Reviews (3)

Just Do It...
I have completely worn out my copy of this book. It is the simplest, clearest, most practical book on lean that you will ever find. The first time I used the Value Stream Mapping techniques outlined in this book, I identified an improvement that has dramatically reduced our inventory, reduced lead times and saved over $500K annually.

Section III, entitled, "What Makes A value Stream Lean" is especially helpful. By doing the mapping and working toward the seven guidelines outlined in this section, we have made dramatic progress in our lean transformation. Using "Learning To See" in conjunction with another offering from the Lean Enterprise Institute ("Making Material Flow"), you can transform your plant. The only other requirement... get out from behind your desk and just do it!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

Learning To See
Learning to see is very helpful if you want to learn to establish value stream maps of your key processes. The book is set up like a work book and walks you through the process step by step. J. Womack is very prescriptive in how to produce value stream maps. It would be helpful to have additional examples from several industries. Value stream mapping is useful in helping to indentify areas that need improvement projects. They should be the basis for strategic plans for process improvement. This book will be helpful if you are new or trying to introduce others to the importance of value stream mapping.

Good introduction to value stream mapping
The book is a good attempt at explaining how to use value stream mapping in a manufacturing plant. The format is sort like a workbook which makes it a little easier to use and also great as a teaching tool. What is lacking is more examples from a wide variety of industries from small to large so the reader can really understand how to apply the tool to their workplace. There is also a lack of application to areas outside of manufacturing where I think VSM could be applied: product design process and administrative processes. Overall it seems to be a good book, but you'll need some backup material from the web to round our your education on the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Straight answers to your compensation questionsAn A-to-Z guide to compensation strategy and design, Compensation Handbook, Fourth Edition, has been completely revised and updated to keep you on top of the important changes that have taken place in this area. Editors Lance A. Berger and Dorothy R. Berger have assembled articles by leading compensation practitioners to give you authoritative solutions to a wide range of specific compensation problems. This important new edition shares with you the best thinking on attracting and retaining outstanding employees in a tight market...executive compensation...computers and compensation...how to use a mix of compensation devices...and much, much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Compensation Handbook
As a compensation consultant, I sought a comprehensive guide for all aspects of the field. The 4th edition of The Compensation Handbook provides simple and direct answers for every compensation problem. It is a virtual "who's who" of compensation professionals providing well-constructed, concise information on area of expertise. No matter what information I seek -- from base compensation, variable compensation, executive compensation, performance and compensation, compensation and corporate culture, or international compensation -- I can find pertinent, practical guidance in this one book. Compensation issues that are currently challenging every company - regardless of size, age, industry -- are especially well developed in The Compensation Handbook. The section on Corporate Culture containing chapters on "Culture and Compensation" and "Connecting Compensation, Behaviors, Culture, and Strategy to Win" by William M. Mercer consultants, "Rewarding Scarce Talent" by Patricia Zingheim, "Gaining a Competitive Edge by Improving the Return on Human Capital" by Peter LeBlanc, and "The Role of Work-Life Benefit in the Total Pay Strategy" covers issues that every compensation practitioner or human resources professional will grapple with in the forseeable future. Even the effect of technology and computers on compensation administration are handled in The Compensation Handbook. Information on global compensation strategies is relevant not only to practitioners by to anyone seeking employment on foreign soil or working for a foreign company. The Compensation Handbook is a winner. ... Read more

Book Description

Graphics for Learning teaches you how to design effective graphics for print or online and computer-generated materials—multimedia, texts, working aids, and slides—that will maximize learning, understanding, and reasoning. Based on solid research on how people learn, this crucial resource contains best practices and shows you how to go beyond the visible features of graphics to plan visuals that are based on their communication and psychological functions. Written by instructional design experts Ruth Colvin Clark and Chopeta Lyons, Graphics for Learning includes a graphic design model that guides you through the visual planning process—from needs assessment through production. No matter how much or little expertise you have working with graphics, this book will help you boost your return on investment by giving you the information you need to design and implement the most effective visuals. Graphics for Learning shows how to:

• Select the graphics that can impr ove learning and workplace performance.
• Plan the most appropriate visual for computer or paper instructional materials.
• Design the best graphics for instructional content.
• Tailor visuals for individual learners.
• Avoid using the wrong visuals for motivational purposes.
• Understand the characteristics of graphics that support (or disrupt) learning.
• Follow a systematic graphic design model that helps you plan graphics that match your instructional context.

Book Description

Simulations and the Future of Learning offers trainers and educators the information and perspective they need to understand, design, build, and deploy computer simulations for this generation. Looking back on his recent first-hand experience as lead designer for an advanced leadership development simulation, author Clark Aldrich has created a detailed case study of the creation and deployment of an e-learning simulation that had the development cycle of a modern computer game. With this book Aldrich, a leader in the e-learning field, has created an intriguing roadmap for the future of learning while taking us along on an entertaining rollercoaster ride of trial and error, success and failure. Simulations and the Future of Learning outlines the design principles and critical decisions around any simulation's components— the interface, the physics and animation systems, the artificial intelligence, and sets and figures. Using this accessible resource, readers will learn how to create and evaluate successful simulations that have the following characteristics: authentic and relevant scenarios; applied pressure situations that tap user's emotion and force them to act; a sense of unrestricted options; and replayability. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great Step of Educational Simulations
I am witnessing that Simulations and the Future of Learning is becoming a "must read" book for the researchers of instructional systems design field. Though games and simulations for education is a cutting-edge theme which many researchers are getting attracted, very few materials are available at this moment and researchers are struggling to find out a way to move forward their research. Clark Aldrich could generously share with us the detailed development process of SimuLearn's Virtual Leader, innovative leadership training simulation which was awarded Best Online Training Product of the Year. This book will be considered as a great step of educational simulation research.

This book contains great implications for designers and researchers of the field. We could follow the process of how the leadership theory and model of his product was developed as well as the simulation model and interface was designed. It told us that his weapon to tackle with this tough mission was not existing fancy theories or design methods, but logical thinking and tireless effort of him and his project members. Aldrich proved that describing the story behind the innovative product provides learners with another nutritious learning opportunity, and great book that is fun to read.

Welcome to the Future of Training and Learning
Having read this book twice, I'm struck twice by the reality of the "revolutionary" implications for learning and improved business performance. Looking at the problems with current training in the corporate setting, Clark Aldrich (and the team) have created an aperture into the future realities of learning that cannot be rationally be denied. Looking at the implications for business and improved leadership effectiveness, one is left with the distinct impression that corporate profits will ultimately be dependent upon the "true" learning offered by simulations, such as Virtual Leader, in contrast to the boring nothingness offered by most training and development efforts.
How they "did it" is a fascinating tale of creative genius at work, which by itself, would make this book extremely interesting. This tale is similar to the story told by those who discovered the "double helix" of DNA fame. But, they go beyond that.
This is a book that moves the field of "simulations" into the orbit of intense relevance for "learning" with applications to business problems and their solutions.
Don't let the hilarious and high level of humor detract you from the seriousness of the subject and the practical applications to business and learning.

David L. Hanson, Ph.D.
Consulting Psychologist

Timely, Needed, and Important
Every person who has played a modern-day simulation game has had to wonder how that level of interaction can be used to teach and train. Simulation and the Future of Learning doesn't just explain that it's possible, it proves it.

Aldrich's extensive background in e-learning products gives him a very qualified view of what needs to improve in the future of learning. The answer is simulations. Real-time, engaging and realistic simulations. He explains in detail the hurdles, headaches, and horrors of developing what has become one of the best leadership training tools on the market--Virtual Leader.

While there is little explanation of instructional theory and methods, this book is HIGHLY recommended to any organization looking to get into the educational simulation business. It provides a realistic picture of the decisions designers will face when building the next generation of learning products.

A Systematic View of Leadership
My exposure and subsequent interest in Mr. Aldrich's book began during the last semester of my graduate work in instructional technology. I was working with a team, which was created arbitrarily by the professor, to respond to a hypothetical Request for Proposal (RFP) to create a leadership curriculum for a large bank. We had to form a hypothetical e-Learning company, write a solution to the problem, and compete in a "showdown" against the other groups from the class in front of approximately 40 e-Learning business professionals to win the business.

My experience with this group was horrendous. We argued bitterly, produced low quality work, and interacted as a team as well as a bunch of five-year-old children playing their first game of AYSO soccer. Fortunately, after seeing a presentation on Virtual Leader during one of the classes, I was able to obtain a draft copy of Mr. Aldrich's book from my professor.

After reading the chapters on "What Would a Leadership Situation Look Like?", "Uncovering the Essence of Leadership", and "The Lure of Linear Content", our group not only began working better together, but we were also producing top-rate work. Our meetings were shorter and more productive, and even though interpersonal differences still existed, we were able to work around them toward our common goal - a sound response to the RFP and a cohesive, outstanding presentation of which we were all very proud.

Why the change? Very simply - Mr. Aldrich synthesized the voluminous materials on leadership into a "Systems Framework for Leadership." In his framework, Aldrich defines leadership as "getting a group of people to complete the right work." Unlike most leadership models which are very specific and try to teach certain skills, this model focuses on the work, not the individual. In addition, Aldrich identifies three forces, which, when used in the correct combination, lead to producing the right work. These three forces include gaining power, generating ideas, and moderating tension.

All of these forces are necessary. One cannot compensate for a lack in one by placing more emphasis on one or both of the others. In addition, each force is also a skill, which contains a subset of additional skills. For example, power skills include negotiating, writing, and communicating. Therefore, to be an effective leader, one must exercise each of these three forces and its corresponding subset of skills in the right amount, in the right combination, and in the right way to produce the right work. Too much of any one force diminishes rather that enhances leadership ability and the output of work.

In closing, this insight was helpful to me as I worked with the team to accomplish our goals. In addition, I have not only benefited from Mr. Aldrich's book during this time, but I have also grown tremendously by applying this framework of leadership in both my personal and professional experiences.

A Good Read!
This is a challenging book, mainly because author Clark Aldrich never seemed to quite make up his mind what kind of book he is actually trying to write. He has so much to teach about simulations that he tries to cover the whole waterfront. He moves from lofty pronouncements about the nature of education to the minutiae of designing one particular simulation, to generalizations about the similarities between fast food and training, to specific analyses of computer games. Any one of these themes could have provided the unifying thread for an excellent book. As it is, this reads a bit like the notes for more than one book yet to be written. But the notes are interesting and extremely well informed, and we found the in-depth detail about the construction of the author's own simulation quite revealing. If you aren't familiar with the growing use of simulations, this is a good place to start learning. You're going to need to know. ... Read more

Book Description

The 50 activities in this resource book have been tested with hundreds of participants to ensure their appropriateness and effectiveness for a variety of diversity training needs. Employees at all levels will be stimulated by interactively learning about cultural and gender differences, and mastering new skills for communicating more effectively in our diverse workplaces. Each activity is ready to use and includes trainer's notes and all necessary handouts and overhead transparency masters. They each take between 15 and 45 minutes to complete.

Activities Cover
Diversity icebreakers
Change
communication
conflict resolution
Gender at work
Culture and career transitions

Training Objectives
Illustrate how cultural differences may impact behavior
Increase awareness of the impact of culture in the workplace
Demonstrate skills for managing a culturally diverse work force
Address issues of gender in the workplace

Training Methods
Icebreakers
Participative exercises
Role-plays
Mini case studies ... Read more

Book Description

The ongoing education and training of adults has become a necessity in many professional areas. Yet the staff who set up and administer these programs often lack skills for the very task that is so critical to the success of their efforts--the planning of the programs themselves.

Drawing on the tremendous success of the first edition, Planning Programs for Adult Learners, Second Edition covers the development of adult education programs in clear, specific detail. This popular guide contains information on every area of program planning for adult learners, from understanding the purpose of educational programs to obtaining suitable facilities.

Thoroughly expanded and revised, the book contains a wealth of new material and examples, and features new information on incorporating technology into the development and practice of adult education programs. Educators and practitioners alike will find this guide to be an essential tool. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Helpful for all the details
If you are looking for a book to teach you how to teach, this ain't it. But if you are looking for something comprehensive that discusses all the many aspects one must consider to plan and execute a quality program, this is a gem. If you do much sponsoring of programs and events, you know it is the little things that can ruin your day: the air conditioner is not working, you did not adequately budget for the materials needed, you did not anticipate the needs of the participants, etc. This helps prevent geting blindsided. I refer to this frequently when preparing workshops and programs, and recommend it to others.

A Must for Adult Education Coordinators
This book covers all the aspects of adult education program planning. Though, most of the information seems common sense, it is this straight-forward writing that makes this book such a fantastic reference. I continually refer back to the book when developing my adult ed programs to make sure I'm not missing anything. The information covered in each chapter is a great overview and provides insight to program development. I recommend for more specific information on a particular chapter to seek out other resources that go more in depth. Overall, it is a great guide to successful program planning.

