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Reading List ... recommended books People often ask me how and where I learn what I know. The answer is multi-faceted but it does involve a considerable amount of reading every week ... every week new books arrive and are placed on the heap of "urgent, must read now" ... every week I am inspired by someone else's knowledge and experiences. I am fortunate that I also have original ideas and was born to be "organised and efficient and effective and productive" ... I can see the VISION of a project whilst attending to the DETAIL at the same time ... I don't have to think about it ... I don't have to read about it ... I just do it ... However, just like an experienced gardener will buy books about gardening (because there's always something to learn ... and it's interesting to them), I continue to buy books about topics close to my heart. I hope that the following Reading List will be of use ... and will inspire others ... Brilliant Networking - Steven D'Souza
What the best networkers know, do and say
ISBN 978-0-273-71494-2
I recently read this paperwork and can highly recommend it. I consider myself a competent networker and found that I was instinctively already doing many of the things mentioned. However, there were some valuable resources mentioned and I also benefitted from the interactive nature of the book where I had to reflect on where I am and where I want to be. Well worth purchasing.
One of the areas of mutual interest is Steven D’Souza’s reference to having an appropriate “follow-up” system which is a topic I cover in my workshop entitled ”What to do with all those business cards” which I shall be delivering from April 2008.
Here are some of the quotes which I highlighted:-
“Networking is more than just the exchange of business cards. Networking is developing relationships which can support you, and in which you can provide support to others, in every area of life.”
“Networking is the art of building reciprocal relationships that help individuals and the community as a whole to achieve their goals.”
“Brilliant networkers realise that the more diverse reciprocal relationships they have the more they can benefit from potential options and opportunties.”
“Brilliant networkers know trust is built on reciprosity - simply giving and receiving. By being genuinely attentive to the needs of others, they build win/win relationships that are the basis of success.”
“Brilliant networkers … have a clear idea of what they want to gain from the activities they do.”
“People are drawn to others who have a clear mission, purpose or vision. … It is the ’cause’ that engages people and captivates them.”
“Brilliant networkers are generally curious people. While some are experts in their field they often have a wide range of interests and friends, and are well read. This enables them to start and maintain conversations on a wide range of topics.”
“One of the key qualities of brilliant networkers is that they have an ‘abundance mentality’. They give of themselves and this giving then attracts a form of repayment, or reciprocity. … successful networkers …. give knowing that sometimes they will not get, but they still enjoy the feeling of giving and do it anyway. Their generosity of spirit encourages others to be generous also.”
Lord Bilimoria CBE DL, Founder and Chief Executive, Cobra Beer
“We all know the old saying “knowledge if power” - but what is too often forgotten is that who you know is every bit as important as what you know. Contacts and relationships can be crucial, and developing your network is among the most important aspects of business”
“This is the essence of networking and the importance of connecting with people: it isn’t about having a drawer full of business cards or meeting that one-off contact who can get you something. It’s about building strong, long-lasting friendships and relationships.”
Mapping your Networks
I was pleased to see that Steven D’Souza advocates the use of Mindjet’s MindManager to create maps of networking contacts because this is exactly how I have been keeping track of my networks since August 2007.
Eat That Frog!
Get More of the Important Things Done - Today!
