Productivity & Time Management

Porchlight Business Book Award nominee, Leadership & Strategy A captivating tale about what it takes as a small business owner to build a meaningful company from the ground up, falling in love with your work along the way In The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box, best-selling author, entrepreneur, and culinary innovator Erin...

How the groundbreaking science of body clocks can help you sleep better, feel happier and improve your overall health The Inner Clock explores the strange new science of why your circadian rhythms fall out of sync – and how to get them back on track to live a happier, healthier life. JAMES NESTOR, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BREATH ‘Secrets to better...

"Netta's practical blueprint for how to implement DEI into an organisation will be transformational to leaders and employees alike."—Marc Lore, Former CEO of Walmart; NBA Owner, Minnesota Timberwolves; Founder of Telosa A practical hands-on and revolutionary DEI formula for real and lasting change. DEI is an 8-billion-dollar industry that is not yet accessing its full potential through real solutions and...

Discover and embrace the untapped power of your sense of humour In The Humor Habit: Rewire Your Brain to Stress Less, Laugh More, and Achieve More, veteran speaker, corporate trainer, and comedian Paul Osincup delivers a hilarious and effective new take on how to make yourself and your team more productive and resilient by focusing on the funny side of...

Two pioneering researchers identify key causes of workplace burnout and reveal what managers can do to promote increased productivity and health. Burnout is among the most significant on-the-job hazards facing workers today. It is also among the most misunderstood. In particular, we tend to characterise burnout as a personal issue—a problem employees should fix themselves by getting therapy, practising relaxation...

Tackle systemic racism in the workplace with practical strategies In The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace, HR strategist Shereen Daniels delivers an incisive and honest discussion of how business leaders can change workplace practices to create a more anti-racist and equitable environment. The author draws on her personal and client-facing experience, historical fact, legal proceedings, HR insights,...

Backed by billions in venture capital dollars and led by Travis Kalanick, a brash and ambitious founder, Uber promised to revolutionise the way we move people and goods through the world. But in June 2017, Uber's hard-charging CEO was ousted in a boardroom coup that capped a brutal year for the transportation giant. What followed would become a corporate cautionary...

Groundbreaking, people-first strategies for organisational growth, profit, and longevity Chock-full of real-world examples of mistakes, heartbreak, and redemption that makes it read more like a juicy exposé than a business book, Love as a Business Strategy offers a new, people-first framework for achieving any business outcome. Written by authors who aren't fans of run-of-the-mill, nap-inducing business or leadership books, this...

Exclusive research-backed insights into the secrets to employee wellness and performance in today's world of work Through a straightforward, science-based approach, Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives explains the steps to become a Generator—the type of leader who people want to work for and organisations want to hire—by leading in a way that fosters...

This one-stop board leadership resource, written by one of the world's leading governance consultants and author of the bestselling Boards That Make a Difference, offers you a broad range of material including the best articles from the Board Leadership newsletter, articles from various publications, and previously unpublished short works. Each chapter has been carefully selected and arranged to provide you...

Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact is THE playbook for modern leaders. Intentional Power: The 6 Essential Leadership Skills for Triple Bottom Line Impact explores how the transition from shareholder capitalism to stakeholder capitalism has created an urgent need for a new model of leadership. This model enables leaders to navigate competing demands from...

Proven strategies for a more intentional and thoughtful approach to your ideal career In Intentional Ambition: Redefining Your Work for Greater Joy, Freedom and Fulfillment, soul coach and visionary career consultant Rha Goddess reveals a proven blueprint, already used by hundreds of breakthrough changemakers, cultural visionaries, and social entrepreneurs, to radically and thrillingly reset your life by renegotiating your relationship...

The ultimate study aid for the PHR, PHRi, SPHR, and SPHRi Exams and SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP Exams! Join the estimated 500,000 HR professionals in over 100 countries who have earned HR certifications from HRCI and SHRM, the certifying bodies that administer the exams. Further your career in one of the world’s fastest-growing economic sectors by taking a Professional in Human...

The definitive playbook for empowering intergenerational collaboration, innovation and productivity at work. Five Generations at Work: How we win together, for good explores how to maximise the dynamics of our generational diversity to create more collaborative and competitive organisations. An energising and pragmatic read, this book unpacks six years of research and work with organisations and individuals who are taking...

A consumer credit industry insider-turned-outsider explains how banks lure Americans deep into debt, and how to break the cycle. Delinquent takes readers on a journey from Capital One’s headquarters to street corners in Detroit, kitchen tables in Sacramento, and other places where debt affects people's everyday lives. Uncovering the true costs of consumer credit to American families in addition to...

