How to Use a Consultant in Your Company. A Managers' and Executives' Guide

Managers at all levels are constantly challenged to do more with fewer employees, to motivate diverse groups of people, and to face up to tough people problems in their workforces. An important key to managers' success is accomplishing these goals while protecting themselves and their companies from legal liability. Yet some in management tend to blame legal requirements for hindering progress toward solving problems. U.S. law, however, provides managers with broad discretion in many employment situations and in most cases helps ensure that managers perform their essential functions in a way that is fundamentally fair while still supporting company goals. A Manager's Guide to Employment Law will help managers make day-to-day decisions on how best to manage their employees and handle issues of legal liability. Expert author Dana Muir identifies the subtle and unnecessary mistakes managers make that cause legal headaches and shows how becoming familiar with basic principles of employment law will enable them to develop an internal compass to help make the right decisions. Each chapter focuses on legal concepts of broad application in today's workplace, providing real examples of problems managers face and offering strategies for addressing those problems.

The essential guide to e-business security for managers and IT professionals Securing E-Business Systems provides business managers and executives with an overview of the components of an effective e-business infrastructure, the areas of greatest risk, and best practices safeguards. It outlines a security strategy that allows the identification of new vulnerabilities, assists in rapid safeguard deployment, and provides for continuous safeguard evaluation and modification. The book thoroughly outlines a proactive and evolving security strategy and provides a methodology for ensuring that applications are designed with security in mind. It discusses emerging liabilities issues and includes security best practices, guidelines, and sample policies. This is the bible of e-business security. Timothy Braithwaite (Columbus, MD) is Deputy Director of Information Assurance Programs for Titan Corporation. He has managed data centers, software projects, systems planning, and budgeting organizations, and has extensive experience in project and acquisition management. He is also the author of Y2K Lessons Learned (Wiley: 0-471-37308-7).

An invaluable resource for HR professionals and executive coaches, this book focuses on how to reduce the time needed to prepare high-potential (HIPO) leaders for next-level positions. Providing the leading trends, tools, and techniques in the industry, the book demystifies the process of HIPO development. It includes a powerful five-step process for increasing leaders' readiness, as well as a complete set of tools for running workshops on developmental planning and coaching. This text also serves as a core text for the author's Executive Coaching Certificate Programs.

A thoroughly pragmatic guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) This is a critical FCPA training resource for executives, managers, sales, marketing, finance and accounting personnel, as well as high level professionals. The ideal resource for any business that takes FCPA compliance seriously and truly desires to foster a deep understanding of real-world corruption issues in their employees A great resource for business school courses on international business or business ethics and anyone interested in understanding these issues for their own professional growth Includes in-depth analysis of all major FCPA risk areas, including discussions of how FCPA issues arise in real-world business situations Covers all aspects of bribery and FCPA compliance issues to ensure that your business is not exposing itself to financial scandal or criminal prosecution FCPA compliance is mandatory for nearly all international businesses operating in today's global economy. This book serves as the perfect training tool to mitigate your organization's risk to FCPA violations, which is one of the top enforcement priorities for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Praise for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: A Practical Resource for Managers and Executives «Aaron Murphy's book is absolutely fantastic. As a seasoned lawyer and compliance professional, having worked for fortune 100 companies with global operations for many years and being an FCPA expert myself, I have never come across a more detailed yet easy to read book on FCPA. It contains practical advice and provides examples that are put into context, that the reader can easily relate to and that take into consideration different cultures and customs. A must read for any individual/ organization doing business abroad.» —Fabiana Lacera-Allen, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer, Elan Drug Technologies «This book is essential reading for anyone conducting business outside US borders. Executives, managers, sales, marketing, finance, and legal professionals will find sound practical advice to protect themselves and their companies from FCPA violations when operating globally. Much more than a general survey, this book offers scores of real world examples and serves as an easy-to-read, how-to resource for employees at all levels of a company. It will be a valuable reference tool for many years to come.» —Jeff Taylor, former US Attorney for the District of Columbia and former counselor to Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales «If you are a manager involved in any kind of international dealings—which is to say, if you work for any major firm in today’s global marketplace—you need to study Aaron Murphy’s comprehensive, precise and highly readable analysis of life under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Few FCPA violations are intentional, yet the consequences even of unwitting violations can be drastic for you, your colleagues, and your firm. Murphy’s book shows why business practices perfectly acceptable at home are federal crimes in other settings, how to think your way through ambiguous situations, and—perhaps most important—when to get expert advice. It is a field guide to a world where authority and discretion are all too often up for sale, and a resource that will help you avoid trouble—and even succeed—within the bounds of this crucial yet little-understood legislation.» —Michael Johnston, Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science, Colgate University "Every businessperson working in the emerging markets should read and understand the way in which their actions and behaviour may fall subject to the FCPA. This

