You’re a busy manager and you want practical, effective answers to everyday problems – fast!

The Little Book of Big Management Questions provides instant solutions to the key questions that every manager asks themselves:

How can I motivate my team? How do I calculate the length of the project? How do I delegate effectively? How do I prepare a strategic plan? And many, many more.

Each question is easy to find, explains why it’s important and the business thinking behind it. Then the fast, focused, expert solutions immediately empower you to take action and move forward with confidence.

The Little Book of Big Management Questions will make sure you can:

· Instantly and expertly handle a wide range of management challenges

· Be more prepared, more decisive and more in control

· Get the best from your team, the respect of your colleagues and the support of your peers

· Fully understand your responsibilities, the company you work for and your role within it.

All you want to know and how to apply it – in a nutshell.

Contents:

Introduction

How to get the most from this book

Section 1: Managing yourself

Introduction

Q1 What’s my management style?

Q2 Do I manage or lead people?

Q3 What power do I have and how can I use it?

Q4 How can I work smarter, not harder, and become more productive?

Q5 Is it ever ok to rely on gut instinct?

Q6 How do I become better at receiving negative feedback?

Q7 Looking at what I do which stuff adds the most value?

Q8 How can I manage my boss and get away with it? 
Q9 How do I deliver a really effective presentation?

Q10 How can I make meetings more productive?

Q11 How can I get everyone to contribute/speak at meetings?

Q12 How do I delegate effectively?

Q13 How do I make better decisions?

Q14 How do I project a professional image?

Q15 How do I manage my career and prepare myself for promotion?

Section 2: Managing staff

Introduction

Q16 How do I win the recruitment lottery and constantly select the right people?

Q17 How much should I know about the day to day work of my staff?

Q18 How can I increase my team’s productivity?

Q19 How can I use staff training and development to improve performance?

Q20 How can I stamp out recurring problems?

Q21 How can I motivate staff?

Q22 How do my staff perceive their relationship with management?

Q23 How can I reward staff when the budget is tight?

Q24 How can I handle conflict between members of staff?

Q25 How can I give negative feedback to a member of staff without demotivating them?

Q26 How can I get my team and myself noticed by the people that matter?

Q27 How can I turn around an underperforming group of staff?

Q28 What should I be doing at each stage of the change process?

Q29 How do I deal with those people who oppose change?

Q30 How do I set targets for myself and staff?

Section 3: Managing projects

Introduction

Q31 What are the three rules of project management?

Q32 What am I supposed to do as project leader?

Q33 Who do I need in my project team to be successful?

Q34 How do I build team spirit?

Q35 How do I plan a project and set milestones?

Q36 How do I calculate the length of the project?

Q37 How can I minimise the risks associated with my project?

Q38 How can I deliver the most valuable parts of the project ahead of schedule?

Q39 How do I keep the project on time and under budget?

Q40 How do I improve my team’s effectiveness?

Q41 How do I deal with requests from management to amend the project after it’s started?

Q42 What can I do if the project starts to go wrong?

Q43 How can I pass on what I’ve learnt to other project managers?

Section 4: Navigating the wider organisation

Introduction

Q44 Where do I find an organisation chart that shows how things really work?

Q45 What is the organisation’s culture and does it suit me?

Q46 How do I identify the key people in the organisation that I need to keep sweet?

Q47 How do I survive organisational politics?

Q48 How do I play the game of organisational politics and win?

Q49 How do I keep abreast of changes that might affect me and my organisation?

Q50 What are the signs that the organisation is in danger of collapse?

Section 5: Working with customers and suppliers

Introduction

Q51 How do I build a positive relationship with my customers and make them feel valued?

Q52 What’s the best way to respond to a customer’s complaint?

Q53 What can I do to improve the quality of my product?

Q54 How can I build strong relationships with suppliers?

Q55 How can I become a better negotiator and get a better deal from suppliers and colleagues?

Section 6: Managing operational plans and budgets

Introduction

Q56 What role am I expected to play in planning?

Q57 How do I prepare a strategic plan?

Q58 How do I prepare an operational plan?

Q59 How Do I build a vision for my team?

Q60 How do I prepare a budget in normal times?

Q61 How do I prepare a budget in tough times?

Q62 How do I monitor a budget effectively?

Section 7: Understanding financial jargon

Introduction

Q63 What’s the difference between cash and profit?

Q64 What’s the difference between bankruptcy and insolvency?

Q65 What’s value for money (VFM)?

Q66 What’s the difference between a budget and a forecast?

Q67 What are the differences between a cost centre, trading centre and investment centre?

Q68 What is discounted cash flow (DCF)?

Q69 What’s the difference between direct costs and overheads?

Q70 What’s the link between capital expenditure, revenue expenditure and depreciation?

Q71 What’s the difference between fixed and variable costs?

Q72 What’s break even analysis and why is it important?

Q73 How do I calculate a sales price?

Q74 What are the four most useful financial ratios that I should know?

Q75 What is cost benefit analysis

Q76 How do I increase the organisation’s profits?

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