Improve talent retention and employee productivity by encouraging connectedness in your firm In Connectedness, British business journalist and management theorist Des Dearlove delivers an insightful and practical discussion of how firms can build meaningful and authentic connections with their employees, encouraging productivity, improving talent retention, and creating an enduring competitive advantage. You’ll find out why the latest peer-reviewed research lends...

A practical blueprint for women to advance their careers, conquer barriers, and thrive in leadership roles with confidence in tech and beyond. Chief in Tech is an inspiring and comprehensive guide for women navigating career growth, packed with proven strategies, real-life success stories, and actionable advice for both personal advancement and leadership development. This book equips readers to thrive, navigate...

How the murder of George Floyd transformed the attitude towards and implementation of DEI across the world Boom to Backlash: George Floyd's Legacy on DEI as a Business Imperative examines the seismic shift in DEI initiatives following George Floyd's completely preventable death. It explores the initial surge of corporate commitments to DEI, the tangible progress and advancements made, and the...

Could millions of jobs soon be eliminated by artificial intelligence and robots? From driverless cars to digital assistants, it seems the world of work is on the cusp of a technological revolution that is generating hopes and fears alike. But are the robots really knocking at the door? And what does all this mean for New Zealanders? In this far-sighted...

A page-turning story that helps readers to rethink work, life, and leadership from a relational rather than individualistic perspective, and shows how to open up never-before-seen opportunities in our companies and communities to heal the rifts threatening societies around the world. True leadership is rooted in the ability to deeply connect with others. Understanding the dynamics of human relationships is...

Achieving high performance through people is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership. Balancing good culture and high performance is never easy in any organisation. You want your people to be happy and enjoy coming to work, but you also need them to be productive and produce results. Many leaders believe the two just can’t coexist and that it’s...

The latest no-fks-given guide from New York Times bestselling author of the international sensation The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fk, Get Your Sh*t Together, and You Do You. Do you waste time overthinking things you can't do anything about? Do you freak out when things don't go to plan? Does anxiety get in the way of you living...

Discover the power of relationship-building to enhance your leadership, boost your team's well-being, and drive organisational success. In today's dynamic business environment, the success of any organisation is deeply rooted in the quality of its internal relationships. In The Relationship-Driven Leader, psychologist and organisational behaviour expert Dr. Karen Bridbord offers a revolutionary guide to career success and advancement, regardless of...

'I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.' So said author Douglas Adams - but what if there was a way of making deadlines work for you and using them to ensure others provide you with what you want when you want it? In Christopher Cox's brilliant new book, The Deadline Effect, he looks...

Google Play best business book of the year A groundbreaking book about how to harness the power of collaboration and work most effectively in groups - coauthored by Getting Things Done's David Allen When Getting Things Done was published in 2001, it was a game-changer. By revealing the principles of healthy high performance at an individual level, it transformed the...

Grow your business into a self-sustaining, thriving company with Howard Partridge in How to Build a Phenomenal Dream Team, where the dream of an autonomous, high-performing team becomes a tangible reality. Drawing from his remarkable success in transforming a modest service company into a turnkey powerhouse, Partridge offers you the keys to unlocking the full potential of your team. This...

Many people struggle to make time for God in their busy schedules or just aren't morning people—this book addresses those issues by helping Christians establish (and stick with) a spiritual morning routine. The practice of waking early to seek God's presence is woven into the fabric of God's word. From the Gospels to the Psalms, from the wisdom literature to...

Will AI replace us? Is my toxic boss an actual narcissist? Are full stops in emails a sign of hostility? How do I manage intergenerational tension and not get cancelled? ‘Motivational and inspiring… the one book you need to plan your next move’ – Viv Groskop The way we’re working in a post-pandemic world is forever changed. This is a...

A roadmap for hiring, coaching and motivating top performers In business, your people are your most important asset. But finding, training and motivating the right people can be daunting and costly. If you want to keep your best employees—and grow your business with their support—then Getting Your People to Step Up is the book for you! Business coach Shivani Gupta...

Must read exposé of the 13 types of bad bosses to help you become a better leader In The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses, Mita Mallick shares how bad bosses aren't born but made. They are a product of their circumstances. Mallick shares hilarious and heartbreaking stories of the 13 bad bosses she...

How can diversity be practiced without reinforcing the very inequalities it aims to dismantle? In On Practicing Diversity, Maddy Janssens and Chris Steyaert address this pressing question by critically examining the assumptions behind current diversity initiatives and turning to critical practice theory and queer theory for novel insights. Through imaginative concepts, inspiring illustrations, and an integrative case study within the...

