Political leadership of former Prime Ministers

Linda

As Aotearoa settles in with a new government and Prime Minister, this week’s blog reflects on Prime Ministerial leadership of the past.

Photo credit : WNZ_Parliament_2022_Credit WellingtonNZ8 

Leading both a political party and a country requires certain skillsets and strengths, the same as with any business.   Our past Prime Ministers have each brought their own unique take to the role and have each had to rise to face particular challenges.

While it is too soon for any analysis regarding Christopher Luxon, and Chris Hipkins tenure has not yet produced any publications,  the term of New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, produced numerous books giving consideration to her leadership style.

John Key’s leadership during his three year term as Prime Minister is written about by John Roughan while former Cabinet Minister, Chris Finlayson provides further insight into the workings of the Key led government of the times.

Further back the leadership of New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is discussed along with her term leading the United Nations Development Programme.

We’ve included Denis Welch’s recent examination of Norman Kirk’s brief term in office and round out the blog with some collective works by political commentators interviewing or examining the leadership of a number of former Prime Ministers.

Jacinda Ardern : The Story of an Extraordinary Leader / Duff, Michelle
“In-depth analysis of Jacinda Ardern’s extraordinary leadership as Prime Minister of New Zealand.” (Catalogue)
NB: This is a revised edition of the title listed below

 

 

Jacinda Ardern : the story behind an extraordinary leader / Duff, Michelle
“Michelle Duff delves into Ardern’s beginnings in small-town New Zealand, discovering a nose-ringed teen fighting for equality and her own identity in a devout Mormon family. Duff tracks Ardern’s political career from being dismissed as a ‘show pony’ to her compassion during one of New Zealand’s biggest tragedies, the Christchurch mosque terror attack of 2019. In its aftermath, Ardern has become a global icon for her strength and decisiveness while uniting a country in shock and mourning. Ardern attracted international headlines for being the second world leader to give birth while in office. But why was having a baby so meaningful, and what does it say about the continued struggle for gender equality? Has Ardern really been a transcendent leader, and what enduring mark might she leave on the political landscape? This is an engrossing and powerful exploration of one of the most intriguing political stories of our time-telling us as much about one young woman’s ascendancy as it does about the country that elected her”– Publisher description.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook Libby

Jacinda Ardern : a new kind of leader / Chapman, Madeleine
“New Zealand’s prime minister has been hailed as a leader for a new generation, tired of inaction in the face of issues such as climate change and far-right terrorism. Her grace and compassion following the Christchurch mosque shooting captured the world’s attention. Oprah Winfrey invited us to ‘channel our inner Jacindas’ as praise for Ardern flooded headlines and social media. The ruler of this remote country even made the cover of Time. In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Always politically engaged and passionate, Ardern is uncompromising and astute. She has encountered her fair share of sexism, but rather than let that harden her, she advocates ‘rising above’ disparagers. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of ‘relentless positivity’. The tactic was a resounding success: donations poured in and Labour rebounded in the polls. But has Ardern lived up to her promise? What political concessions has she had to make? And beyond the hype, what does her new style of leadership look like in practice?” (Catalogue)  Also available in Large print format and EBook Libby

Jacinda Ardern : leading with empathy / Vani, Supriya
“Jacinda Ardern was swept into office in 2017, with a wave of popular adulation dubbed ‘Jacindamania’. Her victory seemed heroic: in less than three months, she rose from deputy leader of the opposition, to the highest office in her nation. Few in politics would have believed it possible; fewer still would have guessed at her resolve and compassionate leadership, which, in the wake of the horrific Christchurch mosque shootings of March 2019 and the struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, brought her international acclaim and a second term. Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy carefully explores the influences – personal, social, political and emotional – that have shaped Ardern. Acclaimed peace activist and journalist Supriya Vani builds her narrative through personal interviews with Ardern, as well as the prime minister’s public statements and speeches and the words of those who know her. We visit the places, meet the people and understand the events that propelled the daughter of a small-town Mormon policeman into a committed social democrat, a passionate Labour Party politician, and a model modern leader.”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook Libby

The most powerful woman in the world : how Jacinda Ardern exemplifies progressive leadership / Chapman, Madeleine
“The fascinating story of an international icon – one of the world’s most inspiring, progressive leaders. Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern is a leader for a new generation, one tired of inertia in the face of pressing issues such as climate change, immigration and the rise of far-right terrorism. Ardern was catapulted onto the international stage with her grace and compassion following the Christchurch mosque shooting. Oprah Winfrey invited us to ‘channel our inner Jacindas’ as praise for Ardern flooded headlines and social media. The world’s youngest female head of government, and only the second elected world leader to give birth while in office, Ardern describes herself as a progressive and a social democrat. In this revealing biography, journalist Madeleine Chapman discovers the woman behind the headlines. Politically engaged from an early age, Ardern has encountered her fair share of sexism, but rather than let that harden her she advocates ‘rising above’ critics. In her first press conference, she announced an election campaign of ‘relentless positivity’. The tactic was a resounding success: donations poured in and Labour rebounded in the polls. But can Ardern live up to her promise? What does her new style of leadership look like in practice? And what can we learn from the world’s reaction to this inspiring leader?” (Catalogue)

John Key : portrait of a Prime Minister / Roughan, John
“Arguably New Zealand’s most popular Prime Minister in modern times, John Key shocked many with his decision to step down from office less than a year out from an election. Rather than seeking an historic fourth term, Key instead opted to quit while his approval rating was as high as ever in the polls. In this updated edition of the bestselling 2014 book, journalist John Roughan speaks with Key about his eight years leading the country and the motivation to turn his back on Parliament while he was still enjoying unprecedented public support. This lively portrait offers insights into Key’s early life, personality and motivations. Roughan examines how the twin ambitions of a boy in a state house, ‘to make a million dollars and be Prime Minister’, were realised beyond his dreams, and how Key’s instincts as a currency trader informed his approach to politics – and ultimately his decision to step down”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

Yes, Minister : Christopher Finlayson, Attorney-General, 2008-2017 / Finlayson, Christopher
“An insightful, revealing and entertaining glimpse into what really made the John Key government one of the most successful conservative governments in New Zealand.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook Libby and in Large Print format

 

 

Helen : portrait of a Prime Minister / Edwards, Brian
“New Zealand’s first woman Prime Minister remains an enigma to many, despite her almost daily exposure on television. In this biography, the author has produced a comprehensive and absorbing account of the life, times and character of the real Helen Clark.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Women, equality, power : selected speeches from a life of leadership / Clark, Helen
“A celebration of an outstanding leader who continues to strive and work for change, and it’s a rallying call for other women leaders, whether they are in positions of political, economic or social power. Helen Clark has been a political leader for more than 40 years, since first running in local elections in the 1970s. She entered parliament as a 31-year-old in 1981, led the Labour Party to victory in 1999 and was Prime Minister of New Zealand for nine years. She then took on a critical international role as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme in New York. One of her key focuses throughout this time has been the empowerment of women and she has paved the way for other women to step up and lead. With a foreword by the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, this is a timely and important book.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook Libby

At the UN : addresses from Helen Clark’s first term leading the United Nations Development Programme / Clark, Helen
“A selection of speeches – given to a variety of international audiences which cover a broad range of topics – areas which all fall within the major role and responsibility of the Administrator of the UN Development Programme – Helen Clark, who is now beginning a second four year term in New York. The addresses cover, among other topics and with a global perspective: global leadership for development, disaster risk reduction, governance, energy matters, why peace matters, famine, global finances, cyberspace, human development and international justice, local government roles, democratic transitions, climate change and developing nations, empowerment and resilience”–Publisher information.” (Catalogue)

The 9th floor : conversations with five New Zealand prime ministers / Espiner, Guyon
“Based on the acclaimed RNZ podcast series, and including new material, The 9th Floor by journalists Guyon Espiner and Tim Watkin presents in-depth interviews with five former Prime Ministers of New Zealand. Geoffrey Palmer, Mike Moore, Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark reflect on their time occupying the prime ministerial offices on the 9th floor of the Beehive. Their recollections amount to a fascinating record of the decisions that shaped modern New Zealand.” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook BWB

New Zealand’s prime ministers : from Dick Seddon to John Key / Bassett, Michael
“Collective biographies have been written for Britain’s and Australia’s Prime Ministers, and for America’s Presidents. Until now New Zealand has had no comparable overview. Based on extensive, careful archival research, interviews with recent Prime Ministers, many of their colleagues, and with their opponents, this major work is the product of decades of appreciative and insightful observation. It is essential reading for anyone interested in New Zealand politics.” (Catalogue)

We need to talk about Norman : New Zealand’s lost leader / Welch, Denis
“Norman Kirk was Prime Minister for only 90 weeks but in the early 1970s he inspired us by leading a visionary government with a clear moral purpose. When he died, we lost the man and many believe we lost our way. This book examines the promise of Kirk’s leadership and the social contract that is central to a liberal democratic society.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Getting the most from a conference

Linda

I recently attended the national conference for LIANZA, the professional body for Library and Information staff.

