Book Description

The demand for training often exceeds the available resources. That's when organizations turn to their subject matter experts. These employees often have no training experience, but they have valuable information to share with their co-workers. The Train-the-Trainer workshop is the helping hand that no new trainer can do without.

The Facilitator's Guide gives you the tips, tools, checklists, and guidelines you need to conduct an effective, interactive train-the-trainer program.

You'll teach new trainers how to:

Book Description

In many cases, people select a career for all the wrong reasons, and find their responses to the workplace are incompatible with their true values. This situation results in feelings of unrest and discontent and in lost productivity. To help people avoid these problems, the newly-revised Career Anchors is designed to help people uncover their real values and use them to make better career choices. This revised edition includes two new sections, "Major Stages of the Career" and "Career Movement, Progress, or Success." Instructions and other components have been revamped for clarification, the references have been updated, and the contents have been rearranged for more convenient usage in classes and workshops. Career Anchors can help you think through your career options and give you a clear understanding of:

• Your own orientations toward work
• Your motives
• Your values
• Your talents

• Define the themes and patterns dominant in your life
• Understand your own approach to work and a career
• Provide reasons for choices
• Take steps to fulfill your own self-image ... Read more

  Reviews (2)

  Discover Your Career Anchor
  After reading this book and taking its quizes, I found that it was mildly informative. It provided a good start for self-insight. There wasn't a major or deep revelation for me about my career anchor or why I was so disatisfied with my present job role. This book will help you determine what your career anchor is (what motivates and stimulates you) and then it will end there. You are left in the dark with how to develop your career around your anchor. The book, however, is true to its subtitle "Discovering your real values"-- but doesn't delve into what to do after this discovery.

  Discover what you want!
  Have you ever wondered if you're in the right career? Well I am a trainer in a 13,000+ staff company & 10% of them don't really know why they're not satisfied with their job. Well, it's because they're in the wrong job. This book gives you exercises to help you understand more about your values and gives suggestions on how to change that. If you're in career consultant business, this is a classic book to read and adopt to your existing tools. ... Read more

Book Description

HR's leading thinkers provide a blueprint for the future

The international bestseller Human Resource Champions helped set the HR agenda for the 1990s and enabled HR professionals to become strategic partners in their organizations. But earning a seat at the executive table was only the beginning. Today's HR leaders must also bring substantial value to that table.

Drawing on their sixteen-year study of over 29,000 HR professionals and line managers, leading HR experts Dave Ulrich and Wayne Brockbank propose The HR Value Proposition. The authors argue that HR value creation requires a deep understanding of external business realities and how value is defined by key stakeholders both inside and outside the company. They provide practical tools and worksheets for leveraging this knowledge to create HR practices, build organizational capabilities, design HR strategy, and marshal resources that create value for customers, investors, executives, and employees.

Written by the field's premier trailblazers, this book charts the path HR professionals must take to help lead their organizations into the future.

Dave Ulrich is a professor at the University of Michigan School of Business and the author of twelve books and more than a hundred articles on the subject of human resources. Wayne Brockbank is a clinical professor of business at the University of Michigan School of Business, the author of award-winning papers on HR strategy, and an adviser to top global organizations.

... Read more

Book Description

Providing the tools and systems required for leading a "measurement managed" HR architecture, this important book heralds the emergence of human resources as a strategic powerhouse in today's organizations.

Three experts in the field outline a powerful measurement system that highlights the indisputable role HR can play as both a prime source of sustainable competitive advantage and a key driver of value creation. They draw from an ongoing study of nearly 3,000 firms to outline a seven-step process they call an HR Scorecard, specifically designed to embed human resources systems within a firm's overall strategy and manage the HR architecture as a strategic asset.Building on the proven Balanced Scorecard model, they also show how to link HR's results to measures-such as profitability and shareholder value-that line managers and senior executives will understand and respect.

The authors argue that human resources's strategic role begins with designing an HR architecture-the HR function, the HR system, and strategic employee behaviors-that relentlessly emphasizes and reinforces the implementation of the firm's strategy.Using compelling examples from a variety of leading companies, they explain how to develop and implement an HR Scorecard in order to both manage the HR architecture as a strategic asset, as well as measure the contribution of that asset to firm performance.

... Read more

Reviews (15)

Essential for the Serious HR Leader's Library
As a seasoned HR professional, I have spent the last decade looking for the "Holy Grail" of H.R. Metrics. My quest is not over after reading The HR Scorecard, but the book presented many helpful concepts and tools that we can use to measure the effectiveness of HR as a function, to measure R.O.I. on talent and talent initiatives, to measure the impact of HR on organizational performance, and as a basis for business case development of our deliverables.

Three well respected thought leaders in the HR field have conducted extensive research of more than 2500 companies to uncover a model for implementing HR strategy and measuring results. If fully employed HR will deliver results linked to higher functional and organizational performance.

To transform the structure of HR into a strategic function, HR leaders must:

1. Clearly define the business strategy.
2. Build a business case for HR as a strategic asset.
3. Create a strategy map (with leading and lagging indicators, and tangibles and intangibles.)
4. Identify HR Deliverables within the strategy map.
5. Align the HR architecture with HR deliverables.
6. Design the strategic measurement System.
7. Implement management by measurement.

The concepts in this book are useful but may not be practical for all HR leaders. This book is for organizations that have the resources to implement an in-depth system of measuring their HR performance. It is not a way to create a simple snapshot to be included in business reviews. While the authors suggest using no more than 25 measures so as not to create a burdensome systems, many of the examples in the book are quite complex and can by used only by the largest of organizations. It is also difficult to pick just a few efficiency measures and performance drivers from the comprehesive list prepared by the authors.

