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Greetings!
In difficult times, you need to keep your skills in shape. As busy managers, we often neglect our own development. What are you doing to become an even better manager?
There are some great tools (like books, websites and podcasts) to teach you new skills, make your job easier or make sense of the situations you find yourself in. So this month I'm sharing my favourites. Tried and tested by my friends and clients, they are all inspiring or have constructive solutions.
The books and websites are easy to read and attractively designed. I think you'll go back to them again and again. Tell me what you think ; what books, websites or podcasts you'd recommend.
Enjoy browsing. I hope you find great ideas you use today.
Sharon Leighton
P.S. You can also check out medical information mangement websites on my del.icio.us page. |
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 Five fulfilling books
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High. K Patterson, J Grenny, R MacMillan & A Switzler
ISBN-10: 0071401946
One of the challenges as a manager is handling that tricky conversation. The one about poor performance, not pulling your weight in the team, even body odour problems. This highly readable book gives you a helpful map and behavioural guidance on successfully dealing with conflict or emotional situations.
Blink. Malcolm Gladwell
ISBN-10: 0316010669
Have you ever had that niggling feeling about a situation and made a speedy judgement? Worried that intuition is no basis for decisions? Blink explains the neuroscience of decision making and gives you confidence to make that instant choice. Although it fascinated me (my PhD was in neurophysiology), you don't need a science degree to understand and apply the wisdom. He also wrote The Tipping Point about major change through small social shifts in behaviours.
The five dysfunctions of a team: a leadership fable. Patrick Lencioni.
ISBN-10 0787960756
Another book I always come back to for inspiration with simplicity. It uses a story about transforming a dysfunctional team into an effective team to explain leadership and management. It resonates with most managers as helps us deal with undercurrents and unhelpful behaviours in our own teams.
Management Teams: Why They Succeed or Fail.
Meredith Belbin. ISBN-10: 0750659106
Meredith Belbin explains how he developed his commonly used psychometric test on preferred behavioural styles in teams. If you've ever used it or had your profile done, you'll know it can help develop self-awareness and understand the behavioural dynamics in your team. For £30 you can do the validated test online and get an in-depth analysis of your effective behaviours and "allowable weaknesses"
Not bosses but leaders. How to lead the way to success. John Adair
ISBN 10: 0749446323
In fact any book by John Adair gets my vote. He excels at explaining leadership (as opposed to management) in ancompelling yet easy style. This latest book uses the technique of a dialogue between mentor and newbie to put across key leadership principles. Another easy read - ideal for the train or plane.
and one to keep you sane:
Any Dilbert book. Scott Adams
Lastly, Dilbert cartoons are the best at pointing out the absurdities, pleasures and dark humour of working together in teams in cubicleland. Just hope you're not the pointy haired boss! |
This is the sister website to the Crucial Conversations book mentioned above. Check out their newsletter archive. It includes an "agony aunt" column and comments from readers on how to handle difficult conversations. Hmm, maybe they have advice for that difficult conversation about whose parents you see this Christmas!
http://mindtools.com/A goldmine of goodies. It's a resource library of techniques and tools that trainers typically use on team days. With great acronyms like SWOT, PEST and SCAMPER you can't go wrong! You'll find something for most situations.
www.freepint.comFor information professionals and anyone who's interested in information IT tools or practices. Their newsletter is a great read for keeping up to date with information practice, knowledge management & Web 2.0 applications.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html
Need to plan a telecon with 4 different countries or cities but not sure if they'll even be at work? The world clock meeting planner website is an essential bookmark. Not all countries change their clocks on the same weekend. Not all cities change by one hour units (e.g. Mumbai & Adelaide use 30 minute slots).
www.linkedin.com
The business networking website. A great place to connect with other medical information folks or other business contacts. A place to lurk if you trying to find potential employees. Now we have a group for medical information personnel. The discussion forum allows us to post questions, alert others to new resources or opportunities. |
 Podcasts to ponder on
If you've got a MP3 player or a home computer, have you discovered podcasts yet? They vary from 5 mins to 1 hour. Most are audio but some are in video formats too.
Available to download through iTunes store, you can play them through iTunes or on your iPod. I love listening to them driving, on the train, at airports or on planes. People think you're crazy when you laugh out loud but you might get more personal space ;-).
Listen, learn, laugh. (Cheat sheet available here)
1. Get it done guy
Get it done guy (aka Stever Robbins) is my favourite. Using wit and dry humour, in just 7 minutes he shares top tips in getting things done. You have those "Aha" moments when he describes obvious and easy but you hadn't thought of it. His website has even more content.
2. Thinking for business success UK.
Again short podcasts with tips and an overview of essential management issues like gaining buy in, coaching someone, prioritisation. No cheesy dialogue. No crackling audio recordings.
3. Harvard business ideascast.
Yes, I really do listen to most of these. Includes interviews with fascinating business executives or leading academics. If you can't get to read the Harvard Business Review, this is a second best. And it's free!
4. The Podcast Sisters - web 2.0 for the non-geek.
If you want to know more about the world of Web 2.0 but were afraid to ask, eavesdrop in on the gossipy chat between the 3 female presenters. You never knew the world of worms could be so interesting. Now you'll have to listen to find out what I'm talking about!
5. Managers tools.
Similar in style to Thinking for business success but with different topics. You're bound to find something interesting. |
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Don't tell everyone...
So what about that secret list: my most popular website and most played podcast?
Most played podcast on my iPod; The News Quiz podcast from the BBC. The News Quiz podcast is essential listening for sharp wit and off the cuff jokes about items in the news.
Most visited website (besides www.bbc.co.uk); www.jayisgames.com. As a closet online games addict, it is the place to find new addictive games every day.
Just don't tell my boss; she'll sack me. | |
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"So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult to work"
Peter Drucker.
When I left the corporate world to set up my own consultancy business, I finally had the time & energy to reflect on what I learnt from experience. Those things that the books and courses just don't tell you about.
Some much about management is plain common sense.
Now you can benefit from my mix of pragmatism, knowledge and experience. |
Blogs from the DIA Medical Information & Communications Conference, October 2008
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~ European Medical Information Survey
~ From Russia, with love - Med Info in CEE
~ The informed patient - change or no change
~ The practice and pitfalls of outsourcing
~ Managing in challenging times
~ Quality Management plus more to come...
News & Blog
For the busy Medical Information or Medical Affairs professional.
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