Book Description

If you're in the process of starting a new restaurant or are managing an existing food service operation, this is the one book you need to do it right. Always wanted a personal assistant at your disposal? Now you will have one, in book form! Designed to save the food service manager both time and money, you won't know how you got along before with out it.

For the new and veteran food service operators alike, this book is essentially a unique "survival kit" packed with tested advice, practical guidelines and ready-to-use materials for all aspects of your job. The book and companion CD-Rom focuses on the issues, situations and tasks that you face daily in your management role as leader, manager, arbitrator, evaluator, chairperson, disciplinarian and more; from working with difficult customers and employees to ensuring the profitability of your operation.

Included in this book are hundreds of easy-to-implement tools, forms, checklists, posters, templates and training aids to help you get your operation organized, and easier to manage while building your bottom line! The material may be used as is or readily adapted for any food service application. For example, you'll find a practical form to use when interviewing employees, a template for developing an employee schedule and checklists for examining the food service operation and preparing a budget.

Expertly organized, this unique book takes you step by step through each department of a restaurant, caterer, hotel and non-commercial operations. Among the topics covered are management principles of planning, organizing, coordinating, staffing, directing, controlling and evaluation; product purchasing, receiving, storing and issuing, preparation and service; employment and personnel practices; and management of equipment and money.

This manual will arm you with the right information to help you do your job. Keep it on your desk for continual reference. The many valuable forms contained in this work may be easily printed out and customized from the companion CD-Rom. There are over 488 ready-to-use business forms, checklists, training aids, contracts and agreements! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Complete package for the Food Service Industry
As a long-time user of The Restaurant Managers Handbook by Douglas R. Brown, I have found The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Forms and it's CD Rom to be the most complete and comprehensive selection of forms and ideas for every day and every situation that can or will arise in the food service business.

Review From Book News Inc.
The encyclopedia of restaurant forms; a complete kit of ready-to-use checklists, worksheets, and training aids for a successful food service operation. (CD-ROM included)

This book/CD-ROM resource for new and veteran food service operators offers advice, practical guidelines, and ready-to-use forms, templates, checklists, and training aids for dealing with the issues, tasks, and situations that food service operators face everyday. The material may be used as is, or adapted for any food service application. Material is organized into 11 sections on food safety, kitchen management, bar and beverage management, general management, menu management, employee training, human resources, inventory control, financial management, catering and banquets, and hotel management. Forms contained in the book can be customized and printed from the companion CD-ROM.

Jane Erskine
Editor, Book News Inc.
5739 NE Sumner Street
Portland, OR 97218

Nice that the forms are perforated
I agree with all the other reviews and use the book almost daily as a F&B director - that additional part I like is they perforated each form so if you do not use the CD Rom, each form can easily be removed from the book

Nothing else on the market comes close!!!!
There is not one page of information in this incredibly handsome book that is not useful. The book includes every possible form I can think of, and many many more I never thought about which would be incredibly useful to our business today! The companion CDROM of forms allowed us to use this book from day one. Highly recommended!!!

The Encyclopedia of Restaurant Forms
There isn't another book published in the Restaurant field that provides as much comprehensive information. The CD is a wonderful addition. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling survey of contemporary human resource management offers a balance of practical and applied material as well as underlying Human Resource Management theory.It reflects the latest information, including the impact of global competition and rapid technological advances that have accelerated trends such as shared service centers, outsourcing, and just-in-time training. A wealth of actual company examples demonstrates how concepts are being used in today's leading-edge organizations.For all Human Resources personnel and managers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Now this is a good textbook
This was a simply stated book that gave common sense examples.

The chapters were easy to understand without having to have your professor explain everything.

There are a couple of chapters that seem like they should be reorganized, and a couple of chapters that should be put in a different order. Overall though, this is a very good book to help you understand Human Resource Management.

Creative multimedia tie-ins, but getting dated?
I suspect that a new edition will be out shortly.Some of the Internet links sprinkled throughout this book are broken, and the text frequently refers to conditions as they were, "as of mid-1997."Hopefully, the authors will employ a proofreader/style editor, as the sytnax is awkward in a few places.That said, this is a good introductory book.The creative integration of Internet links and video case studies ("On Location at Showtime," and ABC News reports on business trends and issues) add to the value of the text.An Internet site allows instructors to develop an on-line syllabus for students to view and download.Key terms are set on the margins in blue print, repeating their definitions from the text.Summaries at the end of each chapter do the same, and include questions designed to verify reader knowledge of major concepts.The book dwells at length on diversity issues, which is appropriate, given the plethora of Exceutive Orders, Supreme Court decisions, and legislation mandating various EEO/affirmative action practices in the HR field.The chapters on recruitment, selection, and training are the strongest in the book, and cover the topics in a fair amount of depth. The chapter on labor unions reveals a pro-union bias; otherwise, the book is ideology-free.Overall, this is a more than adequate treatment of the subject, and is quite serviceable. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Interesting Model
The model presented is an interesting and for the most part effective one. For an alternative model see O'Reilly, Chatman and Caldwell's OCP Method and in particular the commercially available web tools from ThinkShed (www.thinkshed.com) that leverage the method.

Whichever method you use, culture change is ultimately about the application of a consistent approach...my personal preference is the OCP because of the availability of robust web based tools that enable one to penetrate the organization to a much deeper level than is otherwise possible with a paper based model or an interview based model. This can be important if you are wanting to get at deeply rooted and/or problematic sub-cultures.

Smith

Great book, plus...
This is a great book. In addition, I recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Michael Beitler.

The most helpful book...
This is the most helpful book available on organizational culture. Their OCAI instrument (for diagnosing organizational culture) alone is worth more than the price of the book. I use Cameron & Quinn's material with every one of my clients.

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

A remarkable tool
The authors provide a great model for understanding and diagnosing organizations. Their cultural quandrant methodology also provides a common language for people within an organization to talk about what they have and what they want. I recommend this for everyone who wants to understand their own organization. Their instrument (OCAI) is both easy to understand and easy to use.

A very useful framework and tool for changing org culture
I took Prof. Cameron's course on "Navigating Change" at the U of M Business School and this book was used as ONE of the tools that could be used in understanding and managing change in an organization's culture. There are many ways to look at organizational culture. This one gives you a means to measure various aspects and get a view of where you are and where you think you need to be. It can elicit helpful discussion and real insights into your organization.

The book gives helpful background and context for the model (what each quadrant means and doesn't mean), the instrument itself, instructions for administering it, and instructions on how to interpret it. It also provides a condensed formula for organizational change and helpful hints on how to begin change in each of the quadrants.

As we used it in class and our term project it helped us understand the organization our team studied and why it was different than its competitors. I think Competing Values Framework is a powerful model that is backed by up with a lot of research and can be very useful when used seriously. This is a very helpful book. ... Read more

Book Description

"The authors technical skill and work-environment experience are abundantly apparent in the real-world methodology they bring to the study and understanding of the importance of project management to the success of any organization."–From the Foreword by Norman R. Augustine. Chairman of the Executive Committee, Lockheed-Martin Corporation

Effective project management is an essential skill in virtually every professional and technical setting and, like any skill, it is best mastered through the right combination of in-depth, expert training and hands-on experience.

Visualizing Project Management, Second Edition is todays best resource for both. Delivered by a trio of authors whose combined project management experience is unequaled in the field–a team that has been an integral part of the development of project management from the 1950s to the present–the processes and techniques in this landmark book have been confirmed through the experiences of over 30,000 working project managers and over 100 corporations.

Profound in its simplicity yet unique in its completeness, the integrated approach presented in Visualizing Project Management focuses on the four essential elements of project management:

1. Common Vocabulary: Terms and jargon are defined as they are introduced, minimizing the vocabulary problems that can lead to conflict and undermine otherwise successful teamwork.

2. Teamwork: Each of the fundamentals of real teamwork–from common conduct to shared rewards–is discussed, along with strategies to strengthen this vital component.

3. The Sequential Project Cycle: Valuable lessons are provided to enable you to develop a template for project-unique tactics as well as achieve project-to-project continuity.

4. Management Elements: The authors provide all the techniques and tools you need to guide a project to its successful conclusion–the achievement of stated objectives, within budget and time constraints.

Visualizing Project Management shows you how to breathe life into each of these inanimate project elements. The result is a working guidebook for total project management success–and a tangible model for moving your organization and career forward into the exciting new millennium.

An Integrated Approach to Results-Oriented Project Management

Better . . . Faster . . . Cheaper . . .

Todays take-no-prisoners competitive environment has made this the project management mantra for 2000 and beyond. Enlightened project managers know: Unless you can identify accurately the correct benchmark and correctly isolate how to surpass it, your organization will succeed only in producing a better, faster, cheaper failure.

The bestselling Visualizing Project Management first set the standard for effective project management in 1996, and introduced models that have been adopted by over 100 leading government and private organizations. In this Second Edition, the authors have revised the tools and techniques that changed the foundations of project management in order to help you better understand, compete, and win in todays lightning-fast global business arena.

A few short years ago, the insights and ideas in Visualizing Project Management invented the wheel. Now, its pioneering authors refine your understanding of the project management wheel, as they simplify and clarify the complexities of project management and system engineering.

Also includes a dynamic CD-ROM–Visual Project Management (Visual PM)–providing an interactive software version of the books revolutionary process model, a guided tour of a commercial project cycle, vocabulary definitions, sample document templates, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Weighty in its Simplicity
Rarely do I read a book that is weighty in its simplicity while being exhaustive in its subject treatment. Visualizing Project Management succeeds where many have failed.

The book focuses on the five common elements of every successful project: a common vocabulary, teamwork, a plan, leadership and management.

Starting with the project requirements, it details the correct way to plan, schedule and control projects. These elements do not naturally occur, particularly in complex technical projects. The techniques and tools presented are applicable throughout the project lifecycle.

The book is full of illustrations, which clarify the techniques being discussed. The best idea I found book was the Cards on the Wall technique, which calls for each team member to attach each WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) to a wall and interconnect the dependencies with yarn. The resulting interaction, I found, encourages group thinking and project buy-in, while anticipating the unanticipated.

There is also a great section on Earned Value, a powerful and effective tool for the early detection of slippages and cost overruns. As the authors correctly note, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."

Aspiring project managers and executives responsible for supervising it in their organizations should read this book. It will help them successfully understand and apply the project management process in their pursuit of "better, faster, and cheaper."

Comments by Max Wideman
Visualizing Project Management: A Model for Business and Technical Success" by Kevin Forsberg, Hal Mooz and Howard Cotterman, second edition, has much added material since the first edition. It is still my recommended first choice for those seeking a better insight into the role of project management, and I have read quite a few books on project management since that first edition. The book introduces many new concepts to the discipline, including an "orthogonal" model of the project management life cycle and its related processes which provides a conceptual basis for the book. It draws distinctions between the technical, business and budget aspects of project management work, one often confused for another by many would-be practitioners, yet it emphasizes the need for close alignment of these three aspects. The author's "Vee" model nicely bridges the gap between those whose primary focus is on the decomposition of the project for definition and control purposes during the project's planning period, and those whose focus must be on the integration of the various components during the production period of the project. But perhaps Chapter 4 warmed my heart the most - dedicated, as it is, to "Project Vocabulary" and the need to communicate clearly! I find the book easy to read, well illustrated, and very sensible. It is a valuable resource for students and practitioners alike.

A practical guide, full of insights
I found this to be an excellent book, particularly for those of us trying to make sense out of the wide range of project management approaches. It is a valuable compliment to the Project Management Institute's PMBOK, which is functionally based and organized as categories of required knowledge. Visualizing Project Management is behavior based and provides a project manager and the project team a roadmap for success and a resource for solving problems. Since project management often encounters the intersection of one or more processes, three-dimensional models are used to clarify these often confusing relationships. Many of these relationships include the technical development or systems engineering aspects and they are plainly conveyed so that the non-technical person can benefit. The section on project control is refreshing. Most books represent project control as only a reactive process to bad news. These authors emphasize proactive project control, establishing the proper control systems, yet are appropriately reactive with corrective action when things go wrong. Overall, an enlightening approach to complexity and technical project management.

Call to Arms
In his foreward to Visualizing Project Management (second edition), Norman Augustine, retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, reminds us of the unfortunate high incidence of failures in IT projects. Mr. Augustine then notes the key role of the project manager in producing success or failure. This book was published in 2000, and I maintain that the failure rate is still too high. In fact, I'll use the book's concepts to very briefly analyze a failed NASA project later in this review. First though, why and how can this book help?
What's unique about this book is that it contains, all at once, a call to arms, weapons handbooks, and mechanisms for producing a battle plan for YOUR project.
The call to arms is conveyed successfully through the many high-level diagrams, and of course the message behind the diagrams. For example, the orchestra metaphor (each musician is a team member and the project manager is the conductor) is one of the most powerful images. The "common vocabulary" (score) keeps everybody on track. Further, the key system engineering concept of the project manager pulling diverse specialties (strings, percussion, etc.) together is illustrated. Chapter I has an explicit call to arms (Why is Project Management a Critical Issue?); the rest of Part I and two chapters of Part II set up the rest of the framework needed to use the weapon handbooks and create the battle plan.
Weapons in the arsenal of the project manager are the Project Cycle and the (ten) Project Management Elements in Part II. This handbook-type information should be reformatted to be more usable. The current very basic numbering scheme, and the interspersed exercises make reference difficult. A separate workbook could be published with the exercises. While much of this information is familiar, there are some real zingers that show more depth of experience than many other project management books. For example, the emphasis on project control (one of the elements) is indeed different from "most project management texts (which) describe project control as comparing actuals to plan (status)." You actually need corrective action! The authors (and I) "were flabbergasted to find that the word "requirements" did not even appear"...."in a well-respected reference from the project management field".
And the battle plan? That is the "orthogonal" project model - with an axis made up of nine elements as the spokes of a wheel (project leadership being the tenth, on the rim) and the project cycle on the axle. You'll have to get the book to appreciate the applicability of the model. But that is the only the first "generic" battle plan. It has to be worked and applied in YOUR organization. No more "we used to have a project management plan, somewhere".
The authors' preface mentions that Chapter 9 (Applying the Process) has been added to address the Internet time goal of "better, cheaper, faster". The book has numerous case descriptions. I've applied some of the book's concepts to the WIRE case study. NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) mission failed soon after launch on March 4, 1999 when the telescope/cryostat ejected prematurely. NASA has published some very valuable lessons learned (by the way, the book highlights the need for "lessons learned to get into the hands (and minds) of those who would benefit most")... One of NASA's lessons can be related to the orchestra metaphor: "WIRE failed because people could not or would not communicate well with each other. ...These folks feared oversight and criticism and hid behind organizational boundaries". Another lesson concerns the risks in shortcutting the project cycle: the "belief that we pushed the faster, better, cheaper paradigm too hard, such that key corners were cut too closely." So heed the call to arms, master the weapons, and create your own battle plan. We'll win more battles if we really apply the lessons of this book.

Horrible - A Waste of Time and Paper!
I recently started with new company and needed some reference materials on project management. This book was intriguing because I thought it would allow me to use a right-brained approach to understand the topic (ie visualization). Instead, I got dissertation from the school of MBA managerial double-speak. Nothing in this book is clearly written. You will spend hours trying to figure out what these clowns are trying to say. An example from page 119:

"At each level, the DA&R process is driven by higher level requirements, constaints of approved baselines such as the utilities provided to the structure and the influences of users and stakeholders at the system level and at every level of decomposition to the level under construction."

No, I am not making this up, this is what these authors pass off as writing.

In my opinion, these two authors, and some of the reviewers that gave this book high marks, are in a profession that needs to build its reputation by making what they do seem complex and scientific. Absolute bunk! ... Read more

Book Description

Based on more than two years of surveys of more than 2,000 senior executives and managers, Tough Management may be one of the most important and practical business books of our time. Bestselling author, weekly columnist, and sought-after speaker Chuck Martin has tapped into his research firm's vast network of business connections to discover that 80 percent of executives and managers are experiencing increased levels of work stress.

On the bright side, Martin has found that tough times have brought out the best in the world's most successful leaders and managers. And now, in his groundbreaking new book, he offers a refreshing bottom-line approach to what really matters in today's difficult market--and what really works in today's demanding workplace.

The seven skills every manager should know:

1. Focus on Results

2. Force the Hard Decisions

3. Communicate Clearly

4. Remain Flexible

5. Prove Your Value to the Company

6. Force Collaboration

7. Don't Be a Tough Guy

Using these practical, powerful, and proven techniques, Martin reveals how other business leaders have met the demand to do more, deliver more, and increase more--without raising stress levels. By focusing on actual results and forcing the hard decisions, you can learn to communicate and collaborate while remaining flexible. It's one of the few business books available that provide real solutions to real challenges. Because when the going gets tough, smart managers get Tough Management--and get real results.

Book Description

"One of the best baseball—and management—books out....Deserves a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame."—Forbes

Moneyball is a quest for the secret of success in baseball. Following the low-budget Oakland Athletics, their larger-than-life general manger, Billy Beane, and the strange brotherhood of amateur baseball enthusiasts, Michael Lewis has written not only "the single most influential baseball book ever" (Rob Neyer, Slate) but also what "may be the best book ever written on business" (Weekly Standard).

I wrote this book because I fell in love with a story. The story concerned a small group of undervalued professional baseball players and executives, many of whom had been rejected as unfit for the big leagues, who had turned themselves into one of the most successful franchises in Major League Baseball. But the idea for the book came well before I had good reason to write it—before I had a story to fall in love with. It began, really, with an innocent question: how did one of the poorest teams in baseball, the Oakland Athletics, win so many games?

With these words Michael Lewis launches us into the funniest, smartest, and most contrarian book since, well, since Liar's Poker. Moneyball is a quest for something as elusive as the Holy Grail, something that money apparently can't buy: the secret of success in baseball. The logical places to look would be the front offices of major league teams, and the dugouts, perhaps even in the minds of the players themselves. Lewis mines all these possibilities—his intimate and original portraits of big league ballplayers are alone worth the price of admission—but the real jackpot is a cache of numbers—numbers!—collected over the years by a strange brotherhood of amateur baseball enthusiasts: software engineers, statisticians, Wall Street analysts, lawyers and physics professors.

What these geek numbers show—no, prove—is that the traditional yardsticks of success for players and teams are fatally flawed. Even the box score misleads us by ignoring the crucial importance of the humble base-on-balls. This information has been around for years, and nobody inside Major League Baseball paid it any mind. And then came Billy Beane, General Manager of the Oakland Athletics.

Billy paid attention to those numbers —with the second lowest payroll in baseball at his disposal he had to—and this book records his astonishing experiment in finding and fielding a team that nobody else wanted. Moneyball is a roller coaster ride: before the 2002 season opens, Oakland must relinquish its three most prominent (and expensive) players, is written off by just about everyone, and then comes roaring back to challenge the American League record for consecutive wins.

In a narrative full of fabulous characters and brilliant excursions into the unexpected, Michael Lewis shows us how and why the new baseball knowledge works. He also sets up a sly and hilarious morality tale: Big Money, like Goliath, is always supposed to win...how can we not cheer for David? ... Read more

Reviews (209)

major eye opener onto the field of baseball
This book is about the power of critical thinking. It traces the moves made by a general manager--Billy Beane--who, with the help of statistical geeks, was able to find undervalued players and dish off overvalued players. The author points out that players are commonly misappraised because their value is generally tied to things like "looks" and statistics like "batting average" and "rbis" and "saves" and "fielding percentage" which do not adequately reflect the extent to which a player's performance contributes to value to his team. For example, Mr. Lewis describes formulas which have been derived that accurately predict the number of runs a team will score over the course of a season, and these formulas do not depend on some very commonly used (or misused! stats) After you read this book you will get the point that on-base percentage is 3X more valuable than slugging percentage in the formulas. One drawback of the book is that the formulas discussed are not explicitely stated and their validity is not conclusively demonstrated. Another aspect of the book I also wish was expressed in more detail is the new set of pitching statistics that are devoid of any aspect of luck commonly built into today's commonly advertised stats, like "wins" and "era." In the end, the lesson of the book is that you must always ask, "why, why, why." Why do I care if this pitcher has 30 saves? Why do I care if this outfielder made 10 errors. This books explains in a fun way why you shouldn't necessary care about these questions at all!

Misleading Title, Great Book
Even though I enjoyed Lewis' Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, and Money Culture, I wasn't planning to read Moneyball. I didn't really care about the economics of baseball. Then I found out that Moneyball is about the Oakland A's, computers, and statistics. I had to read it.

Lewis reveals how the A's became (and have stayed) a top team even though they have one of the smallest payrolls in baseball. Billy Beane's (the general manager) method of using massive amounts of statistical information tells him what players to draft and what plays to execute under different conditions. The scouts and even the manager have become less important than his small staff of number-crunchers.

By following certain statistically-determined rules such as "never sacrifice bunt," (the numbers show that historically, it doesn't pay off) the A's have gone to the playoffs year after year. Beane refuses to draft players out of high school, because they haven't faced enough real competition to determine, statistically, if they will be any good. It's only in college and the minor leagues that players compile meaningful stats.

Not much money in Moneyball, just great writing, and a terrific story.

Thinking outside the box
Michael Lewis deftly inserted himself into the A's front office to find out how a professional baseball team with a $40 million payroll can win 102 games and consistently 90 or more wins in subsequent years and compete with teams like the New York Yankees who have payrolls exceeding $130 million.

What he reveals is that by approaching baseball in a more rational, analytical way and doing away with all the traditional conventions, you can compete with anyone who doesn't do the same. Too many GMs and coaches are seduced by speed, home runs, and batters who swing at bad pitches when the simple truth of it is that in baseball the most precious thing you have are your three outs per inning. Anything that risks losing one or more of those outs is something you should avoid. As a long-time fan of the game, it's hard for me to swallow some of the anti-traditional things Lewis describes in this book. But the proof is in the pudding as they say and the A's success over the past several years is hard to argue with.

The focus of the book is A's GM Billy Beane, a former A's player himself who had a world of talent but could not transform that talent into a Hall of Fame career. He didn't have certain intangibles that are needed. Beane now recognizes those talents in the players he drafts, recruits and trades for. Beane's obsessive personality and unorthdox ways make for interesting reading. He's a man who seems horribly tortured by the game and yet thrives on his success in the game as well.

There are excellent mini-biographies in the book including one on A's first baseman, Scott Hatteberg, a Red Sox catcher who was thought all but done with baseball after he ruptured a nerve in his throwing arm. The A's reclamation project recognized a diamond in the rough and brought him aboard to train him as a first baseman, mostly so they could benefit from Hattie's shrewd batting.