Real life examples of scorecards are shown from organizations such as Verizon/GTE, General Mills, and General Electric. While these examples can help any size HR department think through how to measure the performance of their function, I would like to see a smaller organization profiled with more simple measures.

This book should be in the library of all serious HR practitioners. It is well written, well researched, and well presented. If the tools and concepts are implemented, the HR function can rise to a new level. For those in smaller organizations, a few HR efficiency measures can be gleaned to build a simpler scorecard based on the key HR deliverables for the enterprise.

Measuring the Value of Human Resources
The book Providing the tools and systems required for leading a measurement managed HR architecture and draw from an ongoing study of nearly 3,000 firms to outline a seven-step process they call an HR Scorecard, specifically designed to embed human resources systems within a firm's overall strategy and manage the HR architecture as a strategic asset. You can reading EMBA journal in june, it make an abstract the book.

Ignore this
The issue is to have an HR scorecard for the business. The book was disappointing since it continues with the theory that originated with "Balanced Scorecard". It should have focussed on the actual challenges and created a robust framework.

The book missed the point and an oppurtunity. It might be interesting read but no practical value.

Additional reading
The HR scorecard is a useful additional reading to those who already have a general idea of the HR management. There are some good examples and concepts but it is not easy to read.

This plus the Beitler book!
This is a good book. I recommend it in addition to "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler. That makes a great combination for managers. ... Read more

Book Description

The Great Boss Simple Success Formula

Companies Do What the Boss Does
Groom 'Em, or Broom 'Em
Hire Slow, Fire Fast
Don't Be Tired
The Rule of the Ds
Delegate Down, Down, Down
Don't Hire a Dog and Bark Yourself
Don't Shoot from the Lip
Never Be Little, Never Belittle
Listen to Phonies, Fools, and Frauds
Don't Check Expense Accounts
"Quit" Is for Scrabble
It's Okay to Be Quirky

Did you ever have a great boss? Everyone should have one, but not enough people do. If you're a boss, or hope to become one, or have a less-than-great boss, then this is the book that could change your career-and your life.

In times like these, being a great boss can be harder than ever. If you want surprising and useful advice on how to handle the tough stuff -- from having to fire a long-time employee to being a new boss with a demoralized team -- the stories, observations, and advice contained in this gem of a book will set your feet in the right direction. And if you just want advice on living up to the legend who preceded you in the job, or even ways to emulate someone who was a great boss to you, Jeffrey Fox has gathered anecdotes from some of the mightiest and most respected bosses in America. The bestselling author who brought you How to Become CEO and How to Become a Rainmaker knows the territory about which he speaks.

Fox is the master of the counterintuitive angle. For every boss who has implied "I know what's best, that's why I'm the boss," Fox counsels, "Listen to Phonies, Fools, and Frauds" and "Don't Check Expense Accounts." His stories from bosses who have cared equally for employees' lives and the bottom line will inspire you to see that profit counts, but so do camaraderie, motivation, and a great place to work.

In a time of considerable corporate downsizing, it's more important than ever for bosses to surround themselves with motivated employees. Jeffrey Fox's newest volume will have a place on the shelves of top brass everywhere who want to remain leaders of their pack. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Lots of useful ideas for any work setting
Recently, I read HOW TO BECOME A RAINMAKER: THE RULES
FOR GETTING AND KEEPING CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS by
Jeffrey J. Fox . . . it was one of the best business books that I have come across in a long time.

So when I came across an earlier book by Fox--HOW TO BECOME
A GREAT BOSS: THE RULES FOR GETTING AND KEEPING THE
BEST EMPLOYEES--I just had to get hold of it . . . and I did, getting the chance to listen to the taped version . . . I'm glad I did, too; it's another winner!

Fox presents nothing brilliantly new, but he writes in a clear and readable fashion . . . in doing so, he presents lots of ideas that you can immediately apply to almost any management
situation . . . he also makes it clear that management involves
just about anything that we do, and a result, we should perhaps
think of many folks as "managers" that might not ordinarily
fit into that category (I'm thinking parents here, for example).

In particular, I liked his following "Great Boss Simple Success
Formula":
1. Only hire top-notch, excellent people.
2. Put the right people in the right job. Weed out the wrong people.
3. Tell the people what needs to be done.
4. Tell the people why it is needed.
5. Leave the job up to the people you've chosen to do it.
6. Train the people.
7. Listen to the people.
8. Remove frustration and barriers that fetter the people.
9. Inspect progress.
10. Say "Thank you" publicly and privately.

Advice with attitude
Jeff Fox writes his chapters short and sweet, just how I like them. No drawn out, boring examples, just "in your face" advice that you should know.

The draw back to this book is that it's mostly things I've read elsewhere. The advantage is that Fox says it more succinctly than others, so for the time-challenged, that is a nice perk.

If you've already read dozens of books on management, you may not need to pick this up. If you're a new boss or having trouble with employees, this is probably a worthwhile read.

Not the least bit helpful
I normally don't write reviews but I just read this book and I couldn't believe how much of a waste of money it was. Here's the book in a nutshell- Hire good employees and fire bad ones.

Simple and right on target
Simple and right on target. This book gives great tips and suggestions for improving your supervisorial skills. Written in short, thoughtful, digestable chapters, this book is a must have for anyone who supervises others and want to be better at it.

Puts things into perspective
"How to Become a Great Boss" is simple to read and allows you to formalize what you might already know. Many of the ideas/suggestions are instinctual characteristics of a good manager that Fox puts into words for all to understand.

Very straight-forward tips. When finished reading the short chapters you get the message and have an idea on how to apply in real life.