It was held in Te Pae, the award winning new conference facilities in Ōtautahi/Christchurch. It was my first time attending ‘in person’ for five years so it was fantastic to catch up with old friends, former colleagues and spend a few days bouncing around ideas and enjoying the energy of 500+ of my colleagues from around the motu as we were immersed in the professional culture of our ‘tribe’.

I also did a brief presentation at this conference, and talking to a room of peers giving immediate feedback made it a vastly different experience from the online presentation I gave two years ago.

All this set me thinking, now that we have returned to in person conferences, but given increasing costs of attendance, how, as a conference delegate, can we get the most out of the time and money invested.

Conference attendance inevitably involves a significant financial outlay.  Some may be fortunate to have employers who will support or contribute to the costs.  Others may need to apply for funding via a grant,  in order to attend (often available through the organising professional body).  There may be a degree of compromise involved:  for instance an employer may be willing to pay registration costs for attendance, while the employee accepts the cost of accommodation/travel.

However it is funded, conference attendance is an investment in professional development and helps employees maintain professional relevance and currency.  An employer should expect some return on investment so how can you get the most out of a conference?

Two of the main points of conference attendance are professional development and networking.  Attending a conference is not only an opportunity to learn from others and be inspired by keynotes, but to also share your own experiences.  This can take the form of a formal presentation or through serendipitous connections with other attendees.

Whether you are a first time attendee, an experienced presenter or somewhere in between here’s some resources compiled to help you get the most out of a professional conference.

Planning

A conference for a professional body will probably involve a professional event planner.  However smaller organisations may not have the budget for this and therefore will rely on members to assist with  some or all the the planning.  One way to share your skills or acquire new ones is to get involved in the planning of the event.

Planning and managing a corporate event / Lindsey, Karen
“Includes the Ultimate Tick List, A-Z Survival Guide, 50 Top Tips and Useful Contacts. This book provides comprehensive and expert guidance on planning and managing a Warner Music Entertainment corporate event. It is written as a support text for students studying event management and to provide a practical guide for aspiring event organisers.” (Catalogue)

 

The event manager’s bible : how to plan and deliver an event / Conway, Des
“The complete guide to planning and organizing a voluntary or public event, this resource is filled with sage advice on everything from the objective of the event to publicizing it.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Event Planning Foundations (LinkedIn)
50m
Beginner
Released: 2/17/2018
Do you excel at bringing people together? Turn your passion for event planning into a career. Event planners are employed in every industry. They bring teams together to achieve goals, celebrate milestones, bond outside the office, and work more productively. This course will give you tips, tricks, and techniques to make your next event a success—whether it’s your first or fifty-first. Valerie Berry covers topics such as understanding your client’s objectives, selecting a venue, getting the right technology in place, negotiating a budget, and building menus. Plus, learn how to manage the thousands of details that occur in the two weeks leading to an event, and follow up afterwards to make sure your clients and your vendors are satisfied.  (Library registration required to access)

Preparing a presentation

via GIPHY

Yes, presenting to a room full of peers is scary but it is one way of sharing your knowledge and experience with your community.

A professional conference will have a theme and will call for abstracts to be submitted for consideration months prior to the event.

Think about what you can present on, how to tie it to the theme of the conference and then prepare your abstract.  Your paper will be selected on the strength of your abstract and the writing of an abstract  (a succinct summary of your paper) is a skill.  Guidelines may well be given by the organisations but a few tips are given in these two items :

Important Tips for Writing an Effective Conference Abstract

How to Write an Abstract for a Conference

Congratulations!  Your paper has been accepted on the basis of your abstract.  Now to write the paper.  Depending on the type of paper you have selected to present you will have a time limit.

You’ll find some basic tips and tricks here : 
 Conference Paper Format and Style Guidelines

How to Write an Engaging Conference Paper and along with your paper you also need to consider the slides used to illustrate your points and help with audience engagement.

Then the moment comes to stand up, take a deep breath annnnnnndddddd ….. Present!  

Presenting

The short road to great presentations : how to reach any audience through focussed preparation, inspired delivery, and smart use of technology / Reimold, Cheryl
“A practical, readable guide to delivering superior presentations Speakers bear the responsibility for communicating effectively with their audience: presenting a clear message, supporting it with well-structured explanations and examples, and delivering it with ease, grace, and good visuals.” (Catalogue)

The snowball effect : communication techniques to make you unstoppable / Bounds, Andy
“Imagine what would happen if your communication suddenly became twice as effective as it is now – in business and in life. You’d get more done, persuade others more easily, get things right first time and have better relationships. You’d be unstoppable.” (Catalogue)

 

Presentation skills for quivering wrecks / Etherington, Bob
“Based on a successful course delivered by the author to thousands of businesspeople, this book demonstrates how it is possible to overcome the fear of speaking in public, enabling anyone to stand up deliver a memorable presentation.” (Catalogue)

 

While all that can be done will be done to ensure a smooth presentation there are days when technology at least refuses to cooperate.  If things don’t go as planned, it pays to have given some thought in advance to how you may handle the situation if something goes wrong.   What to Do When Presentations Go Wrong offers tips for presenters to handle hiccups with ease. 

Presentation over, and you can now relax and enjoy networking.  Don’t overlook the power of making connections with colleagues and exhibitors. 

Networking

via GIPHY

The rules of networking / Yeung, Rob
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Networking has become one of the key skills for virtually anyone who wants to get on in their jobs and careers. In fact, in just about any situation, knowing the right person will get you ahead. This book provides the essential rules and secrets to successful networking. It addresses the how, why and who of networking to enable virtually anyone to grasp the key skills and do some serious networking. Far from being a God-given talent, networking is a technique that can be learnt, honed and applied to great effect. Careers consultant Rob Yeung offers savvy and practical advice on networking that will make a genuine difference to your career.” (Catalogue)

Networking for people who hate networking : a field guide for introverts, the overwhelmed, and the underconnected / Zack, Devora
“Would you rather get a root canal than face a group of strangers? Does the phrase “working a room” make you want to retreat to yours? Devora Zack, an avowed introvert and successful consultant … feels your pain. She found that other networking books assume that to succeed, you have to act like an extrovert. … Zack politely examines and then smashes to tiny fragments the “dusty old rules” of standard networking advice. She shows how the very traits that make many people hate networking can be harnessed to forge an approach more effective and user-friendly than traditional techniques. This edition adds new material on applying networking principles in personal situations, handling interview questions, following up-what do you do with all those business cards?-and more. Networking enables you to accomplish the goals that are most important to you. But you can’t adopt a style that goes against who you are-and you don’t have to. As Zack writes, “You do not succeed by denying your natural temperament; you succeed by working with your strengths.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Available in EBook Libby only

10 steps to successful social networking for business / Hartley, Darin E
“Whether you run a solo consulting practice or a worldwide enterprise, you likely use some form of social networking to connect your customer base to the services or products you offer. This book offers you a step-by-step plan to use the advantages of social networking to build brand and customer loyalty and to share organizational knowledge.” (Catalogue)

General resources

How to Rock a Conference (LinkedIn)
Create lasting connections anywhere
1h 9m
Beginner
Released: 2/12/2021
In order to grow your network and advance your skills, you need to attend conferences. In this course, business expert Bianca Lager walks you through how to make the most of attending one. Bianca explains how to stand out with your personal interactions at conferences. She emphasizes the importance of preparation, presence, positivity, and setting achievable goals. Bianca goes over how you can maximize networking opportunities before, during, and after a conference. She shows you how to prepare a plan ahead of time, as well as analyze how to project power through your positivity and appearance. Bianca concludes with useful tips for those running the conference, for first-time conference attendees, and more.  (Library registration required to access)

10 Ways to Make the Most Out of a Conference
Attending conferences might be one of the best things you can do for your career. You’ll learn about industry trends, gain some new skills, and make all kinds of new connections. (And yes, there’s usually travel and free meals involved.)

How to Get the Most Out of a Conference
Rebecca Knight, Harvard Business Review online, July 2015
Conferences are an overwhelming rush of presentations, conversations, and potential meet-ups, and it can be tough to know where to focus your time. How do you figure out which sessions to attend? Should you skip the keynote to meet an important contact? How many coffee dates are too many? And what should you do if you’re an introvert who hates small talk?

If you are fortunate enough to be able to attend an international conference, the scale, particularly in the USA, can be overwhelming.  This article offers some sensible tips.

26 tips to get the most out of a conference
Use these tips to show up prepared to make the most out of your experience — before, during and after the event.

After the event, remember to share your findings.  Report back on your findings and experiences to your team, your manager or your local professional body.  You have represented your organisation on their behalf.

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.


Managing up

Linda

“I’m so tired of managing my manager” sighed a friend.  “How about a blog piece about that?”

So, you know who you are, and, without further ado, here’s our blog piece on managing up.

Well Done Congrats GIF by America's Got Talent - Find & Share on GIPHY

Articles

How to spot and manage an insecure boss
Offers five strategies for managing up with an insecure boss in order to make the situation work for you both.

Mostly on Managing Up.
NZBusiness+Management, February 1, 2023.
Provides suggestions to help determine if you are managing up effectively.

Why Managing Up Matters.
Simpson, Liz.  Harvard Management Update 7, no. 8 (August 2002): 3-5
It isn’t manipulation. Clarifying the goals and limitations of the boss-employee relationship enables everyone to move on to the real business at hand.

How to Onboard Your New Boss
Hollister, R. and Watkins, M.D. (2023) Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 1–6
Reducing their learning curve about your organization, team, and culture will help set all of you up for success.

LinkedIn learning

Managing Up (Course)
Are you ready to take charge, do good work, and get noticed for it? If you don’t manage up, you may never have the opportunity to manage down. This course is designed to help you learn how to maximize your career by managing up. Leadership consultant and best-selling author Roberta Matuson explains what managing up is, what it isn’t, and why it is important to achieving success. First, she helps you decipher the management style of your boss. Then she outlines techniques for building a strong relationship as well as how to avoid mistakes. She also addresses the need to master office politics, how to navigate your workplace effectively, and how to boost your performance by maximizing your personal and positional power.  

Managing Your Manager (Course)
In this course, author, keynote speaker, and coach Dr. Todd Dewett shows how to manage your reputation and one of your most important work relationships: your rapport with your boss. Discover how to understand your manager’s world, preferences, and lingo; support your boss’s goals; be a help rather than a hindrance; and lead by offering solutions. Plus, learn how to manage particularly difficult types of bosses, such as the boss who’s never available, the mean boss, or the boss who acts better than everyone else.

Book collection

The unwritten rules of managing up : project management techniques from the trenches / Brownlee, Dana
“What do you do when the biggest threat to your project is your boss? It’s not that your boss is out to get you. In fact, bosses generally mean well. But clueless leadership from a well-intentioned boss can sometimes cause more damage than a criminal mastermind tying your project to the railroad tracks. The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up provides refreshingly practical and candid insight into the best practices and techniques that project managers have successfully used for decades to manage a wide variety of senior-level stakeholders-ranging from perfectly competent and pleasant to downright dysfunctional and inept. While managing up is an incredibly valuable skill for virtually any type of boss (not just the difficult ones), the book includes recommendations for managing six particularly challenging-and common-types of senior leaders. … Brownlee also offers basic techniques to use with any boss, even a great one. This book is not just for professionals seeking to enhance their workplace effectiveness but also for senior leaders interested in addressing their blind spots and coaching others toward a more collaborative, results-focused leadership approach.” (Adapted from Catalogue)  Available only as EBook Libby

Managing up : how to move up, win at work, and succeed with any type of boss / Abbajay, Mary
“Managing Up is your guide to the most valuable ‘soft skill’ your career has ever seen. It’s not about sucking up or brown-nosing; it’s about figuring out who you are, who your boss is, and finding where you meet. It’s about building real relationships with people who have influence over your career. Managing up is good for you, good for your boss, and good for the organization as a whole. This book gives you strategies for developing these all-important connections and building more than rapport; you become able to quickly assess situations, and determine which actions will move you forward; you become your own talent manager, and your boss’s top choice for that new opportunity. As a skill, managing up can do more for your career than simply ‘networking’ ever could and this book shows you how.” (Catalogue)

Managing up : how to forge an effective relationship with those above you / Badowski, Rosanne
“Everyone has a boss. And anyone who has aspired to move up the corporate ladder knows that their relationship with those they report to is crucial.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Managing your manager : how to get ahead with any type of boss / Dufour, Gonzague
“Learn how to effectively work with even the most difficult boss – and instantly position yourself for success. Placing manager “types” into real-world categories – from the Bully, Scientist, and Star to the Geek, Parent, and Con Artist – this book provides everything you need to make your work life more satisfying and productive.” (Catalogue)

 

A survival guide for working with bad bosses : dealing with bullies, idiots, back-stabbers, and other managers from hell / Scott, Gini Graham
“Being saddled with a terrible supervisor can turn even the best job into a nightmare. Unfortunately, not every boss is the great symbol of managerial perfection one would hope for. A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses provides readers with savvy, practical advice for coping with managers and supervisors who are mean, incompetent, unethical, and worse.” (Catalogue)

Bad boss : what to do if you work for one, manage one or are one / Gibbings, Michelle
“At one time or another we’ve all had a bad boss – from bullying and intimidation, to unfair feedback and unrealistic workloads. Contrary to popular belief, most bosses don’t set out to be a bad boss, and yet they are. A bad boss’s behaviour sets the tone for what’s acceptable in the whole organisation and in doing so, can cause major issues for productivity, staff turnover and wellbeing. This book covers all three perspectives for the direct report, the boss and the boss’s boss. It could even be you! This book will help you identify is it them, is it you or is it the environment in which you work, with key actionable steps to turn things around.” (Catalogue)

How to lead when your boss can’t (or won’t) / Maxwell, John C.
“Learn the secrets of how to lead well and be successful even when working for an ineffective leader.” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.

McKinsey on Books : Author talks (3)

Linda

Global management consultancy McKinsey and Company offers a regular online series called Author Talks in which they present interviews with authors of newly published business books.

Through these interviews readers are able to gain more insight into the author’s experiences and knowledge on their topics.

In today’s blog we continue our series of linking some of these interviews with the books available in the Wellington City Libraries collection.

Click on these links to access earlier blogs : Author talks (1) and Author talks (2)

The inclusive organization : real solutions, impactful change, and meaningful diversity / Jenkins, Netta
“DEI is an 8-billion dollar industry that is not yet accessing its full potential through real solutions and results. However, through a powerful formula of policies and practices that motivate employees to be more socially and self-aware, The Inclusive Organization provides a revolutionary yet practical resource for individuals at any stage of their career. Employees across all levels and organizations are looking to drive actionable impact, but unfortunately lack the knowledge and support in doing so. This book will help any organization improve their DEI initiatives and create the sustainable and scalable change employees want to see within their workplace. Readers will be able to utilize worksheet examples and toolkits out of this book to build their own customized DEI roadmap. The Inclusive Organization is a must-read for any workplace committed to real and lasting change.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Author Talks: Is there a seat at the table?
Aerodei CEO Netta Jenkins explains why shortfalls in inclusion efforts can impact your company’s bottom line, and what you can do to create a more inclusive workplace.

Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You’re Put on the Spot / Abrahams, Matt
“Stanford lecturer and host of the #1 business podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart, Matt Abrahams, reveals the secrets to finding the right words when it counts. Communication is crucial to success in life and business. However, it is not just big speeches that matter: it is also those critical, spur-of-the-moment situations for which we cannot prepare.” (Catalogue)   Also available as Ebook Libby

 

Read more : Author Talks: How to speak confidently when you’re put on the spot
If you dread public speaking, small talk, or delivering feedback, you’re not alone. Matt Abrahams shares tips for mastering communication in spontaneous situations.

The case for good jobs : how great companies bring dignity, pay & meaning to everyone’s work / Ton, Zeynep
“Imagine you are a leader in a large company, and you volunteer at a local soup kitchen, helping the needy who can’t afford warm meals. On your way out, the director stops you and says, “I just need you to know that many of the people visiting our services are actually your employees.” This really happened. The leader was shocked. He assumed that because the company paid market rate, the company was doing right by its employees. But market rate isn’t a living wage. Market rate doesn’t make good jobs. Many leaders want to provide good jobs. They want to pay more, provide dignity and meaning in people’s work, and give them opportunities for growth. But they don’t know how to start, or they don’t think it can be done without hurting the bottom line. Most want to win with customers but are hobbled by a host of service and operational problems largely driven by high employee turnover–and that is partly driven by the low pay. It is indeed a vicious cycle, and Zeynep Ton is here to show the way out: why good jobs combined with strong operations always lead to good outcomes for the business. And why, more than ever in a post-pandemic world, failing to provide good jobs will catch up with you and threaten your business. Ton, the preeminent voice of the good jobs strategy, lays out plainly what most companies and leaders are doing wrong–and how to get it right. She shows that by choosing good jobs, companies are positioning themselves for future success. Practical, prescriptive, and often provocative, Leading with Good Jobs is essential reading for leaders of any company that wants to-needs to-choose excellence”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Read more: Author Talks: Empower employees, reduce turnover
Zeynep Ton, professor at MIT Sloan, highlights an operating model that improves customer and employee retention, fosters resilience, and drives purpose.

Scaling people : tactics for management and company building / Johnson, Claire Hughes
“A leader at both Google and Stripe from their early days, Claire Hughes Johnson has worked with founders and company builders to try to replicate their success. The most common questions she’s asked are not about business strategy—they’re about how to scale the operating structures and people systems of a rapidly growing startup. Scaling People is a practical and empathetic guide to being an effective leader and manager in a high-growth environment. The tactical information it puts forward—including guidance on crafting foundational documents, strategic and financial planning, hiring and team development, and feedback and performance mechanisms—can be applied to companies of any size, in any industry. Scaling People includes dozens of pages of worksheets, templates, exercises, and example documents to help founders, leaders, and company builders create scalable operating systems and lightweight processes that really work. Implementing effective leadership and management practices takes effort and discipline, but the reward is a sustainable, scalable company that’s set up for long-term success. Scaling People is a detailed roadmap for company builders to put the right operating systems and structures in place to scale the most important resource a company has: its people.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Read more: Author Talks: Scale your people, not just your company
A corporate officer explains the role that self-awareness and partnership play in driving performance.

Next! : the power of reinvention in life and work / Lipman, Joanne
“The profound disruptions of recent years have sparked a collective reckoning. We reprioritized our lives, and reordered how we envisioned the future. Businesses were forced to pivot, while leaders scrambled to rethink their roles. There has been an unprecedented global reset. But in truth, almost everyone goes through this kind of reappraisal at least once in their life—and probably more often than that. Whatever the catalyst, it prompts in us the urgent need to pivot, to ask the question: What’s next—and how do I get there? In Next!, bestselling author and journalist Joanne Lipman distills hundreds of personal interviews along with the latest scientific research to answer just this question. Through irresistible storytelling, she takes us inside successful career reinventions (ad executive to bestselling novelist; stay-at-home mom to CEO) and astonishing business transformations (wait until you hear what Play-Doh and Viagra have in common). From the laboratories of neuroscientists to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, to the frontlines of the social justice movement, Lipman explores how and why these transformations succeed. At its heart, Next! offers a thrilling argument: by harnessing the science and understanding the process, we can better understand how to reinvent that new career, change the direction of our lives, or inspire innovation in our organizations. This book provides a toolkit that shows how to make meaningful transitions—large or small—and to figure out for ourselves what’s Next!” (Catalogue)
Available as EBook Libby and EAudiobook Libby

Read more: Author Talks: Create your ‘reinvention road map’ in four easy steps
In her latest book, Joanne Lipman dispels the myth of abrupt transformations and outlines a concrete path to reinvention.

The Art of Explanation: How To Communicate With Clarity And Confidence / Atkins, Ros
“Whether at work, school, university or home, we all benefit from being able to articulate ourselves clearly. Filled with practical examples, The Art of Explanation is a must-read for anyone who wants to sharpen their communication skills.” (Catalogue)

 

Read more:  Author Talks: Am I making myself clear?
Feeling misunderstood? A BBC journalist shares the communication blunders that keep you from getting your point across and what you can do to avoid them.

If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.

 

Managing Change

Linda

Two weekends past, the country went to the polls and the result has been a change in government for Aotearoa.

Change is part of life but not always easy.  Some people, by nature, embrace change and adapt easily.  For others it is harder.

via GIPHY

Our Prime Minister elect has been CEO of an organisation that has weathered change so should bring some understanding of the change management process to his new role.  

Companies often undergo change for many different and often complex reasons.  What matters is how it is handled by members of staff, but particularly by the leadership of the organisation.

via GIPHY

In this blog we’ve curated a list of resources that offer some guidance on how to manage workplace change.

 

Articles

‘To Implement Change, You Don’t Need to Convince Everyone at Once: Rather than trying to convince skeptics from the outset, start with a small group of enthusiastic people’,  Satell, G. (2023).  Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 1–7. 
Rather than trying to convince skeptics from the outset, start with a small group of enthusiastic people.

‘The Most Successful Approaches to Leading Organizational Change’, Rowland, D., Thorley, M. and Brauckmann, N. (2023)  Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 1–10. 
A closer look at four distinct ways to drive transformation.

‘Getting Employee Buy-In for Organizational Change’, Olson, A.B. (2023) Harvard Business Review Digital Articles, pp. 1–5. 
Offers six steps to creating a culture that embraces change.

LinkedIn Learning course

Change Management Foundations
46m
Beginner + Intermediate
The need to manage change successfully is more common and more important for a leader’s career than ever, and a specific roadmap for managing change is essential. In this course, instructor Scott Mautz gives you a playbook—a powerful, step-by-step approach to managing change, drawing from and building on key elements of change management models in practice today. Scott begins with a brief introduction to the field of change management and dives into the truths of leading change. He discusses how to conduct a change readiness assessment, then goes into the specific change management phases that follow. Scott details key steps and considerations of each phase, as well as what barriers to expect and overcome. He concludes with how to build a change action plan (CAP).

11m
General
Teams won’t buy into a change unless they understand why it’s necessary. And without buy-in from stakeholders, changes don’t last. This course offers a fast-paced introduction to change management—a structured approach to delivering and managing sustainable change within an organisation. Instructor Claudine Peet explains how to identify why a change needs to happen, communicate your vision, and involve the right people along the way. Claudine then details how these processes and tools can not only help changes stick, but also positively impact both your organization’s culture and bottom line. With these essential concepts in your tool kit, you’ll be better equipped to help your teams achieve lasting results.

Change Management: Roadmap to Execution
34m
General
Enabling new ways of working or doing is one of the most vital steps in a successful business transformation. But a failure to establish standards for change integrity could jeopardise this transition. Change advisor Christina Charenkova describes the practical steps and activities that need to happen during a change management execution effort. She explains the information captured with a change impact analysis, then shows you how to verify the business impacts and ensure that new impacts are documented and reviewed. She covers how to identify stakeholders opposing the change and define strategies to mitigate their resistance to change. Christina challenges you to identify further change activities, then shares a possible solution. Christina goes over ways you can ease pain points and make the transition easier, then discusses the need for developing a growth mindset when it comes to business transformation.

Book collection

Making sense of change management : a complete guide to the models, tools & techniques of organizational change / Cameron, Esther
“Making Sense of Change Management is the classic text in the field of change management. It is aimed at anyone who wants to understand why change happens, and what needs to be done to make change a welcome rather than a dreaded concept. However, this book is not a “one size fits all” simplistic panacea to all change, whatever the circumstances. Instead, it offers considered insights into the many frameworks, models and ways of approaching change and helps the reader to apply the right approach to each unique situation.”–BOOK JACKET.” (Catalogue)

On change management
“Most company’s change initiatives fail. Yours don’t have to. If you read nothing else on change, read these 10 articles. We’ve combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you spearhead change in your organization. HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Change will inspire you to: lead change through eight critical stages; establish a sense of urgency; overcome addiction to the status quo; mobilize commitment; silence naysayers; and concentrate resources.” (Catalogue)

Managing in times of change : 24 lessons for leading individuals and teams through change / Maginn, Michael D
“While change is essential to your organization’s survival, it can also breed instability, stress, and even anger in your workforce. Managing in Times of Change shows you how to help managers and employees understand the benefits of change and flourish within their new environment and responsibilities. Twenty-four workplace-proven leadership lessons and tools provide you with a uniquely personal look at the impact of organizational change.” “Employees required to change how, where, and with whom they work can have difficulty seeing the benefits of a new situation. Managing in Times of Change provides straight talk and actionable advice that will help managers, teams, and individuals understand and implement workplace change in order to strengthen themselves and the organization.”–BOOK JACKET.” (Catalogue)

Mastering turbulence : the essential capabilities of agile and resilient individuals, teams, and organizations / McCann, Joseph E
“The essential capabilities organizations need to master turbulent change.  Rapid and disruptive change threatens the adaptive capacity of organizations, along with the individuals and teams leading them. Based upon over a decade of global research and consulting, Joseph E. McCann and John W. Selsky outline five capabilities highly agile and resilient systems must possess. They must be: Purposeful, Aware, Action-Oriented, Resourceful, and Networked. In addition the authors illustrate how these capabilities can be assessed across four levels–individuals, teams, organizations, and their business ecosystems. The goal is to develop these capabilities in tandem so that the individual, team, organization and ecosystem have High AR–not just greater agility or resiliency, but both high agility and high resiliency. The authors outline balanced development strategies for creating High AR that can be used to master turbulent environments for competitive advantage and sustained performance Includes cutting-edge concepts and examples that take readers from the latest advances in neuro-science and executive wellness to global supply chains and innovation strategy. Contains illustrative examples and vignettes from leading organizations including Mayo Clinic, Microsoft, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, TECO Energy, Shell Oil, Walmart, and others Most important, McCann, and Selsky deliver a unique and practical perspective that helps organization leaders make sense of the dynamic world in which they operate”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The influence agenda : a systematic approach to aligning stakeholders in times of change / Clayton, Mike
“This book sets out a systematic way to understand who you need to influence, how to evaluate the priority you give to each person, what tactics will work the best, and how to plan and execute your campaign. It provides powerful tools and processes which use the psychology of influence and grounds them in experience of managing projects and change.” (Catalogue)

 

The executive checklist : a guide for setting direction and managing change / Kerr, James M
“A guide for new executives that explores how to create an overarching, enterprise-wide transformative program. The book provides a best-practice checklist for 8 core areas: Strategy Setting, Technology Alignment, Business Renovation, Project Management, Communications Renewal, Employee Engagement, Staff Transformation, and Organizational Design.” (Catalogue)

 

Redesigning work : how to transform your organization and make hybrid work for everyone / Gratton, Lynda
“How companies can use the recent shifts in business norms and culture to reset work for the coming decade and beyond”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

 

If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.

 

Becoming a more effective leader at work

Linda

via GIPHY

A headline in an email newsletter caught my eye recently :

These Books Can Help You Become a More Effective Leader at Work
Congrats on the promotion. Now it’s time to face everything you don’t know (yet).

The article then lists what it calls The best books on leadership recommending a list of eight titles to help readers get to grips with being a manager and leader.

Some months back we produced a blog piece called Stepping up : a guide for the new manager that provided a compilation of some of the many library resources we have to support your transition into a new, senior, role.

We can’t list everything the library holds relevant to a blog topic so this blog supplements the first.   All the recommended items on the list are to be found in the Wellington City Libraries collections. 

Whether you are new to a leadership role or struggling with making progress in a role you have been in for a while here’s the listing as outlined in the article and links to each item in the collection. 

Read on …

The making of a manager : what to do when everyone looks to you / Zhuo, Julie
“Leading a team for the first time is a daunting endeavour. When Julie Zhuo became a new manager at the age of twenty-five, she stared at a long list of logistics and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. Now, having managed teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie knows the most important lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. This guide is packed with everyday examples and insights that will help readers get the respect and results needed in managerial roles.” (Catalogue) 

Surrounded by idiots : the four types of human behavior and how to effectively communicate with each in business (and in life) / Erikson, Thomas
“Erikson explains that there are four key behavior types that define how we interact with and perceive the people around us. Reds are dominant and commanding, Yellows are social and optimistic, Greens are laid back and friendly, and Blues are analytical and precise. Understanding someone’s pattern of behavior is the key to successful communication. Erikson provides practical advice for interacting with people based on their color profiles. — adapted from jacket” (Catalogue)  Also available as EAudiobook Libby and as EBook Libby

How to lead when you’re not in charge : leveraging influence when you lack authority / Scroggins, Clay
In How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, author and pastor Clay Scroggins explains what is needed to be a great leader—even when you answer to someone else. Drawing from biblical principles and his experience as a megachurch pastor, Clay will help you nurture your vision and cultivate influence, even when you lack authority in your organization. Every leader, young or old, resonates with the dead-end feeling of not being in charge. Too often the lack of authority paralyzes leaders, leaving them believing they must wait to be in charge until they can lead. One of the greatest myths of leadership is that you must be in charge in order to lead. Great leaders don’t buy it. Great leaders lead with or without the authority to lead. Because every road of leadership forks at the intersection of authority and influence, learning to cultivate influence without authority is foundational to navigating culture today.” (Catalogue) Note only available through EAudiobook Libby.

Dare to lead : brave work, tough conversations, whole hearts / Brown, Brené
“Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential. When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers. We stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it. We know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations. We lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work. But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and artificial intelligence can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start. Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question: How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?” (Catalogue)  Also available as EBook Libby and EAudiobook Libby

Do the work! : overcome resistance and get out of your own way / Pressfield, Steven
Could you be getting in your way of producing great work? Have you started a project but never finished? Would you like to do work that matters, but don’t know where to start? The answer is Do the Work, a manifesto by bestselling author Steven Pressfield, that will show you that it’s not about better ideas, it’s about actually doing the work. Do the Work is a weapon against Resistance–a tool that will help you take action and successfully ship projects out the door. Picking up where The War of Art and Turning Pro left off, Do the Work takes the reader from the start to the finish of any long-form project–novel, screenplay, album, software piece, you name it. Do the Work identifies the predictable Resistance Points along the way and walks you through each of them.  No, you are not crazy. No, you are not alone. No, you are not the first person to “hit the wall” in Act Two. Do the Work charts the territory. It’s the stage-by-stage road map for taking your project from Page One to THE END.” (Catalogue)

Think again : the power of knowing what you don’t know / Grant, Adam M.
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, the most crucial skill may be the ability to rethink and unlearn. Recent global and political changes have forced many of us to re-evaluate our opinions and decisions. Yet we often still favour the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt, and prefer opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. Intelligence is no cure, and can even be a curse. The brighter we are, the blinder we can become to our own limitations. Adam Grant offers bold ideas and rigorous evidence to show how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, encourage others to rethink topics as wide-ranging as abortion and climate change, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You’ll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, and how a vaccine whisperer convinces anti-vaxxers to immunize their children. Think Again is an invitation to let go of stale opinions and prize mental flexibility, humility, and curiosity over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what you don’t know is wisdom.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Available as EAudiobook Borrowbox and also EBook Libby

Great at work : how top performers do less, work better, and achieve more / Hansen, Morten T
“Why do some people perform better at work than others? This deceptively simple question continues to confound professionals in all sectors of the workforce. Now, after a unique, five-year study of more than 5,000 managers and employees, Morten Hansen reveals the answers in his “Seven Work Smarter Practices” that can be applied by anyone looking to maximize their time and performance. Each of Hansen’s seven practices is highlighted by inspiring stories from individuals in his comprehensive study… Each chapter contains questions and key insights to allow you to assess your own performance and figure out your work strengths, as well as your weaknesses. Once you understand your individual style, there are mini-quizzes, questionnaires, and clear tips to assist you focus on a strategy to become a more productive worker. Extensive, accessible, and friendly, Great at Work will help you achieve more by working less, backed by unprecedented statistical analysis” — From Amazon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

What got you here won’t get you there : how successful people become even more successful / Goldsmith, Marshall
“What’s holding you back? Your hard work is paying off, you are doing well–but there is something standing between you and the next level of achievement. Perhaps one small flaw–a behavior you barely even recognize–is the only thing that’s keeping you from where you want to be. Here, executive coach Goldsmith discusses not only the key beliefs of successful leaders, but also the behaviors that hold them back. He addresses the fundamental problems that often come with success, and offers ways to attack them. He outlines twenty habits commonly found in the corporate environment and provides a systematic approach to helping you achieve a positive change in behavior.–From publisher description.” (Catalogue)

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

 

Navigating Trans inclusion in New Zealand workplaces. Guest blog

Linda

You’re an employer of a small team of people. One day a staff member comes to you and tells you they are transgender.  What do you need to know to make your workplace inclusive and your team member feel safe?

In today’s blog, Ben Sarten, Co-founder, Every Gender outlines a roadmap for employers and colleagues to successfully include transgender employees and colleagues.

Navigating Trans inclusion in New Zealand workplaces


 Adam Rohe (he/they), co-founder of Every Gender,  facilitating a Gender and Gender Expression workshop.  Image supplied courtesy of Every Gender

Imagine you are a small business owner or people leader at a local company in Aotearoa, and one of your dedicated employees chooses a quiet moment during the workday to share a deeply personal aspect of their life with you. “I’m transgender,” she says. “I’d appreciate it if you could use she/her pronouns for me now, and my new name is Emma.”

In this moment, you are presented with a unique opportunity – one that may be unfamiliar territory for you or your organisation. There’s no ready-made playbook for such situations. However, your response holds the power to strengthen your team, elevate your company’s reputation, and show respect for all of your employees.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives can yield significant advantages, but they require ongoing commitment and a willingness to learn and adapt. While it may initially seem daunting, the rewards are substantial, not just for the individual but for your entire organisation.

Transitioning at Work

As Emma begins to share her authentic self with your team, it’s essential to recognize that this might be her first time being out as a transgender person in a workplace setting. This experience can be confusing and emotionally charged. The process of coming out, selecting a new name, and requesting specific pronouns involves a deep level of self-discovery and vulnerability.

Most of your colleagues may show support and be willing to use her correct name and pronouns, which is a positive start, but it’s important to remember that this could also be your team’s first experience working alongside a transgender person. 

Curiosity is natural, but it’s vital to create a space where Emma can focus on her work without feeling like an informal trans educator within your workspace.

Expecting Emma to shoulder the responsibility of educating her colleagues about transgender issues can impact her well-being and ability to perform her job effectively. This can lead to burnout, decreased opportunities for advancement, and – as a result – major income disparities; all issues that persist throughout New Zealand. (A 2018 survey of transgender health and wellbeing outcomes found the median income for the transgender population was around 50% that of the general population).

To address these challenges, the responsibility of educating your team and fostering an inclusive workplace falls on the broader organisation. Each situation is unique, and tailored support is essential. Seeking education from trans-led organisations should be considered a crucial step in this journey. Organisations like Every Gender, Gender Minorities Aotearoa, and InsideOUT can provide guidance and insights needed to navigate this path successfully.

So, what can I do?

For employees, colleagues, and allies, respecting a person’s name and pronouns is fundamental. Their gender, personal history, and medical background are private matters, shared at their discretion. The best way to support is to recognize and acknowledge a person’s identity and treat them with kindness and respect.

For employers and people managers, things are more complex. Confidentiality, consent, and gender inclusive policies must be a top priority. Changes may be required in other areas like uniforms, leave, gender inclusive facilities and benefit packages. The decision-makers responsible for these inclusivity initiatives should be well-informed and accountable for their choices, ensuring their impact aligns with every employee’s wellbeing and the goals of the wider company.

