| Overview |
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1 The Four Phases of Project Management |
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3 | (28) |
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What's involved in planning, build-up, implementation, and closeout---and how these processes overlap |
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31 | (10) |
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Who's who in project management |
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41 | (6) |
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4 Dealing with a Project's "Fuzzy Front End" |
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47 | (6) |
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You can't eliminate uncertainty in the early stages of a complex project---but you can manage it |
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5 Performing a Project Premortem |
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53 | (4) |
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Learn from your project while it's still alive and well |
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6 Will Project Creep Cost You---or Create Value? |
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57 | (8) |
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Set strict limits on scope, but be flexible when major opportunities arise |
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7 Setting Priorities Before Starting Your Project |
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65 | (8) |
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Three steps for staying on track |
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8 Boost Productivity with Time-Boxing |
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73 | (4) |
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Tips for getting your team's calendars---and yours---under control |
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77 | (10) |
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Put the horse before the cart |
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10 HBR Case Study: A Rush to Failure? |
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87 | (14) |
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When does speed trump quality? |
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11 Getting Your Project Off on the Right Foot |
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101 | (6) |
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Set your project up for success with a well-planned launch |
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12 The Discipline of Teams |
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107 | (6) |
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Mutual accountability leads to astonishing results |
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13 Effective Project Meetings |
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113 | (4) |
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Run your meetings well, and infuse your project with energy and direction |
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14 The Adaptive Approach to Project Management |
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117 | (6) |
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What to do when your usual decision tools cease to be useful in the face of uncertainty |
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15 Why Good Projects Fail Anyway |
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123 | (4) |
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The risks that come with big projects---and how to manage them |
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16 Monitoring and Controlling Your Project |
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127 | (8) |
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Don't be afraid to revise your plan |
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17 Managing People Problems on Your Team |
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135 | (4) |
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Make sure people stay on task, pull their weight, work together, and meet quality standards |
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18 The Tools of Cooperation and Change |
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139 | (4) |
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What to do when people disagree on goals, how to achieve them, or both |
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19 Don't Throw Good Money (or Time) After Bad |
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143 | (8) |
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How to avoid chasing after sunk costs |
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20 Handing off Authority and Control |
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151 | (6) |
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Gauge your success before wrapping things up |
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21 Capturing Lessons Learned |
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157 | |
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Four steps to an effective after-action review |
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| Glossary |
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163 | (4) |
| Index |
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167 | (30) |
| Preface: The Condensed Guide to Running Meetings |
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1 | (10) |
| The 5-minute version of everything you need to know |
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1 Do You Really Need to Hold That Meeting? |
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11 | (4) |
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A simple tool to help you decide |
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2 Stop Calling Every Conversation a "Meeting" |
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15 | (4) |
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We need a more effective vocabulary |
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3 If You Can't Say What Your Meeting Will Accomplish, You Shouldn't Have It |
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19 | (6) |
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Set a purpose by answering two questions |
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4 How to Design an Agenda for an Effective Meeting |
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25 | (8) |
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A productive meeting begins here |
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5 The Key to Shorter, Better Meetings |
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33 | (2) |
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A filter to help you articulate your purpose |
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35 | (2) |
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Build in time for transition |
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7 The Magic of 30-Minute Meetings |
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37 | (6) |
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Give yourself less time, and you'll get more done |
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8 Meetings Need a Shot Clock |
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43 | (4) |
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Tackle your agenda by beating the buzzer |
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9 Are There Too Many People in Your Meeting? |
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47 | (6) |
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Probably. A rule of thumb |
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10 Before a Meeting, Tell Your Team That Silence Denotes Agreement |
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53 | (6) |
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Speak now or forever hold your peace |
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11 Establish Ground Rules |
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59 | (4) |
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Set expectations for participation |
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12 Reach Group Decisions During Meetings |
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63 | (4) |
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You have options for gathering input and moving forward |
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13 The Right Way to Cut People Off in Meetings |
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67 | (4) |
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14 Dealing with People Who Derail Meetings |
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71 | (6) |
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Having an explicit purpose will get you back on track |
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15 Refocus a Meeting After Someone Interrupts |
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77 | (10) |
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Listen, validate, and redirect |
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SECTION THREE Participate |
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16 Polite Ways to Decline a Meeting Invitation |
