Are you reading for the PPLD Adult Reading Program? Would you like to meet with others to discuss a business book that can have a lasting effect on you and your business?
Join us in a discussion of Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute on Tuesday, March 31 from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Penrose Library. There will be an interactive discussion followed by breakout sessions to discuss what you learned and how those lessons may be applied to your business.
To get your copy to read or listen to on CD call Terry Zarsky at 531-6333 extension 2308.
I’m on LinkedIn: Now What? By Jason Alba, Happy About, 2008
Do you have a LinkedIn account and now you’re wondering how to use it? I’m on LinkedIn: Now What takes you through the basics of LinkedIn and how to get started using it to the ways you can make it work for you.
Under getting started you will learn what LinkedIn is, how to create or update your profile, managing your account and settings and how to connect with others. Did you know that if you ask three people to connect to you and they all say no you could lose your account? Be specific about who you ask to link to and if you’re going to send a request to someone who doesn’t know you well you might consider sending an e-mail to them telling them why you want to be linked to them. If you are the one receiving invites from people you don’t want to link with because you’re not comfortable being linked or you are not sure who this person is who’s asking you can let the request lapse without a response so you don’t jeopardize their account by saying no.
Making it work for you covers searching, understanding degrees of separation, recommendations, jobs and hiring, services and LinkedIn groups and answers.
Using this section of the book you can see how you and others can use this site to check out potential employers or employees, how you can block certain people from your information (you may not want your current boss to know you are job hunting) and how to establish yourself as a resource for others or use others to find answers to questions you have.
The last section deals with personal branding, shady practices, netiquette and complementary tools and resources. After reading this I realized a number of ways I could better utilize the tools within LinkedIn. Now I just have to implement them.
Whether you are new to computers and are interested in learning the basics, or just curious about what is new in computers or library resources, PPLD offers a variety of computer classes every month at many of the PPLD branches that are all free.
In January there are a number of classes that are being held at the Penrose Library downtown that may be of interest to the business community.
If you are interested in learning what library resources are available to help you in your financial investments, then check out the Investment Tools at Your Library class (Tuesday, January 6 at 8:30 AM or Saturday, January 17 at 8:30 AM).
Perhaps you have decided that 2009 is the year that you will go into business for yourself, and you are interested in how the library can help you learn about demographics in your target area, competition, writing a business plan and finding other funding sources. The Minding Your Business class will be held Saturday, January 10 at 8:30 AM and Thursday, January 22 at 8:30 AM.
Maybe you don’t want to start your own business, but you are interested in making some extra money by cleaning out your attic. The Selling on eBay class Saturday, January 24 at 8:30 AM can help you learn the basics to start making some extra cash.
Again, all of these computer classes are free, and being held at the Penrose Library at 20 N. Cascade. To sign up, or for questions about other computer class offerings of PPLD call the Reference Desk at 389-8968.
Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner, Recorded Books, 2008. (CD book)
It is critical in today’s ever-changing world to develop the skills and “minds” necessary to get the most out of the information around you. Gardner covers the five mental abilities (i.e. minds) necessary to succeed to your fullest potential. These multiple intelligences allow you to understand what is happening and the potential consequences of the actions. This book will show how to train your brain to grasp these five minds. These minds are disciplining, synthesizing, creating, respectful and ethical. These minds allow you to see every opportunity from multiple viewpoints and help you discern the best way to proceed to get the most from the circumstances.
Using these values developed by training your brain to see different viewpoints will allow you to “think out of the box” when dealing with situations. You will use the disciplined mind to view things from a mathematical or historical viewpoint, the synthesizing mind to try different combinations or potential answers and to see the best one for this situation and the creative mind to foresee new possibilities as the answer.
The last two other minds are more character based and cover the attitudes and ethics of the approaches. The respectful mind takes advantage of the diversity of the cultures and knowledge around you and the ethical mind takes into consideration the effects of the outcome on others as well as on you. Are you operating from a place that values all equally or sets others up for failure so that you can succeed?
When you develop these minds and utilize these newfound skills you will be better able to create the path you want to follow.
Leaders at All Levels: Developing the Talent Pool to Solve the Succession Crisis by Ram Charan, Recorded Books, 2008. (CD Book)
In today’s corporate world when the top management steps down for any reason there is often a waiting period while the company searches for a replacement. Often people are temporarily put in place to see to the day to day duties, but the company fails to keep moving forward as this person is not seen as having the authority to really do much that is new. One way of getting around this problem for your company is to hire and develop your own future leaders. Although positions from managers to CEOs are covered the author shows how hiring young people with future potential and making sure that they get assignments and positions to develop the skills needed in the future can affect the success of the company and can help your company.
Sometimes you may identify 3 or 4 potential newcomers at entry-level positions and give them opportunities to learn and show what they can do for you. By exposing them to all aspects of the business from many angles you will develop a person who really understands your business, the competition and the potential market. By fast tracking these people to specific goals, assignments or positions you can make sure they develop all of the necessary skills and relationships to take the company to the next level.
Ram Charan shares stories of companies that excel at developing their future leaders and he tells stories that show the progression of some of these future leaders. By reading this book you can help develop a process to create and nurture future leaders within your own company.
Are you trying to find the perfect location to rent for your new business? Or maybe you are trying to target a marketing campaign toward the largest demographic in your area? PPLD has recently acquired a new subscription database called BusinessDecision by CIVICTechnologies to assist you in finding out these facts and more.
