Resources Books

While the ORID method is reviewed here, it's presented in an easy to follow, pratical approach. Great sample conversations and questions are included in appendicies, bibliograpy is rich with great additional reading references.

Brian Stanfield and colleagues have written a meaningful book that provides a profound, yet simple method to help groups effectively grapple and address any kind of issue.

In the book, they say, "For whole systems to operate effectively, information must flow in every direction, up, down, sideways, and diagonally." They go on to describe leaders as askers of questions and state that "the participatory principle requires the art of asking questions."

Canada's Institute of Cultural Affairs developed the focused conversation method as part of its Technology of Participation, which leads people through certain phases of reflection, enabling them to process their experiences as a group. A leader/facilitator asks a series of questions to elicit responses that take a group from the "surface of a topic to a topic to its depth implications for their life and work."

The focused conversation uses questions at four levels:

1. The Objective Level- questions about facts and external reality. 2. The Reflective Level - questions to call forth immediate personal reaction to the data, an internal response, sometimes emotions or feelings, hidden images and associations with the facts, when we encounter an external reality (data/objective) we experience an internal response. 3. The Interpretive Level - questions to draw out meaning, values, significance, and implications. 4. The Decisional Level - questions to elicit resolution, bring the conversation to close, and enable the group to resolve about the future.

The first third portion of the book provides an understanding of the concept of focused conversation and is followed by 100 meeting topics with specific examples of questions at the four levels that would be appropriate.

The book has helped me to re-think the types and the order of questions that I address to a group.

Ultimately conversations are the working process of most leadership. This book expands upon the conversation techniques presented in "Winning Through Participation". The model is simple and useful. When distilled down, a focused conversation proceeds through four stages:
- objective / data
- reactional / feeling
- interpretive / meaning and
- decisional / action.

The model takes about 50 pages to explain and is followed by about 150 pages of examples of its application. Many will find that the 10 pages in "Winning Through Participation" had enough information to get going.

I like books that are practical and have real-world application. This book does that. You get 48 pages of enough explanation that you can learn how to use the Focused Conversation model. Then, you get the skeleton of 100 conversations that you can adapt and use. If you want to know more, read on.

In the 21st century, those workplaces that share information to create value for themselves and their customers have a competitive advantage. On page 14 Stanfield writes "These days most people are tired of blaiming and demanding; they want to solve problems. They want to go beyond input to push an innovation through and take responsibility for making the desired change." The focused conversation model is a technique for capturing the wisdom of a group and helping it become accountable for doing more than complaining or "giving input."

The model's four parts consist of asking and answering questions. The questions at the "objective" level begin to uncover facts about the topic being discussed. The "reflective" questions uncover how the group is relating to the facts discussed in the objective level. The "interpretive" level allows the groups to discuss implications and options. The "decisional" level then creates action based on the discussion. This book also contains hints and guidelines for leading focused conversations: what to do when someone gives a long answer, or when people start arguing, or when someone dominates teh conversation...and more.

I've used several dozen of the 100 conversations in various work settings. I have gotten especially good value from the conversations on evaluating a seminar, planning a study group, coaching a colleague, mediating a difficult situation, reflecting on a choatic meeting...well, you get the idea.

If you're interested in moving toward gathering, processing, and taking advantage of group wisdom, this book provides excellent tools. Its straight-forward, gentle manner and high practical value earn it five stars.

This book is so real!!! I MEAN REALLY REAL to life. I LOVED it and so will you...Get it for a seminarian, student, pastor, laymen, their family, etc...It is rich in wisdom and I suggest reading it over and over again as the years go by.

EUGENE PETERSON said: "This is the freshest and most honest book on pastoral work you're ever likely to come upon." I agree. Hansen helps us pastors consider what is essential for us to be pastors. Prayer, presence, scripture are central. Stories drawn from Hansen's contemplative fishing experiences help the reader appreciate the value of paying careful, quiet, patient attention in ministry. Not a "how to do it in X steps" book, but a book about being. This is a simple but deep book; it's hopeful and encouraging for a too busy pastor.

I could say a lot about this book. A whole
lot in fact. But I am just going to say this:
if you are a pastor or a family member of a
pastor get this book! It is rich, deep,
honest, Christian, Christlike, and so much
more. I am glad it came across my path
and am thankful the author shared his life
with us.

I had to read this book for a Ministry Practice and Polity seminary class, and it was probably one of the most enjoyable books that I read in my whole seminary career.

At the most basic level, this is sort of a 'day in the life' kind of book about David Hansen's experience in the role of pastor. The book is refreshingly honest as he discusses his struggles, victories, and overall experience of being a pastor in all the different compacities. I don't plan on being a pastor myself, but I would definitly recommend this book to anyone who is feeling called in that direction, as a 'window into the life of a pastorate.'

I had the opportunity to speak to the author and he is a very intelligent and humble person. During our phone conversation he gave me valuable information that he'd normally extend during his seminars. Additionally, the book is a must-have if you want to advance in this very aggressive and challenging world. As you know, we are constantly matched up against those to have an intellectual edge as well as acute (s)wordplay, to your advantage this book will give you the necessary verbosity to handle various situations you make face. Overall, if utilized properly one will characterize you as being well-informed, polished, articulate, eloquent and intellectual. Bottom-line, your words are symbols of ideas and represent you and of course- define you! -Leon B.

This book is a definite must have for anyone seeking to bolster their vocabulary and communication skills. I have recommended it to several of my friends and co-workers.

The Articulate Professional is a book that should be owned by anyone seeking to enhance their communication skills. It is not just a vocabulary book. The pages serve as a comprehensive easy to use guide with a strong focus on commonly used words in the business world. I especially liked the format of the book. Examples are provided for each word with its main, formal/semiformal, workplace and casual usage. I have recommended this book to other managers in my company as well as friends. I give this book the highest rating possible. It is an excellent tool.

I've been trying for several months to find a resource book that would assist me in developing a much stronger vocabulary. Having purchased 3 other books, I can say this one is a proven winner. Unlike typical vocabulary material that provides the standard definition and possibly the phonetical spelling of the word, this book also incorporates the word into several, not one or two, real life sentence structures. They include the formal definition, work place examples, casual usage and then other examples. The book also groups similar words together. Although these words are not ubiquitous, they have day to day applications. I found the book so helpful that I have purchased it for my employees. The only suggestion would be to include synonyms for the words. Otherwise it's a great book.

This handbook is a collection of ideas from companies for designing employee training and learning systems. It covers such areas such as creating the "learning organization", outsourcing, electronic performance systems, interactive multimedia training systems, diversity training and development, training for global operations and benchmarking for best practices.

This comprehensive handbook helps trainers design classrooms, self-study and computer and web based training programs. While delivering the latest information on how adults learn best, it shows trainers how to prepare lesson plans, create visual aids, and deliver dynamic and powerful presentations.

This is a great resource for HR professionals from tiny to mega corporations. Contributing authors are the most respected experts in their fields. Primary focus is on training and development: accountability, justifying programs, format, leadership, pros, cons, pitfalls, challenges . . . all aspects are covered.

As I research and write my Adult Education thesis, this book is the most useful tool I've found.

The ASTD Training and Development Handbook, Fourth Edition, by Robert L. Craig, is an essential reference book for faculty, teachers, educators, and learning system administartors at all levels including University, Corporate, K-12, and Community Colleges. It is easy to use, very comprehensive, and has great quick summaries. With the fusion of the teaching, training, and tutoring into a learner centered model this book is more useful than ever. A MUST BUY. The price is worth every penny.

The Handbook is arranged to cover almost all aspects of Training & Development. The topics are carefully selected and their authors picked from among the top names in their respective fields and therefore, the chapters are focused, targeted and provide the right mix of information and practical guidelines.

