Book Description

The Eighth Edition relies on the Total Person approach to prepare students for the workplace by highlighting disparate factors such as phsycial fitness, self-awareness, emotional control, integrity, and values orientation.

• The text looks at diversity in the workplace as a broad concept encompassing more than just race, ethnicity, and nationality—such as age, income level, education, and different styles of communication.

Reviews (1)

Effective human relations? - You bet!
I think this book is well layed-out, and easy to read.It is also full of examples from companies you know, and deal with.Lots of graphs help to illustrate the ideas, and relationships. ... Read more

Book Description

This exciting line of learning tools helps you improve communication in any group or organization. Every individual has a unique personality, but many behaviors can be understood within a systematic, predictable framework. The People Smarts package will train participants to identify colleagues' behavioral patterns so they can work in harmony. This simple, easy-to-understand method helps you:

• get results from interactions with colleagues
• express your wants and needs clearly -- and recognize the needs of others
• improve collaborative efforts by learning to adapt to others' styles
• understand your co-workers, bosses, and subordinates through a systematic, effective method anyone can learn.

The Self- and Observer Assessments help your employees define their own styles. The Self-Assessment determines how a person believes he/she interacts with others. The Observer Assessment provides a picture of how others perceive an individual's interactions. Used together, these instruments provide valuable information for personal growth. Participants can recognize differences between the way they think they are perceived and the way they are actually perceived by others. This evaluation provides tangible goals for improving versatility and enhancing relationships.

Use the Scoring Matrix with the Self-Assessment, the Observer Assessment, or both to get a visual representation of individuals' styles. The Scoring Matrix includes comprehensive descriptions of styles and substyles, plus advice for achieving balance. The Reminder Card is an instant reference to the four behavioral styles identified in the program, with guides to recognizing and dealing with each.

The Participant Workbook focuses on application of the People Smarts principles. Participants learn how to use verbal and visual clues to identify another person's style and adapt their own behavior to make relationships more successful. This workbook is also a great self-study tool.

Filled with humorous examples that teach valuable principles, the People Smarts book introduces the simple but powerful business relationship concept on which the People Smarts program is based: treat other people the way they want to be treated.

Streamline your preparation and save! Purchase one Participant's Package for each participant in your program and get everything you need to improve communication today! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A really good book from a great speaker and motivator
If you believe that getting along with others is the universal key to success,then this book is important reading. If, on the other hand, you don't believe that getting along with others is important, then it's even more important to read this book. While working for a major information services company, our management team believed so strongly in Tony Alessandra's message we not only gave copies of this book to more than 200 of our sales representatives, but also brought Tony to one of our sales meetings to reinforce the message face-to-face. If you have any questions about Tony Alessandra, feel free to email me at adamleft@webspan.net ... Read more

Book Description

Through five editions since its first release in 1959, What Every Supervisor Should Know has effectively responded to the changing needs of supervisors, and it remains the standard in the field of supervision. Now in a new edition, this classic guide to handling the day-to-day problems that supervisors face is: more current than ever-two new chapters cover the environment and innovation, this latest edition also treats such timely issues as computer surveillance and job competency guidelines; more personalized than ever-the new Personal Development Portfolio offers convenient checklists and sound guidelines on planning careers, managing time and coping with stress; leaner, meaner, and easier to use-the format is modular, and each chapter features three or more case studies, chapter-end reviews, and lots of easily referenced lists, tables, and charts. It's the best reference available for supervisors just starting out as well as for seasoned managers who need to freshen up on the basics or update their skills. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just my opinion
Started using this book in a Supervision class I took at Purdue Unversity in 1987, and used it as a reference til I bought the 1990 printing in 1995 on sale at a local bookstore. I will be using the latest printing as a textbook to train foreman in my job. Very good information for a new front-line supervisor or as a reference for old pro.

Review
Dry and difficult to read straight through. Set up more like a textbook, which wasn't really what I was looking for. ... Read more

Book Description

The ultimate tool for smooth dialogue and high billings! TheAlmanac contains countless recruiter-tested tactics for handling everyphase of the search process, including: The target market presentationfor new business development---The quick counteroffercountertactic---The silent observer technique for interviewingcontrol---The take-away close---The one question you should always askbefore extending an offer. Also includes over 25 practice dialogues tohelp improve your selling vocabulary and handle difficult situationswith ease. A vital source of ammunition for rookie and veteranrecruiters alike. A terrific value! Paperback, 144 pages. BillRadin is a top-producing recruiter, manager and trainer whoseinnovative techniques have helped thousands of recruiting professionalsachieve peak performance and career satisfaction. "Right on target!The Recruiter's Almanac is readable, reliable, rational andrespectable." ---Robert O. Snelling, CEO, Snelling Personnel Services. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Important base for recruiters
Perfect book for recruiters. Clearly and easily. Best book to systematize your knowledge, skills and get new. I reccomend it.

