covey. netgm.com rating Also in audio  As a preview to the original,
the cassette is worth every one of its 90 minutes; it will leave
you wishing for the rest. |
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Zapp! : The Lightning of Empowerment : How to
Improve Quality, Productivity, and Employee Satisfaction by
William C. Byham and Jeff Cox Most managers know that revitalization in their companies must occur from the ground up. But how to get that message to employees without applying the kind of pressure that makes them even less productive? The answer is empowerment. In this motivating book, you will find specific strategies designed to help you encourage responsibility, acknowledgment, and creativity so that employees feel they "own" their jobs. It's all here, in an accessible guide for the successful managers of tomorrow. Byham reveals a brilliant new system for jump-starting corporate success--with smart, efficient, and effective methods for motivating employees and improving productivity. How a workforce can get "zapped" is the subject of this groundbreaking book, one that strikes like lightning at the heart of business. Unlike other business guides that separate employees from management, Zapp! merges the needs of each into a cohesive whole, to improve productivity and worker satisfaction, in order to make profits and empower workers. Written as a novel. netgm.com rating Also in audio |
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Heroz : Empower Yourself, Your Coworkers, Your
Company by William C. Byham, Jeff Cox Leading human resource expert Byham again teams with Cox to teach employers and managers how to persuade employees to increase production on their own. Heroz targets the workers themselves, demonstrating that they can be content in their jobs if they take charge of their own careers, identify areas of improvement, and work with one another to make things better for everyone. Sounds like a tall order and a potentially a deadly dull book, but the authors juice up the action with a fantasy tale of knights and castles serving as a metaphor for any large modern-day firm. Seems the folks in "Tower Two" of the castle need to increase arrow production to fight dragons, and Dave the Wizard teaches the workers the use of empowerment, which he calls "Zapp!" HeroZ is loaded with little inspirational catchphrases ("Quality is only one aspect of being productive," "Offer help without taking responsibility for action," etc.) as reminders of the common goals of the workers and is infinitely preferable to ponderous business tomes. Written as a novel. netgm.com rating |
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Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars,
Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes by Alfie Kohn The basic strategy we use for raising children, teaching students, and managing workers can be summarized in six words: Do this and you'll get that. We dangle goodies (from candy bars to sales commissions) in front of people in much the same way we train the family pet. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research, Alfie Kohn points the way to a more successful strategy based on working with people instead of doing things to them. The idea that competition and reward are effective motivators forms the bedrock of our educational, economic, and managerial systems. Kohn challenges the widely held assumption that incentives lead to improved quality and increased output in the workplace and in schools. He gives compelling argument that the use of rewards is counterproductive in raising children, teaching students, and managing workers. Kohn contends that rewards, like punishments, at best, produce only temporary compliance. netgm.com rating |
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Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus : A Practical
Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want
in Your Relationships by John Gray Relationship counselor John Gray focuses on the differences between men and women--men are from Mars, and women are from Venus, after all--and offers a simple solution: couples must acknowledge and accept these differences before they can develop happier relationships. The book's fourteen word subtitle, "A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want In Your Relationships," says it all.John Gray provides a unique, practical and proven way for men and women to communicate and relate better by acknowledging the differences between them. Once upon a time Martians and Venusians met, fell in love, and had happy relationships together because they respected and accepted their differences. Then they came to earth and amnesia set in: they forgot they were from different planets. netgm.com rating
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Maverick : The Success Story Behind the World's
Most Unusual Workplace by Ricardo Semler Maverick is the true-life story of Ricardo Semler and his South American company Semtech. Semler took over the company from his father, and spent the first day firing most of the older men that had worked alongside his dad at Semtech. That was only the beginning of a tremendous change that he wrought on his company's corporate culture, which involved everything from dispensing with dress code and regular working hours to eventually having his employees name their own salaries. What makes for a successful company? Semler relates the transformation of a traditionally structured business into one quite literally without walls and rules. Semler details his not-so-easy steps in the metamorphosis: abolishing dress codes and regulations; decentralizing plants; getting rid of paperwork and titles; and creating a consultative democracy in which employees set their own salaries and work hours and vote on managerial candidates, among other responsibilities. If it sounds too much like utopia, Semler admits that Brazil's economic downturn has impacted Semco and that, yes, being born with a silver spoon certainly colors his vision. Nonetheless, his is a philosophy that merits some serious thought by managers and workers alike. netgm.com rating |