Each chapter addresses a single topic (like corporate universities, customer service training, leadership development, etc.) and is written in a straight-forward manner at the right depth making them easy to read and the perfect introduction to the topic without losing it's functionality as a reference.

No T&D professional should go without this book whether as a reference and a quick source of information when memory will just not oblige or an informative and valuable resource for information and ideas.

The Handbook is divided into 5 Sections:
1) The Training & development Function - Covering such topics as the learning organization, history of training and cost accounting for training.
2) Program Design & Development - The chapters on ISD; HPT; Adult Learning; & Evaluation are brilliantly written. I keep on going back to them again and again.
3) Media & methods - Includes some good case studies as well as Thiagi's excellent chapter on instructional games.
4) Training Applications - This is a brilliant discussion of almost all training topics that you might come across.
5) Resources - While these might be a little dated, they are still quite useful.

Check the table of Contents and some of the samples in the pages so obligingly provided by Amazon.com and don't be deterred by the length or the price of the book. This book is worth every cent and will last you long after you have forgotten the cost.

I enjoyed each and every chapter of "At Work in Penn's Woods." The author did a tremendous amount of research and it was very thorough. He covers the CCC from its inception until its death. Despite the fact that it is an historical book, it is very readable and not at all boring.

He does an excellent job of describing what the purpose of the CCC was; the politics involved in administering it; the role African-Americans took (had to take) in the CCC; the role of the CCC during the Depression, when the Corps began, through to the buildup to, and beginning of, World War II, when the program was finally shut down; tasks that the CCC men (boys) performed; as well as other topics.

Although there are some statistics and charts in the book, they are interesting and needed, and most are contained in an appendix.

As mentioned in other reviews, Dr. Speakman's inspiration for the book came from the fact that his father was in the Pennsylvania CCC. My father was also in the Corps, hence my interest. Unfortunately, my father's time and work in the CCC was a topic that we didn't really talk about, so I have no oral history from him about his experiences. On the bright side, my sister does have the documentation of my father's service in the Corps, so at least I know the Camp, Company, and time that he served. That's a start.

To those who have had a relative in the Pennsylvania CCC, this book is a must read. To those who did not, or don't realize that they did, it is still very highly recommended for the fact that you will be amazed at how many projects these men worked on throughout the Commonwealth. I'd be willing to bet that there's one close to where you live - most likely still in existence.

Very informative information about Pennsylvania and its history. Would like to see more of the same type of books. Would recommend this to any one who enjoys the State Parks in Pa.

This well-researched and authoritative book will be of great interest to anyone with an interest in Pennsylvania's history, and a love for the state's outdoor resources. The Civilian Conservation Corps program during Roosevelt's New Deal was especially successful in Pennsylvania, due to the presence of tens of thousands of unemployed young men during the leanest years of the Great Depression, plus the need for statewide conservation work to repair forests and natural lands after the logging era. Visitors to any number of Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests will make use of facilities built by the CCC, and backpackers will not have to hike far to find remnants of the widespread tree farms that CCC workers planted in previously denuded or clear-cut areas. Speakman untangles the confusing administrative history of the CCC, as the program was set up during an economic emergency and had conflicting goals and priorities. We learn that the CCC truly benefited thousands of young men during hard economic times and vastly improved Pennsylvania's natural environment, but also that the program was marred by political infighting in Washington, poorly-planned administration and logistics, and creeping militarization during the war years. Speakman also digs deeper into some unexpected aspects of the CCC program, as some companies worked on private farms or in city parks, and there is an outstanding chapter on the inequality faced by African American CCC workers. While the CCC ultimately proved to be a temporary outgrowth of the New Deal, the evidence of the program's usefulness can be seen all over Pennsylvania. [~doomsdayer520~]

A great look into the history of our state. The CCC not only provided work but also hope in our countries darkest times. Why can't we have programs like this for todays youth? One of Roosevelt's great legacies.