- Brian Tracy
There's an old saying that if the first thing you do in the morning is to eat a live frog, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that it's probably the worst thing you'll do all day. Eat That Frog! takes this saying as a metaphor for tackling the most challenging task of your day - the one you are most likely to put off, but also probably the one that will have the greatest positive impact on your life. There simply isn't enough time to do everything on our "To Do" list - and there never will be. Successful people don't try to do everything. They focus on the most important tasks and make sure they get done. Bestselling author Brian Tracy cuts to the core of the three vital rules of effective personal time management: decision, discipline and determination, and details twenty-one practical and do-able steps that will help you stop procrastinating and get more of those important tasks done - today! ...I thoroughly enjoyed this little book - it is easy to read; full of practical advice which can be followed straight away. My advice ... read it ... remember it ... do it (every day) and life will feel much less stressed and dis-organised. Idea Mapping - Jamie Nast
How to Access Your Hidden Brain Power, Learn Faster, Remember More, and Achieve Success in Business. In this busy world, we're constantly asked to do more in less time. But how do you cope with the pressure? Idea mapping is the answer. It's an effective and revolutionary tool that enables you to meet the demands of life and work by improving your abiliity to plan, think and learn. Designed to help you use more of your brainpower with less effort, an idea map is a colourful visual representation of a particular issue, problem, or idea ... on a single piece of paper. Our brains are much better at absorbing, processing and remembering information presented in the form of an idea map as opposed to information presented in a multi-linear document. Because idea maps represent facts and issues visually - engaging both hemispheres of the brain - they foster more efficient learning, enable you to approach problems more creatively, and help you think more systematically. Author Jamie Nast has trained thousands of people at dozens of high-profile organizations on using idea maps. In Idea Mapping she explains how you can apply the power of idea maps to your professional life - helping you and your teams plan better, increase productivity, organize complex information, save time, and develop new ideas and solutions. .....I have recently had the privilege of corresponding with Jamie about a Webinar she gave ... truly excellent ... she has inspired me to "take the risk to be more creative" [use imagery and colour to engage the audience] ... "child-like not childish". For anyone unsure what "mind mapping" is all about and whether it is appropriate for business, I strongly recommend this book on Idea Mapping. Brilliant Business Connections - Frances Kay
How powerful networking can transform you and your company’s performance … It’s who you know that really matters...
“Building relationships requires time, commitment and effort.”
“… developing brilliant business connections … is rather like a treasure hunt. You never know who you will meet or what you may find out.”
“Networks work best with ‘give and take’. You only get out what you are prepared to put in.”
“The best networks are information-rich, collaborative, high-trust environments.”
“Enthusiasm is catching. Being positive is attractive.”
“Networking and selling, however, are like chalk and cheese. Networking events should be used as a platform to make positive business connections. You may sell yourself but not your products or services.”
“One of the reasons why networking gets a bad name is because people who do not understand the process abuse it by trying to sell services or products.”
“Set up a monthly reminder note to contact anyone you haven’t seen or spoken to in the last six to eight weeks. They will appreciate you keeping in touch…. Many people will be amazed that you’ve rung them without any particular reason or ulterior motive attached.”
 Take Back Your Life! Using Microsoft Office 2007 -
Sally McGhee & John Wittry
Take control of the unrelenting email, conflicting commitments and endless interruptions - and take back your life!
In this popular book updated for Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, productivity experts Sally McGhee and John Wittry show you how to reclaim what you thought you'd lost forever - your work-life balance. Now you can benefit from McGhee Productivity Solutions' highly-regarded corporate education programs, learning simple but powerful techniques for rebalancing your personal and professional commitments using Outlook 2007.
Empower yourself to:
Clear away distractions ... focus on what's really important to you.
Take charge of your productivity
Balance your home and work priorities
Go beyond just coping - transform your life
Author Sally McGhee, a recognised thought leader and innovator in the field of productivity management, has trained thousands of people in the corporate environment. She has more than 25 years' experience as a consultant and an executive coach. 
