Book Description

We've all heard of "IQ"...but what's "EQ?" It's "EmotionalQuotient" (aka Emotional Intelligence), and experts say that EQ is a greaterpredictor of success at work than IQ. Companies are increasingly looking forways to motivate and develop their employees' emotional intelligence. This bookpresents trainers and coaches with 50 innovative exercises to be used for eitherindividuals or groups.

The activities found in the book are grouped according to the various corecompetencies associated with Emotional Intelligence:

* Self-Awareness and Control: an awareness of one's values, emotions, skills,and drives, and the ability to control one's emotional responses * Empathy: an understanding of how others perceive situations * Social Expertness: the ability to build relationships based on an assumptionof human equality * Mastery of Vision: the development and communication of a personal philosophy

The book also includes suggested training combinations and coaching tips. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

MORE A BOOK ON GUIDE QUESTIONS THAN ACTIVITIES
I was disappointed with this book. Most of the activities were introspective questions (pencil and paper tests).

I was expecting activities that participants can use to improve their EQ. It was not like that at all. I wouldn't recommend this book to trainers who are looking for activities to make their EQ based workshops more interactive.

Perhaps that is the reason why no sample of the "activities" were included in the preview of the book.

Rare Find
A book that has good EQ activities is a rare thing. I was also pleased to buy it for only $17 new at Amazon from a vendor called Talentsmart in the "More Buying Choices" section. They sent their catalog with the book and I bought another book from there that was really great called The Emotional Intelligence Quickbook. It was more of an overview of the whole field with a free online EQ test and it had the latest findings in the field of EQ.

Great book for leaders
I think the Emotional Intelligence Activity book is very useful for anyone who is a supervisor or manager. The activities really made me think about how I interact with my employees. I was surprised at how much I learned about my attitudes. I'm pleased to be able to recommend it to other supervisors or managers who want to improve their relationships with their staff.

Great Book!
The Emotional Intelligence Activity Book is a great book for trainers. I've used several of the exercises and have found the participants responded quite well. I especially like the notes to trainers and coaches. I found that the information was very helpful to increase my understanding of the subject.

Great Resource
I liked the Emotional Intelligence Activity book because it was so different than most of the exercise books on my shelf. I am an Executive Coach and I am often looking for material that challenges my clients. The activities in the book are characterized by difficulty which helped me to make decisions about which exercises to use with which clients. I also found the notes to the trainer and coach very useful. It deepened my understanding of what Ms. Lynn was trying to accomplish with the exercise. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

The Foundation of Time Management
Mr. Lakein's book provides the foundational premise for anyone to locate their true purpose as well as the method in which to achieve what they desire. I've been reading books for many years on how to manage time and finally found the one all the others had taken concepts from and tried to improvise and improve upon, but they just managed to make it more difficult. This is the one to read if you desire to gain control of your life and define what you want to do with your time.

Great read, and down to the point.
This book was my first time management book. I've picked up "The Time Trap" by Alec Mackenzie after this reading, and in comparison, this book is much more thorough. The best part about this book I think is the simple idea of prioritizing your to do list. I have started to do this and found myself to be able to get more important things done. It also helps greatly with your concentration for the current task by stating to yourself that this is the most important task to do at the moment. Anyhow, great time management book for newbies.

Still using these principles 22 years later!
I first read Alan Lakein's book in 1982. I picked it up 10 years later and was amazed to see how many of the principles had become so much a part of my life I. I was living the book and hadn't even realized it until I picked it up again.

One of my favorite principles is to start working on something that's important to you, even if it's 15 minutes at a time. I've done this. Scheduled something I didn't think I had time to do for 15 minutes a week. I certainly could do that. Well, when it's something that I really want, I find the momentum builds and I end up finding the time to do what I need and being really happy that I did.

This book has helped me get in touch with what's really important to me and has helped me live a life I truly value.

Thank you Alan Lakein!!

Plan & priortize.
This book heavily emphasizes planning and prioritizing and also offers tips on how to stave off procrastination. There are a few anecdotes about business managers and housewives that, for me, just fill pages, but overall, this is a clearly-written, useful book that offers effective techniques.

Thumbs up
Good because Lakein makes accommodation for human nature, and works with it and around it, vs. some such books that assume everyone has the self-discipline of a navy seal. He helps procrastinators and the lazy, as well as those who aren't these things but want to improve. ... Read more

Book Description

Turning critical feedback into a constructive message can be a difficult skill to conquer. This book will guide you through the process of learning how to receive critical feedback, developing skills for self-talk, understanding how to give constructive feedback effectively, and handling atypical problems. Feedback is a very powerful communication tool that delivered properly can benefit everyone with a clear and helpful exchange of information about what’s working and what’s not. The techniques outlined in this book for coping with fair or unjustified critical feedback are essential for effective communication.

Learning Objectives:To learn how to receive critical feedback.To present useful coping mechanisms for handling critical feedback.To show how to give constructive feedback fairly and effectively.To discuss handling special problems. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GreatFeedback ideas
I would highly recommend the book "Giving and Receiving Feedback" by Patti Hathaway,CSP to anyone who wants to improve their business or personal relationships building constructive communication.

On a personal note the planning sections and suggestions can help me redirect some of the things I have been doing and improve my relationships. One of the suggestions I liked the best concerned giving reviews.When giving a review present the negative first, then end the review on an upward appraisal note.

If the only section in the book was the section on the difference in how men and women communicate it would be worth buying the book for,but there are so many more great ideas you should be ordering the book now instead of reading this review.

Patti has done it again
I found this book easy to read, and packed full of helpful information, tools, suggestions and hints.The author included several self-tests for you to discover how you communicate and give feedback.Then, once you knew where your weak areas were, there was ample material to assist you in improving.Charts give examples, case studies allow you to picture how to use what you've learned, exercises offer practice, and the graphics are
appropriate and memorable.This book is for anyone who wants to improve his/her communication skills (and who among us doesn't want to do that!?).

Patti covers the differences in men's and women's communication approaches, overcoming negative self-talk, and a DASR (Describe, Acknowledge, Specify, Reaffirm) technique that will guide you in your communications whether with spouse, parent, child, friend, boss, or acquaintance, throughout the rest of your life. I highly recommend it for everyone to read! ... Read more

Book Description

Basic Business Communication (BBC), 10/e by Lesikar and Flatley provides both student and instructor with all the tools needed to navigate through the complexity of the modern business communication environment.At their disposal, teachers have access to an online Tools & Techniques Newsletter that will continually keep them abreast of the latest research and developments in the field while providing a host of teaching materials. Exciting new student resources, including a subscription to the Merriam Webster Collegiate website and an enhanced CD-ROM, allow students to practice and master concepts in fun and interesting ways. BBC attends to the dynamic, fast-paced, and ever-changing means by which business communication occurs by being the most technologically current and pedagogically effective books in the field. It has realistic examples that are both consumer-and business-oriented. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Games, and more games!
This book is nothing more than a collection of games. Practice must be based on theory. The authors' approach will not lead to lasting change.

It's a very helpful.
I think this book is very available for lecturers and practicioners. I would like to know about some additional materials such as VIDEO CASES, Accumen personal computer softwate, and Louts 1-2-3 templates. Please give me the above information. I want to puchase these materials. sincerely yours. ... Read more

Book Description

Never before in the history of the workplace has the concept of teamwork been more important to the functioning of successful organizations. Ken Blanchard bestselling coauthor of Raving Fans, The One Minute Manager, and Gung Ho! teams up with Donald Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew to explain how all groups move through four stages of development on their way to becoming high performance teams -- orientation, dissatisfaction, integration, and production. The authors then show how a manager can help any group to become fully effective quickly and with hardly any stress.

The valuable addition to The One Minute Manager® Library is essential for anyone who works with groups and wants to build a high performing team.

This valuable addition to The One Minute Manager. Library is essential for anyone who works with groups and wants to build a high performing team. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Simple, fun superficial read
Kenneth Blanchard turns his attention to small group dynamics and group performance in this, on of the stable of One Minute Manager books.

Academically, the two principal concepts that Blanchard and his co-authors use, are the stages of group development and Situational Leadership. The familiar stages of forming, storming, norming and performing are termed orientation, dissatisfaction, integration and production. Situational Leadership in this context refers to changing leadership styles according to the stage of the group, thereby filling in for process tasks that the group is unable to accomplish for itself.

Groups tend to start in a high-energy, high motivation but low skills and understanding mode of operation. In this stage, directive leadership provides the structure necessary to move forward. The second stage is one of dissatisfaction, questioning of leadership and clarification of roles. As unpleasant as this stage is, we are reminded that conflicts cannot be resolved if they are avoided. A resolving attitude on the part of the leader is exactly what is needed. As confidence and morale return to the group members, they pass hesitatingly into a third stage, termed integration. In this stage, commitment on goals, roles and tasks increases, as well as to the norms, values and processes of the group. A collaborating leadership style that allows control to be shared and facilitates the surfacing of disagreements is critical to the group's continued growth. Finally, the production stage is characterized by high levels of trust, morale, energy and empowerment. The team can pretty much function autonomously, without a leader whose primary purpose is to validate.

Blanchard's strength is his manner of presentation and clarity of relating ideas from disparate sources. The book is a quick read and yet it presents some fairly profound concepts, connecting the dots in a way that reading a collection of "Harvard Business Review" articles can never accomplish. Most of the book is a conversation between Dan Brockway, the director of training at a chemical company, and his mentor, The One Minute Manger. The coordinator of customer service programs, Maria Sanchez, disagrees with the presentation of material for The Essentials of Management course that Dan is coordinating.

Instead of helping Dan convince her that she is wrong, The One Minute Manger allows Dan to observe the functioning of four groups at different stages of development at his own company. The gradual, real-world exposition of the central issues of group dynamics leads into three-way discussions between Dan, Maria and the Manager about the practicalities, pitfalls and variations in group development. The goal is to produce what Blanchard and others have called "Highly-Effective Teams", effectively defined in the early pages.

The intent of the book is to teach and, with two educational doctorates as co-authors, the structure and style is simple to read and flows so logically that it is as easy to digest as Jello. A busy manager can read this book in a single New York commute and keep revisiting it as needed, while his teams evolve. Students can learn and integrate new concepts more fruitfully, as they learn how the pieces all fit together. Participants in teams can quickly get a sense of what they need to do to effectively contribute to the tasks at had, which inevitably include the processes that the group uses to get things done. Anyone reading this book is well advised to realize that this is a brief synopsis and oversimplification of group dynamics and leadership styles. Extended discussions of roles played by participants in dysfunctional groups and extensive elaboration of Situational leadership are found elsewhere and should be referenced when necessary. In the end, drawing on all our creativity and individual knowledge and experience is the path to generating value in a knowledge economy.

