Hardball Pr: How to Get Tough With Predatory Journalists Who Threaten Your Corporation

Book Description

To all corporate executives:

Warning!

There are now thousands of aggressive, ambitious young journalists out there who desperately want to become the next Bob Woodward, the next Mike Wallace or the next Seymour Hersh.

They want to get there quick. They want to get there with minimal effort. And they wonÂ't mind getting there by destroying your company and marching over its corpse.

These are the predatory journalists. They disguise themselves as Â“investigative reporters,Â” but investigation is the least of their concerns. What they want is the hot headline that portrays you as a villain and that ignites public outrage. They know this is the fast track to stardom in the news media, and theyÂ're not about to let little things like facts, truth and context get in the way.

Where do they get their stories? Often from Corporate AmericaÂ's most ruthless antagonists: plaintiff attorneys and social activists.

Traditional PR says that you must kowtow to these thugs.

Hardball PR says you can fight backÂ—and win.

Read this book. The life you save could belong to your company.

Average customer rating:

The Art and Science of Effective Teamwork

A solid book about Teams

Creating Teams with an Edge (Harvard Business Essentials)
Harvard Business School Press
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Workplace | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 159139290X

Book Description

Creating Teams with an Edge: The Complete Skill Set to Build Powerful and Influential Teams

Teams can be a driving force for organizational performance-and managers can play a key role in teams' ultimate success or failure. Highlighting the latest research on team development and dynamics-and including hands-on tools for improving communication, resolving conflicts, promoting interdependence, and more-this guide will help managers at all levels to motivate teams to achieve higher performance.

The Harvard Business Essentials series is for managers at all levels but is especially relevant for new managers. It offers on-the-spot guidance, coaching, and tools on the most relevant topics in business. Each book includes the critical information that managers need on a given topic-from budgeting to hiring to communication to strategy-and offers interactive tools and worksheets that translate advice into action. Providing ready answers to day-to-day issues, these guides make sound, trusted mentoring advice available whenever managers need it.

Other Books in the HBE Series:

Managing Change and Transition

Hiring and Keeping the Best People

Finance for Managers

Business Communications

Innovation

Negotiation

Customer Reviews:

The Art and Science of Effective Teamwork.......2005-07-10

This is one of the volumes in the new Harvard Business Essentials Series. Each offers authoritative answers to the most important questions concerning its specific subject. The material in this book is drawn from a variety of sources which include the Harvard Business School Press and the Harvard Business Review as well as Harvard ManageMentor®, an online service. I strongly recommend the official Harvard Business Essentials Web site (www.elearning.hbsp.org/businesstools) which offers free interactive versions of tools, checklists, and worksheets cited in this book and other books in the Essentials series. Each volume is indeed "a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience." And each is by intent and in execution solution-oriented. Although I think those who have only recently embarked on a business career will derive the greatest benefit, the material is well-worth a periodic review by senior-level executives.

Credit Richard Luecke with pulling together a wealth of information and counsel from various sources. He is also the author of several other books in the Essentials series. In this instance, he was assisted by a subject advisor, Jeff Polzer, who is an associate professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School. Together, they have carefully organized the material as follows.

Team Concepts: Understand These First
Essentials for an Effective Team: The Foundations of Success
Forming the Team: The Crew and Its Charter
Getting Off on the Right Foot: Important First Steps
Team Management Challenges: Where Leaders [and Leadership] Matter
Operating as a Team: Putting Ideas [and Insights] to Work
The Virtual Team: A Collaborative Challenge
Becoming a Team Player: Your Most Important Assignment

Please note the sequence of subjects addressed. Luecke and Polzer offer a step-by-step process which is cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective. Throughout their narrative, they provide an abundance of observations, suggestions, caveats, strategies, tactics, and checklists which really do comprise "the complete skill set to build powerful and influential teams." Then in the three appendices, they provide useful implementation tools, a guide to effective coaching, and a "Troubleshooting Guide" because any human enterprise -- especially one which requires effective cooperation, collaboration, and communication -- is certain to encounter all manner of problems, especially when those initiatives challenge what Jim O'Toole has characterized as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom."