Final Thoughts

To become a genuine ally, whether as an individual or a business, commitment to continuous learning and growth is paramount. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but seeking DEI programs led by the community you aim to include can provide the necessary guidance. This choice not only ensures that educators are well-versed in the subject matter but also provides financial support to the very communities you seek to embrace.

In conclusion, embracing trans inclusion in the workplace is not just about meeting certain goals or avoiding pitfalls. It’s about creating an environment where everyone can thrive, where each member of your team feels valued and respected for who they are. It’s a journey worth embarking on—one that can lead to a more inclusive, supportive, and successful workplace for all.

Ben Sarten (they/them)
Co-Founder, Every Gender.

Every Gender is a storytelling vehicle bringing trans lived experience education and consultation into workplaces. In really simple terms, we, as trans people, teach businesses what steps they can take in order to support trans people, like us, at work.

We offer workshops, consultation content and one on one coaching to leadership teams as they build cultural competency in the trans inclusion space. Our vision is to create pathways for trans individuals into positions of self determination, financial empowerment and organisational leadership.

logo for Every Gender organisation

If you’d like to read further have a look at the list of resources we have compiled, many of which are available via Wellington City Libraries collection:

Trans and Non-binary Inclusive Workplaces: A Guide for Employers and Employees
This guide aims to help employers support trans and nonbinary employees by bringing you up to speed on your responsibilities and other ways you can help. The second part also explains your rights as a trans or nonbinary employee. (Outline Aotearoa)

Transgender employees
Managers and workmates must act lawfully and should support transgender employees who are transitioning or intending to transition, or are having issues at work. (Employment.govt.nz)

Rainbow resources
These resources and links will help organisations ensure their workplaces are inclusive and supportive of those from the Rainbow community. (Diversity works)

Creating a trans-inclusive workplace: how to make transgender employees feel valued at work Thoroughgood CN, Sawyer KB, Webster JR.   Harvard Business Review. 2020;98(2).
Transgender people often experience discrimination, stigma, hostility, and pressure to control or manage their individual identities when around others, including work environments. This is due to how people are socialized to perceive and perform gender. These reactions from others, however, have significant negative impacts on trans employees’ job satisfaction and well being. Although awareness of discrimination has grown, many employers are ill-equipped to address the issue and risk losing opportunities to recruit and retain top talent. Four helpful practices are identified: promote trans inclusivity via dress codes, bathroom use, and pronouns; support individuals undergoing gender transitions; adopt trans-specific diversity training; and implement resiliency interventions.
(Library registration and login required.)

7 Small Ways to Be a More Inclusive Colleague. Lordan N, Lordan G.  Harvard Business Review Digital Articles. February 2023:1-5. Accessed September 5, 2023.
Lists seven small actions you can take to be a more inclusive colleague and help foster a comfortable and safe work environment for everyone. Library registration and login required.

LGBTQ+ voices: Learning from lived experiences
New research reveals the challenges that LGBTQ+ employees face, and six ways to help them bring their authentic selves to work. (McKinsey)

Alphabet soup : the essential guide to LGBTQ2+ inclusion at work / Bach, Michael
“Everything you need to know about creating LGBTQ2+ inclusive spaces, from A to Z. What you aren’t doing to create an LGBTQ2+ inclusive space is costing you more than you might think. Every year, organizations (be they employers, volunteer organizations, hospitals, academic organizations, religious and faith organizations, or any space where people congregate) who aren’t doing the necessary work are losing millions of dollars to low productivity, staff turnover, missed opportunities, and reputational damage–and no, simply slapping a rainbow over your company logo every June isn’t going to cut it. In this myth-busting follow-up to the 2020 breakout bestseller Birds of All Feathers, diversity and inclusion expert Michael Bach breaks down everything you need to know about creating inclusive spaces for people who don’t fit squarely into the “straight” and “cis” box. And don’t worry if you’re already feeling lost; by the time you’ve finished this book, you’ll know exactly what LGBTQ2+ means–and a whole lot of other stuff to boot. With clarity and a healthy dose of humor, Bach lays out a road map on how to ensure your space is safe for LGBTQ2+ people. You’ll gain a clear understanding of sexuality, gender identity, and gender expression (yes, they’re different things, and it matters); what a Safe Space is, and how to turn your space into one; how to create and properly enforce a Code of Conduct; and how to grab a piece of the fabulous “pink dollar” (worth more than $1 trillion dollars annually in the Canada and US alone!). A must-read for leaders, HR professionals, CEOs, and managers of all levels, Alphabet Soup is a critical guide to creating a truly inclusive space for all–regardless of sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. Whether you consider yourself an ally, or don’t even know what it means to be one, you’ll come away armed with everything you need to know to create a safe, productive, and thriving LGBTQ2+ inclusive organization.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Cultures of belonging : building inclusive organizations that last : a guide to equitable leadership / Miranda-Wolff, Alida
“Clear, actionable steps for you to build new values, experiences, and perspectives into your organizational culture, infusing it with the diversity, inclusion, andbelonging employees need to feel accepted, be their best selves, and do their best work.” (Catalogue)

 

How to be a diversity and inclusion ambassador : everyone’s role in helping all feel accepted, engaged, and valued / Warren, Celeste R
“This book offers a clear, proven framework for how anyone-from the CEO to a frontline employee-can play a role in creating a diverse and welcoming workplace. Creating a diverse workplace needs to be an ongoing effort, not just the subject of an occasional training. What can you do to help? Celeste Warren, vice president for global diversity and inclusion at Merck, says you can become a diversity and inclusion ambassador. These people are committed to helping everyone see the importance of inclusive and equitable practices. Warren offers a straightforward three-stage model: 1. Become aware of your own conscious and unconscious biases; 2. Take an inventory of your surroundings: what is getting in the way of there being an inclusive environment in your organization?; 3. Develop a personal action plan. Depending on readers’ positions, the actions they take can be as simple as consistently raising DEI-related issues in staff meetings or as far-reaching as leading an employee resource group or developing a new hiring policy. In separate chapters, Warren offers specific advice for chief diversity and inclusion officers, C-suite leaders, frontline managers, human resources practitioners, and individual contributors. Featuring tools, exercises, and examples, this book offers everyone the opportunity to help make diversity a workplace reality. Reading group discussion guide available in book”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Rising together : how we can bridge divides and create a more inclusive workplace / Helgesen, Sally
“Participants at leadership conferences often tell Sally, “Please don’t spend your time telling us why developing and retaining a diverse workforce is important. We get it. The problem is, we don’t know how to do it.” Rising Together provides that missing how in full detail by identifying both what holds us back and specific tactics that can help us move forward. First, Sally identifies the eight common triggers most likely to undermine our ability to collaborate across divides–not only of gender, but also of age, ethnicity, race, sexuality, and life experience. These triggers are widespread, yet rarely acknowledged. They include differences in how people from different backgrounds view ambition, competence, perceptions, fairness, communication, networks, attraction, and humor. Sally then offers specific practices designed to address these triggers: simple behavioral tweaks that we can use on a daily basis; a method for informally enlisting allies to hold us to account; and a means for cultivating and disseminating the dynamic power of we.”–Inside front jacket flap” (Catalogue)

How to get your act together : a judgement-free guide to diversity and inclusion for straight white men / Hassan, Felicity
“Lead meaningful and positive change in your organisation with the ultimate guide to implementing diversity and inclusion. Of the very few Fortune 500 companies that share diversity data, 72% of their senior executives are white men. And it’s been proven that companies with more diverse management teams have nearly 20% higher revenues. Surely YOU don’t want to be left behind? Moral imperatives aside, the business case for diversity and inclusion is clear – they are clear drivers of innovation, profit and employer brand. But how can male white leadership implement this change? There’s no denying it’s difficult — perhaps you feel afraid to make mistakes, and confused about the evolving language of diversity and inclusion. In this revolutionary guide, leading diversity specialists Felicity Hassan and Suki Sandhu OBE teach you how to create an inclusive environment for your employees and have educated conversations about diversity, illuminating tricky territory with humour and heart. This judgement-free guide will educate, empower and embolden you to create a workplace where anyone can be themselves, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, class or disability – and eventually, to change the face of business for the better” — Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)

Say the right thing : how to talk about identity, diversity, and justice / Yoshino, Kenji
“In the current period of social and political unrest, conversations about identity are becoming more frequent and more difficult. On subjects like critical race theory, gender equity in the workplace, and LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms, many of us are understandably fearful of saying the wrong thing. That fear can sometimes prevent us from speaking up at all, depriving people from marginalized groups of support and stalling progress toward a more just and inclusive society. Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, founders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law, are here to show potential allies that these conversations don’t have to be so overwhelming. Through stories drawn from contexts as varied as social media posts, dinner party conversations, and workplace disputes, they offer seven user-friendly principles that teach skills such as how to avoid common conversational pitfalls, engage in respectful disagreement, offer authentic apologies, and better support people in our lives who experience bias. Research-backed, accessible, and uplifting, Say the Right Thing charts a pathway out of cancel culture toward more meaningful and empathetic dialogue on issues of identity. It also gives us the practical tools to do good in our spheres of influence. Whether managing diverse teams at work, navigating issues of inclusion at college, or challenging biased comments at a family barbecue, Yoshino and Glasgow help us move from unconsciously hurting people to consciously helping them”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

