Performance Books

"Peter Senge broke the mindset-barrier and showed how systems thinking and system change are essential to support individual development. The strength of TPS, however, is that it measures personal development in the context of organizational development. This highly interactive process creates the foundation for dynamic change where everyone can benefit from constant learning and improvement. Dr. Rampersad's brilliance lies in bringing Peter Senge's ideas of system-symbiosis into alignment with ideas of personal ambition, vision and mission. When leaders can accurately measure true performance - low, average or outstanding - it is possible for the ideal to become a reality" - Professor George A. Kohlrieser, IMD, Switzerland

" ...man kann des öfteren eine Diskrepanz zwischen der Intensität bei der Verfolgung der Organisationsziele und der Art beobachten, mit der die individuellen Ziele der Führungskräfte in einem Unternehmen erkannt und behandelt werden. Total Performance Scorecard füllt diese Lücke mit einem Komplettsystem aus , das die Individuelle- und die Unternehmens-Scorecard sowie den kontinuierlichen Verbesserungsprozesse mit dem individuellen Lernprozess verbindet. Wenn Sie nach einem praxisnahen Werkzeugkasten zur Verbesserung des Unternehmenserfolgs suchen, so sind Sie mit diesem Workshop und dem zugrunde liegende Buch fündig geworden" Professor Philip Anderson, INSEAD, Frankreich

"Diesen buch sollten alle Führungskräfte besuchen. ...das zugrundeliegende Buch sollte von allen Führungskräften gelesenen werden, die sich mit der Organisationsverbesserung und -veränderungen befassen. Durch die Erweiterungen und die Integration der Konzepte der Balanced Scorecard, des Total Quality Management, des Performancemanagement und des Kompetenzmanagement in einen gemeinsam, umfassendes Konzept ,- das Total Performance Scorecard genannt wird - gibt uns Dr. Rampersad eine Vorlage zur Schaffung einer lernenden Organisation, in der er sich der persönliche Erfolg der Führungskräfte und der Erfolg der Organisation gegenseitig befruchten." - Professor Cornelis A. de Kluyver, Dean of Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University, Califrornia

"Hubert Rampersad hat eine unwahrscheinliche Menge verschiedener Managementkonzepten aufeinander abgestimmt... Das Buch "Die Total Performance Scorecard" dient als praktisches Handbuch mit zahlreichen Übungen und Abbildungen." - Dorothy A.Leonard, Professor of Business-Administration, Harvard BusinessSchool, Boston

Äußerst systematisch aufgebaut, entwickelt Hubert Rampersad in einer stimulierenden und praxisnahen Sprache ein integriertes Managementsystem auf der gedanklichen Basis mehrerer erfolgreicher und äußerst aktueller Managementkonzepte, wie dem der Balanced Scorecard, dem des Total Quality Managements, des Wissens-, Kompetenz- und Performancemangements, des Changemanagements sowie dem der lernenden Organisation." - Professor Dr. Christian Schuchardt, Professor für BWL und Internationales Management an der School of International Business der Hochschule Bremen

This book sticks to the music, and what music it was, or should I say, what music *made* - sometimes from situational film material. But this work sticks mainly to A-list, non-soundtrack recordings.
Whether he stuck closely to the demo, or reference disc, or completely reworked the tune, he made it at least interesting and listenable, and those that didn't make that cut (like "Hey Jude") are given a fair chance.
Since '68, I still can't believe what he did with "You'll Never Walk Alone"; discovering years later it was he on piano working out a "head" arrangement on the spot, made it seem even greater. This book will remind you why you liked a particular track in the first place or why you should have. At age 17, I didn't appreciate the depth of this performance, which in this book is described with masterful strokes. Another revelation for me was in reading about "Crying In The Chapel". I've always enjoyed Elvis' record of it, but thought he could have put more *voice* on it. Roy and Aspell evaluated the number as a whole and brought out nuances which have caused me to realize that it, too, is A-list.
I would have been happy to find reviews of movie fluff entries like "Sand Castles" or "Shake That Tambourine", but let's hope we get an "alternate take edition" of this fine manuscript.

