Book Description

The next time they try to pull something like that on you, it's not going to work! Bosses, friends, family members, they've made your life hell -- until now. Based on fourteen years of research and observation, Dr. Robert Bramson's proven-effective techniques are guaranteed to help you right the balance and take charge of your life.

Learn how to:

Stand up to anyone -- without fighting Blunt a sniper's attack Get stallers off the dime Move a complainer into a problem-solving mode

Learn the six basic steps that allow you to cope with just about anyone. Reclaim the power that rightfully belongs to you in any relationship. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

the real difficult person is inside you
Most people have difficulty in dealing with certain personality types. An inability to deal effectively with others can cause very serious problems in morale, job performance and self esteem. It has been said that most problems related to losing one's job has more to do with human relations than with job performance per se. As a person who has been fired many times, I can attest to that statement. I've seen incompetent people keep their jobs, but I've seen several people (myself included) lose their jobs over inter-personal conflicts which seem silly in comparison. The more one is able to resolve and or avoid conflicts, the more successful they will be in the long run.

This book divides difficult people into seven different types namely "hostile-aggressives", "complainers", "silent and unreasponsives", "super-agreeables", "negativists", "know-it-all experts" and "indecisives". Each type of behavior is explained and real-world examples of each in action are given. The forte of the book is how it explains how to cope effectively with each type. In my dealings with others, I've found that the coping advice given is right on target. Chances are, any type of difficult person will fit into one of the aforementioned categories. If not, they will be a variation or a combination of two or more of them. The coping methods given in the book are not always easy to implement because they require a lot of practice and may require a great deal of courage. This isn't a book to just read once, the methods must be studied and practiced if you wish to benefit from it.

One of the most interesting things I've discovered when reading this book is that I have fit into some of the categories of difficult people at times. The more effectively I can learn about and fight my own difficult behavior, the easier it will be for me to deal with others who possess the same traits. Regardless of how much one knows about dealing with difficult people, it can still be a battle to implement the methods given in this book. Therefore, coping with difficult people is not about using some simple trick, it's all about confronting the difficult person within each of us.

Don't Be Defeated By Those Difficults
Deal more effectively with those difficult people in your life with this practical, easy to implement advice from Robert Bramson. I found this handy little reference guide so useful that I included it in the suggested reading list of my own book titled, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life by JoAnna Carey.

Excellent
Good techniques...but sometime you can come across such difficult people--nothing works. Still this book tells good stuff.

Great Book!
extremely detailed explanation of how situations are and how people react, i extremely recommend this book to anyone who has problems with difficult people. A great book, and an author who really knows what he's talking about. I would give it 6 stars if i could :).

Excellent Resource
Usually I don't like books of this sort because I find them simplistic. Admittedly this book is written for a general audience, but the author still makes an effort (and succeeds, in my opinion) in distinguishing between people who fit in to one of his types and people who can be difficult at times, but don't quite fit in a specific category. I never had the feeling of "oh, that could be anyone." And the techniques he gave to deal with difficult people were concise and easy to use. He really focuses on the fact that we can't change others, we can only change how we chose to respond, which is vital. A very positive, encouraging, readable book. I've already noticed a difference in my relationships after only a few weeks. ... Read more

Book Description

A new edition of the book that took the art of coaching to new heights. Since COACHING FOR PERFORMANCE was first published over a decade ago, John Whitmore has lead the way with this best-selling classic that has sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide. Translated into a dozen languages and considered a ‘must-read' by such international leaders as Coca-Cola, this is the definitive guide to mastering the skills needed to help people unlock their potential and maximize their performance. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Difficult leap from tennis to business
I used this book for a class on coaching and developing employees. There were eleven people in the class that read the book and each was very disappointed. The overall conclusion was that the author should stick to sports, as the attempt to link the priciples to business was too far of a stretch. We will not be using this book again.

Packed with Knowledge!
We immediately liked John Whitmore's book on coaching for one simple reason: It admits right off that a coterie of charlatans have passed off their bogus "consulting" approaches as business coaching, thereby diminishing the credibility of the practice. But Whitmore does more than recognize the problem: He sets the record straight by providing a true definition, a working history and a psychological explanation of real coaching, which evolved out of sports performance enhancement. Capping off this overview is a comprehensive guide to practical coaching practices, complete with techniques that readers can adopt in their own careers. We from getAbstract highly recommend this book to all business managers, human resource professionals and, of course, coaches.

Great overview of coaching
Highly recommend this book. The author clearly explains coaching and how its correct use can impact both your organization and your success as a manager. He gives plenty of facts and outlines for use. A must buy!

Also suggest a well-received book that espouses coaching and leadership skills and responsibility in a unique and easily read way. My company uses it for leader development/training. It's called ""The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills.""

