Books in the HBR Guide series

Get your idea off the ground.You've got a great idea that will increase revenue or boost productivity-but how do you get the buy-in you need to make it happen? By building a business case that clearly shows your idea's value. That's not always easy: Maybe you're not sure what kind of data your stakeholders will trust. Or perhaps you're intimidated by number crunching.The HBR Guide to Building Your Business Case, written by project management expert Raymond Sheen, gives you the guidance and tools you need to make a strong case. You'll learn how to:Spell out the business need for your ideaAlign your case with strategic goalsBuild the right team to shape and test your ideaCalculate the return on investmentAnalyze risks and opportunitiesPresent your case to stakeholders

TAKE THE PAIN OUT OF PRESENTATIONS.Terrified of speaking in front of a group? Or simply looking to polish your skills? No matter where you are on the spectrum, this guide will give you the confidence and the tools you need to get results.Written by presentation expert Nancy Duarte, the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations will help you:Win over tough crowdsOrganize a coherent narrativeCreate powerful messages and visualsConnect with and engage your audienceShow people why your ideas matter to themStrike the right tone, in any situation

MEET YOUR GOALS-ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.How do you rein in the scope of your project when you've got a group of demanding stakeholders breathing down your neck? And map out a schedule everyone can stick to? And motivate team members who have competing demands on their time and attention?Whether you're managing your first project or just tired of improvising, this guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to define smart goals, meet them, and capture lessons learned so future projects go even more smoothly.The HBR Guide to Project Management will help you:Build a strong, focused teamBreak major objectives into manageable tasksCreate a schedule that keeps all the moving parts under controlMonitor progress toward your goalsManage stakeholders' expectationsWrap up your project and gauge its success

Don't let a fear of numbers hold you back.Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.You'll learn how to:Identify the metrics you need to measureRun experiments and A/B testsAsk the right questions of your data expertsUnderstand statistical terms and conceptsCreate effective charts and visualizationsAvoid common mistakes

Help your people reach their potential.As a manager, it's your responsibility to ensure your team is motivated and performing at a high level. But recent data reveals abysmal engagement levels among workers around the globe. How do you fix the problem--before your most talented people walk out the door?By understanding what drains your employees, you can increase their job satisfaction and push them toward achieving their goals. The HBR Guide to Motivating People provides practical tips and advice to help your team find meaning in their work, build on their strengths, and produce the best results for the organization.You'll learn how to:Pinpoint the root causes of lackluster performanceTailor rewards and recognition to individualsConnect routine work activities to a higher purposeSupport your employees' growth and developmentPrevent burnout--especially in your top performersCreate a culture of engagementArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Your next act starts now.You're ready for something new, but it's hard to start over. Just the idea of trading the security you have now for the unknown or throwing away the education and time you've invested in your current career can plunge you into a swirl of indecision and anxiety. But mixing things up every few years is an increasingly normal and cyclical part of a healthy work life--a way to gain new skills and stretch your existing ones by applying them to different contexts.Whether you know what you want to do next or you're still evaluating options, the HBR Guide to Changing Your Career will help you:Imagine other professional selvesIdentify the skills you need--and those you already possess that will transfer to another industryAssess the financial implications of the change you're consideringTry out new roles without endangering your current jobExplain a seemingly winding career pathPitch yourself into a new role

ARE YOUR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WORKING AGAINST YOU?To achieve your goals and get ahead, you need to rally people behind you and your ideas. But how do you do that when you lack formal authority? Or when you have a boss who gets in your way? Or when you're juggling others' needs at the expense of your own?By managing up, down, and across the organization. Your success depends on it, whether you're a young professional or an experienced leader.The HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across will help you:Advance your agenda-and your career-with smarter networkingBuild relationships that bring targets and deadlines within reachPersuade decision makers to champion your initiativesCollaborate more effectively with colleaguesDeal with new, challenging, or incompetent bossesNavigate office politics

If you aren't working with a strategy, you're wasting your time.Strategy isn't just a set of plans handed down from the C-suite. To grow as a leader, you need to understand your company's strategy and align your thinking, projects, and team with organizational goals and vision. Master these abilities with the HBR Guides to Building Your Strategic Skills Collection. This three-book set, which includes the HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically, the HBR Guide to Managing Strategic Initiatives, and the HBR Guide to Setting Your Strategy, will help you change the way you think about your work, manage your most important priorities, and craft a strategy for long-term growth.You'll learn how to:Understand what strategy is--and what it isn'tDefine a clear strategy, whether you're in a start-up or in an established businessManage a portfolio of strategic projectsEmbed strategic thinking into your daily tasks and decision makingAlign your team around key objectivesLet go of work that doesn't add valueCommunicate strategy throughout your organizationArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Make every minute count.Your calendar is full, and yet your meetings don't always seem to advance your work. Problems often arise with unrealistic or vague agendas, off-track conversations, tuned-out participants who don't know why they're there, and follow-up notes that no one reads-or acts on. Meetings can feel like a waste of time. But when you invest a little energy in preparing yourself and your participants, you'll stay focused, solve problems, gain consensus, and leave each meeting ready to take action.With input from over 20 experts combined with useful checklists, sample agendas, and follow-up memos, the HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter will teach you how to:Set and communicate your meeting's purposeInvite the right peoplePrepare an achievable agendaModerate a lively conversationRegain control of a wayward meetingEnsure follow-through without babysitting or haranguingArm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.