This book takes a pragmatic and hype–free approach to explaining artificial intelligence and how it can be utilised by businesses today. At the core of the book is a framework, developed by the author, which describes in non–technical language the eight core capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Each of these capabilities, ranging from image recognition, through natural language processing, to prediction, is explained using real–life examples and how they can be applied in a business environment. It will include interviews with executives who have successfully implemented AI as well as CEOs from AI vendors and consultancies. AI is one of the most talked about technologies in business today. It has the ability to deliver step–change benefits to organisations and enables forward–thinking CEOs to rethink their business models or create completely new businesses. But most of the real value of AI is hidden behind marketing hyperbole, confusing terminology, inflated expectations and dire warnings of ‘robot overlords’. Any business executive that wants to know how to exploit AI in their business today is left confused and frustrated. As an advisor in Artificial Intelligence, Andrew Burgess regularly comes face–to–face with business executives who are struggling to cut through the hype that surrounds AI. The knowledge and experience he has gained in advising them, as well as working as a strategic advisor to AI vendors and consultancies, has provided him with the skills to help business executives understand what AI is and how they can exploit its many benefits. Through the distilled knowledge included in this book business leaders will be able to take full advantage of this most disruptive of technologies and create substantial competitive advantage for their companies.

Nineteen experts examine research-based theories and current practices in highly successful enterprises, and explain how you can adopt effective, state-of-the-art methods to integrate your talent management functions. People are the most important asset in any organization, yet managing talent as a cohesive strategy is surprisingly rare. Far too many organizations are stuck in the tradition of letting human resource "silos" separate the components of talent management, rather than encouraging communication, cooperation, and effective integration of these functions. The Executive Guide to Integrated Talent Management paves the way to integrated talent management by assembling the collective experience and insight of 19 experts who examine research-based theories and current practices in highly successful enterprises. These contributors (including Marshall Goldsmith, Peter Cappelli, Leslie Joyce, and Edward E. Lawler, among others) provide practical advice about how you can adopt effective, state-of-the-art methods in your own organization. You'll benefit from the different perspectives of these world-renowned thought leaders and practitioners as they explain how to develop a comprehensive strategy that aligns big-picture organizational goals with the challenges of finding and keeping talent. You'll also learn firsthand about the best practices of corporations like 3M, Agilent, GE, Hertz, Cisco, and others who have pioneered efforts to make their organizations perform better through people.

Maximize Your Return on Expertise Research shows a high proportion of consultants fail to deliver results on time, on budget, and on target. Rare is the project that exceeds your expectations. But help is here. The Executive's Guide to Consultants explains how to ensure that every project delivers measurable benefits every time. This book will help you find experts, invest wisely, accelerate change, and achieve your most important goals by tapping into the genius of others. The Executive's Guide to Consultants contains breakthrough ideas covered by no other book, including: Sophisticated new contract structures that maximize your ROI Essential methods for reducing project risk Cutting-edge techniques for making change stick after the consultant leaves You will also learn to: Spot "chameleons" and other low-quality consultants who peddle tired ideas and deliver disappointing outcomes Get better results faster, while lowering fees Find the ideal consultant, coach, agency, or advisor for your precise situation Enforce accountability with outside experts and your own internal team Imagine if you could collect the wisdom of dozens of the country's top CEOs, combine it with the experience of a hall-of-fame consultant, and add a bucketful of unconventional thinking. You'd have The Executive's Guide to Consultants. Easy to read and packed with examples, checklists, templates, and guidelines, this book is the ultimate toolkit for maximizing your ROI from outside experts. Get extraordinary results from every consultant you hire "An extraordinary book. Clear, comprehensive, and eminently readable, it is THE book on how you can extract true business value from outside experts." -- Scott Cotherman, Chairman, TBWA\WorldHealth, subsidiary of Omnicom Group, Inc. "This is the Master Class for those who are smart, innovative, ahead of the pack, and who intend to stay that way. If you're not yet in that league, you should read this book twice." -- Alan Weiss, author, Million Dollar Consulting and The Consulting Bible "A terrific guidebook, with much of the advice equally applicable in managing your organization's internal talent. It's an easy, engaging read with a wealth of insights and detailed action steps--I highly recommend it." -- Brian Walker, President and CEO, Herman Miller, Inc. "A powerful antidote to the strained relationship between consultants and clients." -- Garry Ridge, CEO, WD-40 Company "This book shows you how to make your consultants' work stick. No more major investments in experts or programs that evaporate after only a few months or years." -- De Lyle Bloomquist, President, Tata Global Chemicals "Fields's messages are delivered in the way that all executives would like our outside resources to do it: capably, with straight talk and incredible insight." -- Ralph Scozzafava, Chairman and CEO, Furniture Brands

Is your organization's level of innovation where you think it should be today? Now is the time to shape your future through innovation management. This book provides a wealth of information, tools, techniques, models, approaches, and methodologies that are all specifically designed for excellence in innovation, solution generation, and execution. Within these pages you will find innovation concepts, methods, and case studies that build upon the quality body of knowledge to drive innovation. The successful application of these concepts will help you to be successful in the years to come. In addition to the hands-on material presented, the book also provides advice and counsel on how to align a growth-based strategy with all functions of the organization, how to create a culture for ideas and growth, how to acquire and retain the right mix of resources, and how to sustain what you’ve built over time. Innovation is quality for tomorrow. Use The Executive Guide to Innovation to conquer new challenges and seize new opportunities as you move into your future!