Coaching for Managers
'Coaching for Performance' offers insight into the techniques of successful coaching, covering well the subjects of motivation, performance, and goals. At times, however, it seems as though the author is talking down to the reader; perhaps that is just the 'accent' of a British nobleman. The writing also seems a bit like 'teacher talking' instead of heartfelt sharing of life's experience. Nonetheless, the material is precise and compelling. The text covers the coach/coachee relationship quite extensively and is an excellent resource for managers and formal coaches of the 'mentor' variety. Scant coverage is given to the particular coaching needs of working groups or teams.

This was a very informative book.
The book was a pleasure to read and informative. It links how coaching for success in sports corresponds with coaching in business. It was a very intersting approach. I recommend the book highly. ... Read more

Book Description

Watch your training come alive with any of these 101 adaptable strategies!

These proven, generic activities will enliven your sessions and deepen learning and retention--no matter what you're teaching.

This active training field guide provides activities useful for:

Book Description

A practical guide to the latest trends and newest creative options in variable pay.

Variable pay systems are widely used as alternatives to traditional compensation programs. Now a recognized expert offers a timely examination of variable pay basics, the latest trends, and creative options. Readers will discover how to:

• gain a competitive advantage through variable pay plans
• create or redesign a system to meet an organization’s particular needs
• evaluate traditional plans versus the three types of variable pay plans
• organize and prepare a launch team
• implement a complete 19-step process

The guide’s practical slant is enhanced by numerous formulas, examples, and graphs that demonstrate how variable pay can yield impressive gains in productivity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

" What's Wrong With Traditional Reward System ? "
As asserted by Belcher "traditional approaches to compensation do not meet today's business needs and are failing American industry. As the recognition of failure grows, U.S. companies are rapidly adopting alternative reward systems in an attempt to deal with the challenges of an increasingly competitive marketplace."

What's wrong with this traditional reward system?

According to Belcher :

* tradional reward systems compensate, but do not reward.

* traditional reward systems do not reinforce teamwork.

* traditional reward systems do not support strategic business priorities.

* traditional reward systems are inflexible and are not reflective of business results.

Then, variable/alternative pay system vs. traditional pay/reward system.

Variable pay system is defined by Belcher as an alternative compensation system that ties pay to business outcomes and supports a participative management process. Cash payouts are based on a predetermined measure or measures of group or organizational performance.

This study is highly recommended for HR professionals and line managers.

See also :

* The New Pay-J. Schuster, P. Zingheim

* Strategic Pay-E. Lawler

* Aligning Pay and Results-H. Risher

* Rewards That Drive High Performance-T. Wilson ... Read more

Book Description

This book features only the most relevant topics in organizational behavior today, such as TQM; reengineering, technology; empowerment; declining employee loyalty; the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator; virtual and boundaryless organizations; 360-degree performance appraisals; diversity; globalization; ethics; and more. Lively and informative, this masterfully crafted introduction condenses the essentials of the field into a tightly focused presentation.A four-part organization covers an introduction to organizational behavior, the individual in the organization, groups in the organization, and the organization system.For directors of human resource and other individuals in a variety of managerial positions. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Well written and solid intro to the field of Org Behavior
"Essentials in Organizational Behavior" is a solid text for a course surveying the field of Organizational Behavior. Its sixteen chapters are grouped into four parts. Part I introduces the field of organizational behavior, its goals and functions within an organization along with some challenges and opportunities.

Part II contains chapters two through six and focuses on how individuals function within an organization and the considerations managers need to have with values, personality, motivation, emotions, and how individuals make decisions.

Part III contains chapters seven through twelve and discusses groups in the organization. It begins discussion foundations of group behavior, some basics on work teams, communication, leadership & creating trust, power & politics, conflict & negotiation.

Part IV discusses the Organization System in chapters thirteen through sixteen. It begins with the foundations of organizational structure, culture, and then gets into the role of human resource policies and practices. The book concludes with Organizational Change and Development.

There is an epilogue to wrap things up, endnotes, and index and a glossary.

The book is clearly written. I like the way the author presents a variety of views and theories and never becomes dogmatic about a certain approach. Because it is concise it actually has a chance of being read (the usual 750 page textbook is largely left unread in most courses). However, to really become proficient in any of the many topics presented here the student will have to do much more study and practical work. I am confident that any teacher adopting the text for coursework would make the necessity for further study clear to the student. The endnotes do provide many fine sources for such study, but I would like to have seen some sources organized into a list of readings for study organized by topic. It would have added a few pages, but would not have overburdened this text.

In any case, this is a good introductory read for anyone who wants to a quick tour of the universe of Organizational Behavior.

Great broad overview of concepts and research
If you're interested in organizational behavior either professionally or as a student, this is a great book to pick up. It gives a great, concise survey of the topic as it relates to each of the major components of individual, team, and organizational factors. Not laden with research details and theoretical jargon, this book is a must read for managers and students alike because of its fast pace and great coverage.

