education-economics

Enterprise Knowledge Portals is a good reference book that is relevant to both a business and IT audience. Heidi Collins rightly reminds her audience that the enterprise portal should be designed around and be implementing the organization's knowledge management strategy. The enterprise portal is key to manage and communicate knowledge within an organization and to eventually share part of it with strategic external constituencies. Collins briefly describes the existing four portal categories: enterprise information portals, e-business and e-commerce portals, mobile commerce portals and Internet portals. Over time, a portal could metamorphose itself into a hybrid creature that offers the functionality of different portal categories to meet the needs of multiple constituencies.

Enterprise portal is gaining increasing acceptance because there is great value in having a single repository for all the information knowledge workers need to do their job. Knowledge workers should not waste their precious time locating information or answering questions again and again that could be addressed on the enterprise portal. In the process, innovation could get a definitive boost by facilitating both internal and external collaboration. Enterprise portal strategy should not be separated from alliance strategy for that reason.

A portal reporting team made up of cross-functional members from diverse business functions should be identified to get widespread buy-in. The portal reporting team could meet resistance or deal with skepticism from entrenched interests that are happy with the status quo. An executive sponsor is key to deal with these eventual obstacles effectively. A budget roadmap should also be defined to keep track of costs associated with the project and facilitate ROI calculation.

Portal components should be defined and organized around work processes and then prioritized. Data and/or applications needed to support portal components should be determined and documented. Data should be scrubbed, mapped and validated to guarantee credibility. Security and confidentiality should not be overlooked in the process.

When the portal is ready to be launched, one individual or a dedicated team should be identified as the single contact responsible for managing the portal and keeping its content fresh and relevant to the target audience. Before making the portal widely accessible, a portal pilot is advisable. Usage should be tracked. Furthermore, the pilot audience should be surveyed on a regular basis to foster acceptance, document key learnings and tweak the portal wherever necessary.

The portal management should keep in mind that the portal is a collective effort that requires buy-in from multiple constituencies to avoid stall content. Roles and responsibilities should be clearly delineated to insure accountability on that point. Ultimately, a portal is dynamic because its objectives are associated with corporate strategy and vision.

As portal project manager and administrator in addition to my marketing roles and responsibilities in a large company, I have only one regret about Enterprise Knowledge Portals. Some portal pages reproduced are generic screen snapshots that have little bearing on what a portal reporting and/or managing team is expected to tackle in the life of such a project.

Finally there is a book on what it takes to rollout an Enterprise Knowledge Portal (EKP). A lot has been written and said by Analysts, Vendors and other experts on the EKP subject but when it comes to actually how to implement EKPs, there isn't much out there other than vendor's marketing hype and analyst's 'reports regurgitation'. Now Heidi, through her practical EKP implementation experience, has written this masterpiece to demystifies the EKP implementation roadmap with easy to understand templates that guide you through entire rollout process. What I find interesting is that Heidi provides numerous benchmarks to set realistic expectation at each phase of EKP implementation. I strongly recommend this book to IT planners, architects, managers as well as the project team who are serious to implement successful EKP in their organizations.

Naeem Hashmi,
CTO, Information Frameworks
Author: Business Information Warehouse for SAP
Co-author: Getting the Most from Business Intelligence & SAP Business Warehouse
Technical Editor: SAP BW Certification: A Business Information Warehouse Study Guide

I am an IT Manager responsible for knowledge management initiatives. I have found "Enterprise Knowledge Portals" to be an invaluable and one-of-a-kind reference. The book is a comprehensive reference for developing a portal initiative and the prerequisite elements of a knowledge management program. Two infrastructure layers of particular interest to me are content-based retrieval and related taxonomy-categorization systems, and this book makes these subjects understandable to technician and business user alike. I was also pleased to find Collins' emphasis of a subject that is often ignored in KM initiatives: Usability. Her chapter on support and competency centers provides guidance about usability, the magic ingredient helping assure success in KM projects and one that is often overlooked on technical requirements short lists. I found Collins' description of all these subjects succinct, readable and comprehensive. The book is a must-read for both IT staff and businesspeople assigned to portal and KM projects.