Sales training doesn’t develop sales champions. Managers do. The secret to developing a team of high performers isn’t more training but better coaching. When managers effectively coach their people around best practices, core competencies and the inner game of coaching that develops the champion attitude, it makes your training stick. With Keith Rosen’s coaching methodology and proven L.E.A.D.S. Coaching Framework™ used by the world’s top organizations, you’ll get your sales and management teams to perform better – fast. Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions is your playbook to creating a thriving coaching culture and building a team of top producers. This book is packed with case studies, a 30 Day Turnaround Strategy for underperformers, a library of coaching templates and scripts, as well as hundreds of powerful coaching questions you can use immediately to coach anyone in any situation. You will learn how to confidently facilitate powerful, engaging coaching conversations so that your team can resolve their own problems and take ownership of the solution. You’ll also discover how to leverage the true power of observation and deliver feedback that results in positive behavioral changes, so that you can successfully motivate and develop your team and each individual to reach business objectives faster. Winner of Five International Best Book Awards, Coaching Salespeople Into Sales Champions is your tactical, step-by-step playbook for any people manager looking to: Boost sales, productivity and personal accountability, while reducing your workload Conduct customer/pipeline reviews that improve forecast accuracy, customer retention and uncover new selling opportunities Achieve a long term ROI from coaching by ensuring it’s woven into your daily rhythm of business Design, launch and sustain a successful internal coaching program Turn-around underperformers in 30 days or less Build deeper trust and handle difficult conversations by creating alignment around each person’s goals and your objectives Coach and retain your top performers Collaborate more powerfully and communicate like a world-class leader Training develops salespeople. Coaching develops sales champions. Your new competitive edge.

A practical resource, this book combines tips, checklists, exercises, and stories to outline concrete processes that improve the way leaders, managers, and anyone within an organization responds to conflict. Beginning with a series of questions and self-diagnostics, the authors show you how to: maintain emotional balance in the face of conflict; implement constructive communications techniques; help others deal with conflicts that are causing organization problems; establish norms for handling conflict; use specific approaches for addressing conflict more effectively. «A must-have guidebook for the new age of global business. This book shows every leader how to turn feelings of fear into feelings of safety, suspicion into trust, and competitiveness into collaboration.» –Jim Kouzes, coauthor of the best-selling book The Leadership Challenge and Dean's Executive Professor of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University «Craig Runde and Tim Flanagan use their vast experience to give us Developing Your Conflict Competence. Move beyond negative workplace conflict to positive and constructive outcomes with the simple tools and suggestions in this must-read field guide!» –Marshall Goldsmith, best-selling author of What Got You Here Won't Get You There, Succession: Are You Ready?, and the upcoming MOJO «I've read the authors' first two books, Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader and Building Conflict Competent Teams. Their latest book pulls it all together by providing models, examples, and thought-provoking insight. It will be required reading for my senior management team.» –Deborah Jallad, president/chairman, Accredited Surety and Casualty Company, Inc.

Begin your graphic design career now, with the guidance of industry experts Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer is a single source guide to the myriad of options available to those pursuing a graphic design career. With an emphasis on portfolio requirements and job opportunities, this guide helps both students and individuals interested in entering the design field prepare for successful careers. Coverage includes design inspiration, design genres, and design education, with discussion of the specific career options available in print, interactive, and motion design. Interviews with leading designers like Michael Bierut, Stefan Sagmeister, and Mirko Ilic give readers an insider's perspective on career trajectory and a glimpse into everyday operations and inspirations at a variety of companies and firms. Design has become a multi-platform activity that involves aesthetic, creative, and technical expertise. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer shows readers that the field once known as «graphic design» is now richer and more inviting than ever before. Learn how to think like a designer and approach projects systematically Discover the varied career options available within graphic design Gain insight from some of the leading designers in their fields Compile a portfolio optimized to your speciality of choice Graphic designers' work appears in magazines, advertisements, video games, movies, exhibits, computer programs, packaging, corporate materials, and more. Aspiring designers are sure to find their place in the industry, regardless of specific interests. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer provides a roadmap and compass for the journey, which begins today.

Why do the people in some companies continually dazzle us with their brilliant decisions while those in others make one blunder after another? Do they understand their businesses better? Are they just plain smarter? Or is it all a matter of luck? The answer, says J. Frank Yates, is none of the above. The real key, rarely recognized, is how the leaders manage the company's decision processes—the leaders' decision management practices. Drawing on his thirty years of research and experience as well as scholarship from psychology, economics, statistics, strategy, medicine, and other fields to explain the fundamental nature of business decision problems, Yates highlights the ten cardinal decision issues crucial to managing the decision-making process—and ultimately better company decisions. He covers problems ranging from recognizing whether a decision is actually called for to assuring that a preferred course of action will be implemented. He shows how solid decisions result when managers ensure that deciders resolve every cardinal issue effectively for every decision problem facing the company. He also reveals how, conversely, chronically poor decisions are traceable to managers allowing—or even creating—conditions that encourage deciders to fall short in how they address at least one of those critical issues.

As we all know, sexuality is not an easy topic for parents and carers to deal with once their children enter adolescence. We are all aware of the need to discuss sex with our kids, the only question is, how to start the conversation? This practical, down-to-earth book offers tips on how to broach the subject and gives advice on a range of problems from the bodily changes at puberty through to coping with relationships, contraception and HIV. And in light of modern society's ever changing attitudes towards sexual behaviour, more controversial issues are addressed such as sexual orientation and STDs. Written in a very open, honest style, yet based on a solid bedrock of scientific information this book will help you to help your teenager to cope with their own sexuality. * Written by a very well respected academic * Includes useful lists of organisations and further reading * Will empower you to develop a deeper, more satisfying relationships with your teenage kids

Time-tested strategies for making the best possible pricing decisions and gaining an unbeatable competitive advantage Pricing is one of the most important—and difficult—marketing problems companies face when launching new products. Unfortunately, the research that goes into making optimal pricing decisions is a very time-consuming process—unless, that is, you can afford to pay a consultant or outside agency to do it for you. But if you're like most small- to medium-sized business owners and managers, time and money are two things you absolutely don't have to spare. Problem solved: Written by a nationally recognized pricing expert, this book arms you with proven strategies for guaranteeing that you'll never again leave money on the table when determining prices. And you'll spend the least possible time setting your more profitable prices. Packed with valuable worksheets and other valuable tools to help guide your research and your pricing decision-making A goldmine of expert tips for pricing in any specialty market, it offers a highly effective way to market your company's product more effectively and profitably Shows you how to avoid making your competitors' pricing mistakes and gain a powerful competitive edge in the process The author uses examples drawn from her years of consulting work with companies large and small, including Food Network, American Express Publishing, and Playboy