One of the best intro to OB
I find Robbins's OB one of the best introductionary books for OB. Though it does not contain lots of case studies, to get started with concepts, the easy to read layout and the interesting activities that he presents makes it a very good book to get started. I personally started my OB with a much more detailed book, but after I found this one, I used this as the starting point, to get the ideas, and then used more high level books to explore further.
Why not 5 stars, well, coz as I said, I did need to look at other books to explore in detail!

For the budding manager
This is a great book to understand the fundamentals of organizational behaviour. It is simple to understand, and the excellent layout and graphics make it enjoyable and ignite your curiosity. I read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. However, I do agree that more relevant case studies and applications should have been included.

Decent overall review of OB theories.
Robbins discusses current OB theory in a brief, concise manner. He does not provide many examples of real-teime applications, however. This is a hinderance to the book's usefulness as it is sometimes difficult to conceptualize how many of the theories might be practically implemented. Overall, a decent reference book. ... Read more

Book Description

As U.S. organizations continue to explore overseas business opportunities, they will be challenged to adapt to the new market's local characteristics, legislation, fiscal regime, sociopolitical environment and cultural system. Riding the Waves of Culture shows international managers how to build the skills, sensitivity, and cultural awareness needed to establish and sustain management effectiveness across cultural borders. This revised edition is updated with new research and statistics.

More than an encyclopedia of cultures and customs, this essential guide:

• Describes successful and failed cross-cultural business transactions of multinational organizations such as AT&T, Heineken, Motorola and Volvo
• Offers techniques managers can use to anticipate and mediate some of the difficult dilemmas of international management
• Uses country-by-country graphs, examples, and other comparisons to illustrate how different cultures regard and respond to various management approaches
• Includes a CD-ROM of graphs, charts, and exercises to help readers evaluate their effectiveness as a global manager

Reviews (13)

Highly Recommended!
The results are in: All of those stereotypes that we've been told to forget are, in fact, true. At least, that's what a survey of 30,000 people from 31 nations suggests. The data paints some familiar pictures: the inflexible German, the vacillating Frenchman and the pushy American. The statistics from the survey support the conclusions reached by authors Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner in the earlier, first edition of this book: Don't base business decisions on the rhetoric that people are the same regardless of race, color or creed. They aren't! Academically organized, dense with anecdotes and, this time, thoroughly documented, Riding the Waves of Culture is entertaining at least, and possibly essential in this global age. We [...] recommend this book to any professional approaching an international management task, or overseeing a business that stretches across regional boundaries.

Why are those foreigners so hard to deal with?
Did you ever wonder why your international counterparts or customers are so hard to deal with?

If your work involves people from multiple countries and multiple cultures, this book is required reading. If your work involves understanding culture at all, it is definitely worth a quick read.

Authors Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner share their cultural insights based on broad research - 30,000 interviews and questionnaires so far - which puts this work on solid ground. They distinguish culture along a number of interesting axes, including relationships and rules, group versus individual, feelings, personal Involvement, status, time, inner directed versus outer directed, and national versus corporate culture.

The writing, while not exciting, is clear. And the statistical graphics further clarify and simplify many of the authors' points.

On a personal note, whenever the book authors ascribed a particular cultural aspect to Americans, I naturally tried to locate myself on the USA part of the graph. The surprising part was that although I was often squarely in the "right" place, this was not the case a good amount of the time.

A Great Introduction to Intercultural Understanding
At last from Europe, a clear, concise, readable explanation of the critical dimensions of international management. It places culture in a perspective that allows for applications internationally and within the diversity of single nations.

David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. is an international/intercultural human resource, management, and organization consultant and president of D.C.W Research Associates International in Kingwood, Texas, USA. He can be reached at dcwigg@earthlink.net

Riding the Waves of Culture
An excellent overview of culture and cultural differences. For a more specific look at Americans, read Working with Americans (Stewart-Allen/Denslow)

Needs more work and interesting
The authors cover a lot of bases and are very effective in making a reader more sensitive to differences in attitudes and value systems of various persons. Yes, I would say various persons rather than various nations - based on methodology and results of this book. A side note - anecdotal evidence presented in the book shows a lot more differences between the nations researched than the hard data from the authors' research.

Only on a few questions national groups of respondents from say Japan and USA have scored positively different (I mean vast majority from one country holds the same view as a small minority from the other). Having 80% of one country respondents support some principle vs. just 55% of the other(which on the graphs included seems like a lot of difference while it is basically still majority here and majority there) does not tell me really much about the way I should approach managers from the 55% country, does it ? (The authors do not express these doubts stressing differences rather than similarities). Even if the latter group responds not 55% but just 33%, thus widening the gap and making potential choices easier, I still need to clarify in a face to face meeting if this particular person belongs to her national group majority or minority because I have a 33% chance that I will approach that person with a wrong pre-conception.