Productivity, efficiency and effectiveness are all under your control. But in today's fast-paced, high-demand workplace, it can be overwhelming as you try to juggle a growing list of responsibilities, maintain your personal wellbeing, and plan for long-term career success. Make Your Brain Work is a practical, science-backed guide to help you sharpen your focus and perform at a higher level....

A Bold, Human-Centered Guide to Leading Change That Actually Works What if your biggest barrier to change isn’t strategy, but humanity? In Love as a Change Strategy, the team behind the Wall Street Journal bestseller Love as a Business Strategy is back with an urgent, deeply human follow-up. This isn’t another dry playbook on change management. It’s a wake-up call...

Perfect for fans of Brené Brown and Cal Newport, Today Was Fun challenges the notion that professionalism means being buttoned up and overworked and provides seven key rules for better days at work and in life. Bree Groff weaves together personal anecdotes, research, humor, and practical wisdom, outlining a compelling vision of modern workplaces that make people feel human and...

From a pioneer of 'team emotional intelligence' comes a practical guide for building high-performing teams. In this book, social and organisational psychologist and professor Vanessa Urch Druskat combines thirty years of research and team development to present a model for building and leading emotionally intelligent teams. She offers practical advice on how to build a team where members: While much...

Jack Canfield reveals the simple set of rules for success that led him to become the multi-million copy bestselling author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and shows how anyone can follow these principles to achieve their own dreams. Greater levels of performance and achievement are attainable by anyone. This book offers the proven self-empowerment tools and time-tested...

An essential work on teams—now updated with new research and tools and a new preface—X-Teams shows how an externally focused team model is the key to fuelling innovation and your organisation's success. You build a team around top-notch talent. The team members work well together; they're committed to the mission and are highly motivated to perform. Yet the results are...

A deeply human exploration of how our relationship with work has evolved and a guide for leaders who aim to make things right from the author of The Burnout Epidemic. Work has recently undergone profound changes, not all for the better. AI's acceleration has led to worker fears and uncertainties around job security. DEI initiatives are underfunded or cancelled. The...

A research-based deep dive into a growing phenomenon: companies allowing employees to work from anywhere, and how those who adopt this model can boost talent, innovation, and productivity. As the debate around remote versus in-office work rages on, leaders in a wide range of industries continue to implement radically flexible work practices, allowing most, if not all, of their employees...

If you want to be the best, you have to have the right skillset. From effective time management and efficient speed reading to managing yourself and stopping stress from slowing you down, The Ultimate Productivity Book is a dynamic collection of tools, techniques, and strategies for success. Short, punchy chapters mean you can read up quickly and start applying what...

Solutions Focus Practice is transforming coaching, consulting, and leadership in organisations all over the world. A powerful yet simple approach to positive change, a solutions focus approach to people problems explores what works in a given situation and aims to do more of it. The Solutions Focus is the definitive guide to this revolutionary yet practical alternative to conventional wisdom....

What if leaders stripped away all preconceptions about how business operates, allowing the organisation to go back to its core and build itself back up to become something new—something so responsive, so innovative and resilient, it becomes virtually non-displaceable in the market? The Regenerative Business sets the stage for what is now only dreamt of by most of today's forward-thinking...

All organisations have a culture, whether they acknowledge it or not, and whether it's helping or hindering them. Get it right, and culture can be a positive force for good. Get it wrong, and culture can become toxic, undermining performance and reputations. In short, culture matters. It can, though, be a tricky thing to understand and master. The Power of...

How one global organisation's lingua franca mandate shaped the lives of its employees around the world. For nearly three decades, English has been the lingua franca of cross-border business, yet studies on global language strategies have been scarce. Providing a rare behind-the-scenes look at the high-tech giant Rakuten in the five years following its English mandate, The Language of Global...

A smart, science-based approach to retaining your talent and making the world of work a better place. Right now, we’re confronting a once-in-a-century opportunity to create a future of work that’s better for everyone. The old corporate standard of extreme hours, sleep deprivation, and nonstop travel is dead. And knowledge workers don’t miss it. They’re expecting today’s leaders to create...

Move more and find a happier, healthier, more productive you. After a long day of sitting at work, your body aches, you have no energy, you're drained of creativity, and your mood has hit rock bottom. But that's just part of your job, right? Wrong! It doesn't have to be that way. The Active Workday Advantage will educate and inspire...

In The 4 Day Week, entrepreneur and business innovator Andrew Barnes makes the case for the four-day week as the answer to many of the ills of the 21st-century global economy. Barnes conducted an experiment in his own business, the New Zealand trust company Perpetual Guardian, and asked his staff to design a four-day week that would permit them to...