Create strong IT governance processes In the current business climate where a tremendous amount of importance is being given to governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), the concept of IT governance is becoming an increasingly strong component. Executive's Guide to IT Governance explains IT governance, why it is important to general, financial, and IT managers, along with tips for creating a strong governance, risk, and compliance IT systems process. Written by Robert Moeller, an authority in auditing and IT governance Practical, no-nonsense framework for identifying, planning, delivering, and supporting IT services to your business Helps you identify current strengths and weaknesses of your enterprise IT governance processes Explores how to introduce effective IT governance principles with other enterprise GRC initiatives Other titles by Robert Moeller: IT Audit, Control, and Security and Brink's Modern Internal Auditing: A Common Body of Knowledge There is strong pressure on corporations to have a good understanding of their IT systems and the controls that need to be in place to avoid such things as fraud and security violations. Executive's Guide to IT Governance gives you the tools you need to improve systems processes through IT service management, COBIT, and ITIL.

In this day and age, terrorist threats and ordinary criminal activity have become a growing concern for those at home as well as individuals traveling abroad. This year alone, hundreds of executives, tourists, and exchange students will be robbed, assaulted, kidnapped, and murdered. Most of these incidents could be prevented by adherence to the basic rules of personal safety. But many people are unaware of these rules or choose to ignore them. This must change. The only way to lessen your chances of becoming a victim is to learn how to make yourself less vulnerable. Written by two seasoned security experts, Executive’s Guide to Personal Security will allow you to make the right decisions in regard to your personal safety, the safety of your employees, and corporate assets. But these lessons are not confined to those in the business world. Anyone who would like to feel more secure–from individuals traveling to foreign countries to those studying abroad–can also benefit from these lessons. Executive’s Guide to Personal Security will teach you how to recognize and prepare for the real threats faced by executives and ordinary individuals in today’s world. It will provide you with the type of knowledge necessary to empower you to face these threats and overcome them. By introducing you to information formerly reserved for security professionals and government employees, it will teach you about situational awareness, risk analysis, and countersurveillance. You will also learn how to travel safely by selecting the right airline, the right hotels, and the appropriate rental cars for your security needs. If you plan to reside abroad, this comprehensive guide will show how to select a safe neighborhood and how to secure your home against intruders. If you are an executive responsible for the safety of your employees and corporate assets, you will learn how to secure your facility and information, how to formulate emergency protocols, and how to handle a crisis. In short, Executive’s Guide to Personal Security will arm you with the necessary knowledge to take actions that will enhance the physical safety and security of your property, your family, and yourself. As a company or an individual, you cannot control the desire and the ability of criminals and terrorists. However, you have full control over effectively lowering your risk of being attacked by increasing security measures–physical, technical, and procedural. The less vulnerable we are, the less attractive we are to any criminal or terrorist planning an attack. Let Executive’s Guide to Personal Security show you how to ensure safety both at home and abroad.

The Essential Guide for Managing Leadership Turnovers A leadership transition can be a time of high vulnerability for a nonprofit organization. On the other hand, an executive turnover offers unique opportunities for renewal and fresh thinking. Managing Executive Transitions shows how this state of transition can give board and staff members a chance to put things back together in new and creative ways—to discard some old pieces and to bring in fresh elements. Nonprofit boards and executive directors will find practical advice on how to manage leadership turnovers in ways that can heighten mission impact while avoiding potential downsides. Author Tim Wolfred recommends a transformational process of three phases: Prepare, Pivot, and Thrive. In the Prepare phase board members, staff, volunteers, and funders engage in an efficient process for updating the agency's strategic directions and crafting a profile of the skills needed in the next executive. In the Pivot phase a search ensues, conducted by a board reinvigorated and excited about the agency's future impact. In the Thrive phase the board engages the newly hired executive as a leadership partner and gives him or her clear performance priorities derived from the strategic directions. Engaging case studies and hands-on tools such as planning agendas, timelines, sample letters, and communication tips will smooth the transition to new executive leadership.

America's #1 bible of business manners is rewritten for the '90s and includes such issues as sexual harrassment, non-discriminatory managing, substance abuse, disabled workers, and other timely topics. Every business person, from entry-level to CEO, needs this guide to the behavior that spells success.

"The Executive Guide to Facilitating Strategy" provides executives, leaders, and facilitators with a step-by-step resource for guiding their team through all phases of the strategic planning process from gaining the team's buy-in to do planning and identify strategic issues, all the way through organization alignment, implementation, monitoring, and making adjustments.

The measure of the executive, Peter Drucker reminds us, is the ability to 'get the right things done'. Usually this involves doing what other people have overlooked, as well as avoiding what is unproductive. He identifies five talents as essential to effectiveness, and these can be learned; in fact, they must be learned just as scales must be mastered by every piano student regardless of his natural gifts. Intelligence, imagination and knowledge may all be wasted in an executive job without the acquired habits of mind that convert these into results. One of the talents is the management of time. Another is choosing what to contribute to the particular organization. A third is knowing where and how to apply your strength to best effect. Fourth is setting up the right priorities. And all of them must be knitted together by effective decision-making. How these can be developed forms the main body of the book. The author ranges widely through the annals of business and government to demonstrate the distinctive skill of the executive. He turns familiar experience upside down to see it in new perspective. The book is full of surprises, with its fresh insights into old and seemingly trite situations.