Recommendations based on "The Nature of Business Transformation"

“Our job as Scrum professionals is to continually improve our ability to use Scrum to deliver products and services that help customers achieve valuable outcomes. This book will help you to improve your ability to apply Scrum.” –From the Foreword by Ken Schwaber, co-author of Scrum Mastering Professional Scrum is for anyone who wants to deliver increased value by using Scrum more effectively. Leading Scrum practitioners Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl draw on years of Scrum training and coaching to help you return to first principles and apply Scrum with the professionalism required to achieve its transformative potential. The authors aim to help you focus on proven Scrum approaches for improving quality, getting and using fast feedback, and becoming more adaptable, instead of “going through the motions” and settling for only modest improvements. Whether you’re a Scrum Master, Development Team member, or Product Owner, you’ll find practical advice for facing challenges with transparency and courage, overcoming a wide array of common challenges, and continually improving your Scrum practice. Realistically assess your current Scrum practice, and identify areas for improvement Recognize what a great Scrum Team looks like and get there Focus on “Done”–not “sort-of-Done” or “almost-Done” Measure and optimize the value delivered by every Product Increment Improve the way you plan, develop, and grow Clear away wider organizational impediments to agility and professionalism Overcome common misconceptions that stand in the way of progress Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

Refactoring is about improving the design of existing code. It is the process of changing a software system in such a way that it does not alter the external behavior of the code, yet improves its internal structure. With refactoring you can even take a bad design and rework it into a good one. This book offers a thorough discussion of the principles of refactoring, including where to spot opportunities for refactoring, and how to set up the required tests. There is also a catalog of more than 40 proven refactorings with details as to when and why to use the refactoring, step by step instructions for implementing it, and an example illustrating how it works The book is written using Java as its principle language, but the ideas are applicable to any OO language.

Never has media training been more relevant, or in-demand. Confidently deliver a key message, even in crisis conditions, and represent yourself or your organization using this unique collection of models and techniques. Featuring insightful anecdotes of interviews from the likes of George W. Bush, HRH Prince Philip, and more, this is a must-read for any PR executive, press officer or communications professional.Any individual preparing for an interview with the media, however practised or well-rehearsed they are, worries about failing to convey the essential points, or encountering that awkward question in the glare of public scrutiny. As media channels multiply by the day, offering ever more opportunities for exposure, so they also present a growing probability of finding oneself in front of the camera, webcam, or microphone in a make-or-break encounter where every word, gesture or expression counts.Media Interview Techniques is the authoritative guide to giving successful media interviews, combining the author's own unique models and techniques with a survey of published research and influential opinion, to help the reader prepare for any occasion when called upon to represent an organization publicly.Supported throughout with insightful anecdotes and transcripts of good and bad interviews given by George W. Bush, HRH Prince Philip, David Cameron and numerous public figures, this book presents a methodology which has been proven across the spectrum of industry sectors both nationally and internationally.Written for those who speak on behalf of commercial companies, public services, charities, NGOs, or as a subject expert (or for those briefing clients prior to interviews), no communications professional can afford to be without a copy.The book is also supported by online resources, including web links to relevant media interviews for each chapter and high-profile news stories.

A captivating blend of cutting-edge scientific evidence and real-world stories providing leaders and managers with proven and practical strategies and tools for navigating today's emotionally taxing workplace.Broad changes have dramatically disrupted our workplaces and increased the emotional demands on leaders everywhere. Leaders now must support their teams' mental health and burnout (while managing their own), build trust with and motivate a remote and diverse workforce, allay employee fears of obsolescence while driving the integration of new technologies like AI, and demonstrate bottomless sensitivity and compassion while still delivering results at a relentless pace. No wonder leaders are burning out. Emotional labor is a daily unrecognized burden leaders carry and can have significant costs for their health and performance over time.However, achieving high performance and fulfillment without compromising your well-being is possible, and Emotionally Charged shows you how. Dina Denham Smith and Alicia A. Grandey debunk myths and equip you to handle emotionally loaded work events, from preparing for high-stakes scenarios to managing curveballs and conflicts, supporting distressed employees, and recovering effectively after being drained at work.Blending real-world cases from leaders and evidence-based insights, Emotionally Charged will help all leaders--from front-line managers to C-Suite execs--manage the new work landscape. Anchored in the science of emotions, Emotionally Charged will equip you with practical strategies and tools to lead successfully and thrive in the new age of work.

Corporate financial reports. They re oftentimes the only place investors can turn for information about a business s overall health. But with major financial scandals popping up in greater numbers (and with more inevitably on the way), the time has never been better for a newly-revised edition of the classic guide to the games accountants play. The first two editions of Financial Shenanigans contained a wealth of information on how businesses play it fast and loose with earnings reports. And now the 3rd Edition builds on this strong foundation, broadening its focus to include global markets and arming us with all-new information on how to detect shenanigans in cash flow statements; EBITBDA, same-store sales, capitalization reports and corporate communications; and other sources. Other indispensable resources include: The latest information on other problem areas, including pension accounting, financial instruments, and off-the-balance-sheet entities Key sections on financial institutions Tips, tricks, and checklists to help you research businesses before you invest in them