One of the best books I have read since becoming a Manager. Cuts through the BS and gives you direct advice. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Could save your sanity, and maybe your job!
Highly recommended. Several years ago, I had a clash of personal styles between my boss and me. I thought she talked like a kindergarten teacher, and she felt that I came on like a steamroller. She was familiar with the methods discussed in this book, although she learned them during a seminar at a former employer. This book helped turn a bad working relationship into an excellent working relationship, and may have saved my job. I learned to "flex" to my boss's style (and to her credit, she flexed somewhat to mine). I reread the book from time to time and try to practice what I've learned. I highly recommend the book to anyone who is running into "people problems" on the job or elsewhere.

A method that really makes a difference in the workplace!
One the best book and method on the subject I have read so far, and I have read quite a few. There are 4 main Communication Styles, and the best thing is that only observable behaviors are used to categorize people in one style or another. No messing around with people's phsyche, and finally a very simple method to effectively relate to other people in the workplace.

I am using Communication Styles with all my direct reports, during meetings, etc. It allows me to convey clearly my messages, and at the same time overcome communication styles differences. This simple method does makes a difference in my daily work not only as a manager but also in communicating with my peers.

This book is a must have in your management library at home.

The Best Book I have ever read about Social Styles
Recently, I became a certified trainer for Social Styles. I have red this book and others and became very knowledgeable about the subject. Also, I have attended several training workshops about the social styles.

I found this book an extremely excellent, well written and well presented. Robert Bolton has presented the concept of social styles based on the observable behavior that we can see others exhibit. These behaviors are the body language, voice tonality and words chosen. After 30 years of writing and training others on Socials Styles, Bolton was able to answer the reader questions along the way by his style of pre-anticipating what might be asked.

I believe the most important contribution that Mr. Bolton introduced is the "How to Flex" to others. "Flex" Concept is the major contribution, in my opinion, to this field. He modified the "Versatility" concept to more detailed and comprehensive approach. Versatility concept was introduced by David W. Merrill, in his book "Personality Styles and Effective Performance". "Flex" concept gives detailed Step by Stop approach to each Social Style of how to deal with the other style. I like the concept of "Rapport" that each style should establish with the other style. "Rapport" concept was not introduced by Dr. Merrill and it is totally a new contribution by Mr. Bolton.

The only difficulty I see that might face the reader is the comprehensive style used by Mr. Bolton that makes the book tending to be more of a Behavioral Research. Also, big amount of introductory material might make the reader loosing interest to complete the book.

I really advocate the interested one about Social Styles to read this great book!!!.

Incredibly Useful Little Book
This book provides vital information for my day-to-day work and does indeed improve relationships greatly. Situations that before seemed incomprehensible now make sense and difficult situations have become defused. I have heard similar comments from other highly successful individuals that I know. While assigning someone to one of the four people style quadrants does not provide a complete picture of an individual, as the authors would be the first to admit, people styles do provide a convenient and useful starting point for understanding your own and others behavior. The book also contains much practical advice for improving relationships and your own effectiveness within the context of the people style theory. In other words, people style theory works and People Styles at Work is a great little book.

Surprisingly Helpful!
I was forced to read this book for my graduate studies and I found it surprisingly helpful. By filling out a basic personality inventory, this book will tell you what "style" of worker you are and then how to deal with people of other "styles." I see this book being a hit with sales people who have to interact with many other people everyday. But I can also see how this book could provide a foundation for learning how to work with other people in any environment. If you are willing to make slight modifications to your personal behavior, this book gives you the skills to build great relationships. I agree, however, with the previous reviewer's comments that this book does not go very deep, thus only 4 stars. Do not expect to change your boss into a nice guy just by reading this, but you can make your day-to-day dealings with him more enjoyable using these tactics. (This is also an easy read... Took me 2 days!) ... Read more

Book Description

Invaluable." --SUCCESS. "In simple, straightforward language, Fournies offers practical solutions to the problems of employee performance ... [This book] should be on the desk of anyone who manages others."--ENTREPENEUR. THE TOP 10 REASONS EMPLOYEES DON'T DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO:
10.They don't know why they should do it;
9. They don't know how to do it
8. They don't know what they are supposed to do
7. They think your way will not work
6. They think their way is better
5. They think something else is more important
5. They think they are doing it
4. They are punished for doing it
3. They are rewarded for not doing it
2. It's beyond their personal limits
1. No one could do it
This book tells you how to avoid or handle each situationÑand the 6 other reasons that comprise the total list of reasons employees don't do their jobs. Universally praised and a perennial best seller, this book made The New York Times business bestseller list in early 1998--10 years after it came out! Why? Competition to attract and keep good employees is fiercer than ever. Today's employers need the no-nonsense people-management skills this book teaches. Based on real experiences of 25,000 managers surveyed by a Columbia Graduate School of Business professor, this results-oriented guide--newly updated for todayÕs changing workplace--provides proven, straightforward methods that work on real jobs, in real businesses, in the real world.This updated edition also gives you new input from 5000 additional managers, plus more help with temp workers, service industries, flex time, computers, telecommuting, stress, and safety! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Kinda weak
There's probably some stuff in here that would be useful for a manager who is completely clueless, but I didn't find much that would be useful insight for someone further along than that. I gave it a few chapters, because a friend I respect recommended it, but then gave up. I guess the book is okay for what it is, but it isn't likely to make any lasting improvement in your relationship with your employees. It generally comes from a perspective that has been somewhat popular in recent years, to the detriment of business, one that says:
- Process is more important than substance.
- Management can be detached from leadership.
- Management is more about skill than about character.

Employees follow and build loyalty to leaders who lead, not administrators who manage. When you've proved yourself as a leader, when you've proved (by consistent actions over time) to your employees that you really have their best interests at heart, and when you've shown that you'll work with those who want to improve, but will deal decisively with those who poison the work environment, then amazingly enough, employees tend to start doing what they ARE supposed to do.