A¿must-read¿ for any recruiter
This is a comprehensive, invaluable resource for every serious recruiter that wants to learn the vocabulary of the business. Written in a no-nonsense style, the author provides practical responses to dozens of real-life sales situations that regularly confront recruiters, such as how to handle client concerns about fees, or how to close candidates who have been offered new jobs. Most of the scripts are presented in alternative versions, so you can pick the ones that feel right and fit your personality. As a recruiter, I've used many of these scripts, and they really work. A"must-read" for any recruiter.

The Recruiter's Almanac
This is a comprehensive, invaluable resource for every serious recruiter that wants to learn the vocabulary of the business. Written in a no-nonsense style, the author provides practical responses to dozens of real-life sales situations that regularly confront recruiters, such as how to handle client concerns about fees, or how to close candidates who have been offered new jobs. Most of the scripts are presented in alternative versions, so you can pick the ones that feel right and fit your personality. As a recruiter, I've used many of these scripts, and they really work. A"must-read" for any recruiter.

He who appears greedy will go broke
The emphasis on trying to make money to the exclusion of service will in the long run lead to failure to win or hold clients. Poor advice.

A helpful toolbox
This book provides a helpful toolbox of tips and techniques for recruiters. It is a good addition to the bookshelf of a professional recruiter. Many usable scripts and formats. I enjoyed reading it.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "Breakthrough Technical Recruiting" docwifford@msn.com ... Read more

Book Description

It's not more money, bigger offices, better benefits, or flextime. Recent surveys reveal that the number one reason employees quit their jobs is that they don't feel valued on a human level. Growing employment opportunities and the lure of Internet companies have brought this prob- lem to near crisis level. Now, Dottie Gandy, a former regional director with the Franklin Covey Company, provides a simple, principle-based solution that will work to solve the problem in any business. In this clear, straight-foward book, she gives us a step-by-step plan that managers can implement immediately and which yields compelling results, including:

Book Description

Successful managers work like coaches, assessing each person’s strengths and weaknesses and developing the best strategy to get the job done. The 4-Dimensional Manager shows how managers can become more effective by using the DiSC system. “DiSC” stands for four communication styles: Dominance (direct and decisive); Influence (optimistic and outgoing); Supportive (sympathetic and cooperative); and Conscientious (concerned and correct). In the book’s first part, readers assess their own style, the style of the people they manage, and the style of their organization. The second part shows how to choose the most effective style (or combination of styles) for any situation, focusing on seven key areas: delegating, decision making, problem solving, motivating, complimenting, giving constructive feedback, and developing skills. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Introduction to DISC
During my MBA schooling time, i got introduced to MBTI, a personality test, and i am very much interested. But it is not "that easy" to teach and implement, people find it difficult to remember. Than a friend introduces the DISC concept to me. Upon browsing the amazon pages, i finally bought this book (and some others). And i found it pretty useful and serve my purpose as a simple behavior analysis tools for business success.

I have since used DISC approach to train people in Salesmanship and Managerial Leadership program. I found it very acceptable by laymen and they can benefit from the insight.

Popular applicable psychology is gaining more and more momentum and become more widely used in business. The root of this type of analysis started from the Greek 2000+ years ago with Sanguine, Choleric, Phhlegmatic and Melancholic.

The original form of this DISC apporoach comes from William Moulton Marston 1926 book Emotions of Normal People.

There are similar materials come in many form: COLOR CODE (HARTMAN), Personality Plus, and several other books.

This is not to replace all the more-in-depth psychology tools that profesional use, but this is a simple approach to see different type of people and how we can be more effective in fast forwarding ourselves. We can also see others and learn how to make them better in their works.

The book contains a simple test and the description of every type and the combination of types. It isvery well written and accurate. Although i feel a bit "dry" on the style of writing, i am totally satisfied and find the book of a very high value.