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Moments of Truth by Jan Carlzon You would think that a book on "how to build customer satisfaction" written in 1987 should be by now, obsolete. However, as you read how Jan Carlzon turned around the fortunes of three major Scandinavian Airlines, you'll find out why the man who said that "We like to think of America as the land of the free and the home of the brave risk-takers, but we havenžt found the latter to be true", continues being quoted today as an innovative, brigth and brave mind. You'll discover solid principles for developing a service strategy in your own business, clear and sound advice on how to re-define the traditional roles of the hierarchical pyramid, into an upside -down turn pyramid in the customer -driven organization and what leadership is all about. Although Carlzonžs effective methods are far from being revolutionary, what is so striking about his story, is his single-minded, almost stubborn determination about getting everyone working together toward a single objective (And we're talking 20,000 people here) and how he accomplished what for many CEO's remains as dreams in paper. Long before we began (or at least tried ) reenginering corporations, or empowering people, Carlzon was already delivering impressive results by doing it . In this book he tells you how. netgm.com rating |
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Credibility : How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why
People Demand It by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner Deals with what credibility is, how you gain it, lose it. More importantly, the authors discuss why this issue is one of the keys to a successful personal and business life. If you are a parent, spouse, manager, or deal with people in any way, this book will help you understand how you deal with people, what they expect, and how you can fullfil their expectations and yours. Based on surveys of more than 15,000 people, 400 case studies, and 40 in-depth interviews, Credibility shows why leadership is above all a relationship--with credibility as the cornerstone. The authors reveal the six key disciplines and related practices that strengthen a leader's capacity for developing and sustaining credibility. netgm.com rating Also:Encouraging the Heart : A Leader's Guide to Rewarding and Recognizing Others by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner |
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Getting to Yes : Negotiating Agreement Without
Giving in by Roger Fisher, William Ury We're constantly negotiating in our lives, whether it's convincing the kids to do their homework or settling million-dollar lawsuits. For those who need help winning these battles, Roger Fisher has developed a simple and straightforward five-step system for how to behave in negotiations. This is by far the best thing we've ever read about negotiation. It is equally relevant for the individual who would like to keep his friends, property, and income and the statesman who would like to keep the peace. Offers a concise, step-by-step, proven strategy for coming to mutually acceptable agreements in every sort of conflict. In this new edition, two negotiation experts from Harvard offer a universally applicable method for negotiating personal and professional disputes without getting taken--and without getting nasty. netgm.com rating
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How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So
Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish, Kimberly Ann
Coe An excellent communication tool kit based on a series of workshops developed by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. Faber and Mazlish (co-authors of Siblings Without Rivalry) provide a step-by-step approach to improving relationships in your house. The "Reminder" pages, helpful cartoon illustrations, and excellent exercises will improve your ability as a parent to talk and problem-solve with your children. The book can be used alone or in parenting groups, and the solid tools provided are appropriate for kids of all ages. An excellent book that's applicable to any relationship. Designed to bring adults to the level of children, and children to the level of adults, so that this happy meeting ground can truly make for harmony in the home. netgm.com rating
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Zapp! : Empowerment in Health Care : How to Improve
Patient Care, Increase Employee Job Satisfaction, and Lower
Health Care Costs is packed with step-by-step, hands-on
information to help health-care providers revitalize medicine
and help control costs by taking control of their jobs, improving
existing processes, sharing decision-making, and more, as well
as zeroing in on the special needs, rights, and responsibilities
of patients. A guide to employee and management empowerment shows how businesses can merge the needs of both groups into a cohesive whole to improve productivity and worker satisfaction. How a workforce can get "zapped" is the subject of this groundbreaking book. Unlike other business guides that separate employees from management, Zapp! merges the needs of each into a cohesive whole, to improve productivity and worker satisfaction, in order to make profits and empower workers. Told as a novel. netgm.com rating
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Zapp in Education : How Empowerment Can Improve
the Quality of Instruction, and Student and Teacher Satisfaction This book is light-hearted and easy to read. It provides the reader with a real sense of how to empower employees to create the best school possible. After reading this book, you will feel empowered to make a difference in your school. A must for all practicing school administrators. In this dynamic, helpful, guide William C. Byham takes his Zapp! empowerment principles and adapts it for the classroom with workable, hands-on advice for how educators can get their students (and themselves) excited about education again. He shows how to get students to take responsibility for their own progress by involving them in decision-making; encouraging them to think for themselves; and fostering trust, creativity, and hunger for new challenges. Innovative, accessible, and fun to read, ZAPP! IN EDUCATION offers essential guidance for teachers, school administrators, school board members, and support staff. netgm.com rating |
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Principle-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey How do we as individuals and organizations survive and thrive amid tremendous change? Why are efforts to improve falling so short in real results despite the millions of dollars in time, capital, and human effort being spent on them? How do we unleash the creativity, talent, and energy within ourselves and others in the midst of pressure? Is it realistic to believe that balance among personal, family, and professional life is possible? Stephen R. Covey demonstrates that the answer to these and other dilemmas is Principle-Centered Leadership, a long-term, inside-out approach to developing people and organizations. The key to dealing with the challenges that face us today is the recognition of a principle-centered core within both ourselves and our organizations. Dr. Covey offers insights and guidelines that can help you apply these principles both at work and at home -- leading not just to a new understanding of how to increase quality and productivity, but also to a new appreciation of the importance of building personal and professional relationships in order to enjoy a more balanced, more rewarding, more effective life. netgm.com rating
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| Personality type | |
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Type Talk : The 16 Personality Types That Determine
How We Live, Love, and Work by Otto, Kroeger, Janet M. Thuesen In this one-of-a-kind guide, the authors show exactly how to learn about yourself and those around you, using an exciting, scientifically proven method of evaluating and understanding who you are and why you do the things you do. Determine your personality using a scientifically validated method based on the work of C.G. Jung and gain insight into why others behave the way they do, and why you are the person you are. netgm.com rating
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Survival Games Personalities Play by Eve Delunas When people don't feel safe in their relationships with others, then they are likely to play survival games. Whether a person plays the game of Blackmail, Complain, Robot, or Masquerade depends upon that individual's personality type. Using case examples from her practice as a Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist, Dr. Delunas describes the games associated with each of four personality styles and explains the reasons why different types of people are likely to employ game tactics. In addition, she outlines those methods that have been most effective for helping individuals, couples, and families to stop their survival-game-playing. netgm.com rating |
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Please Understand Me : Character and Temperament
Types by David Keirsey, Marilyn Bates Does your spouse's need to alphabetically organize books on the shelves puzzle you? Do your boss's tsunami-like moods leave you exasperated? Do your child's constant questions make you batty? If you've ever wanted to change your mate, your coworkers, or a family member, then "Put down your chisel," advise David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates in this book of personality types. We are different for a reason, and that reason is probably more good than bad. Keirsey and Bates believe that not only is it impossible to truly change others (which they call embarking on a "Pygmalion project"), it's much more important to understand and affirm differences. Sounds easier than it is, you might say. Well, this book is a guide for putting an end to the Pygmalion projects in your life and starting on the path to acceptance. netgm.com rating
Also: Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence by David Keirsey |
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Gifts Differing : Understanding Personality Type
by Isabel Briggs Myers, Peter B. Myers The classic work on the 16 major personality types as identified in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Describing the 16 major personality types identified in the work of Briggs and Myers, this landmark book shows the profound effects--on marriage, learning and career satisfaction--of a person's style of perception and judgment. The late Isabel Briggs Myers co-authored the most widely used personality inventory in history, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. |
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Smart Talk for Achieving Your Potential : 5 Steps
to Get You from Here to There by Lou Tice How to unleash your mind's power for unlimited success! Lou Tice and his Pacific Institute have done extensive research and have many years of experience in helping people discover their potential for success while helping them realize that potential. You will discover how and why your mind works as it does, and why you, seemingly at times, make choices that undermine your success, while other times your choices help you succeed. Lou gives you exercises that will help you discover where your limitations come from but, most importantly, how to correct or overcome them and turn on your potential for success. This book teaches how to become a positive, motivated individual, with a possibility of unlimited success through the use of goal-setting techniques. This is an EXCELLENT book! If you get nothing else from this book other than to discover WHY you make the decisions you do, it is worth the price. netgm.com rating |
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Personal Coaching for Results; How to Mentor and
Inspire Others to Amazing Growth by Lou Tice Lou Tice has a wonderful way of taking complex topic and making them very easy to understand, but better yet apply it. The concepts are solid and very well researched. This book can help you personally and professionally. The book is chock full of practical suggestions for getting your own house in order and, then, for helping others to do the same. For over 25 years, Lou Tice has been in the business of teaching people how to succeed. In this book, he gives readers the inside information they need to mentor and inspire those around them. netgm.com rating |