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87 | (6) |
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Preserve your time---and the relationship |
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17 How to Interject in a Meeting |
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93 | (4) |
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Useful phrases to introduce ideas, disagree, and express confusion |
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18 Stuck in a Meeting from Hell? Here's What to Do |
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97 | (4) |
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Don't just sit there and suffer |
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19 7 Ways to Stop a Meeting from Dragging On |
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101 | (6) |
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Break free from the silent majority |
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20 When Your Boss Is Terrible at Leading Meetings |
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107 | (8) |
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Three tactics for turning things around |
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SECTION FOUR Close and Follow Up |
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21 The Right Way to End a Meeting |
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115 | (4) |
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22 Don't End a Meeting Without Doing These 3 Things |
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119 | (8) |
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Make sure everyone's on the same page |
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SECTION FIVE Specific Types of Meetings |
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23 What Everyone Should Know About Running Virtual Meetings |
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127 | (8) |
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24 How to Run a Great Virtual Meeting |
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135 | (8) |
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25 Conduct a Meeting of People from Different Cultures |
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143 | (8) |
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Help them step outside their comfort zones |
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26 Making Global Meetings Work |
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151 | (4) |
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Inconvenience everybody equally |
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27 Give Your Standing Meetings a Makeover |
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155 | (2) |
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Do away with the same old, same old |
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28 How to Do Walking Meetings Right |
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157 | (6) |
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Boost your creative thinking and engagement |
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29 Stand-Up Meetings Don't Work for Everybody |
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163 | (4) |
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Are they speedy, or sexist, ageist, and height-ist? |
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30 Leadership Summits That Work |
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167 | (33) |
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Stop putting your top people to sleep |
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| Appendix A Meeting Preparation Checklist |
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197 | (2) |
| Appendix B Sample Agendas |
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199 | (6) |
| Appendix C Meeting Follow-Up Checklist |
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205 | (2) |
| Appendix D Sample Follow-Up Memo |
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207 | (4) |
| Appendix E Digital Tools to Make Your Next Meeting More Productive |
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211 | (8) |
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| Index |
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219 | (4) |
| Introduction |
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xv | |
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Know your audience and build empathy |
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Understand the Audience's Power |
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3 | (4) |
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Your idea's fate is in their hands |
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7 | (4) |
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Focus on who matters most |
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Present Clearly and Concisely to Senior Executives |
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11 | (4) |
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Help them make big decisions on a tight schedule |
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Get to Know Your Audience |
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15 | (4) |
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It's easier to convince someone you know |
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Define How You'll Change the Audience |
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19 | (2) |
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What do you want people to believe? How do you want them to behave? |
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21 | (6) |
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Develop persuasive content |
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27 | (2) |
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Clearly state your point of view---and what's at stake |
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Generate Content to Support the Big Idea |
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29 | (4) |
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When you're brainstorming, more is more |
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33 | (4) |
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Think through opposing perspectives |
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Amplify Your Message Through Contrast |
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37 | (2) |
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Create and resolve tension |
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Build an Effective Call to Action |
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39 | (4) |
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43 | (4) |
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47 | (4) |
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Outline your presentation by writing clear, active slide titles that hang together |
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Balance Analytical and Emotional Appeal |
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51 | (4) |
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Stay credible while you reel people in |
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55 | (4) |
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Is your language clear enough to pass the "grandmother test"? |
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59 | (4) |
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Good ones get repeated, tweeted, and heeded |
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Use storytelling principles and structure to engage your audience |
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Apply Storytelling Principles |
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63 | (2) |
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Make your presentation stick |
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65 | (2) |
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Storytelling principles provide a framework |
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67 | (4) |
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Establish the gap between what is and what could be |
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71 | (2) |
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Build tension between what is and what could be |
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73 | (2) |
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75 | (6) |
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Decisions are not made by facts alone |
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Use Metaphors as Your Glue |
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81 | (2) |
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Memorable themes help rally an audience |
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Create Something They'll Always Remember |
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83 | (8) |
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Identify the best modes for communicating your message |
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Choose the Right Vehicle for Your Message |
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91 | (4) |
