Two titles published by Capstone, a Wiley Brand, have been shortlisted for this year’s Management Book of the Year prize which has been announced by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the British Library.
Great Answers to Tough Questions at Work by Michael Dodd has been shortlisted in the Commuter’s Read category and The Negotiation Book by Steve Gates has been shortlisted in the Practical Manager category.
Great Answers to Tough Questions at Work is designed to help everyone in the workplace give great answers when under pressure and equips readers with the golden formulae to deal with challenging questions from the boss, the board, financiers, clients, prospects, job selection panels and public inquiries.
One-time political and foreign correspondent, author Michael Dodd was trained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to ask what they call Down Under “Blowtorch-On-The-Belly” questions. These days, as a professional speaker and consultant, he helps clients answer such questions and has also served two terms as President of the London Region of the Professional Speaking Association.
Dodd said, “Huge numbers of people in the workforce are deeply scared of tough questions from their boss, their prospects and their clients – let alone from job interview panels, shareholder meetings and those asking questions during their annual appraisal.
“This book seeks to reduce the fear factor in facing up to tough questions – and to enhance the quality of answers for the benefit of everyone in the workforce. It’s designed to be a book that everyone will find helpful before that job interview, that challenging sales meeting or that tough showdown with their manager.
“The short-listing is an encouraging step forward for promoting the art of giving great answers to questions with replies designed to hit the win-win-win spot between the asker and the answerer and any additional audience listening in.”
Steve Gates’ The Negotiation Book is aimed at professionals who want to develop their skills in this area. Every negotiation should result in an increased advantage and this book shows readers how to achieve this whilst also ensuring the other party also comes away feeling good about the deal.
Drawing on his own practical experience in negotiating with some of the world’s largest corporations, Gates helps readers to understand the psychology, tactics and behaviours of negotiation.
The Negotiation Book, 2nd Edition, has been updated and revised to reflect the rapid change in what people and companies are negotiating over, rather than how, and the value attributed to time, risk, convenience, and information in response to the benefits of technology.
“I’ve taken a fresh look at some of these agreements and how, in some industries, information access has become as valuable as payment terms, or response service times as important as contract length. Technology is changing what is possible, what is expected, and what is traded, which is providing a new mix of variables featuring in all types of agreements,” Gates said.
Founder and director of the Gap Partnership, the world’s leading negotiation consultancy, Gates has consulted on high level negotiations to many blue-chip companies, advising on everything from the M&A of high street retailers, to trade term negotiations for FMCG companies and price increases for oil companies.
Petra Wilton, CMI’s director of strategy, said: “Thousands of books on how to become a better manager and leader are published every year. Our shortlist directs everyone in the profession to those books that will make a definite difference to how they think and act as true management and leadership professionals. For those passionate about their career, the progressive and practical lessons within these books are essential reads.”
The competition has been split in to five categories: Management Futures; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Practical Manager; Commuter’s Read; and Management and Leadership Textbook. The winner of each category, as well as the overall winner will be announced at an awards evening at the British Library on 6 February 2016 – with the winning author taking home a £5,000 prize.
Phil Spence, Chief Operating Officer at the British Library and a Companion of the CMI, said: “The British Library is honoured and thrilled to be hosting the CMI Management Book of the Year awards again. Not only are we the UK’s national research Library with a world-class collection of management studies resource, but also we have a long and successful relationship with CMI and are delighted to be supporting them in their mission to develop management and leadership.”
A full list of the shortlisted books and more details on the expert judging panel are available via the competition website yearbook.managers.org.uk. Follow the hashtag #managementgold on Twitter to get tips, advice and information on the books in this year’s competition.
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