The synergist : how to lead your team to predictable success

 by Les McKeown. We've all worked on teams with smart, hard-working people who, oddly enough, were never able to coalesce and work together seamlessly. Consultant McKeown thinks he has the answer: the addition of the "Synergist," the key role that exists in every successful group to tie the three other natural roles to which all of us default when we are in a group or team situation (visionary, processor, and operator). The Visionary-Operator-Processor triangle is unstable and requires a Synergist to help the group by transcending personal agendas and releasing the group's cohesion and flow. Using case studies, McKeown discusses each role's strengths and weaknesses, and provides tools for working with or for each personality type, explaining how a Synergist may help. His analysis of the choreography of group dynamics is insightful and easy to grasp, and though geared toward business teams, is equally applicable to any group of people working together to achieve any common goal. A thoughtful and incisive strategy for effective teamwork. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

The behavior gap : simple ways to stop doing dumb things with money

 by Carl Richards. In this accessible book, financial planner and Morningstar Advisor columnist Richards sits down to talk about money and the crazy choices we make. Through personal stories and simple ideas enlivened with a touch of imagery (often literally sketched on the back of a napkin), Richards explains why we keep making bad choices and shows us that we're often making decisions with our emotions rather than our intellect. However, Richards isn't saying that investors try to eradicate their emotions; rather, they should aim for an investment strategy that balances managing fear and greed in a way that "truly reflects your own emotional strengths and weaknesses." Once readers recognize what influences their decisions, they'll be much better able to act rationally. Richards then covers a vast array of topics, from investor emotions to information overload. He offers suggestions for combatting decisions that might be overly influenced by emotions, such as in periods of market turmoil, by taking "the overnight test," trying a media fast, or simply finding your focus. Whether relating a Zen story or talking about the Economist smirk, Richards succeeds in showing us how what we often think is right regarding investments rarely is. --Publishers Weekly (Check Catalog)

7 money rules for life : how to take control of your financial future

 by Mary Hunt.  Americans young and old are flunking their finances. A shocking 77 percent live paycheck to paycheck with no savings. And 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement, while 49 percent could cover less than one month's expenses if they lost their income. In the face of this bleak financial picture, bestselling author and finance expert Mary Hunt offers 7 Money Rules for Life ®. This no-nonsense and encouraging book gives readers the keys to get their money under control and get prepared financially for the rest of their lives. In her warm and engaging style, Hunt takes everything that she's learned over the past twenty years and boils it all down. Presented in a conversational style and readable in a weekend, this book offers applications for each of the seven rules as well as practical advice for how to recover from past financial mistakes. These simple, unchanging, basic rules work in every financial situation, for every income level, and for every stage of life. Money mastery isn't really that hard. 7 Money Rules for Life ® can help readers change their futures from uncertain to rock-solid with principles they can apply right away. --Summary (Check catalog)

Crossing the chasm : marketing and selling disruptive products to mainstream customers

 by Geoffrey A. Moore.  Moore provides an invaluable service to high-tech entrepreneurs and investors: he has identified the weak link in the marketing chain which makes the success of such ventures so unpredictable, and he outlines proven, specific techniques to address this challenge. At a time when the high-tech community in the U.S. cedes much of its once-held manufacturing advantage to the Far East and elsewhere, it is critical that these U.S. enterprises must retain superior marketing as a competitive advantage. Crossing the Chasm provides critical information for achieving this end. --Scientific American for first edition (Check Catalog)