Book Description

Make challenging concepts more memorable, even unforgettable!

"Stories Trainers Tell is full of fun, entertaining, and useful stories that help bring any training alive. Use it and watch people smile and learn!"
--Ken Blanchard, coauthor, The One Minute Manager® and Whale Done!(TM)

Telling stories is a powerful way to make a point, especially when the stories are compelling, well-constructed, and poignant. This book captures thought-provoking stories contributed by trainers, nationally known speakers, consultants, business leaders, educators, and professional storytellers that help make challenging ideas and abstract concepts stick.

The stories are organized around major organizational development and training themes, such as leadership, diversity, teamwork, performance and coaching, and customer service. Accompanying each story are tips, debriefing questions, key points, and a follow-up activity to maximize its impact and learning potential.

Includes a free CD-ROM with narrative readings of each story!

Contributors include: Merrill Anderson, Jean Barbazette, Joe Barnes, Paula Bartholome, Chip Bell, Geoff Bellman, William Austin Boone, Sharon L. Bowman, Karen D. L. Byrson, Chris Clarke-Epstein, Hortencia Delgadillo, Larry English, Marcy Fisher, Suzann Gardner, Joan Gillman, Steve Hanamura, Lunell Haught, Sandra Hoskins, Katherine M. Hudson, David Hutchens, Joan Lloyd, Kate Lutz, Robert McIlree, Maureen G. Mulvaney, Kathy A. Nielsen, Clare Novak, Julie O'Mara, Laura V. Page, Jonathan M. Preston, John Renesch, Shelley R. Robbins, Marcia Ruben, Sheriene Saadati, Edward E. Scannell, L.G. Shanklin-Flowers, Bob Shaver, Doug Stevenson, Ed Tate, Sivasailam 'Thiagi' Thiagarajan, and David Zach. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Great Resource
What a great resource.The stories recited in the book are poignant, humorous, and best of all, real.As a director of administrative support services I'm always looking for creative ways to get a point across.Stories work; these stories and the follow-up activities and presentation tips work.

My organization faces two challenges on a daily basis.First, what is the most efficient and effective way to collect, organize, manage and disseminate mountains of information?Second, how do we continue to streamline and simplify our administrative processes to provide more value-added service to our constituents?

The resources Lori and Mary provide through this text have enabled me to communicate more effectively with my staff during our planning and design sessions.The moral of these stories help us keep focused on the expectations and perceptions of our constituent base.

It's a book to be kept on your desk and referred to many times.

Incredibly Valuable Resource!
Storytelling has been used to convey history and lessons for centuries. Before newspapers came on the scene, story tellers would travel from village to village telling stories to share the news of what was happening in other communities and the world at large...at least as large as it was back then. One could argue that storytelling has become almost a lost art as our communication mode has shifted more to content, facts, polices and procedures. In the corporate world, leaders and managers-and training professionals-have attempted to communicate without really reaching people "inside," where messages can resonate with a mental or emotional picture. It's that inner connection that has the potential of changing behavior and making a difference. To make that connection, communicators need to engage people's minds and hearts to help them "get" the message.

So here's a book on the stories trainers tell. Big book, thick. Whew! That's a lot of fluffy, touchy-feely soft stuff! That first impression will disintegrate as you open this wonderful resource.Sure, there's a treasure chest of stories, mostly from experienced trainers and professional speakers who use them regularly to build the effectiveness of their work. If this book were merely a collection of all those stories, it would be a helpful reference...sort of a Chicken Soup for the Trainer's Bookshelf. Fortunately, the authors have a deeper understanding of what communicators need, so they created an incredible tool kit for trainers, speakers, executives, managers, coaches, parents-the list goes on.

Each of the stories is presented with tips on how to use it, questions to enrich the telling, key point options, and follow-up activities. The stories-short, not long-are set apart in the text by the use of helpful shading. So, now we have more value than just a catalog of stories. But, wait! There's more. The book includes an explanation of different kinds of stories, when and how they can be used, with a cross-reference to the 55 stories. Want even more value? The stories are gathered into chapters that organize the resources for easier access: Appreciating Differences, Communications and Feedback, Customer Service, Influence and Motivation, Leadership, Living Our Values, Performance and Coaching, Problem Solving, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Training Fundamentals.

Are you sensing why I'm enthusiastic about this book? We're not done! I've only told you about what's in the back of the book! "Stories Trainers Tell" begins with an invaluable section on the why and how of using stories to enhance and enrich communication. Page after page of tips and insight educates and inspires the reader, deepening understanding to raise the level of professionalism and effectiveness in communication.

The CD-ROM? Pop this tool into your computer and enjoy an MP3 format delivery of audio dramatizations of the stories in the book. Readers can now learn as listeners also, and most of the recordings are authorized for replay to audiences. Playing a recording of someone else telling a story, then facilitating the interpretation and application of what was heard offers a new dimension to the richness of communication, thought stimulation, and movement to action.

Then there's the reading list and the index. So much! You'll be captivated with a cover-to-cover read, entranced by the stories yourself. This book will sit prominently on your shelf as a primary resource for years to come. I half-apologize for the long review, but this book deserves the accolades.

Replacing my tired, old yarns with powerful, new parables
I find that I hear myself telling the same stories over and over again to colleagues when trying to make a point. On the one hand, this is good for sending a consistent message. On the other hand, I get tired of hearing the same thing, and need to make my points in new ways.

As the global marketing research manager for Invista (the world's largest fibers company with consumer and b2b brands such as Lycra(r) and Stainmaster(r)), I need to convert data to meaning that helps our leadership to make decisions. That is what the stories in Stories Trainers Tell do for me. When our managers understand the opportunities that stories point out in the research, they are better able to act with confidence and communicate with clarity.

While I contributed to the book, I also use what it offers to make me a better communicator. I can communicate the meaning I see in data more effectively when I have a story to help me out.

I recommend that you check out the book for yourself to learn how you can upgrade your thinking and practice no matter what role you are in.

Stories Trainers Tell
I am a Director of Training for a fortune 500 company.Quarterly, I look for new resources that my 40 designers and trainers can use when developing and delivering material to our employees and agents.This book was the gem I've been looking for.Story telling is the most powerful thing a trainer can give their students - because the stories last in the mind forever when the technical details disappear.This book details the how, the what, the when, the where, and the why.Recently I bought a copy for each one of my staff - and the incredible results are already coming in!!!Thanks for my best new resource of the year!

Stories:APowerfulTool
To be successful as a project management consultant, it is important to be able to influence people to move in the direction in which they need to go (not always the direction in which they would like to go).The thing about using stories to influence is that people love stories and will listen even if they are resisting other management methods.This book has wonderful, rich content and is very easy to use.The commitment of the authors to help readers succeed is demonstrated by the sayitwithastory web site and newsletter.I am very pleased this terrific resource is available.[By the way, these stories work on family members also!] ... Read more

Book Description

In today's fast-changing work world, employees constantly need to learn new skills. At the same time, training budgets are shrinking. Who's left to do the training? Whether it's a quick software demonstration or a two-day seminar, it's often managers, supervisors, and team leaders who must provide this "training-to-go."

This concise guide focuses solely on the critical elements of training, so readers can become "overnight" trainers. Filled with many real-world examples, the book presents dozens of field-tested tools for immediate use, including:

**8 key steps to effective training
**16 learning principles
**how to select media and delivery methods
**formats for training materials
**how to develop experiential exercises
**a training program checklist
**effective presentation steps
**common behavior problems
**13 facts about how to ask questions
**10 ways to interact with learners
**how learners can keep learning after the training ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not bad for novices
A good resource that covers everything from Facilitation to Techniques passing through evaluation and personal development. If you are a beginner or you are asked frequently to help other beginner-level trainers, then you would probably benefit from this book.

The Book is written in an easy and simple style that takes the reader through the different aspects of training logically and smoothly.

Solid, If Dry, Guide for the First Time Trainer
This is a reasonable summary of current techniques and strategies for training. The writing is a bit dry, and I got the feeling that this book was oriented towards human resources professionals. There is nothing wrong with that, but my preference is for a less academic style of writing. Still, it's not a bad choice, just not one of my favorites.

A good guide for beginners.
The First Time Trainer is a very good and concise guide specially for those who have not had any previous training on this topic. Its eight steps are great to help you organize your way into the process of studying and getting ready to train others. It's practical, easy to read and it gives you a lot of ideas and tips to use in training sessions. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Rainmakers function better in a forest
By thinking of Rainmakers as separate from the organization, the firm severely limits its potential and actual benefits from the rainmaker's efforts. This book is valuable for training potential rainmakers, but probably more useful in helping the firm to understand what the rainmaker is doing, why and how they can help. By focusing the energy of the firm on rainmaking, a much more powerful force will be generated to serve existing clients and encourage new business. This book provides a good basis for creating this new synergy for the firm.

Who doesn't need a little rain?
I am the author of the book Futures For Small Speculators and Single Stock Futures For Small Speculators as well as the president of Liverpoolgroup.com.

Our focus is in the futures, commodities, and option business. We trade oil, cattle, gold, currency etc. And each one of our employees is an "independent" contractor. The problem with that is the fact that often times this very independent entrepreneurial group has a hard time working together to develop client relationships.

Everyone is competing against everyone else. There is little to no synergy or teamwork.

This book showed me MANY examples of how to guide and direct the individuals of the group to be more cooperative with one another and how to help them make more money. I was astonished that I was doing somethings right, but the things that I was doing right were being negated by the actions I was doing wrong. Over and over again Mr.Harding says that rainmakers get in their own way when it comes to training other potential rainmakers and he is right! If I had not read this book I would have lost some valuable members of my team due defection.

This is a great book and was a joy to read. One reading is not enough. This book must be read three to four times with a highlighter and a notepad- so you can write down the numerous ideas that will occur to you as you read the book. Then keep this book as a reference that you can go back to time and time again.

The ONE Guide to Read
Of all the books available on business development in the professions, this is the best of the best.Concise, practical yet never simplistic, Ford Harding hits the strategic issues of business development, then ties the issues to solid implementable actions.As an advisor to CPA and law firms, I consider this book to be the "course textbook" for learning the subject matter quickly.Professionals don't have time for volumes of thick how-to manuals.Give it to them straight and quickly.This book does that.Every page unlocks another important concept in business development.When finished the reader not only knows the subject, but knows what to do next.Instead of throwing the book in a cabinet, it should be kept in a handy place, and as the professional becomes more experienced, it can take him/her to the next level of understanding, and to the highest reaches of successful rainmaking.A must read for any professional who wants to grow their practice.

A bible for the training of business development staff.
I used this book in the planning of a training program for business development activities at the engineering/surveying firm, Psomas and Associates. We needed a training program for every level of staff fromprincipals to marketing support staff. This book was amazing!It made thejob sooooooo much easier!The information in this book was nothing shortof inspiring and the success we are having in the program is testimony tothe quality of the ideas and programs described in the book. I recommend itvery, very highly!

A fascinating and thought-provoking book
I am a consultant in a company which does not have an organised rainmaker system (yet). As such, much of what I read in this book was new to me and I have discussed its contents with my boss. I think that this book will helpus to improve our business. It is full of insightful ideas. ... Read more

Book Description

Now Bob Pike brings you 101 More Games for Trainers. This is your sourcebook for engaging participants while they are in your classroom. You'll find dozens of games, exercises and activities specifically designed to: bring a weary group back to life; lead an audience through a spirited, comprehensive review session; break the ice and grab participants' attention, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

The book seminar participants have asked for is about to be released! You Can Compete describes how I work and gives the independent businessperson concrete advice from someone who’s worked in retail stores 50+ hours a week, has known what to do when their back is against the wall and has a proven track record of success. It is aimed at independent business owners, many of which are being challenged by chain stores. Think of the movie You’ve Got Mail only in my book, the independent succeeds.

As the "Retail Doctor", I have been giving a message of hope that you can compete - as long as you are creative and willing to change. From nurseries to coffeehouses, from bookstores to hardware stores the message to the small businessperson is clear: you are in a hopeless situation. If the independents are not encouraged and challenged to fight, we will all be the worse for it. This book does that for a wide audience of readers. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Wake-up call for the small business owner
Bob Phibbs takes running a small business seriously and he takes customer service VERY seriously. Best of all, he explains his principles well, without being condescending or preachy. This concise, well-organized book lays out the basics of "killer" marketing and customer service that can make your business stand out above the competition. YCC will light a fire under the complacent or discouraged business owner, as it provides a much needed motivational wake-up call for every independent business trying to stay afloat in corporate America.

If you're not weak of heart-This will work.
I'm a consultant in the jewelry industry and this book tells it like it is and is like having lunch with a mentor once a week. Bob tells you exactly what to do in sales training, hiring, pricing, maarketing and just plain out how to compete against whomever your competition happens to be. Many thoughts are one or two pages on what to do. Some of it it's the number head on. Soemtimes it's a pep talk.

Example: Bob talks about if an employee doesn't work out in a short time or constantly comes in late to FIRE THEM.

This is a correct way to handle your business, it's just that many a store woner are WIMPS. "We're all family here". yeah, right. When it comes down to "who doesn't get a pay check this pay period-cash flow sucks" see who volunteers. YOU.

If this book doesn't nothing else than to make you a STRONGER manager it will be worth a 100 times more.

I give seminars to jewelers on pricing and sales commissions. I felt so strongly about the value of this book that I ordered 50 copies to give out to my attendees this June in Vegas.

Bob talks about commissions and marketing. There aren't as many extra books on commissions out there (Bob spends one to three pages on one" but there a few excelent books on advertising you should read, expecially if you're retail:

" The 33 ruthless rules of local advertising" by Michael Corbett.

Also 2 excellent books (Bob talks about branding-buy these 2 from anexpert) on advertising and marketing:

"The end of marketing as we know it"
"The end of advertising as we know it"

Both by Sergio Zyman. He used to be in charge of marketing at Coca Cola.

David Geller
www.JewelerProfit.com

Not too hot - Not too cold - Just RIGHT ON!
As a former owner of a retail/service business and continuing entrepreneur, I read Bob Phibbs' book with great interest. There is simply not enough I can say about this book. It is an easy read that is not bogged down with anecdote after anecdote trying to make the same point over and over again as so many self-help books are. Phibbs make his points with short, concise, relevant vignettes that more often than not pack an A-ha! punch. Any independent business person with a lick of sense who hopes to compete with the big box retail vampires will have Phibbs' book - not on their bookshelves, but in hand. Personally, I've always believed the little guy could compete, but how? Phibbs tells you exactly how. Interestingly enough, I happen to live in a community where Phibbs cites success stories and was surprised that I am a customer of one of them. I remember when Starbucks moved in a few doors down from Polly's with the sole intention of putting Polly's out of business (there's another Starbucks just a few blocks away). I didn't think Polly's would last a month, but Polly's began to change and began a campaign to beat the giant. Now, at least two years later they're still here... and thriving... and better than ever with Phibbs' expert guidance. You Can Compete is filled with his expertise in an organized, personable package that would almost make you feel as if Phibbs was your own personal consultant. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the retail business or thinking about going into it - don't wait for the giants to come barging into your backyard. You could not ask for a better guide for success than You Can Compete. ... Read more

Book Description

You know that great improvement initiatives abound. What you may not know is how to implement them effectively; get fast, dramatic improvement; and sustain those results for the long term. It's a common problem. But take heart: The next wave of performance excellence is here— the seamless integration of today's leading improvement methods. This integration, described thoroughly in this book, builds upon the strengths and addresses the shortcomings of each discipline. For example:

• While Six Sigma provides a disciplined, quantitative approach, many efforts fail because they don't address the people side of performance improvement and change management. Plus, Six Sigma efforts are expensive and take too long to produce results.
• Lean Manufacturing techniques can provide quick results, but they lack quantitative tools to reduce variation, and, as a result, are incapable of addressing numerous high-dollar improvement opportunities.
• Though High-Performance Organizations (HPO) create conditions for great motivation, improve intra-organizational interactions, and lower employee turnover, many HPO interventions fail to produce solid business results because members lack a disciplined approach and the tools for improvement.

Reviews (6)

Breakthrough book for leading large scale improvement
Devane does it again!Co-author of the popular: "The Change Handbook"; he now provides us with a roadmap of breakthrough thinking in the areas of Lean Six Sigma and High Performance Organizations!
From the opening lines in the Preview we are invited into examining the crisis of improvement programs that face organizations today.The story concludes having introduced the reader into a unique journey examining the combinations and possibilities of these methods and what is fundamentally required of leadership.This book is masterfully written offering a balanced blend of theory, practicality and insightful breakthroughs, cracking the puzzle of achieving sustainable organizational results.The skilled OD practitioner will readily see the author's depth of expertise and scholarship displayed in the fields of change and leadership.He comfortably ties together the soft and hard skills necessary to accomplish what so many efforts fail to achieve and overlook in their improvement programs.
His main divisions of the book entitled, Practical Foundations and Pragmatic Practice, allow the novice to understand their working intentions and how to effectively apply them.The seasoned person will be able to jump in where they are most comfortable.His creative literary style, with a liberal combination of tables, charts, exhibits, figures, and war stories makes reading a pleasure and captures your attention.The repetitive structure within the Leader's Guide includes activity maps, leader to do lists, tool applications and pragmatic tips, allowing the reader to develop a rhythm in learning the principles and applications being discussed.The generous glossary and reference materials will greatly assist in allowing you to deepen your understanding or expand your resources in the field.
In addition, the book's companion website, www.LeanSixSigmaHPO.com, provides helpful supporting information for leaders serious about simultaneously addressing technical tool deployment and cultural aspects of large-scale process improvement efforts.

Refreshing.A book that doesn?t just exhort "one right way"
Most books I've seen on the topics of Lean, Six Sigma, and culture change suggest a one-size-fits all approach that is detailed by the author(s) in their specific book.Usually they are plugging one methodology that supposedly has universal application across all industries and all sized companies.Not so with this book.

This book, written for leaders, provides a succinct array of principles, general approach templates, and common traps for each stage of an improvement process.Rather than advocating detailed, sequential steps to take, the book offers up proven best practices and a general flow that leaders may, or may not apply based on their specific organizational circumstances.Another book I highly recommend that offers alternative approaches to improvement is Peter Pande's book What Is Six Sigma?A fixed, rigid improvement approach that is not customized to accommodate an organization's unique characteristics is doomed to expensive failure, and these two books get that concept.

At last!A book for both hard and soft aspects of Six Sigma
Many books present the hard tools of Six Sigma.Many books present how to do change manageemnt, or the "soft side" of continuous improvement projects.This is the first book I've seen that provides leaders with a clear set of principles and a general approach for integrating hard and soft aspects of Six Sigma to achieve dramatic, sustainable results.The first third of the book presents concepts on Lean, Six Sigma, and High Performance Organizations.The final two-thirds of the book is organized according to the implementation stages of an enterprise-wide Six Sigma project.For each stage the book provides pragmatic tips on topics such as stage outputs, common traps, key large goup meetings, leader "To Do" checklists, counterintuitive elements, and leadership tools. In addition to the book's comprehensive coverage of leadership issues for large-scale process improvement, there's also an extensive reference section in the back that points leaders to other books and web-sites containing valuable leadership tips.

Readers should be aware that this book does not delve into detailed statistical tools that improvement teams use.Rather, the book focuses on leadership aspects so I would recommend another book like one of Breyfogle's for people interested in "hard tools" of Six Sigma.

Good leadership advice for both manufacturing and service
I was pleased to find a leadership book for Lean Six Sigma that addresses both manufacturing and transactional improvement so I didn't have to buy two different leadership books as is necessary with detailed improvement tools for each.With shop floor and office examples from widely diverse industries like electronics assembly, pharmaceutical, retailing, environmental services, government, and financial services, this book presents ideas on how to lead the improvement of all kinds of processes.I was a bit surprised to see that many of the cases from other industries had direct applicability to my industry.I found the detailed advice on setting up an executive committee that meets regularly to evaluate the progress of all improvement projects to be especially useful.And by providing sample questions that executives can ask, the book helps executives ensure that improvement teams are proceeding in the right direction without having executives engaged in micro-managing.

An excellent handbook for leaders of large-scale improvement
This book is chockfull of golden advice nuggets for leaders of big changes in organizations.It shows how integrating the disciplines of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and High-Performance Organizations can provide a robust combination of quick short-term wins, significant long-term wins based on rigourous data collection and analysis, and sustainable gains based on increased employee motivation.I found the Leadership Checklists that were provided for each of the book's 5 phases of an improvement effort to be particularly helpful.The book provides an excellent reference for busy leaders as its organization, indexing, and exhibit list make it easy to quickly find specific topics of interest. ... Read more

Book Description

Toys, gadgets and gizmos, movement and metaphor. From simple, ordinary things, you can create extraordinary learning experiences for your students, audiences, and training participants. with Shake, Rattle and Roll, you'll discover over one hundred ways to make your training come alive with energy, excitement, meaning and memory. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

More great ideas!
A great resource for teaching/training ideas. Simply a must for those who care. Sharon's experience really shows. I'm turning into a real fan. I can't wait to read her next book.

Shake, Rattle, & Roll by Sharon Bowman
This book encourages trainers to "step out of their circle" and think of new innovative ways to facilitate learning. Using the suggestions presented guarantees that an ordinary presentation can be truly extraordinary. ... Read more

Book Description

In today’s fast paced, “right-sized,” competitive environment businesses increasingly need staff who are creative, think on their feet, take the unexpected in their stride, and work effectively in fluid teams.How can they instill and develop these critical skills?

The answer may be to improvise!Improvisational actors make up scenes, dialog and entire plays on the spot.They work collaboratively in front of paying customers who expect to be entertained and amazed.Improv actors use no script, cannot predict what will happen next, and have no chance to go back or rewrite.They rely on their knowledge, practiced skills and their colleagues.

This book is the first to apply the improv methodologies of the theater to developing the business skills that are in high demand.Kat Koppett—a professional trainer, management consultant and professional actor—demonstrates to trainers and managers how they can effectively transfer improv training techniques to their day to day business environment.

TRAINING TO IMAGINE translates the theories and exercises of improv into straightforward and practical guidelines and training activities.

This book is written for trainers, HR personnel, managers and team leaders who are interested in increasing their tool kit, and enhancing the impact, fun, and retention levels of their workshops.It assumes no previous experience with improvisation or performing, offers all the needed background and provides clear and practical instructions with a range of simple and effective exercises.Trainers and managers may find the book improves their own presentation and teaching skills. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Imaginative, and Effective, Training Activities
Over the last couple of years, I have become interested in adapting techniques from improv theatre to organizational training settings. Koppett's book helped me solidly solidify my thinking on the matter. She divides her book into two sections, Principles and Activities. The Principles section is broken into seven chapters that address trust, listening and awareness, non-verbal communications...all the kinds of things for which organizations seek training. The Activities sections has instructions for 50 activities, including an overview, the relevant principles, instructions and variations, and even questions that facilitate discussions after the activity is complete. For added value, the appendices break each activity down into improv principles (trust, spontaneity, etc.) or training application (team-building, creativity, problem-solving, etc.) I've used this resource dozens of times already. In fact, I've had trouble getting it back from several colleagues, and don't lend it out anymore!

Excellent, Readable Work
I enjoyed this book for two main reasons. First, it offers an engaging treatment of improvisation techniques that's certain to inform (and inspire) even those without background in the area. Second, it's an excellent compendium of training activities written in detailed prose perfect for people like me who do a lot of training, but who don't have the formal schooling in training methodology and techniques. In short, this is a worthwhile read and an excellent addition to one's library of training resources.

Go for Improv
I highly recommend this book for people interested in incorporating improv in their training, whatever the topic. The book is clear, to the point, very creative and also very practical. Ms Koppett has collected some tried-and-true improv exercises that are easy to use and really work. Even if you have never done any theatre or improv, you can use this book. Just imagine, a training session in which your participants are inspired, creative, collaborative, funny, cohesive.....

Best of the Year!
The subtitle tells the story: Practical Improvisational theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership and Learning. Well it almost tells it all. This book teaches you in a very readable way about the concepts of improv, which is very interesting and a great read. THEN it provides you with 50 exercises that you can use immediately or tailor for your needs in training on almost any possible training topic. The best training book of the year.

Wow!
I have been in the training business for 30 years. Much of what our trainers do involves designing and delivering games and simulations to improve creativity, communication, team collaboration, problem-solving. Ms. Koppett's book, Training to Imagine contains the best collection of learning "jolts" I have ever read. They are fun. They create "ahas." They are easy to run. Her clear explanation of the principles and applications of improv techniques to training is well supported by research and practical experience. Well done, Ms. Koppett. I am looking forward to the next one. Maybe "Training 2: Imagine!" ... Read more

Book Description

Do you want to raise the bar for service excellence in your organization? Here is a practical, hands-on guide to help you quickly accomplish this goal. Dozens of field-tested exercises, games, activities, icebreakers, and assessment instruments help you teach employees the importance of customer service and improve their performance. A flexible format and easy-to-use icons help you develop a customized training program lasting from one hour to one day or longer. A companion CD-ROM includes PowerPoint® presentations and electronic copies of all supporting material. ... Read more

Book Description

If the knowledge and skills of employees are a company's biggestcompetitive asset, why are so many organizations riddled withunproductive, irrelevant training departments and activities?

Because they're being ripped off in a $50 billion "Great AmericanTraining Robbery," says Daniel Tobin in this strong, frank -- andultimately rejuvenating -- critique of the current state of employeelearning. And it's time for senior managers and human resourcesprofessionals to enact change.

Tobin outlines a new approach to learning, one that links "trainingand development" with viable, job-related, bottom-line drivenactivities. His model operates on individual, work unit, and corporatelevels, with each area continually sharing information and skills -- tocreate a dynamic, actively learning, knowledge-enabled organization.

Filled with instructive real-world examples, The Knowledge-EnabledOrganization supplies a comprehensive and practical game plan forimplementing this kind of strategic, results-driven training. Itexplains how to:

**transform the way that training departments think and act
** ensure that every training dollar spent contributes to corporatefinancial goals -- and individual career goals
**expand anddiversify an employee's learning activities
**create a knowledgenetwork to support learning
**build and maintain a positivelearning environment.
... Read more

Reviews (2)

"Continuous improvement is continuous learning"
"In most businesses, when you mention the word learning, people immediately think of a formal training group, whether it is called 'training and development,' 'education and training,' employee development,' or any of a dozen other titles. Built on a traditional model, these training groups have done more to hinder progress in creating knowledge-enabled organizations than they have helped. A new model is needed, not just for the training group but for the company as a whole. Becoming a knowledge-enabled organization involves not just the training group but everyone from the CEO down; it requires basic changes in how the company is organized and run. The good news is that you can get there from here. This is your guidebook for making the journey" (from the Introduction p.3).

In this context, Daniel R. Tobin:

* argues that "training programs in most companies today rob the company in two ways. First, because formal training programs developed and delivered by traditional training groups are ineffective in helping the company and its employees succeed in meeting their goals, they waste large amounts of money and time. Second, by creating the illusion that formal training programs can meet the company's learning needs and those of its employees, by separating employees' learning needs and learning activities from their actual work, companies miss opportunities to improve individual and company performance, meet or exceed stated goals, and create real competitive advantage".

* presents the four stages of his learning model as an alternative to the traditional model, and examines some common barriers (unavailability of data, inability to find relevant, purposeful data, failure to recognize and share tacit knowledge), and other inhibitors (misdirected measurement and reward strategies, rigid organizational structures, and policies and procedures that force people to work in the same old ways even while the leaders are pointing to new directions) to knowledge development.

* examines what it means to be a knowledge-enabled organization.

* argues that "one key to creating a knowledge-enabled organization is the practice of developing individual employee learning contracts for every employee in the company. The learning contract specifies the knowledge and skills that the employee must acquire over the next year to meet individual goals. These goals are tied directly to functional, departmental, and business unit goals and must have a direct relation to the company's overall business goals".

* examines a wide range of learning options and how they can fulfill employees' learning contracts.

* as a guide for starting to build a company's knowledge network, presents some excellent practices that companies have undertaken to build their own knowledge networks, and argues that "without a positive learning environment, no organization can become knowledge-enabled, regardless of how much it spends on tools and technologies".

* discusses how today's successful companies create a positive learning environment, and argues that "to succeed in becoming a knowledge-enabled organization, a company must change how the leaders lead; how it structures communications, up, down, and throughout the company; how it measures and rewards employees; and how it structures work and job design".

* advises that companies 'throw out the training catalog, not the training group' (because training catalogs reflect the past and limit the potential for real learning), and presents a new model for a group that it be named employee and organizational learning.

* examines the learning organization, a term popularized by Peter Senge, and the corporate university and relates them to the model of the knowledge-enabled organization, and argues that "Senge's five disciplines can be valuable tools, but are not sufficient, in and of themselves, to create a knowledge-enabled organization, and establishing a corporate university does not guarantee that there will be any change in the way the corporation's employees are trained".

* in addition to developing knowledge and skills within the company, examines the other two knowledge-acquisition strategies: buying knowledge and skills, and renting knowledge and skills, and says that "the knowledge-enabled organization also learns from customers, suppliers, and even competitors-from any and every relevant source within or without the company".

Finally, Daniel R. Tobin writes, "creating a knowledge-enabled organization is a prerequisite for any company's future success. There is no function, no job within any company today, regardless of industry or location, that is not knowledge-based. At the same time, the amount of knowledge that employees at all levels need to do their jobs is expanding exponentially; in the future no employee will be able to master all of the knowledge needed to do a job. The best that we can do for our employees is to build a positive learning environment where they are engaged in continuous learning and can use knowledge networks to gather and share the knowledge they need to succeed individually and collectively".

Strongly recommended.

This book gives practical guidelines and case studies
I found Dr. Tobin's book both useful in its content and very readable. Compared to many business books which often leave me thinking "So what is their point?," Dan Tobin gives clear examples, illuminating case studies, and practical suggestions. He is also clear regarding why he omitted the technology side of the equation - it would be outdated by the time the book came out. However, if you are interested in more of the technology side, you might want to check out Tom Kooulopolus' book Smart Companies, Smart Tools (Van Nostrand Reinhold). I especially liked Dan's description of how companies "jump started" their knowledge sharing process, as this seems to be THE major limiting factor, not the technology. As experts in the Knowledge Management field are recognizing, the big question is: How do you create a climate where people want to share knowledge? This book gives some practical suggestions and case studies of how organizations have done this. I strongly recommend checking out Dan's book as well as his earlier ones. ... Read more

Book Description

L.E.T. has changed countless corporations and private businesses-including many Fortune 500 companies-with its down-to-earth communication and conflict resolution skills. Now, this indispensable source has been newly revised with updated research and timely case studies.

"The skill-building aspect is why L.E.T. training is a high priority for our managers and supervisors. The chance that leaders will make changes in this critical leadership skill area-the way they communicate-is higher with L.E.T. than with anything else that I've seen on the market." (H. Levine, Vice President, Business Consulting and Organizational Development, Merck & Co., Inc.)

"Leader Effectiveness Training (L.E.T.) is the best, most practical book that I've ever read on management." (Kent Stickler, President, The Stickler Learning Group)

"L.E.T. is a ground-breaking book and training methodology that has proven to provide skills and tools to managers in a corporate setting.The skills and tools are timeless." (Liz Mazzotta, Training Director, Mutual of Omaha) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

LET Leader Effectiveness Training
Tom Gordon has a unique skill - being able to provide clear and concise models to complex human interactions. His needs-based approach to conflict resolution has been consistently reinforced by research. His listening skill approach is the best, a reflection of his work with Dr. Carl Rodgers at the University of Chicago.

If a leader wants to build their interpersonal skills and strengthen work relationships - i.e. build their "emotional quotient (EQ)" - this is the book for them.

LET Trainer - OD Leader
I was first introduced to Gordon's approach a couple of years ago. Sceptical at first, I took the time to read the book and found it very compelling. I immediately tried to apply the lessons at home and found success early in spite of the fact that some of the methods felt foriegn to me. The book and Gordon's philosophy are built on a model that respects the needs of both parties and that mutual respect becomes the foundation of a productive leader-follower relationship. The skills presented include active listening to help others, confrontive I-messages to help one's self and conflict resolution methods to build win-win solutions. Unlike other books on leadership, this book reads like a training program. You immediately know what to do with the information. I am a better leader, husband and father for having read the book and applied the approach.

Since then, I attended an L.E.T. program as a participant and an L.E.T. train the trainer program. I have now taught the course to dozens of grateful participants. It has become the foundation course in leadership at my company and has had a very positive impact on our culture. We are more productive and people are treated with more dignity and respect.