This volume will be most valuable to decision-makers in those organizations (regardless of size or nature) which are either planning to respond to opportunities as well as problems by creating "a team with an edge," or, are now thinking about doing so. I know of no other single volume which can be of greater assistance to those decision-makers, whatever their current circumstances may be. That said, it would be foolish to depend entirely on a single source for guidance, albeit one as insightful and practical as this one is. Rigorous, sometimes painful soul-searching must first be completed. In a perfect world, everyone in a given organization cooperates, collaborates, and communicates effectively. In reality, that is true of very few organizations. For all others, a team can be created and then generously supported whose mission is to solve a given problem or exploit an opportunity but one which, in process, also demonstrates HOW to complete any other mission with effective cooperation, collaboration, and communication.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out all other volumes in Harvard Business Essentials Series as well as O'Toole's Leading Change, Evan I. Schwartz's Juice: The Creative Fuel That Drives World-Class Inventors, Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith's The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High-Performance Organization, Warren Bennis and Patricia Ward Biederman's Organizing Genius: The Secrets of Creative Collaboration, Dorothy A. Leonard, Walter C. Swap's When Sparks Fly: Harnessing the Power of Group Creativity, Gary Harpst's Six Disciplines for Excellence, Carla O'Dell's If Only We Knew What We Know: The Transfer of Internal Knowledge and Best Practice, and Jason Jennings' Think Big, Act Small: How America's Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-up Spirit Alive.

A solid book about Teams.......2004-12-14

I enjoyed this book about teams, it provided very good overal information on all of the different stages teams go through from start to finish. The book also included things that must be done, and things to avoid.

This book will prepare the reader well to tackle challenging tasks with their teams. It will help determine what should be done individually, as a work group or as a team. Something I have personally experienced myself that they covered really well is the need to define the projet well as you assemble your teams, and also to define measures of success, roles, communcations methods and decision rules to be used by the team leader - Team leaders will find it very useful.

Also a small section on vitual teams working together remotely which I think could have been more extensive, but still covered all of the needs of a virtual team, including the need to meet face to face at the start of the project to build the teamwork and cooperation spirit of the team.

What I did not like? The main thing is that the book looked at teams mostly from the point of view of a large organization. Not much talk about small teams operating from small to medium enterprises, and how smaller and more flexible teams can also bring great benefits.

Comments and your feel about this book? email me to discuss.

Thanks

A very good book on teams overall.

Book Description

The making and sharing of money is a loaded issue for every couple. A Citibank survey found financial issues to be the primary reason for divorce, but in this practical guide, clinical psychologist Jonathan Rich shows partners how to avoid finance-based conflicts and make negotiating money matters both pleasurable and productive. Section One starts with a self-assessment quiz to help readers determine their own "money personality" from categories such as "gambler," "banker," "homesteader," "pioneer," "spartan," or "monarch." Working from this foundation, the couple can learn to navigate differences in money-management styles and effectively negotiate financial matters. Section Two focuses on strategies for growing money. Quizzes and exercises reinforce these concepts and make learning them fun. A final section helps readers decide when to seek professional financial help. 20 worksheets are included.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book with practical, step-by-step advice for real couples!.......2007-01-11

This great workbook is one of my top picks for my clients - couples working on money issues. Jonathan's useful and validated assessment creates much fodder for in-depth discussions on differences around money.

Couples can finally get off the blame wagon and start to really understand why they each operate the way they do around money. My husband and I enjoyed the fresh perspectives for our own marriage too! ;)

Jonathan measures three different "Money Personality" dimensions: Risk-taking, Lifestyle and Dependence. He goes on to dispense useful suggestions for real-life applications - managing spending and debt, work, investments, savings, insurance and financial planning.

The Couple's Guide to Love & Money is among my favorite money book collection. Other titles include: Money Harmony by Olivia Mellan, The Secret Meaning of Money by Cloe Madanes, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People by Jane Bryant Quinn.

Cheers,
Mari Smith
Couples and Money Specialist
[...]

Amazing strategies for prosperity and intimacy.......2003-10-24

Too many self-help books offer vague "positive
thinking" advice. Not so with this one. Virtually
every type of financial conflict is addressed in these
pages, and the reader is given fun, interesting, and
effective ways to specifically address problems, gain
insight, and to start a mutual creative path toward
prosperity. The book is filled with real-life stories
of couples with conflicts over money - it's impossible
to go through it without finding situations that you
can perfectly identify with. One section provides a
method for weighing the value of your time - this
section allowed me to make a compelling case to my
husband that hiring occasional household help would
actually help rather than hurt our bottom line! Even
though my marriage is strong, I could still find many
tips which were powerful and effective for moving us
forward financially.
As a psychologist, I frequently see clients facing
the types of problems discussed in this book. I'm
delighted that this volume exists as a resource for
them, one that I'm glad to refer them to. This book
is strongly recommended for any couple, or for any
professional who counsels or advises couples.

Financial Advice with a Heart.......2003-03-25

This book provides useful, unique perspectives about dealing with money as a couple. It is written in a personable style and, unlike a lot of personal finance books, it's fun to read. The book exactly pinpointed my own and my husband's financial styles, and then gave insightful and practical suggestions about how to work together effectively without arguing. I loved the "Shared Dreams" chapter. The author explains that you can accomplish far greater things by working together as a couple than by working individually or at odds with each other. This is a great book, not just for couples that are having money problems or money-related arguments, but also for couples that want to reach higher financial ground. After going through the book with my husband, I feel we understand each other much better, and have a clearer vision of our future together. I LOVED this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any couple.