This book looks small, but it offers a BIG gift to those who really care about corporate responsibility and the direction we need to be going today. I could not stop reading it when I got it. It has a series of short articles that can be read in a few minutes about various options corporations are employing to take more responsibility for what they do and their long term impact on the environment and the world's resources. It makes an exciting read because each company approaches CSR slightly differently, and the outcomes are most encouraging. It should be a "must read" for trainee management and for the CEO's of any large corporation which is planning to be around for the next 30 years. What is great is that women created this book...women from different backgrounds, but sharing a similar goal. They inspire by their intention to "awaken" everyone to what we SHOULD have been doing in business practices for years, and they offer the bottom-line evidence that this is good business practice. But this book really made me excited about the future of American business practices. And I am a college educator. I shared some of these articles with my college students to inspire them to see ways that they might contribute. It was like a light went on. They had not known that business is not always the monolithic monster, gobbling up resources and despoiling the land for profit. Their eyes lit up with the possibility that they could enjoy working for a company that takes responsibility for its impact on the world. It is a small book, but it carries a very BIG note of hope for the future.
Awakening Social Responsibility: A Call to Action Guidebook for Global Citizens, Corporate and Nonprofit Organizations

Derickson & Henley have really captured social responsibility in a global world. The use of multiple authors and giving each a voice in this book is masterful. In Chapter 5, Dinesh Chandra states, "If others do not feel safe,we are not safe. If others are struggling, we experience the consequence of the struggle. If others are poor, no matter how wealthy we are, we experience the consequence of impoverishment." This spoke to me about ourselves in the global economy. The book is a great read for those awakening to a larger life.

Derickson and Henley have demonstrated by the very format what Awakening Social Responsibility is all about, promoting the dialogue of corporate and global citizenry to speak directly to the issues facing each of us as individuals. The timing could not be more awakened, joining other illustrious authors such as Bill Clinton's "Giving" in the national discussion. I opened the pages of Awakening Social Responsibility to participate in a prominent forum with corporate brillance and individual leaders. I have been given a voice and a pragmatic, effective tool to maximize my individual action with Awakening Social Responsibility. This is a timeless work and a timely one! It is work I will be sharing (gifting) with others this Holiday Season!

This book was very inspiring! In this changing world, there is a huge need for each of us to be more involved personally and professionally in making improvements on a global basis. We often read about the problems of the world, and we do care. However, it is never clear what we can do to help specifically or how we can get our company to take these issues more seriously. This book provided actionable ways to engage in green initiatives, employee giving, volunteering, etc. and inspires one to go out and get things done. It also spelled out ways to change the mindset of companies to take advantage of these strategic opportunities. I can see how these baby steps start to have a snowball effect, and the collective energy will move things in the right direction. This book was well written and offers sound advice and solutions. A great read!

Cashman does a wonderful job integrating the challenge of business managemement with the host of challenges many of us face outside of work. Wow, this one really "hit home." The built in interactivity allows the reader to personally engage as the story unfolds. There were numberous times where I had to stop and really think how effective I have been leading my life vs. just leading the business. This book is both enjoyable to read and very profound.

It was phenomenal!  I read it in one sitting.  It was engrossing, thought-provoking and a very compelling look at business values.  I would love to see a series of such books on a variety of specific topics.  The fictional character interwoven with relevant teachings is a format that needs to continue.

This story of transformation is a juwel of profound and timeless wisdom being practically applied to business, leadership and coaching. It shows a way out of the present days miseries in both corporate and private life. Here is a bright and realistic vision for individuals, business leaders, organizations, nations and our planet as a whole, presented in the form of a most catching and touching story. This is a precious piece of exquisite literature for our new century. It should be made an obligatory textbook in all business schools.

