Performance Management is about getting results, getting the best from people and helping them to achieve their potential. Employee engagement has an important role to play in this, it is about the emotional commitment to the organisation and its goals. In this second edition of the Performance Management Pocketbook, readers will find plenty of tips and techniques to enhance their performance in the following areas: leading others to achieve results; understanding the impact of their own style; engaging and motivating others; creating high performance teams; setting clear objectives; managing performance difficulties and coaching and delegating effectively. The book contains illustrative case studies and each chapter has a helpful review and actions section. The author Pam Jones is a member of the Ashridge Business School open programme management team. Her responsibilities cover a suite of programmes encompassing performance management, influencing and general management skills. "In an ever-demanding and competitive world, OK and average simply aren't enough - performance matters. If you want to get the best out of your people, then this book is packed with advice and ideas on how to do that." Lydia Hatley, Leadership Change Manager, Argos "Very useful - a practical and comprehensive guide for all leaders who truly value their team." Claire Dobbs, Managing Director, Havas Life London.

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How to find, keep and get the best from the people who can make an enterprise thrive is the subject of the Talent Management Pocketbook, now in its 2nd edition. It features checklists and self-assessment tools to gauge current talent management strategy and pinpoint where improvements can be made. Included too are examples of outstanding talent management practices. How do you judge with confidence that someone will succeed in a bigger role? The book describes how the 'potential profiler' can help identify potential talent in the key performance areas. It is one of several helpful models described. Blending talent in order to build talented teams is another focus of this illustrated pocketbook. It deals with its subject in clear, concise terms with the emphasis on providing practical solutions. The Talent Management Pocketbook has been written for trainers, HR and recruitment professionals, and for line managers with responsibility for retaining and developing talented team members.

The Managing Your Appraisal Pocketbook is written from the appraisee's standpoint. It encourages people to take charge of their own career development by preparing for and properly using appraisals. Its author is Max Eggert, a management psychologist who specialises in assisting organisations and individuals to achieve their best. He looks at the dangers and benefits of appraisals, how to prepare for them, performance measurement, feedback, the appraisal interview structure, and types of questioning. For hints and tips on setting up and running an appraisal system, see The Appraisal's Pocketbook.

Written for leaders at all levels - strategic, organisational and team level - the Leadership Pocketbook explains how to inspire, influence, deal with change and achieve objectives. Illustrated throughout, the book adopts a practical approach, setting out the principles of leadership, the role of the leader, the skills required for effective leadership and the key challenges facing leaders in today's business environment. This 2nd edition sees the addition of a new section about leaders and social responsibility. "Contemporary business leaders must be aware of the major forces shaping society today and understand how their organisations need to respond and contribute to these challenges", author Fiona Dent writes. She is Director of Faculty Development at Ashridge where she is also Programme Director for the Influencing Strategies and Skills Programme. A focus of the book, described by the author as 'perhaps the most necessary skill for any leader', is self-awareness - to know yourself, to realise what your leadership strengths and weaknesses are and when you must continue to develop. "With admirable clarity, Fiona Dent distils the salient leadership issues and skills. Every potential leader and every leader with potential should find a place for this book in their pocket or bag." Philip Hodgson, Director of Leadership Programmes, Ashridge "A practical, easy to use guide for all levels of leadership. It covers a broad range of topics in sufficient detail to make it usable both for fresh learning and for reference." Richard Nicholson, Management Development Manager, Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd

The Manager's Pocketbook is aimed at team leaders, supervisors and people managers of all levels. The 5th edition of this popular title in the Pocketbook Series will be published in March 2014. Using the acronym POLCA, the pocketbook teaches the five essential management skills: 'P' for 'planning'; 'O' for 'organising'; 'L' for 'leading'; 'C' for 'coaching/correcting'; and, 'A' for 'achieving'. There is a separate chapter on each of these five skills, preceded by an overview of the manager's role. The Manager's Pocketbook is extensively illustrated and concisely presented, reflecting the lively, right-brained approach that author John Townsend has developed throughout his long career in helping managers excel and deal with the many challenges they face.

The Project Management Pocketbook is a practical, step-by-step guide to managing a project through to completion. It looks at each key stage and identifies the management techniques that can be applied. From objective-setting through to implementation, the book stresses the importance of good communication, teamworking and influencing skills. All too often, books on this subject cover the process of project management and not the people aspects. This Pocketbook addresses both. "Project management requires a multitude of skills - from vision and planning, to monitoring, communication, leadership and, of course, delivery. This pocketbook pulls together best practice from these diverse areas into one simple, easy-to-read booklet. Refreshingly, it has been written from a general business perspective (rather than I.T.), and is therefore applicable to anyone managing change."Adrian Guttridge, Vice President UK & Ireland, EDS "A lively guide based on real events that any of us may encounter in our everyday life at work or (as I found out after reading this) at home."Johann de Waal, Director, International SOS Insurance Services Ltd