Love and Money: A Life Guide to Financial Success

Average customer rating:

Easy to read and informative
Book for all ages
Excellent Advice on Handling Money
Love & Money: A Life Guide to Financial Success
Much to think about...and a great read!

Love and Money: A Life Guide to Financial Success
Jeff D. Opdyke
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471476587

Book Description

"The financial decisions we make in our lives are sometimes not the easiest to discuss but have long-lasting effects. [Opdyke's advice] has opened the door in my relationship to conversations that were a long time coming."
-Josh, regular reader of Opdyke's "Love & Money" column, Florida

Real answers to real questions about money and relationships:

I have too much debt and my credit isn't very good. How can I fix my financial problems? And how do I break the news to my boyfriend?
How do I teach my kids the value of money, when my parents shower them with expensive gifts?
My wife makes more money than I do, does that give her a greater voice in our financial decisions? Are we still equal?
How much should I give my child in allowance? And will it really help him learn the value of a dollar?
We want to have our first baby, but we don't know if we can afford it yet. How much money do we really need to have in the bank?

If you're like most people, you're struggling with questions like these. Whether we like it or not, money makes a big difference in the choices we make and the lives we lead. Unresolved questions about money can put unwanted stress on even the healthiest relationships-between spouses, between parents and children, and even between friends. In Love & Money, columnist Jeff Opdyke offers practical personal finance advice, as well as strategies for dealing with touchy financial topics-so that money doesn't end up costing you something even more valuable.

Customer Reviews:

Easy to read and informative.......2005-03-27

As a follower of the weekly Sunday column, "Love and Money", I moved to a new city where Mr. Opdyke's column is not in my Sunday paper. After many unfilled Sundays, to my excitement I discovered that this book was assembled. The book is equal, if not better than the weekly series. I enjoy reading the financial and true life information that realistically plagues our married and family lives. It constantly makes me reevaluate my finances, spending, and budgeting (or I should say "Spending Plans").
The book should be required reading for married couples. Well worth it.

Book for all ages.......2004-04-16

This book was given to us as a wedding gift. It has been invaluable as my husband and I have built our life together, from pooling our checking accounts, to managing bills.

Excellent Advice on Handling Money.......2004-03-18

Jeff Opdyke takes a hard look at various money problems facing people at various stages of their lives. Although you won't have to face each problem, the advice is sound and the reasoning behind the advice is bound to be helpful in some aspect of your financial life.

One problem, ignored by other authors, is how to handle the situation when an aging parent makes bad (wasteful) financial decisions. Do you sacrifice your own retirement savings to bail them out, or is there a better solution? Opdykes answer is worth the price of the book.

Other topics are covered in a thoughtful manner. This book is easy to read and provides good financial advice.

Love & Money: A Life Guide to Financial Success.......2004-03-02

I saw a brief review of this in a popular news weekly. It sounded like just what my wife and I needed to help us shore up the foundation of our financial house of cards. I logged on to amazon.com immediately to buy it. Amazon was also offering David Bach's "Smart Couples Finish Rich" so my wife and I decided to pop for both. Do yourself a favor: buy the David Back book and save your money on this one. While not completely useless (anything that gets you to think has some value), it raises more questions than answers. Jeff Opdyke, by his own admission, is a late 30's parent of a school age child. Yet, he writes about every stage of life as if from his own experience. And when he gets in a jam, he always refers to his mythical friend, Denise, a financial planner in Northern California. She offers up such good advise I wish she had written her own book. Until she does, the David Bach book tackles many of the same topics (how to discuss finances in an intimate relationship) along with offering a down-to-earth, nuts-and-bolts plan to achieving your financial goals as a couple.

Much to think about...and a great read!.......2004-01-18

This book is an excellent companion to other financial books. Rather than tell you how to save or invest, it talks about the personal sides of money in life. Although most of the book comes from the standpoint of someone in a marriage, much of the material will be relevant for everyone. The point of the book is to make us think about the "other" questions that personal finance implies, such as dealing with financial compatibility with others, kids & allowances, supporting parents in their old age, deciding what you actually want to do with your retirement, and some others. I appreciate Opdyke's candor in talking about the conversations he has with his spouse, as I have similar talks with my wife. This book has given me much to think about, and more to talk about with my wife. All of this is done in a pleasant, easy-to-read style that is not at all "preachy" about what you "should" be doing. A great read, and highly recommended.