This is not a dense reading, and you can jump forth and back and see your/other people's type of personality and use it to our advantages.

Anyone interested on how to "see" him/herself and the other and how to make best use of psychological approach toward different type of people will be able to benefit from this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in its third edition, The Trainer's Handbook is the classicproblem solver for experienced and novice trainers alike. It's packedwith guidance for handling every aspect of training, from planning andpreparation to writing lesson plans; using games, exercises, and visualaids in the classroom; selling the training function to seniormanagement; negotiating with vendors; and assessing training results.It will help trainers: 1

**develop and deliver training programsthat enhance on-the-job performance
**improve their own leadershipand platform skills
**use technology effectively
**deal withtraining problems like illiteracy, reluctant (or over-eager)participants, budget constraints, and more

This "bible of the training industry" includes new chapters ontraining for teams, on-the-job training, tying training to businessneeds, and training in technical and sales environments. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Solid Effort!
Taylor Cox Jr. and Ruby L. Beale offer readings, case studies and structured activities for developing individual and organizational diversity skills. The readings often focus on specific groups, but the underlying ideas can easily be extended to others. By focusing on the economic benefits of diversity management, the authors make a persuasive case that these ideas are strategically relevant, especially for companies that are trying to compete in the global economy. Some of the ideas are complex and take some real study, but they are presented clearly and concisely. The book offers little original research, but that is not the authors' goal. They mean to unite existing research and to put those ideas into action - a task that they perform very well. We at getAbstract recommend this book to human resource professionals, managers who must handle diverse workforces (especially executives who work outside their home country) and anyone struggling with diversity in the workplace. ... Read more

Book Description

From technology and globalization to the increasing power of customers, the forces that have created the seismic changes in business today also serve as the foundation stones for the next generation of learning organizations. BUILDING THE LEARNING ORGANIZATION shows how to follow the path forged by such world-class leaders as Nokia, Alcoa, and Canadian Imperial Bank to adapt and survive broad-based change and scale the ladder of corporate learning.

In this new edition of his award-winning book, Michael Marquardt brings up-to-date his time-honored advice on how to harness the collective genius of people in organizations to build, maintain, and sustain the power of the learning organization. He has added dozens of case studies to demonstrate the power of his Systems Learning Organization model and to illustrate how each of the five subsystems--learning, organization, people, knowledge, and technology--support and energize one another. With specific recommendations for using the tools of action learning to build each of the critical subsystems, this proven resource includes assessments, new examples, and a detailed set of action steps for reaching the next stage of organizational success. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Insightful!
Okay, so you already know that everyone in your organization needs to be learning new skills and tactics all the time. If you wonder just how to accomplish that, on top of everything else you're doing, turn to Michael J. Marquardt's Building the Learning Organization for step by step guidance. Human resource professor Marquardt introduces the internal systems you need for structured, company-wide learning. In his professorial way, he runs through its dimensions, principles, practices and ideals in detail (all you ever wanted to know and perhaps just a bit more). He provides an instructive general framework, guidelines and sixteen steps to follow in creating a learning organization. He's a man with a plan, system by system, complete with charts, models, principles and subsystems. This tool box for implementation leaves the theoretical reader out of the loop, but we from getAbstract confirm that if you want something you can put into action as an executive, manager or human resource chief, here's your hands-on manual.

Best book on the foundations of a learning organization!
This is a highly practical book with lots of specific principles and steps for building a learning organization. Also several excellent examples of learning organizations from around the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

"Performance begins with focusing on outcomes instead of activities. In my experience, most people in most organizations most of the time do the reverse. They concentrate their efforts on the pursuit of activities instead of outcomes. As a result, they rarely set or achieve performance results that matter."

Today's performance challenges demand outcomes—both financial and nonfinancial—that must simultaneously benefit customers, shareholders, employees, and management. Therein lies a cycle of sustainable performance that functions as a framework to ensure your organization's goals are set, met, and balanced for today's business world.

Make Success Measurable! enables you to avoid activity-based goals that can go on indefinitely, and articulate aggressive outcome-based goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

This is a how-to book, emphasizing outcomes as opposed to actions in setting goals. You'll learn how to: Set goals that matter to customers, shareholders, and funders. Set nonfinancial as well as financial goals and link them together. Understand and use outcome-based goals that support success while avoiding activity-based goals that produce failure. Select and use management disciplines needed to achieve your goals. Smith provides the what's and why's behind today's performance challenges and shows how to convert them into measurable concrete achievements.