Accessible via the Electronic Reference section of the PPLD web site, BusinessDecision provides demographic data from ESRI based on a location that you designate. You may designate a specific address, zip code, or hand draw on a map an area that about which you would like to receive extensive demographic information. Based off of GIS information, as well as Census data and others, BusinessDecision is able to provide detailed data and reports, including the Tapestry Area Profile, which identifies and profiles the top segments of the population for any given area. To learn about the BusinessDecision Tapestry Area Profile, check out the data manual to see what type of information BusinessDecision may be able to provide you about your potential customers.
To read the Colorado Springs Business Journal writeup about BusinessDecision, click here. For more information about BusinessDecision, or any other library business resources, contact the PPLD reference desk at 389-8968.
Web 2.0 isn’t just Myspace and Facebook, many new websites are appearing on the landscape that can help you manage your money and budget.
For a peek at some of the best money management websites for these tight times, visit the Top 18 New Money Management Sites.
by Rob Salkowitz, John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
With three-plus generations currently active in the workplace, there are many books that examine the different work styles of generations. There are also many books written about how technology affects people in the workplace. What has not been explored in depth, however, is how technology affects the interactions of generations in the workplace, until Salkowitz’s Generation Blend: Managing across the technology age gap. This book focuses on how new ways of communicating, collaborating and managing information technology affects all employees, and gives organizations a plan for how to create understanding amongst the generations.
The most prevalent generations currently in the work place are the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1962), Generation X (born 1963-1980), and the Millennials (born 1981-2000). Due to shared experiences at the same point in history, there are certain qualities possessed by each generation that affect their workplace styles as well as their attitude towards technology. Baby boomers are often thought to be skeptical of new technology, especially given media coverage of the potential dangers. Generation X is thought to be techoliterate, comfortable with technology although cautious; while Millennials are considered technosavvy, often adopting new technologies without fully considering the risks.
After examining the conflicts that may arise amongst the generations due to the digital technology age gap, and giving full descriptions of the workstyles of the 3 prevalent generations in the workplace, Salkowitz offers 5 questions that any organization should ask themselves in order to best manage the technology age gap, which should help create understanding amongst generations regarding the utilization (or lack thereof) of certain technologies by the organization. Case studies are presented both to illustrate why the technology age gap may actually be beneficial to the workplace, as well as to give examples of the different steps that each of the generations may be taking to eliminate the technology age gap.
by Ronald Shapiro, Crown Business, 2008.
One of the things that can make or break everything you do is preparation. The better prepared you are the better chance you will get the outcome you want most.
Ronald Shapiro covers nine preparation principles he teaches to clients to help them become better preparers. They are:
- Understand your objectives and define your endgame
- Plan with precedents
- Know your alternatives
- Define the interests of the other party
- Set your strategy
- Do a timeline
- Pick your team
- Write your script
- Adjust and learn from your mistakes
If you know what you really want from all encounters you will have a much better chance of communicating with others. You must discover what precedents have been set in the past and use these examples to reinforce your position. If you are able to articulate all of the potential alternatives that are available, you can help others work toward an outcome that is beneficial to all; this also ties into knowing the other side’s interests so that you can address how they can best benefit from your suggested outcomes. By setting a strategy and timeline you can learn to better focus on the outcomes you are trying to achieve and by stating these you can show your leadership in accomplishing these goals. Pick your team of people by who can best help you achieve your goals and write a script and practice it so that you can anticipate all potential obstacles. By using what didn’t work for you and others in the past you can constantly move forward and help to accomplish many things.
The three most common excuses as to why people fail to plan are: 1. I don’t have time, 2. I’ve done it before and 3. I know how to do this. These all assume that you know so much that you don’t need to plan to prepare because you already know how to win and get what you want. By making these assumptions you will often fail to get what you want and you will lose the respect of others because you will actually show how unprepared you really are.
Use the preparation checklist at the end of this book to make sure you know what you are after and how you will address the concerns and questions of others. The benefits you will gain by being prepared are self confidence, effectiveness and satisfaction.
by Diana Fitzpatrick and Stephen Fishman, Nolo, 2008.
12.4 million employees (roughly 8% of the American workforce) work from home at least one day a week. Diana Fitzpatrick and Stephen Fishman’s book details how you can become one of them. If you have any reason; time lost in long commutes, price of gas, family needs or getting more done working alone you can develop a plan to approach your employer to show why you should become one of them. Some people telecommute or telework one day a week from home, but many work mainly or exclusively from home today because of employer needs and geography issues. If you don’t live where the home office is, it is often cheaper to allow you to work from home than maintain a second office location.
This book details the information you will need to make your case to your current employer, find a new opportunity to telework for someone else or become a freelancer who works out of your home. The pros and cons of working this way are addressed to help you see if this is an opportunity for you. It covers equipment needs, tax issues and employment and work related expenses. If you have ever considered becoming one of the millions who work from home, this book can help you decide if it is right for you.
Much of the information was originally researched as articles for USA Today and this is a composite of stories and facts relating to the hugh teleworking community. It is becoming more and more a way of life for many people, because it addresses the issues of flexibility, better time usage and cost savings to both the employer and the employee. It has many sidebars with statistics and lists of resources in print, online and associations that can help you make telework a way of life for you.