In Sleeping with Your Smartphone, Harvard Business School professor and ethnographer Leslie Perlow delves into the new connected world of work and challenges the notion that you must be constantly plugged in to be successful. Her work and research suggest this 24/7 mentality is actually counterproductive. Based on her latest research, the author recommends a radical yet simple idea: take...

How do today's leaders shift from playing it safe to playing for great? In a volatile and complex world roiled by a climate crisis, global pandemics, and disruptive technologies like AI, hyper-individualised leadership models no longer make sense. To seize emerging opportunities and achieve sustainable growth, leaders must recognise that a team's success flows from the intelligence, achievements, and growth...

Create a space where everyone can contribute and shine. Psychological Safety is a shared belief within a team that it's OK to speak up, ask questions, take risks, and make mistakes without fear of repercussions. And it's a leader's job to create it. This book offers a rich understanding of this concept and the trust and humility that must come...

If you're thinking of cutting your midlevel managers in the new world of work, think again. 'Middle manager.' The term evokes a bygone industrial era in which managers functioned like cogs in a vast bureaucratic machine. In recent decades, midlevel managers became a favourite target for the chopping block—underappreciated and often considered a superfluous layer of the organisation. Not only...

“Ford’s overlap of past and present, narrative and commentary is masterful, and makes this volume all the more valuable to those readers wise enough to allow the past to inform the future. Of Blood and Sweat is a myth-busting work of genius that will stand as the last word on this vital subject for a long time to come.”—Elizabeth Dowling...

The always-on, hustle culture creates an unhealthy, counterproductive relationship with work. Many workers believe that to compete with other top talent, they must embrace a culture that rewards long hours and a constant connection to work. Businesses and society endorse busyness, overwork, and extreme commitment as the most valued traits in workers. Sometimes that endorsement is explicit, as when Elon...

Seize the benefits of the five-generation workforce. Generational distrust and ageism are seeping into organisations worldwide. Differences over communication style, technology preferences, identity, and politics are fuelling harmful stereotypes and hurting team performance. It doesn't need to be this way. Smart leaders are harnessing age diversity and encouraging mutual learning, cross-generational collaboration, and a culture that embraces both similarities and...

Bestselling authors and cohosts of the TED podcast Fixable, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss reinvent the playbook for how to lead change - with a radical approach that moves fast, builds trust, and accelerates excellence. Speed has gotten a bad name in business, much of it deserved. When Facebook made Move fast and break things an informal company motto, it...

AI has the potential to transform leadership and the human experience of work, or to lead us into an automated and uninspiring work reality. Which one will it be? Humans have always been good at inventing tools that change the way we live and work, though not always good at adapting to those changes. Consider how the internet has given...

Boost your productivity with these essential tips. About HBR's 20-Minute Manager Series: Don't have much time? Get up to speed fast on the most essential business skills with HBR's 20-Minute Manager series. Whether you need a crash course or a brief refresher, each book in the series is a concise, practical primer that will help you brush up on a...

Leader Upheaval provides an actionable roadmap for leaders to enhance client-centricity, shift mindsets, and create the right teaming climate so that a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity can thrive. Derived from over 280 interviews with senior executives in professional services and their clients, along with hands-on experience leading hundreds of multidisciplinary teams on innovation journeys, Professor DeStefano reveals the...

Essential steps for leaders working to build an antiracist organisation. Providing a roadmap to workplace and organisational change, Inside Out is packed with practical tools for working collectively towards racial justice and dismantling institutional racism. This essential guide includes: An adaptive approach to moving race conversations forward with authenticity and genuine curiosity. Concrete strategies to help unpack the painful legacies...

Outstanding...This book is superb. — Robert B Cialdini, bestselling author of Influence To be successful at work, you also need to be influential at work. And to be influential requires an understanding of how the rules of influence work. Not just those mandated by logic, economics, and company policy, but the unspoken rules too. The rules people rarely talk about,...

Business success begins with trust. Trust is the basis for all that we do as leaders and as organisations. Employees who trust their employers are more productive and creative. Businesses that earn their customers' trust maintain better relationships and reap better results. Meanwhile, breaches of trust between companies and the public are becoming more frequent—and more costly. If you read...

Are your organisation's ideas growing stale? Do your employees need to refresh their thinking? If you read nothing else on creativity, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you instil creativity across your organisation. This book will inspire you to: Understand the 'rules' of creativity and...

Is your workplace toxic? Toxic workplaces take many forms. Whether you're dealing with a narcissistic boss, a backstabbing colleague, endless microaggressions, or a culture of overwork and burnout, it can feel impossible to know what to do. Should you address the issue directly, play office politics, go to HR, or just keep your head down? The HBR Guide to Navigating...

