Books about Results from Amazon.com

Here's another management parable that draws its lesson from an unlikely source--this time it's the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market. In Fish! the heroine, Mary Jane Ramirez, recently widowed and mother of two, is asked to engineer a turnaround of her company's troubled operations department, a group that authors Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen describe as a "toxic energy dump." Most reasonable heads would cut their losses and move on. Why bother with this bunch of losers? But the authors don't make it so easy for Mary Jane. Instead, she's left to sort out this mess with the help of head fishmonger Lonnie. Based on a bestselling corporate education video, Fish! aims to help employees find their way to a fun and happy workplace. While some may find the story line and prescriptions--such as "Choose Your Attitude," "Make Their Day," and "Be Present"--downright corny, others will find a good dose of worthwhile motivational management techniques. If you loved Who Moved My Cheese? then you'll find much to like here. And don't worry about Mary Jane and kids. Fish! has a happy ending for everyone. --Harry C. Edwards.
Price: $4.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]

An easy-to-start, simple-to-maintain, scientifically sound, and eminently usable twelve-week program of small steps on the road to better health

Small Changes, Big Results is not about cutting all the carbohydrates out of your diet. Or replacing every single gram of sugar with omega-3 fatty acids. It’s not about doing one hundred sit-ups a day, or getting on the treadmill whenever you have a free second. In fact, it’s not about any of the total lifestyle-replacement gimmicks—whether diet, exercise, or pop psychology—that have swept our culture in recent years, putting untold millions of Americans on the risky roller coaster of success and failure that defines fad diets and programs.

Not here.

Small Changes, Big Results is about reality—the reality of what you can do, the reality of what you want to do, and the reality of what works. It’s about introducing a series of small changes each week for three months in the three core areas of diet and nutrition; exercise and fitness; and emotional wellness. For each of the twelve weeks, nutritionist Ellie Krieger introduces a very finite, completely practical action plan for the week—and not only are these tasks incredibly doable, they’re in fact so accessible that it’s tough not to be inspired.

For example, in Week 1 the nutrition task is merely to go shopping, buy some healthful pantry items, and start keeping track of what you eat; the exercise consists of taking three twenty-minute walks; and the wellness aspect is to do a five-minute breathing exercise. That’s it. And it doesn’t really get any harder.

But these small changes do in fact lead to big results. At the end of twelve weeks, a totally unhealthy diet has been overhauled: armed with easy, delicious recipes and tips, you’ve removed unhelpful munchies and replaced them with healthful snacking, you’ve cut down on lethal trans fats while adding beneficial fat choices, you’ve replaced refined grains with whole grains, you’re eating more fish and less red meat, and so forth. Yet you’ve never been forbidden to eat a single thing: instead of prohibiting entire food groups, Ellie categorizes foods as Usually, Sometimes, and Rarely—and now you should be eating more from the Usually choices, less from the Rarely category. Furthermore, you’ve integrated physical activity into your life, and you’ve developed a set of tools to help you deal with stress—you’re not only eating better, but you’re also exercising better and feeling better.

The beauty of this program is that none of these action steps is remotely intimidating, because they’re not a full immersion into a totally new lifestyle. Instead, it’s a series of incremental changes—removing bad habits one by one, while at the same time adding good ones. There’s nothing to scare you off—on the contrary, here’s a whole book full of small changes that produce big results.


From the Hardcover edition..
Price: $8.44 [Notify me when price goes down.]

This is the true story behind Wall Street legend Richard Dennis, his disciples, the Turtles, and the trading techniques that made them millionaires

What happens when ordinary people are taught a system to make extraordinary money? Richard Dennis made a fortune on Wall Street by investing according to a few simple rules. Convinced that great trading was a skill that could be taught to anyone, he made a bet with his partner and ran a classified ad in the Wall Street Journal looking for novices to train. His recruits, later known as the Turtles, had anything but traditional Wall Street backgrounds; they included a professional blackjack player, a pianist, and a fantasy game designer. For two weeks, Dennis taught them his investment rules and philosophy, and set them loose to start trading, each with a million dollars of his money. By the time the experiment ended, Dennis had made a hundred million dollars from his Turtles and created one killer Wall Street legend.

In The Complete TurtleTrader, Michael W. Covel, bestselling author of Trend Following and managing editor of TurtleTrader.com, the leading website on the Turtles, tells their riveting story with the first ever on the record interviews with individual Turtles. He describes how Dennis interviewed and selected his students, details their education and experiences while working for him, and breaks down the Turtle system and rules in full. He reveals how they made astounding fortunes, and follows their lives from the original experiment to the present day. Some have grown even wealthier than ever, and include some of today's top hedge fund managers. Equally important are those who passed along their approach to a second generation of Turtles, proving that the Turtles' system truly is reproducible, and that anyone with the discipline and the desire to succeed can do as well as—or even better than—Wall Street's top hedge fund wizards.