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Slide decks aren't always the answer |
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Make the Most of Slide Software |
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95 | (4) |
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Determine the Right Length for Your Presentation |
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99 | (4) |
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Keep your audience engaged by budgeting your time |
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Persuade Beyond the Stage |
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103 | (4) |
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Communicate before, during, and after your presentation |
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107 | (4) |
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Mixing in experts and media holds interest |
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Conceptualize and simplify the display of information |
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111 | (2) |
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Visuals should convey meaning |
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Create Slides People Can "Get" in Three Seconds |
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113 | (4) |
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Do they pass the glance test? |
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Choose the Right Type of Slide |
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117 | (6) |
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Bullets aren't the only tool |
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Storyboard One Idea per Slide |
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123 | (4) |
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127 | (2) |
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Make your slides stand out |
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Arrange Slide Elements with Care |
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129 | (8) |
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Make your visuals easier to process |
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137 | (6) |
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Emphasize what's important, remove the rest |
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143 | (6) |
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Use shapes to show relationships |
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Use the Right Number of Slides |
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149 | (2) |
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Size up your situation before building your deck |
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151 | (4) |
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... and when it's overkill |
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Deliver your presentation authentically |
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Rehearse Your Material Well |
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155 | (4) |
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Roll with the unexpected and fully engage with the audience |
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Know the Venue and Schedule |
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159 | (4) |
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Control them when you can |
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Anticipate Technology Glitches |
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163 | (4) |
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Odds of malfunction are high |
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167 | (2) |
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Exercises to calm your nerves |
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Set the Right Tone for Your Talk |
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169 | (2) |
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You never get a second chance to make a first impression |
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171 | (4) |
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Authenticity connects you to others |
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Communicate with Your Body |
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175 | (4) |
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Physical expression is a powerful tool |
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Communicate with Your Voice |
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179 | (2) |
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Create contrast and emphasis |
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Make Your Stories Come to Life |
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181 | (2) |
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Re-experience them in the telling |
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Work Effectively with Your Interpreter |
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183 | (4) |
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Pay attention to chemistry, pacing, and cultural resonance |
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Get the Most out of Your Q&A |
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187 | (4) |
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Build Trust with a Remote Audience |
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191 | (4) |
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Get past technology's barriers |
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Keep Remote Listeners Interested |
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195 | (4) |
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You're fighting for the attention of multitaskers |
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Keep Your Remote Presentation Running Smoothly |
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199 | (6) |
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Use this checklist to minimize annoyances |
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Measure---and increase---your presentation's impact on your audience |
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Build Relationships Through Social Media |
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205 | (6) |
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Engage with users so they'll engage fully and fairly with your ideas |
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Spread Your Ideas with Social Media |
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211 | (4) |
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Facilitate the online conversation |
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Gauge Whether You've Connected with People |
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215 | (4) |
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Gather feedback in real time and after your talk |
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Follow Up After Your Talk |
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219 | (4) |
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Make it easier for people to put your ideas into action |
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| Index |
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223 | (6) |
| About the Author |
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229 | |
| Introduction: Why you need to write well |
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xv | |
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Section 1 Delivering the Goods Quickly and Clearly |
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1 Know why you're writing |
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3 | (4) |
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2 Understand your readers |
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7 | (6) |
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3 Divide the writing process into four separate tasks |
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13 | (6) |
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4 Before writing in earnest, jot down your three main points---in complete sentences |
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19 | (8) |
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5 Write in full---rapidly |
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27 | (4) |
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6 Improve what you've written |
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31 | (6) |
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7 Use graphics to illustrate and clarify |
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37 | (6) |
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Section 2 Developing Your Skills |
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43 | (6) |
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9 Learn to summarize---accurately |
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49 | (4) |
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53 | (4) |
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11 Be plain-spoken: Avoid bizspeak |
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57 | (10) |
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12 Use chronology when giving a factual account |