Find a way to work that works for you. The 9-to-5 office routine no longer exists. Many employees have the option to work anywhere, any time. But how do you find the flexible arrangement that's right for you? And how do you manage a team when they're all working in different places and on different schedules? HBR Guide to Managing...

We all wish we could sharpen key management skills—like writing more effective emails or proposals, focusing to-do lists on what really matters, giving more persuasive presentations, or dealing with a boss who makes you want to scream. But who has the time? The HBR Guides can help. In the HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done: Learn how to...

There's always more work to be done. How do you make sure you'll finish your most important tasks and make progress in your key projects by the end of the day? Getting Work Done (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series) runs you through the basics of prioritising your work, staying focused, delegating tasks, and using technology to help you get more done....

As creative people, we have ideas. Some of us have many ideas, others have really good ones, and most of us have many really good ideas. But most of these never see the light of day. Why? If you ask a creative person, the answer will always revolve around time. We simply need time to execute an idea (and do...

Whatever kind of creative person you are, this thought experiment game will get you out of your comfort zone. How? It stimulates creativity through limitation. Boundaries push you to think beyond the usual solutions and send you in different directions. That's exactly how you end up with unexpected and extraordinary ideas. Don’t/Do This - Game involves taking three "Do" cards...

Trust is the basis of all relationships - at work and beyond. We naturally want to bond with others with whom we can relate and on whom we can rely - and vice versa. That's why creating meaningful working relationships by trusting and being trustworthy adds value. Whether you're leading a team, building partnerships, selling, or collaborating, it's trust that...

Say no to a culture of constant work. We often equate our productivity with the number of hours we spend working. But do we really need to work endlessly, through weekends and during vacations, to be seen as stars? To find a healthy balance between our personal and professional lives, we need to make space for ourselves, define what we...

Named a Top Business Book by Forbes Beyond Happiness by Jenn Lim is a transformative guide for organisations seeking to build meaningful workplace cultures. Jenn Lim, through her career, has been dedicated to helping organisations—from well-known industry leaders to innovative governments—foster cultures that benefit both employees and the bottom line, resulting in less turnover, greater engagement, and increased profits. Her...

Be Better Than Your BS is a book on DEI in the workplace that speaks not only to executives but also to employees at all levels of a company. Authored by award-winning diversity consultant Risha Grant, it offers a direct and insightful examination of bias in the workplace. Risha Grant, a seasoned DEI consultant and corporate speaker, introduces her practice...

Manage the competing demands of working motherhood. As a working mother, you often draw the short straw. You carry most of the burden of caregiving and household chores—and your career suffers because of it. Bosses and coworkers assume that since you're focused on your family, you don't prioritise work. But choosing your job over your kids' extracurricular and school commitments...

You can have a successful career and be the dad you want to be. Finally, we've moved past the days when providing for your family meant taking a backseat role in your children's lives. Still, many of us aren't finding the support and flexibility we need, and the time-management challenge of performing at work while being a present dad at...

The world of work is full of ideas. Some are useful, shaping what we do and the way we do it — but it can often be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. When ideas really do break new ground and change our approach, they can help all of us to be better, happier, and more productive. The...

Eighty-three per cent of employees say it is up to the employer to facilitate well-being in the workplace. Well-being at work is a key priority for employees. Over the last decade, our world has increased its focus on individual well-being. There is a huge amount of information available and education offered on how to enhance personal well-being by reducing stress...

A supportive planner and journal for anyone filled with prompts, reminders, and gently existential encouragement from the creative mind of Adam JK. It's never too late to start—even if you're not normally a paper-planner person. This spiral-bound, undated companion is the useful and creative tool we all need in these busy and complicated times. Part organisation, part distraction, and part...

THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 From the bestselling author of Mastering Your Mean Girl, Melissa Ambrosini, and Nick Broadhurst, Time Magic is a radical new way to rethink your approach to time that will change your life. Feel like you don't have enough time? Killing yourself trying to 'do it all' without much to show...

Do less and achieve more with a simple time management practice guaranteed to transform all aspects of your life. Do you feel like you're always busy, but never truly productive? Do you crave a simpler, more intentional life? Look no further than Timeboxing—the gloriously simple practice of choosing one thing to do, when to do it, and getting it done....

"A terrific read for the new generations rising in the workforce—and for their leaders." — Stephen M. R. Covey, The New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Speed of Trust and Trust & Inspire STOP SPINNING YOUR WHEELS AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR CAREER FUTURE TODAY. Building a successful career in the world of remote...