In an era full of slapdash investing advice and promises of hot stock tips for "the next big thing," as popularized by pundits like Jim Cramer of Mad Money, the easy-to-follow objective rules of the TurtleTrader stand out as a sound guide for truly making the most out of your money. These rules worked—and still work today—for the Turtles, and any other investor with the desire and commitment to learn from one of the greatest investing stories of all time.

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No managerial or administrative task is as universally dreaded as the performance review. Supervisors may know the points they need to get across, but putting them on paper is another matter. This book puts the the right words at their fingertips, with ready-to-use phrases and words, action items, and descriptions that managers, supervisors, and HR professionals can use to evaluate performance, prepare development plans, and address performance problems.

2600 Phrases for Effective Performance Appraisals covers the 25 most commonly rated factors, including productivity, time management, decision making, and teamwork, as well as specific roles such as customer service, finance, sales, and more. The book provides hundreds of phrases to use in performance improvement plans, plus an appendix of helpful individual words..
Price: $6.28 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From Publishers Weekly
Reading a book with the word "hug" in the title that basically advises on how to be nice to other people makes one realize that there ought to be more books like this on the shelves Mitchell, CEO of the clothing stores Mitchells/Richards/Marshs has already outlined how to keep customers happy in Hug Your Customers. With his newest, Mitchell repeats this mandate, now turning inward to focus on how to hire and maintain a happy staff. Divided into five parts that outline how to treat people, build trust, develop pride in your organization and be inclusive and recognize people, the book looks at how creating a niceness culture can help to create employees that stick around the company and take a personal interest in the organization. Mitchell ends each chapter with a helpful checklist that repeats the important points. In one chapter, he advises redefining "rules and regulations" as "expectations and standards" (rules, for example, are "unbending... cold and impersonal"; expectations are "flexible and freeing when they need to be"). While such changes may seem subtle, the spirit behind them is surely a worthwhile reminder of how to make work more enjoyable for everyone. (Mar. 4)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Howard Behar, Director, Starbucks Coffee
"Hug Your People is totally inspiring. Jack Mitchell takes you on a journey that is as much about life as it is about business. This book will not only help you become a better leader but also make you a better person. At Starbucks we experienced firsthand what the lessons that Jack imparts can do to help an organization. If you want a more rewarding relationship with another human being, read this book."

Richard J. Harrington, President and CEO, The Thomson Corporation
"If you look behind the scenes at any business that succeeds over the long term, you will find motivated, committed, energized employees. Jack Mitchell is the grand master at motivating and inspiring employees to perform brilliantly--and exceed their customers' expectations every time."

Sy Sternberg, Chairman and CEO, New York Life
"Hug Your People is the perfect sequel to Hug Your Customers. Good customer service starts with happy employees, and Jack Mitchell knows it!"

Arthur Levitt, Jr., author of Take on the Street, former chairman, SEC, present friend and customer of Mitchells
"Hug Your People must be a `must read' if Jack Mitchell authored it. He knows more about motivating people--customers, employees, and all with whom he comes in contact--than any other person I know."

Paul Newman
"If you want to run a business, but hate American corporate culture, this book is the one to read. Here's somebody whose advice you can use."

Ken Blanchard, coauthor, The One Minute Manager(R) and Raving Fans(R)
"... Jack Mitchell explains how simple ideas, put into practice, will let your employees know how much you value them."

Indra Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pepsico
"... spot-on ... Your book taught me a lot, Jack. For providing me with some great ideas, many thanks."

Cathie Black, President, Hearst Magazines
"... extraordinary customer service and satisfaction is the result of treating your associates like they, too, were family members."

About the Book
In Hug Your Customers, Jack Mitchell showed business readers how to keep their customers happy--and their profits booming. In Hug Your People, he elaborates on his big secret: hiring, motivating and keeping your biggest asset, great employees!

"Giving great personalized customer service has always been the foremost goal in my family, but one thing we never lose sight of is that you can't possibly deliver great service if you don't treat your own associates right." So says Jack Mitchell, CEO of his family's astoundingly successful chain of clothing stores. In Hug Your People, he shares his secrets for creating happy employees, secrets as simple as they are revolutionary:

Be NICE to them (and hire nice people to begin with)

TRUST them (they deserve it and will work even harder and smarter to continue to earn that trust)

Instill PRIDE in them (they are more productive when they are proud of their work)

INCLUDE them (since you can't do it alone)

Generously RECOGNIZE them (and not only with money--but don't be chintzy, either)

Hug Your People is filled with real stories about real people. Jack offers his principles on "hugging" your associates--whether they are the sales team, the cleaning staff, the delivery people, the backroom financial wizards, the marketing and advertising departments, or outsourced staff. Hug Your People is just what today's employees and managers need.

