Series:

HBR Guide

30 total works

Cover of HBR Guide to Work-Life Balance

Stop running on empty.

Every day you juggle the many components that fill your life. Between work and family commitments, volunteer work, hobbies, and managing your physical and mental health, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and that you’re letting someone down or neglecting some aspect of your life. But you can find ways to honor all of your commitments without collapsing.

The HBR Guide to Work-Life Balance will help you:

  • Evaluate and adjust your priorities
  • Manage expectations
  • Set and spend your time budget
  • Make plans--and backup plans
  • Understand how to make trade-offs
  • Prioritize self-care
  • Discover what works for you

Cover of HBR Guide to Motivating People (HBR Guide Series)

Help your people reach their potential.

As a manager, it's your responsibility to ensure your team is motivated and performing at a high level. But recent data reveals abysmal engagement levels among workers around the globe. How do you fix the problem--before your most talented people walk out the door?

By understanding what drains your employees, you can increase their job satisfaction and push them toward achieving their goals. The HBR Guide to Motivating People provides practical tips and advice to help your team find meaning in their work, build on their strengths, and produce the best results for the organization.

You'll learn how to:

  • Pinpoint the root causes of lackluster performance
  • Tailor rewards and recognition to individuals
  • Connect routine work activities to a higher purpose
  • Support your employees' growth and development
  • Prevent burnout--especially in your top performers
  • Create a culture of engagement

Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Cover of HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers (HBR Guide Series)
DON'T LET YOUR FEAR OF FINANCE GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR SUCCESS Can you prepare a breakeven analysis? Do you know the difference between an income statement and a balance sheet? Or understand why a business that's profitable can still go belly-up? Has your grasp of your company's numbers helped--or hurt--your career? Whether you're new to finance or you just need a refresher, this go-to guide will give you the tools and confidence you need to master the fundamentals, as all good managers must. The HBR Guide to Finance Basics for Managers will help you: * Learn the language of finance * Compare your firm's financials with rivals' * Shift your team's focus from revenues to profits * Assess your vulnerability to industry downturns * Use financial data to defend budget requests * Invest smartly through cost/benefit analysis

Cover of HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done (HBR Guide Series)
IS YOUR WORKLOAD SLOWING YOU--AND YOUR CAREER--DOWN? Your inbox is overflowing. You're paralyzed because you have too much to do but don't know where to start. Your to-do list never seems to get any shorter. You leave work exhausted but have little to show for it. It's time to learn how to get the right work done. In the HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done, you'll discover how to focus your time and energy where they will yield the greatest reward. Not only will you end each day knowing you made progress--your improved productivity will also set you apart from the pack. Whether you're a new professional or an experienced one, this guide will help you: * Prioritize and stay focused * Work less but accomplish more * Stop bad habits and develop good ones * Break overwhelming projects into manageable pieces * Conquer e-mail overload * Write to-do lists that really work

Cover of HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work (HBR Guide Series)
Are you suffering from work-related stress? Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and short-tempered at work--and at home? Then you may have too much stress in your life. Stress is a serious problem that impacts not only your mental and physical health, but also your loved ones and your organization. So what can you do to address it? The HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work will help you find a sustainable solution. It will help you reach the goal of getting on an even keel--and staying there. You'll learn how to: * Harness stress so it spurs, not hinders, productivity * Create realistic and manageable routines * Aim for progress, not perfection * Make the case for a flexible schedule * Ease the physical tension of spending too much time at your computer * Renew yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally

Cover of HBR Guide to Coaching Employees (HBR Guide Series)
Help your employees help themselves. As a manager in today's business world, you can't just tell your direct reports what to do: You need to help them make their own decisions, enable them to solve tough problems, and actively develop their skills on the job. Whether you have a star on your team who's eager to advance, an underperformer who's dragging the group down, or a steady contributor who feels bored and neglected, you need to coach them: Help shape their goals--and support their efforts to achieve them. In the HBR Guide to Coaching Employees you'll learn how to: * Create realistic but inspiring plans for growth * Ask the right questions to engage your employees in the development process * Give them room to grapple with problems and discover solutions * Allow them to make the most of their expertise while compelling them to stretch and grow * Give them feedback they'll actually apply * Balance coaching with the rest of your workload Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, from a source you trust. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Cover of HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need (HBR Guide Series)
Find the right person to help supercharge your career. Whether you're eyeing a specific leadership role, hoping to advance your skills, or simply looking to broaden your professional network, you need to find someone who can help. Wait for a senior manager to come looking for you--and you'll probably be waiting forever. Instead, you need to find the mentoring that will help you achieve your goals. Managed correctly, mentoring is a powerful and efficient tool for moving up. The HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need will help you get it right. You'll learn how to: * Find new ways to stand out in your organization * Set clear and realistic development goals * Identify and build relationships with influential sponsors * Give back and bring value to mentors and senior advisers * Evaluate your progress in reaching your professional goals