I'd recommend skipping this one and picking up a copy of Leadership as a Lifestyle, by Hawkins, instead.

Somewhat simplistic, but still decent.
I work as a Customer Care supervisor at a Call Center. I purchased this book, along with quite a few other management books, in an effort to immediately and consistently improve my management and leadership skills.

I didn't find this particular book to be very helpful in that endeavor. Many of the chapter subjects are common sense.

The positive side of this book, for me, is that I have worked under, and dealt with, many very poor managers with counter-productive leadership habits. During such unpleasant circumstances, I've often wondered if the individual in question really didn't get how their behavior and habits were adversely affecting morale and productivity.

I'm not currently in such a situation, but if I were, I'd carefully study these simple solutions to the common management problems, and try to gently make suggestions toward their implementation by the manager with whom I'm struggling.

What seems like common sense to someone actively pursuing self-improvement, might not be so common to the hopelessly mediocre manager. It might not make so much sense to them either. So use small words and explain gradually! :)

Excellent guide for new as well as seasoned supervisors.
Have used this text in five different management workshops. Sales and product support supervisors like the practical guidelines to assist them remove obstacles standing in the way of better employee performance. Sales managers especially like the concepts because the suggestions offered are very realistic and cause the managers to re-think how they communicate with, supervise and direct employees on day-to-day basis.

Good analysis of 16 reasons for unmet expectations
Really helpful book! Fournies gives 16 reasons why employees (and maybe peers or others) fail to meet expectations. The book doesn't just give a list, though. It gives succinct insight into how to tell which is the reason in a particular case. Then, once we have the cause identified, it gives good advice on how to correct the root cause. I found it very helpful in handling failed expectations of others -- sort of Sun Tsu's *The Art of War* without the executions. I recommend this book as a tool for managers at all levels to turn frustration into solutions.

A no-nonsense guide to managing humanely.
A truly great (and succinct) book that explains the *real* reasons employees don't do what they are supposed to do. Shows how managers ought to take responsibility for employee performance. Might be painful for x-managers. ... Read more

Book Description

Its clear writing style and practical emphasis make SUPERVISION a clear winner in a crowded field. Reflecting their emphasis on productivity, the authors have included an applications section at the end of every chapter to encourage students to apply the concepts learned in the chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

Force-fitting employees into a "job box" shortchanges both the employees and the organization, according to David Dubois and William Rothwell. The more effective method is to fit employee talents to the work that must be accomplished. COMPETENCY-BASED HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT describes how to reinvent the human resource department so that job competencies--rather than job descriptions--become the foundation for all HR efforts.

The authors show HR professionals how to identify the key competencies that distinguish best-in-class performers--or "exemplars"--from average performers and use them as the basis for all HR functions, including planning, recruiting and selecting, training, and performance development. This new model of performance management unleashes the power of exemplary performers across all job categories, resulting in enhanced employee satisfaction and significant gains in productivity.

COMPETENCY-BASED HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT provides a wide variety of planning tools, checklists, worksheets, and other practical aids to help HR professionals make the transition from a work-based environment to a competency-based foundation for human resource management. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Insightful!
Traditionally, human resources departments and organizations have existed to fill jobs and manage the people who do jobs. Authors David D. Dubois and William J. Rothwell suggest a different approach: recruiting and managing competencies instead. The distinction is important, the authors say, because thinking of an organization as an aggregation of jobs makes it difficult to change quickly in response to new opportunities and threats. Much of what the authors suggest is plausible; some of it is even persuasive. On the other hand, their guide is as much an academic text as a manual for corporate use. Multiple references to other sources and dense definitions impede the clear path to practical, actionable advice. In that quest, the reader is grateful for the authors' useful planning tools, checklists, worksheets and other task-related aids, which compensate for the jargon and repetition. While wishing for a slightly less academic approach, We recommend this innovative take on human resources management to those staying abreast of changes in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Written and field-tested by practicing consultants, The Consultant’s Tool Kit will save consultants both time and money-as it makes their work with clients much more effective. Each tool or activity is designed to solve a common consulting problem. Reproducible worksheets, exercises, and questionnaires are easily downloaded from the web and customized by consultants to fit the exact needs of each client—and help them effectively implement the solutions.

This collection of field-tested tools, customizable questionnaires, and techniques for working with clients provides crucial problem-solving help in areas such as:
• Managing and leading change
• Organizational initiatives
• Assessing team and organizational functioning
• Improving relationships between departments and business units
• Creative problem-solving techniques

Mel Silberman, Ph.D., (Princeton, NJ) is a best-selling author and editor. A professor of adult and organization development at Temple University, he is the author of Active Training. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Was I reading the same book?
Unlike the other reviewers, I found this "book" to be a complete waste of money. It is a collection of materials from 'has-beens' and 'never-was' - what amounts to a big mess with no real focus.
What would have been more interesting is a single author (or a pair) rather than this hodge podge collection that reads like it was edited by grad students during a lunch break.

Look for other consulting books, there are many, and walk on by this one.

Fantastic value
This is a great book. It has contributions from 45 different authors. The contributions are too many to list but include such areas as 360 surveys, coaching, managing change, teambuilding and many more. You are also able to download many of these which allows for easy duplication. For the price it is a tremendous value. I am glad that I purchased it.

Excellent, excellent, excellent!
I cannot put into words the value of this book for either the modern business consultant, general manager, or HR professional. The book is complete with absolutely wonderful tools to put to good use in your respective organizations.