THIS NOVEL SHOULD GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BOOKS TO EVER BE WRITTEN ABOUT THE KING OF ROCK -N- ROLL . IT'S REALLY GOOD . IT TELL'S THE STORY BEHIND 112 OF THE KINGS GREATEST AND NOT SO GREATEST SONGS .IT FOCUSES ON WHAT REALLY IS GREAT ABOUT ELVIS' LIFE HIS MUSIC !

"The Essential Elvis" is a thoughtful exploration of the King's music from 1954 until his death in 1977. It's an important and much-needed work that concentrates solely on Presley's artistry. Authors Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell break free from the ill-informed mythology of most Elvis publications by re-examining Presley's work in provocative, exciting ways. You may not agree with all of the writers' criticisms, but it encourages you to track down the 112 Elvis recordings listed in their book.

There have been 4,567 books written about Elvis, mostly by people who have never known him, but whose third cousin's sixth-removed niece might have once dated Elvis' former schoolteacher's third wife. Then there's "The Essential Elvis." What makes this book so different is that Samuel Roy and Tom Aspell trace Elvis' life and legacy through personal history as well as 112 of his most significant songs. The book doesn't proclaim to be an expose or definitive history (it's neither); what it is is a clear portrait of the Man Who Would Be King, told through behind-the-scenes knowledge that uncovers and pieces
together the story of a man, his times, talent and cultural influences. And the 20 photographs -- many of which have never been published --- add a nice touch.

This excellent book is about what was most important to Elvis and his fans: his songs and music. One of the most significant things the authors said about Elvis is the following words: «The first and best thing that can be done for Elvis Presley is to lessen the emphasis that has been placed on his later years and focus on the talent and genius that define the King.....one of the reasons for his demise was because he cared and felt too much...it got to the point that being Elvis Presley was one of the hardest jobs in the world». I agree completely with the authors and, as a fan, my only wish is that this book will make the people, who don't respect Elvis, see the light...

Robert Neiman has worked closely for decades with the quintessential management consulting 'guru' Robert Schaffer... and this shows in this very helpful book... for that reason alone it deserved a 5-Star rating at One Big Idea Consulting Limited NZ ... where it is a standard recommendation to all our clients.

We have one reservation. This does not invalidate Neiman's Twelve Steps to success with projects, but should be kept in mind by the readers when they come to applying Neiman's 'Twelve Steps' in real-live projects.

What is Neima's One Big Idea ? What is the one, single 'plain and simple' action that makes up the 20-80 Pareto.

Robert Schaffer has One Big Idea that runs through every article,Harvard Business Review on Breakthrough Thinking every book, every seminar, every consulting assignment that he has ever touched. He may add a twirl here or a twist there; but inevitably Robert Schaffer has taught us all to focus on one predominant under-pinning in every consulting project ... viz. Never ever persuade or push the client to attempt any change that he or she is not 'ready' for.

For Schaffer 'readiness' is the magic key to project success. When a client is truly deep-down 'ready' to tackle a change, it is very hard to fail... and the consultant has done the 20% of input that will trigger 80% of the achievemnt.

'Readiness' is tricky and requires artful diagnosis and prognosis and infinite patience and intuition, much more than sigma-six number- crunching and swamps of spread-sheeting and dazzling powerpoint flash.

Consulting is all about facilitation and not about persuasion. A gung-ho consulting style is very likely to do more harm than good when all is said and done. Neiman could have placed a tad more emphasis on this in his Twelve Steps process that are still quite sound overall.

This book is recommended with 5 Stars, with one reservation. Does it alert and concentrate the reader to focus predominantly on 'readiness' and to measure it very carefully when treading each of Rapid Results!: How 100-Day Projects Build the Capacity for Large-Scale Changethe plain and simle Twelve Steps to successful projects?

Has your corporation or department misplaced its vision, purpose or spirit? Relax. Author Robert A. Neiman provides an effective path out of the lost-and-found department. Neiman's 12-step program offers practical solutions and political advice for even hardcore bureaucracy addicts. The text features true-to-life scenarios, worksheets and instructions for a full menu of corporate activities, ranging from dreaded employee reviews to awards ceremonies. The author's portrait of corporate life is like an excellent still-life painting, with realistic details, highlights and shadows. The text is enhanced with actual snapshots from testy workplace situations. These insertions, however, would work better with a bit of pruning and, although the vignettes are helpful, it is tempting to skim these little corporate dramas. But don't skip the charts and worksheets. These features are excellent tools. What's more, the author's insistence on honesty, integrity and personal responsibility is a business wakeup call. We recommend this book to every ambitious worker, manager or executive on the corporate ladder.

Bob Neiman's book unravels the mysteries of how to make things happen in organizations. Any manager who has been tasked with a challenging assignment will find a generous helping of practical, useful advice in this book. Going beyond the technical dimension of project management, Execution Plain and Simple lays out a step by step approach that blasts through the psychological, interpersonal, and political obstacles that can sink even the best planned efforts. And the author shares his experience with simple, direct language and useful case examples. If you are responsible for getting something done - or you advise someone else who is - you will find this book extremely useful.

Vision, purpose, defining the scope of the work, and gaining the critical mass needed to get execution within a normally stagnant company are all covered well in this book. For somebody in a large company (like myself), this book provides a lot of guidance to leadership on how to bring small-team energy to a culture of slow-moving big teams. In that respsect, this is a great book.

The only failure I see is that I didn't notice much attention paid to individual performance. A failing of large companies is that they tend to load so many roles, side-responsibilities, and conflicting priorities on their employees that enabling some folks to break free, focus on a small but impact-laden project, and really deliver it are a separate set of issues that need to be addressed as well. This book provides great information in an immediately-useful form-factor, but beware of using it alone, paritcularly if you're new to a company and its culture.

To understand what has to be done is one thing. To mobilize an organization to implement is another, more complex task. The most productive and satisfying experiences for me and I expect most people have been those there the "zest factors" were prominent. Mr. Neiman has provided a disciplined way of thinking through how these conditions can be replicated in the more ordinary circumstances that over time spell the difference between success and failure in this competitive, intreguing world.

As a human being, at some point in your life you will need a book like this to help you fight your deepest fears whether it may be speaking up for yourself at work, performance anxiety or maybe you are just stuck and want to change your situation. This is one of the most effective and empowering books I have ever read. A great book on overcoming life's obstacles and accomplishing your goals and dreams. Very well written and very easy to read with just enough real life stories to motivate you into action.

I was really inspired by the sections under chapter 7 on Resilience: "Training th Fighter Within", "How to Hang Tough" and "Mental Toughness". This book is great for people who feel they have lost contol of their lives and want to regain a feeling of empowerment. Remember it isn't how many times you have been knocked down but how many times you get back up that counts! Buy the Book!

A lot of self-help books have just the opposite effect than is intended: You feel so overwhelmed, so daunted by the work in front of you, you want to just hide or lie down. Not this one! Here's advice you'll enjoy reading and can't wait to put into practice--and you'll see results immediately.Greene is inspirational without sounding mushy; he's insightful without sounding like a shrink; and despite his military background, his tone is anything but drill sargeant--he's actually funny. I usually hate spending $20 on a hardcover, but this is the least expensive and most effective "therapy" I've ever gotten.