The introductory sections of this book are a really basic overview of learning and attempt to provide an historical perspective on training in the 'new millenium' Have things really changed overnight since midnight 31 Dec 1999? For my money this glib overview is far too generalised - if you've picked up this book, then you've probably already got quite some developed ideas of your own on using ICT for training. Then when it comes to the nitty-gritty like 'How might I go about using some of these ideas? , the book turns out to be very US-corporation centered in its choice of examples with lots of buzz-words, lashings of really neat little acronyms, but nothing that you'd want to bookmark and come back to as inspiration to develop your own ideas further. Like lots of titles featuring the word 'millenium', this one's another also-ran vying for a space on an already overcrowded bandwagon.

On-Demand Learning by Darin Hartley does a great job of describing training needs and explaining appropriate training solutions in the new millenium. Darin's experience and practical advice bridge the gap between theoretical knowlege and practical application. The book helps readers understand where and how technology based training solutions are appropriate and where they are not.

I would highly recommend this book not just for training professionals but for all managers and professionals who need to ensure their employees and customers are getting the right training at the right time in the most efficient manner.

Heads-up to all you management, HR and training folks out there-- this one's for you! "On-Demand Learning: Training in the New Millennium," by Darin Hartley is a must read if you have anything to do with learning in a corporate environment. Darin manages the Learning Technology Services Dept. at Dell and is an expert in the many issues of corporate training in an online environment. His expertise has been gained by on the job experience...so listen up!

When I was coordinating world-wide geoscience training for Exxon, I used to joke to my management that what my corporate clients wanted was training that was free, met their schedules (not the training department's), and took absolutely no time to assimilate. Something that could be stirred into a coffee cup and voila! A new skill set magically up and running in no time. Five years ago we didn't have the technology to approach that scenario, but now we do...and Darin shares his knowledge gained from years of practical experience in this book.

The central focus of "On-Demand Learning" is how to make training highly accessible within a corporate system: what are the alternatives to classroom training; what training can be delivered via alternative methods; what training cannot be delivered online; how to move into a technology-enabled learning (TEL) environment; and how to manage client expectations. This book is thoughtful, extremely well-designed, has a very high information to ink ratio and includes tons of applied examples, as well as tips for tackling the political realities of implementing TEL in any corporate environment. One of my favorites is the chapter containing Dell's TEL Strategy, which can serve as a template for any size organization. If you have anything to do with training in a corporate environment, read this chapter first. You'll understand why your own TEL initiatives either flew-- or crashed and burned!!

After receiving this book I read it straight through in 2 days. Absolutely the best information for any trainer. Robert does a tremendous job of detailing just about everything a trainer needs to know. I highly recommend this book. I also purchased 2 other books at the same time - I probably won't even read those now. Get it - you WILL enjoy it!

I highly recommend this book to ANYONE who teaches, especially anyone who teaches adults.

I wish I had read it before I was a Teaching Assitant (while a graduate student at a major university). TAs get very little help in learning to teach and yet do most of the teaching - EVERY TA should read this book.

It will feature prominently in my X-mas gifts!

This book changed my career. I was responsible for developing a course to teach our employees how to become better presenters. I did a ton of research, read many books, but this one was my single most used resource. The large majority of my company's training philosphies are now based on this one book. It's working for us incredibly well. I tried everything in the book that Mr. Jolles suggested. Most worked, very few didn't. Without this book I'm sure the course I developed wouldn't have been half as good as it was. We now have a staff trained using the methods Mr. Jolles suggested and with great and measured success. Thanks Robert! You have no idea what a huge impact you have had on my career and my company's profit margin! The only problem with the book is the title. You should really change it to something that describes what it's actually about. Just get rid of the "How to Run Seminars and Workshops:" part.

I bought this book thinking it would help with my insurance company pay my claims they denied (no names, but their initials are Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia). It wasn't helpful in that way. This book seems to focus on people who actually have a choice on picking what insurance they want. It doesn't help the 99.9% of employees who don't have any choice on what insurance plan they're offered.
The book clearly explains all the ins and outs of insurance companies, but is little help in "making them pay."

