From Traumatic to Transformative: Making it Easier to Have Hard Conversations by Debra Howard
A chapter full of techniques and examples to make hard conversations with employees more productive and less traumatic. Equally useful for formal performance reviews and informal, on-the-spot conversations.

Managing Performance: Mastering Performance Reviews and Monitoring Progress by Debra Howard
A different way to conduct performance reviews that minimizes what's unpleasant and maximizes what employees and managers yearn for: inspiration, clarity, understanding, and results. Includes tips for ongoing monitoring and feedback, as well.

Ten Rules for Managers by Debra Howard
A short chapter introducing the ten most important things managers need to think and do to succeed.

How to Get the Most Out of Executive Coaching
by Debra Howard
How to select an executive coach, what executive coaching includes, when coaching is a good idea and when it is a bad one, how to set goals and improve the odds for success, and how to get the most out of a 360-degree assessment.

How to Hire High Performers by Debra Howard
An introduction to competencies and how competency-based interviews can improve the quality of hiring decisions, recommendations for using a more reliable hiring process, and detailed suggestions for conducting better interviews.

Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen of the Harvard Negotiation Project
A considerably shorter book than Robert Bolton's People Skills that many of my clients have read and liked.

Getting Results by Clinton Longenecker and Jack Simonetti
The most useful book I've found on managing. I particularly like their "Absolute #1" chapter.

Good to Great by Jim Collins
This book has inspired a number of my clients. I like his "right people on the bus" metaphor.

How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work by Robert Kegan
Cool theories for those interested in the cutting edge of communication skills.

Influence without Authority by Allan Cohen and David Bradford
I really like Figure 4-1: "Currencies Frequently Valued in Organizations."

Managing the Professional Service Firm by David Maister
This is a book packed with useful information. Almost every chapter is worth reading.

Organizational Diagnosis by Marvin Weisbord
An academic classic. Good article on matrix management ("Structure-Matrix Revisited") and a useful framework for dealing with differences and conflicts ("Relationships: Diagnosing Conflict Between Individuals").

People Skills by Robert Bolton
Somewhat dense, a little old-fashioned, but the best book on communicating, listening, and asserting I have read.

Power and Influence by John Kotter
"Relations with Superiors" is a great chapter on managing up.

Profit Patterns by Adrian Slywotzky and David Morrison
An excellent review of many different growth models.

Right from the Start by Dan Ciampa and Michael Watkins
Helpful book for those who are the second-in-command (VPs, managing directors, COOs).

Strategy Safari by Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand, and Joseph Lampel
For those wanting to dig deeper into the many different schools of strategy.

The Answer to How Is Yes by Peter Block
An inspirational book that changed how I thought about the world of work. People who are struggling to align their values with the values of their organization and those of the people around them should read this. I particularly recommend Chapter 9 ("Boss"), about, what else, the boss. There's good stuff in this book about change, too.

The Empowered Manager by Peter Block
I'm a big Peter Block fan. I like Chapter 4 ("Creating a Vision of Greatness"), Chapter 5 ("Building Support for Your Vision"), and the "Finding Peace with the Boss" section of Chapter 6.

The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins
Good book for the new high-level manager, CEO, or COO. I particularly like the "Negotiate Success" chapter.

Transitions and Managing Transitions by William Bridges
The definitive books about how people handle change.