Tools, Assessments, and Ideas You Can Really Use!
The Consultant's Toolkit contains survey tools, assessments, training activities, and step-by-step procedures for organizational development projects that are practical, easy to follow, and easy to customize. Even though the book is designed for organizational development consultants, in-house training and development personnel will benefit from this book just as much as independent consultants. There are even surveys, forms, and other tools in this book that can be downloaded so users can edit and print the tools to fit their own specific company or client needs. Anyone who is responsible for building management coaching skills, leading change, implementing 360 degree or employee surveys, building teams, and enhancing an organization's culture will find ideas they can use immediately.

The Consultant's Tool Kit
I purchased this book at a conference and have been surprisingly pleased! Typically this type of book can be filled with "already know" information, but this was not! Instead I found useful tools and information. I have been in the training field for 12 years and am now a training manager for a mid-sized company in the bay area. Especially helpful are Chapter 15 (How to make use of Four Organizational Assessment Tools) by Cathleen S. Hutchison and How to Develop and Chapter 26 (How to Implement an Evaluation Strategy) by Susan Barksdale and Teri Lund. Both of these are examples of the quality and strength of the publication. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Insightful!
This is a comprehensive guide to identifying and developing future leaders. The authors present an exhaustive (sometimes exhausting) explanation of a program called "Acceleration Pooling" - a fancy collective name for grouping everyone in your firm who has the potential to lead. Much of the content seems like common sense, yet, organizations harried by short-term challenges can easily neglect long-term tasks, such as leadership development. This carefully planned, meticulously documented approach may keep organizations from neglecting the future. Despite its turgid, jargon-choked style, this book may fill the need. Time-pressed managers can glean the most important points quickly from chapters 2, 6 and 16, which have some solid gold principles of succession planning. Human Resource managers will want to delve into the other chapters. The authors, who are consultants, make a strong case for hiring consultants to implement this system, and have registered, copyrighted, service marked and/or trademarked every form and bit of terminology that could possibly be protected. We note that many of these leadership building methods, tools and techniques are in the public domain, in case you want to do-it-yourself, using this guide book.

Excellent Resource from Leading Thinkers and Practitioners
"Grow Your Own Leaders" is an excellent resource for any manager or executive who has a desire to increase his/her reputation as well as the talent pool and bottom line of his/her organization. Comprehensive, state-of-the-art, engaging and brimming with practical and user-friendly templates (the 60+ pages on DDI's website are a major plus), "Grow Your Own Leaders" is one of the best leadership development books I have come across yet. I will be referring to this book for many years to come. Thank you William Byham and company.

Excellent Resource from Leading Thinkers and Practitioners
I whole-heartedly agree with the prior reviewers of "Grow Your Own Leaders." DDI is a powerhouse organization, and the authors have provided a well organized, comprehensive and highly practical resource brimming with insights and development templates. The corresponding internet resources (60+ pages) are a considerable bonus. I have reviewed numerouse leadership development books and consider this to the best.

I strongly recommend this book for any executive or manager who wants to boost their own performance and reputation as well as the bottom line of his/her organization. ... Read more

Book Description

Author of the Business Week million-copy bestseller, 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, Bob Nelson is the motivational specialist who helps businesses stay competitive by teaching them how to inspire their employees to excel. Now joined by Dr. Dean Spitzer, senior consultant and performance improvement expert for IBM, Nelson distills the knowledge, experience, and ideas gained from working with thousands of organizations into a hands-on, practical fieldbook.

Beginning with the basics of motivation, including the decline of traditional incentives and the trend toward empowered employees, the book lays the groundwork for developing and managing a rewards or recognition program in any work situation: how to recognize an individual or a group; how to develop a low-cost recognition program; how to sell it to upper management, prevent and fix common problems, and assess its effectiveness. There are planning worksheets, templates for different purposes-improving morale, improving attendance, increasing retention-plus perforated reference cards for immediate guidance, and 101 new low-cost/no-cost recognition ideas. Running through the margins are Nelson's answers to the questions most frequently asked since the publication of 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a treasure!
Motivation of employees through rewards and recognition is critically important for organizational success. This topic is vital for supervisors, managers, executives, human resource professionals, business owners...the list goes on. Your power in this essential part of business is based on how much you know about what works, what doesn't work, and why. The more examples you can glean about what others are doing, the stronger you will be.

Nelson and Spitzer are internationally known experts in rewards and recognition. They both know their topic extremely well, and that high level of expertise comes out in this book. Readers familiar with the field will think they already have the answers if they have previous books written by these authors. Guess again!

This book is packed with information, insights, tips, ideas, case studies-you name it. Have you ever packed a suitcase so full that it was almost impossible to close it? That's the experience you'll have with this field book. You'll wonder how these gurus ever got this much stuff packed in between those two covers. Just a few pages of reading and you'll already be on information overload!

There are so many features in this publication, I'll probably not be able to name them all. (Do you hear enthusiasm in my review?) Case studies. End of chapter summaries. Good table of contents. Vignettes describing positive-and negative-experiences. Over 40 no-cost ideas. Worksheets. Resources. Training designs. Reminder cards. Comprehensive index. On and on and on. There are at least four separate books in these pages, all jammed into one tremendous resource.

Bob Nelson's "1001 Ways to Reward Employees" has sold over a million copies. This book is even more of a value...especially at the surprisingly modest price. There is no question that this volume will have an impact on readers and the organizations they serve. Even just modest application of the knowledge found in this tool chest will return many more times the investment of the purchase and the time to read all that the authors share.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Simple Solutions to Big Problems
In my study of modern work systems I have often found that the top-performers are characterized by those that communciate well. Rick Maurer's feedback Toolkit is a very simple model to better communications in the workplace. Most of it is simple common sense, but the bottom line is that these simple solutions are still not being used in many organizations today.