"Positive people power is fundamental to the overall success of any business." --Jack Mitchell

About the Author
JACK MITCHELL is the CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs, three of the most successful clothing stores in the business. He and his wife, Linda, live in Wilton, Connecticut, where they raised four sons..
Price: $11.65 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Every group can benefit from team-building exercises. But sometimes it's not practical to embark on a full-scale training initiative Now, supervisors, managers, and team leaders have 50 team-building activities to choose from, all of which can be implemented with no special facilities, big expense, or previous training experience. Readers will find engaging exercises for:

* Building new teams and helping teams with new members * Dealing with change and its effects: anger, fear, frustration, and more * Recognizing individual efforts and team accomplishments * Finding creative ways to work together and solve problems * Increasing and improving communication * Leveraging diversity and individual differences to meet team goals * Keeping competition healthy and productive within the team

Instructions and tips for follow-up and variations are included for each activity, and an additional chapter provides valuable advice for working through unexpected difficulties in team-building..
Price: $10.58 [Notify me when price goes down.]

What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works.

Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn
* the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities;
* the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each;
* how to work smart by choosing the right work that improves student achievement;
* the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement;
* how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and
* a 5-step plan for effective school leadership.

Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools..
Price: $16.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Praise For Results That Last

"Quint Studer is a superb communicator with a deep belief in the power of relationships His informal tone, sense of humor, and real-world stories bring his business principles to life. Results That Last has a vital, optimistic quality that will keep readers re-reading long after other leadership books have been relegated to a dark corner of the shelf."
—Nido Qubein, author of How to Get Anything You Want; President, High Point University; Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Company; and founder, National Speakers Association Foundation

"Results That Last is long overdue and fills a big gap in effective business management. There are legions of books that show us the way to achieve successful results in business, but very few that teach us how to institutionalize success. In reality, achieving success is the easy part. The real challenge is to achieve results that last. Quint Studer not only proves it is possible to hardwire a culture for lasting results, but lays out a simple, logical, and effective way to do so. Anyone who wants to make success a habit needs to read this book."
—Bob MacDonald, former CEO, Allianz Life of North America and author of Beat the System: 11 Secrets to Building an Entrepreneurial Culture in a Bureaucratic World

"I have always been fascinated by how the various parts of an organization work together to achieve strategic objectives. In Results That Last, Quint Studer explores the complex subject of performance improvement in a fresh, readable, and easy-to-grasp way. By standardizing certain business practices and leader behaviors, any company in any field can create an environment that allows it to achieve and sustain long-term results."
—David F. Giannetto, coauthor of The Performance Power Grid: The Proven Method to Create and Sustain Superior Organizational Performance.
Price: $13.92 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Praise for The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan

"What a book! New and experienced managers at every level will 'fly' with this programmed learning."
—The Honorable Bruce S. Gelb former vice chairman, Bristol-Myers Squibb

"I love this book and wish I had read it before stepping into my current leadership role. It provides a practical and indispensable road map to success that will help new leaders stack the odds in their favor. Read it and don't be among the forty percent of leaders who fail in the first eighteen months!"
—Sandy Rogers former marketing manager, Procter & Gamble and Apple Computer, and former senior vice president, Corporate Strategy, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company

"The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan offers a comprehensive architecture with practical tools and techniques for new leaders to follow. I believe that
leaders who utilize the advice from this book will have demonstrative business and culture-building results."
—Joe Bonito Vice President, Global Leadership Effectiveness, Pfizer

"One of the most basic yet comprehensive books I've read regarding the dos and don'ts of a successful on-boarding process. A must-read for all aspiring business leaders, from first-time CEO's to executives at every level of the organization. Also a great tool for human resources and talent manage-ment executives."
—Joe Griesedieck Vice Chairman, Korn/Ferry Executive Search.
Price: $13.82 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A decade ago, The Oz Principle took the business world by storm. At its root, the principle works like this: Like Dorothy and the gang in The Wizard of Oz, most businesspeople have the tools to succeed, but when things go wrong they blame circumstance or others instead of looking within for the true cause of unsatisfactory results. Once individuals learn to accept responsibility, they can use the Oz Principle to become better leaders.

Now, with corporate scandals in the headlines and the culture of victimization running rampant at every level of the business world, Roger Connors, Tom Smith, and Craig Hickman return with a new edition of The Oz Principle. Fully revised, this edition will update the statistics, concepts, and relevant companies through fresh, timely anecdotes and stories..
Price: $5.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]