Böcker i HBR Guide-serien

Don't let a fear of numbers hold you back.Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.You'll learn how to:Identify the metrics you need to measureRun experiments and A/B testsAsk the right questions of your data expertsUnderstand statistical terms and conceptsCreate effective charts and visualizationsAvoid common mistakes

Help your people reach their potential.As a manager, it's your responsibility to ensure your team is motivated and performing at a high level. But recent data reveals abysmal engagement levels among workers around the globe. How do you fix the problem--before your most talented people walk out the door?By understanding what drains your employees, you can increase their job satisfaction and push them toward achieving their goals. The HBR Guide to Motivating People provides practical tips and advice to help your team find meaning in their work, build on their strengths, and produce the best results for the organization.You'll learn how to:Pinpoint the root causes of lackluster performanceTailor rewards and recognition to individualsConnect routine work activities to a higher purposeSupport your employees' growth and developmentPrevent burnout--especially in your top performersCreate a culture of engagementArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Your next act starts now.You're ready for something new, but it's hard to start over. Just the idea of trading the security you have now for the unknown or throwing away the education and time you've invested in your current career can plunge you into a swirl of indecision and anxiety. But mixing things up every few years is an increasingly normal and cyclical part of a healthy work life--a way to gain new skills and stretch your existing ones by applying them to different contexts.Whether you know what you want to do next or you're still evaluating options, the HBR Guide to Changing Your Career will help you:Imagine other professional selvesIdentify the skills you need--and those you already possess that will transfer to another industryAssess the financial implications of the change you're consideringTry out new roles without endangering your current jobExplain a seemingly winding career pathPitch yourself into a new role

Get your idea off the ground.You've got a great idea that will increase revenue or boost productivity-but how do you get the buy-in you need to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows your idea's value. That's not always easy: Maybe you're not sure what kind of data your stakeholders will trust. Or perhaps you're intimidated by number crunching.The HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case, written by project management expert Raymond Sheen, gives you the guidance and tools you need to make a strong case. You'll learn how to:Spell out the business need for your ideaAlign your case with strategic goalsBuild the right team to shape and test your ideaCalculate the return on investmentAnalyze risks and opportunitiesPresent your case to stakeholders

Are your employees meeting their goals? Is their work improving over time? Understanding where your employees are succeeding-and falling short-is a pivotal part of ensuring you have the right talent to meet organizational objectives.In order to work with your people and effectively monitor their progress, you need a system in place. The HBR Guide to Performance Management provides a new multi-step, cyclical process to help you keep track of your employees' work, identify where they need to improve, and ensure they're growing with the organization.You'll learn to:Set clear employee goals that align with company objectivesMonitor progress and check in regularlyClose performance gapsUnderstand when to use performance analyticsCreate opportunities for growth, tailored to the individualOvercome and avoid burnout on your teamArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Managing the human side of workResearch by Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and coauthor of Primal Leadership, has shown that emotional intelligence is a more powerful determinant of good leadership than technical competence, IQ, or vision.Influencing those around us and supporting our own well-being requires us to be self-aware, know when and how to regulate our emotional reactions, and understand the emotional responses of those around us. No wonder emotional intelligence has become one of the crucial criteria in hiring and promotion.But luckily it's not just an innate trait: Emotional intelligence is composed of skills that all of us can learn and improve on. In this guide, you'll learn how to:Determine your emotional intelligence strengths and weaknessesUnderstand and manage your emotional reactionsDeal with difficult peopleMake smarter decisionsBounce back from tough timesHelp your team develop emotional intelligenceArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Forget about the hard bargain.Whether you're discussing the terms of a high-stakes deal, forming a key partnership, asking for a raise, or planning a family event, negotiating can be stressful. One person makes a demand, the other concedes a point. In the end, you settle on a subpar solution in the middle-if you come to any agreement at all.But these discussions don't need to be win-or-lose situations. Written by negotiation expert Jeff Weiss, the HBR Guide to Negotiating provides a disciplined approach to finding a solution that works for everyone involved. Using a seven-part framework, this book delivers tips and advice to move you from a game of concessions and compromises to one of collaboration and creativity, resulting in better outcomes and better working relationships. You'll learn how to:Prepare for your conversationUnderstand everyone's interestsCraft the right messageWork with multiple partiesDisarm aggressive negotiatorsChoose the best solution

