Strategy

"This book explains how to use behavioral competencies to link human resource (HR) systems to an organization's purpose. This linkage will help organizations better communicate to associates about how they can effectively guide their own actions...The book is written for human resource professionals, who strive to link their organization's core competencies, capabilities, values, and priorities to its human resource applications...You can expect this book to recognize and reinforce important distinctions between an organization's strategic core competencies and its individual competencies and skills. Although these distinctions are obvious to business strategists, they are a source of confusion for many in human resources who want to use competencies to reflect vision, culture, and values" (from the Preface).

In this context, Paul C. Green divides his book into two main parts:

I. Clarifying Competencies: In this part;

* He argues that "robust competencies help you define what was done, what is being done, and what needs to be done." And hence, he sets the stage for building robust competencies by identifying the ambiguities, challenges, and rewards of using competencies.

* He explores the different meanings of competencies that are used in organizations and research. And he argues that "HR competency system must be job related and should reflect core competencies, capabilities, core values, and priorities."

* He discusses operationalizing performance skills to enable you to use behavioral observation, description, and inference to communicate clearly what a person needs to do to do a job well. Here he says that "a behavior is an action that you can observe, describe, and verify."

* He explores how the identity of an organization can become the target for alignment, and discusses how an organization's identity can be reflected in and reinforced by interviews, appraisal, coaching, and training.

II. Linking Competencies to Human Resource Systems: In this part, after briefly discussing perception-driven, experience-driven, attribute-driven, and behavior-driven approaches, he offers behavioral approach to link interviews, appraisals, coaching, and training to the identity of an organization. It emphasizes a systemic, job-related approach to support the effectiveness and defensibility of an HR system. He argues that "the linkage of HR applications is easier when the organization consistently uses a behavioral approach. Once behavioral language is used in one part of an HR system, it can be expanded to other applications."

Finally, he says that "the best answers to questions about core competencies, capabilities, core values, and priorities come from real experiences in applying them. Today, each answer is just an opinion at one point in time. However, the big question for the future will be: How can I link HR systems to my organization's identity? At present the most useful answers are those that emphasize a behavioral approach, job relatedness, nimbleness, and open mindedness."

Highly recommended.

Dr. Green demonstrates that the job analysis which is the basis of behavioral interviews, is also the cornerstone upon which competencies, PD's, interviews, coaching, performance measurement, and training are all built. Once the use of behavioral thinking is understood by the manager, the development of the tools and methods for selecting, developing, and managing successful people will flow from the analysis of the behaviors needed for success in any specific job.

Dr. Green goes beyond the individual in applying behavioral understandings and tools, taking them to the organizational level as well. He clearly demonstrates the linkage between high performing individuals, and high performing organizations.

A must read for any manager using Behavioral Interviewing, any trainer teaching Behavioral Interviewing, or any manager tired of spending a disproportionate share of their time and energy dealing with poor performance, low productivity, and poor morale.

While you can easily read it in a few days, you will want your own copy to highlight, make notes in, and refer to from time to time as you grow as a manager.

Based on Igor Ansoff award winning study, this book is an invaluable reference for all executives who are interested in strategy and living organizations of the 21st century.

This exceptional book presents an in-depth, scholarly examination of flexible organizations. It provides a framework (or strategic approach) to guide decision makers in developing an organization able to quickly adapt to hyper-competitive challenges. The author shows that to be successful, organizations require a paradoxical balance between flexibility (viewed as the managerial task) and sufficient stability to exploit change (seen as the organization design task). In other words, firms need to balance creativity, innovation, and speed with clarity of focus, coordination and control. This is an extraordinarily thoughtful work that delves deeply into this complex strategic challenge. It includes a comprehensive questionnaire for measuring the environment and the organization in terms of turbulence, flexibility and other dimensions. Highly recommended to all executives engaged in organizational design and strategic planning, and who are willing to tackle an intellectually! demanding book that is well worth the effort.

Purington and Butler have succeeded by detailing how to implement the strategy they so clearly recommend in the book. The book sets forth in an orderly and easily understood manner the steps that will greatly improve any training department. If there is any one book that will pull it all together for the training professional, this is the one. A must read book.

This book provides a step by step process to make any training department successful. The book is written in easy to understand language with detailed success strategy for creating the ideal learning organization. Most training books fail to inform the reader how to execute the strategy they are recommending. Purington and Butler have done a masterful job putting the detail in the puzzle. Outstanding and a must read book for all training professionals!

As a member of the proletariot, I have found after years of immense slumber that value investing is the way to go. True kapitalism is not perfect, but communism seems far worse. So in conclusion Komrads, value investing is the best way for the proletariot to enter the bougerousie.

I would strongly recommend the book for all MBAs, serious investors.

It provides valuable insights into the art of investing and conducting business. The practical aspects of what is not taught in B schools are covered in the book.

Collaboratively written by professional non-profit organization fundraiser Harry A. Freedman and Florida-based journalist Karen Feldman, The Business Of Special Events: Fundraising Strategies For Changing Times is a step-by-step guidebook that effectively instructs the reader in every step of organizing a successful fundraising effort in today's technological era. Individual chapters specifically address how to create a balanced budget; secure corporate sponsorship; maintain accurate records; get serviceable publicity; provide food, beverages, and entertainment at fundraising gatherings; and more. A wealth of practical tips, tricks, and techniques make The Business Of Special Events a top-notch and highly recommended resource.

I purchased this book several years ago and I still refer to it whenever I am planning a special event. Freedman & Feldman provide a guide that literally lays the groundwork for conducting a successful special event (I hope that is not a Kent Dove title). Every subject from selecting the right event to post-event evaluation is covered in this resource.

Great pains are taken to illustrate the areas discussed and tips abound throught the book. I found the samples of event materials particularly useful in gaining an understanding of some of the principles that are illustrated.

The Business of Special Events is a must have edition to your library. A great resource for volunteers, chairpersons, staff and Board. I completly agree with George R. Reis, Editor, Fundraising Management when he says "When other writers discuss special events, they often quote Harry Freedman. This book is the final word on the subject."

This book is the most concise and right on helpful dose of getting your act together on the job market. At any point of job dispair, you can pick it up, even for a few minutes, and can be assured of devouring some pearl of wisdom that will assist in the job satisfaction quandry/search. The style of writing is so humorous and engaging, you'll find it more difficult to put down than a potato chip, and certainly less fattening. In fact, it could help you fatten your wallet if you take a fraction of the advice. Even if you think you have read every book on this topic, you can be assurred of new ideas, or looking at old ones from a very fresh perspective. Another idea that she explores in depth, is evaluating your current job before determining if other pastures are truly greener. Before you plunk down hundreds on a job coach, career placement service or the like, this is a must and worth every penny.

The book provides sage advice, coddled in humor and warmth, for us underemployed yet educated workers. It's refreshing to read a book from a writer who both cares about her audience and is willing to share the kind of advice we all need to hear when times are tough (like now!). An invaluable resource if you're feeling a bit fragile but know you need to keep pushing forward to find fulfilling employment. Kudos to the author for a fine publication!

Book Review:

Capital Campaigns: Strategies That Work
By: Andrea Kihlstedt and Catherine P. Schwartz
Edited by: James P. Gelatt
Aspen Publishers, Inc. Gaithersburg, Maryland 1997

Reviewed by: Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.
...

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this "how to" book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a "how to" book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this how to book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a how to book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

Imagine having nearly every career-related question you've ever conjured answered in one easy-to-read book. And, imagine this in a Q&A format with clearly defined chapters so you find the question AND the answer quickly and easily. That's the JIST (pun intended to the publisher of this book) of Career Choice, Change and Challenge.

Want to know how and if you might leave self-employment for the corporate world? How you might handle a micro-managing supervisor? Looking for the right approach to discussing salary before, during and after you've been hired? Want to understand and repond to age-related bias? Downsized and need to get refocused? Just look for the answers in this great book.

If you're not HAPPY at work, perhaps you're not in the right career for YOU! Ready to make some changes? Read on. And enjoy!

Deb Koen and Tony Lee are brilliant. In the slash and burn corporate climate we live in, this book is a must to have on your shelf, not IF but WHEN you are downsized. In the 2000's, we're all going to be FORCED to change careers several times, and this is THE handbook for those challenging times that we have ahead -- that will hit us when we least expect it.

As a new Case Manager I found this book to an excellent reference book. The information was concise and practical. A must fo Case Manager's who are starting out. Gives great descriptions of teminology and the differneces in all health care systems. The legal and ethical material provided offer much for the working case manager.

I have read several books on case management in the last year. This informative book gives concise information on the history, finance, roles, models,documentation and measuring quality and effectiveness of CM. Espcially helpful was referenes to JCAHO and CM. Well worth the money

For most games you'd think that you don't want to waste your money on a stadegy guide, but that isn't the case for this game. It is very easy to get lost in the repetative looking levels and you can miss important items. This gives you everthing you need to know. There hasn't been a guide that has helped me out this much since the one from Final Fantasy X.

While Lament of Innocence is a game where the puzzles and bosses aren't particularly hard to figure out, it is comforting to have a guide in hand, if for no other reason than to have useful information out where you can see it. And for me, there are always a couple of occasions where I'm staring at the screen wondering what the point is behind a particular circumstance, and a guide keeps me from going of on a tangent.

This is a sensibly written guide that takes the player through a possible line of play which assures that the player will see all the sights, get all the items, and stand a reasonable change of defeating all the bosses. It doesn't spend a lot of time on lavish illustration or unnecessary detail either. Personally, I prefer this style. There has been a trend towards 300 page guides that are harder to use than the game is to play. That isn't the case here.

It's arguable that Lament doesn't really need a guide, but I find that a good guide reduces the frustration level and enhances overall enjoyment. This effort by Laura Parkinson does exactly that. Especially for someone who is still getting used to the genre.