Chad Bradford, the A's middle relief pitcher with the unorthodox pitching style and uncanny ability to get outs, is also profiled. A's minor league phenom Jeremy Brown, a former University of Alabama catcher who broke all sorts of NCAA records but wouldn't get a look from most pro teams, is also profiled. You get the sense from this book that there IS no traditional upbringing for a pro baseball player. The A's unusual collection of "misfits" all came from different backgrounds and most have taken a rather odd path to success.

This book is a great insiders look at a pro baseball team and how they approach the game from a very unique perspective. The most fascinating thing of it is, the A's didn't invent what they're doing at all. They're exploiting baseball wisdom that was anyone's for the taking for the past 30 years. You just need to know where to look.

If you're a baseball fan or just someone who can appreciate creativity and ingenuity in a world that promotes imitation, you'll enjoy this book.

Lewis Played Like a Banjo
Michael Lewis seems unaware that the A's front office is hamming it up in front of him. Poor journalism if he couldn't figure it out.

Great Reading!
"Moneyball" is an oustanding read if your are interested in baseball, economics, and or statistics. Michael Lewis does a great job telling the story of the Oakland A's and just why a team with one of the smallest payrolls in baseball has compiled one of the best records. This was a book that I found almost impossible to put down and I know that everyone at work got sick of me talking about it, but it was fascinating!! Don't miss reading this one!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A great value!!
This book is deffinatly one you should buy if your starting a bussines, in this feald.

WOW!!!!!!!!
I SEARCHED FOR YEARS TO FIND A COMPLETE GUIDE TO BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT/MIXOLOGY. THIS IS IT!! END OF SEARCH.

BEST BAR BOOK EVER
THIS BY FAR IS THE BEST BOOK WRITTEN FOR BEVERAGE MANAGEMENT, BARTENDING, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR BAR OPERATIONS. IF YOU OWN ONLY ONE SUCH BOOK ...THIS IS IT. ... Read more

Book Description

If you use training services, especially if you have to pay for them out of your own budget, this book will help you:

- Determine why your employees' performance isn't meeting your expectations, and what to do about it
- Ensure that your employees possess the job-relevant skills they need
- Get training done in the least amount of time and at the least cost, whether training is obtained internally or from vendors
- Leverage training as a true competitive advantage ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good book. Typical Mager - easy to read, lots of good stuff
Valuable book, well worth the reading time. Good for Managers, Training Managers and developers.

Get results, save money: apply this book.
In his typical clear, jargon-free style, Bob Mager explains what training is, and what it's not. "Training" won't fix a problem unless the problem stems from a lack of skill or knowledge.

Mager explains why you can't train your way out of badly designed jobs, or idiotic incentive systems, or a lack of resources. He also shows ways to deal with those barriers to accomplishment.

And that's the heart of the matter. In the world of training and development, we talk about performance improvement -- focusing first on the results you want to get, and then examining possible reasons why you're not getting those results. Mager's book demystifies that focus and that examination.

Skeptical? I've been in the training business for over 20 years. For people who want a quick, cogent, useful understanding of both training and performance improvement, there's no better place to start than with "What Every Manager Should Know." ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive overview of international business is divided into various business functions, making it clear and easy to understand. In every chapter “Culture Quest Insights”into culture, geography, and business lead readers to a multi-media experience of a certain country or region that provides useful information on the impact of culture on business. Cases specific to each region or country add to the total reading experience. Topics covered include: the world's marketplaces, the international environment, managing international business and business operations. For CEOs, managers, and other executives who need to understand the cultural mores of the global societies with which they do business.

Reviews (3)

Worth reading
I took a course at my university requiring this book. What I found most useful is the numerous updated examples and cases that the author provided. In addition, the discussion is objective and thought-provoking.

Littletext.com switch
Ordered this book from Littletext.com as a new hard cover and recieved a softcover international addition.I wouldn't mind using international version since there is hardly any difference, but don't bait and switch on me I don't like it.I'd buy from someone else if the price was within a couple bucks. Got my book not from Chicago as advertised, but Thailand.However it was delivered in no time.

Too much self-reference
I had this book for one of my classes at my University this semester, and although the content of the book is concise and updated, nonetheless the authors rely too much on self-reference. The book is written too much froma "USA is superior" perspective. I also found some errors such astranslations from other languages that were completely off. If you have toget this book for Intl. Business it is overall a good book, but if you canget a better one, do so. ... Read more

Book Description

Provides a rare look at the situational framework used in building a project management toolbox.
* Includes real-world examples of toolboxes used in a variety of project situations.
* Bridges the gap between theoretical and applied project management. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Project Management Toolbox" Helps Win Projects!
I don't share many of my consulting "know-how" secrets, but in this case I will, because I think the field of PM will benefit from the ideas presented in this book. After working 20 years in the consulting and project management field, I felt I was as knowledgeable as one could be about managing projects. Then one day, I came across Dragan's PM ToolBox. WOW! Every page is an eye opener. And this book really is a toolbox because its filled with detailed examples, report layouts, checklists, and figures which I have personally incorporated into my projects management and documentation. And those work examples have helped me win additional PM business many times over.

If you think this is just another "Here are the PM process steps" book, then click on by. But if you do, you will miss out on the chance to reach a higher level of excellence in the field of project management that will set you apart from the rest.

Thanks Dragan for a job well done!!

Put This Book on Your Desk, Not on Your Bookshelf!
Prof. Milosevic's Project Management Toolbox is to the practitioner of Project Management what the Physicians' Desk Reference is to practitioners of medicine. As the name appropriately implies, this book contains just about every tool and technique one can imagine to be used to manage, and assess projects effectively. But not one or two tools for every phase of a project, but several -- or to quote a cliche -- "a tool for every occasion".

Sound project management techniques are clearly described, substantiated by research, and presented in an easy to understand format. But Milosevic goes even further -- he details how to use each tool, when to use each tool, and when the use of a particular tool may not be appropriate. He even goes so far to present comparisons (pros and cons) of comparable tools (complete with sample form templates that can be put to immediate use), so that the project manager reading the book can select the most appropriate tool or technique to use for his/her particular project and/or organizational environment.

The book is organized logically, and in such a way that after you read the first chapter (which explains the theory & structure of the book), it isn't really necessary to read the book sequentially to put the concepts to practical use.

Whether you're a seasoned project manager, or a manager without much practical experience managing projects, you'll find this book useful and informative. Not merely from an academic point of view, but from a practical one as well.

That's why I recommend that you don't put the book on your bookshelf. Put it on your desk and you'll use it constantly to resolve immediate project management issues, as well as serving as an indispensable project management desk reference. ... Read more

Book Description

You're educated and ambitious. Sure, the hours are long and corporate politics are a bane, but you focus on getting the job done, confident that you will be rewarded in the long run. Yet, somehow, your hard work isn't paying off, and you watch from the sidelines as your colleagues get promoted. Those who make it to management positions in this intensely competitive corporate environment seem to understand an unwritten code for marketing and aligning themselves politically. Furthermore, your strong work ethic and raw intelligence were sufficient when you started at the firm, but now they're expecting you to be a rainmaker who can "bring in clients" and "exert influence" on others. The top of the career ladder seems beyond your reach. Perhaps you’ve hit the bamboo ceiling.

For the last decade, Asian Americans have been the fastest growing population in the United States. Asians comprise the largest college graduate population in America, and are often referred to as the "Model Minority" – but they continue to lag in the American workplace. If qualified Asians are entering the workforce with the right credentials, why aren't they making it to the corner offices and corporate boardrooms?

Career coach Jane Hyun explains that Asians have not been able to break the "bamboo ceiling" because many are unable to effectively manage the cultural influences shaping their individual characteristics and workplace behavior -- factors that are often at odds with the competencies needed to succeed at work. Traditional Asian cultural values can conflict with dominant corporate culture on many levels, resulting in a costly gap that individuals and companies need to bridge. The subtle, unconscious behavioral differences exhibited by Asian employees are often misinterpreted by their non-Asian counterparts, resulting in lost career opportunities and untapped talent.

Never before has this dichotomy been so thoroughly explored, and in this insightful book, Hyun uses case studies, interviews and anecdotes to identify the issues and provide strategies for Asian Americans to succeed in corporate America. Managers will learn how to support the Asian members of their teams to realize their full potential and to maintain their competitive edge in today’s multicultural workplace. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Loudest duck does NOT get shot...
Must read for Asians who work because they have to, not because they want to.As a typical Asian, first-born male, I've been brainwashed to support my family whether they want it or not...of course they're not going to say anything, but their actions speak louder than words.

This book explains that we do not have to change ourselves to succeed.It gives us insights as to how we can utilize our various skill sets to enhance our careers and personal experiences in corporate America.

If you're upbringing has been influenced by your culture and heritage and you're not aware of how it impacts your career, or even if you're aware of how it impacts your career, but you don't know what to do about it...pick up this book.

Squeaky wheel gets the oil ...
However, having grown up in a traditional Asian immigrant family, I was told over and over again by my parents that "empty can makes louder noise".I learned the virtue of being thoughtful (think twice before saying anything needless), which apprently has not helped me much in the ways of advancing my career as a manager.

This book is a MUST read for anyone working in a multi-cultural corporation, especially for those who comes from Asian heritage. It will help you better understand yourself, and provide you with the corrective lense (if you will) to get a better sense of how others really see you (or don't see you) when you keep your thoughts to yourself.

Very well written, and it is easy reading. ... Read more

Book Description

Management Information Systems is recognized for logical organization and clear descriptions. Focusing on the role of managers within an organization, the volume emphasizes the development of computer-based Information Systems to support an organization's objectives and strategic plans. Focusing on the Systems Concepts, the Systems Approach is implemented throughout the text.The volume covers essential concepts such as using information technology to engage in electronic commerce, and information resources such as database management systems, information security, ethical implications of information technology and decision support systems with projects to challenge users at all levels of competence.For those involved in Management Information Systems. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tough Subject
This book does an average job of presenting what is somewhat 'deadly boring' material. Considering what they have to work with, maybe this is the best we could expect.

Falling Behind !
I'm the reviewer from Kansas City, MO. I've used this book for 2 years, but am now switching to the Laudon textbook. The McLeod text is just not keeping up with the times, he needs a strong rewrite.

Excellent undergraduate textbook for MIS Management
I reviewed many textbooks for my Managing MIS course, and this was one of the finalists. I chose it because of it's easy to read style, systemic approach, and good use of case studies. It allows students to not only understand how MIS management should work, but to get a hands-on feel for what really happens in life. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

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

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

Book Description

A text that offers clear, concise, and practical real world treatment of key financial management topics with the assumption readers have little knowledge of financial concepts. Advanced math is eliminated from the theory sections and everyday math is geared towards making the material useful yet understandable, supported by numerous worked-out examples and graphical and intuitive presentations of math where appropriate. Written by a former CFO, the book offers practical, real-world discussion of key topics, including cross-functional coverage of the agendas and biases decision-makers across the firm may bring to a financial proposal. ... Read more

Book Description

Managing for the Future is an innovative approach to teaching organizational behavior based on the course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The text first presents the new organization, examining it through strategic, political, and cultural lenses. Then the role and impact of teams and central issues facing the organization itself are explored. The last section of the text focuses on skills--the goal being not only to present the new organization but also illustrate how students can become better actors within it.Each of the 14 modules provides many instructional options through cases, readings, exercises and projects. Managing for the Future's modular format allows for even greater flexibility, allowing instructors to select only the topics they need to suit their course needs.Managing for the Future's flexible design and its' experiential-based approach make the text and appealing choice for experienced learners. ... Read more

Book Description

Advance Praise for Why the Bottom Line Isn’t!

"Dave and Norm tackle a tough objective–putting together a comprehensive approach to the ‘soft side’ of business, to build long-term market value–and succeed with a captivating mix of ideas, analysis, and real-world examples. They offer real insight into what works, what doesn’t work, and why."
–Rick Wagoner, CEO, General Motors

"This wonderful book makes clear what great leaders have known for years–that a company’s capabilities are heavily influenced by factors that are sometimes seen as intangible. But Ulrich and Smallwood’s greatest contribution is demonstrating that intangible doesn’t mean undefined. They provide a clear map of how leaders can build their own organization’s impact and capabilities. This is not just a book for HR professionals, but for all leaders in any industry who are trying to improve overall performance."
–Paul McKinnon, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Dell

"Why the Bottom Line Isn’t is the essential book for leaders of the future, who accept that building intangibles is a leadership imperative that permeates the entire organization and is equally applicable in the public, private, and social sectors. The concepts and tools in this book are a timely gift to leaders who are ready to see the whole picture."
–Frances Hesselbein, Chairman, The Leader to Leader Institute

"The burst of the tech bubble swept intangibles with it. This book renews confidence in the intangibles phenomenon, and charts a new direction for research and application."
–Baruch Lev, Philip Bardes Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Stern School of Business, New York University, and Director of the Vincent C. Ross Institute for Accounting Research

"It’s refreshing to see that business success does not in fact begin and end at the bottom line. This book helps us better understand the multiplicity of factors that drive business vitality and value growth, but make no mistake–it’s as practical as it is insightful. In very clear terms, Ulrich and Smallwood provide business advice that can easily be applied to effect change."
–Don Hall, CEO, Hallmark ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Good Read!
Authors Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood use a bottom-line approach to assess various business intangibles that build actual value, such as a vision of future growth and improved capabilities. They present the keys to creating value by mustering intangible assets in a well-organized, highly structured way. Unfortunately, the intangible factors and the growth steps they discuss are well-traveled territory. But while other books may describe how to develop these "soft" qualities in a more intriguing or more original way, this volume handily dissects, quantifies and explains them step by step. Here, the vague is made concrete. Even a bean counter could understand the bottom line value of innovation, improved internal systems and enhanced organizational culture with this explanation. We recommend it to those who want to invest in intangible assets in a tangible setting, for very tangible reasons.

Intangibles in Organizational Effectiveness
This book argues that competitively successful organizations seek to constantly build long-term value by strategically managing some of their intangibles. As we know, intangibles are not accounted for in an organization's financial statements. By exploring the world of intangibles, the authors explore a new idea or a new bottom-line, which has the building of long-term market value as its central theme. The authors have identified 7 key intangibles that have to be nurtured. They include the following: shared mindset, talent, speed, learning, accountability, collaboration, and quality of leadership. They have built their formulations on the basis of their own real experiences or a survey of the practices followed by globally successful organizations. The book is based on an Architecture which is the central model on which its contents revolve (p.13).

Some of the prominent features of the book are as follows: Firstly, the book explores a new bottom line suggesting that the intangibles are as or even more important as the hard strategies, systems and processes; for it is the focus on the intangibles that helps build customer, investor, and employee confidence about the future.

Secondly, the book should be seen as outlining an agenda to focus on for HR managers; this is to charge them to increase the shareholders' value through helping develop each of the intangibles. The present crisis of HR department globally emanates from the allegation against it that it indulges in wasteful expenditure in non-measurable activities. Thus the book suggests that HR managers have to become coaches, architects, designers and facilitators of organizational capabilities.

Thirdly, the observations and formulations of the authors are based on inter-disciplinary perspectives within management segments, and are not just reflections of organization theory or effectiveness or just better HR management. They have drawn from researches from disciplines such as human resources management, financial management, IT, and leadership.

Fourthly, the book succeeds well as a solid guide that makes a complex subject simple to the reader by putting before her the essence of various functional perspectives related to management of intangibles. The discussion helps in gauging what works and what does not, and why.

Fifthly, the book contains some remarkably interesting and effective tips of leadership building at the top as well as leadership-building as a way of organizational life. The authors point out that when leaders identify and implement the seven intangibles identified in the Architecture, they "create intangible value" (p. 251).

The book is an essential reading for any executive who wants to better handle the complexities of managerial life in the era of chaotic competition. It surely helps the reader see a larger picture. Though the book has been written in extremely user-friendly way, I feel if it had a simpler title it would have carried a much higher attention value of potential lay readers. Still, there is no doubt that it will be especially liked by those managers and leaders who want to build confidence about shaping their future in the chaotic business world.

Clever title or false premise?
This book appears to be based on two false premises. One, the bottom line is the bottom line, if organisations manage to get more value out of their people the bottom line changes. Two, there's no such thing as an intangible - market value of a business is tangible value. The big omission is any definition of value even though the authors constantly refer to this concept.

An ideal read for HR people who want to talk a good job but of little use for those who genuinely want to find practical ways to add value through people.

Ulrich & Smallwood - have done it again !
Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood have done it again- created a wonderful book which is an invaluable toolkit for aspiring and practising managers."Why the Bottom Line Isn't" is a highly relevant and accessible resource for busy executives, which can also save your organisation substantial dollars in consulting fees.This book is also recommended reading for non- executive Board directors and investors.
As the authors outline in their introduction, "Why the Bottom Line Isn't", began when they asked a simple question- How can two companies in the same industry, with similiar earnings, have vastly different market values. In addressing this question, Ulrich and Smallwood explore the world of intangibles and a new bottom-line, that has building long -term market value as the central theme.
Based upon their extensive consulting experience and drawing from diverse disciplines, such as finance/accounting and organisation behaviour,the authors focus on how to identify and build intangibles within one's organisation.An Architecture for Intangibles is created and this four layer model provides the framework and structure for " Why the Bottom Line Isn't". As the framework is developed,the reader is taken on a journey that focuses on the leadership implications- and resulting actions- for each layer( and their various components) of the architecture for intangibles. Ulrich,Smallwood and Zenger's excellent work from Results Based Leadership(Harvard Press 1999)on "leadership brand" is also integrated.
This outstanding book is really a treasure chest resource - it is full of useful hints,quizzes,question and process lists, tips and exercises. It also contains questionnaires and is supported by extensive reference notes and web links, for those requiring further information and support.
The practical emphasis is demonstrated via the utilisation of many company examples and stories that support the many insights which are presented. The communication style which the authors employ is also very appealing and engages the reader.Close attention to education objectives are also very evident, with the authors utilising fresh techniques in tackling complex issues within organisations. For example,to surface sacred cows which exist in most organisations,they recommend treating them as you would a computer virus, because they have the same deadly impact on your operations, as computer viruses have upon IT systems.As a result,a virus detector list of 27 items is produced
In summary, this book is essential reading for any executive who is wanting to better handle the complexities of life in 21st century organisations.

Put this book in your shopping basket!
David Ulrich's ideas have pretty much defined the HR profession for the last decade. That by itself is a reason to make sure you've read this book. What is even more important is that Ulrich & Smallwood outline how HR activities can help to increase the shareholders value as measured in stock price (at least, this is what HR could do, if they would do it right, the reality is that often HR just seems to be wasting money). Given that shareholders become more and more demanding, that's another good reason to read this book. So I was a bit surprised to see that this book is not high on the Amazon bestseller list when I'm writing this review (sales rank 12.407 when I wrote this and only 4 other reviews written).
Not only does the book contain a lot of valuable advice, it's structure and writing style make it easy to get the message. For instance, you'll find most principles illustrated with examples of companies such as General Electric, South West Airlines, Sears, ... and each chapter ends with a section with leadership implications.
While reading the book, I had myself going "yes" most of the time and I really think that this book should be on your reading list. So why did I only give it 4 stars? Personally I would have seen a more provocative writing style, more examples of how other companies screw up, etc. I think that more counter-examples would really have driven the books's message home. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a practical reference to effective mentoring in a format that provides quick access to the important concepts and techniques of this unique, powerful, one-to-one learning model. The Manager's Pocket Guide to Mentoring is a convenient and comprehensive reference, offering valuable, pragmatic guidance that mentors can use in assisting mentees to:

Participate in constructive interpersonal dialogues during the mentoring experience
Map out attainable personal and professional goals
Analyze problems, formulate realistic solutions, and make constructive decisions
Plan workable strategies for promoting career, training, and educational development
Initiate positive actions to achieve stated objectives

This guide presents an expanded view of the behavioral expertise required of today's mentors who are faced with the challenge of establishing and sustaining mentoring relationships within more complex workplace, academic, and social environments.

Titles by Dr. Norman Cohen
The Complete Mentoring Program
The Mentoring Program
Becoming a Mentor: A Video-Based Workshop
Becoming a Mentor: A Video-Based Workshop - Additional Workbook
A Step-by-Step Guide to Starting An Effective Mentoring Program
Assessment of Organizational Readiness for Mentoring
Principles of Adult Mentoring Inventory - Assessment
Manager's Pocket Guide to Effective Mentoring
Mentor Critique Form
Mentee's Guide to Mentoring
Guide to Mentee Planning
Leader's Guide for the Principles of Adult Mentoring Inventory ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An indispensible and seminal text!!
Kolb's "Experiential Learning" is a masterpiece. In it, he deftly synthesizes the strands of learning theory and psychological research that inform his 4 stage learning cycle. All committed "experiential educators" should consult this book in order more deeply to understand the deep and rich conceptual foundation(s) of our potent pedagogical practice. In his "Foreword" to the volume, Leadership guru Warren Bennis positively hyperventilates in applauding Kolb's achievement in this work. And for good reason! From thence comes Kolb's elegant & powerful "Learning Styles Inventory" (or LSI), among other things. Even if you're a cynic or skeptic re: the merit of experiential education, you would do well to peruse this tour-de-force in order better to appreciate what you may be missing.

Please pass the molasses
When one encounters the word " dialectic" while reading academic texts it should be as a clear signal as a fire to forest ranger that trouble is on the horizon. This statement may be a bit of an exaggeration but it would definitely be accurate to say that Kolb's Experiential Learning is no easy read. Of course, this does not diminish the value of the book, in spite of difficult passages. Ironically, this is the essence of the concept of "dialectic". Liberal doses of psychology are ladled throughout the book as the masters (Piaget, Jung, et. al) are consistently consulted to back up theory. Although not professing to have knowledge about psychology, it is clear that their work is essential to establish the interrelationship between cognition and experiential learning. Theory of learning and the opposing learning styles of apprehension and comprehension are explored. This book is clearly the cure for a stubborn case of insomnia. I can't say that the book is without merit, however, because it held some great information that will be useful now and in future applications when I have the chance to practice my current endeavors. Some passages even caused a sense of anticipation for the succeeding ones because there was a considerable amount of interesting information that I had not yet pondered. I would compare this book to putting molasses on pancakes on a winter day. It is thick and doesn't go down easily but great once you warm up to it ... Read more