Performance Books

Charles J. Pecor, now known as the Wizard of Wit, is the Chairman of Dramatics at Macon (Ga) State College. A prolific Author, lecturer, and Performer. This Book was one of his early works, and shows the skill of the masters, it deals with the performance, not just the tricks, of Magic. With fine illustrations by Mike Fuller. A Best buy, If you can find it. My copy (autographed) will be available after I die. (I'm 39 now) As I'll never let go while I'm Breathing.

A great work in regards to politics...
A must read!

This give us a clear and focused point of view of what is necessary for to adopt world class in our daily duties, and said us that in in our dinamically contantly changing world our unique option is improved everything every day.

The fierce competition beetwen companies impulse her to adopt a customer-centered strategy based on investment in people, loyalty among customers, holders, employees and technology in order to achieve a world class standard of performance.

Editors aid, that a world class organization, is a organization viewed from a standard that involves a comprise to improve and this will be related with details required to become a world class organization, this book is based in self assessment questionairres for help our management to identify performance deficiencies and prepare a performance profile that can be used to decide activities, devise action improvements and monitor and evaluate progress towards the achievement of world class standards, I think that tis book is useful for every employee in a corporation, making desition, now is a shared process, this is the brand of world class organization.

More importat comprise is without a complete insight don't try to learn more, is try to understand, how we can use our tools?, and understand what is the basis related with sucess, and what part of the other experience will be useful for us.

If you don't try to catch this method you will be lost in this changing world.

With all due respect to the importance of individual accountability, it is even more important to establish and then sustain such accountability at all levels and in all areas throughout an entire organization. In an earlier book co-authored with Sophie Chiche, The Power Of Personal Accountability, Samuel explains how to "achieve what matters to you." In his later work, he offers "a practical guide to improve performance" which takes into full account all of the challenges to achieving comprehensive and cohesive organizational transformation. Samuel seems to be a relentless pragmatist, focusing most of his attention on how to accomplish it, suggesting a number of strategies and tactics that offer no head-snapping revelations, nor does he make any such claim. However, each is based on an abundance of real-world evidence that validates its effectiveness if executed properly.

Make no mistake about it: change initiatives inevitably encounter all manner of barriers, the most formidable of which tend to be cultural in nature. James O'Toole suggests that they result from what he aptly characterizes, in his book Leading Change, as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." In his book, Samuel discusses the results of a survey ("Organizational Accountability Assessment") he conducted among more than 1,100 employees from fifteen different industries, across all levels of organization. He expected responses to score between 70 and 85 out of a possible 100; the average turned out to be 57, and there was no significant difference in overall scores between those in management and non-management. Which were the most serious problems revealed by the survey? Samuel cites three: overwhelming and competing priorities, territorialism and silos, and avoidance. He then identifies and discuses what he describes as "Ten Deadly Sins That Prevent Us from Achieving Results." Next, he identifies and discusses eight elements that are consistently present in accountable organizations. The balance of his narrative provides a methodology that will help decision-makers in any organization (regardless of size or nature) to create and sustain accountability at all levels and in all areas.

To me, some of the most valuable material in this book is provided in Chapter 5 as Samuel discusses various leadership roles that produce breakthrough results. Specifically, such leadership (which is demonstrated by effective initiatives) is necessary within three separate but interdependent groups:

"1. Senior managers (catalysts for results and change) should lead and guide the organizational direction and the culture in response to external drivers.

2. Middle managers (change agents) should guide the culture and operations to ensure effective linkages and the removal of unnecessary barriers.

3. Employees (customer activists) should be dedicated to improving their relationships with others and their performance as it impacts the customer as well as the organization."

All who read this book will agree on why such leadership is important but many of them probably need assistance with understanding how to establish a culture within which such leadership is developed, indeed nourished. Hence the importance of Samuel's book to them. As he would be the first to point out, it would be a fool's errand to try to implement all of his suggestions immediately or over an extended period of time. Rather, each reader must carefully absorb and digest the material in this book, then select whatever is most relevant to her or his organization. However, it is imperative to understand that organizational accountability cannot be created by fragmented, incremental, and isolated initiatives. Samuel's insights are certainly worthy of careful consideration but neither his nor any other methodology will achieve the desired results without effective leadership, a broad and deep base of support by everyone else involved, sufficient resources, and persistence.

Before concluding his book, Mark Samuel suggests that there is something else to know about accountability: "Whatever problems are being solved by being more accountable, you will create new problems in their place. They will be `higher level' problems, and when those are resolved as you become more accountable, you will have new even `higher level' problems to resolve. The good news is that as you develop higher levels of accountability, you will be able to solve those problems and more - resulting in greater strength and much greater success."

In this book I found every type of insights on corporate strategy and organizational issues for oil & gas companies. An outstanding contribution to this subject.

I've used this excellent guide to reorganize workplaces with clients and in my own firm., Its guidelines & checklists allow the readers to participate and architects & managers to apply organizational and psychological criteria with clients and working together.

I listened to this cd the first time last time and I am amazed at the results. I wrote a poem this morning and I could not believe how effortless it was the whole process. It didn't feel like work at all actually it felt like I was playing and enjoying words and images coming to me through mt mind. It seemed so natural. I usually feel overwhelmed when I sit down to write but this time somehow it seemed much easier and the only thing I can thank for this is this wonderful program and the work of Rob Hoyt. He has given me a gift I will treasure for a lifetime and I have high hopes of growing even more the passing days ahead. I have used Theta brainwaves before but there were no powerful words to go with them as it felt like being in a vast sea with no direction. I feel with this program I finally have direction and this force field of energy flowing through me now. thank you so much Rob for now I can realize my dreams of creativity.

H. James Harrington, Glen D. Hoffherr and Robert P. Reid argue that creativity is not reserved for the few. Rather, it is a skill all humans can develop - if they are willing to step back from their day-to-day routines and focus on their inner lives. This book is a mind-altering system. It is packed with quotes, cartoons, graphs, and exercises to help individuals and organizations realize their creative potential. If the writing seems redundant at times, it is only because the authors want you to be able to open the book anywhere and learn something quickly - and you can. We [...] recommend this book and its CD-ROM package to high-level managers looking to shake things up in the office or in their personal lives. But lower-level employees who want to move up in the world will benefit from it as well.

This is a fascinating account of the historical development of virtuosity, expertise, a faith in technology, and even technocracy. Liberally spiced with the author's wit and erudition, readers will find interesting discussions of the growth of self-promotion, public relations, the creation of a public sphere, and the rise of a self-centered world view. It will be of interest to anyone interested in chess masters, great chefs, automaton makers, great pianists, famous detectives, and to those curious about what these seemingly quite different "celebrities" had in common during the Age of Revolutions. Highly recommended.

This book is a gem. Anyone who has worked with Performance Appraisal will appreciate John Drake's experienced comments about why PA so often fails, and what is required to make it work.

This book helped me to convience management to drop an expensive PA system that no one used (except under duress) and to move to something far more productive.

Any organization embarking on a PA system or changing their present one will find it invaluable to read this book first.