Wonderful book
I think this is a wonderful book. It belongs on the bookshelf over every manager and should be read by everyone who is or aspires to be a manager. We must learn to turn groups of individuals into teams. This book offers solid concepts and practical advice on how to do it.

Twenty Minute Bath
I read this while I was soaking in the bathtub last night. It reads a lot like The Tenth Insight series - easy to follow, pretty simplistic. I chose this book because I have been observing the group process in many different contexts and because I am currently struggling with managing a brand new membership committee at church, as well as a new team at work. This book provides a good hook on which to hang team-building concepts.
The team management principles are easy to apply to the church Membership Committee. I have a lot of autonomy in management at church. I can decide without going through the hierarchy (church board) how to conduct this committee. They are very happy for me to decide how leadership is provided and how group meetings will happen.
One Minute Manager's "Group Developmental Stage" concept includes the stages of Orientation, Dissatisfaction, Resolution and Production. These stages make sense to me and dovetail nicely with concepts of human developmental stages. The Membership Committee has only met once under my leadership and is obviously in the Orientation Stage. I wish I could jump over the next two stages and get right to the Production Stage. I am getting a lot of pressure from board members to produce all sorts of results. One Minute Manager has validated what I already knew about managing this team; we have to go through these stages, and I need to work on getting my style of leadership to match the team's developmental stage. It will take some time, and I will have to get some of the "production" done with little help from the team until this team growth happens.
However, management at work is a totally different situation. I am on several teams, but only have one leadership role so far. This is a newly organized group called the RAT (Rapid Assessment Team) charged with the initial emergency response at the District Public Health Level. I share responsibility for leadership of this group with my supervisor. So far we have had two organizational meetings and two training meetings. The One Minute Manager concepts will help me address a couple of issues I have been struggling with.
The first issue has to do with leadership of this group. In the Orientation Stage, a group needs clear messages from a clearly designated leader. I need to take responsibility for delivering these messages. I need to remember to observe the group interaction, including the content and process, so my leadership style can change with the group's changing needs.
I will also need to figure out how to balance my leadership style with my supervisor's leadership style. I tend to be more the "Low Supportive and Low Directive" type of leader. She tends to be a "High Supportive and Low Directive" type. In the Orientation Stage that this team is in, we need to provide High Directive and Low Supportive Behavior. Providing High Directive isn't a difficult change for me to make because as the trainer, I am responsible for teaching what and how to. As this group moves into the Dissatisfaction Stage, I need to encourage my supervisor to provide the High Supportive Behavior that she is good at. As we work together and make progress with this group, the One Minute Manager concepts will help us coordinate and balance our leadership.

Just in time
This book has come to my aid at the most appropriate time. I am in the midst of an exercise, as a leader of an internal task force entrusted with the responsibility of recommending a solution in a short time. This group is heterogeneous, drawn from different departments with a common problem on hand.

The four stages of group behavior (orientation, dissatisfaction, integration, and production) as described in this book, and the different styles of leadership appropriate at each stage is very essential understanding for any manager. More than this it is important to diagnose the stage at which the group is in and what action the leader needs to take to lead the team quickly to the Production stage.

This is a must read for all managers who wish to understand group behavior - for achieving optimal output.

Solid principles and reminders, though a little overcooked
This book, like its predecessors, is written in a story format. The basic storyline is Dan Brockway's series of visits with the One Minute Manager, in which he learns about team building and the "situational leadership" that team building requires. The One Minute Manager has him visit a team in each of four stages: Orientation, Dissatisfaction, Production, and Integration. The visits provide information about the unique characteristics of each stage, and the book provides discussion of these characteristics by a series of dialogues between Dan and the One Minute Manager. After the visits have concluded, some discussion of how to lead a team depending on its stage occurs.

This book reinforces the important concepts and major characteristics of each stage by including charts and outlines for each stage of team development, as well as reiterating key points throughout the book. The section on situational leadership is valuable also, and the book seeks to answer potential questions from real readers by having the characters ask them during the course of the sessions with the One Minute Manager.

Overall, this book is very insightful, and its tenets are presented in a very creative, though occasionally corny, manner. (It contains frequent subliminal messages: "Let's make an appointment for next week to talk this over" said Dan. "No," said the One Minute Manager, "let's do it right now.") The charts and diagrams are the real treasures in the book, and in spite of its brevity, the book manages to be a fairly good primer on the subject. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A wise investment
For those who write business letters and emails, this is a great help.

Eric Bollinger
Publisher
McKenna Publishing Group
Publisher of "Two Dozen Lessons From An Editor" by Jim Woods

A valuable writing guide
Remarkably concise and informative, The Elements of Business Writing: A Guide to Writing Clear, Concise Letters, Memos, Reports, Proposals, and Other Business Documents by Gary Blake and Robert W. Bly is more than just a tool for business people. Taking a common sensical approach, as opposed to a lofty educated tone, Messrs. Blake and Bly do not restrict themselves to business writing, in spite of the title. For the most part, The Elements of Business Writing is a valuable writing guide for just about all forms of writing. The book is strong on: knowing your audience; clarity; precision; and persuasion. When you think about those four elements, you're thinking about effective communication in general. This is something everyone--not just business people--can use in their daily lives.

Very useful
If you write letters, emails, business proposals or marketing plans, this book will be useful to you. It is very easy to follow. The book offers a number of suggestions for writing clearly and with style, and explains each point in detail. I used this book for a graduate level class, but it would be useful to anyone!

Too simple and sufficient coverage.
Too simple and some rules may not apply to real problem, not recommend. But if you want to get the first book in writing intensive or want to have a quick look, you may leave it on your desk. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Men ask for what they want twice as often as women do and initiate negotiation four times more, report economist Linda Babcock and writer Sara Laschever in the footnoted but engaging Women Don't Ask. With vivid research examples drawn from cradle, classroom and playground, the authors detail culture as the culprit in discouraging women from negotiating on their own behalf.

Men, socialized in a "scrappier paradigm," learn to pursue and energize their goals at work and home. The two key elements are control and recognizing opportunity. For example, girls, rewarded for hard work, learn to see control as outside of themselves while boys are urged to take charge. Boys are schooled to recognize opportunity and girls to choose safe targets.

Several chapters are focused on prescription; how women can decrease anxiety, anticipate roadblocks, plan counter-moves and resist conceding too much or too soon. The authors shine in their examination of culture and gender--and their optimism about how women can counter the culture. They falter whenever they adopt the "sexes-from-a-different-planet" fallacy. Most notably, in a chapter that details a "female approach" to negotiating. Overall, the authors have created a smart summary of research and used it to affirm every woman's urgent right to ask. --Barbara Mackoff ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Highly Recommended!
The debate on gender equity often emphasizes that women earn less than men with similar experience. Authors Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever say that while women may indeed be the victims of external forces, they also to some extent may suffer from their own inability, unwillingness or aversion to negotiate or make demands. In fact, men negotiate four times as frequently as women, and get better results. Men are much more apt to make demands and ask for benefits, pay increases and so forth. Men make more money not necessarily because the system is overtly discriminatory - though it well may be - but because men demand more. The book tends to belabor its point, and sometimes the evidence does not seem as well-presented as it might have been, but We found that it sheds useful light on a knotty social problem. Perhaps it will spur more women to fight - or to continue to fight - on their own behalf.

Powerful!!
I read this book in almost one sitting. It has compelling factual data and riveting anecdotes. But, unlike Backlash, by Susan Faludi, which was almost totally negative, the authors also look at women's strengths in negotiation, and give some ideas for how to put their ideas into action.

It's not a how-to-negotiate book; I've spent the last 23 years practicing corporate law, negotiating sophisticated legal transactions and running an in-house department. This book goes beyond "how to" into "why". Essential reading for any woman!

Highly recommended
This book is incredibly well-researched and thoughtfully laid out. It builds its case beautifully with interesting examples, then backs it up with empirical research. And credit to the authors' writing styles, for they do not point fingers or whine about the way things are. And they never fall into a dry style of writing. The book flows nicely, and is easy to read.
Most importantly, they shine a light on issues women have in asking for what they deserve and by laying out their case in such a well-articulated fashion, they help provide answers that we can all act upon and move forward with.
The issues that the book explores impact women across all facets of their life -- from negotiating child care responsibilites to getting the recognition and compensation they deserve on the job. As a co-author of the business book "The Old Girls' Network", I see these issues in evidence in how women buiness owners also negotiate -- for contracts, for customers, in how they price their products and reticence about charging appropriately. So, I would say this book has broad appeal to stay at home moms, women in corporate life and for the large contingent of female entrepreneurs. It is a must-have addition to all of our reading lists, and one that should bring positive results.

Women have come a long way but...
In recent comments about a novel featuring a women who was number 1 in her class--ahead of 262 men--former U.C. Berkeley, Boalt Hall Law School Dean Herma Hill Kay said: "Women in the law have come a long way since the l960s, making up 60 percent of this year's freshman class of Boalt, but, as in Poswall's book [THE LAWYERS: Class of '69], women are still treated differently in the classroom and in the courtroom." How can it be that even as a majority, women are not accorded the status this would imply?

Babcock and Laschever explain why. It is not enough to outnumber men; it is to value one's own worth. And, I might add, as a trial lawyer, I am often confronted with the fear of leaving a women on a jury to judge another women. As this book demonstrates, women can do it to other women as much as they do it to themselves.

Courageous women, like the real Herma Hill Kay, first women dean of Boalt Hall Law School, as well as the fictional character, Rose Contreras, in the above novel, have led the way, against hostility and prejudice in the 60s. Now, as Babcock and Laschever show, it is up to women in this generation to go the extra step to full equality, first in how they see themselves, and then in the workplace and in their personal lives. It should be comforting to realize that, finally, women are close to having control over their own lives. This book shows how.

A must read...
This book will help you see areas in your life where you can achieve more. There are truly differences between the workplace style of a man and a woman. Women need to learn to be more assertive and ask for the things they want.

I have purchased copies of this book for co-workers and my administative assistant. This should be required reading for every female in college.

Well written, well researched, and very useful. Worth every penny. ... Read more

Book Description

In this age of electronic correspondence and self-produced documents, we need a useful and reliable writing guide more than ever. WRITE RIGHT! covers the essentials of good writing in a concise and easy-to-follow format. The new edition of this classic handbook takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding the parts of speech to constructing a correct sentence to fine-tuning the mechanics. And with clever drawings and amusing quotations to illustrate its points, WRITE RIGHT! shows that language can be fun as well as an effective communication tool. Whether it’s used to find a quick answer to a nagging question or to develop stronger writing skills, this handy reference is the ideal resource for writers of all levels. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Relief for Beginners
I'm just beginning to teach a freshman writing course at a local college for the first time. Although I have a master's degree in English, I should confess that I've used grammar by "feel." That is to say, I didn't know the rules, but I have read a lot, and I just wrote by instinct. I'm not defending this approach, just explaining!

So now I'm faced with the necessity of teaching grammar to my freshmen students. Alas! After a couple of embarrassing and week lectures, I went to the bookstore to get help. I spent about four hours looking for grammar books I could stand to read myself, and that would help me learn enough to teach my students. Most of the books were very technical and overly-detailed for me, and surely for my students as well. However, I found this book, along with a couple of others that were truly a relief in their clarity, fun approach, and pared down lessons.

So, for anyone else who's just starting out studying grammar, I highly recommend this book. It's simple, relevant, understandable, and whimsical. It's not scary, too technical, and too much information. I don't think you'll be disappointed, unless you really WANT to learn every detail.

Also, the other books I found that were helpful were Grammar for Smart People by Barry Tarshis, and The Everything Grammar and Style Book by Susan Thurman. There's another one called Woe is I that I didn't buy but am thinking about doing so. All of these even look fun, so I brought them in to show my students. I thought perhaps if they saw that grammar books don't have to be boring, boring, and more boring, they might someday possibly maybe consider thinking about buying one of them.

Right Smart Writing
Where this book differs from many style manuals is in its light-hearted approach. It features cartoons, quips, ambiguously worded phrases, and clever quotes to reinforce the many valid pointers contained within its pages.

It will not make a successful writer out of an untalented illiterate, (no resource will), but most readers will find a few tips to improve their writing quality. Whether looking for clarification on a particularly sticky dilemma or just in the mood for an intelligent chuckle, Jan Venolia's slim reference warrants a skim.

Functional Handling
This edition of the book does not have the spiral back as the older version. As frequently as I use this reference, I would much prefer the spiral back; which last longer and is so much more useful.

Write Right! is Right On!
As an author and a publisher, I find this book an essential reference. I keep it next to my dictionary, within easy reach. (The earlier editions) have been my constant companion for over 20 years. Jan Venolia makes the rules for punctuation, grammar and style easy to find and easy to understand. Her examples in the form of historical quotations make the rules comprehensible. This fascinating book will be a constant reference for every author, publisher, and bibliophile. And you can't beat the price. DanPoynter@ParaPublishing.com

A "cut to the chase" writing resource.
The nature of my job has been such that I'm only occasionally tasked with writing a business letter or report, which is to say that I don't write business correspondence often enough to feel entirely confident of my output. Also, I correspond regularly with a couple of friends who are published authors, and golly, I sure hate to come across like a rube. I've found this book to be a real lifesaver at such times, and no doubt it's saved me from outright embarrassment more than once.

While there are more expansive books on grammer and style out there, I suspect that this book, for most folks, will cover 99% of such questions likely to arise in composing business letters, personal correspondence, and creative works. Concise, well-organized, and palatable, this compact volume stays in my brief case everywhere I go, and has often shaved points off of my blood pressure during those numerous times when I thought I knew how to do it right, but just wasn't sure. (One minor complaint: earlier editions were available in spiral-bound versions; I miss that feature.) ... Read more

Book Description

The concept to this book is a warm approach to the idea of: Only by working in a team will you fulfill your dreams. The focus of the book is on realizing one's dreams, achieving those goals by working in teams. Teams come in every shape and size--spouses in a marriage, colleagues at work, volunteers together for a good cause... It takes teamwork to make the dream work.

There are no lone rangers. It's a myth that one person can do something great. Strong leaders who changed our country dreamed big and were successful because they were always part of teams.

Like his previous three books, this one is filled with warm stories, mini-lessons in bullet form, Maxwell observations, and quotes.

Reviews (2)

Nothing new here.
The book is a compiliation of famous quotes, some short stories about influential people and Mr. Maxwell's contributons, where he uses catchy acronyms to imply some kind of motivational message to the reader.

This has all been done to death, and there is nothing memorable or noteworthy that you haven't either heard somewhere else or read before. The book is surrounded by colorful pictures and splashy graphics, but as far as literary content is concerned it is positively average, at best.

Excellent Advice from a Master Motivator!
Many of us owe much to the writings of John C. Maxwell. This volume is representative of his work as there's a lot of substance in this small book. Maxwell has the gift of presenting age-old truths in a unique way. As suggested by the title this book develops the theme of building and sustaining a team as a means of goal attainment. He gives advice on how to tap and maintain synergy between team members. In the early part of the book he makes the point that we are all involved in various teams just by the nature of our lives. A marriage, work unit, church or any other social system consisting of more than one individual is a team. Consequently he argues that the principles in this book have the potential for widespread use. As expected it is packed with quotes and illustrations from achievers, a large number of whom are sports figures. This is an easy, enjoyable read. ... Read more

Book Description

Wouldn't it be great to have x-ray vision into other people's personalities - to know what they are thinking, what they care deeply about, their likes and dislikes? With x-ray vision you'd know how best to approach people, how to pique their interest in your ideas, how to strike a bargain, resolve a conflict, or simply help others feel more at ease relating to you.

A salesperson pitching a customer. A manager trying to motivate an employee. A teacher attempting to make a point with a student. In each of these situations, how do you determine what strategy is best? Should you joke around? Stick to the facts? Make small talk? Cut to the chase? The right approach can spell the difference between getting what you want from people and getting your signals crossed.

In THE ART OF SPEEDREADING PEOPLE, Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger show how easy it is to identify key personality characteristics and how you can use this knowledge to communicate more effectively and achieve faster results. Filled with real-life examples and easy-to-follow directions, their book draws on the same scientifically validated Personality Type model that most Fortune 500 companies use. It will help you:
* Instantly identify the preferred communication styles of othesr
* Present ideas in ways more likely to lead to "Ye"
* Recognize the natural strengths and weaknesses of other people (and also understand your own)
* Identify the 4 different temperaments and 16 different personality types

Whether your goal is dealing more successfully with coworkers or employees, friends or family members, prospective customers or clients, THE ART OF SPEEDREADING PEOPLE offers you a powerful advantage in communicating with all types of people. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Wonderful Guide
I had heard about personality typing and such before from Psych classes, but this book puts it to practical use. They first give an introduction to personality typing, it's history, and modern implications. They then help you understand the differences in type as well as dispelling some common myths and connotations of terms used in typing.

The book introduces various methods of assessing a person's personality type (using preferences vs. temperment) as well as giving some exercises at the end of each chapter to help put what you just learned to use. Of course, the stress is on *Speed* reading people so they give tips on how to quickly asess someone's type so that you can put what you learned to use in the real world where you can't sit down and have a therapy session with everyone you meet.

The later chapters in the book delve into the 16 different types, grouping them by temperment, and gives detailed descriptions on common behaviors and responses of these types. Additionally they give tips on how to interact with particular types in order to communicate with them most effectively.

Note: they are VERY careful to state that typing does not equal stereotyping and always caution that people won't always fit neatly in these man made categories. Plus they are very careful to stress that this book is not intended for someone to learn how to "control" others, but rather develop a system of effective interaction with friends, colleagues, bosses, etc.

If you always felt you never really "got" people then this is a definate must read. If you always kind of "felt" people out and reacted from what you sensed (like me) this is still a must read because it takes this method and lays it out explicitly so you can use it as a tool rather than merely intution.

A Good Read!
Move over, Evelyn Wood. Instead of speed reading text, Paul T. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger tell you how to speed read the personalities of those with whom you work and play. This book ably explains the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. With a little practice, you can quickly identify your own personality type and that of anyone you meet. If you are already familiar with the Myers-Briggs model, much of this book will be old news. If you aren't familiar with it, and if you want to learn how to "SpeedRead" people according to this theory, this book will benefit you. The authors go into great detail about the four temperaments and the sixteen personality types within them. We from getAbstract recommend this as a book for purposeful study. However, even if you only read it once, you will learn something about yourself or the people around you.

This book offers a practical yet fun way to look at people
This book, as opposed to other books concerning "Temperament Typing" offers a less official, more relaxed and practical way of harnessing this theory. I think it is worth a read for everyone who feels he wants or needs to know people more, on both the personal or impersonal level

EYE OPENER-BRILLIANT book!
How many books have you read that cause you to never view the subject the same way again? I can count them on one hand & I read plenty. This book gives you insight & as you read it you will find yourself remembering many encounters with various people in the past that with the knowledge THIS book provides, you could have turned around, even turned to your advantage.
Don't waster another moment floundering with the mysteries of human behavior! If knowledge is power, then knowing how to "handle" people is definately a power-booster.
Read this book and change how you perceive human relations forever! If you that certain someone in your life that rubs you the wrong way, we all have them, then this book is for you.

The Art of Speed Reading People
This book is an excellent companion to "Type Talk at Work". It digests the theory and applies it to logically grouped type components. If you are looking for a formula to both understand and communicate effectively with specific Personality Types, this book does an excellent job. People will not realize you are using a formula because the techniques are playing into their personality preferences. The results can be reduced stress, faster agreement, and improved understanding. The key is taking the time to step out of your personality preference to plan a presentation or communication session that steps into the other person's personality preference. [This book serves as an excellent reference book] ... Read more

Amazon.com

Is your company threatened by turf battles, shut out of key data sources by territorial "lords," or ravaged by hundreds of "micro-companies?" If so, your organization may be suffering from a potentially crippling case of "Fiefdom Syndrome." Robert Herbold, former COO of Microsoft, presents a wealth of case studies from the usual (and always interesting) suspects--IBM, Proctor and Gamble, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart--to illustrate an affliction that affects for-profit and non-profit organizations alike.

Herbold identifies why fiefdoms are a problem, where they typically arise in companies--finance, HR, marketing, IT, virtually in most teams and departments--and offers solutions for preventing fiefdoms from cropping up and how to dissolve existing turf control. In an approachable manner, he demonstrates how discipline, creativity, and enforcement are keys to preventing the spread of fiefdoms: "The basic human tendency to want to control one's destiny or turf runs counter to discipline in an organization. If the CEO or the manager of a unit lets people act on their own, the company will soon fall into disarray."

Like headaches, fiefdoms can become a persistent problem and if left untreated, can send organizations into an endless loop of deteriorating health and repeated investigations into the cause. Prudent companies will take Herbold's advice and learn how to prevent and treat their little fiefdom problem.--E. Brooke Gilbert ... Read more

Book Description

Open Space Technology: A User's Guide is just what the nameimplies: a hands-on, detailed description of facilitating Open SpaceTechnology (OST). Written by the originator of the method-an effective,economical, fast, and easily-repeatable strategy for organizingmeetings of between 5 and 1,000 participants-this is the first book todocument the rationale, procedures, and requirements of OST.OSTenables self-organizing groups of all sizes to deal with hugely complexissues in a very short period of time. This practical, step-by-stepuser's guide details what needs to be done before, during, and after anOpen Space event. 1

Owen begins by detailing all the practicalconsiderations necessary to create Open Space. He begins with the mostimportant question-should you do Open Space at all-and examines whattypes of situations are appropriate for Open Space Technology and whattypes are not. He goes on to look at nuts-and-bolts issues such assupplies, logistics, and who should come and how you should go aboutgetting them there. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

One of the most valuable books in the world
As Brookings revealed in 2000, most of the world's 10000 biggest organisations don't yet have the measures to govern the vast majority of value now produced in services and knowledge businesses because as our networking age blossoms value dynamics are mainly intangible, deeply woven into the human relationships we self-organise, not for precise planning and overpowering command and control from the top. Value multiplication is a core gravity which should be embedded in everyone's right to work, learn , behave openly.

Whilst some of those of the transparency communities interlinking at http://www.valuetrue.com open source the simplest maths of intangible systems, others have much more fun voting on what are the safest methods to protect your system from doing an Andersen or a NASA self-destruction of its greatest purpose. Open Space is voted as the number 1 method uniting transparency communities, and because of its simplicity I predict it will always be the gateway to anyone who prizes self-organising, a term which actually means making the most of everyone's time, learning and passions to make a diffeernce to our overall purpose. A very valuable book, which in my dreams would start any MBA course or any professional's training.

Open Space is now 21 years young and over 100000 experiences mature and networked by people who are both most open with their knowlhow and conscious that you learn something subly more about human relationship trust from every Open Space you particpate in. It is as near as organisations (seen as human relationship infrastructures) can get to a modern day miracle, and long may Harrison light up the open world. See his latest deep concerns with conflict resolution applications at http://www.practiceofpeace.com

a "How to" book
I recommend using open space tehcnology and/or other large scale intervention techniques to mine the collective emotional intelligence of a group of people (this may be your company, or people from an acadamic field you belong to).

This book gives you the details on HOW to organize and facilitate an open space meeting - (what kind of location you need, how to organize the room, how to use break up rooms, how to facilitate, ...). You'll also get imporatnt rules and lessons for making this technology work. In short, it's pretty good at doing this "HOW TO" part.

WARNING: If you want to know WHY it works and if you want some examples, there are 2 other books to take a look at:

- tales from Open space (Harrison Owen, Editor, 1995)

- Expanding our now (Harrison Owen, 1997)

Good luck!

Patrick E.C. Merlevede, MSc -- author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

A Good Read!
Harrison Owen presents a hands-on, step-by-step manual for putting on an open space technology workshop. In OST workshops, participants basically set and facilitate the agenda with some guidance from a facilitator. Here, the book's examples are particularly handy. Owen suggests conference duration, agenda and techniques including how to set up a meeting, invite participants, prepare the logistics and meeting site, facilitate activities and more. While these workshops generally involve hundreds of people, you can also put on an OST event with as few as five. If you want to read gripping business philosophy, look elsewhere - this is a practical how-to manual, a task it accomplishes quite well. We [...] recommend this informative guided tour of the OST process to those who want to know how, because they already know why

A Journey *Not* for the Faint of Heart
When I particpated in my first Open Space, a friend told me to trust the process. At first glance, Open Space seems not to make a lick of sense or too "airy fairy" to work. Its a powerful process I've used this book as a guide to help me facilitate many Open Space sessions.

I highly recommend this book if you want to facilite Open Space---it provides many good ideas for before, during and after the session, covers when and when not to use Open Space, and gives the would-be facilitor the mind- and heart-set to facilitate Open Space well. I would not recommend faciltiating Open Space without first experiencing it.

I've used Open Space with churches, as a partnership-building experience, in organizational change, and in forming national government programs---in the right hands and at the right time, Open Space is a powerful process---this book gives you tools to facilitate it. Use it wisely and well!

A must have for facilitators
Harrison Owen, the creator of the facilitation concept of "open space", has written a fabulous user guide for anyone wishing to attempt this process. Not only does he outline in detail the nitty-gritty of effectively running a one to three day conference using this technique, but he also describes his own experience utilizing "open space". His stories are truly inspiring and do an excellent job of demonstrating the power of this method. I was especially impressed by the way he drew on several native american and west african philosophies to shape aspects of the facilitation.

Having participated in open space workshops, I had a good grasp of the idea and could easily picture what he described. For others who have not yet had that experience, reading another of his books, Tales from Open Space, might also be useful as it goes into more historical detail of the evolution of Owen's work and gives additional anecdotes. ... Read more

Book Description

* Updated to reflect the latest version of the Crystal Reports reporting tool
* Explains how to use Crystal Reports to quickly transform almost any data into interactive content
* Features a jump-start chapter on creating a simple report
* Covers basic and advanced reporting features, such as retrieving data from databases; sorting, grouping, and totaling result sets; using report templates; making correlations with cross-tab reports; working with formulas; adding geographic detail with maps; publishing reports; and much more
* Includes a new section that explains how to use the new time-saving and data-sharing features available when Crystal Reports is integrated with the other components in the product suite: Crystal Enterprise and Crystal Analysis
* Companion Web site includes sample reports from the book ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Life Saver!!!
Since I discovered the Sidetracked Sisters in 1988 I've graduated 3 daughters from highschool, 2 from college and one from medical school. I've given 4 weddings, three of them in cities in which I did not live. I've moved seven times, attended 3 graduate schools, completed a Master's degree and started a Ph.D. I've managed to stay married to the same neatnic for 36 years and now have four beautiful grandchildren. If it were not for Pam and Peggy, I couldn't have survived (literally) one day beyond the day I first picked up this book. The card file grounded me and kept me going on days I feared either flying of the face of the earth or gettly buried in the clutter. By sharing the book with my own sister, we have kept reminding each other to "get back to the box" during times we were less than diligent. The principles shared by the authors are excellent management skills which I employed in my private practice as a counselor and have taught to clients suffering from conditions such as ADHD as well as to parents overwhelmed by what life's pressures are handing them. I've also used the "Happiness File" for years, I reread it every year in January, setting new priorities for the year and reviewing my accomplishments from the previous year. The book is an easy read and funny. Perhaps the greatest testimony to the efficacy of the system is that my pediatrician daughter and busy mother of one of my beautiful granddaughters has asked for a copy recently stating, "I didn't think I'd ever say this but I've got to find a better way to manage all I've got to do and it's worked pretty well for you."

Changed my life!
I found the system in the book to be very helpful. The system is great. It may not be for everyone though. I found that I had all the great intentions in the world to get things done.But I always seemed to never finish a task.I would start another before I was done with the first.I was the side-tracked queen. The system does not just affect your housework. It helps build habits that you always wanted to do but just never got there. My husband is very happy that I use the system. Especially if you don't have hours in a row. If you work, have kids,and go to school too this system helps organize and prioritize.You don't have to do it all yourself. You can delegate certain tasks to family and then enjoy the rest of the time together. It helps get all your bases covered, and realize what needs done, how often and how long things truly take. I found that I had lots of time to clean but everything seemed overwhelming. There are many more things I can say about the system, but it would be too long. I believe that there are many people who would find this to be a great way to simplify their housework and make it almost enjoyable. :)

Newbie to the program, but it is working...!
I am a smart successful woman, but somehow could never "keep house" like my mom did, and her mom, and of course my sister in law (are sister in law's ALWAYS perfect, or is it just mine??!!)...This book helped me to organize the things that I needed to do on a regular basis in order for my house to look nice, and to be clean...It is funny, but I have been doing it for about two weeks, and I definitely find myself getting into better habits - picking up, wiping down, etc...Definitely not things that the OLD me would have done! Since I started I am happier and more relaxed in my home, and I can entertain friends without a frenzy of cleaning in the 30 minutes before they arrive! I even fired my cleaning lady (who only comes every two weeks, so she had not seen "the new me house")...Anyway, if you crave a system that allows you to do small tasks regularly and prevents MASSIVE cleaning needs that seem overwhelming, this is it! Enjoy!

Get Organized For Life!
I have been using the techniques in this book since 1990, and just love it! Definately a worth while read. You won't EVER regret buying this book, and taking the time to put what they say into practice!

Not what I'd expected
I was not very impressed with this book. While the stories told are interesting, I didn't find as much from this book to help me as I'd expected. I got a lot more from Marla Cilley's book "Sink Reflections". ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A wonderful book that brings spirituality to the workplace
This book is a wonderful story about a Buddhist priest who comes to the New York diamond business and works his way up from the bottom using Buddhist principles anonymously. The business is a great success selling millions and still being true to the most unlikely of business attitudes. It's a great story and it actually rings true. Along the way he talks about a lot of the problems westerners have with classice Buddhist writings.
This book made me rethink the way I deal with the people I work with and my goals in life.
I want all my friends to read this book.

Ancient Wisdom with Modern Enterprise
Geshe Michael Roach combines 15 years as an international business executive, with the wisdom accrued by living a life dedicated to spiritual evolution. In fact, his phenomenal success as a business man was directly caused by following the principles outlined in The Diamond Cutter.

This book is an incredible guideline for not only how to be an sucessful, ethical businessperson, but how the world actually works. The point is not the dogmatic notion of virtue, but the logic behind it. Why does generosity lead to wealth? Why does kindness lead to happiness? The key lies in two concepts clearly articulated by Geshe Roach in The Diamond Cutter: Hidden Potential and Mental Imprints.
Read this book if you want to know why you experience your world the way you do, and the speciic causes for creating the business, and the life, that you desire. Learn how to get to the end of your career, and look back and know that it was worth it. This book is highly recommended.

an invitation to explore buddhism more deeply
a nice introduction to some of the central tenets of buddhism, intermingled with anecdotes from the author's experiences in the diamond industry. ... Read more