What to Do Before the I Do: The Modern Couple's Guide to Marriage, Money and Pre-nups (What to Do Before I Do)

Average customer rating:

Good resource
Just Look Online

What to Do Before the I Do: The Modern Couple's Guide to Marriage, Money and Pre-nups (What to Do Before I Do)
Nihara K. Choudhri
Manufacturer: Sphinx Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Budgeting & Money Management | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1572484519

Book Description

The cake has been chosen, the reception hall reserved, and all the attire ordered. Creating a marriage contract is probably the last thing on your mind. However, by working with your spouse-to-be to design your particular marriage contract, you control the relationship and direct your future. What to Do Before "I Do" takes the potentially unromantic idea of a prenuptial agreement and makes you see its importance to your relationship. Proper planning will answer questions such as-

Will your child continue to be cared for in the manner you wish if you pass away?

Is your fiancé's debt your responsibility?

Can your wife claim your premarital property in a divorce? People often enter marriage with only a vague understanding of their partner's financial status. Even if you decide against a prenuptial agreement, after reading this book, you will realize how important it is to go into a marriage with your eyes wide open.

Customer Reviews:

Good resource.......2007-09-12

I am a law student and have already taken a Family law class, but I learned things from this book that I hadn't learned in class (because frankly, I don't think my professor knew about them). The book doesn't teach you how to write your own prenup without an attorney, but it can help you make a list of the issues you need to discuss with an attorney, or better yet, reach a basic agreement with your fiancee before you see an attorney to draft the actual document. I disagree with the review below that says this is an uncompassionate book filled with horror stories. It's true that the book uses stories, but it uses them in context and tries to convince you that having a prenup doesn't mean that you don't love the other person. I gave the book only 4 stars because I think the sample prenup in the back of the book leaves some important issues unaddressed.

Just Look Online.......2007-08-27

Filled with horror stories. If you know these issues might be important, you know why and don't need cautionary tales. I wanted advice not "scared straight." Just look online for articles about finances and marriage--you'll get the same advice for free and without the caustic view of relationships and matrimony.

Money and Marriage for Engaged Couples: A Guide to Choosing the Right Partner and Developing a Relationship That Lasts

Average customer rating:

Money and Marriage for Engaged Couples: A Guide to Choosing the Right Partner and Developing a Relationship That Lasts
Steven Pybrum
Manufacturer: Abundance Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Budgeting & Money Management | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Marriage | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Money and Marriage: Making It Work Together--A Guide to Smart Money Management and Harmonious Communications

ASIN: 0965127702

Book Description

Provides marriage skills that should have been taught in high school or college. Shows you how to ask and what questions to ask to find a partner that will last a lifetime.

Customer Reviews:

Modern Social Customs & the American Business Enterprise.......2007-02-03

In economics, students are trained to regard labor markets and the success of products as "market phenonena," set by the entirely impersonal laws of demand and supply. While those ideas have some use in describing the system of exchange and markets for financial instruments, they don't really have much use in explaining the rise of certain patterns in the labor market or the social mores of a workplace. The US economy, in particular, is influenced decisively by the existence of powerful, industrially integrated business entities--the corporation and the trade association. These entities have historically played a crucial role in designing or prioritizing social change.

Unlike European capitalist enterprise, which tended to be dominated by cartels of many small organizations, in a mature consumer market, and focused on export to dissimilar cultures, American enterprise was dominated by huge organizations; the goal was the material and social transformation of immense frontier regions with growing populations, through assimilation and co-option. These are sweeping generalizations, and excessively crude, but my object is to point out the peculiar character of America's new (in 1870) corporate system.

Olivier Zunz's account attempted to address several of the social changes effected by the rise of the large industrial corporation; his focus is on middle class mores, rather than the now well-documented formation of blue collar labor-management relations. So, for example, he examines the way in which the white collar world of the insurance sector managed the assimilation of large numbers of younger women into its ranks. This, in turn, had a very dramatic impact on social customs related to marriage, courtship, or feminine tastes. Another major theme is the evolution of corporate meritocracy, which of course would establish not only who was successful and who was a failure, but in fact what merit was.

Zunz emphasizes the process by which the corporate world courted new cadres of workers, such as young single women from the countryside, who were initially uneasy about this unfamiliar work environment. Impressive architectural monuments, such as the magnificent Met Life building in NYC, were effective at winning recruits, while strict sexual segregation reassured parents of the new workers. Likewise, the extremely powerful sales organizations of the new industrial firms tended to instill religious devotion to the firm and a superficial egalitarianism. Instead of entering into a profession with class boundaries to ultimate life achievement, Corporate America promised unlimited opportunity to rise through the ranks, given sufficient zeal for the firms goals.

Average customer rating:

Making America Corporate 1870-1920
Olivier Zunz
Manufacturer: Univ of Chicago Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MZADPA

Average customer rating:

Making America Corporate, 1870-1920

Manufacturer: University of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HNFYYC

Average customer rating:

MAKING AMERICA CORPORATE, 1870-1920.
Olivier. Zunz
Manufacturer: Univ. of Chicago Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N7A35C

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