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67 | (4) |
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13 Be a stickler for continuity |
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71 | (6) |
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14 Learn the basics of correct grammar |
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77 | (8) |
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15 Get feedback on your drafts from colleagues |
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85 | (6) |
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Section 3 Avoiding the Quirks That Turn Readers Off |
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16 Don't anesthetize your readers |
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91 | (8) |
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99 | (6) |
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Section 4 Common Forms of Business Writing |
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105 | (6) |
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111 | (14) |
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125 | (8) |
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21 Performance Appraisals |
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133 | (6) |
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A A Checklist for the Four Stages of Writing |
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139 | (4) |
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B A Dozen Grammatical Rules You Absolutely Need to Know |
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143 | (10) |
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C A Dozen Punctuation Rules You Absolutely Need to Know |
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153 | (10) |
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163 | (2) |
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E Some Dos and Don'ts of Business-Writing Etiquette |
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165 | (4) |
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169 | (30) |
| Desk References |
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199 | (4) |
| Index |
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203 | (6) |
| Acknowledgments |
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209 | (2) |
| About the Author |
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211 | |
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1 You Can't Get It All Done |
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3 | (6) |
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... so what should you do? |
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2 Nine Things Successful People Do Differently |
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9 | (14) |
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It's not who you are; it's what you do |
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3 Being More Productive: An Interview with David Allen and Tony Schwartz |
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23 | (12) |
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Do you need the right system or the right frame of mind? |
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Section 2 PRIORITIZE YOUR WORK |
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4 Get a Raise by Getting the Right Work Done |
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35 | (4) |
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Focus on the work that will bring the greatest reward---for your organization and for you |
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5 The Worth-Your-Time Test |
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39 | (4) |
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Stop wasting time on the wrong work |
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43 | (6) |
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Make it easier to decline projects and invitations |
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Section 3 ORGANIZE YOUR TIME |
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7 A Practical Plan for When You Feel Overwhelmed |
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49 | (4) |
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How to get started when you don't know where to begin |
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8 Stop Procrastinating---Now |
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53 | (4) |
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Five tips for breaking this bad habit |
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9 Don't Let Long-Term Projects Become Last-Minute Panic |
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57 | (6) |
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What to do when you have "all the time in the world" |
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63 | (6) |
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Do just one thing to get many things done |
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11 How to Stay Focused on What's Important |
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69 | (4) |
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73 | (4) |
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The secret is specificity |
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13 How to Tackle Your To-Do List |
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77 | (4) |
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14 Reward Yourself for Doing Dreaded Tasks |
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81 | (6) |
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When crossing items off your list just isn't enough |
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Section 4 DELEGATE EFFECTIVELY |
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15 Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey? |
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87 | (22) |
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Delegate, Delegate, Delegate |
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109 | (4) |
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17 Ritual: How to Get Important Work Done |
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113 | (4) |
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Make good habits automatic |
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18 Power Through Your Day in 90-Minute Cycles |
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117 | (4) |
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Work with your body's natural rhythms |
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19 An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day |
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121 | (4) |
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Frequent check-ins with yourself will keep you on course |
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20 Use a 10-Minute Diary to Stay on Track |
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125 | (10) |
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The best way to spend the last few minutes of your day |
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Section 6 RENEW YOUR ENERGY |
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21 How to Accomplish More by Doing Less |
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135 | (4) |
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Take breaks to get more done |
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22 Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time |
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139 | (8) |
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Time is limited, but your energy is not |
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23 Why Great Performers Sleep More |
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147 | (6) |
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Section 7 TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR E-MAIL |
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153 | (4) |
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25 Eight E-mail Overload Experiments |
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157 | (8) |
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Don't be afraid to be extreme |
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Section 8 MAINTAIN YOUR NEW APPROACH |
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26 Sustaining Your Productivity System |
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165 | (6) |
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You've become productive! Now keep it up |
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Section 9 EXPLORE FURTHER |
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27 More Productivity Books to Explore |
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171 | (4) |
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Summaries of three popular titles by Covey, Morgenstern, and Allen |
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28 Productivity Apps and Tools |
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175 | (6) |
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Tech tools to keep you on track |
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| Index |
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181 | |