On top of this the selection of respondents makes drawing conclusions even harder. As authors say, 75% from each country are managers, 25% are junior people. Why not focus on managers 100% for clarity? As a result we may have here a situation in which here and there some of a variance can be explained by the fact that managers have one attitude, while junior staff another one, while differences between managers from different countries are still smaller than graphs show.

In effect, quite surprisingly, for me this is more of an interesting and thought provoking book on different styles and values of people/managers in general, than a practical national-business culture guide, just because the data are so much inconclusive. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A must buy book
I have been interviewing & hiring candidates for several years now, but recently decided to do a little more research into the topic. This book is excellent. It is written in a manner that is easy to open and read at any relevant chapter, making for a quick reference style use or for more in-depth reading if needed. The suggested questions are insightful and the analysis for each question helps you take the candidates answers to the next level. The sections on checking references have also helped me move beyond the paralysis of not knowing what I am legally able to ask, therefore making reference checking the useful tool that it is meant to be.

Chain this one to your desk!
I had to take my copy home, because at work all the other managers kept "borrowing" it every time they had to interview a job candidate. It is a quick read, easy to find what you're looking for if you just want to glance at a certain section, but full of incredible information.

It tells you all the "why's" behind the standard interview questions like "where do you want to be in 5 years?", and red flags to look for in candidates. Reading it also helped me know what to say when I was being interviewed!

Perfect for Recruiters and Hiring Managers
Paul Falcone worked as the Employment Manager for a very large mortgage company. His 96 questions are a compilation of questions that he gathered over the years that help narrow down a candidate pool. These questions are above and beyond the normal tested legal quidelines, they ask whether a person can do the job as described.

If you are a hiring manager, this will help you to have a template to ask great job related questions. For those organizations who like to have structured interviews, this can be used to pick and choose questions for various managers to help compile a great profile from the interview process. Structuring allows you not to repeat the same questions and shows the candidates that you are careful in your selection process and are interested in getting the best.

If you are a recruiter, manager or even a job seeker wondering what may be asked in an interview, this is a great tool to have in your library.

Worth its weight in gold
From a job seeker perspective, this book has been worth personally more than 2000 times its list price. It is like being able to read the other team's playbook before the championship game! If you are seeking a job in Corporate America, don't go in without reading this book because this book will get you half way there......and in some unfortunate "buzz-word company" cases - all the way. It tells you everything they want to hear and why. Satisfy HR first, and then worry about your potenital new boss. Why waste your money on learning what you could say during an interview from other books. This book truly allows you to switch seats with your interviewer. This book is truly deserving of the yellow cover with black stripes and should be entitled, "Interviewing in Corporate America"

Exceptional Insight
This book is a must read for anyone that will be interviewing others, or will ever be looking for a job themselves. It provides insight into the standard set of HR questions, that an interviewer ought to know. "What are your strengths"... "Weaknesses"... Why ask these questions unless you know what you are looking for? This book provides an indepth discussion of these and other questions with sample answers, what you should look for in an answer, and possible follow up questions. It clarifies the interviewing process. From a job hunting perspective it helps to hone your skills, and to prepare you for the HR onslaught of seemingly arcane questions. ... Read more

Book Description

More than 85% of managers believe employees leave because they have been pulled away by "more pay" or "better opportunity." Yet, more than 80 percent of employees say it was "push" factors related to poor management practices or toxic cultures that drove them out. This gaping disparity between belief and reality keeps organizations from addressing the costly problems of employee disengagement and regrettable turnover with on-target solutions.The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave gives readers a deeper understanding of why conventional exit interviewing doesn't work, and what organizations can do to identify, prevent, and correct the root causes of these problems. This valuable book shows how to avoid job-person mismatches, how to align employee expectations with the realities of the position and the company, how to provide constructive feedback and coaching that breeds employee confidence, and much more.The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave incorporates data from surveys of 19,700 employees performed by the Saratoga Institute, an internationally recognized research organization. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

It's not why they leave...It's how you keep them
This is one of the finest books in a long time about not just keeping employees, but about why they work at all.It says much about what organizations and individual managers must do to create and keep a good working relationship.It is fundamentally a book on good leadership as recognized and voted upon by employees.The ultimate feedback on a leaders poor performance is when employees leave!

Leigh provides a well-written book that contains a great deal of statistical support, but you are never overwhelmed by numbers.This book belongs on every managers desk and in the hand of every board of director or owner.There are no shortcuts to keeping good employees.It provides a convincing argument as to why good exit surveys are vital to a companies success.

A job well done!

Well researched and user friendly guide
Leigh Branhan has done an excellent job of expanding on his first book, Keeping The People Who Keep You In Business. In this book he has carefully researched what departing employees are saying about their work experiences, and giving us excellent counsel on how we can address the root causes of unnecessary employee turnover. He shows us how an organization has the ability to manage employee retention. His carefully crafted "hidden reasons" all lead back towhat leadership in a company is doing to create an environment where people choose to stay and grow. I recommend this book for any business leader who truly wants to hold on to their outstanding employees.

Loved it - From a hard core business book junkie
In The 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, by Leigh Branham, the author describes these seven reasons and then supports them with such detail that I was convinced this book was written with my company in mind. In particular, the need for developing retention programs is very clearly addressed.

As a headhunter, I've listened for years to candidates tell me about their frustrations and concerns with their employers. In these conversations, it was clear that higher compensation wasn't always the key to attracting the better candidates. Branham seems to have nailed down the REAL reasons that people walk out those doors.

Interested in recruiter-proofing your organization? If so, author Branham has done all the hard work for you in this book. These hidden agendas, those that recruiters work so hard to uncover, are laid out for the reader-as is a plan to eliminate them forever, while keeping top performers happy and productive on the job.

I liked this book a great deal, and as a "junkie" for business books, I've read a lot of them. I can tell you that this one will have an impact on your company. It did on mine,

Dave Jensen

A deep and thorough exploration of employee engagement
This book is jam packed with insights and studies on why employees leave companies, or worse, disengage from the roles and stay.Woven throughout the book are 55 "Engagement Tips" to improve the culture and environment of your workplace or leadership to keep your top talent deeply engaged and contributing.

At the heart of the book is the deep look into some why employees leave, and several comprehensive studies are summarized here to help dissect the real reasons your company may be losing talent.When it comes to determining the real reasons for dissatisfaction, and eventual disengagement from your company, some of the key reasons center around "mismatch" between the job and the person, and basic leadership failures around coaching, feedback, value, recognition, trust, confidence in leadership, and a lack of a career development opportunity.

What I found most useful were the many insights into the psychology of how and why people feel valued and stay loyal.The book lists four fundamental human needs, which if not met, are triggers for disengagement and loss of talent;Trust; Hope: Worth; Feeling Competent. (Page 20).The quote that opens the section on coaching and feedback sums up the gap, and connection to the psychology involved in ensuring your organization can retain its key talent:"The manager needs to look at the employee not as a problem to be solved, but as a person to be understood." (Page 70). The connection and human dynamic is demonstrated with clarity as the key to creating an environment that enables engaged performers, but it is also one of the most common gaps in leadership today.

Another key element is the changing paradigm of what employees expect.The book compares and contrasts and "old contract" with a "new contract" and looks at the differences between what is expected by today's workers and how this has changed over time.(Page 98). While covered extensively in other works, the book here also examines again the reasons why recognition, so vital to employee satisfaction and engagement, is often so absent from corporate leadership skills.(Page 122).

Overall, this book is a great resource and tremendously valuable topic for anyone whose business or organizational success is dependent on the talent and performance of their people.There are enough charts, graphs, studies, bullet points and sources here to keep the most analytic person engaged throughout. A very comprehensive and well done collection of studies and information which provide a clear roadmap for improving the engagement and performance of your people while lowering attrition and disengagement.Highly recommended.

It's not just about leaving
If you skip over this book because your company or organization does not have high turnover, you are missing a great opportunity to improve relationships that may help your company be more productive and grow.This book is about observation.What do you look for when someone is not performing up to their ability?Why has your best employee suddenly changed?Within the book are many scenarios and examples of DISENGAGEMENT (leaving, but keeping the body on the payroll).This may be costing you heartache and money.

It is a very well written and researched book that should be in every managers and leaders bookcase.No! On your desk.Do not read and bury this book.Take it to heart and learn its lessons.I am convinced it will pay handsomely. ... Read more

Book Description

Strategies for gaining a powerful edge in the executive talent wars

The competition for executive talent is fierce, making it imperative that executive compensation programs become an integral part of every company's strategic business plan. The Complete Guide to Executive Compensation provides in-depth coverage of current issues and trends in designing and administering executive compensation packages that are strategically, economically, and culturally sound.

Renowned compensation and benefit expert Bruce Ellig begins by providing guidance for board members and company executives on defining a company's organization, culture, and business strategy, in order to establish a framework for executive compensation. He then discusses the often difficult­­but essential­­issues within that framework, including:

• Pay positioning­­relative to the competitive environment
• Risk profile­­the mix of salary, incentive compensation, and benefits
• Leverage­­the relationship between incentive plan payouts and performance
• Timing­­the mix of short- versus long-term incentive programs
• Incentive plan design­­objectives, performance measures, and participation

Reviews (10)

Great Practicioner and Innovator
Bruce Ellig has earned the reputation as one of the best corporate executive compensation practicioners and innovators in America. This book will be a valuable reference for compensation professionals and those inerested in the hows and whys of U.S. executive compensation practices.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RICH, ACCESSIBLE REFERENCE!
This volume provides comprehensive information for understanding the issues involved in developing a sound executive compensation package that blends all elements, while taking into account government regulations, tax law, organization and executive needs, and the rewarding of performance. The author provides a framework for the subject and chapters devoted to: performance measurement and standards; current versus deferred compensation; the stakeholders; salary; benefits and perquisites; short-term and long-term incentives; design and communication considerations; and board of directors. Appendices cover selected: laws; internal revenue code sections; revenue rulings; SEC actions; and accounting interpretations. This is an exceptionally rich and accessible work. A list of about one-hundred definitions and formulas of financial measurements is just one feature that reveals the depth and quality of this book. Very highly recommended.