As a professional actor I have searched the dusky shelves of libraries across the states studying the writen record of the craft of acting... and there are thousands of books offering endless advice about how to cultivate one's performance skills. The books are often esoteric and require some strange practices bordering on the mystical. From lying on the floor doing primal screams to over-analyzing the script as if it were a lab animal as opposed to a wild thing... these books always begin with promise and then lead me further and further into a labyrinth of confusion. Finally, I have found the book which contains a precise yet playful process which addresses the fundamental concerns of acting. Don Greene's book presents a technique for Mastery. As human beings we are constantly learning new skills and we rarely ask ourselves about how we learn. Don Greene gives a clear and practical account of how to cultivate not just 'skill,' but rather, the skill of developing skill, the mother of all skills. Prior to working with this material, I would come off stage after a good performance and have no idea how I entered into a creative state. Vice/versa, sometimes I would give a bad performance and despair that I couldn't act. I felt like I was at the whim of some unseen forces, the 'theatre gods' perhaps. Now I am discovering that my creativity is entirely within my control. I create my own states of creativity or blockage based on how I process the information coming to me all the time. How I interpret this information is largely responsible for the quality of my experience of life and how I perform in my own life. Whether I am performing Hamlet, dealing with an agent, auditioning, or enjoying liesure time at home, I find the new skills I am cultivating from Don Greene's book to be of immense value. Although the book is always scientific, precise, and practical, it suggests a profound transformation in the way we view what is possible for human beings. It challenges us to push the limits of the known and discover the vast resources within ourselves. Furthermore, Don's free online performance test helped me see clearly what my strengths and weaknesses were and thereby, focus my efforts on those particular skills which would improve my performance as effectively, efficiently, and economically as possible.

Based on his notion that performance outcome is influenced by seven sets of factors (determination, energy, perspective, courage, focus, poise, resilience), the author elaborates on how we can arm ourselves with mastery in the above seven areas to undertake challenge in any field. That's quite the normal setting in any self help book. However, I do like the author's clear, logical and straight to the point writing, without the excessive and tedious examples anonymous commonly found in most self help books. The five page Chapter Eight, so named a synthesis: putting it altogether, (the seven set of factors were grouped into seven individual chapters), simply tells how "to the point" the author had been. In a word, a very good read.

p.s. I like the saying in front of each chapter much. They do tell much of what the chapter is talking about, especially chapter eight Resilience:

"Inside the ring or out, aint nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."

- Muhammad Ali

This may be the most straightforward, practical, effective self-empowerment book I have ever read. Well-written, logically presented and downright revelatory! If you have any interest at all in significantly increasing your ability to perform at an optimal level in every conceivable situation, I give this book the strongest possible recommendation.

EDIT 12/11/07: I'm surprised to read this glowing review, given that now more than two years later, I can barely recall the substance of the book. Which is NOT to diminish the value of the book, but merely presents me with an opportunity to remind myself that mindsets of 10, 20, 30 years do not shift permanently merely by reading and even being inspired by a book.

This book hasn't (YET!) had the impact that it might have, because I borrowed it from the public library, read it closely, had my "aha!" moments, then dutifully returned it on time and proceeded to forget all about it as I went about the everyday challenges of my everyday life.

You MUST put structures in place to consistently reinforce the lessons, and take specific actions to help ground you in your new way of approaching whatever challenges are significant for you. All the "insights" in the world won't mean a thing unless you take responsibility for consciously applying them to your real life: notice when your self-sabotaging mindset is determining your actions; make a choice to re-assess the situation in light of the new information and insights; choose to take a different, more empowering action than the one you're naturally inclined to.

You can't shift your consciousness until you choose to be CONSCIOUS... and CONSCIENTIOUS!

I purchased this book when first released and utilized the techniques to assist in solving some performance issues at the office. I've seen some amazing results. So amazing, I purchased copies for my management team and we're working our way through the book now. Tremendous results. Kudos to Douglas Walker!!

I loved reading "A-ha Performance" and can definitely use all the wisdom in it to motivate not only my employees, but myself. I learned so much about management and my workplace environment and can see the positive results already.
Choose to Be Happy: A Guide to Total Happiness

Using this as a textbook in Managerial Motivation Class at local college. Interesting format with logical real life scenerios. Great discussion forum.

