If you’ve talked for 55 minutes of an hour interview, trust me, it didn’t go well.

“No I haven’t had time yet” is never the right answer to “have you looked at the Web site?” As matter of fact, it’s the wrong answer to any interview question.

Fashion counts or so says my “post grad in the office” blogging assistant. Latest commentary (under her breath of course): “Honey, your bag is not fierce. Your bag is the love child of Pepto Bismol and a drugstore.”

If you’ve been working for five years, no one really cares about your sophomore year summer internship. Lose it on the resume.

Unless a man is here for something other than job advice, leave the cologne at home.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/139486/dear-bevs-career-bytes.html#ixzz1fxkvgb7x

Whether you’re on the road pitching A&E’s newest programs or selling NBC’s sports sponsorships, a good read and an iPad appear to be a few must-haves for frequent flyers, according to a random sample of sales leaders.

The range in reading preferences was as varied as the network executives surveyed. While it’s not clear that anyone will glean clues into upfront strategies from the list of top reading picks, the following recommendations should be useful for upcoming flights or even late nights in the office waiting to finish upfront negotiations.

iPads and Kindles Rule

Reading books the old-fashioned way seems to be a thing of the past. The iPad was the front-runner as a reading device followed by the Kindle.  No one mentioned using a magazine app, but plenty of execs acknowledged reading magazines. While Apple may be the dominant reader of choice, the Blackberry still rules as the most used smartphone.

Top Reading Picks

Mel Berning, executive vice president at AETN Networks, is reading no fewer than three books on his iPad: The Innovators Dilemma by Clayton Christen, The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris and The Big Short by Michael Lewis.

Call it coincidence but Amy Baker, senior vice president, sales at Lifetime, and Barbara Bekkedahl, vice president, sales at Bravo, are both reading Laura Hillenebrand’s Unbroken, on an iPad and Kindle, respectively.

It may seem backwards, but Seth Winter, senior vice president, NBC Sports, is lugging around the 500-page Keith Richard’s autobiography Life, while Patty Gilchrist, senior vice president of E! is reading about sports great Andre Agassi in his new book Open on her iPad.

Susan Malfa, senior vice presiden, Bravo, Oxygen and NBC Women’s Group, is reading Water For Elephants.  If you’re in need of a good laugh, Karen Grinthal, senior vice president, The Food Network recommends Tina Fey’s new book Bossypants.

John Barry, senior vice president, Discovery, and Jim Agius, senior vice president, A&E  favor business reads. Jim is reading Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell on his iPad, while John is toting around the Checklist Manifesto as he waits for his backordered iPad.

Biographies, Booze and Religion

Bruce Lefkowitz, executive vice president, Fox Cable Networks, is “rocking the Kindle” with Titanic Thompson The Man Who Bet on Everything and Steinbrenner The Last Lion of Baseball.

Bill Rosolie, executive vice president, Rainbow, is prepping for his summer trip to France with Bordeaux Burgundy — a Vintage Rivalry by Jean-Robert Pitte. Peter Olson, senior vice president, The History Channel is reading the scholarly The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

Print Still Flies

Magazines circulation may be hurting but not from our group of travelers. Some favorites included: Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, all the weekly entertainment magazines, Golf Digest, The New Yorker and Newsweek. Most of the execs pick up at least two and often four newspapers before boarding. Of course, the media industry trades are favorites online or in print.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/150364/dear-bev-as-a-frequent-flyer-im-curious-if-the.html#ixzz1fxiRB5Ti

Turns out a lot of the advice I give isn’t really age-specific. It applies equally to the recent grad or anyone in a job search.

Over the past few months. good friends, clients and relatives have asked me to interview freshly minted college grads. Job search basics are pretty universal.  Following is a snapshot of some of the advice I’ve doled out recently. The stories that follow illustrate why.

1. Appearance counts — not only your personal appearance, but also how the material you present looks.
2. Listen to what you’re saying. Really listen or have someone else listen carefully. It’s easy to unintentionally raise a red flag.
3. Follow-up makes a difference.
4. Flattery will work every time.

The Almost Perfect Ivy Leaguer
He graduated from an Ivy League school with a 3.7 GPA, played varsity football and called me Mam. Pretty great start, except for the Mam part. He was well-dressed, no suit but a nice sport shirt and slacks, had perfect posture and the confidence a background like his suggests.

I asked if he had a copy of his resume with him. That’s when the image dimmed just a bit. Content was fine. Appearance wasn’t.

The resume looked like he had been carrying around in his gym bag too long, corners slightly dog-eared and there was even a smudge. Rookie mistake.

Criticism gratefully accepted, and we were back on track.  I made a few phone calls and netted him two interviews. He’s been following up with me on his progress via emails. Now he calls me Ms. Weinstein. No doubt he’ll get an offer from my effort or his own determination.

Follow-up + Flattery Earns Big Points
He just graduated from the alma mater of a former client, and the client had been his senior-year mentor. He had been interviewing but not connecting.

It took less than 15 minutes to identify one of his issues. When I asked “What’s one of the things you want to change about yourself or that’s a fault?” His answer: “I’m slightly OCD.” Alarm bells went off, and yes, he had answered the question the same way in interviews. When I asked what he meant, he explained he was a perfectionist. Better description, I said. Lose the OCD.

Next, I looked at his resume for format and content. Both needed work. I asked him about accomplishments in college. He has some good ones, which he added. Format wasn’t bad, but there are better ones. I sent him to some online sites with samples. He did the hard work of revision. It paid off.

Although he sent me a thank you e-mail, I got a call from him about a month later. He wanted to thank me again. He said he was getting more interviews with his new resume and had just accepted an offer. Almost no kids I see ever follow up after the first thank-you email. I was flattered he was that thoughtful and appreciative. I’ll be watching out for him and told him to call me anytime he needed advice.

No Follow-Up – No Points
He had just finished his MBA from an OK school and had an undergrad degree from one of the best creative arts programs. Interesting mix, but he had no idea what he wanted to do. My brother sent this young candidate so I made some real effort.

How about a business development job in media connected to programming? I asked. He didn’t know what business development was — what’s wrong with grad schools! No worries. I knew some great execs in biz development. I set up some information interviews. He sent an email thanking me, but I never heard from him again.

He didn’t follow up with the people I sent him to either, after his initial e-mail.  I don’t know if he has a job and honestly don’t care. My brother now owes me, and you know what they say about payback!

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/161090/dear-bev-what-career-advice-do-you-give-recent-gr.html#ixzz1fxg6vaiJ

By Beverly Weinstein

Dear Bev: What Are Your Top 10 Resume Do’s and Don’ts?

Job opportunities in the media business are looking up. The Internet is booming, the TV upfront is on fire, and the slump seems to be over for magazines, radio and local TV. If you’ve been thinking about a job change, this is a great time to start searching. But while you may be ready, is your resume?

Here are my top 10 resume do’s and don’ts.

1. DO focus on accomplishments and achievements, not just job responsibilities.

2. DO include numbers and brand names. Specifics always catch a reader’s eye faster than general statements.

3. DON’T just add on to an old resume. Edit your previous positions. A job you had 10 years ago shouldn’t command the same amount of space as your current role.

4. DO check out resume formats. There are lots of examples online, including at career sites, that show you how to format in order to highlight important key words.

5. DO make sure your resume is easy to read. There should be ample white space, bolding where applicable and bullet points.

6. DON’T go past two pages. And if you’re more junior, keep it to one.

7. DO indicate the total number of years you’ve been at a company — even if you’ve had several jobs there. One way to handle this is to list dates in parentheses beside each different title/role at the same company. The full employment time should be listed adjacent to the company name.

8. DON’T sacrifice appearance and readability by cramming in too much information. Consider editing down information rather than opening the margins. This is especially true when it comes to early job experience.

9. DON’T list “References provided upon request.” Everyone knows that already.

10. DO list any additional training and interesting or offbeat extracurricular activities or hobbies. While you may not want to list a regular Friday night poker game, you do want to note you ran and completed a 10k race.

Read more articles like this on MediaPost.com.

Dear Bev: Should I wear a tie and suit or blue jeans with my shirt out? What’s up with business dress codes for guys?

By Beverly Weinstein

If you attended the recent MediaPost Outfront Conference hoping for an answer to this question, you probably left more confused.

Joe Abruzzese, president of media sales and marketing at Discovery Networks, always considered one of advertising best-dressed execs, didn’t disappoint. He was garbed in an elegant dark suit, perfect tie and coordinating pocket square. Sitting next to him was Jon Nesvig, president of Fox Broadcasting Company, looking dapper in an open collared shirt, slacks and a sport coat. And so it went .

One agency exec made his fashion statement in a pair of blue jeans. The closing speaker was Al Gore, dressed in a traditional suit and tie, but his company’s CEO, Mark Rosenthal, opted for the open-collared look.