Kevin Cashman's book is a classic. It combines his soulful insights about authentic leadership with a gripping and realistic tale of the realities confronted by a contemporary executive torn between the bottom line and what's really important in leadership and life.It addresses the greed seeking, short term focus and trends so prevalent in executive suites today. If you are a father and a results driven executive you'll weep when you read this book. I did. IT'S A SINGULAR CLARION CALL JUST WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST.

The original version of this book, published in 1972 by Alfred A Knopf, reflects the thinking of historian Roy A Medvedev in the period of August 1962 to August 1968. The revised and expanded 1989 version must first be examined in light of the original.

The original was translated by Colleen Taylor and edited by David Joravsky of Northwestern University. Medvedev couldn't get published in the USSR, and this work thus first appeared in the West. It was written primarily during the transition from Khrushev's anti-Stalinist reforms to Brezhnev's immanent social-imperialism.

August 1968 is also the month of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslavakia and the defeat of Dubcek's "socialism with a human face." This is also the period of Mao's Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Stalin was as evil as Hitler, yet he rose to power in the first Socialist state. The Second World War played itself out as one totalitarian dictatorship in a death struggle with another, yet Stalin ended up through the course of events as an ally of the democratic and capitalist Anglo-American West in its life-or-death struggle against fascism.

Totalitarianism turns out to have been the big infatuation of the twentieth century intelligentsia. Medvedev represents Russia's awakening from this plague. He is wrong about so much, yet for his age he was so far ahead of his times.

This book is a classic, and I believe the original should be the preferred version. Stalin's terror is nearly beyond belief. It is tragic in a different way than Nazism; perhaps with consequences more evil.

If Leninism ever revives, this will be a classic, just as it is now in the wake of the Cold War defeat of Communism.

This book is a very thorough and well-written biography of Josef Stalin. It was one of the few books I read in college that I didn't mind reading. The information on Stalin's political and personal life gives the reader an opportunity to make informed judgements about Stalin's actions.

This book was the first in the Soviet Union to treat Stalin in an objective way. Prior to its release Stalin had been the great hero of the patriotic war the father of the country and so forth. Whilst the secret speech by Krushev had distanced the country from his system scholarship had not taken the step of subjecting his rule to objective analysis.

The author was a person who was an opponent of Stalin and prior to the fall of the regime was active in its criticism. The book goes through the issues associated with Stalin such as the decision to collectivize agriculture, the forced industrialization, the terror and the handling of the war. The author forms the view that Stalin was an unmitigated disaster. That is the country would have progressed economically better without him, and his handling of the war was catastrophic.

It is a good book to read with other western accounts such as Bullocks.

The late 1990's saw the publication of numerous scatterbrained, and ill-intentioned, attempts to descredit Vladimir Lenin, Nikolai Bukharin, Leon Trotsky, and Karl Marx, by associating their actions, and ideas, with those of Joseph Stalin. One must ask, "were these attempts in any way successful?" Luckily, the answer is an emphatic, no. The individuals who bought into the "Marx and Lenin created Stalinism" theory, alluded to in works such as 'The Black Book of Communism', by Mister Courtois (or Miss), 'The Passing of an Illusion', by Mister Furet, and 'The Soviet Tragedy', by Mister Malia, already harbored such fantastic illusions. Most of the population has no interest in Sovietology, so attempts at descrediting Lenin, Marx, Bukharin, and Trotsky, were, and are, virtually fruitless (I took a Public Speaking course at a local community college, and most of the students hadn't even heard of Lenin, Marx, or Trotsky!.)