The book is easy to read, and written step by step. No one could miss the meaning in this book. After I read it, and highlighted everything that was contradictory to what was happening in my organization, I slipped it under my bosses door. No doubt positive change is coming!

what a gem!
Don't judge a book by the number of pages- this short guide is a wonderful gem. Extremely practical how-to's, and how-not-to's, for giving and receiving feedback. Many organizations espouse feedback as critical to organizational learning and performance-- the skills gained from reading The Feedback Toolkit may actually make it so.
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Book Description

The Complete Guide to Performance Appraisal supplies you with the quickest, surest, and most up-to-date methods available for making your appraisal system outstanding. Whether you want to get the maximum impact from your existing system, or you want to create and implement an ideal system from scratch, The Complete Guide to Performance Appraisal is your one-stop, how-to-do-it resource. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Recommended for researchers, students
This book is the heavyweight of books on performance appraisal, in terms of size, price and detail. As such it's an excellent reference book for researchers, hr professionals, students and academics if their interest is the "traditional" way of doing appraisals.

On the other hand, it is not as practical for managers, due to its size and price. Or rather there are better choices. One other significant disadvantage of this book is that it is traditional, and lacks new ideas or approaches such as put forth by Deming, Scholtes and Coens.

Of course the manager who likes to read on these topics will also gain. It's just that these days it's hard to get anybody to read anything related to work that is this size. ... Read more

Book Description

Take the guesswork out of the most important decision you make! Interviewing and Selecting High Performers Every Manager’s Guide to Effective Interviewing Techniques Current studies show that high-quality workers outproduce poor ones by 25% to 50%. Moreover, these findings reveal the alarmingly high direct and indirect costs companies pay when they hire the wrong people. So why, asks Richard Beatty, would you want to rely on "hit-and-miss" approaches to selecting new employees? In his latest practical, career-oriented guide, Beatty says you no longer have to. Instead, this renowned consultant and author shows how you can consistently choose high-quality performers who fit both your company’s immediate needs and long-term strategic goals. Interviewing and Selecting High Performers provides you with an integrated, airtight, step-by-step selection process. Using a high-performance predictive model, this system clarifies the key qualifications needed by candidates for high performance of specific jobs and provides a rigorous interview design approach that enables you to objectively measure whether a particular candidate meets that criteria. With the help of reproducible evaluation forms, you’re able to accurately weigh the strengths and weaknesses of various prospects and account for the inevitable tradeoffs involved in the selection process, so that you minimize the risks inherent in the employment decision. In addition, Interviewing and Selecting High Performers offers you unmatched support, including:

• Sound, field-tested interviewing techniques
• Step-by-step instructions for designing effective interviews
• Guidance on opening, conducting, and closing the interview, so that you get the information you need while putting your company in the best light
• More than 500 behaviorally-based questions covering 32 topic areas that help you determine a prospect’s overall job fitness

Reviews (2)

Learn a Quantitative Method to Interviewing
In my experience as a professional recruiter over 22 years, I have worked with over 2000 managers. Most managers have never been taught how to interview effectively.

Where do managers usually come from? Promotions. Usually, what is one of their first tasks? Fill the position they just vacated. Where in this process were they taught how to interview? They then ask themselves "What questions did they ask me?"

Generally, the Human Resource Department will give them written guidelines about the personal questions that may not be asked, but do not teach them how to conduct effective interviews. Why not? In smaller companies, the Human Resource Manager themselves may not conduct effective interviews because their previous position did not require that training, and they are "too busy" in their current position to be trained.

This leaves it up to you, the hiring manager. "Interviewing and Selecting High Performers" by Richard Beatty provides you with an excellent foundation to prepare for an interview. He demonstrates why people are an organization's most important resource (People control all of the resources). He provides you with an exercise to demonstrate the cost of a poor hire - should scare you into becoming a manager who selects high performers.

Mr. Beatty walks you through structuring the interview, provides you with 500 or so behaviorally based questions (However, I would shy away from the personal questions), and suggests a structured interview. His structured interview requires a lot of work. However, at the end, you and your interviewing team will be able to give each candidate a numerical grade. The managers that I have taught to use this system swear by it. Personally, I guarantee that if you ever hire someone who received a "34" on their interview because "my gut told me this is a good person", after being disappointed with their performance, you will never do it again.

I would suggest that you also read "Topgrading" by Bradford Smart and then blend the two processes together. Selecting high performers is one of a manager's most important jobs. Congratulations on searching to find a way to be more effective. www.recruiterguy.com

A great book to prepare yourself for interviewing
I found this book to have excellent material in interview preparation and selecting good employees. I can recommend this book.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "How to Spot a Liar in a Job Interview" and "How to Spot a Phony Resume" docwifford@msn.com ... Read more

Book Description

Using a three-pronged approach of concepts, applications, and skill development, this text provides students with a solid foundation of management concepts and real skills they can use in the workplace.Through a variety of thought-provoking applications, Lussier challenges students to think critically and apply concepts to their own experiences.Proven skill-building exercises, behavioral models, self-assessments, and group exercises throughout the text help students realize their own managerial potential.The 15-chapter format is comprehensive enough for the one term course, but is also flexible enough to allow for additional readings, activities, or discussions. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Self-surveys for determining your motivation style.
Would you like to determine your own motivation / leadership style? Are you task-oriented or people-oriented? Although I have not used the entire book, Chapter 12 of this book presents several self-assessment surveys based on McGregor's Theory-X / Theory-Y, McClelland's Achievement-Power-Affiliation, and Herzberg's Motivators-Hygienics models. Chapter 10 has a self-assessment survey based on Likert's System (Authoritarian-Benevolent Authoritarian-Consultative-Participative). Very useful. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you need some performance magic NOW?