This how-to is blessed with two cardinal virtues: it's very, very practical, and very, very funny. For Rhonda Orin, fighting a health insurer over a coverage denial or a short payment seems to be like fox-hunting for an English nobleman: a joy to be studied with relish and pursued at every opportunity. Recalcitrance or feigned incompetence on the part of an insurer only stimulates her to fight harder -- and this book spells out, with a connoisseur's surehandedness, every step in the process of "making them pay." The book is also an excellent guide to choosing an insurance plan, if you're lucky enough to have a choice, and to reading the policy with an eye to hidden costs and hidden exclusions.

As for the humor, Ms. Orin writes about insurers as if they're incorrigible children -- children she knows very, very well.

Rhonda Orin's book on health insurance is very informative as it offers clear, concise advice on how to deal with health insurers. From a reference librarian's perspective possibly the most useful part is the mandatory benefits list of all 50 states. There is also humor in the cartoons and text, always a good way to break the ice when dealing with such an ornery topic. Highly recommended.

I have only just begun my quest for practical speed reading techniques, but already I have seen dramatic improvements (at least doubled my previous reading speed).

This book makes it easy for a motivated individual to get started at reading faster.

I gained the most out of the 3rd and 4th chapter and got very little out of the others.

In the 3rd chapter he identifies the major hindrances to fast reading. In the 4th chapter he offers a technique to help overcome some of the problems mentioned in the previous chapter.
Those two chapters opened me up to a whole new approach to reading.

The next evening I went on to read "The Evelyn Wood 7-Day Speed Reading & Learning Program" by Stanley D. Frank and I highly recommend it as a follow-up to Moidel's book. In fact, I felt like Moidel's book was a condensed and slightly modified version of the Evelyn Wood Program.

I always used to label myself as a slow reader - about 160wpm.
I easily doubled my reading speed within the first 2 days alone after reading Moidel's book (with practice - not his drills, though - instead I just practiced reading in groups of words without vocalizing). I am reading even faster now that I incorporated some of what I learned from the Evelyn Wood Program (the book).

Of course speed varies with the material being read, but what I'm most excited about is that my approach to reading has changed drastically and with it my speed has increased dramatically.

My biggest downfall in the past was reading word-by-word (focusing on each and every word rather than grouping words) and vocalizing. (Now I realize it's not necessary to read "word-by-word" and I realize to what extent word-by-word reading as well vocalizing slows one down).

Some of the items explained in the book might seem corny, and you might not want to do them. The thing is that if you carry out the instructions of the book you will develop the ability of improving your reading speed. It's all about practice, without it you will not improve your reading skills or speed.

Among all the speed reading books, I think this book is one of the best. It's definitely works for me because it's simple and concise. All you need to do is follow the steps that the book said and practice as often as you can. I was a 212 word per minute reader with 60% comprehension skill, after I followed the 3-2-1 practice as stated in the book, I've litereally increasing my speed reading to 1200 wpm with 56% comprehension skill. My husband read this book a year earlier, and now his speed reading is 3000wpm with 80% comprehension skill. So I am stilling working on it. It's a great book though. You shouldn't miss this one if you want to improve your speed reading.

I ordered the download version from Amazon. What hell!! I could be out my money too - unless my credit card company will refund my money.

Took awhile for Amazon order to go from Open to Shipped. When I downloaded it, I never saw a file go to my computer. I had to use some Adobe Acrobat Reader THAT I HAD TO REGISTER. I registered - and was never able to find the downloaded file or access the ebook. I wasted up to two hours. Went to a local bookstore to get a hard copy book by this author.

When I tried to contact Amazon - there is no telephone number. When I tried to get my money back - the system says I cannot get a return. There is no way to contact Amazon. From now on, when I order online FROM ANOTHER COMPANY, I will make sure there is a way to contact the merchant by telephone.

I sent a message to support@amazon.com -- no response. I checked the support info - but it was not useful. I am a high tech person - Didn't realize you need to be a high-tech guru to download & read Amazon's e-books.

So goodbye Amazon!!

