Wouldn't you like to achieve better work results, advance your career, navigate the workplace effortlessly, and more easily balance work success with personal well-being? Who doesn't want the secret recipe for that? While there may not be a single, one size fits all answer, developing a people skills toolkit can put you on the right path. An exploration of the ways in which people skills can be acquired and developed, People Skills at Work discusses new career development tools, the role of professional commitment statements, psychological contracts, and how to work with difficult people. Manage interpersonal relationships in the workplace Improve communications with coworkers and constituencies Work with people of different ages, gender, and backgrounds Handle conflicts with co-workers and clients Shaped by the authors' experience, the book reflects their professional and personal integration of many different sources of knowledge and experience. The book uses a practical approach to address critical social skills, career advancement and professionalism, and how the different career stages affect key relationships. Each chapter elucidates the development of a specific skill and includes examples, sets benchmarks, and examines the particular skill's relationship to the other skills presented in the book. Good people skills are no longer on the "nice to have" list; in most work settings they are simply a must. Very few people can escape the reality that their success usually requires having good people skills, too. This book gives you the tools to improve interpersonal relationships, communications, job performance, and interaction with people of different ages, genders, and backgrounds.

Present day knowledge about public sector reforms in Asia is quite scattered and seldom focuses on the challenges of leadership. This edited collection seeks to address this issue by presenting country cases that reflect the great diversity of the region. Home to roughly one-third of the world's population, Asia-Pacific governments typically play leading roles in social and economic development, yet by measures of expenditures or civil servants per capita, most are among the smaller ones in the world. These regimes include democracies, one-party states and unstable systems; there is a broad range of cultural legacies including Confucian, Buddhist, and Western, and vastly different levels of economic development; the region includes some of the very least corrupt countries and those with high corruption levels; it includes the world's most populous country, as well as some of the smallest. Public sector reforms are very relevant to these countries and their leaders. In Asia, a strong government is invaluable and public sector reforms are relevant to helping modern states meet their goals and performance. This collection explores what is known about these reforms with an eye towards helping leaders responsible for reforms. Clearly, there is very large variation; some Asia-Pacific countries are leading in public sector reforms, while others are not, and this book also seeks to further our understanding what leaders might need to do to be successful.

Present day knowledge about public sector reforms in Asia is quite scattered and seldom focuses on the challenges of leadership. This edited collection seeks to address this issue by presenting country cases that reflect the great diversity of the region. Home to roughly one-third of the world's population, Asia-Pacific governments typically play leading roles in social and economic development, yet by measures of expenditures or civil servants per capita, most are among the smaller ones in the world. These regimes include democracies, one-party states and unstable systems; there is a broad range of cultural legacies including Confucian, Buddhist, and Western, and vastly different levels of economic development; the region includes some of the very least corrupt countries and those with high corruption levels; it includes the world's most populous country, as well as some of the smallest. Public sector reforms are very relevant to these countries and their leaders. In Asia, a strong government is invaluable and public sector reforms are relevant to helping modern states meet their goals and performance. This collection explores what is known about these reforms with an eye towards helping leaders responsible for reforms. Clearly, there is very large variation; some Asia-Pacific countries are leading in public sector reforms, while others are not, and this book also seeks to further our understanding what leaders might need to do to be successful.

South Korea is renowned as one of the success stories of fast economic development. The Korean developmental state was a highly efficient, meritocratic, and fully monopolized coercive force. These resources were skilfully leveraged to shape the direction of private sector actors towards strategic initiatives. However, these very same resources could have resulted in the bureaucracy retaining its power indefinitely. Instead, step-by-step, the resources of the bureaucracy, which serviced the authoritarian leadership in the developmental period, were exercised towards democratization. What were the conditions that made this transformation possible? The Experience of Democracy and Bureaucracy in South Korea addresses this question, filling the existing gap in the academic literature and presenting political implications. It explores the ways in which bureaucracy may not only be compatible with democracy but, more ambitiously, the conditions under which it can enhance it. The chapters examine the unique systems and institutions of the Korean bureaucracy including the National Election Commission, the police force, local government, the ceiling recruitment strategy, and procurement policy. This timely collection will be of interest to researchers, graduate and undergraduate students in public administration and policy. It will also be a useful reference for bureaucrats in developing countries who seek to design policy for bureaucracy in concurrence with democratization.

Asian Leadership in Policy and Governance examines contemporary challenges facing public leaders in Asia, providing insight into leadership processes and contexts past practices affecting effective governance and policy leadership. The book provides a broad range of insightful and detailed cases of international and domestic interest in East and Southeast Asia, and is relevant to all disciplines concerned with politics, public governance and public affairs. The cases cover such topics as regional development and integration, transnational migration, and domestic topics of economic, political and educational development. The volume is informed by modern notions of leadership which include governance in a polycentric world (including civil society), the rise of a new generation, regionally and globally connected problems, expectations for increased integrity, transparency and effectiveness from its leaders, and enduring expectations that leaders and nations meet their populace's needs for health, prosperity and security. Such a focus on Asian leadership in modern context makes this book timely and interesting.

South Korea is renowned as one of the success stories of fast economic development. The Korean developmental state was a highly efficient, meritocratic, and fully monopolized coercive force. These resources were skilfully leveraged to shape the direction of private sector actors towards strategic initiatives. However, these very same resources could have resulted in the bureaucracy retaining its power indefinitely. Instead, step-by-step, the resources of the bureaucracy, which serviced the authoritarian leadership in the developmental period, were exercised towards democratization. What were the conditions that made this transformation possible? The Experience of Democracy and Bureaucracy in South Korea addresses this question, filling the existing gap in the academic literature and presenting political implications. It explores the ways in which bureaucracy may not only be compatible with democracy but, more ambitiously, the conditions under which it can enhance it. The chapters examine the unique systems and institutions of the Korean bureaucracy including the National Election Commission, the police force, local government, the ceiling recruitment strategy, and procurement policy. This timely collection will be of interest to researchers, graduate and undergraduate students in public administration and policy. It will also be a useful reference for bureaucrats in developing countries who seek to design policy for bureaucracy in concurrence with democratization.

The Caribbean is at a crucial phase in its development. Global and local pressures have seen the region losing its competitiveness, while it remains at risk of losing out on development gains made in the last few decades. These pressures are demanding improvements in the way government operates, particularly in its policy-making and administrative capacity. This book offers the single most comprehensive reference on public administration in the Caribbean to date, providing information on legacies, tools, and strategies that are beneficial to understanding and improving public policy. Public Administration and Policy in the Caribbean presents contributed chapters from a host of well-placed practitioners and academics across the region and its diaspora. The collection maps the history and development of Caribbean public policy and management, discussing some of the most relevant contemporary themes and practices in a region that has received insufficient attention in research. It also considers a number of critical policy issues, some old, some new, and others yet emerging that are of significant import for successful governance and development across the region. The book covers the lesser-known experiences of the Dutch, French, and English Caribbean, as well as Cuba and Haiti, showing the rich legacies, themes, and contemporary issues affecting the region. It begins with a history of Caribbean public administration practices and institutions from the colonial period to the present. It then offers an exposition and critical analysis of some of the current debates and issues in public administration, delving into the internal workings of the state. The book concludes with a discussion of some of the ongoing and new public policy issues and concerns in the region. Public Administration and Policy in the Caribbean makes a solid contribution to understanding the variety of experiences, legacies, and contemporary issues in public policy and administration in small and developing states. Practitioners, researchers, consultants, and instructors should find this an invaluable resource.

New Zealand (NZ) is widely regarded as being at the frontier of public policy reforms and public governance innovations. Bringing together acclaimed scholars and practitioners from NZ, including those who have led reforms, this edited collection examines the evolution of public policy in NZ. Through focusing on four areas of NZ's strength in public policy governance and management - managing and governing the economy, governing the natural environment, the effectiveness and management of the public service, and the advancement of minority populations - the authors highlight specific challenges, contexts and responses, with an emphasis on contemporary matters such as wellbeing, sustainability and fiscal responsibility. The authors discuss practices for developing innovative public policy and governance, discuss public governance reforms in detail and examine the use of innovative public management and e-government practices. Through the analysis of specific policies and management tools, this title offers an assessment of the impact of policies and their implementation. This book will appeal to scholars, practitioners, policy advisors and consultants in national and international organizations who are interested in, or involved with, cutting-edge, innovative public policy and governance strategies.

The MznLnx Exam Prep series is designed to help you pass your exams. Editors at MznLnx review your textbooks and then prepare these practice exams to help you master the textbook material. Unlike study guides, workbooks, and practice tests provided by the texbook publisher and textbook authors, MznLnx gives you all of the material in each chapter in exam form, not just samples, so you can be sure to nail your exam.

The MznLnx Exam Prep series is designed to help you pass your exams. Editors at MznLnx review your textbooks and then prepare these practice exams to help you master the textbook material. Unlike study guides, workbooks, and practice tests provided by the texbook publisher and textbook authors, MznLnx gives you all of the material in each chapter in exam form, not just samples, so you can be sure to nail your exam.