Building on their breakthrough bestsellers Lean Software Development and Implementing Lean Software Development, Mary and Tom Poppendieck’s latest book shows software leaders and team members exactly how to drive high-value change throughout a software organization—and make it stick. They go far beyond generic implementation guidelines, demonstrating exactly how to make lean work in real projects, environments, and companies.The Poppendiecks organize this book around the crucial concept of frames, the unspoken mental constructs that shape our perspectives and control our behavior in ways we rarely notice. For software leaders and team members, some frames lead to long-term failure, while others offer a strong foundation for success. Drawing on decades of experience, the authors present twenty-four frames that offer a coherent, complete framework for leading lean software development. You’ll discover powerful new ways to act as competency leader, product champion, improvement mentor, front-line leader, and even visionary.Systems thinking: focusing on customers, bringing predictability to demand, and revamping policies that cause inefficiency Technical excellence: implementing low-dependency architectures, TDD, and evolutionary development processes, and promoting deeper developer expertise Reliable delivery: managing your biggest risks more effectively, and optimizing both workflow and schedules Relentless improvement: seeing problems, solving problems, sharing the knowledge Great people: finding and growing professionals with purpose, passion, persistence, and pride Aligned leaders: getting your entire leadership team on the same page From the world’s number one experts in Lean software development, Leading Lean Software Development will be indispensable to everyone who wants to transform the promise of lean into reality—in enterprise IT and software companies alike.

In many organizations, management is the biggest obstacle to successful Agile development. Unfortunately, reliable guidance on Agile management has been scarce indeed. Now, leading Agile manager Jurgen Appelo fills that gap, introducing a realistic approach to leading, managing, and growing your Agile team or organization.   Writing for current managers and developers moving into management, Appelo shares insights that are grounded in modern complex systems theory, reflecting the intense complexity of modern software development. Appelo’s Management 3.0 model recognizes that today’s organizations are living, networked systems; and that management is primarily about people and relationships.   Management 3.0 doesn’t offer mere checklists or prescriptions to follow slavishly; rather, it deepens your understanding of how organizations and Agile teams work and gives you tools to solve your own problems. Drawing on his extensive experience as an Agile manager, the author identifies the most important practices of Agile management and helps you improve each of them.   Coverage includes   • Getting beyond “Management 1.0” control and “Management 2.0” fads • Understanding how complexity affects your organization • Keeping your people active, creative, innovative, and motivated • Giving teams the care and authority they need to grow on their own • Defining boundaries so teams can succeed in alignment with business goals • Sowing the seeds for a culture of software craftsmanship • Crafting an organizational network that promotes success • Implementing continuous improvement that actually works   Thoroughly pragmatic–and never trendy–Jurgen Appelo’s Management 3.0 helps you bring greater agility to any software organization, team, or project.  

No matter where you are on the organizational ladder, the odds are high that you've delivered a high-stakes presentation to your peers, your boss, your customers, or the general public. Presentation software is one of the few tools that requires professionals to think visually on an almost daily basis. But unlike verbal skills, effective visual expression is not easy, natural, or actively taught in schools or business training programs. slide:ology fills that void. Written by Nancy Duarte, President and CEO of Duarte Design, the firm that created the presentation for Al Gore's Oscar-winning film, An Inconvenient Truth, this book is full of practical approaches to visual story development that can be applied by anyone. The book combines conceptual thinking and inspirational design, with insightful case studies from the world's leading brands. With slide:ology you'll learn to:Connect with specific audiences Turn ideas into informative graphics Use sketching and diagramming techniques effectively Create graphics that enable audiences to process information easily Develop truly influential presentations Utilize presentation technology to your advantage Millions of presentations and billions of slides have been produced -- and most of them miss the mark. slide:ology will challenge your traditional approach to creating slides by teaching you how to be a visual thinker. And it will help your career by creating momentum for your cause.

“This is the management book of the year. Clear, powerful and urgent, it's a must read for anyone who cares about where they work and how they work.”  —Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing   “This book is a breath of fresh air. Read it now, and make sure your boss does too.”  —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg When fast-scaling startups and global organizations get stuck, they call Aaron Dignan. In this book, he reveals his proven approach for eliminating red tape, dissolving bureaucracy, and doing the best work of your life. He’s found that nearly everyone, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, points to the same frustrations: lack of trust, bottlenecks in decision making, siloed functions and teams, meeting and email overload, tiresome budgeting, short-term thinking, and more. Is there any hope for a solution? Haven’t countless business gurus promised the answer, yet changed almost nothing about the way we work? That’s because we fail to recognize that organizations aren’t machines to be predicted and controlled. They’re complex human systems full of potential waiting to be released. Dignan says you can’t fix a team, department, or organization by tinkering around the edges. Over the years, he has helped his clients completely reinvent their operating systems—the fundamental principles and practices that shape their culture—with extraordinary success. Imagine a bank that abandoned traditional budgeting, only to outperform its competition for decades. An appliance manufacturer that divided itself into 2,000 autonomous teams, resulting not in chaos but rapid growth. A healthcare provider with an HQ of just 50 people supporting over 14,000 people in the field—that is named the “best place to work” year after year. And even a team that saved $3 million per year by cancelling one monthly meeting. Their stories may sound improbable, but in Brave New Work you’ll learn exactly how they and other organizations are inventing a smarter, healthier, and more effective way to work. Not through top down mandates, but through a groundswell of autonomy, trust, and transparency. Whether you lead a team of ten or ten thousand, improving your operating system is the single most powerful thing you can do. The only question is, are you ready?

This book explains and explores the essential terms and key concepts in the world of business, finance, and company management. If you're perplexed by profit margins, confused by cash flow, or baffled by balance sheets, all your questions and many more are answered in this indispensable guide. Grasp how companies work, from management to research and development, and sales and marketing to production and distribution. Eye-catching visual aids give a helpful representation of each and every aspect of business, while the complex subject matter is broken down into clear definitions and concise explanations, expressed in easy-to-understand language. Crammed with essential know-how, How Business Works is perfect for anyone looking to boost their business brain or learn the ropes from the ground to the top.