A great comprehensive reference source
Bruce Ellig has done it again. This is an outstanding reference source for those interested in executive compensation issues.

A must read.
Ellig's book is a must read for CEO's and top HR executives who understand the importance of the structure and compensation performance programs to enhance a companies profit bottom line.

Great Compensation Insight
Ellig's book is a must read for CEOs and top HR executives who understand the importance of structuring compensation programs to enhance company performance and the bottom line.

Dennis Carey
Vice Chairman, U.S.
Spencer Stuart ... Read more

Book Description

This text provides a current, real-world perspective that gives readers a crystal-clear picture of what today's HRM is really like. Emphasizing the application of theory, the Seventh Edition carefully integrates real examples with the most up-to-date information available. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A rush into print?
This book includes an excellent spectrum of HR material, covered with a reasonable degree of thoroughness, considering its ambitious scope. It's quite readable, as well, making it easy to digest and retain. In fact, it helped me pass the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification exam from SHRM.

However, the book contains a number of typos, and while most of them aren't serious, it appears that the chapters were renumbered after the answers to the practice questions were already typeset -- making their answer key virtually useless and utterly unreliable. The answers to one chapter's questions are labelled as being for another chapter's ... a real mess.

I got the impression that this book was rushed into print in order to meet some deadline. While the textual content is very good, I caution the reader not to rely on the practice questions, not only because of the answer key problem, but because they are not particularly clear or well-written.

it's one of the best books i have ever seen
This book is the most popular one in pakistan , and most of business administration schools preffered this book as a text book ... Read more

Book Description

This book reflects the importance of employees as a key element of strategic compensation programs. In exploring the art of compensation and its role in promoting companies' competitive advantages, the author develops a solid understanding of compensation practices, the context of compensation practice, the criteria used to compensate employees, compensation system design issues, employee benefits, and contemporary challenges that compensation professionals will face well into the 21st century. KEY TOPICS The book's five-part organization covers specific topics under the headings of setting the stage for strategic compensation, bases for pay, designing compensation systems, employee benefits, and contemporary strategic compensation challenges.For compensation specialists and analysts, and human resource and compensation managers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Learning Tool
I have seen many textbooks that are relentlessly boring due to the author's inability to balance technical and nontechnical jargon. But, this book somehow masters the ability to deliver relevant knowlege in an explicit manner. If you really want to know the foundations of compensating and you do not want to be bombarded by irrelevant wordiness, buy this book.

At last, a text my students like! That's a victory.
This is a well written, comprehensive presentation of compensation and benefits, including such subjects as skill / knowledge based pay and executive and international compensation. Its features include summaries, questions with links to the www, key terms, and thought-provoking "flip side of the coin" and "reflection" inserts. Includes a useful glossary of terms. The author places considerable emphasis on current issues and that is appreciated.

I am writing as a reviewer, consultant and university instructor. I use this text in teaching my introductory compensation course at UCLA's School of Business and Management. I have tried many texts that my students bemoaned as too technical, boring, and somniferous. But my students find this text highly readable, understandable and interesting. That's a victory, especially when my students are mostly working HR professionals who drag themselves to class through the clogged freeways of Los Angeles. The least I can offer them is a good textbook; this is it! ... Read more

Book Description

The Corporate University Workbook gives you everything you need to create effective, systematic, learning infrastructure within your organization. As a result, you will develop employees who are capable of adapting to rapid changes and who deliver the results your business needs! This resource offers a dynamic combination of practical methodology, best practices, and step-by-step guidance. The Workbook, along with the CD-ROM, are filled with the tools, templates, and activities you need to develop and implement a corporate university. Build a corporate university in your organization and develop human talent in an effective and measurable manner. The Corporate University Workbook will help create a highly effective corporate university that will

• Identify your organization’s competencies and skills
• Develop the specific development programs with internal or external formal training, experiential learning, and coaching 
• Encourage the growth of informal learning communities
• Foster networking and the exchange of learning
• Help you build learning into the work process
• Disseminate and increase knowledge
• Help employees develop strong career choices and skills
• Anticipate the skills, competencies, and abilities your organization will need in the future

Reviews (3)

A road map fortalent development ...
From strategic visioning through measuring success, this practical workbook provides tools, guidelines and even a dozen templates in the enclosed CD. Mr. Wheeler shares best practices, from years of experience and research. With the lead from product advances shrinking, human talent will become a major competitive differentiator. I highly recommend for anyone challenged to support your organization's success through talent development.