So what’s appropriate and what’s not?

It would be a mistake to think that anything goes, especially if you’re talking about your first meeting with a potential employer. Even though they may show up in jeans, it’s a bad idea for you to do the same and risk making the wrong first impression. At the same time, a traditional suit and tie may send the wrong signal.

A senior level digital executive, who had early professional roots in the magazine business, met with an old friend from the print side eager for advice on how to break into digital. The print guy showed up in a conservative suit and tie. The exec’s comment: “This guy just doesn’t get it. He looks like he’s living in some other era.”

Don’t make a mistake and assume all digital dress code is more casual. One of my clients at a digital start-up described his ideal job candidate as someone who wore a suit and tie to see clients. “I think it lets our customers know we’re serious, we’re professional and we’re grown-ups,” he said.

A former TV exec working in a downtown digital portal announced in no uncertain terms, “If someone shows up in jeans to an interview, they’re automatically out.”

So how do you decide? The key to knowing how to dress is knowing your audience. Do some research on the company and the company’s culture. Google the executive you’re meeting with and look at press photos, try the company Web site, and check out their LinkedIn and Facebook photos. Are they wearing ties in these shots? If so, wear one when you meet them.

What do you do if you find them in a variety of looks? My advice is to stay on the safe side. At the very least, carry the tie in your jacket pocket.

Read the column on MediaPost.

Dear Bev: Are There Job Search “Best Practices?”

By Beverly Weinstein

Absolutely! I talked to a senior level ad agency executive recently who conducted a five-month job search with great success. In my opinion, his search was pitch perfect and worth noting.

What to Look For in a Contact List…(Hint: It’s Not Just Contacts)

Step one in this successful CEO’s search was developing a list of contacts under the broad heading of “anyone that could be helpful” in finding him a job. He also understood that not every contact would be a direct route to his end goal. His conversations always had a purpose, and he stressed the importance of being specific about what he was looking for. It might have been as simple as someone’s opinion on marketplace trends or as specific as help getting in front of someone that was looking for a candidate with his skills. He met with more than 100 people.

Searching as a Full-Time Job

“It’s important to keep your search going each week like it’s your job,” he advised. “It’s hard to dip in and out of search. I did take the opportunity to visit family and take a vacation, but you have to stay at it. You can’t treat it like a part-time event. That’s a dangerous mind-set because you can wake up one day, and it’s been a year that you’ve been out of work.”

Find a Good Coach

Outplacement, which included a personal coach, was part of this executive’s exit package from his previous post. He credits his coach with being instrumental in the success of his search, not only in helping him prepare for interviews, but also in helping him refine his job criteria and make a choice that would best serve his career development.

“I worked with my coach to prepare for interviews, gave him the feedback I received from interviewers, and then he helped assess and refine the way I presented myself,” he said. “On another level, the coach was someone I could turn to if I was feeling down or needed some help to lift my spirits.” He was lucky that his former employer footed the bill for a coach, but didn’t hesitate to say that it was so valuable that it was something he would have paid for himself.

Interview Tips

“When I started interviewing I was way too casual. I relied too much on my past history,” he admitted. “I later realized the importance of going into an interview and being able to provide two or three points where you can add immediate value to an organization.”

In addition to researching the company he was interviewing with online, he tried to have a preparatory conversation with someone from the company so he didn’t walk into the interview cold. “I found most people are willing to take your call and answer a few questions.”

Say More Than Just “Thank You”

After many interviews, this successful job seeker’s feeling was that a “thank you” note without meaningful content was a waste. “Take time to compose something that reflects back on the interview conversation and includes some simple points about how you can add immediate value to the company. A few strong paragraphs will suffice,” he said. He also though follow-up notes should be sent within 48 hours of the interview.

Visibility

He made a point of remaining active in the business community during his period of unemployment. “Stay visible within your industry,” he advised. “Go to conferences, even if you pay out of your own pocket.”  He found value in making a point of scheduling meals and meetings in places where he was most likely to run into people in the business. “If people don’t see you or hear from you, you’re not going to be top of mind,” he warned.

Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate

This executive’s aggressive job search got him back in the saddle in five months, but he puts emphasis on finding the right job for you and not just a quick fix to unemployment, even if it takes more time. “I was more focused on the job I wanted, rather than a salary benchmark,” he said. “If you’re really looking at the right job, then the salary should be in the right range that’s appropriate with your contribution level and the kind of company you want to join.”