Has very limited value
This book is overloaded with flowcharts, exercises, and tables, but has limited useful content. One slim chapter on developing an instructional plan, most of the rest of the book is fluff about choosing meeting rooms, developing budgets, and similar material. ... Read more

Book Description

The companion follow-up to one of the bestselling Six Sigma books ever published

An alarming number of Six Sigma projects are failing--not because of misuse of Six Sigma's statistical tools but because of internal politics and poor communication between team members and the rest of the organization.

The Rath & Strong's Six Sigma Team Pocket Guide helps team leaders and members reverse this trend, explaining the interpersonal and political skills needed to make each Six Sigma project a success.

Written in the "pocket guide" format that proved so successful with the first Rath &Strong guide, and based on the firm's popular Six Sigma training workshops, this handy reference will show Six Sigma team leaders and members how to:

• Get buy-in and cooperation from all levels of the organization
• Lead or participate in productive team meetings
• Plan the people/team side just as they would plan the technical side

Reviews (3)

We can accomplish more together than any one of us can
My comments on this pocket guide are the same as those on the other two created by Rath & Strong, except that this pocket guide is probably the one to purchase in bulk quantity so that copies can be distrbuted among everyone directly involved with process improvement initiatives. Thus far, a substantial majority of Six Six programs either failed or fell far short of expectations. Why? Lots of reasons but one of the major ones is dysfunctional teamwork. Hence the special importance of this pocket guide.

Although Rath and Strong do indeed provide a wealth of information about Six Sigma, their "pocket guide" can be of substantial value to all organizations (regardless of size or nature) which need to simplify, thereby improve the process by which they produce whatever they offer for sale. Products, of course, but also professional services (e.g. legal, accounting, management consulting), memberships (e.g. healthcare providers as well as trade and professional associations such as chambers of commerce), and charitable support (e.g. non profit, tax exempt 501 (c) 3 organizations such as college and universities). Chapter One introduces the book's core concept, DMAIC, an acronym for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. A chapter is then devoted to each of the five separate but related process components. Rath and Strong explain how this process will guide and inform efforts to increase the ROI of resources to achieve whatever the desired objectives may be. One of this guide's greatest benefits is its ease of use: It can easily be carried within an attaché case, coat pocket, or purse, always available for direct and immediate access whenever needed. Now more than ever before, decision-makers are under great pressure to produce more and better results in less time, and with fewer resources. Hence the importance of improving first pass yield and cycle time, for example. Hence the importance, also, of enabling everyone within a given organization to understand how and why her or his efforts can -- and should -- contribute to the organization's operational excellence. For most executives, Rath and Strong offer a concise, easy-to-access, and well-written source of guidance to effectively defining, measuring, analyzing, improving, and controlling various stages of production of ideas as well as products and services.

Excelent pocket guide for team leaders
This is a must have for all team leaders - very useful in any case (not especially Six Sigma related).

Not just for Six Sigma
A fantastic Pocket Guide for all members of any kind of Team, not just Six Sigma Teams. ... Read more

Book Description

Leading a meeting? giving a presentation? Heading a workshop? Icebreakers are great for lightening up the atmosphere at the beginning of a meeting or event, and encouraging everyone to participate fully. This collection of 50 icebreakers is organized around common business situations and is designed to help leaders start every session, meeting, presentation, or workshop with a burst of energy and fun. Includes icebreakers for sales meetings, team building, complete strangers, introducing a topic, staff meetings, groups over 20, outdoor settings, and more. this latest book in the popular Big Book of Business Games series is the most fun yet! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Inventive but is it practical?
My first observation on this book is that it is focused on the large group not the small group. However, the rationale for some of the large group focus seems to flow entirely from a preoccupation with dividing large groups into smaller groups and then applying tasks or games to these subgroups. If you have never thought about working with groups this book may be of some use, but by and large I judged many of the examples were impractical in terms of the time and resources needed to get deploy them.

My key reservation about these icebreaker books is that they are written more to help the presenter break the ice rather than any presumed intra-audience barriers.

reveiw by hands-on trainer
This book is packed with icebreakers, but I personally wouldn't use most of them. They border on the "touchy-feely" side, and will only work if your audience is open to that type of activity.

Hot Icebreakers
There are so many great ways to get a group started with this book. It's perfect for the people who are inactive and very active. From get-to-know-games to every-day-fun. This book covers business meetings, weekly meetings, workshops, and almost every other type of get-together. The groups sizes go from small to huge. I would definitly recommend this book for any coordinator or leader. Enjoy and have fun! ... Read more

Book Description

Year after year, consultants, trainers, and human resource professionals have come to rely on the Annuals to provide them with the most current and quality tools on a wide variety of topics. In this book, editor Elaine Biech and contributors to the Annuals have honed in on the important theme of team building to create the first topic-specific book in the Annuals series. The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Team-Building Tools includes an innovative ten-block model for building a high-performance team and draws on the best-on-the-topic articles from thirty-five years of Annuals volumes.

Open the pages of The Pfeiffer Book of Successful Team-Building Tools and you will find:

Book Description

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

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

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

Book Description

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

Reviews (10)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* Guidelines for measuring at each level.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

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

Book Description

The definitive resource for anyone developing and launching evaluation programs in organizations.

From new product launches to large-scale training initiatives, organizations need the tools to measure the effectiveness of their programs, processes, and systems. In Evaluation in Organizations, Darlene Russ-Eft and Hallie Preskill integrate the most current research with practical application to provide the definitive resource on organizational evaluation for managers, human resource professionals, and students and teachers alike. From designing surveys and interviews to analyzing data to communicating results, the authors present a systematic and rigorous approach to conducting evaluations and using them to foster learning and enhance performance at all levels. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent "how-to" book on corporate evaluation
Russ-Eft and Preskill have produced a first class book on evaluation that will be a constantly used reference on the bookshelf of any trainer, performance technologist or change agent who buys it. They begin with the history and theory of evaluation, presented in a very readable manner. Even their statistics section is easy to follow and apply!The section on the design and implementation of evaluations is packed with job aids, easy-to-apply tools and techniques, and guidelines on everything from running focus groups to sampling procedures. As a corporate evaluator I have been waiting for a book with this broad but in-depth coverage for years. Every aspect of the work of the evaluator is covered, and it is clear that the authors are both personally experienced in this field as well as widely read in the evaluation literature. Preskill and Torres' Readiness for Organizational Learning and Evaluation Instrument (ROLE) is generously included with instructions on administration and scoring, as well as an extensive bibliography for those who want to dig deeper into the subject of evaluation.This book is a must for those who are seriously committed to assessing the effectiveness and impact of interventions in organizations.

Cohesive, Comprehensive, and Cost-Effective
The subtitle correctly indicates what Russ-Eft and Preskill's primary objective is: To present and explain "a systematic approach to enhancing learning, performance, and change" throughout any organization, regardless of size of nature. They succeed brilliantly. The material is presented as follows:

Part I:Background and Context of Evaluation (Defining Evaluation; The Evolution of Evaluation; Evaluating Learning, Performance, and Change Initiatives; and The Politics and Ethics of Evaluation Practice)

Part II:Designing and Implementing the Evaluation (Focusing the Evaluation; Selecting the Evaluation Design; Choosing Data Collection Methods; Observation and Archival Data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Individual and Focus Group Initiatives; Sampling; and Analyzing Evaluation Data)

Part III:Maximizing Evaluation Use (Communicating and Reporting Evaluation Activities and Findings; Planning, Managing, and Budgeting the Evaluation; Evaluating the Evaluation; and Strategies for Implementing Evaluation in Organizations)

The authors then provide a comprehensive audit mechanism (with specific directions) in an appendix to the three-phase system: "The Readiness for Organizational Learning and Evaluation Instrument (ROLE)" developed by Hallie Preskill and Rosalie T. Torres. For those in need ot supplementary resources, a substantial References section is also provided.

Here is a brief excerpt: "Evaluation can be viewed as a catalyst and opportunity for learning -- learning what works and what doesn't work, learning about ourselves and the organization, and learning how to improve what we do in the workplace. As such, it can provide new understandings and insights into our programs, processes, products, and systems. Furthermore, evaluation can provide us with the confidence with which to make decisions and take actions that ultimately help employees and organizations succeed in meeting their goals." The authors agree with countless others that the future success of organizations will be dependent on their ability to build core competencies within a context of collaboration. They suggest that to develop support for evaluation as a knowledge-creating enterprise, "we must create a market for it. If we think about evaluation as a means for learning and attaining knowledge, then it becomes integrated into every organizational effort --from product development to program design to process reengineering to systemic change." They then suggest seven specific strategies when introducing or expanding evaluation practice. Throughout the book, they also include 60 Figures (e.g. "Guiding Principles for Evaluators") and three Tables (e.g. "Typical sections and contents of comprehensive written evaluation reports").

Who will derive the greatest value from this book? Obviously, decision-makers in organizations in need of "enhancing learning, performance, and change." Presumably that includes all organizations. Also, I highly recommend this book to allconsultants now involved with organizations which have the same need. Presumably that includes all of their clients. Finally,I think this book will of immediate interest and eventual benefit to anyone who has only recently embarked on a business career. They will soon realize (if they have not realized it already) that the nature and extent of what they learn, how well they perform, and how effectively they initiate or respond to change will determine the nature and extent of their career success.

With the possible exception of Peter Drucker, no single source can possibly serve all of the needs of any one organization. For that reason, to those who read this book, I presume to recommend a few others: Fitz-enz's The E-Aligned Enterprise and The ROI of Human Capital, Maister's Practice What You Preach, O'Toole's Leading Change, Senge's The Fifth Discipline and The Dance of Change, Katzenbach's Real Change Leaders, O'Dell and Grayson's If We Only Knew What We Know, and just about anything written by Warren Bennis. ... Read more

Book Description

In this thoroughly updated edition of his classic book, Hargrove introduces you to Masterful Coaching, the method, Hargrove draws on his in-depth experience of coaching leaders at all levels gained since writing the first edition. The book provides guiding ideas, tools, and methods that will empower you on your own journey to Masterful Coaching. You will learn to empower people to transform who they are as leaders and at the same time their ability to produce results that were previously considered impossible by applying triple loop learning. This is about ripping the blinders off so that people see that who they are, the goals they set, and the plans they make, and actions they take are often part of historical winning strategies that are the source of their past success but that limit them from achieving what's possible or playing a much bigger game.

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Reviews (17)

This Book Makes A Difference
Mr. Hargrove has made the concept of "transformational learning" understandable in this well written and concise text. Masterful Coaching describes a process of thinking and coaching that leads to "being" versus "doing".

As a facilitator for a company that delivers adventure-based outdoor team building seminars, I was looking for a guide to help me make a real difference for my corporate clients; this book provides a structure for coaching that can have a profound and lasting impact.

My personal experience of participating in "transformational learning" seminars delivered by the Landmark Education Corporation, leads me to suggest that the maximum value of this book can be realized not just by reading, but by actually participating in a seminar or training program that gives one access to a trained "transformation coach". It was only after experiencing the distinctions of transformational learning on a personal level that I became effective at coaching others in transformation.

Transformational Coaching with the Enneagram
In his book, Masterful Coaching, Robert Hargrove distinguishes between "incremental learning" (single-loop), "reframing" (double-loop learning), and "transformational learning" (triple-loop). These distinctions (based on the original work of Gregory Bateson, and extended by Chris Argyris and Peter Senge) are important in business settings. Most development work with executives takes place at the incremental level (helping them to embody new skills and capabilities), sometimes at the level of reframing (challenging them to reshape their patterns of thinking), but seldom at the transformational level (creating a shift in context or point of view about themselves--a process I have referred to elsewhere as "stepping into a parallel universe"). My approach to working in organizations has been to incorporate the Enneagram with existing organization development, change, and leadership theory and practice. In consulting with and creating development plans for hundreds of executives, and working with numerous teams in organizations, I've had the advantage of observing all nine Enneagram types in a variety of business settings. And I have found the Enneagram to be the most powerful system for moving my clients to the level of reframing and sometimes to the transformational level.

Every coach should read this book!
In the last ten years since I started coaching managers and leaders, I have read almost everything out there on the subject. This book stands out! The distinctions Hargrove makes about coaching provide clarity, while being very useable and transferable to others. He also writes in a very readable style, and balances profundity and humor to get his points across. Some points that I found especially useful were:

How to generate a powerful coaching relationship by clarifying what each person needs to bring to the party. I found this extremely helpful in re-igniting an ebbing coaching relationship.

Hargrove writes that a leader needs to "be the source" of their impossible future or what it is that they want to create. He shows how to coach someone to do this.

Thinking drives behavior. Hargrove provides clarity and examples on how to coach people in a more profound and deeper way than the usual tips and techniques that novice coaches give.

Hargrove also writes about getting feedback for the coaching client by doing interviews rather than using the typical 360 degree feedback forms. He says, "If more than one person calls you a horse, saddle up!"

I recommend this book to coaches, managers and leaders who want to up the level of their game.

Fantastic revision of an already great book!
I found Hargrove's book inspiring, insightful, and useful. I had read his first book - which was pivotal for me in creating my own coaching business-- and have found that he has taken this work to another level-a very compelling, as well as easy read. The two parts that I found most applicable to my own coaching clients were his step-by-step approach to coaching executives and the part on creating a "laboratory" that fosters collaboration within a group. I was able to bring these principles to a client who was wowed by what we were able to generate for her business. I would recommend this book to any coach, internal and external to a company, as well as to any leader who wants to create an "impossible future."

An Excellent Guide Through the Field
Coaching has become a great buzz word. Everyone has or is a coach. I've wondered for years what coaching is really about. And now I understand. Any good professional - therapist, consultant,lawyer, clergyman, doctor, accountant - must spend part of their time moving clients from A to B. "Masterful Coaching" let's you know how to do that in a thoughtful and thorough way. Thank you Robert.

PS: Though many people don't like Werner Erhardt the person, the organization he built, and his marketing/sales tactics let's not throw away the fundamental soundness of the tools he shared. ... Read more

Book Description

This all-new edition of Web-Based Training is filled with practical charts, tables, and checklists that shows you how to design winning training programs for delivering instruction on the Web. Well grounded in the time-tested principles of great instructional design and adult education, Web-Based Training takes a step back from the whirlwind of technical guides and offers a extensively-researched handbook. For everyone seeking to learn more about the subject, Driscoll gives you illustrative examples from a wide range of organizations large and small and the book's CD-ROM contains a strategic presentation with eighty slides and has helpful links to the World Wide Web.

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Reviews (1)

Must-buy for 'Pedagogist-Technologists'
The people in the e-learning industry could be divided largely into three camps - the Pedagogists, the Technologists and the Pedagogist-Technologists (people who bridge the two apparently divergent worlds). :-)

IMHO, Dr Margaret Driscoll is a Pedagogist-Technologist - a wonderfully excellent one! After ploughing through dozens of good and not-so-good books on e-learning, I find this book (which I borrowed from a campus library) a treasure trove. I strongly recommend this book to any serious e-learning practitioner (novice or experienced) who is looking for succinct and practical information, as well as pedagogically and technologically sound tips - this book is loaded with summaries, templates, worksheets, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

Your blueprint to creating and managing technology-based training!

Technology-Based Training is the first comprehensive overview and planning guide to the new world of distance learning. The accompanying CD-ROM and related web site (http://www.TBTsupersite.com) are packed with useful tools and links to technology-based resources to keep you up-to-date on all the latest developments in the field. Based on sound instructional system design principles and the latest technological advances, this book is filled with real-world examples and case studies so that you can see the principles in action.

Technology-Based Training will teach you how to:

Book Description

Discover how today's corporations are benefiting from accelerated learning to speed training time, improve results, and reduce costs.

Accelerated learning is the use of music, color, emotion, play, and creativity to involve the whole student and enliven the learning experience. The Accelerated Learning Handbook is the first definitive book to explain state-of-the-art accelerated learning techniques to trainers and teachers, and features 40 techniques designed to save money while producing far better results.

Leading expert Dave Meier provides an overview of the background and underlying principles of accelerated learning, and reviews the latest supporting research results. Training professionals will look to The Accelerated Learning Handbook to:

• Improve the long-term value of training
• Cut course development time by half
• Discover tips for music- and computer-based learning

Reviews (6)

excellent training tool
I was getting ready to prepare a training program for 44 persons when I read this book. Immediately! after I used the guidelines to prepare my session. Preparation was fast and easy -and fun! I really couldn't believe that it was that easy to apply and it has been one of my best sessions to date. I refer to it when I need a refresher or a new perspective. I definately reccomend this book for trainers who need to keep their material fresh and interesting (esp. in-house trainers).

Accelerated Learning Handbook
Finally, teachers and administrators have a useful tool to recharge their classrooms/schools. We have become so test oriented that many times we forget that the process of learning comes from the doing. The statement comes to mind that we utter with new approaches," When do I have the time to get it all in?". That is where the problem lies! We are so pressured with these new demands that we loose sight of what is important, the process. This book will give us a clearer picture of how we can recharge our teaching and can provide the key so we can use the ideas to change the way we teach or approach the students' learning who are in our care.

Inspirational! This book lives up to its title!
I am a subject matter expert who was occassionally requested to make training presentations. I began to realize that training was my calling. I was then hired to plan training programs. By chance, I ran across this book. After reading the book, I was so inspired I wanted to read it again to ensure that I didn't miss anything important. Here is what happened next. I needed to plan training for professionals in a country I had never visited -- truly a risky venture! Relying on the principles in this book, I designed a program that really involved the participants (the students). For example, in the afternoon of the first day of the workshop, students were meeting with each other in breakout sessions, identifying "promising practices" and "best practices" and making presentations to the whole group. The workshop lasted three days. My supervisors really liked the design of the program. The instructors/facilitators loved participating in the program. And, most importantly, the students/participants loved it so much that I am told to expect twice as many students/participants at the next session. As one instructor/facilitator put it, if the goal of the program was to both create joy and share knowledge, the goal was achieved. Without the information in this book (about how the brain works, about the importance of joy to successful training, about the importance of giving the students/participants the opportunity to create knowledge, etc., etc.), my program would not have been the success that it was. To the author -- Dave Meier (whom I have never met) -- I have these words: "Your book inspired me. It inspired me to design a great training program ... a training program even better than I could have imagined. Because of the importance of the training program, I will look back at the program as one of the great achievements in my life. And I owe it to you. Thank you."

Accelerated Learning
The Accelerated Learning Handbook provides wonderful insight to the different senses that must be stimulated in order to create an optimum learning environment. A.L. Theory advocates a very interactive approach that requires less prep time by the trainer while various topics are explored and cooperatively self-taught by participants. Learning is a full body experience. This book seeks to change the ideas in teaching that were developed in the 1800's and never changed. Although the book tends to get repetitive in convincing the reader that American learning has been wrong for 150 years, the book has many very good thought provoking and eye-opening points. Some of the latest brain research (very simplified for those who aren't neurosurgeons) helps to psychologically justify the innovative new ways of teaching and explains how and why certain methods work particularly well while others do not. Large emphasis is placed on how to get away from standard methods of teaching that bombard the student with verbal or written information, expecting them simply to regurgitate that information. Filled with wisdom in the first part of the book and full of creative applications in the latter part, this book is an excellent well-formatted resource that is very easy to read.

Designing Training Programs
With the content of this book I have combined three aspects two generate Programs in 50% reducing my time to desing courses and programs. You need combine : The four Phases of Learning with SAVI and the Rapid Instrutional Design (RID) and you get an excellent product : Your Training program or Workshop or Conference faster and very practical. ... Read more

Book Description

The trouble with "management" education, says author Henry Mintzberg, is that it is business education, and leaves a distorted impression of management. In Managers Not MBAs, he offers a new definition of management as a blend of craft (experience), art (insight), and science (analysis). An education that overemphasizes science encourages a style of managing the author calls "calculating," or if the graduates believe themselves to be artists, the related style "heroic." According to the book, neither heroes nor technocrats in positions of influence are useful - what's really needed are balanced, dedicated people who practice a style that can be called "engaging." Such people believe their purpose is to leave behind stronger organizations, not just higher share prices. Managers Not MBAs explains in detail how to cultivate such managers, and how they can transform the business world and, ultimately, society. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

MBA, Master of Business Analysis?
Mintzburg writes eloquently and authoritatively on the limits of, and some misleading beliefs about, the MBA degree. He states that as presently taught "MBA" should really stand for Master of Business Analysis-- not Master of Business Administration. According to him (and others such as Jeff Pfeffer) the degree (with it s almost exclusive focus on analysis) does not help the MBA student who lacks real world managerial experience to become an effective manager, I believe this way of characterizing analysis is misleading and too one-sided!

Analysis is used for many valuable reasons by all knowledge workers including successful 21st century managers! Analysis can be conceptual or empirical-- Mintzburg omits substantial discussion of the empirical. More than ever CRITICAL THINKING is or at least should by a vital par