A must have workbook.
If you are involved in setting up or work for a corporate university, run, don't walk to your nearest book seller and purchase this workbook. Long overdue, The Corporate University Workbook, written in plan, easy to understand English, walks the reader through eleven chapters packed with business oriented explanations, strategies, checklists, exercises, case studies and rationales for designing, building and maintaining a world class corporate university. Destined to become a classic in the field, The Corporate University Workbook should be required reading and within arms reach of anyone responsible for establishing or fine tuning their organization's corporate university.

Philip McGee, Ed.D., THRD, Clemson University

A Must Read if You Want to Build a Corporate University
Kevin Wheeler makes it clear early on in his book that successful corporate universities must go beyond traditional training. Learning goes far beyond training, incorporating a wide range of informal learning processes and activities. This differentiates this book from much of what has been written in the past about corporate universities--focusing on mostly course-oriented training. Wheeler takes the reality of broad-based learning in organizations into account and provides a very detailed and practical guide for building a successful and flexbible corporate university. The book contains lots of templates and practical lists with questions and issues that must be addressed by someone building a corporate university. Each chapter begins with a review of an unsuccessful and a successful example of corporate universities, making it clear that success is by no means guaranteed. But the probability of success will no doubt be much higher for those who do their homework and not only read this book but complete the numerous exercises that Wheeler has carefully prepared to assist those ready to build a corporate university meant to transform an organization into a 21st century learning organization. ... 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

Thoroughly updated and revised, the third edition of this essential resource for trainingprofessionals is packed with new and valuable features for delivering cost-effective, high-impact training.Like previous editions, Creative Training Techniques Third Edition covers all the important basics: Presentation preparation, learner motivation, visual aids, group involvement, creative materials, resource materials, presentation techniques and customized training.New to the third edition are six chapters covering the following: .Instrumented learning .Transformation of existing training programs .Participant-centered techniques for technical training .Participant-centered techinques for computer training .The myths and methods of eLearning .Classroom management techniques.You'll also find a new appendix packed with simple job aids to help you make, buy, or build decisions when planning training. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Turn nervousness into confidence
I am an independent corporate trainer and saw this book praised in a variety of places. I bought it and read it from cover to cover. While I was reading it, I kept saying to myself, "Isn't this stuff kind of simple?" When I finished reading it, I felt like I had not learned enough to justify the high price. These first impressions were not lasting impressions. Here is how I can tell: Whenever I feel nervous about a new training assignment, I open this book and quickly find solutions that turn my nervousness into confidence. I grew to understand that the simplicity I observed during my first reading is actually the result of skillful winnowing by an expert.

Because of its price, I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars. I understand the marketing justification for the price. Some stuff in the book is provided for HR professionals who train trainers. These people are usually buying the book with someone else's money. The publisher knows that and banks on it. But, given how much I continually get from this book, I figure at least the author has earned the extra money.

The best book I've read on the subject
I've had a bit of a hard time finding books on training the trainer to train and I feel that this is THE book that does it best. I work for a new company and ended up doing most of the training of new employees. I've thoroughly enjoyed it and this book helped me to be more effective at it. I love the 'instructor led, participant centered' idea that he presents. It allows me to treat the trainees as adults but we still have fun. Being new to training I didn't feel that he was talking over my head. It was to the point, useful information that I was immediatly able to put to good use.

a couple of good ideas but practically limited
i bought this book as it was a a suggested read by a big american design software corpoartion for whom i was an authorised trainer.
having picked up most of my training techniques from teaching or other teachers, or indeed practically picked up, i was intrigues to refine my techniques or expand them.
But, i found very little here of use to me, i think this is much more useful to people eho train in the vaguer sense of the word, as i was running professional training courses, i actually found a lot of the material given i disagreed with in practice, to be honest you just could not run a prodessional graphic design course like this.
maybe the ideas of teaching in England are a bit more quirky and persoanlity based, but these ideas are either common sense or patronising of the audience.
maybe if you are in some kind of business arena and completeley new to the whole field theres something for you.
I got nothing out of it really, and ive been a professional trainer for ten years.

Great resource for teachers & trainers of adults
Bob Pike has distilled hundreds of hours worth of classwork on theory and technique into one of the best books I've ever seen on the subject of teaching adult learners.

Pike gives hundreds of tips, tricks, examples, and outlines for instructors to use and adapt, and he gives something even better: his experience as an instructor *using them*. His credentials are excellent, and the style with which he presents this material attests to his ability to teach effectively.

This is a great reference for experienced instructors, but I think it is a must-have for those new to teaching adults. As the author states, "So many people get into training by accident." Just because you accidentally found yourself a trainer is no reason not to become good at it. With Pike's book, you will have a much beter chance (and much easier time) of becoming truly effective.

Highly recommended.