Cover of HBR Guides to Managing Your Career Collection (6 Books)

Don't wait for someone else to manage your career.

Career paths are far from straightforward. HBR Guides to Managing Your Career Collection offers the ideas and strategies to help you take charge of your career and reach your highest potential--both in and outside of work. Included in this six-book set are HBR Guide to Your Professional Growth, HBR Guide to Work-Life Balance, HBR Guide to Getting the Mentoring You Need, HBR Guide to Managing Up and Across, HBR Guide to Office Politics, and HBR Guide to Changing Your Career.

You'll learn how to:

  • Clarify your professional passions
  • Think strategically about career changes
  • Recognize when it's time for a new challenge
  • Find the right mentors to help you grow and move ahead
  • Set boundaries and manage your time
  • Deal with difficult managers
  • Navigate your work culture and its politics

The workplace is a complex arena to navigate, yet with advice from HBR's experts, you will be able to surpass any professional obstacle. No matter where you are in your career, the HBR Guides to Managing Your Career Collection will help you plan your next steps and push yourself forward to the next level.

Cover of HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers (HBR Guide Series)

Don't let a fear of numbers hold you back.

Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?

Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.

You'll learn how to:

  • Identify the metrics you need to measure
  • Run experiments and A/B tests
  • Ask the right questions of your data experts
  • Understand statistical terms and concepts
  • Create effective charts and visualizations
  • Avoid common mistakes

Cover of HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically (HBR Guide Series)

Bring strategy into your daily work.

It's your responsibility as a manager to ensure that your work--and the work of your team--aligns with the overarching objectives of your organization. But when you're faced with competing projects and limited time, it's difficult to keep strategy front of mind. How do you keep your eye on the long term amid a sea of short-term demands?

The HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically provides practical advice and tips to help you see the big-picture perspective in every aspect of your daily work, from making decisions to setting team priorities to attacking your own to-do list.

You'll learn how to:

  • Understand your organization's strategy
  • Align your team around key objectives
  • Focus on the priorities that matter most
  • Spot trends in your company and in your industry
  • Consider future outcomes when making decisions
  • Manage trade-offs
  • Embrace a leadership mindset

Cover of HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers (HBR Guide Series)

Don't let a fear of numbers hold you back.

Today's business environment brings with it an onslaught of data. Now more than ever, managers must know how to tease insight from data--to understand where the numbers come from, make sense of them, and use them to inform tough decisions. How do you get started?

Whether you're working with data experts or running your own tests, you'll find answers in the HBR Guide to Data Analytics Basics for Managers. This book describes three key steps in the data analysis process, so you can get the information you need, study the data, and communicate your findings to others.

You'll learn how to:

  • Identify the metrics you need to measure
  • Run experiments and A/B tests
  • Ask the right questions of your data experts
  • Understand statistical terms and concepts
  • Create effective charts and visualizations
  • Avoid common mistakes

Cover of HBR Guide for Women at Work (HBR Guide Series)

Make your career what you want it to be.

Women regularly face unfair challenges in the workplace--from being passed over for promotion to being ignored in conversation. Unconscious bias and negative assumptions are working against them. As a woman, how can you break through these barriers and get what you want from your career?

The HBR Guide for Women at Work will help you identify and overcome the factors that are holding you back. It provides practical tips and advice so you can face gender stereotypes head-on, make yourself visible when opportunities arise, and demonstrate your leadership skills.

You'll learn to:

  • Speak up in meetings in a way that ensures your ideas will be heard
  • Wield influence by building the right relationships
  • Advocate for yourself--and for what you want
  • Align yourself with mentors and sponsors to support your growth
  • Show passion without being perceived as "too emotional"
  • Create your unique vision as a leader

Cover of HBR Guide for Women at Work (HBR Guide Series)

Make your career what you want it to be.