How to make leaders out of managers
This is the long-awaited update of the 1977 version of L.E.T. Dr. Gordon is a pioneer in teaching leaders to sharpen their most important skills: how to communicate, how to resolve conflicts so that no party loses, how to handle meetings, and provides an alternative to unproductive performance reviews.

Now that the economic (and political) future of the world seems so uncertain, this book is all the more timely and important. In fact, after September 11, nothing seems more important than improving our ability to resolve conflicts peacefully. Dr. Gordon - who is known for this book and his books for parents (P.E.T) and teachers (T.E.T.) - was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because of how his work benefits our world.

But besides the high falutin' ideals about conflict resolution and its importance to the world, L.E.T. is all about skills that make your work easier, more productive and more rewarding. What this book does is simultaneously keep both feet firmly planted in two different worlds (a goal most business books don't even dream of achieving): it's both a life-changing philosophy of human relations and a book to give you and your company a competitive advantage.

I've been using this system for a few years now and it really works. It's not a magic cure, and it takes a commitment to learn and put the skills to use, but it's such a worthwhile payoff: problems with other people still pop up, but I don't get stuck dealing them like I used to and my blood pressure doesn't go nuts. Also, the communication and problem-solving skills you learn aren't ones you're able to just turn off and leave at the office -- they have a habit of insinuating themselves (and improving your relationships) when dealing with friends, spouses, kids.

Don't let the fact that this is a new version of a book that was originally published in 1977 keep you from buying it. Its concepts are universal and timeless. Lots of other books on leadership have come and gone in 25 years; there's definitely a good reason why this one's still around.

L.E.T. makes a great companion to Steven Covey's 7 Habits (another fine book, though it's not as straightforward and skill-laden as this one). ... Read more

Book Description

Effective team building through training games. Carolyn Nilson's Training Games for Trainers reveals the fastest and most effective techniques to meet the demand for team-building in any organization. Over 100 ready-to-use games, exercises, and activities help you to build, implement and maintain work teams. Each game is self-contained­­with templates, answer sheets and explanations of objectives and procedures. You'll find games for: group/individual empowerment; organizational change readiness; personal skill building; work definition; role fulfillment; task/process evaluation; conflict resolution; much more.

Book Description

Mentoring programs can help businesses reduce staff turnover, train new employees successfully, fast-track stellar workers, motivate senior staff, and improve company performance, morale, and diversity. This guide to setting up and implementing successful mentoring programs shows how to reap their benefits without hiring expensive consultants or spending excess time and energy to get a program up and running. Full of proven strategies and practical ideas, this book offers a straightforward explanation of what mentoring is and why it has become so important in many successful organizations. The characteristics of a good program are analyzed and explained to allow programs to be tailored to specific companies. Easy-to-follow training activities, advice on building mentoring relationships, and potential problems to avoid are included. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Mentoring is So Important
Mentoring is so important in the world today. Having a mentor, as this book details, helps people reach the next level in their careers. Mentoring is truly invaluable. A tough thing though is finding a mentor. Where does one look? Well now there is a place to both find a mentor and also be a mentor to share your knowledge. The site is Advance Mentoring, www.Advancementoring.com

You can search to find a mentor in any industry, or to be a mentor, or even both. Now the job of finding a mentor has gotten much easier. The site offers over a tremendous number of members from over 40 countries, so you are sure to find a mentor or a mentee. Good luck. http://www.advancementoring.com

Noah Cirincione, CEO
Advance Mentoring
http://www.advancementoring.com

Make sure you check the book!
Must be some 'quality control' issues at the publisher. Make sure you have all pages. I was missing multiple pages.

Content if book is good.....just need all of it!

Great for education, short on systems perspective
The author, Kathy Lacey, is an educator and does an excellent job of defining the mentoring roles, process, and necessary training. Lacey is clear how important it is that organizational members are interested in mentoring and have the skills to build supportive relationships. What is missing is the systemic organizational perspective. I recommend that this book be used as a supplement to Kathy Kram's book, Mentoring at Work, because Kram very skillfully argues that even a perfect mentoring program will flounder unless the organization's reward system, culture, and norms value and encourage relationship-building activities; and opportunities exist for frequent and open interation between managers at different career stages and hierarchical levels. To be successful, mentoring must be viewed as a valued expectation instead of a distraction from task-related activities, and the norms must support conversations about employees' jobs and personal dilemmas instead of only focusing on the bottom line.

As an author on mentoring
Kathy Lacey's book is a practical guide that should be read by any organization considering a mentoring initiative. I highly recommend it to any organization considering a mentoring initiative. The orientation program she presents is user-friendly and right on the mark. There are no vague concepts in this book. Lacey provides practical checklists and worksheets that can be adopted with few changes. From one author to another--bravo!

Who hasn't had a mentor in life - Why not in business too?
Mentoring relationships in the adult business world makes good "business" sense! Not to mention the benefits that are derived by the employee through the mentoring relationship. Mentoring is not a new concept when adults look at the need for youth to have adult role models, so this next step in mentoring makes adults in business sit-up and take notice. Recently I became aware of adult business mentors charging enormous fees as life mentors for other adults. Giving other adults "permission" so to speak to take those risks in life that lead to life changes and increased satisfaction. As an author myself in the area of mentoring young adults, I find this a great read and one that offers a private or public agency a new road to travel. Why spend those enormous amounts of money on consultants when the information and talent is right there in your own pool of employees! This book shows you how to set up your own In-house mentoring program. Use your dollars wisely folks and get this book! Start making use of your in-house talents. ... Read more

Book Description

Virtual working is a fact of life as companies manage teams of individuals dispersed on sites across the country or around the globe; take increasing advantage of improving technology and software to telecommute and teleconference; and begin to think about the human element in disaster recovery.

The key to successful dispersed working is not technological expertise, but a clear understanding of what it takes to get the enterprise ready for virtual work, and of the skills for bonding individuals into cohesive, high-performance teams across distances and differences.

This book provides that guidance - through work charts, vivid "composite" examples, definitions and actual cases - and shows how the technological tools support and expand the options for collaboration.

It answers such critical questions as "What makes working virtually work?", "How do we start?", "How do you develop new leaders in a virtual environment?", "What skills do virtual managers and team members need?", "How do you determine how ready they are?", "Which technologies are most appropriate for your purposes?", "What's the impact on existing systems and structures?"

This book is an indispensable practical guide and reference for virtual team leaders, HR managers, CEO's and trainers. It will also be suitable for professional certification and business courses in organizational development. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent, clearly written and positive instructional
Trina Hoefling is the founder of Consult One Group, Denver, Colorado, and a professional whose years experience in virtual working included developing one of the first remote training programs. Hoefling draws upon her considerable experience and expertise in Working Virtually: Managing People For Successful Virtual Teams And Organizations to presents examples, definitions, anecdotes, advice, and seasoned wisdom for making the most of telecommunication, teleconferencing, and enabling the team bonding process despite the separation of distance in the modern-day workplace. An excellent, clearly written and positive instructional guide to both personal and technological concerns, Working Virtually is especially commended reading for virtual team leaders, Human Resource managers, CEO's, and corporate trainers. ... Read more

Book Description

Games and other classroom activities can make training more fun, memorable, and effective. Sales Games and Activities for Trainers is the most useful—and complete—collection of games, role-plays, activities, and other skill-building exercises ever collected for increasing the effectiveness of sales training.There are games and activities covering all aspects of selling, from making presentations to handling objections. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Super Resource
I hate to disagree with my esteemed colleague from Mexico City but for any of us who deal with the REAL world of selling, this book is a gem. It is a quick and easy to use way to spice up sales meetings.

Great Resource for Use in Training
I do training for an association in which we are members. Although the exercises in this book are for sales people, I have adapted more than a dozen of them to use in various training sessions, from surviving or thriving in our changed economy to direct marketing by snail mail and email. Would recommend this book to anyone who needs visuals to motivate others.

Completely useless
As a sales and marketing professional and university professor I can tell you this book is book is one of the worst books I have ever purchased. The reason for this is because the exercises seem adequate for people with a negative IQ! I would have returned the book but my 4 year old boy damaged it.

Training to Sell
A great investment for anyone looking to improve the quality and quantity of sales. Many ideas can be easily adapted for motivational meetings and brainstorming. ... Read more

Book Description

Strategies for making differences in work teams an asset, not a liability are provided in this practical guide. Team members are helped to understand and make the most of their differences and to overcome barriers to achievement that are sometimes the result of diversity. More than 50worksheets provide teams, team leaders, trainers, and consultants with processes, guidance, and tools to learn how to diversify groups while building relationships. An appendix provides an annotated list of resources, including books, training activities, and videos that are helpful in developing group members and training team leaders. ... Read more

Book Description

Leadership and management development programs have helped companies of every size become high-performing organizations. This practical guide sets out a blueprint for establishing, administering, and evaluating a planned in-house leadership and management development program and is geared to addressing the training, education, and development needs of supervisors, managers, executives, and others who exert leadership in organizational settings. The material is based on surveys of management development professionals, key literature in the area, and first-hand experience. Human resource development specialists and human resources managers, workplace learning and performance practitioners, CEOs, CIOs, and supervisors will find this guide comprehensive and valuable. ... Read more

Book Description

If you are an experienced trainer, an instructional designer, a specialist in performance improvement, or a manager responsible for learning and performance, Performance-Based Evaluation . . . offers you the proven tools and information to evaluate programs and people performance. Filled with real-world examples, this practical resource will help you to determine what to do and (just as important) what not to do.
Performance-Based Evaluation contains a wealth of information including:

• Suggestions on how to measure both hard and soft skills
• Guidance on measuring required and mandated programs
• Ideas for measuring elective training and employee relations programs
• Procedures for comparing different delivery systems
• Information on how to sample people and documents
• Tips for both collecting data and information on analyzing data using descriptive and inferential statistics

... Read more

Reviews (1)

High Marks for Performance-Based Evaluation
Judy Hale's bio explains that she is known for explaining complex things clearly and understandably. Reading her books gives one an idea why that is true. In this particular work, she tackles training evaluation, walking the reader through the concepts of evaluation strategy and working into the nuts and bolts.

Trainers, training directors, and evaluators looking for evaluation tools with substance will likely be pleased with this book. Hale addresses the differences between measuring effectiveness and efficiency, technical and soft skills, mandated and elective programs, and even gives clear, concise explanations of the gathering and proper use of data. Each chapter opens with discussion of the content, then notes common missteps and means for avoiding them, then tips and techniques from Hale's experience, and concludes with a list of references where the reader can learn more.

The CD-ROM has more worksheets and job-aids than any other I have seen with a book of this type. It's a tremendous value that, if used with consideration and careful planning, will in and of itself pay for this book many times over. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Winning Score for the Reader
This book is a Win for those in the HR and training profession on how to use the scoreboard methods in training. The chapter on the Value of Training Scorecards by Ms Schmidt is a must read. The case studies by those in the field are great examples of how to apply the concepts. This book should be in everyones reference book shelf. Jack Phillips and Lynn Schmidt are a great team in presenting concepts of ROI and value of training scorecards. Thanks to the editors and the contributors for providing this valuable resource. I have many years of experience in training and management development from postions in telecom and computers. ... Read more