Schiffman divides 50 "Rules" (or Guidelines) into three major groups. Part One: rules that will help you adopt -- and reinforce -- the right core ideas for achievement, day in and day out). Schiffman calls this process "Obsessing about the right stuff." Part Two: some tools you can use to make the right things happen in your business relationships. Part Three: rules for keeping your focus over time...and persevering when people give you "static", aggravation which is pretty much inevitable. The title should not be taken literally. Obviously, as Schiffman already knows full well, not everything happens before lunch...or by day's end. He asserts that high achievers "have three things going for them": They know what they want to accomplish when considering an opportunity to make a good business relationship happen; they recognize other opportunities which will not make a good relationship happen; and finally, "they've figured out how to spend the vast majority of their time in the first situation -- and how to avoid spending any more time than necessary in the second situation." Who will derive the greatest benefit from reading this book? Anyone who needs "cut-to-the chase strategies" for getting the business results they desire. Does Schiffman believe that such results can be achieved before lunch? Of course not. My own opinion is that unless strategies such as these are implemented, someone else will have you for lunch...not as a guest but as an entree.

Many people seem to have talent and still fail in sales and in business. Make It Happen Before Lunch is truly a guide about execution. Sales ability, Good Business Ideals and Desire have left many talented people still sitting in the starting blocks. This book shows you how to execute and put your talents to use and go from zero to good or even good to great! A must read for anyone serious about succeeding or going to the next level in sales, business and anything you want to achieve.

This was the worst book i have ever had my displeasure to have in my hands....Could this book be written in fact by a child???? I cannot believe that she is selling this book for the price she is asking. The book is nothing but a stapled bunch of printer paper. I feel that the author's psychology certifications should be questioned. I do not recommend this book for anybody. So please before purchasing this book think twice.

I just started the voucher system last week while my husband was out of town. What a nice surprise awaited him. The kids were so excited and wanted to keep it a surprise and see if he noticed a difference. He did! The vouchers offer the motivation they needed. They are learning better time management, the advantage of planning ahead, and economics. The first day I started The Voucher System, I actually got the giggles as I sat in the chair nursing my new baby while the other four kids raced around doing work and begging me for more things to do so they could earn points. Things they had completely taken for granted were suddenly important. Instead of nagging or getting upset, I simply give deductions for whatever they have done wrong and my kids accept it gracefully and we move on. It amazes me how quickly it has turned around negative behavior by focusing on positive behavior. This system has taken a lot of the frustration away and given our home a wonderful calm that I never want to give back. The kids are every bit as happy as I am! We are having more fun and free time as a family. I heartily recommend it to any family!

I'm grateful to Gail for The Voucher System and the willingness to help me get started, both on the phone and via e-mail. I thank the Lord for my friend who recommended this program to me!

My ADHD son and I just started using the voucher system. I was skeptical at first, especially after reading you should give your child 500 vouchers at the start which he can pick out himself. Once you explain the system to him, he is supposed to be excited to begin putting it into practice. I wondered how my oh-so-logical son would react to having to use vouchers to 'buy' things he had gotten fairly easily before (i.e. tv time) and to having points deducted for poor behavior (he was only used to being rewarded for good behavior - a practice which hasn't been too successful!). I was amazed when I explained the system to him and he spent ages reading the Kids Info Sheet and going through the vouchers, deciding which ones to start with. He was really enthusiastic about beginning the system and showing me that he could earn points. He didn't even squeek when I made his first deduction, he simply accepted it. If this system continues as well as it started, I will be one happy mom - with one happy kid!

I was disappointed in this book. It becomes clear as you read it that it is written for an audience already familiar with the author's Project Adventure. Unfortunately this isn't made clear on the back cover or anywhere else. The first chapter advises telling the group about The Experiental Learning Curve, The Full Value Contract, and Challenge by Choice - but none of these are covered at all in this book - and worse still, the book doesn't even refer one to where one COULD find out about them, beyond a brief mention of another book ("Youth Leadership in Action") on the last page of the book. Also, if you have a basic knowledge of leading experiential learning, then you will not learn anything from the irritatingly chatty introductory chapters of this book. Buy this book based on the games only.

This is another Karl Rohnke winner. If you work with experiential learning (either with kids or adults) this is a great book to have in your library. This book contains a lot of old activities as well as some new ones. As with a lot of experiential activities -- it's great to have the procedure written out. This book is well worth the price.

I have used many of the team challenges in this book in my work in youth ministry and public education. There are ideas for everything from ice-breakers to large group challenges that are very effective for building community and encouraging people to work together toward a common goal while having fun at the same time. While some of the ideas require more complex props, many can be done with items you have readily available around the house or office. All of the ideas would work as effectively with youth or adults in a variety of settings. Best of all, the text is written in Rohnke's witty style that makes reading about the games almost as fun as playing them.

Cracker Ingenuity provides an incredible escape from the Sex in the City everyday of $500 handbags and $12 cosmos. P.T. Elliott and E.M. Lowry remind us that we need not cry "super" every time our shower drains slowly, that in fact human ingenuity not only exists but would enrich our lives were we to exercise it instead of suppressing it in the money for labor market of the post-industrial city. As a return of the repressed, the authors demonstrate that there is something to be said for a house that rolls and for decorative lawn ornaments. Yes, in many places (like where I grew up) a person would be arrested for lawn ornaments, but that is exactly what the authors provide is a possible alternative everyday for the programmed life of pedicured French bulldogs and cars parked neatly in garages. P.T. Elliott follows up her 100 Proof with another humorous, enlightening winner.

Not only is this a delightful and informative read, but it is also beautifully designed. Trailer Park ingenuity is often merely dismissed or laughed off, but this charming book presents the reader with the wisdom and ideas that have been developed over the years by a very resourceful segment of our society. There is much to be learned from them!

This is the cooki-est and most hilarious book I have read in years. what an eye-opener and a great surprise on trailer trash culture. this book takes on a fantastic journey in a culture that most of us europeans know so little about or have so much disdain for.
Highly recommended.

I think that anyone who wants to enter business school can read this book first.It not only gives you a portrait of what MBA life is but also how MBA students value their school.Totally speaking,MBA programs offered by USA are the best in the present world.To get an MBA degree is quite attractive to many overseas students,such as me.Maybe not everyone can enter Harvard,however,it's still a pleasure to know about what life in Harvard is and how Harvardians think and solve problems.

After not only getting an MBA, but teaching in business schools for nearly twenty years, I recommend this book to anyone considering an MBA. When students complained about their MBA programs, I would urge them to read this book so they'd realize Harvard isn't perfect either.

Reid takes you through the day to day life of a first-year MBA student. In a microcosm like HBS, little things make the difference: "air time" in class, getting into the right study group, and more.

Reid also offers some perspective that may be missed by those unfamiliar with b-schools. Clients often ask career coaches (like me) about whether getting an MBA is a wise decision. Reid shows clearly that some people and some career destinations benefit more than others. He himself can maximize the degree's value: aged 26 when he entered (he turned 27 his first year), experience with a top consulting firm, personable and friendly.

Read between the lines if you can. MBAs are social. They network. Sure they have to crack the books but success ultimately depends on interpersonal skills -- fitting into section parties, ski weekends and Caribbean getaways. These folks are definitely bright and beautiful.

And don't miss his irritation with Harvard: outrageous residence costs, outdated materials in certain courses, uneven distribution of tenured "name" professors across sections, and more.
Yet in the end, Reid admits, the big "H" counts for a lot in the business world.

I wish we could learn what happened to him and his Harvard friends. Was it all worth it?

...

As a soon-to-be graduate student at a top b-school that focuses on the case-study method, I was at first rather apprehensive when I read through Reid's book. It felt that I panicked or was frustrated whenever the author panicked or was frustrated (which was a lot), but I also found that I laughed whenever the author laughed and related exceptionally well to his candor. Basically, I feel that in a small way, I have already experienced that harrowing first year. Reid's book has practically prepared me for my upcoming year by literally giving me tips on what university, the faculty, and fellow students will expect of me and what I can expect of them. A must-have, light-hearted, and down-to-earth book on a not so down-to-earth institution.