One of them / Lal, Shaneel
“What would you do if you were told by the people you loved the most that the way you were born was evil and wrong? For Shaneel Lal, this was their reality from the time they were five. Growing up in a tiny, traditional village in Fiji, Shaneel always knew they were different. Still, for the first years of their life, it was idyllic – playing dress-ups in saris with their sister, and hiding under their neighbour’s house, playing games with dolls. But from the time Shaneel started school, they faced condemnation from their family, and then ‘therapy’ from conservative elders in their village. The elders tried to ‘free’ Shaneel from the evil spirits they thought were making them queer. Shaneel was kept away from the girls to stop Shaneel from becoming more feminine, and from the boys to stop Shaneel’s queerness from spreading to them. Eventually the ‘therapy’ escalated to beatings and torture. After escaping Fiji and moving to New Zealand as a teenager, Shaneel tried to keep their sexuality – and gender – to themself, but gradually found the courage to come out. One day, while Shaneel was volunteering at Auckland’s Middlemore hospital, a church leader came up to them and offered to ‘pray the gay away’. It was a lightbulb moment for Shaneel, who could not believe that the same practices that had scarred their childhood in Fiji were operating – and legal – in New Zealand. Determined to ensure others wouldn’t have to go through what happened to them, Shaneel founded the Conversion Therapy Action Group, which lead the movement to ban conversion therapy in Aotearoa”–Publisher’s website.” (Catalogue)

Krow’s TRANSformation 
Duration: 1 h 28 min
|Country: Canada
Rating: PG
Year of Release: 2019
Never comfortable with “her” body or given name, Kayanna knew since childhood he was meant to be a boy. Struggling deeply with his identity throughout his youth, he adopted a new name – Krow. At 12-years-old, Krow began a career as a globe-trotting “female” fashion model. While living a glamourous lifestyle, he never felt fully comfortable, despite the attention and praise lavished on him for his good looks. In a series of honest and often heart-breaking interviews, we see how Krow’s decision impacted those closest to him. His mother, Lisa, initially struggles with the revelation that her child wanted to transition. But, as she learns what it means for him, she begins to whole-heartedly embrace her son’s new life. Then there is Krow’s friend Ashton and his mentor Kas who share their own experiences of growing up in bodies they never felt comfortable in, as well as their personal journeys towards transition.  (Available through Beamafilm with library registration)


If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.

Accessing the Harvard Business Review

Linda

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) has long been a popular business magazine.

Wellington City Libraries offers HBR in both hard copy (magazine) format and online via our databases.

In this blog we will show you how to access both.  All you need is a current Wellington City Libraries registration.

HBR as a hard copy magazine

Magazines (published bi-monthly) are held at the Te Awe Brandon Street branch of Wellington City Libraries and displayed with the magazines on the ground floor.

 

Only copies for the current year are held in the library but the last ten years of magazines are held in our storage facililty.  To request an older issue not held at Te Awe all you need to do is bring up the record for the HBR record on the catalogue and then click on the red [Place Reserve] button. Log in using your library card number and password, then click which issues you would like to see.  

 

Click on the issues you would like to see and select the branch most convenient for you to pick up from.  Submit your request and your chosen items will then be dispatched.  An email will be sent to tell you when they have arrived (usually within 48 hours).  There is no charge for this service but a 50c charge for each magazine borrowed and the loan period is for a week.  

HBR online

The Harvard Business Review is available fulltext online via Business Source Premier.

Business Source Premier is a business research database offering information in nearly every area of business including management, economics, finance, accounting and international business.

It can be accessed here.

Sign in with your library card number and pin.  You will then see a page that looks like :


 

You can then proceed to search in several different ways.

1.  Along the top menu is an option for Publications.  This provides a full list of all the publications indexed in this database.  Enter Harvard Business Review into the search box and you will get a screen that looks like : 


 

Select the Harvard Business Review option and you will then be taken to a screen that breaks down the entries into years.  Make your selection for a particular issue from the listing on the right hand side.

 

A full listing of all the articles will appear with the option to open as HTML full text (plain) or pdf (as it appears in the magazine).  You can also select and email articles to yourself.

 

2.  The second way to search is if you know a title of an article or are looking for works by a particular author.

Return to the first search screen.

If you are looking for HBR articles on burnout, for example, enter burnout into the first box and select “Title” from the dropdown menu.  In the second box enter “Harvard Business Review” and then select Source from the drop down menu.  This will then give you a list of article published in the HBR with burnout in the title.  You can use other features on this screen to narrow or expand your search.


 

 

From here you can either read selected article from the list or add them to a folder to email to yourself.

 

You can also keep up to date with new content at Harvard Business Review – Ideas and Advice for Leaders (hbr.org)  

The HBR site offers a range of newsletters that can be freely subscribed to.  This will draw attention to new content.  Social media options are also available.

If you would like further information please contact the Prosearch team at the library. We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources. All enquiries are treated in confidence.

 

In praise of older workers

Linda

via GIPHY

Years ago a business I was involved with consistently employed school leavers in a front facing role.  These young, and inevitably, women, were considered ‘cheap’ to employ as they were on youth rates.  
Due to various reasons however, the incumbents left and needed to be replaced on a regular basis.  The business kept repeating the pattern of employing younger people who stayed 6-8 months before moving on.  The business accepted this as inevitable yet the cost of recruiting and training a replacement was a burden on a small company.

The suggestion was made that they employ an older person for the role.  This was met with shock and some derision.  An older person would be bored, an older person wouldn’t ‘fit’, an older person wouldn’t pick up the technology and so on.

However after advertising the role for the fourth time an older applicant was appointed.  It was a great fit.  In return the company got a loyal, stable and capable kaimahi (worker), who brought a wealth of life experience to the role and undertook tasks in a calm and professional manner.

When faced with choosing between two workers many employers do what the above company did; select the younger applicant over the older applicant. 

Reasons for this vary but employers often erroneously perceive older workers as being slow, an awkward fit with younger staff,  unwilling/unable to learn, or lacking computer skills and so on.  In other words, people of a certain age are often discriminated against by employers who fail to see the advantages this demographic is able to bring to the workplace.

via GIPHY

Older employees in the workplace provide experience, life, social and problem solving skills, balance and knowledge which benefits both employer and younger employees.

“It is crucial to recognize the profound value that age diversity brings to a workforce, particularly in a business setting. Older workers possess a deep understanding of how existing systems and practices intertwine with emerging technologies and methodologies. By bridging the gap between traditional and innovative approaches, they provide invaluable insights into how different components interact, ensuring a holistic perspective on problem-solving and decision-making.”  – Nancy Hammervik

In Masterton, former historian and television presenter Hugo Manson has taken on an apprenticeship at the age of 82 years.  His “boss” is 24 years of age.  For Manson “… it’s an extremely productive relationship. One that I’ll always value”.  You can learn more here. 

If you are over 50, and looking for work or considering a career change; if you’re an employer wondering how to better capitalise on the talent among your older workers then have a look at some of our Wellington City Library resources.

Managing the older worker : how to prepare for the new organizational order / Cappelli, Peter
“Your organization needs older workers more than ever: They transfer knowledge between generations, transmit your company’s values to new hires, make excellent mentors for younger employees, and provide a “just in time” workforce for special projects. Yet more of these workers are reporting to people younger than they are. This presents unfamiliar challenges that–if ignored–can prevent you from attracting, retaining, and engaging older employees. In Managing the Older Worker, Peter Cappelli and William Novelli explain how companies and younger managers can maximize the value provided by older workers. The key? Recognize that boomers’ needs differ from younger generations – and adapt your management practices accordingly. For instance:
· Lead with mission: As employees age, they become more altruistic. Emphasize the positive impact of older workers’ efforts on the world around them.
· Forge social connections: Many older employees keep working to maintain social relationships. Offer tasks that require interaction with others.
· Provide different benefits: Tailor benefits–such as elder-care insurance programs or discount medication–to older workers’ interests. Drawing on research in management, psychology, and other disciplines,
Managing the Older Worker reveals who your older workers are, what they want, and how to manage them for maximum value.” (Catalogue)

Older workforces : re-imagining later life learning / Bingham, Domini
“We are all going to become old. Many countries are ageing demographically with ageing workforces. Despite anti-discrimination and equality laws, older workers are routinely left out from learning opportunities even unconsciously so, suffer stereotyping or they simply do not participate. Why is this so? This book looks to understand the background to this and re-imagine older workplaces to capitalise on older workers. The author explores what learning and development offers a best fit for older workforces through literature, research and case studies with organisations and individuals. She considers how an organisation might shift its strategic processes to offer a holistic workforce opportunity of value to both employee and employer, as it is cognitive skills that will be needed in future workforces. Emphasising the area of work agency and the human right to learning, this book turns ageing and learning in workplaces on its head, seeing older workers as vessels of untapped potential. It re-imagines their possibilities in a time of intense demographic and digital change. This book will be a pragmatic guide to academics, researchers and practitioners in the fields of workplace learning, human resource development, social policy and diversity.” (Catalogue)