A-HA! Performance provides a very clear method for understanding what makes your employees tick and how to manage the process so that you end up with a win-win situation. This book is great for new managers and a wake-up call for those of us managing for many years who thought we already knew how to manage. I will keep this book behind me at work to refer to regularly and to help remind me what type of manager I want to be. Good stuff!

Before reading A-HA! Performance, we focused on motivating the workforce based on what the company thought employees should be motivated by. Now that we understand how to find their Intrinsic Motivation Points, it gives us tremendous insight about what Really motivates each individual. We have magnetized employees to the company's goals.

a very good book on tips of batteries. if i had never even read it, i would have died of an electrical shock my sister almost gave me.Read this book, it could save your life.

electricity and machines , generators and so on.

I got this book when it was published in 1995, and have used it at least twice a year just using NiCd batteries. There are many times I read something on the Internet that is simply wrong according to this book. I have used NiCd batteries that I would have otherwise thrown away because the information in this book told me that they were not irreparably damaged.

As a battery engineer, I've found this handbook the single most useful technical reference in battery design, application, and troubleshooting.

The chapters are divided by battery chemistry, and each is written by an expert in the field. Most chapters include detailed technical descriptions of chemistry, electrical characteristics, construction details, applications, and pros/cons charts.

The 3rd edition features significant changes, including updates to older sections as well as new sections on progress in advanced battery systems, and an immense new section on lithium-ion batteries.

My only complaint is the lack of uniformity across chapters in terms of informational content and format. This can make comparison of battery technologies difficult. Some chapters go into too much technical detail, while some others leave out critical considerations.

These are relatively minor quibbles, however, and do not make the Handbook any less valuable to anyone dealing with batteries or other energy storage systems.

I bought this book because I had an assignment at work that required me to learn every possible thing about lithium ion batteries. I consulted general interest encyclopedias, battery experts at universities, and various online sources, but none of the above provided the comprehensive, unbiased information that Handbook of Batteries promised. It includes useful comparison charts and historical information about the development of single-use and secondary batteries, from the clunky short-lived lead-acid battery of the 1800s to the fuel cells of today. The language is surprisingly easy to understand for the lay person.

The downsides are that it weighs a ton and that the pages are so dense that you might as well be reading a dictionary cover to cover--a dictionary that's all about batteries.

When I first read this book, I didn't have much experience in life and had a very short memory. As I grew in experience I realized that many of the positive changes in my thinking were seeded by ideas I gained reading this when I was relatively barren emotionally and intellectually. The person I was when I first read this book is now but a memory. But the amount and the kind of guidance I got along the way or continue to get from various sources is regulated by my own readiness to understand and eventually accept. I credit this work for giving me a place to start.

I read this book back when I was 18 and besides all its other values, I was completely cured of procrastination after reading it!

I recommend this book on finding your identity and strengthening it. Very interesting the chapter about healthy separateness in marriage!The Art of Loving

Read this book as it has the ability to allow you to transform your life.

I first read M. Scott Peck's 'The Road Less Travelled' over 20 years ago, but it is a text to which I return again and again, as Peck's insights and observations remain a constant source of inspiration and guidance in my life. It still finds a ready home in the hands of therapists, counselors, ministers, teachers, career planners, and others as part of their resources, and is not out of place in the home of anyone who cares about the directions of her or his life.

Peck was a clinical psychiatrist - the material for this book came largely from his experiences with clients and others, seeing what worked and what didn't, what was missing and what was mis-understood. Often cases involved psychotherapy (talk therapy), but the processes here are not confined to therapists' offices. The same kinds of problem solving, processing and relationship building that takes place in psychotherapy can be used as life-long tools.

Peck resists labels such as Freudian and Jungian; he doesn't look for, nor does he offer, quick fixes or the psychotherapeutic variety of the get-rich-quick schemes. This book is not a therapy manual, but rather a guide to spiritual growth that incorporates therapeutic and psychological principles. Peck echoes the sentiments of many spiritual directors and leaders through the millennia that spiritual and personal growth are long journeys, not short leaps. It involves dedication and intention, and a willingness to accept risk and change.