To find true objectivity, on the subject of Sovietology, one must reach back into the distant past, and read Roy Medvedev's incredible, 'Let History Judge'. One could refer to Medvedev's writings, as "Solzhenitsyn, without the racism and bitterness"(a spew of biographies show that Solzhenitsyn is without question anti-semitic; however, this fact doesn't mean he's no longer one of the elite writers of the twentieth century). 'Let History Judge', is not so much a history of Stalin, but a history of Russia from 1917-1953. Described, with minute detail, is Lenin's seizure of power, Lenin's benevolent feelings toward Stalin (which ended effectively after the Eleventh All-Congress of the Bolsheviks), Trotsky's role as leader of the Red Army, Trotsky's complete ineptness in regard to the left-opposition, and Stalin's remarkable, almost super-human, political abilites. In addition, one will never discover a finer description of collectivization anywhere (although I must admit Conquest's 'Harvest of Sorrow', is pretty excellent). Russia's grain production in 1930-1933, were almost certainly below pre-WWI levels, apparently, but Stalin wanted Russia to appear forceful, so he sold grain internationally, as if it were "business as usual", which resulted in the death of millions of non-guilty peasants (however, one can not deny George Carlin's classic quote, "there are no innocent people, once you're born, you're guilty as charged").The description of the horrible Gulag system is not quite as great as Solzhenitsyn's, but it's pretty darn close. Unlike Solzhenitsyn, Medvedev doesn't slander the dead, or embark on anti-semitic diatribes (thankfully, for the population at large, Medvedev critiques much of what Solzhenitsyn wrote in the 'Gulag Archipelago' with absolute clarity).

The price is pretty high, but at 800+ pages, the person isn't really buying just one book, they are buying a multitude of books, which cover a variety of subjects. In addition to, 'Let History Judge', I would also strongly recommend you read Edvard Radzinsky's 'Stalin', Volkogonov's 'Autopsy of an Empire' (being a Yeltsin staffer, Volkogonov is biased, but there is some interesting anecdotes!), and Robert Tucker's magnificent two-volume biograpy of Stalin. Unlike other works on the subject of the Russian Revolution, these works actually take a "scholarly" approach!

Morell's astounding level of research reveals the Leakeys individually, as a family, and as dogged searchers for the truth about man's origins--and as living, breathing humans. Through letters, diaries, journals, personal interviews, and family archives, they speak to the reader with unprecedented candor about their personal travails, but more importantly, about their early struggles for funding, their fossil discoveries in remote desert locations, their constant surprise by the historical record, and their uncertainty, to this day, about modern man's exact lineage.

Some Leakey peccadilloes, never secret, are fully documented here: Louis's constant womanizing and his "adoption" of young female researchers, such as Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikas; Mary's scotch-drinking, her cigar-smoking, and her intolerance of those on her Stinker List, some of them other researchers; and Richard's boyish brashness and arrogance, along with his health problems and dislike of Donald Johanson. Less appreciated, however, is the fact that before Louis's work and significant discoveries, people still believed that early man was from China or Europe, not Africa. Mary Leakey was the first person ever to excavate a Paleolithic site, and her meticulous care about documenting the tools and animals found in the same stratae as her hominid fossils, told here in detail, revolutionized the way fossils were recovered and catalogued. Richard found as many hominid fossils in two years (1971 and 1972) as Mary and Louis found in 36 years, and his level of dedication to research since finding his first hominid fossil at age 6, his mentoring of young researchers, and his creation of museums and foundations in Nairobi have perhaps received less attention than they deserve.

The Leakeys believe at least two and perhaps three or four different hominids may have lived in certain areas simultaneously, sharing space for a million or more years, and that the exact line of descent to modern man is still unknown. Tens of thousands of extinct, fossilized species of hippos, elephants, saber-toothed cats, crocodiles, antelopes, and even insects, unearthed by the Leakeys, are overwhelming evidence that if species, including hominids, do not change and adapt, they die. While some may argue about how certain hominids are labeled, no one can argue with their existence in the historical record, and nearly all of them have been unearthed by just one family. These contributions continue beyond the purview of this book into a new generation: Dr. Louise Leakey and her mother Maeve (Richard's wife) found yet another completely new hominid species in March, 2001. Mary Whipple

This is an engrossing story of archealogy's first family. The title hints at their adventures, loves, intrigues, battles, all most passionate. I could not put the book down. The landscape of archealogy will forever be, for me, after this book, a color filled map with the land of our ancestors fully pictured in my mind. No longer will archealolgists seem to be dull digging tan people,but exciting real people, made of the passion of us all. A superb read

Amidst the splendor and corruption of Africa, this family battle the weather, the government, the prejudices, the lack of funds, and even each other. Their intelligence and love for the country is evident as they search for prehistoric evidence of earliest humans. The more I read about them, the more I admired their contribution to East Africa and to the world.