Using an innovative approach, Smith divides each chapter into an explanatory Mindbook section and a practice Workbook section. The Mindbook sections provide descriptions and explain key concepts, frameworks, tools, and techniques. They seek to build your intellectual understanding of how to set and achieve the performance goals that matter.

The Workbook sections include detailed examples and exercises that you and your colleagues can use to practice the concepts, tools, and techniques put forth in the Mindbook section. Workbook exercises allow you to convert understanding into action—and action into results! "Doug Smith's work on performance and measurement has been an invaluable management resource for us. We believe that if you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Thanks to Doug, we can focus on the right measures to drive performance against today's many new and different challenges throughout our enterprise."—Leon Gorman, President, L.L. Bean, Inc.

"Make Success Measurable! is a practical and powerful step-by-step guide to setting and achieving the goals we all need to accomplish in a constantly changing and challenging world."—Charles Dolan, Chairman, Cablevision Systems Corporation.

"No one writes as clearly about today's key management issues as Doug Smith. Whether you're in a small eCommerce startup or a large, already established organization, the frameworks, tools, techniques, and exercises contained in this book are the only things you'll need to manage the performance that matters to your customers, your people, and your shareholders."—Steve Goldstein, CEO, eChores and former CEO, American Express Bank.

"Achieving results that matter—to donors and clients—is the true measure of success for any nonprofit organization. This book provides a thoughtful and extremely practical guide for setting goals and effectively meeting them. It is an absolutely indispensable tool for leaders and a model for good management."—Jenna Dorn, President, National Museum of Health. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Bottom Line of Success
Make Success Measurable! is definitely becoming the Bible at work. Very well written, and Smith's ideas are well-supported. We've received positive feedback from clients, and we've expanded our client base because of this good word-of-mouth. I strongly recommend Make Success Measurable! It's as good as Guerilla PR: Wired, which focuses on techniques to getting solid public relations coverage, especially nowadays.

Learn How to be SMART
You can rarely pick up a job description in the public or private sector that does not include a statement seeking "demonstrated experience and success working with the principles of quality management and a commitment to customer service." One of the cornerstones to quality management is the ability to focus on outcomes instead of activities.

Make Success Measurable is filled with practical techniques. Even more, it is a workbook, providing opportunities to apply new concepts to real work. Whether you want to be able to create more focus within your own work unit, be able to demonstrate tangible results to your manager, prioritize your own work by aligning your day to day activities with the most important initiatives, or coach customers who are seeking your expertise in developing performance measures, this book can help.

As a result of reading this book and trying the exercises, you should be able to:

1) Convert new visions, strategies, and directions into achievable outcome-based goals that can better yourself and others in your organization.

2) Set goals that are specific, measurable, aggressive, achievable, relevant, and time bound. (SMART Goals)

3) Set goals that matter to those expecting a return on their funding dollars.

4) Set goals that matter to you personally in terms of opportunities, rewards, and skills.

5) Choose from a variety of management disciplines to achieve your goals.

6) Set goals that matter to customers who want speed, quality, and prompt service.

Ten Management Principles for Leading Change
"I believe you will benefit from this book because the challenge of setting and achieving performance goals has become very confusing". Douglas K. Smith writes, "It has been more than 30 years since Peter Drucker wrote about the importance of managing for results. His work led to the widespread practice of management by objective. But an awful lot has happened in the past 30 years. The world of business and organizations has changed dramatically, turning many of Drucker's specifics (though not his wisdom) upside down. In the aftermath of total quality, customer service, time-based competition, strategic alliances, globalization, reengineering, core competencies, continuous improvement, innovation, teams, horizontal organization, benchmarking, best place to work, information technology, diversity, environmentalism, deregulation and reregulation, eCommerce, and privatization, those of us left standing in today's organizations are unsure about what performance goals and outcomes make the most difference and why. We know that setting performance goals is key to managing ourselves and others, but we no longer know how".

Douglas K. Smith organizes his book in four parts. In the first part (Chapters 1-4), he provides the background, concepts, tools, techniques, and frameworks you need to set specific outcome-based goals that matter to successfully navigate today's most pressing performance challenges. In the second part (Chapters 5-7), he focuses on helping you align and coordinate goals throughout your organization. In the third part (Chapters 8-10), he describes the management disciplines you need to achieve your goals and how to make choices among them. In the fourth part (Chapter 11), he concludes the book with a step-by-step design for building an outcomes management system in your organization.

In this context, in Chapter 10, he reviews the management disciplines you must understand in order to succeed in the face of change, and introduces the critical distinction between decision-diven change and behavior-driven change, and describes how to manage each successfully. Hence, he argues that most change efforts fall far short of their potential. Usually that's because leaders fail to address the deep behavioral changes they are seeking. And thus, he lists the following ten management principles as the heart of any successful change effort:

1. Keep performance results the primary objective of behavior and skill change.

2. Continually increase the number of individuals taking responsibility for their own change.

3. Make sure that each person always knows why his or her performance and change matters to the purpose and results of the whole organization.

4. Put people in a position to learn by doing and provide them with the information and support they need just in time to perform.

5. Embrace improvisation as the best path to both performance and change.

6. Use team performance to drive change whenever demanded.

7. Concentrate organizational designs on the work that people do, not on the decision-making authority they have.

8. Create and focus energy and meaningful language because these are the scarcest resources during periods of change.

9. Stimulate and sustain behavior-driven change by harmonizing initiatives throughout the organization.

10. Practice leadership based on the courage to live the change you wish to bring about.

Finally, he argues that if you expect others to change their behavior, you have to change yours. It's as simple and as hard as that.

I strongly recommend.

A useful and practical book.
This is one of those rare books that makes it points clearly and then guides your through exercises that reinforce its key messages.

I found the book incredibly helpful in preparing realistic plans that set you up for success. I have used it extensively to help me design major projects and I am well on my way toward measurable success on those goals.

Read this book and apply its lessons
Make Success Measurable tells you how to set business goals that matter for shareholders, customers, and employees. That is good advice, and it is backed up by "workbook" exercises that help you focus on what is really important. The "mindbook-workbook" format makes room for exercises that you can work on with your colleagues at the office. I found that the "mindbook" portion held my interest as an individual reader. I started getting REALLY interested about halfway through the book when Smith introduced the concept of "working arenas" - the different groupings of people (sometimes in multiple companies) that are necessary to achieve these goals. Smith explains that you need to shape your goals and methods to fit the appropriate working arena, rather than a pre-set corporate structure. If you work in a complex organization, you should read this book and apply its lessons.

I would compare Make Success Measurable very favorably to the Kaplan and Norton book on The Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard tends to be vague and anecdotal on the subject of how to set measurable goals, and it is hard to finish. In contrast, Smith packs his book with original analysis and specific recommendations on topics like "Vertical versus Horizontal Management Disciplines" and "Injecting Creative and Personal Tension into Goals". The Balanced Scorecard presents a four way cause and effect chain from employees through process improvements, customers, and shareholders. Make Success Measurable presents a three way performance cycle as including employees who provide value to customers who provide rewards to shareholders...who provide rewards to employees and so on. The "process" piece doesn't appear in Smith's analysis, because focusing on process measures doesn't necessarily help anyone. In fact, it is a trap that can lead to meaningless work. Smith encourages us to focus on "outcomes" - measures that matter directly to employees, customers, and shareholders. This brings us quickly to reality and hopefully to consensus with our colleagues. Get real. Get this book. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive step-by-step guide to evaluating training programs-from the creator of the "Kirkpatrick Model," the most widely used approach for evaluating training programs in industry, business, government, and academic institutions ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A Classic, "Must have" for every training & development pro
Okay so this is an old and perhaps dated book, but it is still the definitive work on linking the training and development process to real knowledge, work performance, and business results.

Before Kirkpatrick (sometimes even today) Trainers and Training Managers would judge the effectiveness of a learning treatment by the opinion of the learner ("Level One" Measurement)...you know, those silly little evaluation sheets where we are always asked such banal questions as: "Did you LIKE the course," or the obligatory "Do you FEEL smarter," and so forth. Most in the educational field also understood the need of testing the learner in order to validate knowledge (This is "Level Two").

But in this book old Don K. gives us the Third and Fourth levels of learning. Level Three: Basically, if you cannot empirically demonstrate that the learning experience translates well into behaviors on-the-job, AND provide perceived value for the company (a.k.a. "Level Four"), then it really does not matter how much you actually learned, now does it spanky!?

As many might know, since the time of Kirkpatrick, ROI (Return on Investment) is now "the Fifth Level" of learning measurement. This ratio is defined as the Benefits of your learning program in dollars, Divided by the Total Cost of your program, Multiplied by 100, which gives you an ROI percentage. Anything over 100% suggests a positive return. Pffft! When will these so-called learning professionals learn to acount for the Net Present Value of cash?? I mean, even if you give a company a positive return because of your glorious learning management system, they still had to shell out massive capital upfront, right? So "Positive ROI" is not so easy as putting a dollar average on turnover percentages and then creating a ratio...

Anyway, please know that you simply have to understand the roots of Training ROI via Kirkpatrick before you can count yourself amongst the "Training Cognoscenti." : ) Enjoy!

Kirkpatrick's Four Levels get Five Stars
An indispensable work for anyone concerned with getting the most value from their training programs. What you'll find in this book:

* A concise but solid explanation of the four levels and the purpose of each level.

* Guidelines for measuring at each level.

* More than a dozen case studies that demonstrate how a variety of training organizations have implemented one or more of Kirkpatrick's levels, including sample forms and data analysis.

Kirkpatrick doesn't offer an "evaluation formula" with instructions to plug in an organization's name or training titles to a prefabricated shell. Instead, he presents a skeletal structure which an organization can flesh out to create an evaluation system.

Important Reference Material For Training Careers
I will get right to the point about this book. If you are in human resources and in charge of a training program, a Training Manager, or a Trainer, this is your training bible. If you want to move up in your company or are considering interviewing with other companies in this field, the things in this book will be part of the conversation, and if you dont know the key elements you will not be getting the job.

An excellent book that will educated you about training and all the peripheral details that may be just as important as the actual class you teach.

A Significant Classic
If you expect to interact with those in the training industry, you had best be armed with knowledge of Kirkpatrick's four-level model. For instance, if someone asks, "What are you doing about Level IV?" you need to come back with a robust response such as, "Well, we evaluate the impact of training by....". Kirkpatrick first presented his model in 1959 in a series of articles in the Training and Development Journal. In this book, the Godfather of training evaluation succinctly outlines his four-level model of training measurement: measuring reaction, measuring learning, measuring behavior, and measuring results. This book is an up-to-date enhancement of his model. It consists of corporate examples, which are always helpful, and survey templates. If you are looking for a model to increase training effectiveness, reduce cycle time of design and development of courses, or establish baselines, this is a good primer. I praise him for consistently encouraging formative evaluation. Less seasoned training professionals only conduct summative evaluation (Level 1-smiley sheets), but evaluation should not be seen as an event as much as a life-cycle process. The ISD process includes a formative evaluation approach, which is often over looked. If you read this book and measure all four levels, you will be on the right track to evaluation utopia.

If you are a serious evaluator or interested in calculating return on investment, a "must read" is Jack Phillips Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs. Phillips expands Kirkpatrick's models to a fifth level, which is return on investment (ROI), and encourages ROI at Kirkpatrick's four levels, too. If you are interested in implementing Kirkpatrick's four-level model and/or ROI, you need to read Another Look at Evaluation Training Programs. This book is a series of "best practice" articles compiled by Kirkpatrick.

One final note: Keep in mind that Kirkpatrick's model is not the only one out there. For instance, there is: Kaufman's Five Levels of Evaluation, The CIRO (context, input, reaction, and outcome) Approach, Stufflebeams's CIPP (context, input, process, and product) Model, Alkins' UCLA Model, and The Phillips Five-Level ROI Framework. Choose a best-fit model that is based on your known organizational barriers and the decisions important to your stakeholders.

Should be part of any trainer¿s basic toolkit
This book should be in every instructional designer's or training manager's library. Kirkpatrick's four-level model of training evaluation is frequently referenced in the training literature and is the standard for evaluating the impact of training. It is part of the common language used in the training industry. This book is also an excellent primer for some of the basic issues involved in evaluating the effectiveness of training programs. It contains numerous case studies from actual training programs. Almost two-thirds of the book teaches through case studies.

The book also contains examples of data collection instruments and other evaluation tools that can be adapted for a trainer's own needs. I wish the first part of the book had been expanded to provide more explanation of the four levels before launching into the case studies. Kirkpatrick has edited another book, Another Look at Evaluating Training Programs, which contains articles by other evaluators who discuss many issues related to the Kirkpatrick model and provide further case studies.

There has been much interest in return-on-investment (ROI) in the training industry. Kirkpatrick cautions against confusing ROI with results; they are not the same. Financial return is just one of many possible critical success factors. The focus on ROI can even mask true business results that encompass more strategic factors and involve a larger time frame than is typically analyzed in ROI analysis. Nevertheless, the reader may want to look at Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs by Jack Phillips. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Fresh Look at Contructing the Business Scorecard
Finally, a pragmatic approach to developing a Business Scorecard that captures the profitability proposition through periodic measurement of critical performance. The critical thinking used to construct and evaluate each element of the hierachical measurement structure provides a keen insight into the contribution value of each functional area of the business. The concise step-by-step approach in building the overal Business Performance Index provides the guidance necessary for immediate implementation by small or large enterprizes.

Best business book since "The Goal"
Praveen, I just have to buy you a cup of coffee or a drink one day. I am just finishing your book, "Six Sigma Business Scorecard " and have to say that I haven't been this riveted to a business book since "The Goal". Books like this for me have been far and few between.

Connects the six sigma dots with your own business sense
This book connected the dots between my undergrad, mba, six sigma training and 25 years of business sense. Your first reaction might be; why haven't I been tracking and measuring the critical links to growth/profitability more closely? Once I started the book, I couldn't put it down; it was like therapy for the business mind. It breaks through all the mystery and jargon of TQM, ISO 9000 and six sigma, in simple business terms.

Must for all Corporations to evaluate themselves
This books gives the best measurement methods for determining where your organization stands. I would recommend it to all management as well as quality staff of organizations.

Six Sigma Business Scorecard
Praveen Gupta uses his knowledge, understanding, and expertise of the six sigma methodology in Six Sigma Business Scorecard. It is a useful tool for all organizations. I had the privilege of attending a six sigma class taught by Praveen, and along with this book, our company is moving toward a six sigma level. I would recommend everyone in your organization read the Six Sigma Business Scorecard. It provides an overall view of six sigma for individuals not familiar with the topic, and then explains how it can be implemented. I highly recommend this book, and I am eager to see what Praveen comes out with next. ... Read more

Book Description

Applications in Human Resource Management is a single source of cases, exercises, incidents, and skill builders to supplement introductory human resource management courses. These materials offer a fresh approach based on dynamic, real-life organizational events confronting both human resource managers and line managers.The cases are based on "real" events that have taken place in organizations and the exercises and skill builders are intended to give learners the hands-on skills they will need in facing the challenges of today's workplace. ... Read more

Book Description

The Games Trainers Play Series--now in a durable binder! Scannell and Newstrom's bestselling Games Trainers Play series is now more rewarding than ever! We've taken the same collection of 300+ field-tested training games and activities, organized them in a single pop-open binder, and added an exclusive ``Master Trainer's Kit'' that shows you how to plan, produce, and evaluate high-impact training sessions from start to finish. Result: The Complete Games Trainers Play packs virtually everything you need to conduct productive seminars and workshops--including games that help you build teams, teach creative problem-solving skills, change perceptions, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not Impressed
Although there is a lot of information packed into this book, I was very unimpressed with the layout and visual design. It looks like it was typed up in 1970. The graphics are ancient and the layout is just one big binder with no cross-referencing or indexing available. To find a useful game, you have to sift through hundreds of pages. It really is a shame, as there are some clever games here to loosen up an audience.
Frankly for this price, I expected something a bit flashier and filled with reproducibles that I would want to copy and hand out. The way it looks now, and with it's unwieldy format, it's going to sit on my shelf.
If I hadn't spilled water on it, I would have sent it back for a refund.

The Complete Games Trainers Play
This book was helpful in planning an in-house managment training session. The book is divided into sections making it easy to locate games targeted at specific areas. The book is actually a 3" 3 ring binder. It is a large book, however, it does contain a wealth of information.

fabulous for those who need to keep a meeting on track!
Although I was skeptical about this title, I decided to go ahead and buy it. Well, I was not diappointed! I found that the amount of information provided was beyond my wildest dreams. You DO have to do some digging within the book, but I have used SEVERAL of the ideas and feel that my meetingas are more focused and on track than ever. Especially when it comes to technical trainings (which I do!), the book gives a grat deal of info regarding training issues and how to keep people interested! ... Read more

Book Description

Advanced Strategies for Recruiters is a fast-paced, 100-minute audio CD program for recruiters, owners, managers, and solo operators. Innovative and unique, the program provides valuable information on technology, desk specialties, databases, business models and recruiter training.

