The Little Book of Big Management Questions

Table of contents

1. Cover
2. Title page
3. Contents
4. Dedication
5. About the author
6. Acknowledgements
7. Introduction
8. How to get the most out of this book
9. SECTION 1 MANAGING YOURSELF
   1. Introduction
   2. 1 What’s my management style?
   3. 2 Do I manage or lead people?
   4. 3 What power do I have and how can I use it?
   5. 4 How can I work smarter, not harder, and become more productive?
   6. 5 Is it ever OK to rely on gut instinct?
   7. 6 How can I become better at receiving negative feedback?
   8. 7 Looking at what I do, which stuff adds the most value?
   9. 8 How can I manage my boss and get away with it?
   10. 9 How do I deliver a really effective presentation?
   11. 10 How can I make meetings more productive?
   12. 11 How can I get everyone to contribute/speak at meetings?
   13. 12 How can I delegate effectively?
   14. 13 How do I make better decisions?
   15. 14 How do I project a professional image?
   16. 15 How do I manage my career and prepare myself for promotion?
   17. Key messages to take from this section
10. SECTION 2 MANAGING PEOPLE
    1. Introduction
    2. 16 How can I win the recruitment lottery and consistently select the right people?
    3. 17 How much should I know about the day-to-day work of my staff?
    4. 18 How can I increase my team’s productivity?
    5. 19 How can I use staff training and development to improve performance?
    6. 20 How can I stamp out recurring problems?
    7. 21 How can I motivate staff?
    8. 22 How can I reward staff when the budget is tight?
    9. 23 How can I handle conflict between members of staff?
    10. 24 How can I give negative feedback to staff without demotivating them?
    11. 25 How can I get my team and myself noticed by the people that matter?
    12. 26 How can I turn around an underperforming group of staff?
    13. 27 What should I be doing at each stage of the change process?
    14. 28 How do I deal with those people who oppose change?
    15. 29 How do I set targets for myself and my staff?
    16. 30 How do my staff perceive their relationship with management?
    17. Key messages to take from this section
11. SECTION 3 MANAGING PROJECTS
    1. Introduction
    2. 31 What are the three rules of project management?
    3. 32 What am I supposed to do as project leader?
    4. 33 What mix of skills and attitudes does my project team need?
    5. 34 How do I build team spirit?
    6. 35 How do I plan a project and set milestones?
    7. 36 How do I calculate the length of a project?
    8. 37 How can I minimise the risks associated with my project?
    9. 38 How can I deliver the most valuable parts of the project ahead of schedule?
    10. 39 How do I keep the project on time and within budget?
    11. 40 How can I improve my team’s effectiveness?
    12. 41 How do I deal with requests to amend a project after it has started?
    13. 42 What can I do if the project starts to go wrong?
    14. 43 How can I pass on what I’ve learnt to other project managers?
    15. Key messages to take from this section
12. SECTION 4 NAVIGATING THE WIDER ORGANISATION
    1. Introduction
    2. 44 What is the organisation’s culture and does it suit me?
    3. 45 How do I identify the key people in the organisation who I need to keep sweet?
    4. 46 How do I survive organisational politics?
    5. 47 How do I play the game of organisational politics and win?
    6. 48 How do I keep abreast of changes that might affect me and my organisation?
    7. 49 What are the signs that the organisation is in danger of collapse?
    8. 50 Where do I find an organisation chart that shows how things really work?
    9. Key messages to take from this section
13. SECTION 5 WORKING WITH CUSTOMERS AND SUPPLIERS
    1. Introduction
    2. 51 How do I build positive relationships with my customers and make them feel valued?
    3. 52 What’s the best way to respond to customer complaints?
    4. 53 What can I do to improve the quality of my product?
    5. 54 How can I build strong relationships with suppliers?
    6. 55 How can I become a better negotiator and get a better deal from suppliers and colleagues?
    7. Key messages to take from this section
14. SECTION 6 MANAGING OPERATIONAL PLANS AND BUDGETS
    1. Introduction
    2. 56 What role am I expected to play in planning?
    3. 57 How do I prepare a strategic plan?
    4. 58 How do I prepare an operational plan?
    5. 59 How do I build a vision for my team?
    6. 60 How do I prepare a budget in normal times?
    7. 61 How do I prepare a budget in tough times?
    8. 62 How do I monitor a budget effectively?
    9. Key messages to take from this section
15. SECTION 7 UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL JARGON
    1. Introduction
    2. 63 What’s the difference between cash and profit?
    3. 64 What’s the difference between insolvency and bankruptcy?
    4. 65 What’s value for money?
    5. 66 What’s the difference between a budget and a forecast?
    6. 67 What’s the difference between direct costs and overheads?
    7. 68 What are the differences between cost, trading and investment centres?
    8. 69 What is discounted cash flow?
    9. 70 What’s the difference between revenue expenditure and capital expenditure?
    10. 71 What’s the difference between fixed and variable costs?
    11. 72 What is breakeven analysis and why is it important?
    12. 73 How do I calculate a sales price?
    13. 74 What are the four most useful financial ratios?
    14. 75 What is cost benefit analysis?
    15. 76 How can I increase the organisation’s profits?
    16. Key messages to take from this section
16. Conclusion
17. Further reading
18. Index
19. Imprint