You see the performance and productivity expectations. Now you need a little magic to make them happen. The magic is here! With this book as your guide, you'll pinpoint the goal, you'll find the gap between that goal and where you are now, and then you'll close the gap. Simple, quick, inexpensive, and effective--that's what Performance-Based Instruction is about! using these brilliant designs, you will clarify job expectations and foster pride and confidence in employees' work performance.

When performance improvement is vitally needed?the concerned practitioner would do well to heed Smalley and Brethower's thoughtful advice.
--Robert O. Brinkerhoff, professor of educational leadership, Western Michigan University

This book gives you the tools you need to:

• Conduct on-the-job training
• Establish team training
• Design job aids
• Perform needs assessments
• Evaluate training...and more!

The User's Manual appAndix gives you specific pointers on using this book as a guide in an HRD department, as a text in an academic setting, or as a professional development tool for solo practitioners. The enclosed Microsoft Word® diskette gives you an electronic, customizable source of quick-implementation job aids. It's all here. Grab this book of spells, add a dash of attentive work, and create some performance magic today!

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Reviews (1)

More than just another training book
I found "Performance-Based Instruction: Linking Training to Business Results" to be an excellent manual and reference. It provides processes and tools for improving employee performance in a way that connects training to the company's short- and long-term goals. This impact orientation is increasingly important as many organizations realize that training is a substantial capital investment of not only instructors and materials but also of trainee's salary and lost opportunity cost. As a consequence, training and development professionals who can demonstrate how their work contributes to overall organizational performance will have the edge in today's highly competitive and crowded training and development sector.

Performance-based instruction (or PBI for short) enables trainers to provide effective and efficient training that is linked to the learners' real job. Instead of working on generic exercises, trainees create tools and job aids that they can immediately use on their job. Instructional designers, trainers, and human performance consultants can apply PBI to on-the-job training, teamwork, feedback, job aids, personal development plans, and any other instructional context, including the conversion of traditional training to performance-based instruction. Evaluation is built into the design, it does not happen as an afterthought. This is important because continuous evaluation is needed for training professionals to stay on track throughout the design and implementation of complex or large training projects.

Performance-based instruction typically occurs in short sessions over a period of time so that trainees can practice the new material on their job. When distributed practice is not possible, PBI principles help to develop short training sessions that connect the training event to on-the-job performance in meaningful and immediately applicable ways.

This book contains exercises that help novices and experienced trainers to apply performance-based instruction from the get-go. A diskette with files of the highly useful tables and checklists allows readers to get a quick start. Overall, the book is an important resource for those performance professionals who want to improve performance where it really matters-on the job and not just the classroom. (For a detailed review see "Performance Improvement," 1999, Vol. 38 No. 9, pages 42-46.) ... Read more

Book Description

When it comes to getting ahead in business, The Gallup Organization has led the way with two landmark books: the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers First, Break all the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths. In its latest guide the world's hottest management consulting firm reveals your company's most valuable asset-and, with groundbreaking new findings and methods, shows you how developing that asset can lead to a quantum leap in cost efficiencies and profits.

FOLLOW THIS PATH

What do the world's greatest organizations have in common? They know that their most valuable resource is human-their employees and customers. And the best companies understand two important facts: people are emotional first and rational second, and because of that, employees and customers must be emotionally engaged in order for the organization to reach its full potential. Gallup research not only bears that out, but has uncovered the secrets of creating and managing an "emotional economy" that will provide boom possibilities for your company.

FOLLOW THIS PATH shows you how the traditional ways to engage people no longer apply in today's world. Instead, it offers a system it calls The Gallup Path, based on the proven, revolutionary strategies of the most successful businesses. You'll learn the prerequisites of an effective workplace, forge unbreakable bonds between employees and customers with the book's 34 Routes to Superior Performance, know the three crucial links that drive productivity and growth, discover the best employee and customer motivators, and much more.

Ignore the emotional economy-and miss out on financial performance. Helping you build relationships one customer and one employee at a time, this important book offers a unique new path for your organization to follow. All you have to do is value and develop human relationships all around you to transform your business-starting today. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Emotional Engagement -that's the fuel for growth!
I work in a very competitive industry, where practically everything has been maximized -but the human factor, employees and profitable relationships with customers. This book has taught me that real and sustainable growth is attainable, without the accounting or false methods that plague companies today.

Great job, Gallup!

Bravo, Curt and Gabriel!
There is a shortage of good managers all over the world. This is possibly the most tragic economic reality, since managers are a company's most valuable treasure. Thanks Curt and Gabriel -and Gallup! for showing us how to unlock our managerial ability and create the conditions that make our employees blossom and our customers to come back because the way our employees make them feel. I cherish the invaluable gift of your discoveries and most definitely your individual talent to show us how our companies can grow by unleashing human potential. Hey! This is the first time I see a blockbuster book co-written by a Hispanic! This is great!

Manifesto for a Revolution
Review of "Follow This Path"

The central thesis of this valuable and highly readable work can be summed up in three words: Feelings drive actions.

This book from The Gallup Organization focuses on applying that briefest but most fundamental truth to business success. The authors' conclusion can be simply stated: The feelings of your employees influence the feelings of your customers, and that drives their buying behavior and your profits.

It works like this: Understand your employees so that they are assigned to do work for which they're really best suited at the deepest personal level ('cuz they'll do that work better than any other). And treat your employees in ways that encourage them to be fully engaged in their work ('cuz that gets you more loyalty and productivity at no extra cost). And then, in turn, your employees will treat your customers in a way that makes your customers feel good about your company ('cuz that leads them to spend more with your firm for a longer time). And, voila!, your company makes more money with less effort.

At this point you might feel compelled to release a loud exclamation of, "Well, duh!"

But hold on.