And just because you’re unemployed, he said, doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate. “Being unemployed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back to the company and says, I appreciate the offer, but points one and two still don’t fit for me, and these are the reasons why.”

Read the column on Media Post.

Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

by Beverly Weinstein

There are two companies offering high-quality digital training. In a tepid job market where digital opportunities are as abundant as traditional opportunities scarce, they are worth considering. Neither group guarantees a job, but both supply important tools for any candidate.

The Laredo Group has been offering training courses on digital since 1996. Recently, another group, The Internet Advertising Institute, gives digital job seekers an extra edge. Both provide a comprehensive view of the digital landscape and the language that’s unique to that sector. They are staffed by trainers with hands-on industry experience. IAI is focused on advertising sales and is designed more for entry level and junior candidates; The Laredo Group courses appeal to people working in ad sales as well as in ad agency and client-side marketing jobs.

Open Admission or By Invitation

The newly launched IAI has a limited class size, no more than 15 students per 6-week session.  Classes are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. four days per week. All applicants must apply first and go through an interview process to be accepted.  IAI has relationships with a large pool of employers and works with applicants to get them successfully placed.  When I checked with lead trainer and CEO Steve Bookbinder in early January, nearly all of the first graduating class had been placed in jobs.

Bookbinder, who also runs an SEM agency, knows about the importance of digital: “No matter what your job is, it either has or will soon have a digital aspect.”

Leslie Laredo, president of the Laredo Group, offers one-day courses geared primarily to ad sales or to individuals that buy or plan media. In addition, she does more customized digital training for companies. “I’ve trained up to 700 employees at a single company,” she noted. Her courses are taught throughout the year in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles.

The ages of her students range from entry level to senior executives. Classes start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Students start with Level I classes. They can opt to continue with Level II and finish with Level III. According to Laredo, most attendees opt for additional levels.

Content

Both Laredo and IAI stress the importance of understanding the digital language.  “For decades, it was all about GRP. Online changes daily. We’re always on top of the digital ecosystem and evolving our course content,” explained Laredo.

She has developed and constantly updates a digital glossary with over 500 terms that she gives each student. The courses also have a 250-page manual and a resource list of 125 digital companies. Some of the information is available for free at laredogrouptools.com

In talking about IAI’s course, Bookbinder said, “It’s impossible to fake that you know what’s going on in digital. You have to learn the language and the terms. We use a variety of teaching techniques, ranging from flash cards to jeopardy-like games to role-playing. This is not a college course. It’s 100% practical and will give you what you need to know how to succeed in an interview and at a job.”

Costs

IAI charges students $10,000 for their course. There’s an initial $2,500 payment. A payment plan over two years is available for students. You can apply for their course at their Web site. Currently, all courses are in New York. Future plans are to extend to other markets as well as to offer evening sessions.

The Laredo Group has a variety of plans, and it’s best to check their site for the most current information. If you opt for an early bird sign up, the cost for two, one-day courses might $1,300. Public courses generally have 20-40 students, with 40 as the maximum size.

Why take a class?

Laredo sums it up nicely. “Keeping up-to-date is critical. You need to know what’s going on. We stress the importance of understanding performance, how the numbers work and accountability. You should know how it all works together online, off line or cross platform. You can’t keep your head in the sand anymore.”Dear Bev: How do I get a digital job without experience?

Read the column on MediaPost.

Dear Bev: What are some good books media executives are reading these days?

By Beverly Weinstein

Some books don’t fit neatly into categories, but offer some universal truths. Here are a few that may be familiar, and some that will offer a fresh perspective.

Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss
“The tale of Sam-I-Am: a successful salesman who overcomes his client’s initial objections with persistence, enthusiasm for his product and a customer adoption strategy premised on user trials.” –Mark Piesanen, director, strategic partnerships,
Google TV Ads

The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World- By Eric Weiner
Weiner set out on a yearlong quest to find the world’s unheralded happy places. Having worked for years as an NPR foreign correspondent, he’d gone to many obscure spots, but usually to report bad news or terrible tragedies. Now, he’s traveled to countries like Iceland, Bhutan, Qatar, Holland, Switzerland, Thailand and India to determine why residents tell positive psychology researchers that they’re actually quite happy.
Recommended by –Susan Malfa, SVP national advertising sales at Bravo and Oxygen and Media, Women @ NBCU