Unretirement : how baby boomers are changing the way we think about work, community, and the good life / Farrell, Chris
“Demographic doomsayers predicted that baby boomers would bleed America dry, bankrupting Social Security and Medicare as they faded into impoverished old age. Chris Farrell argues that they are already extending their working lives with new careers, entrepreneurial ventures, and volunteer service. Unretirement not only explains this seismic change, it provides key insights and practical advice for boomers about to navigate this exciting new frontier.” (Catalogue) Also available in EBook Libby

Older women who work : resilience, choice, and change
“Older Women Who Work: Resilience, Choice, and Change provides one of the first in-depth examinations of women age 65 and older who have delayed retirement, exploring personal and career identity, social roles, and quality of life concerns. The fifteenth book in APA’s Division 35 Psychology of Women series, this edited volume presents a rich array of qualitative and quantitative research on older women’s experiences in the workplace. Chapter authors share insights about how organizational leaders can change societal structures to better support the motivations and needs of diverse older women in the workplace. The book also describes how consultants, educators, and mental health professionals can encourage development of personal grit, to help the growing numbers of older women exercise their right to opportunities and be adaptable in the face of employment challenges”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

How to find a job after 50 : from part-time to full-time, from career moves to new careers / Cummings, Betsy
“This practical guide tackles one of the largest issues in the workplace: finding work over the age of 50” (Catalogue)

 

 

Getting the job you want after 50 for dummies / Hannon, Kerry
“Provides readers over the age of fifty with helpful tips and techniques for updating their resumes, performing well on job interviews, and landing a job in a field or in an area that they are passionate about.” (Catalogue)

 

 

If working for others isn’t your thing – consider starting your own business.

Changing gears: entrepreneurs @ 50+ / Robertson, Angela C
“Globally, there is an emerging trend for people to start a business for the first time in later life. In New Zealand, 45% of these ‘Entrepreneurs’, are over the age of 50, and the trend has been steadily increasing since the onset of the COVID-19. Why do individuals in the second half of life choose to change gears, and go down this route? What is the trigger? What motivates them? What is the nature of the businesses they established, and how did they go about it?
In this book you’ll meet 33 Entrepreneurs @ 50+, who challenge the stereotypical belief, that advancing age narrows down life choices. It doesn’t! These individuals create their own reality. Their businesses range from the conventional to the ‘out there’, and their experiences include candid accounts of the challenges they faced, and their aspirations for the future. Regardless of your age and stage, circumstances and experiences, there are always opportunities to pick up ideas and lessons learned from others who have embarked on this path beyond mid-life. If you have that nagging feeling of ‘what’s next for me’, this book is for you. Inspired by their example, you might like to change gears too!” (Catalogue)

Ageless startup : start a business at any age / Terrien, Rick
“Ageless Startup guides retirees through the world of entrepreneurship. The book discusses what it takes to start a business at an advanced age, how seniors set themselves apart from their younger competitors, and provides general business startup guidance”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

 

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence

Chinese business resources

Linda

This week marks New Zealand Chinese language week in which Mandarin, Cantonese and other Chinese dialects are celebrated!

Our colleague Xinxin has put together a wonderful blog outlining some of the resources within the Wellington City Libraries collections and events being held in the library during this time.

Specifically for the business community there are a number of journals and newspapers available through different platforms and in Chinese language formats or English.  If you do business in a Chinese speaking part of Asia you may find these resources helpful.

Press Reader


This list provides entry to some of the many magazines and newspapers that cover China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan.

China
Beijing Review (English)
Capitalweek(Simplified Chinese)
China Business News (Simplified Chinese)
China Economist (English)
China Newsweek (Simplified Chinese)
China Today (English)
The Global Times (English)
Harvard Business Review (Simplified Chinese)
Jiefang Daily (Simplified Chinese)
Manager (Simplified Chinese)
National Business Daily (Simplified Chinese)
Shanghai Daily (English)
United Times (Simplified Chinese)

Hong Kong
China Daily English (English)
Economic Digest (Traditional Chinese)
Hong Kong Economic Journal (Traditional Chinese)
Oriental Daily News (HK) (Traditional Chinese)
South China Morning Post  (English)

Macau
Macau Daily Times (English)

Singapore
The Business Times (English)
The Edge (English)
Lianhe Zaobao (Simplified Chinese)
Shin Min Daily News (Simplified Chinese)
Straits Times (English)
Vuapo (English)

Taiwan
Business Weekly(Traditional Chinese)
China Times(Traditional Chinese)
Commercial Times (Traditional Chinese)
Economic Daily News(Traditional Chinese)
The Merit Times (Traditional Chinese)
Taipei Times (English)
United Daily News (Traditional Chinese)

DragonSource

 


DragonSource has over 3000 Chinese magazines online that include many popular magazine titles, such as Reader’s Digest, Elle Chinese, Vogue Chinese, photography, Xinmin Weekly and much more.
Updated monthly, read online for free.

Book collection

Encountering China : New Zealanders and the People’s Republic
“This collection of 50 texts, written by diplomats and poets, politicians and academics, students and businesspeople, reflects on personal experiences of China over the last half century”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)
Also available in EBook Libby

 

Party of one : the rise of Xi Jinping and China’s superpower future / Wong, Chun Han
“Party of One shatters the many myths and caricatures that shroud one of the world’s most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers misread Xi during his early years in power, projecting their own hopes that he would steer China toward more political openness, rule of law, and pro-market economics. Having masked his beliefs while climbing the party hierarchy, Xi has centralized decision-making powers, encouraged a cult of personality around himself, and moved toward indefinite rule by scrapping presidential term limits-stirring fears of a return to a Mao-style dictatorship. Today, the party of Xi favors political zeal over technical expertise, trumpets its faith in Marxism, and proclaims its reach into every corner of Chinese society with Xi portraits and hammer-and-sickle logos. Under Xi, China has challenged Western preeminence in global affairs and cast its authoritarian system as a model of governance worthy of international emulation. As a China reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Chun Han Wong has chronicled Xi Jinping’s hard-line strategy for crushing dissent against his strongman rule, his political repression in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and his increasingly coercive efforts to reel in the island democracy of Taiwan, as well as the domestic and diplomatic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. When the Chinese government refused to renew Wong’s press credentials and forced him to leave mainland China in 2019, he moved to Hong Kong to continue covering Chinese politics and its autocratic turn under Xi. Now, Wong has drawn on his years of firsthand reporting across China-including conversations with party insiders, insights from scholars and diplomats, and analyses of official speeches and documents-to create a lucid and historically rooted account of China’s leader and how he inspires fear and fervor in his party, his nation, and beyond”– Dust jacket.” (Catalogue)

City on the edge : Hong Kong under Chinese rule / Hung, Ho-fung
“For decades, Hong Kong has maintained precarious freedom at the edge of competing world powers. In City on the Edge, Ho-fung Hung offers a timely and engaging account of Hong Kong’s development from precolonial times to the present, with particular focus on the post 1997 handover period. Through careful analysis of vast economic data, a myriad of political events, and intricate networks of actors and ideas, Hung offers readers insight into the fraught economic, political, and social forces that led to the 2019 uprising, while situating the protests in the context of global finance and the geopolitics of the US-China rivalry. A provocative contribution to the discussion on Hong Kong’s position in today’s world, City on the Edge demonstrates that the resistance and repression of 2019-2020 does not spell the end of Hong Kong but the beginning of a long conflict with global repercussions”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Alibaba’s world : how a remarkable Chinese company is changing the face of global business / Erisman, Porter
“What is as powerful as Google, more popular than Facebook, and more economically disruptive than Amazon and eBay combined? Alibaba operates the world’s biggest online shopping mall, with 600 million registered users (Amazon has roughly 200 million). It executes about 80% of China’s e-commerce transactions and generates nearly 70% of all packages in China, making up close to 2% of China’s GDP. And its marketplaces include another 60 million small and medium-size business users spread over 200 countries. This Chinese company is poised to make its global debut with an IPO that could be the largest in history. But what is Alibaba? How does it work? And why should we be paying attention? Porter Erisman shows how Jack Ma, a charismatic Chinese schoolteacher, rose from obscurity to revolutionize commerce in China, and now the world. He shares stories of weathering the dotcom crash, facing down eBay and Google, negotiating with the Web-phobic Chinese government, and enduring the misguided advice of foreign experts, all to build the behemoth that’s poised to sweep the ecommerce world today. And he analyzes Alibaba’s role as a harbinger of the new global business landscape–with its focus on the East rather than the West, emerging markets over developed ones, and the nimble entrepreneur over the industry titan. As we face this near future, the story of Alibaba–and its inevitable descendants–is both essential and instructive”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Shenzhen experiment : the story of China’s instant city / Du, Juan
“A rural borderland just forty years ago, today Shenzhen is a city of twenty million and a technology hub. This success is attributed to its status as a Special Economic Zone, but no other SEZs compare. Juan Du looks to the past to understand why. It turns out that Shenzhen is no prefab “instant city,” but a place influenced by deep local history.– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.