The premise of "Follow This Path" seems deceptively simple for two reasons:
1) It contrasts markedly with the "rational" model that still shapes most interactions with both employees and customers in most organizations; and
2) It stands in direct opposition to the assumptions underlying most business initiatives that are supposed to improve quality, productivity, or even customer satisfaction. Most, if not all, of those projects are aimed at mechanistically tweaking operational processes. And they don't positively affect the people on either side of the transaction: employees or customers. And so they have little to no effect on fundamentally improving the business. (But they sure do suck up a lot of time, create many distractions, and generate healthy fees for consultants.)

MORE THAN A REHASH
While tempting, it is misguided to characterize this book as a mere rehash of its predecessors from the Gallup Organization, "First, Break All the Rules" and "Now, Discover Your Strengths." Candidly, when first flipping through the book, "rehash" was my impression, too.

However, "Follow This Path" is a significant contribution in its own right. It integrates and extends Gallup's two previous works. This book's insights derive from an expanded data set supplied by Gallup's massive survey-based research, and the book also (as is all the rage in business tomes these days) draws on much of the historical and current research into the origins of behavior from both psychological and biological underpinnings. A smattering of readable anecdotes from real people help to bring the principles to life. (The end notes also are worth reading as the text there is written as a narrative and adds worthwhile insights. In addition, this work contains an appendix of what likely will strike most readers as mind-numbing statistical mumbo-jumbo, aimed, no doubt, at quieting critics who question the validity of the data underpinning Gallup's claims and conclusions.)

The effect is to validate sound, albeit somewhat non-traditional, perspectives on what really lies behind the elusive, mercantile holy grail of successfully competing in today's crazy, cut-throat marketplace.

THE UPSHOT
The good news is that these principles are easy to grasp and make intuitive sense (after reconsidering traditional biases).

The bad news is that for organizations to take advantage of these simple truths, they must unlearn much of what their managers "know" about how business works. The challenge is to move managers from the realm of the rational, definable, and controllable --- the hallmark characteristic of virtually every manager in virtually every corporation (perhaps with the exception of those strange and intrepid folks populating the marketing communications department).

The new reality: To compete effectively, managers must migrate to the still largely uncharted domain of the emotional, psychological, and personal in order to affect both employees and customers. In a gross understatement, this imperative represents a frighteningly major shift and no easy undertaking.

Making such a dramatic and fundamental change in both mindset and behaviors implies considerable adaptations at two levels: In the minds and hearts of individual managers, and in the policies and systems of their employing organizations.

All exaggeration aside, we're talking social revolution here. Undoubtedly, it will keep Gallup's consulting organization, and firms such as my own, very busy for many years to come.

But what if your boss or CEO is a Neanderthal and "doesn't get it"? Press on. Start with yourself and your very own work group. As the research from Gallup and many others makes clear, that's the only level at which real change actually occurs anyway.

Get the book and read it with a scientific mind, skeptical but open. Then get busy charting your own course through the new frontier of what Gallup aptly terms The Emotional Economy.

Chances are, you'll feel better...with rising productivity and profits...because customers feel better...because your employees feel better.

I agree, it's a great book
I really didn't want to like this book. It just sounded too much like some new age, pop psychology dribble on how to feel good. I couldn't have been further from the truth. Although this isn't a great book, it is a very valuable book, not only for the businessman, but for leaders of nonprofits as well.

The premise of the book is simple. In an age where prices have been cut to razor thin margins, and businesses have become commodities, the only way to profitably survive is to unleash the human potential among your employees and customers. The authors ask this simple, but profound question: Why would a customer drive past your competition and pay a higher price to purchase your product? The answer: You have an emotionally engaged customer.

The authors demonstrate the world's greatest organizations connect with their customers on an emotional level. When this happens customers return because of the way they feel- they become emotional engaged. The businesses manta for the last century has been based on reason- if you build a better mousetrap, offer it at the lowest price, people will buy. Studies have shown that people are more driven by their emotions when it comes to purchase and repurchase than they are by reason. The same holds true for employees. The Gallop organization also has shown that emotionally engaged employees produce more, stay longer, have less accidents, etc.

Any problems? Maybe one. When hiring, the authors tell us again and again to commit to talent above education, experience, willingness to work hard, and the usual resume items. Inborn talent produces engaged employees; but what they did not address was the integrity issue. Jack Welch points out that the most dangerous employee is not the rude, insensitive, actively disengaged employee; but the one with the talent who does not hold to the values of the corporation. The actively disengaged employee will hurt the company, and yes, if you have enough of them they will destroy the company, but the real danger lies with talented, engaged employees who love their work but who do not hold to the company's values. These are the ones Welch would immediately get rid of.

All in all, it's a valuable book. For a pastor of a small church, or a midlevel manager, the Q-12 (Questions developed by the Gallop organization which identify the conditions of a great work space) are invaluable. By unleashing the human potential in staff, volunteers and members the leader of a nonprofit can build a great organization.

Nothing New Here
If you are a leader in a company and need and/or don't know the principles in this book it is already too late. One of the tenets in the book is to "Match the skills of the workforce to jobs in the organization that match/require those skills!" WOW! There is a novel concept. They site all kinds of evidence as to why this works better than not matching the skills of employees to the right jobs! If you need more "eurekas" like that or your name is Ernest T. Bass/Jethro Bodine/Bobby Boucher by all means buy this book. This is nothing but poorly reformatted basic team building, leadership principles in to their supposedly new "path".

I am sorry I disagree with the majority of the reviewers here. I bought this book based on those reviews. Unfortunately we have a difference of opinion on the quality and worthiness of this book. This is my first review and I only supplied it because I would feel guilty if someone else bought this book thinking it is something it is not IMHO.

Too bad I bought the tape. The book would have at least generated some heat in the winter. ... Read more