Six Of The Best - Lessons In Life and Leadership - Chartered Management Institute / Ed Peppitt
Do you want to be the best manager you can be? Don't miss this great opportunity to learn from the life experiences of six of the best-known and most acute business minds in the world. Based on specially commissioned interviews, Six of the Best is by turns inspirational, insightful, down-to-earth and deeply personal. Each section of this book gives you a privileged audience with a leader who has proved that the best is attainable. Checklists help you to apply these lessons to your own working life, in the key skills of: Leading people - Sir Michael Bichard Managing change - Sir John Tusa Meeting customer needs - Lord Karan Bilimoria Managing Information and Knowledge - Sir Digby Jones Managing Activities and Resources - Diane Thompson CBE Managing Yourself - Andy Green
Six of the Best will help you to be a better manager and get more enjoyment out of your working life. It is also a fantastically entertaining read!  Leadership Scaffolding -
Judith Elliott
Preface by Judith Elliott: There are a lot of good books and courses around on management. They all tell you what you need to know to do a decent job as a middle manager. This one is different because it's the first one to tell you how to. Not just how to delegate, or motivate, or write a strategy, but how to do it all. And how to do it all so that everything joins up, seamlessly. Successful organisations actually put a range of processes in place to enable managers to manage. They set up a framework, if you like, to work by - mechanisms that encourage managers to delegate, motivate, involve and so on. I call this scaffolding. Different organisations have their own, unique scaffolding, which is fine. Pizza meetings for the whole company on a Friday afternoon work well in some places, not in others. A state of the nation address from the MD is pretty common but the style varies hugely. Each to his own. But in the following chapters we will review the minimum scaffolding required. The bad news for some of you is that the minimum is actually a lot. But simple though. Of course, you might be a pretty darn good manager, in a pretty well-scaffolded organisation. In that case, regard this book as a sort of a pulse check. I interviewed a fair bunch of seriously good managers for this book and every single one of them found at least one process that we talked about that needed improving in their area. On the other hand, you might work in a place that is distinctly short on scaffolding. You might even take an active dislike to some of it. "Write a micro-strategy ... but why?" I hear you say. Or, "meetings, more meetings!". Trust me, I get around quite a bit. The truly excellent middle managers have a full range of processes in place, regardless of what the rest of the organisation does. And not only do they have the range, but the scaffolding is joined up; there are no gaps. ... I had the privilege to meet Judith when she gave a talk about "Leadership Scaffolding" in Cambridge (England) in 2006 ... She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and, with her team, delivers Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) accredited management development programmes."  Clear Blogging -
Bob Walsh
How People Blogging Are Changing the World
and How You Can Join Them Preface by Bob Walsh: I had two types of readers in mind in this endeavour to nail down how to blog successfully. First, I wanted to help people who have never blogged, and because blogs have now cocme to their attention, they wonder if blogging has something in it for them. The short answer is yes! The long answer is in the book. You'll find out about blogging if you run a business, are building a career, do hazardous work, would like to report the news, or just want to join the online conversation about your interests. The second audience for this book is bloggers who, for one reason or another, just haven't gotten the results they expected when they started blogging weeks or months ago. Here you'll find a ton of advice, tips, and help from bloggers who've found their road to blogging success. "Does the world need another book about blogging? This book proves that the answer is a resounding YES. There's a lot to learn and Bob is an excellent guide."
(Seth Godin, Author Small is the New Big)  The Complete Idiot's Guide to Project Management with Microsoft Office 2003 -
Ron Black
Stop Managing crises and start leading projects! You're no idiot, of course. You know that understanding rules and terms, and structuring the accompanying charts and lists, are daunting tasks in themselves. Without the skills required to use an expensive and complex software program to help you organise even the simplest of projects, you're finished before you've even started. Plan, prepare and present as a professional:- Set up a timeline with objectives, phases, tasks and milestones.
Delegate responsibility throughout the team - without overburdening
Budget your project based on available finances and resources.
Use Microsoft Project to identify potential problems,
Learn how to archive your project for future reference.
Distribute information on the web.
"You ability to complete projects is central to your success. This is the best book you'll ever read on the subject!"
(Brian Tracy, author, consultant and speaker) 
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Steven R. Covey
"This book has the gift of being simple without being simplistic". (M.Scott Peck author of The Road Less Traveled) In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Steven R. Covey presents an holistic, integrated, principle-centred approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes. Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty and human dignity - principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. "Fundamentals are the key to success. Steven Covey is a master of them. Buy his book, but most importantly, use it!" (Anthony Robbins, author of Unlimited Power) ... I first read this book when it was originally published ... however, it remains on the "must be read now" pile so that I can constantly dip in and remind myself ...
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