Effective use of time is more than making better use of your calendar. It calls for many management skills: setting goals, decision-making, problem-solving, managing relationships, effective communications, handling paperwork, etc. A proven time management model for anyone who wants to make effective use of his or her business time.

The Time Management Pocketbook is one of our most popular titles, now in its 6th edition. Effective use of time is not just about using your diary better; it calls for many management skills. The author looks at these skills within the context of a time management model. The model breaks down the process of managing time into these headings: managing what you do, managing where you work, managing communications, managing to work with others, and managing everyday. Skills covered include: objective setting, decision-making, problem-solving, creativity, assertiveness, listening, questioning, reading, writing, and handling paperwork and phone calls.

"We cannot manage time. All we can do is learn how to use the time that we have, as well as we can", says Dr Mike Clayton, author of the all-new Time Management Pocketbook. Illustrated throughout, the book begins by explaining how to plan your time, how to balance the advantages of feeling in control against the necessity of remaining flexible, and how to adapt to changes. It then deals with ways of working that will make you more productive and looks at strategies for tackling one of the biggest problems you face: the challenge of 'too much'. A summary of the eight most popular time management systems in use comprises the penultimate section of the book. The author does admit, though: "I'm no fan of systems. Instead, I prefer broad principles, and a well-stocked box of tools to apply to different situations. To me, a system is a principle applied rigidly. And at some point, it won't apply. That's why I filled this Pocketbook with ideas to try; not just a single system." The book concludes by looking at how organisations can treat time as a strategic asset, systematically making better use of it for the greatest possible return

It's every new teacher's first concern and it's an area about which even the most experienced teachers are never complacent - how to control their classes. This new edition of the Teachers Pocketbooks top-selling title is a practical, authoritative guide to creating calm classes and focused, co-operative students. The book starts from the premise that teachers cannot control the behaviour of children; instead they must seek to influence it. Teachers are most effective in managing behaviour when they focus on antecedents and consequences. This means building relationships and using preventative strategies followed by consistent use of logical consequences. The book covers different styles of behaviour management; getting the basics right; eight core principles and a ten-step discipline plan. A section entitled developing the toolkit offers a broad range of strategies for teachers to use. All are explained in practical, classroom terms with examples of phrases to use for maximum effectiveness. Underpinning the repertoire of techniques is a strong framework: the 4Rs rights, responsibilities, rules and routines. Liberal use of cartoons, diagrams, mnemonics and other visual devices reinforce the message and fast-track understanding. "An invaluable guide for all adults who work with children. This book will change the way you think and act in the classroom and should be compulsory reading." Tim Plumb, Head Teacher, Woolwich Polytechnic School "A fantastic read. Buy copies for your staff this year - they'll become more effective by using the approaches outlined in this book." Sarah Skinner, Head, Claydon High School "Provides realistic and effective strategies to empower all teachers to create and establish a positive learning environment for all. I recommend it." Teresa Copeland, Assistant Principal, Strood Academy

To be competitive businesses are increasingly going further a field for their talent and skills - drawing together teams of people with the best mix of experience and abilities, regardless of their location. This has given rise to the concept of the virtual team, a network of individuals who have a common goal yet rarely if ever meet. Virtual Teamworking - possibly across different time zones and against different cultural backgrounds, and often project-specific and, thus, temporary - poses specific challenges for the team leader. The Virtual Teams Pocketbook looks at the skills needed to lead a virtual team, at the required style of leadership, at the team selection process, at the cultural issues that may arise and at the process of developing trust and building a productive and cohesive unit. Without the recent strides forward in communications technology virtual teamworking would not be effective or, even, possible. This pocketbook looks at the options available and gives advice on selecting the most appropriate method and how to use it to its full potential.

The new, 2nd edition of the Key Account Manager's Pocketbook gives practical advice on how to keep and develop important customers, thereby maximising ongoing revenue streams, reducing sales costs, improving investment planning and increasing market knowledge. It opens by describing the key account manager's role and then goes on to describe how to rise up the so-called customer perception ladder, moving from a simple commodity supplier to developing a solid, long-term business partnership with your key customers. The author next explains how to develop the 'key account development plan', how to increase your influence with the decision-maker in your key account (relationship management) and how to win new business. The final chapter runs through the essential steps of key account handling. There are short exercises throughout which, if carried out, will help to reinforce the key learning points.

As online distractions increasingly colonize our time, why has productivity become such a vital demonstration of personal and professional competence? When corporate profits are soaring but worker salaries remain stagnant, how does technology exacerbate the demand for ever greater productivity? In Counterproductive Melissa Gregg explores how productivity emerged as a way of thinking about job performance at the turn of the last century and why it remains prominent in the different work worlds of today. Examining historical and archival material alongside popular self-help genres—from housekeeping manuals to bootstrapping business gurus, and the growing interest in productivity and mindfulness software—Gregg shows how a focus on productivity isolates workers from one another and erases their collective efforts to define work limits. Questioning our faith in productivity as the ultimate measure of success, Gregg's novel analysis conveys the futility, pointlessness, and danger of seeking time management as a salve for the always-on workplace.

Practical tips, tools and techniques to ensure you identify the real issues and make balanced choices that add value.

How do you ensure that what you write gets read, understood and acted upon? The Writing Skills Pocketbook describes a 3-phase approach to planning, preparing and polishing written communications for the modern business world. Central to the planning phase is a clear understanding of why you are writing and who you are writing for. The book guides you through the planning process and shows you how to test your approach. The second phase, preparation, demonstrates how to write clear, concise and compelling texts using the authors' eight golden rules. There is advice too on how to present and illustrate your written material to best effect, including the most commonly asked questions on punctuation. Don't be too hasty to send your letter, email or report. Take time to check it thoroughly using the book's '11-point critiquing checklist' and 'top tips for proof-reading'. This is the final, polishing phase. The Writing Skills Pocketbook is your essential guide to writing confidently, swiftly and with greater impact.

The Business Planning Pocketbook (3rd Edition) explains what issues to address, how to write a business plan, what questions to ask, how much detail to include and the time-frame to adopt. In the chapter on planning theory the author identifies eight different planning styles, followed in the next chapter with a description of the seven stages of the planning process. In his summary the author says: 'A plan is a statement of what you intend to achieve, how, when and with what resources'. A complex subject made simple. Author Neil Russell-Jones is widely published, speaks internationally, lectures and is a special advisor for the Princes Youth Business Trust. In the Management Pocketbooks Series he has also written books on decision-making, strategy, managing change and marketing.