This is a long, engrossing, detailed book about the Leakey family and their impact on paleoanthropology in Africa. It's a real pot-boiler of a book--hard to put down and a totally fascinating study of the family. You get a real sense of their human failings as well as their triumphs. The family comes across as stubborn, intense, egomaniacal and prickly, as well as totally dedicated to their pursuit of man's ancestry in Africa. Although the author has a higher opinion of the Leakeys than some of their rivals (Donald Johanson), she by no means glosses over the more unsavory aspects of their characters. I would highly recommend this book, regardless of your level of familiarity with paleoanthropology.

This book gets five stars because it includes practical information I was able to implement. I hate books on theory that don't give you a sense of how to put that theory into action. We've been able to incorporate these ideas to create a process of our own.

It was well organized, easy to read!, and I loved that the author lets his personality peek through. I actually laughed out loud a couple times and you can't often say that about business books.

Finally I have found a book that makes the complicated simple. Employee benefits and all of its components are both extremely important and overwhelming! Mr. Sears, who obviously is a true expert in this field, walks though a process that while in-depth is still simple to follow and understand. When looking at employee benefits I think there are three objectives most companies are looking for:
1. Provide the best package possible while at
2. The best price available and
3. Save time and internal resources
The Benefits Performance Process provides the path to those objectives through real examples and with an enjoyable style. If you are involved with your companies' employee benefit program, then this book is a must!

Heard him speak at the ISCEBS Symposium...dynamic...got the book from him there. Sears argues that we should apply strategic planning principles to our employee benefits and that failure to do so is one of the reasons they don't work right. But, more than that, he goes on to tell HOW to go about fixing it. I particularly loved the workshop method he outlines. The process outlined here actually goes beyond just employee benefits. I hope he writes a book about planning for broader business issues.

For me, it is great that this isn't a textbook..I don't have time to read those and run a business. I found this to be a lively read. He makes his point and gets on to teaching how to do it.

Every Human Resources Manager, CEO and CFO needs to read "The Benefits Performance Process" and implement the plans outlined within it. Without doing so, they are simply throwing away money and valuable employees. Every company that offers benefits to its employees will want to be sure that they are doing the best that they can when it comes to providing a competitive package while getting their money's worth. Matthew Sears offers the plan to do just that. Whether your company employs 50 or 3,550, you can benefit from this book.

By "Maximizing the Performance of Your Employee Benefit Plan" you will be learning how to assemble a benefits team, analyze current plans and problems, develop concrete objectives and plan for your company's long-term success. Through self-analysis and workshop exercises your team will develop guidelines to follow. From there you will have a plan to follow that will see you through staff changes, acquisitions, and changing regulations. "The Benefits Performance Process" is a workshop to go; it is a plan to help you develop a plan that will eventually benefit your company and your employees.

Matthew T. Sears is an Executive Vice President of Athens Benefits Insurance Services and a Fellow of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists. You couldn't ask for a more qualified guru in the benefits performance process. Yet his book is an easy to read, understand and implement guide to improving your benefits plans. Sears is straightforward and concise, while being upbeat and friendly in his text. You likely won't find another business guide like this one and why would you want to? When it comes to improving your current plans, this is the guide to follow.

Don't put off thinking about your benefits plan until the day before your renewal is due. Don't wait until the premiums are upped once again to do something about it. Don't fear the CFO telling you to cut costs by 30%. You can be prepared. If you're not, you may lose the loyal employees you have to another company who has followed "The Benefits Performance Process."

Review by Heather Froeschl of BookReview.com.