Perhaps it is ironic that, given this, the first topic Peck focuses upon is Discipline. However, without discipline, change can go unchecked and uncharted, growth can become problematic, and the human soul becomes susceptible to a host of difficulties. Dedication and application to problem-solving and long-term building (whether it be of retirement funds or of one's own spirit) requires a disciplined approach that recognises that life is difficulty (the first of Buddha's Four Noble Truths, cited by Peck), gratification sometimes needs to be delayed for greater goods, and reality needs to be approached and dealt with responsibly.

Peck calls here for a life to be totally dedicated to the truth. This is hard, because we as human beings are so accustomed to rationalisation and reinterpretation. This kind of dedication also requires a balance in life, and an ability to be flexible as the truths of our lives change - few of us are in possession of timeless and eternal truths governing every aspect of our lives, and often those who feel they are end up disappointed in the end. The continuing creativity of God in our lives requires flexibility, but this is best achieved in a disciplined and balanced context.

Peck then turns to love, a mysterious thing even in the best of times. He identifies some of the myths of `falling in love' and romantic love that our culture through various means idealises, leading to great dissatisfaction when we do not achieve the desired feelings or situations. Peck makes the assertion that love is not really a feeling, but rather an action or activity, that involves a lot of risk-taking (Peck talks about risks of independence, of commitment, of confrontation, and of loss). True love requires discipline and recognition of the needs of the self and others.

The final two sections of the text deal with aspects of religion on the spiritual and psychological development of persons. The first section looks at religion and growth processes. He does a short survey of some attitudes toward religions and denominations, as well as a look at how the modern scientific mindset colours the worldview of modern people, particularly with ideas of verification and skepticism. Some psychologists and theorists have wondered if religion were mass delusions, mass psychosis, or some other kind of sickness. Peck uses interesting extended case studies here to examine the role of various aspects of religion in the developmental lives of several people. Peck asks the question, `Is belief in God a psychopathology?' In some aspects, and for some people, the way they approach and `use' religion, the answer may well be yes. However, Peck also takes the psychotherapeutic community to task for often being too narrow or too dismissive of the value of religious sentiment and institutions in the lives of their charges.

The final section looks at the role of grace in the spiritual growth process. Grace is another mysterious force, like love, that is difficult to pin down and explain. It is also something uncontrollable. Why do some with artistic talent end up being successful and celebrated, and others not? Why do some use their talent, when others don't? In cases of ultimate despair, Peck makes the observation that while it is often clear why some people commit suicide, it is not often clear why others in the same situations don't. Some of this has to do with the unconscious mind that guides us, and some of it has to do with the miracle of serendipity, as Peck describes it.

Peck describes in some detail his concept of what grace is and how it works, in very general terms that relate to no denomination or religion in particular, but has wide applicability. He talks both about resistance to grace and the welcoming of grace. Grace is not easy, and often comes with responsibilities (Bonhoeffer talks about cheap grace; the requirements of grace are noted through scriptures of many religions). Welcoming grace welcomes often more than we bargained for, but also often more than we hoped.

In his afterword, Peck discusses the difficulties of writing in an organised and linear fashion about something so fundamentally disorganised as spiritual growth and therapeutic processes. He also talks about the need for finding competent help when required - ability is not measured by degrees, he states (something true in many professions). This is useful for those seeking a first therapeutic relationship, or needing a change.

Forrest does an excellent job of presenting a new way to manage businesses. This book is good for someone who wants to get a good high level understanding of the IEE and the E and P DMAIC processes. Once you understand what is proposed by his methods you will want to buy volumes 2 and 3 in this series to find out even more about his proposed new system.

This book works for me as a MBB of a Fortune 500 company tasked with delivering financial business value in transformational magnitudes. Many of the techniques described here are time-proven methods for developing and implementing the roadmap to continous improvement. It is a great guide to develop and strengthen leadership. This is the first time I have seen many of the techniques, which I have used repeatedly, compiled in one place. This book is a user-friendly guide.