One Of The Best Books On Adult Training
This is one of the best books I've read on adult training. I used many of the theories and techniques when helping to design a large computer training program for my company, and they worked very well. The key that Mr. Pike demonstrates is that adults learn best when they teach themselves. Thus, his "instructor led, participant centered" philosophy. If you have to deliver, or design, training programs for adults, this is one of the best guides to get. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

The Perfect Gift
This is a valuable book.These authors have managed to distill a very broad topic into easily applied principles.As both a mentor and protege I am grateful for this book. I am now ordering this book as a gift for all my favorite mentors in my Harvard post-doctoral program.I recommend you do the same for those menotors in your life.

Already The Classic Guide to Mentoring
As the Chief Operating Officer for a large medical technology company, I have mentored many junior professionals for years. But until now, I've never found a guide on the art of mentoring that lays out the specific details and skills mentors should master. Imagine my delight at discovering a short but comprehensive resource for everything a new mentor should learn and a seasoned mentor should reconsider. The authors promise a "nuts and bolts" guide to doing mentoring based on the writing style of the classic "Elements of Style" guide to grammar. The authors do not disappoint on this score. Amazingly, they manage to cover all of the key ingredients to outstanding mentoring without resorting to stories or wordy narrative. In reading the "Elements of Mentoring," one gets the sense that he or she is gleaning the distilled wisdom of two master mentors. The book is brief but jam-packed with the crucial details of starting a good mentorship, managing it successfully, and even bringing it through difficult transitions. I was impressed that the authors (both college profs) used lots of research in putting the book together (see the references) without cluttering the pages with it. I am not a frequent Amazon reviewer, but after reading this thorough but brief resource, recommending it to several colleagues, and pulling it down from my shelf already to re-read a section relevant to one of my current subordinates, I felt compelled to recommend it to other managers and leaders. One of the few books on developing junior talent I've been glad I paid for. ... Read more

Book Description

Human Resources are the most important resource that a firm commands and should be regarded as capital, a factor of production in which managers invest today in order to realize future profits. This book deals with the strategic implications of Human Resource Management as an important strategic asset and emphasizes its importance within the overall strategy of the firm. The book covers issues such as job design, evaluation, recruitment, training, career concern, and outsourcing and downsizing. The linkage between the various pieces of HRM policy are stressed and how the policies are related to management issues such as TQM, just-in-time manufacturing, and others. The book is aimed at the general manager, not the HRM practitioner and it stresses conceptual frameworks, not procedural methodology. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The best book on strategic human resources I have ever read!
Baron & Kreps write with wit & grace, pulling together a vast amount of literature to make their point that human resource management is critical to a firm's success. In every chapter, they get to the pointquickly, writing for students in a way that faculty will appreciate.Theyretain the essence of the academic research on which their principles arebased, while focusing on what it all means for managers.I highlyrecommend this book.

A major achievement in an underserved field
Essential reading for both general managers and human resource executives, this book breaks new ground in several ways.

First, the authors present human resources as a critical part of a SYSTEM, integrated with thecompany's external environment, workforce, culture, strategy and productionmethods, rather than as an isolated or downstream activity.

Second, theybring insights from economics, sociology and social psychology to thetopic, in a powerful way.The four appendices alone (transaction costeconomics, game theory, agency theory and market signaling) are worth theprice of the book.

Third, they avoid the trap of "bestpractice", where an author looks at a few successful firms (GE? PepsiCo?3M?) and encourages others to imitate them.In contrast, thisbook offers clues to creating real and inimitable competitive advantagefrom a company's human resource management.

The entire treatment isreadable and rich in cases.

No-bull human resources
I had the fortune to have access to early versions of some chapters of this book, and it changed my opinion about human resources.They present the issues surrounding human resources management using frameworks thatcome from economics and organizational science, not from opinions andfeelings... ... Read more

Book Description

In this companion volume to their successful Managing With Carrots, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton present a remarkable story of how a great leader can unleash human potential--creating success in even the worst economy. Providing strategies and solutions for the managers of today, this book offers answers for improving employee commitment and profitability by strategically acknowledging employee effort. How is it done? The deceptively simply answer: with carrots. Plentiful examples show how to choose the right reward for each employee, how to time the giving of a reward to motivate performance, how to effectively present rewards, when to give praise in private and when to make it a public celebration, and how to motivate employees to work harder and work smarter with the company's goals in mind. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A recipe book for providing recognition
This is an easy-to-read book providing useful tips on how to develop and implement a recognition reward program in your organization.

It offers suggestions at a macro and micro levels.Therefore, you can benefit from it no matter what type of managers you are.There are numerous best practices shared from a wide range of private companies.

In my opinion, the authors spend too much time demonstrating the importance and the benefits of recognizing employees' contribution.If you read the book, it is because you are already converted, isn't it?

Highest ROI book ever!
After sinking my scarce time into a book, I do a rough ROI calculation by asking two questions: "Is this really going to build my business?" and "Ho