DISK ONE: The hidden power of business models – How to build a bullet-proof recruiting system – The secret to selling premium fees and retainers –Why most recruiting scripts fail – How to leverage your database (and other recruiters) – Why too much training can hurt your business – How to exploit economies of scale.

DISK TWO: Voice mail, e-mail and online recruiting – How innovations in technology can affect your business – Why most voice mail and e-mail techniques don’t work – How to apply performance ratios – Why most "marketing" is actually advertising in disguise – How to maximize profits from your Web site – Seven essential skills of highly effective recruiters.

Plus, Advanced Strategies is packed with dozens of real-life concepts, including: Why you can’t teach cold calling – Voice message strategies – Web site design made simple – Why old habits can’t be broken – The unintended consequences of splits – Why there are only two desk specialties – Why the term "online recruiting" is an oxymoron – How to work the job market pyramid. ... Read more

Book Description

Dramatic trends are already in motion that will force organizations to do some major rethinking about their relationships with their employees. The New Workforce outlines five of these crucial developments, and describes how they will affect critical HR policies and programs in the very near future. The book considers the implications of ever-increasing life (and work-life) expectancy, new household types including same-sex partners and "Mr. Moms," the Baby Boom "Echo," widening diversity, and employee demands for greater emphasis on spirituality and social responsibility in the workplace. The New Workforce addresses such concerns as: How can we deal with the conflicting needs of four generations of employees? What changes must we make in our benefits coverage? Our pay policies? Our management training efforts? Do we need new recruiting and retention strategies? Why should the company care about employees' personal values and beliefs? ... Read more

Book Description

Joseph Martocchio's Employee Benefits:A Primer for Human Resource Professionals was written to promote a fuller understanding of employee benefits programs among students enrolled in college-level compensation and benefits course. It is relevant to students who plan to be general managers who deal with a variety of human resource issues in their day-to-day jobs as well as to those who expect to be human resource practitioners. Future practitioners will use this book as an introductory reference guide.Future employees/managers will gain a more complete understanding of how and why companies provide benefits as they do. The real-world focus of Martocchio’s text is evident on every page, as he seeks to balance current academic thought with brief examples of contemporary benefits practices in business. ... Read more

Book Description

Good work habits, time management, computer skills, and ethics are just a few of the competencies employees will find essential in a variety of future jobs. Designed to help readers enhance their interpersonal skills in the workplace, this guide is a blend of current and traditional interpersonal topics with a strong emphasis on skill development and self-assessment.Offers a more personal and job-oriented (and less managerial) approach than other books on the subject. Introduces basic concepts to enhance understanding of key topics; then, skill-building suggestions, exercises, and cases are presented that are crafted to improve the interpersonal skills related to each topic. Provides Web Corners in each chapter that point readers to Internet resources for that chapter. Updates information throughout as appropriate, including new cases and case problems; new chapter-opening vignettes; and several new self-quizzes. Features new topics throughout: includes value stereotypes for Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y; how to prepare for stressful conversations; work-family conflict as a stressor; and much more.An ideal reference for participants in leadership and supervisory training courses that emphasize interpersonal skills, rather than leadership theory and research. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Human Relations on the Street
I purchased this book as a required text book in one of my CriminalJustice classes.I thought it very strange to havea Human Relations textbook as a requirement, but after getting into the text found it veryappropriate for police work.The author points out a plethora of factsthat would help anyone dealing with people on a day to day basis. It isnot a large textbook, is packed full of ideas, and is easy to follow. Classtime was kept at a minimum, and no extra help was needed from my professor.I believe this text would definitely be bookshelf material for those of youdealing with the public. ... Read more

Book Description

Here's everything a speaker or trainer needs to keep the audience awake, alert, and involved.This fun-filled collection of can't-miss activities contains the openers, closers, and energizers you can use to kick off each session with a bang, bring the audience back quickly should its attention wander, and end each session on a high note.Save hours of preparation time with these ready-made, easy-to-use activities that enable you to reinforce the key points in your presentation, spark active involvement from all the participants, and create an environment in which real listening can take place. ... Read more