I think Forrest has hit the nail on the head and has come up with an Integrated system that if followed will help enterprises achieve excellence.

I really like the way he wants to get the enterprise aligned and identifies the key measurements at the different levels of the enterprise. When this is done correctly, I believe it will deliver bottom line savings / profits.

In my experience I have seen various degrees of success with Lean-Sigma implementation. The companies that do it well are the ones that have the correct strategy, are correctly aligned & Integrated and use the correct Lean-Sigma tools that transcend the entire enterprise value chain.

Some enterprises are better than others at doing this inherently, but for those that need help and guidance to Business Process Improvement and strategy then this is an excellent place to start.

Forrest Breyfogle's IEE System is an excellent guide to how to deploy a business process improvement program such as Lean Six Sigma. In 2005, I used Forrest's "Managing Six Sigma" and "Implementing Six Sigma, 2nd Edition" books to start the tops down deployment of Lean Six Sigma in my organization with great success. Forrest's new books are even better. As a Master Black Belt, I have found Forrest's books and training to be very beneficial. Forrest's approach is the most pragmatic, and the most thorough, of any that I have seen.

Forrest Breyfogle has done it again. Where his earlier book Implementing Six Sigma set the standard by which all other six sigma books were judged; Integrated Enterprise Excellence takes us to the next level. I count over 80 books on my shelves covering various tools of Continuous Improvement, topics include: Six Sigma, Lean, TQM, 5S, change, process improvement, Kaizen, ISO, Malcolm Baldridge, Customer Experience, metrics, and Balanced Scorecards. This is the first book I have read that brings it all together and provides an integrated solution. For those that are just starting on their continuous improvement journey, this will get you going in the right direction. For those who are well on they way, or those who feel their efforts have plateaued - this book is a must read.

Devane does it again! Co-author of the popular: "The Change Handbook"; he now provides us with a roadmap of breakthrough thinking in the areas of Lean Six Sigma and High Performance Organizations!
From the opening lines in the Preview we are invited into examining the crisis of improvement programs that face organizations today. The story concludes having introduced the reader into a unique journey examining the combinations and possibilities of these methods and what is fundamentally required of leadership. This book is masterfully written offering a balanced blend of theory, practicality and insightful breakthroughs, cracking the puzzle of achieving sustainable organizational results. The skilled OD practitioner will readily see the author's depth of expertise and scholarship displayed in the fields of change and leadership. He comfortably ties together the soft and hard skills necessary to accomplish what so many efforts fail to achieve and overlook in their improvement programs.
His main divisions of the book entitled, Practical Foundations and Pragmatic Practice, allow the novice to understand their working intentions and how to effectively apply them. The seasoned person will be able to jump in where they are most comfortable. His creative literary style, with a liberal combination of tables, charts, exhibits, figures, and war stories makes reading a pleasure and captures your attention. The repetitive structure within the Leader's Guide includes activity maps, leader to do lists, tool applications and pragmatic tips, allowing the reader to develop a rhythm in learning the principles and applications being discussed. The generous glossary and reference materials will greatly assist in allowing you to deepen your understanding or expand your resources in the field.
In addition, the book's companion website, www.LeanSixSigmaHPO.com, provides helpful supporting information for leaders serious about simultaneously addressing technical tool deployment and cultural aspects of large-scale process improvement efforts.

Most books I've seen on the topics of Lean, Six Sigma, and culture change suggest a one-size-fits all approach that is detailed by the author(s) in their specific book. Usually they are plugging one methodology that supposedly has universal application across all industries and all sized companies. Not so with this book.

This book, written for leaders, provides a succinct array of principles, general approach templates, and common traps for each stage of an improvement process. Rather than advocating detailed, sequential steps to take, the book offers up proven best practices and a general flow that leaders may, or may not apply based on their specific organizational circumstances. Another book I highly recommend that offers alternative approaches to improvement is Peter Pande's book What Is Six Sigma? A fixed, rigid improvement approach that is not customized to accommodate an organization's unique characteristics is doomed to expensive failure, and these two books get that concept.