IS YOUR WORKLOAD SLOWING YOU-AND YOUR CAREER-DOWN?Your inbox is overflowing. You're paralyzed because you have too much to do but don't know where to start. Your to-do list never seems to get any shorter. You leave work exhausted but have little to show for it.It's time to learn how to get the right work done.In the HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done, you'll discover how to focus your time and energy where they will yield the greatest reward. Not only will you end each day knowing you made progress-your improved productivity will also set you apart from the pack.Whether you're a new professional or an experienced one, this guide will help you:Prioritize and stay focusedWork less but accomplish moreStop bad habits and develop good onesBreak overwhelming projects into manageable piecesConquer e-mail overloadWrite to-do lists that really work

Don¿t let destructive drama sideline your career.Every organization has its share of political drama: Personalities clash. Agendas compete. Turf wars erupt. But you need to work productively with your colleagues¿even difficult ones¿for the good of your organization and your career. How can you do that without compromising your personal values? By acknowledging that power dynamics and unwritten rules exist¿and navigating them constructively.The HBR Guide to Office Politics will help you succeed at work without being a power grabber or a corporate climber. Instead yoüll cultivate a political strategy that¿s authentic to you. Yoüll learn how to:Gain influence without losing your integrityContend with backstabbers and bulliesWork through tough conversationsManage tensions when resources are scarceGet your share of choice assignmentsAccept that not all conflict is badArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Find the right person to help supercharge your career.Whether you're eyeing a specific leadership role, hoping to advance your skills, or simply looking to broaden your professional network, you need to find someone who can help. Wait for a senior manager to come looking for you-and you'll probably be waiting forever.Instead, you need to find the mentoring that will help you achieve your goals. Managed correctly, mentoring is a powerful and efficient tool for moving up.The HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need will help you get it right. You'll learn how to:Find new ways to stand out in your organizationSet clear and realistic development goalsIdentify and build relationships with influential sponsorsGive back and bring value to mentors and senior advisersEvaluate your progress in reaching your professional goals

DON'T LET YOUR FEAR OF FINANCE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR SUCCESSCan you prepare a breakeven analysis? Do you know the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet? Or understand why a business that's profitable can still go belly-up? Has your grasp of your company's numbers helped-or hurt-your career?Whether you're new to finance or you just need a refresher, this go-to guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to master the fundamentals, as all good managers must.The HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers will help you:Learn the language of financeCompare your firm's financials with rivals'Shift your team's focus from revenues to profitsAssess your vulnerability to industry downturnsUse financial data to defend budget requestsInvest smartly through cost/benefit analysis

MEET YOUR GOALS-ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.How do you rein in the scope of your project when you've got a group of demanding stakeholders breathing down your neck? And map out a schedule everyone can stick to? And motivate team members who have competing demands on their time and attention?Whether you're managing your first project or just tired of improvising, this guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to define smart goals, meet them, and capture lessons learned so future projects go even more smoothly.The HBR Guide to Project Management will help you:Build a strong, focused teamBreak major objectives into manageable tasksCreate a schedule that keeps all the moving parts under controlMonitor progress toward your goalsManage stakeholders' expectationsWrap up your project and gauge its success

Help your employees help themselves. As a manager in today's business world, you can't just tell your direct reports what to do: You need to help them make their own decisions, enable them to solve tough problems, and actively develop their skills on the job. Whether you have a star on your team who's eager to advance, an underperformer who's dragging the group down, or a steady contributor who feels bored and neglected, you need to coach them: Help shape their goals--and support their efforts to achieve them. In the HBR Guide to Coaching Employees you'll learn how to: * Create realistic but inspiring plans for growth * Ask the right questions to engage your employees in the development process * Give them room to grapple with problems and discover solutions * Allow them to make the most of their expertise while compelling them to stretch and grow * Give them feedback they'll actually apply * Balance coaching with the rest of your workload Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Are you suffering from work-related stress?Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and short-tempered at work-and at home? Then you may have too much stress in your life. Stress is a serious problem that impacts not only your mental and physical health, but also your loved ones and your organization. So what can you do to address it?The HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work will help you find a sustainable solution. It will help you reach the goal of getting on an even keel-and staying there. You'll learn how to:Harness stress so it spurs, not hinders, productivityCreate realistic and manageable routinesAim for progress, not perfectionMake the case for a flexible scheduleEase the physical tension of spending too much time at your computerRenew yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally