Book Description

Management expert Michael Feiner's candid leadership guide cuts through rhetoric and theory and gives managers and executives a "hands-on" approach to dealing with problems in business.

As the former chief peopleofficer at PepsiCo, and now a management professor at the Columbia University School of Business, Feiner shares his solutions from his years of handling unexpected crises,meditating between warring corporate factions, and taking care of all the "people problems" that pop up on a routine basis in companies all over the world. Feiner's approach is based on common sense and practicality, and his book is full of examples that managers everywhere will identify with and relate to. Along the way, Feiner doles out his "laws" of how those in supervisory roles can resolve these vexing situations. Instructive and entertaining, THE FEINER POINTS OF LEADERSHIP will be mandatory reading for anyone in a managerial position.

This essential guide features 50 clearly defined laws of leadership together with illustrative stories that demonstrate these laws in action. There is also a unique back-of-book "matrix" highlighting classic business scenarios-- and the leadership laws that apply to each.

For 20 years, Michael Feiner was a senior executive and chief people officer at PepsiCo. He is currently a management consultant and professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Business. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Entertaining, informative and RELEVANT
What an amazing collection of basic laws that help find your way through the complex and complicated network of people management / leadership (and there is a difference :-) ). Mike Feiner considers all axes of relationships which need to be managed by successful leaders (vertical as well as horizontal), as well as different situations and styles. The book provides clear structure and is seeded with tons of very interesting (and often quite entertaining) examples exploring some of the most difficult situations aspiring (or existing) leaders will likely encounter.
When I started reading this book I could hardly put it down! Some of what I've learned from it I could put to immediate use at my work place and I definitely expect much more future benefit from this lecture (for me and those that work with me).

A book on leadership that's worth reading and keeping
I know this guy. He is one of the most popular professors at Columbia Business School and his course is one of the highest rated. Students struggle to take his course. I discovered this first-hand when I found my own teaching assistant despondent because she didn't get in and there was no other course being offered that she could get excited about.

The same skills that make one a great professor also can make one a great leader. Feiner cares about his students. If one is absent without explanation, he calls to find out why and if she is OK. He tells them exactly what he will do for them and what he expects in return. And then he does more, much more.

Feiner's basic thesis is that Leadership is all about managing relationships. A great leader has a web of relationships - with subordinates, peers, superiors, clients, external agents like journalists and analysts, and a host of others. How successfully you manage this web is what determines how effective you are.

Feiner gives you principles that you can adapt to your situation and lots of illustrative examples. For example, in the Law of Who is that Masked Man or Woman, he talks about the importance of finding out about a great deal about your boss. He shows you how to. And he also emphasizes that using this as data to prove your boss is incompetent is counterproductive for you. Your focus should be on how to increase your own effectiveness.

I like the fact that Feiner emphasizes personal values. Yes, you should care for those who work for you. But if you do so only because you need their help to get ahead, then you cheapen the relationship and diminish business and society. It is so much better if you care for them because that is an outward expression of your values. These are subtle distinctions and Feiner does not shy away from making them.

Read this book once, quickly. It should not take more than a couple of hours. Mark out the sections that appeal to you.

Then go back to it every two months or so and read it again or atleast the highlighted sections. Figure out how you can adapt and USE the points he makes. And then you will get the full value of this book.

Summary: Hands-On Leadership Tool-kit
While numerous books on leadership are released every year, most are too vague to be effective in helping the reader implement the recommended practices (i.e., usually broad, too academic, or merely describing behaviors of leaders).

"The Feiner Points" is exceptional BECAUSE it describes exactly which actions and activities one can undertake towards becoming a better leader. The author, Michael Feiner, takes a hands-on approach and attempts to answer the reader's question: "what can I do today?" to become a better leader. Feiner uses tangible functional "Laws" throughout the book that are simple and memorable, and thus easy to apply. In my view, the Laws immediately help any professional become a stronger leader and better people manager. (Note: The concepts in the book can be applied at various stages of one's career, not just at the executive or junior executive level.)

I personally think the book is effective because the author has taken the viewpoint of a lifelong career and leadership "coach." This differs from other books by famous leaders, whose advice I have often felt is only applicable to someone of their particular personality. Feiner, having seen and worked with a variety of leadership styles, recognizes this and effectively conveys ideas that work for many different personality types.

Overall, the book is simple, straight-to-the-point, and easy to apply... highly recommended!!

Memorable and Applicable, A Must
In general, I am not a big reader of management books. The ones I have read, I have found to be academic and full of theory that is hard to follow, much less apply. They all have proven quite forgettable.

This book is different which is why I was compelled to write a review. "The Feiner Points of Leadership" was written in a conversational, "plain speak" fashion that used real life examples. They brought texture to the content. I could project myself into the situations; they seemed very relevant and applicable to me and my challenges.

The quality of the advice coupled with the examples taken from Feiner's seemingly endless experiences made this book memorable. I can apply what I can remember. I sincerely wish he had written it earlier.

Leadership de Mystified
Leadership is an often talked about and more frequently misunderstood concept. Mike Feiner introduces 50 Basic Laws of Leadership, many of which are so obvious, so simple and so easy to put in to practice that you will wonder why you didn't think of them yourself.
The genius of any management book is to influence the reader to change behavior. The Feiner Points did that for me.
An easy and engaging read, The Feiner Points is a must buy for anyone looking to improve their effectiveness, whether at work or at play. ... Read more

Book Description

Play the game to win

"More and more CEOs are discovering that managing one’s business environment is as important as managing operations, finance, and sales. Winning the Influence Game explains how a strategic government relations program can make a major impact on that environment at the federal, state, and local levels."–Douglas G. Pinkham, President, Public Affairs Council

"A useful, detailed handbook that should find itself on the desktop–or at the bedside–of every business leader. These are the skills that every business leader needs to succeed in the increasingly complex and rapidly changing globalized economy in which they operate–and to gain competitive advantage for their company’s future."–Ira Jackson, Director, Center for Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government

"Winning the Influence Game provides an excellent overview for the corporate leader of how government can impact the bottom line–both positively and negatively. The clear, concise, and practical manner in which the book is organized and information provided makes it an extremely useful resource to those charged with the responsibility of creating an effective government relations program."–Margery Kraus, President and CEO, APCO Worldwide ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Insightful!
If you've ever wanted to be part of a special interest group or a corporate lobbying machine, but didn't know where to start, experts Michael Watkins, Mickey Edwards and Usha Thakrar have written a handbook for you. The authors write intelligently and provide information in great detail with no fluff. We [...] recommend this book to those in business and organizations of all sizes who are - or should be - playing the influence game.

Indispensable tool for any CEO
Reading 'Winning the Influence Game' was an eye opening experience on how important it is understand how government can influence business. The authors have provided a blueprint for creating a strategy which can change government from an adversary to an ally. More importantly, a well thought out strategy can become your most valuable competitive weapon. If I had viewed government as a partner 10 years ago, there is no doubt in my mind that my venture capital business would be much larger and far more profitable today.

Superb
Too many leaders, focused on starting or expanding businesses, think that markets and competition exist in a vacuum. This very insightful book reminds us that the background of government regulation is also make-or-break. The authors' insights and strategies are intellectually well-grounded, yet oriented to someone who has to apply them in the real world. A must have.

Essential Reading for Success in the New-Economy
This book is absolutely essential reading for anyone working to develop and sustain business success in a global marketplace that is increasingly subject to governmental regulations. An excellent balance of sound theory and practical application that make this well-written and interesting book a worthwhile investment.

Solid Theory Combined With Practical Application
This book is essential reading for anyone needing to implement and manage corporate strategy in a rapidly changing economy. The authors provide a well-informed and interesting perspective on how to navigate government relations while maintaining a competitive advantage. This is an important contribution to current management theory that provides ample food for thought, as well as solid recommendations for practical application. Interesting, focused, well written and useful! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

This map covers a lot of territory
This book is impressive in its scope! Starting with the business justification of the project, Moss and Atre emphasize requirements, metadata, and extraction/transformation/ and load. In each chapter is a good overview, things to consider, relation to other steps of the plan, and a clear list of deliverables and the personnel (the roles) involved in each of the steps. Each chapter also offers rules of thumb that could only have been come from someone experienced with setting up a Business Intelligence Solution. Perhaps most important to a project manager tempted to cut out a step, is a warning about the risk of omitting the step.

Each chapter should NOT be thought of as an in-depth analysis of the topic (for example, there are just 4 pages discussing the star versus the snowflake schema when discussing database design), but rather as a map of the steps that need to be done. I was particularly impressed with the metadata discussions, which emphasize testing of the metadata repository, the role of metadata in navigation and context-sensitive-help at the element level, and the use of multiple sources to generate the metadata. The common emphasis on reviews, involvement of the business sponsors, and testing throughout the process was great! The discussion on three parallel development tracks seemed optimistic, as I was not sure that the application track is completely independent of the Extraction/transformation/load steps until the final implementation step. The book probably also should have emphasized security earlier in the process. This book offers a good plan, and I would be happy if our Business Intelligence projects followed the plan laid out here!!

A very practical and comprehensive guide!
This book is the perfect blend of project management techniques, application of the software development lifecycle framework, and decision support / business intelligence projects. As a project manager for data mart and decision support projects, I am using this book as a reference for making sure all the steps are covered in these types of projects. All areas are at least touched upon if not covered in greater detail. The authors do an excellent job in explaining many of the BI concepts, identifying steps to completion, and raising questions to consider in tailoring the success of these projects to your organization's circumstances. The deliverables and risks presented for each step fits nicely with the Project Management Institute's PMBOK framework and the tips at the back of the book are incredibly helpful.

Very action oriented
Very action oriented. The prose is concise and to the point. A key feature is that at the start of each chapter is a ticklist of action items to do or at least be aware of, for that chapter's topic. This may have value to you, from a management viewpoint. Also similarly useful are the extensive tables at the back of the book, that complement the ticklists.

For me, the most relevant sections were those describing metadata and how this is commonly defined and used by people in the data mining/business intelligence community. I enjoyed the description of a metadata repository/silo as a navigation tool.

The book is readily accessible to a nontechnical manager. There is little mathematical jargon, and there are clear explanations of common data mining techniques. Enough so that you can converse intelligently with personnel in that field. A strength of the book is that is lets you understand and direct a technical team, in a top-down fashion, driven by business imperatives, rather than by technical capabilities.

A Must for Every BI/DW Professional
It is refreshing to read a book that presents in-depth techniques for developing a BI application from cradle to grave in a continuous evolutionary process. Various matrices and WBS samples in Part II of the book serve as a quick reference for iterative planning and delivering of decision-support systems.The authors have done a phenomenal job in integrating business, technical,and management aspects of a BI and decision-support system to present an exhaustive set of guidelines.

After working with numerous clients and having read Inmon's Building the Data Warehouse, Kimball's The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit as well as various BI white papers, I know that data ETL and data warehouses are a major part of any BI strategy. However, after reviewing the summary of over 20 BI related books, I found that the primary focus of many BI books is normally limited to data presentation and analytical layers only.This book is an exception .

I would recommend this book to expert as well as novice DW/BI professionals alike, who may be business users, data analysts, architects, project managers, statisticians,or executive stakeholders.

Very useful
This is an excellent book and, more importantly, it's very useful. It's loaded with specifics and checklists on what to do and how to do it (it also tells you what not to do). It lays out the pitfalls and tells you how to avoid them. The stages and steps outlined in the book are very specific and the authors, with their wealth of experience, tell you how to implement a successful data warehouse. The work breakdown structure (the tasks you need to implement the data warehouse), the deliverables matrix, and entry and exit criteria for each step are very detailed and alone are worth the price of the book.

The book will give those responsible for a data warehouse the information they need to establish best practices within their own organization and will give these folks the ammunition and support to ask for the necessary resources to implement a data warehouse. ... 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

Breaking down complex philosophical issues into a step-by-step self-help guide, the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics shows us how to grapple with everyday issues and problems: Should I take my family on a much-needed vacation or save money for my children's education? Should we protect the endangered owl or maintain jobs for loggers? This is a unique, anecdote-rich, and articulate program that teaches us to think for ourselves rather than supplying us with easy, definitive answers. Offering concrete guidelines and principles, Kidder enables us to resolve ethical dilemmas and to make the tough choice between what are usually two "right" values. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Framing the question frames the answer
Kidder's book essentially boils down any tough choice down to basic conflicts, a struggle for competing "rights" or things we value. We value loyalty, for example, and we value honesty...what happens if I know my spouse is cheating on our taxes or from their company?

Thought provoking, easily read....strongly recommend.

choice and conflict
This is a nice, short book that anybody could read and get something useful out of. To help potential readers, I will clarify a little about the book. In many ways, it is not a book about decision making per se, but rather ethics and decision making. As such the title doesn't quite fit: perhaps it should be called how good people -should- make tough choices. Given that the emphasis of the book was somewhat different than expected, Kidder made a decent book out of the general topic of ethics. Not arcane in any way, chock full of examples and designed to be user-friendly. A great book for "lay persons" who are nonetheless quite familiar with decisions that have ethical implications and need to make them on a regular basis.

Excellent
This is an excellent book and along with Donald V. Paone's "To Be or Not to Be: Reflections of Modern Bioethical Choices" (also available from Amazon.com) is must reading if those who confront the problems of living morally in the modern world.

Beautifully written, easy to understand ideas
This book has provided me with a structure through which I can begin to think more openly about ethics. It has surprised me with a number of new ideas, most of which are relevant to all of us. I highly recommend this work to those who care about living a thoughtful life. Ethics this way is not stodgy and limiting, but expansive and exciting.

The best book on the subject
After reading a variety of books on ethics and ethical decision making, this one stood out for its clarity of thinking and superb examples. A book that makes you think about your life and how you choose when the choice is hardest of all: between right and right. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Massive change is hitting corporate America at a furious and escalating pace, writes Andrew Grove in Only the Paranoid Survive, and businesses that strive hard to keep abreast of the transition will be the only ones that prevail. And Grove should know. As chief executive of Intel, he wrestled with one of the business world's great challenges in 1994 when a flaw in his company's new cornerstone product -- the Pentium processor -- grew into a front-page controversy that seriously threatened its future. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

A Perspective From the Inside
Having personally worked (and plan on working for after I graduate from college) for Intel, Corp. Mr. Grove offers some of the insights to the success of Intel. Strategic Inflection Points (SIP) are applicable in any business, but in a high tech world, SIP's tend to occur more often. Mr. Grove, currently also teaching at Stanford Business School, offers examples of SIP's and how he, and Intel, has dealt with these market changing pressures. In addition, through his book, he also gives insight to the type of company, and corporate culture that is present at Intel, and how only through this type of verticle cooperation can a Santa Clara start-up become the techology giant it is today. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever heard of the name "Intel" and discover what it really means to be "Intel Inside"

All Fear the Status Quo
Andy Grove has verbalized the mindset that we must all develop to survive in the 21st Century. While his idea of constantly looking over your shoulder has always been applicable, the speed of the Internet economy requires that we do it much more frequently and penalizes us much more quickly if we do not.

Grove does a great job of showing how one man's crises is another's opporuntity and uses the term strategic inflection points to describe these periods of 10x change.

This book is a good reminder for anyone who thinks that what made them successful to this point is any guarantee that they will be successful in the future.

Nothing new here
This is something that any first year business student could have written. It is a fast read but it provides no new insights.

Want to be a great manager - Go to West Point
I was very dissapointed by this book as a lesson in management. The lessons learned are basic management and military strategy that every CEO should now. i.e. Basic lessons from the book: include understanding the nature of the battlefield (6 forces that affect business), recognizing change (strategic intelligence), listening to the troops in the field, making sure you're not insulated from the bad news, seperate the noise from real intelligence, have the courage to make changes, issue clear orders, re-evaluate and adjust as conditions change, be prepared to replace the top management (not for incompetence, but to get fresh perspectives (change the old guard and the old ways of doing things), Realize that your company runs on the quality of middle management (i,e NCO and junior officers in the military). Give them clear goals and empower them to act. I have a lot of respect for Andy Grove, and the insights into his business was great, but if you want a good management book, read a military strategy manual. There's nothing new here.

Good content...a little hard to read.
This was a good book. A little to technical and difficult to read ... Read more

Book Description

Rather than giving instruction in models and solving problems, this textbook focuses on the process of modeling and the use of models in analyzing various managerial situations. The process of modeling is highly relevant to all business disciplines and is a critical skill for all professionals. The emphasis of this text will be on the integration and development of modeling skills including problem recognition, data collection, model formulation, analysis, and communicating and implementing the results. ... Read more

Book Description

When it was published in 1994, Roger Schwarz's The Skilled Facilitator earned widespread critical acclaim and became a landmark in the field. The book is a classic work for consultants, facilitators, managers, leaders, trainers, and coaches--anyone whose role is to guide groups toward realizing their creative and problem-solving potential. This thoroughly revised edition provides the essential materials for facilitators and includes simple but effective ground rules for group interaction. Filled with illustrative examples, the book contains proven techniques for starting meetings on the right foot and ending them positively and decisively. This important resource also offers practical methods for handling emotions when they arise in a group and offers a diagnostic approach for identifying and solving problems that can undermine the group process.

... Read more

Reviews (6)

More Than Practical Wisdom
The subtitle of this accessible guide to facilitation, "Practical Wisdom For Developing Effective Groups", accurately describes the book's scope and utility. In four parts and thirteen chapters, Schwarz provides an overview, with countless meaningful examples, of how facilitators can most effectively help groups develop their capacity for improvement. He distinguishes between two types of facilitation: (1) Basic facilitation, which aims to help a group "solve a substantive problem"; and (2) Developmental facilitation, which accomplishes basic facilitation while helping a group learn "to improve its process". He argues that three core values underlie effective group and facilitator behavior. The first is "valid information", which means that relevant information is shared by group members and that all groups members can validate and understand the information. The second is "free and informed choice", which means that group members define their own goals and methods of achieving those goals using valid information. The third is, "internal commitment to the choice", which means that group members take responsibility for their decisions by making informed choices based on valid information. Using a basic or developmental approach, facilitators most effectively intervene by making explicit and modeling these core values. These values are maintained by a group agreeing and sticking to essential ground rules, which Schwarz lists on p. 75 and treats extensively throughout the book.

In the heart of Schwarz's book are seven chapters on intervening effectively in groups. In those chapters, he advises the reader on, among other things, how to intervene, meeting management, group problem-solving, following ground rules, and dealing with emotions. He closes with wisdom on serving as a facilitator in your own organization and on the facilitative leader. His opening sections on how facilitation helps groups achieve their goals and establishing the foundation for facilitation lay the groundwork for his later chapters.

In the opening chapters, he includes two models worth mentioning. In his "group effectiveness model" (p.23), Schwarz shows how group processes (the primary concern of the facilitator) interact with group structure and organizational context to contribute to a group effectiveness. Group effectiveness is assessed through three criteria: (1) The group's services or products meet or exceed the expectations of the clients; (2) The processes and structures used to deliver services or create products enhance the group's capacity to work together; and (3) The group's experience is satisfying, not frustrating, for the group's members. In the second noteworthy model, Schwarz presents the "diagnosis-intervention cycle" (p. 68). In this cycle, there are three diagnostic steps and three intervention steps. In the diagnostic phase, the facilitator observes behavior, infers meaning and decides whether to intervene. In the intervention phase, s/he describes observations, test her/his inferences, and helps the group decide whether and how to alter behaviors. Understanding and using these models are critical for effective facilitation.

For the would-be facilitator or group leader, this book provides exactly what the subtitle promises.

Not An Entry Level Facilitation Book
I picked up this book because I needed to read up on how better to sell facilitation and exactly what facilitators should be doing. This book explains this and more. However, if you are looking for a simple overview of what a facilitator should, could and would do incertain situations, this is NOT your book. If you are a manager trying to be a better facilitator, do not buy this book unless you want in-depth information.

That said, if you are a facilitator looking to improve your skills, combine theory and practice or simply go back to the basics of what makes some facilitators great, this is your book.
Also, if you are a manager who really wants to become an effective facilitator/mentor, this is your book. But don't think that you can simply read the material and be more effective. The ideas and theory will take practice. Luckily, the book also gives many examples to make the ideas and theories practical and concrete.

As I said, I bought it to become better at selling professional facilitation. It gave me that and much more. I will keep it as an invaluable resource and make sure all of my facilitators utilize the practices described in detail.

Make it easy on yourself!
Roger's book is a unique hybrid of theory, practical exercises, examples, and personal stories. It works! The art and science of facilitation (to make easy or easier) is presented clearly, concisely, and completely. And, that is what I enjoyed about Roger's book so much. He gives it to you with "the bark on." He makes you aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly relative to the practice of facilitation.

I had used this book for several years in my work as a trainer, facilitator, and manager. Then, I had the pleasure to attend a workshop conducted by Roger. He lives what he teaches. While I was fortunate enough to have my company pay for the workshop, it is one of only three workshops I have ever attended that I feel like I would pay my own money to attend.

Keep this book nearby. It is THE best read on this subject out there.

Facilitation is coming of age
Roger Schwarz is one of the leading thinkers in the newly emerging field of facilitation. He brings insight and depth to group processes. He is concerned with the health functioning of groups in organisations. The Skilled Facilitator provides both the beginner and the expert insights into providing quality facilitation of group processes. As facilitation becomes more and more recognized as a profession, Schwarz will be acknowledge as one of the real pioneers in the field.

Rated Best By Facilitators
As a new entry to the facilitation field, I wanted to find out what the industry thought was the BEST resource for combining theory with the practices of facilitation. I submitted my request to GRP-FACL@listserv.albany.edu, which, as far as I know, is the largest online discussion forum for active, professional facilitators. Roger Schwartz's book, "The Skilled Facilitator" was by far the favorite choice of people in the profession. I am ordering my copy now! ... Read more

Book Description

This legendary book was first published in English in 1990. It has been re-translated and extensively revised, including material not found in the original translation. It is Altshuller's most popular book in Russia on how to become an inventor, and how to solve technical problems. The translator, Lev Shulyak, is himself an accomplished inventor, engineer and TRIZ expert. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

What could TRIZ do in a free, efficient society?
I became intrigued by Genrich Altshuller and TRIZ after reading about him in Salon.com a couple years ago. This introduction to his ideas is well worth the money. I just find it ironic that Altshuller developed his theory in a society stereotyped by Western conservative and libertarian intellectuals (e.g., Ayn Rand) as totally lacking incentives for intellectually demanding productive achievements. Altshuller's empirically rigorous inquiry into the real nature of inventive problem solving, based on the Soviet-era equivalent of patents (which shouldn't even have existed, according to some Westerners), discredits the view that the communist system destroyed human initiative.

Too bad Altshuller had to spend his life in such a bureaucratic and inefficient society. If he had been able to introduce TRIZ effectively into the United States back in the 1950's, perhaps we wouldn't be facing some of the technological nuisances we're dealing with now. As it is, some of his dedicated followers have migrated to the West, and are introducing TRIZ into American technical and engineering education. Altshuller's book, unlike how-to-invent books written by Americans, isn't burdened with discussions about the patent process and using one's inventions to make money, which wouldn't have made sense in the Soviet context any way. Instead it's full of real-life examples showing how the principles he discovered can be applied to the real world.

One major drawback in the book, however, is Altshuller's assumption that the reader is better educated than is usually the case in the United States. His comments about what high-school students are supposed to know about physics reveal that the Soviet school system, unlike America's democratically-meddled-with counterpart, didn't dumb down the science curriculum in response to political pressures.

The 'must' first TRIZ book to read
TRIZ is not a simple method although it is a very powerful thinking tool yet to be defeated in the technical problem solving arena. This book is a piece of Masterity on how to easily and with entertainment explain the basics of TRIZ. Any person, notonly engineers, wanting to know what TRIZ can do, should pass a very good time reading the book. For the younger, this book will let an influence for searching exploring and solving! problems. Translated also into spanish, the book is a best selling all over the world.

Best TRIZ introduction available.
This is the best introduction to TRIZ available. H.Altov (G.Altshuller) explain many aspects of TRIZ, but don't expect to become a TRIZ master with only this lecture. I recommend this book for those TRIZ is a new subject. Engineers! It's a must have!

Perfect for pupils
This book, written by Altshuller (the creator of TRIZ) under a pseudonym, is aimed at secondary school students and while not rigorous in its development, provides an entertaining look at how the methods of TRIZ can be applied to a variety of problems. Semyon D. Savransky, Ph.D. (TRIZnik) ... Read more

Book Description

Mastering the art of problem solving takes more than proficiency with basic calculations; it requires understanding how people use information, recognizing the importance of ideology, learning the art of storytelling, and acknowledging the important distinction between facts and values. Intended for professors, managers, entrepreneurs, and students, this guide addresses these and other essential skills. With clear prose, quotations, and exercises for solving problems in the real world, this book serves as an ideal training manual for those who are new to or intimidated by quantitative analysis and an excellent refresher for those who have more experience but want to improve the quality of their data, the clarity of their graphics, and the cogency of their arguments. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

It's Invaluable and Fun!
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge deals with the fundamentals of analysis, research, and problem solving, not with their fashionable technical adornments. It is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to critically review anything from costly, technical studies to everyday rhetorical argument.

The adjectives that came to my mind as I read Turning Numbers Into Knowledge were, "Engaging, comprehensive, down-to-Earth, well-researched, well-written, well-planned, well-documented, creative, helpful, entertaining, filled with useful resource material, user-friendly, personal, witty, and wise."

Whereas I had anticipated a ponderous technical tract, Turning Numbers Into Knowledge entertainingly deals with problem solving and analysis in its broadest context, including the often-ignored yet critical human elements. Because of its breadth, I can scarcely think of any scientist, social scientist, student, researcher, writer, or policy analyst who could not benefit from this book. Its lessons are brought home with cleverly chosen anecdotes and lucid examples. The reader is rewarded frequently with wonderful quotations and great cartoons.

What Koomey says about use of the Internet, web sites, and information dissemination over the Internet also has valuable implications for modern administrators, project managers, and executive directors whose organizational management responsibilities increasingly include management and dissemination of information.

As with other classics, I expect Turning Numbers Into Knowledge to be in print for a long time and would not be surprised to see students a generation from now relying on a future edition. Jon Koomey is a hard worker, clear thinker, and has produced an extraordinarily useful book that will help the practitioners of science, research, policy analysis, and journalism in the pursuit of truth.

Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others.

Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.

not for the technically minded
This is an entertaining and well written book on some of the do's and don'ts of data analysis. To quote from Dr. Beers review below, "The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation." Indeed there are useful tools here for performing sanity checks and for asking critical questions about all sorts of data collections. ... The examples are, at best, sketchy and few in number. The anectodes are amusing but not terribly informative. I would have much preferred more concrete examples and further discussion on some technical matters. ....

TNIK: For scientists & non-scientists alike
I began to enjoy the book almost from the very beginning, the writing style is easy to follow, and its explanations are straight to the point.

Non-scientists & scientists alike will find useful:
1) the methods and ideas for analyzing and testing for plausibility the everyday information encountered in the media,
pointers to finding logical flaws in arguments, and common tricks used by presenters in order to be ambiguous or downright deceptive.
2) simple methods of keeping facts at your fingertips
3) the chapters on life improvement and work-efficiency which made this book pay for itself in a matter of days.
4) helpful links to the Internet and to other books.

Scientists and Engineers in particular will find useful
· The back-of-the-envelope numerical methods. Many sci/engs do not use them enough.
· The description of the scientific process, of which they are (often unconsciously) a part.
· Suggestions on efficient, non-sloppy data analysis. The examples on data analysis are somewhat geared to the field of Energy Analysis, but easy to understand and generalize; in the process I learnt something about that field.
· suggestions for clear, concise presentation of text and figures during presentation of results.

This is also a good book to lend to a student intern or new employee to teach them back of the envelope statistical methods, how to get organized, and good habits, both organizational and data-analysis wise.

Among the most influential books I've read
I was expecting a book about quantitative methods and advanced problem solving techniques. What I got, instead, was a book that didn't even discuss numbers until page 111 of a 221 page book, and it was lite on problem solving techniques. Although it was not what I expected it turned out to be one of those rare books that deeply influences and provides fresh perspectives. The book led me on a journey that broke the process of critical thinking into manageable steps. Among the things I learned were:

* Examine key factors, such as information, attention and action within the context of a cycle of actions that begins with goals, and moves through execution, how events in the external world influence the meeting of those goals, an evaluation and refinement of goals. Then the process starts anew.

* Structured methods for getting organized. The techniques given are simple, yet powerful.How to collect and critically analyze data and information, common fallacies and how to spot them. Two of my favorite parts that reinforce these are then single-page chart titled "What Scientists Say, and What They Mean", and Chapter 20 (Uncertainty Principle and the Mass Media).

* The straightforward process of numerical analysis, using relatively simple math techniques to make sense of numbers and turn them into knowledge, is priceless. What makes this part of the book valuable is that the author integrates the preceding chapters that lead you to a critical thinking mindset with common sense and techniques that are within the grasp of high school students. It looks easy, but is testimony to the author's exceptional ability to communicate and inspire.

Overall this book is one of my personal favorites and one that I recommend to colleagues. Another book that complements this one nicely is Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity by Jamshid Gharajedaghi. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is another in a long line of titles by John Maxwell aimed at helping people attain their personal and leadership potential in the workplace. The book is organized into short chapters, each devoted to one of the 17 qualities that Maxwell deems essential to a successful and harmonious workplace, qualities such as competence, discipline, adaptability, commitment, selflessness, and preparedness. Maxwell's prose reads like a series of sermons, peppered with inspirational stories and quotes from personalities as diverse as Vince Lombardi ("The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender") and Henry Ford ("Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success"). The book is for Maxwell fans and anyone looking for a sensible and formulaic approach to improving their lot, both at work and in life. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (13)

THE QUALITIES OF A STRONG TEAM PLAYER.
I enjoyed this book for the wisdom it contained. Whether one is part of an office team, a charitable organization or on a sports team, it is not always as easy as one might think to develop strong teamwork. There are those who can never master the feat of being a team player and those, if you are fortunate to find them, who excel both as a team player and independent worker. The author has demonstrated the 17 essential qualities of a strong team player. Learning specific skills can be much easier than learning new habits or changing negative personal qualities which have often developed over a lifetime. Employers should remember to take that fact into consideration during the hiring process; you need to match an individual's qualities to the job to achieve the desired result. Not everyone possesses the essential qualities to be a team player. To the book's credit, it contains accurate and proven theories on creating a strong team. The author bases his theories on such factors as self-descipline, competence and being prepared to adapt and change your ideas and actions.

The minor downside of the book is the various quotes by well-known successful people. They are interesting but they have appeared in print so many times before that they come across as "classic cliches". Also, the book is relatively short and it would have been twice as interesting if the author had expanded on his words of advice in more detail. Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives. The book is well worth reading, and the reader will likely find the stories quite inspirational.

Maxwell hits the bullseye again!
John Maxwell has written an easy-to-read, easy-to-apply book on teamwork. Anyone beginning a new team or taking the leadership of a team already in progress is sure to find information from this book helpful and applicable. Beware, however, that Maxwell is beginning to repeat the same stories and lessons from his previous books. These stories and lessons can be good reminders although it may be time for Mr. Maxwell to research other people and companies in the leadership field.

Thought provoking yet very easy to read
I thought that the book was very easy to read and it's shorter length makes it very accessible to those with very busy lives.

I really enjoyed the little stories and the descriptions of the elements that compose the 17 qualities were very well written. The main thing I enjoyed about the book was not that it taught me a lot of things I didn't know, but that it put those things together in a more coherent picture and made me ask myself some hard questions about how I can be a better team player and whether or not I've neglected some areas.

I find I perform at a much higher level when I keep these sorts of ideas in mind as I plan my tasks. This book is small enough to travel well and profound enough to keep pushing me to higher levels.

Love this book recommend highly
Recieved the book and i amenjoying it very much so far it has been very helpful to me would highly recommend to church team players in leadership spots

Excellent Teamwork Resource for Organizations
I purchased this book as a resource for my graduate students in a university course on school leadership. I was disappointed to learn that the website cited in this book did not work. After a search on the internet I did locate the site under a different URL title -- http://www.lawsofteamwork.com/

John Maxwell has many valuable insights into organizational leadership and principles of teamwork that many of my graduate students enjoy. This book relates several good stories about the importance of teamwork, including one about former MLB player Reggie Jackson and Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is a great resource and a fast read for those interested in learning more about leadership and teamwork. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed specifically for trainers, speakers, and group facilitators, this 400-page cookbook of playful group mixers helps to "break the ice" among participants at the beginning of any meeting, or to recharge participants on the brink of boredom. Complete with guidelines, these simple activities-like games, energizers, brain-teasers, and quizzes-require little or no preparation time, and most can be completed in less than 5 minutes. Also included are props and hand-outs that can be photocopied for the entire group to enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great for Residence Life staff
There are few books on icebreakers/teambuilders that I've found to be useful with college students ( I work in Student Affairs). This book, however, offered many activities that were useful not only for just 'breaking the ice' but also for applying them to the many educational workshops we do in this field. There was also a very helpful section called "Icebreakers for the Non-Icebreaker types" that was both interesting and practical. Because I work with such a diverse range of students, I struggle to find icebreakers that are not geared solely to the extroverted-types. This collection gives a number of activities that are beneficial to teambuilding while respecting the different learning/interaction styles we see in our students. Out of the 201 offered in the book, I have found at least 180 of them that I will use as integral parts of the next staff training. This book also offers activities for groups ranging from 8 participants (good for small staffs) to 400 participants (good for all-hall activities)!

Disappointing
It was disappointing to find so few ideas for a group of 100 business people who don't know each other. Most of the activities are far too personal for such a group, involving sharing personal information or touching. In addition, many of the activities have no "closure": they simply end, leaving us to wonder, what was the purpose of THAT? Many of the activities would be fine for very informal gatherings where being silly (marching in a parade, charades, making a human octopus) and getting personal are appropriate. But business people--even my lighthearted group--expect some degree of professionalism and purpose associated with such activities.

Group Warm-up Exercise Testing/Assessment Instruments
Can any one help me locate a Testing or Assessment instrument that I can use to validate the usefulness of Ice-breakers or Group Warm-up Exercises? I am a Ph.D. student at Walden Un. presenting a research paper on the usefulness of Ice-breakers through Experiential Learning. I would be most greatful for any help I can get. Derrick W. Copper ... Read more

Book Description

An invaluable resource for any manager or professional, this book offers a collection of proven, practical methods for simplifying any problem and making faster, better decisions every time. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A nice reference book...a cookbook for decision making
This book is a nice reference that captures the majority of problem solving techniques: a cookbook for decision making. The analytical techniques range from problem restatement to constructing an advanced utility matrix. It's useful in both daily life, business, and science.

Thinker's Toolkit also contains very useful examples and exercises. They immediately demonstrate to the reader where common decision making falls short.

On the down side, the book is a 'dry' read at times.

Good reference for problem analysis - Bush should read this
I found this book whilst searching for a framework for basic problem solving. This book provides 14 good techniques, the most important I believe are Causal Flow Diagram, Hypothesis Testing and Utility Matrix.

Actually I was triggered to buy this book is because the author was an ex-CIA. I guess when he left, he brought all his techniques with him in his head!

I wish the Bush Administration and Tony Blair should refer to this book (especially the Hypothesis Testing) when they have "irrefutable evidence" that Saddam Hussein has WMD in his cellar.

The reason I did not give him 5-stars is because it is all texts and tables which makes it a dry read.

A worthwhile read
Some of the material reminds me of operations research techniques. Gives you something hang your hat on as you think about a problem.

Mildly interesting. Horrible writing.
The books begins with a series of interesting stories on the psychology of decision-making. Once it gets into the Powerful Techniques it becomes trite, boring and difficult to read. Poorly explained ideas, and poorly worded exercise questions make the book unbearable.

For example, throughout the book the author provides different stories describing different problems (say, that a bakery's bread is coming out of the oven inexplicably burned) and then it asks you to state the problem. The problem is that the bread is burned! But what the author actually *means* to ask (which is clear only upon reading the sample answers he provides) is "What are the potential causes of the problem?" These are two very different questions, both of which are important. Problem solving is an exercise in symbolic logic. A book that has its roots firmly planted in symbolic logic cannot afford to suffer from poor editing and word choice.

Anyone that is reasonably adept in a technical field (engineering, software, et cetera) will find it interesting at first, but it quickly becomes boring and of questionable value. I give it one star - despite the fact that it may be valuable to some people - because I believe that authors who write poorly should not publish books on technical subjects.

Solid decision making made easy
Enjoyed the book immensely. Here, in amongst much 'release your genius' type stuff is something a little less salesmanship (on offer is just a toolkit and not the possibility of 'unleashing' your latent 'genius') and a good deal more of useable material.
In a business context the ability to establish a framework might not, at first, seem to be something missing - but after sitting through too many meetings where the criteria for establishing a decision is not known the ability to pick one of the tools from this book and get everyone thinking through the same process is worth more than the price alone. Less angst, better decisions. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is written for current and future general managers who have or will have overall responsibility for a business. The authors provide a set of frameworks, tools, and concepts to build this capability. The goal of the book is to provide insights into organizations and strategy that will help general managers make strategic thinking in their firms pervasive, effective, and rewarding. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Not the best book for self-learnig
In my case, I was looking for a good book on the subject in order to learn by myself, so I found this book. The result was totally disappointing, if you aren't taking a course based on this textbook I'd recommend to look anywhere else. The book and the software included are designed as a student's material for a formal class.

The content of the book is really wordy and boring however, the cases are interesting and the learning center is an excellent resource for practicing. I think that the results you'll get from this book will depend completely on your teacher's skills to translate the concepts in a more simple way.

I'd recommend "Gaining and Sustaining Competitive Advantage" by Jay B. Barney if you want to learn out from the classroom.

The Best Textbook in Strategy
The book is crystal clear. The structures of the book was developed in a brilliant manner. It describes all relevant issues simply but with enough depth. It covers strategy from all relevant viewpoints as OT, IO. It even adds a final chapter on process. This last chapter is a fine summary of the advances in strategy-making process developed in recent years. I would recommend this book as must in any strategy course at undergraduate and MBA levels.

Pompous disappointment...
I really wanted to give this text a fair shake...I really did (and believe I am). However, the whole problem I had with it began in the first chapter, and five later, I'm simply disgusted. I'm an MBA student and along with classes in Import/Export and International Business Law, this is my last prior to graduation. In other words, this is the last of a multitude of texts I've read over the last six years of business study so I do have a clue. I also am graduate level in three languages other than English (and they are not my native tongue), so I'm well read overall...
Anyway, I immediately noticed as did another reviewer here, that this material is comprised of basic business concepts, but the twist lies in the fact that every simple concept was made into something extraordinary through use of flowery language. I've felt that every simple aspect of business design, structure and operation is developed into some enormously complex "concept" and the more I read, the more I am insulted. The text takes very simple examples of what an overall operation within the world of business might be comprised, and makes them difficult to understand and boring. I read a chapter, awake, read it again and mumble "so tell me something new...tell me something I don't know..." If you cannot improve upon the wheel, why try to reinvent it? I'm really sorry guys, but this is a miserable work. Don't take it too personally. I'm sure that people who want to sit around smoking fat cigars and talking about business "concepts" will surely be impressed, but I am a student who wants real-world advice about running real businesses. This is fluff pure and simple and presents nothing new in management strategy aside from other ways to word simple ideas. Perhaps my education has been so progressive that this is all old hat and so, my problem...I think not. Better luck with the second edition. Hope I haven't bruised any egos, but for the price of texts today, I want to learn something. If a professor falls short, this text is all a student has to fall back on for his time, effort and money.

The Best Strategic Management Book I Have Read
This is a book on strategic management written by three leading scholars at the Stanford Business School. I was therefore not surprised that the book has the latest academic concepts, nor that there are many current examples drawn from high-tech and electronic commerce. What did surprise me is how relevant the concepts are to my own company and industry which is a manufacturing firm in a fairly old-fashioned industry, and how balanced the examples are between the "old economy" and "new economy".

This is definitely a thinking person's book. You can get a lot out of it by going through it once fairly superficially. But what I like is that I keep get more out of it when I go back to any chapter and read it more carefully. The authors have simplified but clearly a lot of thought has gone into each paragraph so that if you read it with care you pick up the nuances.

The book balances consideration of factors internal to the firm (with a very nice treatment of what the authors call "ARC" - architecture, routines, and culture) and external factors. There is also a good, practical treatment of how strategy should be done, written by people who obviously have seen the process at work.

Great Overview of Strategic Management
This is a very accessible introduction to strategic management. The book has very good coverage, is current, and has lots of examples to illustrate the concepts. Easily one of the best management books I have read in a while. It can be approached at multiple levels. You can browse through for the main concepts, but it also has lots to make you really think about if you want. You won't regret buying it! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Good for more than just participatory decision-making
I love this book!

Although it's focus is specifically on facilitating participatory decision making, it is an excellent resource for all who facilitate or teach. I particularly like the concrete suggestions on how to navigate a whole-room discussion (stacking, mirroring, paraphrasing, etc.).

However, my favorite part of this book is a beautifully done 3-page section describing common difficult situations - someone is making jokes in the back, your audience is falling asleep, one person won't shut up. The book goes on to detail the ways that facilitators usually deal with these problems, every one of them a power play of some sort, and offers suggestion for BETTER ways to handle the situation. As a trainer myself, I rely heavily on this book when I conduct "train the trainers" sessions.

Especially for those who train around sensitive or controversial issues, this information is invalauable. Thanks for writing this book!

Great book!
Although I had never facilitated a meeting before, this book provided me with plenty of good practical ideas and just the right amount of theory to help me successfully facilitate a major brainstorming meeting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to get up to speed quickly on the subject of facilitation.

My favorite book on facilitation
I've been facilitating for several years; I often have people ask for a book recommendation , and this is always the one I name. You will find this book useful if you are facilitating for the first time, or if you are an old pro.

Since you can read the table of contents for this book, I won't repeat it here. My favorites are the model (mentioned in several other reviews) and the different ways to build consensus.

There are other books that have more in depth coverage of each of the topics. What Kaner and his colleagues have done is get to the "gems" of those books for you. It is as if a friend read a bunch of literature on this topic and boiled it all down into one easy-to-use manual. (No, I don't know any of the authors :-))

My only complaint about this book is the format. I find the graphics and the multiple fonts a little difficult to read. I usually hand out the book with the disclaimer "it looks a little hokey, but the content is really solid." If you can move past the graphic design, you'll love this book.