This stand-alone guide/workbook explores the skills necessary for laying a good foundation for a business or personal life-without-struggle--i.e., critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and change-oriented, goal-setting skills. KEY TOPICS: It presents easy-to-understand-and-use tools for achieving goal fulfillment on a minute-by-minute, day-by-day basis through goal setting, positive communication, conflict resolution, self-nurturing, time management, and career planning. By working through a variety of activities that require critical thinking and creativity, readers will develop a Personal Life Management Plan and discover the power of using new skills to become change agents for themselves. MARKET: A mentor-in-a-book for individuals making the college-to-career transition.

Sandra McKee's second book, Practical Project Management, is out under the Prentice Hall name. Just returned from her third industrial sabbatical, McKee keeps close tabs on the types of environments and situations the new graduate will find and has fresh, first-hand information on what is required to be successful in those situations. Her professional speaking, coaching, and consulting experiences continually present new situations and challenges in diverse fields, so she has regular exposure to a broad range of industry conditions. Her recent focused research and work with retired military persons making the transition to the civilian corporate world and with adults wrestling with attention deficit disorder bring valuable insights and conclusions to the content of the book. Sandra is a Senior Professor at DeVry Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.

Brenda Walters (B.C.S.W) provides advice to hospitals and treatment centers as a consultant for their mental health patient operations and personnel issues. As a private therapist, she works with clients at all levels, from high-ranking executives to line workers and service providers, giving her superior insight into interpersonal and relational issues in those environments. Directly tied to employee assistance program directors in large and small companies, Waiters is regularly called on to address employee performance problems on both an individual and group level. She has been interviewed on television and radio regarding her work, especially in the area of addictions, and has contributed to publications on the topic of stress management in sports competition. Brenda is a board-certified therapist in private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana.