Book Description

Your performance improvement toolbox!

You want to be able to:

• Increase your awareness of various performance improvement options
• Propose an intervention or a series of interventions to eliminate a performance gap
• Select interventions systematically
• Learn how to implement interventions more effectively . . . and more!

Here's your toolbox. Interventions are the tools that you can use to effect changes in performance. While many other resources have identified the importance of interventions as performance tools, and some resources have even singled out select interventions that might be used to drive improvement at an organization, no other resource has offered you so many interventions.

• How would a 360-degree-feedback program improve your organization?
• How could you design communication, leadership, and mentoring programs?
• When should you improve your compensation systems and employee orientations?
• How could you maximize the effectiveness of job aids and on-the-job training?

This resource not only answers those questions--and many others--but also gives you the field-tested tools you need to produce measurable modifications in performance. You'll be able to solve a host of operational dilemmas!

Don't worry about how to face performance problems. Just grab your toolbox and go! The Intervention Resource Guide has the tools you've waited for.

First, these experienced editors tell you how to select and implement interventions. Then you get a huge array of fifty interventions designed by the top practitioners in the field. In keeping with the central tenets of human performance technology, all of these interventions are designed to prompt measurable changes at your organization. You'll have an easier time justifying why you're doing what you're doing than ever before! You'll get what you need for:

• action learning
• competency modeling
• conflict management
• customer feedback
• diversity management
• electronic performance support systems (EPSS)
• performance appraisal
• strategic planning
• teaming . . . and much more!

All these resources are field-tested and formulated for fast implementation.

Among the many leading contributors to this one-of-a-kind resource are:
• Jean Barbazette
• Dale M. Brethower
• Gloria Gery
• Roger Kaufman
• Danny Langdon
• Bob Nelson
• William J. Rothwell
• Edgar H. Schein
• Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarajan
• Donald Tosti
• Kathleen Whiteside
• Ron Zemke . . . and many others!

You've heard about performance improvement and human performance technology. They have sounded promising. But you weren't fully sure what an intervention was, how to select one, or how to implement one. Now you know! Intervention Resource Guide is your performance improvement toolbox.

... Read more

Reviews (11)

A comprehensive resource guide that is easy to use.
An experienced practitioner will find this resource book easy to use. It is very well organized, making it easy to spot interventions that are relevant to a particular organization or client engagement. It offers an extensive menu of approaches to consider, as well as what appears to be a comprehensive list of resources and references that will provide more detailed information. For one who does not have time to keep up with all the literature, this is a valuable resource.

In addition, many of the chapters have samples, models and other useful exhibits that convey a lot of information as well as provide good summaries of the approaches offered. Managers and others who are considering how they want to develop their organizations would find these useful.

Great suggestions and case studies for my students!
As a professor at the State University of New York--Plattsburgh, I'm always looking for new case studies and ideas to share with my undergraduate students. The book clearly demonstrates what professionals in various fields are doing to improve structures within different contexts. Having worked with various non-profit organizations, this resource guide is useful both as a practioner and observer of organizational communication. Each of the proposed interventions clearly define, describe and apply techniques that could definitely improve communication within the workplace. I'm especially fond of the resources and references included at the end of each intervention.

The most effective way to organize consultants knowledge
For a human performance methodologist this book represent the state of the art of the knowledge.For the first time you can have the whole map of knowlege in the world of intervention, organized in a systematic and logic way. I find this book wonderful to train and support the next generation of consultants, both in the university and at work. The book helps you to convince the client not to "jump" to any fashional intervention, and to have corelation between the "medicine" and the dyagnostic phase. And, above all, the book talks in an international language, which fits the time of globalization. Here, overseas, the book is written in a common terminology, that fits our culture. Any human performance technologist should have this book on his desk.

An elegant solution for the front line manager
I am an operations officer for a large military technical maintenance organization.

If you are reading this review you are probably a leader and manager with some familiarity of organizational and human performance. You may also be looking for ways to increase your value to your team. If so, this book should be a tremendous help you.

The Intervention Resource Guide (IRG) is a work that should sit not on your bookshelf, but on your desk top as a ready reference. I will not attempt to evaluate each intervention, as valuable as they are (of the ones I have used), but choose to focus on the heart of the book, "Part One, Intervention Selection and Implementation" which includes the "Matrix of Interventions".

The editors have efficiently and credibly provided the leader-manager with the ability to make use of the proper intervention given the goal of: "Establishing, Improving, Maintaining or Extinguishing" performance in the "Business unit, Process, Work group, or Individual". All 50 interventions are evaluated for relevency against the above eight factors. By using their intervention selection model, any leader and manager should be able to select a proven intervention leading to a high probability of performance improvement. Conversely the avoidance of selecting the wrong intervention is just as valuable, and through use of the matrix, the leader should be able to avoid costly damage to the organization she serves.

The Intervention Resource Guide provides an elegant solution to the workplace manager that wants to make the best use of systematic performance improvement tools.

What a great way to expand your own toolset.
I've been in the performance improvement world for 15 years and found the book a wonderful way to expand my knowledge beyond my set of experiences. I especially loved the case studies with the positive and negative examples. As someone who helps other performance technologists around the country, I will certainly recommend this as a great way to get the big picture do's and don'ts for an impressive number of tools. ... Read more

Book Description

People keep asking "How?" as a defense against living their life, says best-selling author Peter Block. In this witty, insightful award-winning book, Block shows that many standard solutions and improvement efforts, reinforced by most of the literature, keep people paralyzed. Here he places the "how to" craze in perspective and teaches individuals, workers, and managers ways to act on what they know. This in turn allows them to reclaim their freedom and capacity to create the kind of world they want to live in. Block’s "elements of choice" — the characteristic of a new workplace and a new world based on more positive values — include self-mentoring, investing in relationships, accepting the unpredictability of life, and realizing that the individual prospers only when the community does. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Seminal Work on the Leadership Required to Change the World
I have just finished reading this book for the 5th or 6th time. It contains a unique perspective on the type of leadership necessary to transform the world, from the local to the global levels, to a place of harmony, creativity, justice, sustainability, and love.

It is not for those still centered in their own egos or even those centered in their families and communities. It embodies a human perspective deep enough to touch values that are universal and if acted upon, healing and life giving.

The book culminates in a description of the leader as "social architect." This is a person who helps all people discover the values and vision that they hold collectively and then provides the space for collaborative and creative solutions and designs.

It would be wonderful and potentially powerful for all leaders to read this book and then act on what they have learned... especially the leaders of the nations of our world.

A Book for Everyone?
This is a good book. This book is for everyone, but not everyone will find it enjoyable. The reason is that those of us who are accustomed to looking for answers in a book won't really find them. This is a book about the right questions - not answers. It is about a different approach to our life.

Block feels we live in an instrumental society. We are too pragmatic. We are a society currently driven by the archetypes of the Engineer and Economist. We tend to rush to the question of How - the practical question. The underlying premise of the book is that we ask the wrong question first. We should be asking Why more often.

The book is not a good book for those of us who are looking for quick answers or a road map to nirvana. It is a great book filled with a common sense approach to a re-examination of what is really important to us and thus to the organizations we work in. His book evolves to the archetype of the Architect - a synthesis of the pragmatic and the philosophical approach to life.

Excellent book on re-thinking freedom and community
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who considers issues around freedom and community, experience and empiricism (I would include both therapists and coaches in this category). Block's eloquent writing identifies some of the significant flaws our Western culture makes in bowing to the gods of empiricism and data to the exclusion of experience and community.

An excellent book by a man with a unique perspective on the American culture of capitalism.

An attractive restatement of known principles
A carefully presented essay on the importance of personal purpose and meaning and the dangers to ourselves and our world of the instrumental world to which we are subjecting ourselves. The book is beautifully set out and easy to read. The philosophy and advice, though useful and cogent, is much the same as that to be found in a whole range of similar books concerned with personal development. There is perhaps particular value in his distinction between personal intimacy and the ersatz, commercialized 'customer intimacy' that is so much touted in books on marketing.

A BOOK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
BLOCK'S FLAWLESS CONSULTING OPENED MY EYES TO EFFECTIVENESS IN MY FIELD AS AN ADVISOR AND A COACH AFTER MANY YEARS AS A BANKER AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVE. BLOCK'S RECENT WORK, THE ANSWER TO HOW? IS YES AFFIRMS THE EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD IN ORGANIZATIONS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. I AM SO PLEASED TO HAVE FINALLY MATURED SUFFICIENTLY TO "LISTEN" TO HIS WORDS AND FEEL AFFIRMED IN WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS SEEING AND KNEW I WAS FEELING. THIS BOOK MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE, BUT ONLY IF ONE HAS THE COURAGE TO BOTH ABSORB WHAT IT SAYS AND ACT ON WHAT IT MEANS! ... Read more

Book Description

Managing and Motivating Contact Center Employees reveals how to boost morale, streamline business processes, and inspire outstanding performance from frontline sales and service staff.

This creative and practical book gives instant help to anyone who knows the difficulties of managing in the diverse and dynamic contact center environment.

Reviews (1)

A must have for your contact center library
Impact Learning International has done it again! There is no contact center topic more important than that of focusing on the biggest expense and the greatest asset...your people. Impact Learning provides excellent advice and practical help in a fun and understandable way. It is based on their many years of experience coaching and training in the contact center industry. I refer to my copy all of the time and have given away several copies to contact center managers. You MUST have a copy of this book in your business library! ... Read more

Book Description

This one-of-a-kind guidebook is designed to help you meet the need for competent trainers in the exploding technology sector. Follow instructional principles approved by the International Board of Standards for Training Performance. Learn to use questions, group dynamics, feedback, and other training tools effectively. Thoroughly addresses training styles and learning needs in 14 delineated principles. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Prep for CTT exam, but you still need much more
This is a very useful book to help prepare for the CTT exam; and considering the fact that it isn't that expensive - I recommend it. However, be aware that it is only a helpful tool and not anywhere close to a complete or comprehensive study guide - although, as far as I know, this is the best thing available. That is because there is almost nothing else available. You can go out to the Comptia site and through them get official materials - however, these materials are EXTREMELY VAGUE & EXTREMELY SUBJECTIVE. In my mind, they really aren't worth getting; and I've had both the Competencies Booklet and their nearly useless Videotape.
This book weighs in at close to 400 pages, but it is a really quick read - even for a slow-poke reader like me. And the 2 authors break the book down to analyze the competencies in real human terms, as opposed to the vague generalities that fill the official booklet. They also provide lots of very helpful & useful observations that will help you as an instructor - even if they don't relate directly to the exam.
There are 2 shortfalls with this book however.
ONE, they have quite a number of practice questions in the book. But these will not prepare you in the least, for the real CTT written exam. Their questions are quite good; but way too straight-forward. The CTT exam is the most insane, subjective exam I've ever seen; and as a bootcamp instructor for nearly 3 years; I've taken close to 100 certification exams from about 8 different vendors. Their questions are a good start, but you need to go out to google and search on "CTT practice". I found 2 practice exams when I took this... Both of these practice question sets were wild & flakey; but they got me in the right frame of mind for the insanity that is the: "CTT written exam" - it was much crazier. And without seeing those practice questions, I would not have even scored 25%, let alone pass. There is a certain type of wrong /insane answer that you need to learn how to recognize in order to pass that test.
THE SECOND SHORTFALL WITH THIS BOOK IS THAT IT SAYS NOTHING TO HELP YOU WITH THE VIDEOTAPE YOU MUST SUBMIT AS THE 2ND STEP TOWARDS THE CTT Certification. It does reprint the CTT handbook that was current when the book was published, and that does contain references to the videotape you must prepare - but it is again, extremely vague. The official videotape that you can get through COMPtia, is likewise, extremely vague, and in my opinion
nearly worthless.
...

Effective Preparation for Certified Technical Trainer Exam
Major computer hardware and software vendors such as Microsoft, Oracle, Sun, Cisco Systems, Adobe, Novell, and others demand competency in their instructors. Acceptable proof of competency is a Certified Technical Trainer (CTT) certification.

It's a multiple choice test, and as a holder of 2 Engineering degrees from the University of Illinois, extensive experience in Project Management, and being a Certified Toastmaster, I thought "How hard could this be?"

Frankly, its the toughest test I ever took. Whoever wrote it, was diabolical. And, I had prepared and prepared well. An essential --but not the only-- preparation was thoroughly reading this book and working ALL of the exercises twice.

The book is well organized, well written, includes good exercises, and clear instructions on how to apply for and take both the computer portion of the test, and the video tape submission. However, do not expect to pass the test after reading this book alone. Seek out practice exams, talk to others who have taken the test, and of course, actual class room experience should be part of your preparation.

I would have appreciated citations to additional preparation resources such as practice tests, and websites. ... Read more

Book Description

Co-published with the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)

This how-to handbook is perfect for anyone seeking a methodical approach to needs assessment. You'll get a treasury of tools: worksheets, ready-to-use forms, and templates for planning a course of action. The accompanying disk, packed with job aids, enables you to customize materials for your own use.

You'll learn how to:

Book Description

With all the razzle-dazzle technology around, there’s still no more lively, informative, and audience-friendly way to make an impact than with flip charts.But using flip charts well is a skill. Here’s a book that provides you with the proven techniques that will make you shine. You’ll learn the basic design principles and artistic "tricks of the trade" that give a flip chart a professional look: Selecting and arranging lettering that makes an impact all the way to the back of the room … Transporting and setting up flip charts … Arranging the presentation room … Finding the best, most dependable equipment--including easels, paper, masking tape, and markers … Jazzing up your flip chart with "ready-to-copy" graphics … Devising flip chart activities that lead to brainstorming and team problem-solving. Soon, even the least artistic presenter will know how to develop pro-level flip charts that can make every presentation come alive. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Best one there is
Don't even consider any other flip chart book, they don't come close. This one has it all.. designing flip charts, arranging them, writing them, making them visually interesting. Tons of useful and helpful information.

This book, together with Picture's Worth 1,000 Words: A Workbook for Visual Communications by Jean Westcott and Jennifer Hammond Landau are all you need to become an effective visual communicator, even if you can't draw anything! If you think you're just not good with flip charts, buy these two and prepare to amaze yourself with the transformation!

Easy to read and comprehensive
I bought this book expecting to get a couple new ideas...boy was I surp rised. I got dozens of new tips that I'd never seen anywhere else. This guy knows his stuff related to flip charts!I'd highly recommend it to new and seasoned trainers and presenters.

The Big Book of Flip Charts: A Comprehensive Guide
The graphics and content are easy to follow, well organized, and practical.

A Great Resource for Dynamic Flip Charts!
'The Big Book of Flip Charts' is absolutely a great resource for preparing interest catching, energizing flip charts. I have been a trainer for 10 years and I can't wait to try some of the ideas. I especially like the information on group facilitation which will enhance the following modules we are delivering: Supervisory Skills, Teambuilding, Participative Decision Making, and Visioning. ... Read more

Book Description

A Strategic Boot Camp for Leadership Development "David Dotlich has worked with top management of the best companies to deliver Action Learning programs for over fifteen years. His insights into how leaders develop and his experience as a coach and executive are captured in this excellent book." --Arnold Kanarick, executive president and chief human resources officer, The Limited Plug into a dynamic leadership development process custom made for today?s rapidly changing, technology-driven business environment. Unlike traditional classroom-style programs, Action Learning engages managers in emotionally intense, team-oriented experiences that directly address the immediate strategic needs of the organization. Here, authors Dotlich and Noel detail the many Action Learning sessions they?ve conducted at Shell, Ameritech, Citibank, and other leading corporations that have used Action Learning to quickly and successfully implement a variety of tactical and quantum change initiatives. Readers benefit from a clearly defined framework they can use to construct an Action Learning program of their own--a program that gives companies the power to re-create themselves by first re-creating their leaders. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Action Reading
For over the past hundred years there has been the debate over whether leadership is a competency that can be trained and fostered or whether it is an innate skill that individuals are born with. Dotlich and Noel add fuel to that fire as they assert that there is a mechanism called Action Learning that can create within organizations the necessary shifts in attitudes and behaviors at the leadership level for substantial organizational renewal. Action Learning, simply stated, is fostered experiential learning. In that there is nothing new here. What is new, however, is the way in which Dotlich and Noel have created a "whole body" syllabus for organizations that includes key learning activities that are tied to business objectives.

Where many leadership programs are deficient is in tying key attitudes, behaviors, and competencies into key business situations. Making the learning relevant and urgent is the key. The tie between learning and business application must be more than cognitive. It has to be an experience that includes intellect, emotion, risk, feedback, and reflection. "When we are fully engaged in a process, we are much more likely to be profoundly influenced by it." The way in which Action Learning creates this engagement is through tackling a significant business issue with people from cross-functions within an organization. The context of the book is the demonstration of the Action Learning principles as they were applied by Dotlich and Noel on several organizations going through major transformation. Some of the richest scenarios come from Citibank's challenge to become unified in how it approached business, General Electrics mandate to become global thinkers, and Johnson & Johnson's need to upgrade and develop executive talent here and abroad. Each of these industries utilized the Action Learning framework to tackle the necessary changes brought on by the complexity of today's business.

The term framework is intentionally as there is no template for this process. Action Learning is pliable, versatile, and malleable in order for it to flex to the urgent needs of the business. What makes up this framework is consistent. Action Learning is comprised of a process that selects key issues, creates cross-functional teams, designs presentations, and involves senior management. The time frame for this process can span nine weeks to nine months. In the process the individuals are given key assignments, attend specific seminars and learning events, and have a dedicated coach and sponsor. The sponsor is the key ingredient that ensures Action Learning success. The sponsor is the senior executive who endorses Action Learning and creates an atmosphere affirming the process and creates a top-down awareness of what's at stake for the business not address the key issues. The dedicated external coach offers the second key ingredient-reflection and feedback. In the midst of chaos-business today, there is often little time for individuals to reflect upon actions taken and impact of those actions. The coach observes individual and team dynamics and offers key questions for awareness and reflection. Some of the most powerful questions include:
Is your team on the right track?
Will your project make a significant difference in cutting costs or raising revenues?
Have you made any breakthroughs?

Through Action Learning, Dotlich and Noel claim that leaders in organizations can re-create that frames of reference in order to more effectively adjust to emerging business issues and are more effective leaders. They have identified ten contrasting mindsets that illustrate the gap between traditional leadership and re-created leadership. These include:
ü Providing direction versus providing directions.
ü Owners versus mangers.
ü What might be versus what is.
ü Involvement versus isolation.
ü Generalist versus functionalist.
ü Reflection versus doing.
ü Emotion versus intellect.
ü Faith versus skepticism.
ü Receptive versus rejecting.
ü Free speech versus censorship.

Re-created leadership that is realized through the Action Learning process enables leaders to be more agile and responsive to employees, customers, ideas, and opportunities. I recommend this book for anyone who is responsible for business strategy, anyone who is leads a cross functional team, and anyone who participates in curriculum design. The Action Learning framework and the accompanying scenarios offer ideas, important key questions, and a context for personal and organizational success.

Great approach to an important subject
The authors have done well in this book. They show the importance of leader development, as well as how easy it is to get you and your organization pointed in the right direction. As a trainer, I know that the principles discussed are valid and implementable.

Also recommend a book we use in our leader development program that has scored high with our managers and well-received by our top execs: ""The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills.""

Dumbed down for the average reader
The book contains really basic information that is not a new revelation. For a better book on the subject read "Action Learning in Action: Transforming Problems and People for World-Class Organizational Learning"; Michael J. Marquardt. Marquardt's is slightly better and provides better real life examples.

Good content, but what's new?
This is a terrific book if you have no idea how best to train people in a corporate environment. But if you do, then this book is old news. The ideas and concepts are absolutely right, but unfortunately the authors try to imply they invented this method and no one else has ever done it. I currently work for a training company, and we have used all of these techniques for years. In fact, many of the authors' examples are over 10 years old. On the other hand, let me repeat that the authors' educational techniques are right. But they never went into enough detail to really tell a company how to do it themselves. I wonder why? They need to tone down the sales job. At the end of the book, I wanted to get an unlisted telephone number to keep them from calling to sell me Action Learning techniques.

How to change mindsets/organizations¿the ongoing challenge
Unlike traditional leadership development, this approachimmerses executives in a process of change; learning-by-doing in acontrolled environment. Based on experiences of major corporations, the authors present a model of action learning and show how it has been applied. Action learning is tied to organizational change and building new mindsets-the ongoing challenge in today's hyper-competitive global economy. The process is also issue-focused. This book shows how to test and use this enormously valuable process. Recommended readings are provided. A worthy contribution to leadership and organization development. ... Read more

Book Description

Internet and intranet technologies offer tremendous opportunities to bring learning into the mainstream of business. E-Learning outlines how to develop an organization-wide learning strategy based on cutting-edge technologies and explains the dramatic strategic, organizational, and technology issues involved.

Written for professionals responsible for leading the revolution in workplace learning, E-Learning takes a broad, strategic perspective on corporate learning. This wake-up call for executives everywhere discusses:
• Requirements for building a viable e-learning strategy
• How online learning will change the nature of training organizations
• Knowledge management and other new forms of e-learning

Marc J. Rosenberg, Ph.D. (Hillsborough, NJ) is an independent consultant specializing in knowledge management, e-learning strategy and the reinvention of training.Prior to this, he was a senior direction and kowledge management field leader for consulting firm DiamondCluster International. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Knowledge Management = Learning Organization 2K
Marc Rosenberg is the Peter Senge of Knowledge Management. He builds on the key aspects that Senge acknowledges as key competitive aspects of organizations that need to learn, adapt, and stay solvent. He starts from identifying the difference between instruction vs information and the fact that so many times organizations get caught up in the "who" and the "how" instead of the "what" and the "why." For any trainer this book was interesting from the standpoint of how he defines different levels of knowledge. There are some key graphics and useful charts that help one grasp the complexity of e-learning. I started reading and thought it would be more about on-line learning, but he really took it much broader quickly. On-line learning is only a drop in the bucket of uses for the intranet. As much as we have out there he points out that there is much more to be saturated. Technology is a useful modality that can complement and enhance existing training. There was no threat to the training industry in his book. Training is still essential--but it needs to accomidate the information age and be much more timely, flexible, relevant. The one criticism I have is the fact that he doesn't address the fact that some people still need to have the classroom experience. There is the framework that you can increase aquisition of information, but if some of the psychological aspects of employee needs are not met--you get a drop in productivity, employee satisfaction and employee retention. There is still a lot to debate but he makes a compeling case regarding e-learning and knowledge management.

Packed With Knowledge!
Author Marc Rosenberg provides one of the first books devoted to strategies for developing organization-wide, online learning. He goes beyond the obvious technological challenges of Web-based training to explain that technology and content are meaningless without a culture of learning. But creating this culture means confronting dramatic strategic, organizational and political issues. In this roadmap for building and sustaining a learning culture, Rosenberg offers an essential balance between the structure of e-learning (design and technology issues) and its implementation (acceptance and support issues). His book is an impassioned wake-up call to all executives who are concerned about the future of their organizations. To begin building your company’s culture of learning, ... arm yourself with this practical, yet philosophical, manual — a weapon for professionals on the front lines of the revolution in workspace learning.

good overview and introduction to elearning
The author brings a good overview and sense of sincere understanding to the elearning space. The book does any excellent job of arming the internal champion of elearning with the data required to show the executive team the importance, value and return on investment.

E-Learning Review
This book walks the reader through all aspects of elearning, from the human side of learning theory to the technical side of capability development and deployment. This was an excellent starter book that covers all the bases when it comes to the subject of elearning. The index clearly presents all of the content so the book may also be used as a quick reference guide where the reader can focus only on those areas of interest.

Very comprehensive book with a broad look at KM
This book is great. I work for an e-learning company and I am glad that everything in this book is what I am doing with my clients as I work with them. There are several layers of building an e-learning strategy. Most companies don't think about this. This book starts with first build your strategy. Then find a vendor that will fit. You may have a blended solution to take care of all your needs. Then look at how you will have to reorganize your organizaiton, are you willing to cut the Instructor lead training budget to make E-Learning work? Are you ready to compliment your Instructor Lead Training with e-learning. It also tackels talking to Senior managers. This book had really helped me focus on the issue and prepare for them. ... Read more

Book Description

Project Managing E-Learning is the fifth book in the new ASTD E-Learning Series and explains how to apply classic project management principles to the job of launching and managing a successful e-learning project.Like the other books in the series, Project Managing E-Learning is practical, easy to read, and focuses on application.In addition to its practical grounding in project management , it provides readers with pointers on how to avoid technical issues that can bring an e-learning project to a halt.Just reading the top 18 list of why e-learning projects fail could prove invaluable to the success of a current or future project.Project Managing E-Learning includes practical hands-on Your Turn sections that offer exercises, worksheets, and other guidance to help reinforce your learning.those found in the book for immediate application. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Project Managing E-Learning
This book gets five stars for providing e-learning leaders a first class project management guide. Bill uses his years of IT project management experience to provide readers with solid skills and know-how to better manage risk, deadlines, roles, client satisfaction, and learning. As a project manager of both corporate and academic e-learning, I see the need for a commitment to this discipline on a daily basis..... My favorite chapter is number 10. In this chapter he details what to document in advance in a Statement of Work. This book is worth twice the price if it helps your next project be more successful! Jon Aleckson, CEO,...

Ensino à Distância
É um livro que abarca os aspectos básicos de como desenvolver um Site para Ensino à Distância. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent book on how to give brain friendly trainings
I love this book on training because unlike most other books of its type it doesn't go into long winded theories of learning that are not necessary to be good at teaching. It also gives a methodology that can be applied to any kind of training.

The small section on learning styles is relevant because it is argued that your own learning preference will affect the way in which you teach. When this was pointed out it was somewhat of a revelation to me. I realised that I had been training in my own learning style and not training towards the preferred style of the other three types of learner.

The best thing about this book for me was the fact that it gives you a practical guide to how you can incorporate the four learning styles into your trainings along with example exercises for each. I have now adopted this method in all of my trainings and it has enhanced the learning of my students and also their enjoyment of the courses!

On the downside for me is the fact that Sharon uses the metaphor of learning to fly throughout the book and I found it was wearing a bit thin with me by the end. However, that might just be my type 2 (fact driven) learning style showing itself.

All in all an excellent, practical and very readable book on training which will quickly enable you to apply its principles. Its a book that 'walks the talk' . Thanks Sharon.

The Field Guide to Giving It and Getting It
This book reviews the four basic styles of learning (peacemaker, truthkeeper, solutionseeker, and risktaker) and teaching (getting connected, sharing the wealth, making it happen, and celebrating the success).

The format holds true to the title: that is, basic practical and down-to-earth advice and techniques that you can implement immediately. It's a user guide to understanding your own learning and teaching styles, as well as the styles of your learners/students. Bowman reminds us that we are all students and teachers in our lives. Bowman uses humor and a consistent metaphor of the "flight plan," fleshing out her premise with interesting examples, animation, and analogies. Bowman says, "The style map is a metaphor for life itself." (p. 158)

The author addresses the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of all of us. I think this holistic approach makes real good sense because you will stretch as a teacher and embrace all of your students' learning styles.

Bowman includes "flight kits" for each teaching style- real-life activities you can use in your learning environment right away.

What Style!
This book offers a wealth of information about the people in my workshops - and how to use styles information to reach each one. Wonderful, clear balance between theory and application - I can use her ideas in every session I do. Thanks!

WOW!!!!
A quick read and full of ready-to-use ideas. A great reference for interactive teaching strategies and why they work. My classroom teachers should have read this book.

EXCELLENT!!!!!
THIS BOOK CREATES AN AWARENESS OF THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN THE TRAINING AND CONSULTING PROFESSION. I RECEIVED A HIGH BOOST OF ENERGY. BESIDES THAT I USE THIS BOOK AS A PART OF MY TRAIN THE TRAINER COURSES. GREAT JOB, SHARON..... ... Read more

Book Description

If you deal with difficult participants in your training sessions, you know the destructive effect they can have on their own learning, as well as on the group's learning process. This helpful guide book provides you with the knowledge and skills needed to deal with almost any difficult participant.

You'll learn first how to identify the types of difficult participants, and then how to decide which technique (127 in all) is best suited for dealing with that individual. Finally, you'll learn the steps of each technique and how to achieve maximum results.

Learn to deal with "difficult participant" types such as:

Reviews (2)

Insightful!
Training professionals are shifting their focus from teaching to improving the performance of individuals and organizations. Dana Gaines Robinson and James C. Robinson have compiled a series of articles by members of the Association for Training and Development that approach this trend from varying angles. The common theme is identified at the start: Trainers are becoming performance consultants, working with companies to improve business performance, learning and work environments. After presenting this foundation, the book traces it through organizational partnering, performance change, large and small departmental organization, and employee alignment. The book serves up a feast of charts, examples, lists, chapter highlights and a profile on each author. It is written for the instructional designer, organizational development consultant, training manager, performance consultant and other specialists. Thus, non-trainers will find it jargon-laden and inaccessible. The multiple authors generate some overlap, but otherwise we recommend this exploration of training's new focus - the bottom line of performance - to everyone in the field.

You'll love this.
If you liked Performance Consulting, you'll love Moving from Training to Performance! This book provides a roadmap to guide you in the transition from training to performance improvement. You'll also get expert advice from the top dogs, like Bellman, Brinkerhoff and Fuller. ... Read more

Book Description

This book makes TPM team activities understandable to everyonein the company. TPM Team Guide gives simple explanations of basic TPMconcepts like the 6 big losses, and emphasizes the integration of TPMactivities with production management. Chapters describe the team-basedimprovement process step by step, from goal setting to standardizationof the improved operations. Team leaders will learn how to holdeffective meetings and work with the human issues that are a big partof success. The tools for team problem solving and the steps forpreparing a good presentation of results are detailed here as well.Written in straightforward, easy to digest language, with abundantillustrations and cartoon examples. Front-line supervisors, operators,facilitators, and trainers in manufacturing companies will want to usethis practical guide to improve company performance and build asatisfying workplace for employees. ... Read more

Book Description

Help new and experienced supervisors make the transition from individual contributor to leader with ready-made training tools and materials in this practical, hands-on guide. This first in a series of books on designing effective training sessions includes everything you need to quickly develop a new supervisor training program - lasting from only a few hours to several days. A companion CD provides key exercises, handouts, assessments, structured experiences, and ready-to-use PowerPoint presentations developed from the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Save hours of tedious preparation time with this tired-and-true collection of expert-developed and ready-to-use activities that teach visioning, coaching, team leadership, customer focus, managing change, empowering and motivating employees, managing processes and project management skills! The sophisticated yet easy-to-understand designs will provide useful and stimulating ideas even with hard-to-please managers. Plenty of reproducible handouts help reinforce the learning, while adding even more presentation pizzazz! Most activities take less than an hour! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Okay but overpriced
This handbook had some decent activities and questionnaires. There was a lot of repetition for the activities, however, with similar sections for participants and facilitators in each. So, instead of having 250+ pages of novel material there is maybe 50 pages.

There were four or five self-reflection questions in many of the activities that seemed fairly commonsense. I guess I was hoping for more thought and emotion-provoking material. For the price I expected more. This handbook would be a good value if it was not quite as expensive.

Kevin Maley
This book is chock full of activities for management training and development, which is my function at my company. I use this book (for 2 years) extensively and consider it a pearl.

Our company also uses a greatbook that is required reading for our managers in their developmentprogram. I recommend it because it is easy to understand and simple foryour trainees to use: "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills." ... Read more

Book Description

Designed for anyone charged with making e-learning really work, Preparing Learners for e-Learning presents a variety of methods business organizations and educational institutions can use to prepare their learners to become successful e-learners. This first-of-its-kind book helps trainers, designers, and educators understand the importance of enhancing self-directedness in learners as they prepare for e-learning and the various learning theories that can be used for this purpose. It then guides e-learning professionals through the process of creating interventions— specific to their own individual situations— that will assist their learners in preparing for the move to an e-learning environment. ... Read more

Book Description

New employee orientation is the most commonly offered type of training in organizations, yet very few books have been published on the topic. Creative New Employee Orientation Programs is filled with downloadable, customizable training games, sample curriculum, handouts, and checklists used in leading organizations such as Arthur Anderson, Ford, Micron, and Alcatel. Whether creating an orientation program for the first time, enhancing an existing program, or moving orientation on-line, HR pros will find ideas and tools they can use immediately.

Reviews (1)

Highly Recommended!
I have often been asked how new employee orientation programs can be both lively and informative. I have recommended Doris Sim's terrific book to several people. Routinely, I am thanked for passing along this title. It has helped many companies. ... Read more

Book Description

This study guide acts as an excellent tutor in this subject. It offers clear explanations of the mathematics behind signal and linear system analysis, fully covering communications theory, and provides an introduction to information theory and coding. Also included are more than 400 solved problems and hundreds more with answers, so students can test themselves and track theor own progress as they master various concepts and their applications. ... Read more

Book Description

The Mindful Coach offers a powerful approach to developing effective coaching skills using a seven-part model.The book's emphasis on mindfulness also taps into the growing contemporary interest in spirituality and meaning in the workplace. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This book breaks coaching out of the formula!
I love this book because instead of putting coaching into a series of formulas and canned techniques, Doug presents a holistic approach to coaching as a unique human interaction. The seven coaching roles he describes are useful and practical without being prescriptive, and the exercises really invite you to understand and know yourself as a canvas upon which the coaching conversation can happen.

Doug has written an important new perspective on coaching that all coaches, consultants, and managers can learn from. I highly recommend this book!

Insightful and Practical Guide
Doug has provided a clear and integrated model to assist people in understanding and applying some of the important skills in mindfulness and coaching. As a Global Executive Coach and mindfulness practitioner, I believe that executives from diverse backgrounds who are concerned with people development will find The Mindful Coach an insightful and practical guide.

Coaching as a True Profession
Silsbee's writings challenge any coach to take his or her work to a whole new level. His system is profoundly ethical and personally demanding, ensuring gain for both the coach and the client. The more "coaching" rises to this level, the more honesty there will be in coaching as a true profession...and the more businesses would likely search for coaches skilled in Silsbee's methods.

Coaching As An Act of Service
Doug Silsbee offers a rare perspective in writing for a business context. He speaks from a deeply personal experience of his own journey and how helping others must begin with looking at self.

This is a powerful book because it is written with a commitment to personal honesty, truth telling, and service. Doug makes a very strong case that this is what coaching is and should be all about. ... Read more

Book Description

Get any training session off the ground fast-- or jumpstart one whenever it lags--with more than 400 proven activities in thebestselling Games Trainers Play series. Their names may range from ``Tombstone Planning'' to ``The `Nobel' Prize Winner,'' but these brilliantly offbeat, unexpected, disarming, fully reproducible games have one serious mission: to coax even the most reluctant groups to talk, laugh, think, and work together. Page after page of fun, easy-to-plan tear-out exercises help you: break the ice and get participants acquainted; shake up outworn habits and perceptions; challenge with thought-provoking brainteasers; test learning and retention; develop communication and listening skills; bring out and involve participant-leaders; win back lethargic, distracted, low-energy groups; encourage creative problem-solving; boost or reinforce a group's self-image; forge cohesive work teams and value object; facilitate transfer of training to the job. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Resource
This really is an excellent book for finding activities to add to your training sessions. There are a lot of great games in this resource. The games are listed by subject matter to make it easy to get right to where you want to go and the games are just as relevant as they ever were.

The only reason that I didn't give it a five is that I don't care for the typeset and overall presentation of the book, but these things are easily overlooked when you find a great new activity.

STILL A GREAT CHOICE
Don't be put off by this book's 1983 publication date. It is still one of the best sources of icebreakers and other training exercises. It's value?--the book's not just for professional trainers. It can be used by just about anyone who needs some ideas about what to do when you get up in front of a group--any group. It's not cluttered by lectures or lengthy explanations. You just jump right in and flip through the samples. It's even fun just to browse. This is the second in a series of training game books by Scannell and Newstrom. Look at one and you'll probably want all three! ... Read more