Many books present the hard tools of Six Sigma. Many books present how to do change manageemnt, or the "soft side" of continuous improvement projects. This is the first book I've seen that provides leaders with a clear set of principles and a general approach for integrating hard and soft aspects of Six Sigma to achieve dramatic, sustainable results. The first third of the book presents concepts on Lean, Six Sigma, and High Performance Organizations. The final two-thirds of the book is organized according to the implementation stages of an enterprise-wide Six Sigma project. For each stage the book provides pragmatic tips on topics such as stage outputs, common traps, key large goup meetings, leader "To Do" checklists, counterintuitive elements, and leadership tools. In addition to the book's comprehensive coverage of leadership issues for large-scale process improvement, there's also an extensive reference section in the back that points leaders to other books and web-sites containing valuable leadership tips.

Readers should be aware that this book does not delve into detailed statistical tools that improvement teams use. Rather, the book focuses on leadership aspects so I would recommend another book like one of Breyfogle's for people interested in "hard tools" of Six Sigma.

I was pleased to find a leadership book for Lean Six Sigma that addresses both manufacturing and transactional improvement so I didn't have to buy two different leadership books as is necessary with detailed improvement tools for each. With shop floor and office examples from widely diverse industries like electronics assembly, pharmaceutical, retailing, environmental services, government, and financial services, this book presents ideas on how to lead the improvement of all kinds of processes. I was a bit surprised to see that many of the cases from other industries had direct applicability to my industry. I found the detailed advice on setting up an executive committee that meets regularly to evaluate the progress of all improvement projects to be especially useful. And by providing sample questions that executives can ask, the book helps executives ensure that improvement teams are proceeding in the right direction without having executives engaged in micro-managing.

This book is chockfull of golden advice nuggets for leaders of big changes in organizations. It shows how integrating the disciplines of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and High-Performance Organizations can provide a robust combination of quick short-term wins, significant long-term wins based on rigourous data collection and analysis, and sustainable gains based on increased employee motivation. I found the Leadership Checklists that were provided for each of the book's 5 phases of an improvement effort to be particularly helpful. The book provides an excellent reference for busy leaders as its organization, indexing, and exhibit list make it easy to quickly find specific topics of interest.

This book is a great tool to increase your self awareness, mental clarity and to improve your performance in whatever you do. This book is for anyone who is looking to improve their life and who wants to achieve their peak performance. Dr. Afremow utilizes several zen quotes and stories to provide clarity into his insightful but simple methods for reaching maximum potential. This is an educational and entertaining read. I read it in two hrs and it was a well spent two hours. I continue to refer to this masterpiece. You won't be disappointed.

Dr. Afremow's "Lengthen Your Line" is an easy to read book in which the reader will gain an understanding of a simple but often overlooked principle. That is, a healthy mind leads to a healthy performance The real value of this book is that it allows the average reader to apply psychology principles to all facets of their lives. Readers looking to improve their marathon time, lower their golf handicap, get better grades or succeed in business will surely take away important lessons and benefits from Lengthen Your Line.

Lengthen Your Line is an excellent supplement for any Sports Psychology course. The book offers many easy to follow suggestions to improve your performance in sports and other areas of your life. Overall, a helpful and well-written book.

Dr. Afremow's book is really about excellence and how to achieve it. Most athletes and people in general constantly compare themselves to others, and try to beat them or keep up with them. The best, Jim says, are constantly trying to improve themselves. Jim's book shows how to reach your potential and be the best YOU. I recommend it.

I would have to say this book is one of the few that I have read and immediately observed improvement in my performance skills. Not only have I improved performance on the field I have improved performance in my workplace and in the "game of life" in general. If you are looking for peak performance in life, I would definitely recommend this book. It is easy to read and anyone can understand and grasp the concepts in this book. It is phenomenal.