The Creative Habit: Learn It & Use It for Life- by Twyla Tharp
A personable tone is carried throughout the book and within the text is a goldmine of advice. Tharp not only promotes tried-and-true habits, but also encourages readers to dig deep within themselves and come up with their own answers.
“Creativity plays a role in everything we do. Tharp offers some great advice on how to make creativity work in all aspects of your life.” –Beverly Weinstein, president, Markham Media Executive Search

Scott Adams & Lynn Truss
“Frankly, Dilbert never ceases to amaze me: Many is the time I have been convinced that Scott Adams must have attended one of our meetings or received one of our policy memos. As a grammar “stickler,” I still love Lynn Truss’s Eats, Shoots & Leaves and her sequel on public rudeness, Talk to the Hand.” –Betsy Frank, Chief Research and Insights Officer, Time Inc.

On Advertising by David Ogilvy
“Imagine a career in politics and not bothering to read the Constitution of The United States or a career in religion and not bothering to read the Bible. That is what you are doing if you make your living in advertising, but can’t be bothered to read David Ogilvy’s On Advertising. The sense that aspects of this book have become dated is beside the point. The book is the foundation on which everything else got built.”
–Mark McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin Strategy

The Fourth Star: Dispatches from Inside Daniel Boulud’s Celebrated New York Restaurant - by Leslie Brenner
Reporter Brenner spent a year in New York’s elegant restaurant Daniel as its staff labored together to earn a coveted fourth star from The New York Times’ powerful restaurant critic. Brenner’s account of how the restaurant takes (and refuses) reservations offers many an object lesson for anyone striving to do public service right.
Recommended by Leslie Picard, Time, Inc.

Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins
“Eighty years ago, Claude Hopkins wrote: “The time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status of a science.”  Right on!” –Mike Steib, director, Google Emerging Platforms & TV Ads

Book summaries taken from Amazon.com

Read the column on MediaPost’s MediaDailyNews.com

By Beverly Weinstein

Part II: Dear Bev: I’m looking for some great business book for holiday gifts. Any suggestions?

Media execs I talked to at companies ranging from Google to Time Inc. and Forbes to Ogilvy had plenty. Today, I’m offering a selection that focus on leadership. Watch for upcoming columns featuring recommendations for books on change and negotiating.

Leadership Lessons Learned from business pros, classic fiction and even antarctic explorers…

Leadership Is an Art – by Max DePree

Rather than offering a how-to manual on running a business, DePree, CEO of Herman Miller Inc., a manufacturer of office furniture, details in deceptively simple but imaginative language, a humanitarian approach to leadership.

“This is a classic. It’s pragmatic as opposed to most business books, which are too theoretical. It gives you things you can do immediately.” –Gary Schuman, Owner CDL Consulting and Management/Leadership Consultant and Coach

The Feiner Points of Leadership – by Michael Feiner

“The how-to manual of leadership!  With anecdotes about softball and family interwoven with simple guidelines on how to lead up, down, left and right, this book is never far out of my grasp, especially in today’s increasingly flat organizations.”

All the King’s Men – by Robert Penn Warren

“Newspaperman Jack Burden struggles with the right balance of respect and criticism for his larger-than-life, sometimes misguided boss, Governor Willie Stark. In a media populace filled with big egos, All the King’s Men has lessons relevant for today’s media manager, 63 years after the political novel’s first publication.” –Both Feiner and King’s Men recommended by John Saroff, head of strategic partner development, Google TV Ads

The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels – by Michael Watkins

“When I was transitioning from MTV Networks to Time Inc., I was given a copy of The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels. I still find it extremely valuable to help reset or “course correct” after new responsibilities, a new organization, or a new manager.” –Betsy Frank, Chief Research and Insights Officer, Time Inc.

Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition by Dennis Perkins

Although their experiences may sometimes seem torturous, most managers aren’t facing dangerous or life-threatening conditions. Even so, argues consultant Perkins, they would do well to learn from both triumphant and failed expeditions. Perkins introduces 10 key concepts he believes are essential to productive leadership with lively anecdotes from the adverse but ultimately successful expedition to the South Pole led by Ernest Shackleton in 1914.  Recommended by Christopher Simon, EVP sales, CBS Television

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

In Joseph Heller’s classic satire on the murderous insanity of war, the novel’s undiminished strength is its looking-glass logic. Again and again, Heller’s characters demonstrate that what is commonly held to be good, is bad; what is sensible, is nonsense. Recommended by Paul Rittenberg, SVP at Fox News

It’s OK to Be the Boss: The Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need – by Bruce Tulgan

“It offered really helpful advice as I was growing out my team, and we had to become more professional.” –Jeremy Steinberg, VP, digital sales and business development, Fox News Network

The One Minute Manager - by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

This book is a concise, easily read story that reveals three very practical secrets: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. “It’s a book that tells you how to get time back in your life. It’s simple, but if you do it, it works.”-Rich Sutton, SVP consumer markets, WebMD

Words that Work – by Dr. Frank Luntz

“This book is not about what you say, but what people hear. This is a great, great book.” – Brian Fisher, VP digital sales, ABC.com

True North – by Bill George

In this important book, acclaimed former Medtronic CEO Bill George shares the wisdom of over 125 outstanding leaders and provides a comprehensive and personal program for finding you own True North and leadership success.

Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis – by Bill George

George’s just-in-time guide for anyone in a leadership position facing today’s unprecedented economic challenges. Both True North, Seven Lessons recommended by Gary Schuman, Owner CDL Consulting and Management/Leadership Consultant and Coach

Hardball for Women – by Pat Heim and Susan K. Golant

In this constructive, no-nonsense guide, business consultant Heim addresses women executives who, despite technical proficiency, hard work and managerial skills equal or superior to those of their male co-workers, have been passed over for promotions.

“I can’t say enough good things about “Hardball For Women.” The title unfortunately, is a misnomer, since the content is extremely eye-opening for both men and women regarding how to communicate better with one another at multiple levels in the workplace.” –Marie Svet, director. pricing and inventory at RHI Entertainment

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable – by Patrick Lencioni

Once again, using an astutely written fictional tale to unambiguously but painlessly deliver some hard truths about critical business procedures, Patrick Lencioni targets group behavior in the final entry of his trilogy of corporate fables. Recommended by Leslie Picard, SVP corporate sales and marketing at Time, Inc.

Read the column on MediaPost’s MediaDailyNews.com

Book summaries taken from Amazon.com

By Beverly Weinstein

Media execs I talked to at companies ranging from Google to Time Inc., CBS to OMD had plenty. Following are a selection that focus on strategy. Watch for upcoming columns featuring recommendations for books on leadership, change and negotiating.

Lessons in strategy from the playing field, the battlefield and even the operating room.

Moneyball by Michael Lewis

“Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane disregards conventional wisdom, embraces insights from data and wins a lot of baseball games.” -Mike Steib, Director, Google Emerging Platforms & TV Ads

The Art of War by Sun-Tzu

The Art of War, compiled in the 6th century B.C., is the world’s oldest surviving military treatise. Long revered as the definitive guide to strategy and tactics on the battlefield, it offers timeless wisdom to today’s managers.

Recommended by Christopher Simon, EVP Sales, CBS Television

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from drowning victims to deadly hospital infections, explaining how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. He follows the checklist revolution into fields well beyond medicine, from homeland security to investment banking, skyscraper construction and businesses of all kinds.

“The author may be a doctor, but the bottom line is all of these lessons apply to everything you do, regardless of the business you’re in.” -Arlene Manos, President National Advertising Sales at Rainbow Medi

Warfighting: The US Marine Corps Book of Strategy -by US Marine Corps Staff

“Argues that organizations should grant a high degree of decision-making to people low on the chain of command. If you decide quickly, act fast to implement, and interpret responses immediately, you are on your way to success before competitors can react.”

- Mark Piesanen, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Google TV Ads

Rules for Revolutionaries – by Guy Kawasaki

The former chief evangelist at Apple Computer and an iconoclastic corporate tactician is back in print with his seventh book, a  “Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services.” It lays out Kawasaki’s decidedly audacious (but personally experienced) strategies for besting the competition and triumphing in today’s hypercharged business environment.

Recommended by Leslie Picard, SVP Corporate Sales & Marketing, Time Inc

Nelson’s Trafalgar-by Roy Adkins

“In 1805, only the British Royal Navy stood between England and invasion byNapoleon’s armies.  Lord Nelson combined unorthodox tactics with the fundamental superior fighting skills of the Royal Navy, crushed the combined French and Spanish fleet, and saved England from invasion. I prefer reading military history to business books, now more than ever. Threat, innovation, and focusing on what you do better to win is always a great business lesson.” – Avery Stirratt, President-Advertising, Forbes Media

Book summaries taken from Amazon.com.

Read the column on Media Post’s MediaDailyNews.com