Women regularly face unfair challenges in the workplace--from being passed over for promotion to being ignored in conversation. Unconscious bias and negative assumptions are working against them. As a woman, how can you break through these barriers and get what you want from your career?

The HBR Guide for Women at Work will help you identify and overcome the factors that are holding you back. It provides practical tips and advice so you can face gender stereotypes head-on, make yourself visible when opportunities arise, and demonstrate your leadership skills.

You'll learn to:

  • Speak up in meetings in a way that ensures your ideas will be heard
  • Wield influence by building the right relationships
  • Advocate for yourself--and for what you want
  • Align yourself with mentors and sponsors to support your growth
  • Show passion without being perceived as "too emotional"
  • Create your unique vision as a leader

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

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

Cover of HBR Guides to Building Your Strategic Skills Collection (3 Books)

If you aren't working with a strategy, you're wasting your time.

Strategy isn't just a set of plans handed down from the C-suite. To grow as a leader, you need to understand your company's strategy and align your thinking, projects, and team with organizational goals and vision. Master these abilities with the HBR Guides to Building Your Strategic Skills Collection. This three-book set, which includes the HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically, the HBR Guide to Managing Strategic Initiatives, and the HBR Guide to Setting Your Strategy, will help you change the way you think about your work, manage your most important priorities, and craft a strategy for long-term growth.

You'll learn how to:

  • Understand what strategy is--and what it isn't
  • Define a clear strategy, whether you're in a start-up or in an established business
  • Manage a portfolio of strategic projects
  • Embed strategic thinking into your daily tasks and decision making
  • Align your team around key objectives
  • Let go of work that doesn't add value
  • Communicate strategy throughout your organization

Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Cover of HBR Guide to Changing Your Career

Your next act starts now.

You're ready for something new, but it's hard to start over. Just the idea of trading the security you have now for the unknown or throwing away the education and time you've invested in your current career can plunge you into a swirl of indecision and anxiety. But mixing things up every few years is an increasingly normal and cyclical part of a healthy work life--a way to gain new skills and stretch your existing ones by applying them to different contexts.

Whether you know what you want to do next or you're still evaluating options, the HBR Guide to Changing Your Career will help you:

  • Imagine other professional selves
  • Identify the skills you need--and those you already possess that will transfer to another industry
  • Assess the financial implications of the change you're considering
  • Try out new roles without endangering your current job
  • Explain a seemingly winding career path
  • Pitch yourself into a new role

Cover of HBR Guide to Collaborative Teams (HBR Guide Series)

Break down the barriers to effective collaboration.

For cross-functional projects to work, you need to bring together diverse ideas and resources from across your organization. But office politics, conflicting objectives, and lack of clear authority can get in the way.

The HBR Guide to Collaborative Teams provides practical tips and advice to help you collaborate more effectively. Whether you're leading your own direct reports or building a talented group from disparate parts of your organization, you'll discover how to align others' goals and skills so you can solve problems as a team and deliver great results.

You'll learn to:

  • Develop a shared purpose
  • Bust departmental silos
  • Lead employees who don't report to you
  • Overcome conflict and turf wars
  • Prevent collaborative overload and fatigue
  • Use the right tools for virtual information sharing

Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Cover of HBR Guide to Remote Work

Get your best work done, no matter where you do it.

Video calls from your couch. Project reports in a coffee shop. Presentations at your kitchen table. Working remotely gives you more flexibility in how and where you do your job. But being part of a far-flung team can be challenging. How can you make remote work work for you?

The HBR Guide to Remote Work provides practical tips and advice to help you stay productive, avoid distractions, and collaborate with your team, despite the distance that separates you.

You'll learn to:

  • Create a regular work-from-home routine
  • Identify the right technology for your needs
  • Run better virtual meetings
  • Avoid burnout and video-call fatigue
  • Manage remote employees
  • Conduct difficult conversations when you can't meet in person

Arm yourself with the advice you need to succeed on the job, with the most trusted brand in business. Packed with how-to essentials from leading experts, the HBR Guides provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.

Cover of Hbr Guide to Better Business Writing