AMACOM

Administrative assistant's and secretary's handbook, 3d ed.

This handbook supplies a wealth of practical, on-the-job tips for secretaries and administrative assistants. Written in a down-to-earth style and organized for easy reference, the handbook covers general procedures, such as telephone usage, shipping, and travel arrangements; office equipment and computers, including computer hardware and software, e-mail, databases, and desktop publishing; business documents, including legal documents; language usage; financial activities; and career advancement. B&w photos and screenshots are included. This third edition offers expanded coverage of topics including electronic records management, interpersonal and communication skills, troubleshooting computer problems, web conferencing, and transcription. Stroman has written a previous manual for secretaries. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The age curve; how to profit from the coming demographic storm.

To its bottom-line peril, Wal-Mart has not figured out the changing needs of its aging baby boomer customers. So says this business consultant who treats the marketing implications of the Baby Boomer and Generation X and Y generations. Gronbach argues that it is not enough to have a great product or low price; retailers must also pay attention to generational demographics, priorities, and societal impacts in creating consumer demand. The book includes tips targeted to each of these generations, case studies, and fast facts about the five distinct generations in the US today. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The AMA guide to management development.

This guide offers a framework for keeping managers deeply involved in competency development. The American Management Association's Management Development Competency Model is presented in its entirety, with hundreds of illustrative behaviors spread across nearly four dozen competencies as they apply to positions at four different employee and management levels. The competencies and skills identified represent a broad spectrum of key approaches available to both typical and unusual business settings. Using the model and the guidance provided in the book, readers can optimize every aspect of management development efforts, from screening and hiring to sustained talent management. Tobin and Pettingill are affiliated with the American Management Association. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Managing online forums; everything you need to know to create and run successful community discussion boards.

O'Keefe, the creator of the iFroggy Network (ifroggy.com), has written this guide to managing successful online discussion groups. Focusing on the decision-making process in regards to creating an enjoyable environment for participants, the author shows ways to reduce the amount of spam, difficult posters and technical issues that could ultimately ruin a discussion forum. While Managing Online Forums is obviously aimed at forum hosts and moderators, it can also be used to educate a general audience about online forum activity. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)