Book Description

The second edition of this bestselling book, 'Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs,' guides you through a proven, results-based approach to calculating the Return on Investment in training and performance improvement programs.


Jack Phillips has composed user-friendly ROI calculations, plus:
*ten post-program data collection methods
*ten strategies for determining the amount of improvement that is directly linked to training programs
*ten techniques for converting both hard and soft data to monetary values

'Return on Investment in Training and Performance Improvement Programs, Second Edition' continues as a primary reference for learning how to utilize ROI to show the contribution of training, education, learning systems, performance improvement, and change initiatives throughout organizations.

The book also details implementation issues, provides worksheets, and pinpoints non-monetary program benefits. A case study takes the reader through the ROI process step-by-step.

* Applies the well-known ROI method to training programs
* Provides you with the tools to identify the key indicators for measurement and how to measure them effectively
* Summarizes in simple language everything practitioners need to do to sell, defend, or expand training initiatives to senior management ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This book is a GREAT return on your investment
Dr. Phillips has simplified a very complex concept.His step-by-step recommendations to conducting ROI studies are clear and concise.However, caveat emptor!He simplifies ROI so well that it seems relatively easy;but beware: there are great hurdles to leap when conducting ROI studies. While Phillips does cover some of the most serious obstacles one may face,such as getting management buy-in, isolating training effects, and handlingsoft data, conducting a ROI study is by no means a cake walk.Forinstance, ROI is more than a fifth level of evaluation after Kirkpatrick'sfour.It should be conducted at all levels of evaluation, which Phillipsdoes suggest.Furthermore, ROI, or any evaluation effort for that matter,should not be viewed as merely a summative attempt; it should be conductedin an ongoing formative manner.Every project should have an evaluationcomponent that parallels each task through the lifecycle of theproject.

Additionally, in my opinion, Dr. Phillips' conservative approachto ROI is the greatest selling point.He accounts for error in all hismeasurements.For instance, when collecting self-report data, he has therespondent allocate a confidence weighting to their estimates.Thisconfidence value weights the response while taking into account error. Furthermore, when calculating values for hard data or converting soft data(i.e., work habits and attitudes) to monetary benefits, he offers formulasthat result in a range and suggests that the lowest, most conservativevalue is reported.Converting soft data to monetary benefits can bepainstaking, but Phillips very eloquently addresses the conversion.Byobtaining estimates from stakeholders (with a confidence weighting, ofcourse), soft data can contribute to the overall calculation of return oninvestment.Therefore, your final conservative monetary return is not onlybased on hard data, but it is based on the less tangible elements of yourorganization as well.

If Phillips' approach to calculating ROI is tooquantitative or laborious for your organization, you should considercalculating the return on expectations.Return on expectations can beassessed via a concept mapping (a multidimensional scaling approach)technique derived by Dr. Bill Trochium at Cornell University.Visitwww.conceptsystems.com to review his technique.With Dr. Trochium's visualapproach, you have stakeholders (i.e., stockholders, executive management,clients, employees, etc.) set expectations for your organization and thenassess the alignment between set expectations and the actual performance ofend groups.The result is a graphic pattern match that is easilyinterpreted and empowers decision-makers at all levels.Concept mappinghas some of the same problems inherent in ROI, such as obtaining managementbuy-in.However, it is much easier to conduct than an ROI study, is basedon a sound measurement techniques, and produces graphical results that,when considered collectively, illustrate the expected bang for yourorganization's buck

A good RETURN ON YOUR INVESTMENT!
Dr. Phillips has simplified a very complex concept.His step-by-step recommendations to conducting ROI studies are clear and concise.However, caveat emptor!He simplifies ROI so well that it seems relatively easy; but beware: there are great hurdles to leap when conducting ROI studies.While Phillips does cover some of the most serious obstacles one may face, such as getting management buy-in, isolating training effects, and handling soft data, conducting a ROI study is by no means a cake walk.For instance, ROI is more than a fifth level of evaluation after Kirkpatrick's four.It should be conducted at all levels of evaluation, which Phillips does suggest.Furthermore, ROI, or any evaluation effort for that matter, should not be viewed as merely a summative attempt; it should be conducted in an ongoing formative manner.Every project should have an evaluation component that parallels each task through the lifecycle of the project.

Additionally, in my opinion, Dr. Phillips' conservative approach to ROI is the greatest selling point.He accounts for error in all his measurements.For instance, when collecting self-report data, he has the respondent allocate a confidence weighting to their estimates.This confidence value weights the response while taking into account error.Furthermore, when calculating values for hard data or converting soft data (i.e., work habits and attitudes) to monetary benefits, he offers formulas that result in a range and suggests that the lowest, most conservative value is reported.Converting soft data to monetary benefits can be painstaking, but Phillips very eloquently addresses the conversion. By obtaining estimates from stakeholders (with a confidence weighting, of course), soft data can contribute to the overall calculation of return on investment.Therefore, your final conservative monetary return is not only based on hard data, but it is based on the less tangible elements of your organization as well.

If Phillips' approach to calculating ROI is too quantitative or laborious for your organization, you should consider calculating the return on expectations.Return on expectations can be assessed via a concept mapping (a multidimensional scaling approach) technique derived by Dr. Bill Trochium at Cornell University....With Dr. Trochium's visual approach, you have stakeholders (i.e., stockholders, executive management, clients, employees, etc.) set expectations for your organization and then assess the alignment between set expectations and the actual performance of end groups.The result is a graphic pattern match that is easily interpreted and empowers decision-makers at all levels.Concept mapping has some of the same problems inherent in ROI, such as obtaining management buy-in.However, it is much easier to conduct than an ROI study, is based on a sound measurement techniques, and produces graphical results that, when considered collectively, illustrate the expected bang for your organization's buck

A very useful guide to first timers in the area of ROI
The formula Phillips uses is a good one and he illustrates his model withmany practical examples. There is a particularly good chapter on isolatingthe effects of training and this answers many of the objections raised tothis sort of model where dollar amounts are calculated. The problem withthe model is that it is mainly retrospective which means that you areclosing the stable door after the horse has bolted in some cases. Havingsaid that, it does deal with topics such as the collection of post programdata in a thorough and clear way. If you are interested in intangiblebenefits of training then there is a chapter which deals with this topic. Iwould recommend that you also read the ASTD publication which Jack Phillipsedited called 'Measuring Return On Investment'. Here there are 17 casestudies which demonstrate how you can do ROI studies in the real world.Both these books are vital for anybody interested in the whole area of ROIon investment. ... Read more

Book Description

Games are your answer!

They don't want to hear you lecture. They don't want to read an instruction guide. So how can you tell them what they need to know? You want bright smiles, not bored sighs. You want them to have fun, but you want them to learn as well. GAMES are your answer!

Games aren't just for kids. Games can help people learn business ideas: games can teach. Steve Sugar's adaptable designs put an end to tired, scripted business games. Sometimes you have a lot of games, but none of them ever seems to suit the occasion. Sometimes games suit the occasion, but are so rigid that the participants are bored before they've scarcely even begun. With Sugar's help, your games will always be both fitting and new. These aren't your average games. They're frame games, game shells to which you can add your own unique content.

With this simple book, you'll quickly create perfect games for every setting!

In this book you'll get:

• An abundance of uniq ue and playful games. These content-reinforcing designs will increase the smile quotient of even the most hard-to-please audience.
• A handy selection matrix. This tool helps you choose the games that suit your specific training needs.
• A simple seven-step game implementation model. This plan shows you how to customize these designs for your own use.

As a student, Sugar used games to remember his schoolwork; as a teacher, he used games to energize dull lessons; as a trainer, he uses games to excite learners and accelerate learning. And now he offers you this invaluable treasury of his fluid game designs. Bring a bounty of frame game fun to your next training session or presentation! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful teaching tool!
This book is a refreshing way to look at teaching. The creative games that fill the pages bring fun to learning. This book not only gives the reader wonderful games to use with his/her pupils, but step by step instructions on how to make these games effective. The games presented are broad enough to be used in almost any educational setting with any topic the facilitator is presenting. Most of the games are done within cooperative groups or teams, allowing for more group interaction and all around fun. This book is a must have for any teacher, workshop facilitator, or seminar presenter. ... Read more

Book Description

The Blended Learning Book is your users manual for implementing blended learning.  It gives you a guidebook to combining the latest technologies with traditional training models to create high-impact programs that drive superior business results (not just reduce costs). Filled with real-world examples and case studies from organizations such as Accenture, BI, Cisco, FedEx, Kinkos, Grant-Thornton, IBM, Novell, the U.S. Navy, Verizon, and more, e-learning veteran Josh Bersin zeros in on What Works -- in all shapes and sizes of training departments from a variety of industries. ... Read more

Book Description

Pfeiffers Classic Activities for Interpersonal Communication is a comprehensive resource filled with ready-made learning activities that you can immediately put to use in your ongoing effort to maintain and improve workplace communication. This important collection of timeless activities brings together classic resources drawn from more than thirty years of the Pfeiffer Annuals. Editor Jack Gordon, former chief editor of Training Magazine, has selected experiential learning activities, instruments, and discussion resources that both new and seasoned trainers can rely on to enhance training events on communication, customer service, sales, teamwork, or management development.
Pfeiffer's Classic Activities for Interpersonal Communication includes

• Tools and information about how personality types and cultural or gender differences influence communication
• Experiential learning activities that build awareness of nonverbal communication
• Activities designed to encourage trust and openness in work groups
• Data about the emotional factors that interfere with clear speaking and effective listening
• Tips for giving performance feedback to subordinates
• Explanations of why trust and openness are preconditions for effective communication
• Advice for using personality typologies in communication-skills training

Book Description

Are you frustrated with trying to grow and market your coaching practice? Do you feel like there is too much information (or too little) on how to market your practice, yet not enough direction on where to begin? Would you like quick answers and a complete resource guide in one place that makes marketing easy to apply and understand?

This book will show you how to build and market a profitable coaching practice in four easy steps. It walks you through the process of deciding who to coach and how to create a program that potential clients will pay you lots of money for. You will understand the components of creating a winning marketing strategy and learn tips and techniques to implement your plan. You will also discover how to become masterful at both marketing and selling.

“Four Steps To Building A Profitable Coaching Practice is a clear and concise guide to niche-marketing for coaches.” Talane Miedaner, best-selling author of Coach Yourself To Success

"A great book with a lot of valuable information from a master at doing what she does best.” Sandy Vilas, Master Certified Coach and CEO CoachInc.com

“This is a great book. Thorough, professional, and easy to read.” Judy Feld, Master Certified Coach and President International Coach Federation (ICF) 2003

Reviews (4)

The most important how-to book a coach can read.
Coaching is a peculiarly difficult service to market! You're marketing yourself, and all sorts of emotions get in the way of direct action -"I musn't boast", "I can't promote myself","Am I good enough", "I don't want to be seen as pushy" are examples I've heard. Questions of self-worth abound. Many coaches need major coaching in this area! In fact, if you don't market your coaching services regularly and aggressively, you'll sooner or later stop coaching! This book meets that need head-on, with sections on Deciding Who You Want To Coach, Creating a Program Your Target Audience Will Pay For, Creating a Marketing Strategy, and Learning How To Sell. In addition, the largest chapter, Creating a Marketing Strategy, lays out all the marketing options, and, coachlike, offers assignments to the reader to get him/her moving. I found the section on Working With The Press particularly interesting, and challenging. That alone is worth the price of the book. I run a coaching chapter in New York City, and I've invited the author to come and present her book to our membership. If you're a coach, or planning to be one, I highly recommend this book. It is a marketing seminar all by itself. It gives a very clear, well-organized and concise outline of the steps you can take to make coaching a delight - not only because of what you can contribute to others, but also because you can make a very nice living doing so!

Four Steps To Building A Profitable Coaching Practice
I found Deborah's book to be straightforward, precise and probably the most useful of anything I have read for creating and marketing my coaching practice... and all in one resource! She breaks down each of four steps clearly and concisely for even the most beginner coach. An excellent and exciting resource for any coach at most any level.

One Doable Step at a Time
This book has accomplished the twin goals of "taking action": It's comprehensive in the variety of ways a coach can advance their practice. And yet, it breaks down each choice in easily doable steps; taking away the mystique or intimidating notions a new coach may have about what they must do to build their business.

Additionally, it's packed from top to bottom with terrific resources for writing, web development, program/seminar development, and much more!

It's one terrific resource for the back pocket of any ambitious coach!

Advice That Is To The Point
If you like to get information that is concise and to the point, you have found.
In a friendly style, this book offers instruction that is helpful to both new and experienced coaches. It provides proven approaches to developing a coaching practice that are unavailable elsewhere.
This work will push and pull you at once towards reaching your goals rapidly. ... Read more

Book Description

Kathleen Thelen explains the historical origins of important cross-national differences in four countries (Germany, Britain, the United States and Japan), and also provides a theory of institutional change over time.The latter is considered a frontier issue in institutionalist analysis, of which there are several varieties emerging from economics, political science, and sociology. Thelen's study contributes to the literature on the political economy of the developed democracies that focuses on different institutional arrangements defining distinctive models of capitalism. ... Read more

Book Description

With more than 10,000 copies sold in its previous edition, Corporate Universities is a welcome update with an entirely new chapter on how to launch a corporate university and the 10 building blocks for running and revitalizing a corporate university. Highlighting the best practices in corporate education and training, this revised edition contains cases and examples of innovative programs from over 30 American companies and reveals the results of author Jeanne Meister's survey report, ``Corporate University Future Directions.'' Key findings in the survey include: Reliance on technology for learning; Business/higher education alliances on the rise; Curriculum focus on building ``Core Workplace Skills''; Interest growth in career development centers; Emergence of a chief learning officer. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Corporate Universities
I found this book quite helpful to me in setting upa corporate university within my company.Meister's book was a great resource to see how the large companies have set up their universities. The generalguidelines of "how to do it", gave me some insight as to how togo about setting one up for my company. Visiting the web sites of some ofthe 50 companies referenced, was also very helpful.A goodresource/reference book.

Jeanne Meister hits the mark with Corporate Universities
Jeanne Meister's book on corporate universities is a review of the key success factors and motives in developing a high level corporate training organization. The majority of the information in the book is taken fromFortune 500 companies who are developing their own 'umbrella' learningorganizations. The information was gathered through questionnaires,consulting, and trade shows held by Corporate University X-change, acompany who publishing one of the leading industry magazines. The trend forcorporate universities seems to be driven by two main factors:

1.Upper-management's need to build a flexible learning organization. A goodexample of this trend is illustrated in a Shell Oil study on changes in thefirms appearing on the Fortune 500 list . This study showed that one-thirdof the companies listed on the Fortune 500 list in 1970 had vanished by1983. In fact, the study estimated that the lifetime of the largestindustrial firm was less than half the average lifetime of a person in anindustrial society. The bright spot of this study was that those whosurvived 75 years or longer made a point of continually experimenting andexploring new businesses and creating new sources of growth.

2.Technologies that more effectively facilitate the collection and managementof key information on the organizations intellectual capital.

I wasimpressed by the names and company references that this book contains. Itappears as if the author has established relationships with these companiesand makes the information seem more credible because it appears to be firsthand and can be backed up by contacting the individual or company. ... Read more

Book Description

If your workplace feels like a battle zone and colleagues sometimes act like adversaries, you ore not alone. Today four generations glare at one another across the conference table, and the potential for conflict and confusion has never been greater.

• Traditionalist employees with their "heads down, onward and upward" attitude live out a work ethic shaped during the Great Depression.
• Eighty million Baby Boomers vacillate between their overwhelming need to succeed and their growing desire to slow down and enjoy life.
• Generation Xers try to prove themselves constantly yet dislike the image of being overly ambitious, disrespectful, and irreverent.
• Millennials, new to the workforce, mix savvy with social conscience and promise to further change the business landscape.

This insightful book provides hands-on methods to close the generation gaps. With effective tools to recruit, retain, motivate, and manage each generation, you can now create teamwork, not war, in today's highperformance workplace . . . where at any age, productivity is what counts.

Reviews (13)

A Must-Read Regardless of Employment Situation
When a friend recommended this book, I was skeptical. After all, I do freelance work and am not concerned with most workplace issues. However, I found it to be a real page-turner. It is well-written, informative, and amusing. When Generations Collide contains insights that are helpful in all aspects of life from relating to older family members to hiring the right child care provider. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not reading this book.

When Generations Collide
For the first time in the U.S. history, we have four separate generations working side-by-side. They are the Traditionalists, Baby boomers, Gen Xers and Gen Y. While there is really no magic birth date that makes one a member of a specific generation, one's experience and sharing of history helps shape a 'generational personality' during their formative years. This is a must-read book as 'one-size' does not fit each generation's needs in terms of benefits, working hours, places of employment, methods of training/motivation and retention.

With four generations in the work system, misunderstandings happen. Additionally, progressive organizations are realizing they need to develop new recruiting procedures, create new compensation,benefit and retention strategies to attract and retain the best of the four diverse groups in the work system. When generational collisions occur, it results in reduced profitability, presents hiring challenges, increased turnover rates, and decreased morale. Understanding the various generational identities will help in building bridges in the work environment. The book authors, Lancaster and Stillman, describe for the reader the four generational personalities and provide suggestions regarding rewards/retention/motivatational techniques that appeal to each generation. Briefly, the four generations are defined:

Traditionalists were born between the turn of the last century and the end of World War II (1900-1945) and they number about 5M in population. The Traditionalists were impacted by two World Wars and the Great Depression. They learned to do without and the management style they learned came from the military - a top-down, boot-camp method. They were cautious, obedient. and spoke when spoken to. They would have never called their boss by 'his' first name. For years they had career security of life-long employment opportunities so all the downsizing of the 80s/90s initially took them by shock. They have their own preference regarding rewards and respond to different recruiting messages.

Baby Boomers: (Born from 1946-1964) represents the largest population ever born in the U.S. Their large number of about 80M created a competitive nature among them for jobs/opportunities. For the most part, they grew up in suburbs, had educational opportunities above their parents, saw lots of consumer products hit the marketplace (calculators, appliances). The television had a significant impact on their views of the world regarding equal opportunity and other human rights. They represent a great recruiting target as they 'retool' for new career opportunities for those recruiters who have the knowledge on how to attract them.

Generation X: Many members of the Generation X emerged into the workplace during the 1990s expansion and this is the smallest generation in terms of numbers (46M- due to birth control and working moms). They had a distinct competitive advantage in choice jobs 'they wanted.' The technological revolution exacerbated their successes as they are techno savvy unlike their Boomer competitors. Rather than 'paying their dues for a number of years' as previous generations did, they were able to demand that organizations adapt to their ways of doing things creating disbelief from the Traditionalist/Boomers. (Actually, the Gen Xers have made the work place a better system for all of us by demanding flex hours, telecommuting, etc). Gen Xers grew up a skeptical group due to fractured family systems, violence in the news, AIDS, drugs, child molsters and downsizings. Generation Xers are dash board diners and being latchkey kids taught them independence. They detest micro-management in the work environment and want constant feedback on how they are performing. Recruiters and HR personnel need specifics to attract, motivate and retain Gen Xers.

Gen Y/ Millennial Generation: This 75M techno-savvy, multi-tasking generation has had access to cell phones, personal pagers, and computers most of their life. They have, for the most part, led privileged lives traveling more than previous generations to world wide areas, growing up in 'fun' day care programs/activities, owning the best in technology and being included in family collaborations that involve major issues ranging from where to live, the decorations in their bedroom to vacation trips. Their parents/teachers have coached them to build extensive portfolios (for college), therefore, they will most likely be portfolio conscious and looking for career expansion opportunities. Futurists predict they will change jobs 7-10 times and even change careers 2 or 3 times. They were also taught to question parents/teachers and the status quo. They have served in school peer-court systems having a say in major decisions and this will impact how they will respond and adapt within workplace system. The authors provide some specific recruiting/retention strategies to attract this generation.
Looking at the workplace as a system, these generational variances present recruiting, rewarding and retention challenges. Employee turnover eats up management hours and dollars spent advertising and conducting searches for, interviewing, hiring and training new recruits. Its takes up remaining employees' time covering open positions. It frustrates customers who often receive substandard or inconsistent service.

Interesting observations.
"When Generations Collide" is a book that describes the clashes of the four generations with practical solutions. The book is separated into five sections:
Section I: Descriptions of the Generations
The book first describes the four generations (birth years): The Traditionalists (1900-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation Xers (1965-1980) and Millennial (1981-1999). The book also mentions the "Cusper" generation, whom are born five years into or at the end of a generation. The Cuspers are the bridge builders.

Section II: Putting the generations to work
In this section, the authors describe the generations' focus on career. In summary, Traditionalists build a legacy, Baby boomers build a stellar career, Gen X build a portable career and Millennial build parallel careers. The book describes the generation careers with explicit detail including how to reward the generations without offending the "generational culture". This section is interesting since it gives examples from companies that have built various career paths and reward programs for the four generations.

Section III: Hiring generations
In this section, the authors describe in detail how to hire generations. Since the values of the generations are different, company value propositions need to be just as various. These values are established with the help of the specific generations. The proposition should be put into action and modified as time passes. If the values do not represent the various generations then the company would have issues to retain talent.

Section IV: Retaining and managing the generations
Once you have hired the individuals the book describes, in great detail, how to manage and retain your talent using different methods of involvement. Retaining the talent needed is not easy. The book describes that it is not only up to your company but companies should learn to use their talent to keep talent. Example, part-time alumni traditionalist are helping Xers understand the longer term growth of the firm which in turn the firm will be rewarded by Xers not leaving in 6 months. As the book notes it, job changing for Traditionalist is a stigma, for Boomers is getting behind, for Xers is necessary and for Millennials is a way of life.

Section V: What's next?
This section was a six page book conclusion.

If you are thinking of issues that we deal with our bosses, parents, co-workers and others take into consideration their generation before taking action.

Have fun reading.

Not Profound but Provocative
Review of When Generations Collide

The Book's Thesis: If you work with people from other generations, you need to understand that conflicting perspectives between the generations can generate workplace conflict.

Obviously, this is an old theme. There are plenty of quotable inter-generational digs and barbs recorded in the earliest writings of antiquity.

More recently, during my youth in the tumultuous late 1960s and early '70s, we spoke openly and frequently about the "generation gap."

This perennial topic has been treated seriously by credible writers in other business books over the past decade. (I have penned a few articles on it in recent years as well.)

Of the books on this now familiar theme, this one takes a less statistical and analytical approach in favor of a more anecdotal slant on the topic.

Lancaster, a Baby Boomer, and Stillman, a Gen Xer, are business partners who write in a chatty style. They lace their broad observations about generations with illustrations derived from their own personal lives. Often, they make their point by telling stories about the conflicts between the two of them---which they blame on their age difference.

And they never miss an opportunity to remind you that they speak and give seminars on this topic. While those frequent reminders border on annoying, the authors do not seem to be indulging in crass commercialism---search all you want and you won't find information in the book about contacting the author-consultants to purchase their services.

Instead, speechmaking (and speech coaching to the likes of pop business pontificator Harvey Mackay, who penned the book's anemic Foreword) seems to define the authors' rather limited frame of reference in the business world.

As other reviewers have noted, the authors' attention to detail, facts, and rigorous analysis have taken a back seat to their breezy narrative.

In an attempt to provide statistical data on generational differences, the authors point to results from an online survey they conducted. You don't have to be a career researcher or social scientist to recognize that such surveys are comprised of small, non-random, non-representative and therefore invalid samples. That is especially true when extrapolating tiny slivers of data to reach conclusions about an entire generation representing *tens of millions* of people!

Still, these flaws notwithstanding, this engaging, readable book makes some worthwhile observations about the rather amorphous and extremely broad topic of generational strife. Despite my reservations, I found myself highlighting pithy passages and dog-earring quite a few pages.

If you can look past the authors' indulgent style and occasional gaffs and lapses, "When Generations Collide" serves as an approachable and palatable overview of potential generational friction in the workplace---and wherever people of varying ages interact.

Great, with reservation about millennialists
This is one of those cant-put-it-down-until-finished books for two reasons: (1) lots of stimulating ideas how the different generations view the world of work and (2) it reads very smoothly.

My main reservation is that is premature to characterize the newest generation: the so-called millennialists. They are still in their formative stage, so we dont know how they'll view the world yet. On one hand they've seen the best-of-the-best: two decades of economic boom and relative peace. But that changed with the millennium (and after this book was written). There was Columbine, 9-11, and a particuarly nasty economic recession. So this generation is both spoiled and scarred. It will interesting to see how that plays out in the future. ... Read more

Book Description

Games to Jumpstart workplace creativity. Dr. Robert Epstein's Creativity Games for Trainers arms you with 30 innovative, entertaining games guaranteed to enhance creativity in any organizational setting. Use them to develop creativity workshops or to breathe life into any training sessions. Each ready-to-use activity comes complete with lists of required and optional materials, time recommendations, reproducible handouts, follow-up discussion questions, and other essential information. You'll also find simple instructions for customizing exercises to different settings. . .data collection forms to help measure and track success. . .special ``challenge exercises'' that help participants develop their own games. . .and unique ``application exercises'' to assist users in promoting creativity on their own. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent
I've used Epstein's book together with Michalko's "Thinkertoys," in my creative thinking seminars with great success. You can't fail with these two books.

A different approach
This book focuses on the stimuli (inputs/old ideas) and effective capaturing of responses (outputs/creative ideas) vs most other books about creativity focus on the thinking process, like mindmapping, six hats, thinking toys, etc. Thus, it directs to a total different path of how we build an environment to boost creativity. My analogy is no matter what thinking process you introduce, a group of housewives cannot invent a racket to reach the moon (don't get me wrong, I highly respect housewives for their contribution to families). It's the relevancy and variety of the inputs that matters.

I guess the author is a behaviourist who see thinking process as black box, i.e. non-observable and non-measurable. Thus, he only concentrates on the observable and measurable stimuli and responses.

I am a trainer for creativity for my company. I find this book very useful. The only complaint is that not all the games are up to my personal standard: able to demonstrate the theory AND able to energize the participants.

All in all, I highly recommand this book. You will see creativity in a different angle.

Realy Improving
Creativity Games for Trainers was realy useful for me because it its change my life and i realy feel of the creativity on me. I approached my job with new inspiration after I started taking time-outs with myself. I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

What can trainers learn from "Sesame Street"? Apparently quite a lot. Like how to make trainees turn on--not tune out--to learning by injecting training sessions with energy and excitement.

TRAINERS IN MOTION is a lively new book that offers a training approach inspired by the success of "Sesame Street" and other children's educational programming. Centered around the idea of "edutainment" (which says people learn better by doing), this book emphasizes interactive learning and shows readers how to:

* Apply the principles of edutainment to workshops for adults* Create a stimulating learning environment* Engage the imagination and creative side of trainees* Make the training experience more exciting, involving, and productive for both learner and trainer.

Perhaps best of all, the training techniques in TRAINERS IN MOTION work in any training environment, with any topic, and with any type of person. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Worth Every Penny
Although the price may deter some buyers, if you are doing any professional training, this book is a must-have. I unconditionally recommend it. There are many other books on conducting workshops (see my other reviews) but a lot of them are either; 1. Too academic on the subject of adult learning (beware of the use of the word 'andragogy'), or 2. Too consumed with team/individual game playing.

Trainers in Motion is my "bible" for conducting professional workshops. Vidakovich goes so far as to distinguish those activities that are appropriate for small groups versus large groups, and how to adapt your approach if the group dynamics change (which they will).

The real beauty of the book is the adaptability of it to almost any subject. I have taught workshops on Leadership, Team Building, Project Management, Sales and Marketing, Creativity, and other subjects, and one standard I have followed is the approach of this book towards generating participation and excitement.

The 3-ring binding of the book is also a benefit, as I have been able to take some of the pages along with me, when needed, as opposed to the entire book.

Use it well!

A Must Have
Trainers in Motion is full of fabulous ideas for trainers and course developers alike, regardless of experience level. For the beginning trainer, it provides many activities that are simple, approachable and effective. For the experienced trainer, there are new ways of creating the effective learning experience. As both a trainer and developer, I have used these creative participant-centered activities in training sessions and consider them a must for adult learning. Mr. Vidakovich is to be applauded for sharing his creativity with us.

Highly Recommended!
Jim Vidakovich's Trainers in Motion is published in a binder with dividers, so you can add your own notes and comments. This reader participation workbook parallels Vidakovich's approach to involving participants in their own training. Vidakovich begins with an initial discussion of his approach, but the majority of the book is very hands-on, with descriptions of exercises, illustrations of room arrangements, lists of suggested approaches and questions for you to answer. This notebook is packed with good ideas from an expert on training. The caveat:...it's a little pricey. Nonetheless, we from getAbstract recommend it with confidence to trainers and workshop leaders. If hands-on is your style, you have a very well-informed friend in Jim Vidakovich.

AMA Senior Course Leader
I have participated in Jim's Accelerated Learning Course, where he taught us many of the ideas & exercises delineated in this book. All of us in the Course felt it was invaluable, and we were all "seasoned" professional trainers and consultants. His book is an excellent extension of his professionalism, enthusiasm, and superior training techniques. I can't recommend it highly enough.As a Trainer, I'm supposed to be professional ... this book has helped me be even better.

Trainers in Motion
I must say that Mr. Vidakovich's book is an essential tool for today's training environment. "Trainers in Motion" has set a new standard in adult learning in the 21st century. We all can learn to utilize this style not only in our academic environment, but also in our everyday interpersonal relations.

If you are in the training field, this is a must see manuel to guide you to an enhanced training environment that not only will your participants enjoy, but you will also have fun in the process.

Enjoy, Jeff Stavitzski Corporate Trainer (Levitz) ... Read more

Book Description

"Please, not another t-shirt!" is the common cry among employees. Make Their Day! shows what employers and employees each expect from recognition and why most efforts miss their mark. Author and management consultant Cindy Ventrice demonstrates that to be effective, recognition must be built directly into the work and workplace, directed at specifics, and tied to performance. Written from the employees' viewpoint, this book explains why good working relationships form the core of effective workplace recognition. The author then offers specific, low-cost recognition programs that have been effective in improving morale and productivity at leading companies like FedEx Freight and Wells Fargo Bank. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This book rocks!
If you want to learn how to better recognize employees in your organization or if you're not satisfied with how your workplace recognizes your contributions, buy this book. It explains how to give recognition that is **meaningful** and matters. It also introduces the innovative concept of self-recognition. If you're not getting the recognition you want at work, there are things you can do to recognize yourself and feel more satisfied. A must read for human resource professionals, managers, execs, and every employee. The ideas in the book have made a very positive difference for how I recognize myself and others at work.

A Good Read!
Author Cindy Ventrice, a management consultant specializing in employee morale, suggests ways to give recognition, not just rewards, to help employee morale and productivity. While some of her tips may sound familiar to those who have read other books on this subject, she is particularly helpful when she suggests which types of rewards work best, and for which employees. She incorporates psychological motivational theory and suggests measurement tools that will give you feedback on which techniques are most effective. We recommend this generally solid book to top executives, managers, HR personnel, workshop leaders and trainers handling employment issues. And, by the way, we really appreciate you. You're doing swell work. Thanks.

Self-Rewarding
Saying thanks is not just good manners; it's good business practice. Employers often fail to realize that acknowledging an employee's contributions is an easy and effective form of motivation. And consistent acknowledgement reduces the need for outlay of significant cash, although when something material is given, it should be nice. At www.capitolengraving.com, we have substantial experience in the recognition industry and often remind clients not to give mixed messages by thanking an individual with a cheap gift. Use a mix of techniques, as detailed in this book, to thank and impress outstanding employees.

Make Their Day
Recognition is one of the key management practices that is often overlooked. This book gives the reader lots of easy to implement ideas and a variety of solutions. All managers should keep this practical guide visible in their office. We would all be a lot happier if our efforts were recognized in meaningful ways as suggested by Cindy Ventrice. She gives simple answers to a universal problem.

Make Their Day!
Super book!! If you follow the advice in Make Their Day! your employees will be more fulfilled, more productive, and confident. It outlines simple and efficient ways to recognize employees wihtout taking time out from busy schedules and without spending money. As a manager, I believe that recognition is the cornerstone of exemplary performance. ... Read more

Book Description

This text is designed for courses on fixed income securities at the MBA level and graduate level courses in Finance. The goal of the text is to provide comprehensive coverage of fixed income instruments and models. A risk management perspective of option theory is presented throughout. The text adopts a non-institutional, binomial approach to fixed income securities based on option pricing technologies, providing cutting-edge theory and technique. While the book is based on the Heath-Jarrow-Morton (HJM) model of interest rate options, discussions also compare and contrast other related models such as the Hall-White model. In addition, traditional techniques of duration and convexity are discussed as these relate to the HJM model. Statistics and algebra are prerequisites. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Incomplete
This book is at its best when explaining the theory. Jarrow provides lots of very explicit examples that really help to illuminate the ideas. Unfortunately, the reader is left to fend for himself when it comes to implementing the theory. The author simply breezes over how to estimate and calibrate these models. There is a rich--but abstruse--literature on how to apply HJM models. This book would be greatly improved if it covered this aspect of the topic with the same care and detail as is devoted to the theoretical segment of the book.

Excellent!
The book is very good, unquestionably. It provides you with a deep understanding of interest rate models and risk management. Mind you, you need to know the basics of bonds and fixed income contongent claims, before you try this book. The examples are apt, and explanations are succint, and easily understood. The mathematics involved can be mastered easily, and no arcane stuff (like measure-theoretic probability etc.) are used. So, the book will be accessible to MBA students too. This book has helped me understand the subject very well.

A Fundamental Resource
I head an interest rate swap desk after several years trading interest rate swaps. I refer to this excellent book when I need a quantitative brush up. Most of our challenges are on the fundamental principles, and Jarrow covers them very well. I'm a fan of Jarrow, and have several of his other works as well. Since I soon will also have responsibility for credit derivatives, I bought and recommend "Credit Derivatives" by Tavakoli. This book brought me up to speed on exotic options in this market as well as total return swaps and the various types of credit derivatives products. Many of my customers use interest rate exotics as well as these products.

required reading in fixed income
Excellent job on the detail analysis of fixed income models, accessible to non-mathematician, no stochastic calculus involved. this book is more focused than Tuckman's book. this is absolutely more easy reading than all other fixed income model books out there. read this one, you will be on the way to "martingale methods in financial modelling". also recommend "fixed income analytics".

At last a real well written Book on Interest Rate Modeling!
This book will definitely replace all the books on interest rate modeling- Brigo Murcurio etc. The book starts at an elementary level, explains every details of the concept, and then develop the subject matter one needs to know to be a pro in interest rate modeling. Even the simple concepts like duration, convexity are clearly explained that many other books take pages, and even then not very clear. Buy it, Read it! After all you will be learning from a master! The clarity and the writing style are simply great! Good job Prof. Jarrow!

BTW: Neither Prof.Jarrow knows me nor I know him personally ... Read more

Book Description

Another book in the bestselling "Big Book of Business Games Series,"The Big Book of Sales Games delivers dozens of 5-20 minute games and activities designed to motivate salespeople, teach key selling principles, or just liven up a sales meeting.

Reviews (1)

Creative, specific ideas you can use
I found this book user-friendly, with sections that cover a variety of topics. There are activities for new sales associates as well as energizers for veterans. I started putting "flags" on pages with ideas that I liked and quickly filled up the side edge of my book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Especially disturbing.
An especially disturbing book because it provides management who wish to do so with a pseudo-scientific pretext for using fear as a tool against their fellow members of the organization. Additionally, these ideas applied promote factionalization among organizational members, which increases complexity by causing people to work for a subset, rather than the whole of an organization. This is encouragement to compete rather than cooperate. If this work were written by a foreign writer, I would guess that it's intent was to help perpetuate international business superiority by giving North American management poor, neo-Tayloristic ideals wrapped (warped) in an attractive package and presented as new thinking. Fear as a motivation is a tool of the insipient, including self-serving management. Management by Fear should find the same way as Taylorism, Management by Objective and other idiotic management principles, onto the old heap of intellectual rubbish we should be embarassed of. For constructive management theory, read about Japanese conglomerates we buy most of our better products from, or explore W.E. Deming's Profound Changes.

Highly Recommended!
At first glance, Judith Bardwick's influential book, first published in the early 90s, seems scarcely relevant in the opening months of the 21st century. After all, the sense of corporate entitlement that she documented was certainly swept away in the layoffs, restructurings and reengineerings of the last decade, right? Of course, anyone working in a large organization today knows that's not entirely the case. Bloated bureaucracies still exist. But more importantly, Bardwick's simple observation that external economic environments influence and even create internal workplace environments is just as true today as it was the day she wrote it. So too are her words of advice about managing and harnessing employee fear to motivate a workforce into a productive mindset. That said, not all of Barwick's observations have aged so well. For example, you'd be hard pressed to make the case today that the work ethic has died in America. Nevertheless, we [...] recommend this book not as a slice of management history, but as a relevant and practical discourse on employee motivation.

Entitlement Can Breed Complacency, the Enemy of Progress
Danger in the Comfort Zone looks at the unintended consequences of making rewards and recognition in an organization too independent of how the individual and the organization are performing. Mostly these consequences are harmful, by making people focus on keeping what they perceive belongs to them rather than responding to important challenges. In that sense, this book has a lot of parallels to Spenser Johnson's, Who Moved My Cheese?

This message comes as quite a surprise to humanistically-oriented managers who just wanted to treat people fairly and unburden them from unnecessary stress and concerns. The shock can be quite substantial to this message in large bureaucracies (another source of stalled thinking that leads to complacency). Ms. Bardwick is definitely from the Tough Love school of management.

Using a sort of behavioral model, Ms. Bardwick argues for making rewards and recognition more closely match the performance of the individual and the organization. All rugged individualists will automatically agree. What many people will miss is that her message is fundamentally a humanistic one, aimed at helping people and organizations to fulfill their potential with as little stress as possible. Think of this as realistic humanism.

Cynics will see her view as a negative one towards people, assuming the worst. I think that is an incorrect view. On the other hand, it is bad idea to view management as a behavioral experiment. B.F. Skinner didn't do so well when he put his child into a box to program him, after all.

If you like this book, you may want to read its follow on, In Praise of Good Business. That book is easier to agree with, but is less well written than this one. Both are thought-provoking, which is what is needed to overcome stalled thinking about working with people. A good counterpoint for this book is The Soul at Work, if you want to apply the scientific model to the problem in a different way.

Biggest threat to American Business
This book basically states that "All your employees are lazy whiners and need to be disciplined or fired". While this may be true at a small number of companies, it is NOT TRUE for most. This book is a prime example of Upper Management Incogitancy in American Business. I would recommend this book to "The Common Worker" in order to better understand the dysfunctional actions of those in Upper Management. This book might also be a good manual for raising unruly children or teen-agers but NOT for running an innovative and competitive company. This is probably the ONLY management book that Dilbert's Boss has read.

Provides great insight to entitlement.
May 18, 1999

I enjoyed reading this book. It gave me a better perspective on entitlement, as well as the earning and fear components. As a consultant, I would like more information on possible employee evaluations using the three areas.

Could someone let me know if the author or AMA has any available. She referred to giving presentations and administering an evaluations in the book.

I would appreciate it very much if you could let me know ASAP. I am writing a proposal and the data from the evaluations would be help me in determining future training for these people. ... Read more

Book Description

In the past fifteen years, Mastering the Instructional Design Process has become a classic in the field providing professionals, trainers, and students with a step-by-step guide through all aspects of the instructional design process.

In the past two decades there have been profound changes in the state-of-the-art of the instructional design profession. To provide instructional designers with the most current information, this third edition makes use of the recent IBSTPI standards for instructional design.

The revised competencies:
• Address the professional foundations of design, as well as planning and analysis, design development, and management skills
• Encompass tasks of both novice and experienced and expert design professionals
• Have been validated using a national and international population

Mastering the Instructional Design Process, Third Edition also addresses current trends and developments breaking new technologies, rapid change, outsourcing of internal instructional designers, knowledge capital, speed in market change, and globalization and diversity that are influencing today's business environment and the instructional design process.

The third edition of this essential resource features case examples from myriad workplace environments and contains the information, advice, and tools you need to ensure that your planning training and development function is the most up-to-date.

Included with the book is a CD-ROM filled with sample forms, checklists, activities, and PowerPoint presentations for each chapter. ... Read more

Book Description

From Roger C. Schank—one of the most highly respected thinkers, writers, and speakers in the training, learning, and e-learning community—comes a compelling book of essays that explore the myriad issues related to challenges faced by today’s instructional designers and trainers. The essays offer a much-needed perspective on what trainers do, why they do it, and how they do it. Lessons in Learning, e-Learning, and Training serves as a barometer to the issues that often perplex trainers and helps to illuminate three main points: what can and cannot be taught; how people think and learn; and what technology can really effectively provide. In addition, each essay is filled with practical guidance and includes a summary of ideas, tips and techniques, things to think about, checklists, and other job aids.  ... Read more

Book Description

Chances are, if you're a manager in most any organization today, coaching has become an integral part of your responsibilities. And there's no more effective approach to coaching than Action Coaching. Developed by the authors through their work with Levi Strauss, Colgate, Bank of America, Arthur Andersen and other leading companies, Action Coaching is the only coaching process that dramatically increases an individual's personal performance in direct correlation with established organizational goals. Here, Dotlich and Cairo share the same advice, techniques, and tools they've used to transform hundreds of managers and executives into first-rate coaches. Moreover, they clearly demonstrate how Action Coaching can be used as a strategy for achieving organizational goals by aligning personal improvement with a company's vision for the future. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Solid Effort!
David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo discuss how to use action coaching to improve individual effectiveness and boost your overall organization. Their approach begins with fostering self-awareness and then uses this awareness to motivate change that the organization needs. Action coaching involves a series of steps and some specific coaching tools. While this book provides a fairly well-organized and well-written introduction to the concept, it covers familiar training and development ground. If you are a beginner in this area, the repetition of steps and processes will come in handy. Experienced trainers will find the coaching tools quite familiar and the assessment questions fairly obvious. Thus, we at getAbstract.com recommend this book for those who are new to training and development, or for employees who are considering getting coached.

Coaching in Context
Dotlich and Cairo have put together a fine and practical book that really helps focus coaching skills towards results. They give a very specific approach to developing an action plan to produce results from coaching. In fact they address four kinds of results - self-awareness results, performance improvement results, performance breakthroughs and finally full-blown transformations. Maybe most important for modern organizations is the anal;ysis of coaching skills in the context of the organizational needs, not just individual developmental needs. We develop and support people because our organization needs their current compliment of skills enhanced with other skills or it needs to rehabilitate a counterproductive approach. Although much of their work is not necesarily new, I believe they have packaged it to be more usable and accesible. I would highly recommend this book for someone looking for a chance to evaluate their own coaching skills, develop an improvement action plan and maintain high levels of motivation to improve their performance. Who know, maybe even transform their performance! ... Read more

Book Description

The eight-step strategy presented in this book takes the mystery out of writing effective training courses. Practical templates, checklists, assessments, and examples streamline your effort and eliminate writer's block. You'll discover how to make the most of limited time, money, and human resources to:

—Develop training lessons that make a difference.
—Customize off-the-shelf training to meet the needs of your target audience.
—Repurpose existing documentation.
—Globalize your training for culturally diverse learners or tailor lessons to meet specific needs of a limited audience.
—Recognize dead-end paths that can undermine the success of your project.
—Incorporate ready-to-use CGI, Java, and HTML scripts into lessons. Learn when to use them, where to find download sites, and how to tailor them to your training objectives and learners.

This systematic approach has helped thousands of writers like you create training programs that deliver what they promise. In just hours, you can learn techniques and time-savers that others have learned only through hard-won experience and costly mistakes.

Keep this book handy. You'll reach for it often for real-world advice about every phase of your project from initial planning to troubleshooting. Better than a mentor, it's a must-have for every successful training or user-education professional. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Terrific for Planning from the Ground Up!
I just can't say enough about this book. I am developing a training program for the first time and it has added outstanding depth to my process. It is simple to use. If you go step by step everything just seems to fall in to place.

It is a life saver!

Very applicable
I read this book in 5 hours. After that, I had all the tools I needed to start developing a training course for a subject matter I still knew little about. Great book for someone who has a short time to develop a training course. Great reference for anyone who needs new approaches to their training development. ... Read more