Training Companies Books

A solid study of what makes top performing salespeople, sales managers, and leaders. Applicable to many fields. Most beneficial to larger corporations, but plenty to take in for small business with 5 or less salespeople too. It's not an easy read, I suggest reading it a couple chapters at a time. Even though the authors main business is selling psychological testing, they did not push that too much in the book.

I found that this book took a vary clinical look at what makes a good salesperson. It is someone interesting how they break down the attributes of a good salesperson. If someone was into the indiviudal physcology behind great sales people they would find this book more interesting.

The title promises more than the inside, this book is full of information but is incomplete, in fact, this book is a giant brochure of the services the author's company is offering. If you want the complete info, then contact and hire their services.
despite of this, this book has good info and good ideas, it gives you clues for what and what not to look when you hire salesmen, but i would like something more instructive and more practical... more info to put directly at work.
I am a salesman manager, and like many others i have problems to hire good sales personal and make them produce, so this book looked to me as the solution i was looking for... Very close, but it wasn't.

I am Vice President of Sales with a software company and I'm always looking for insights into the hiring process. I think that the book laid out the top talents needed very well. I agree with what they say and they have the research to back it up.

My only problem is how to implement it. The book sold me on their approach, but I'd need to buy their assessment tool in order to make it work. They did a great job on indirectly selling their tool and services.

I wish it gave me more practical tips on how to evaluate a candidate based on their talents.

I had read an article quoting the authors in Business 2.0 (December 2001- "Gods of Sales") this month and it perked my curiosity. After reading some of the digital copy here at Amazon I ordered it. They did a really great job breaking down the traits that make up a sales persons personality. I also like how they match up the sales job with the right employee. The sections on finding sales employees and interviewing are also very helpful.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the section on development is weak. They come right out and say that it would take a lot longer than one book to explain how to develop superior sales people based on their qualities. They lead you down the right road on how to support existing problem children in your sales department, but the examples are so few and that chapter is very short. The real title should be "How to evaluate and hire you next top performer".

THIS BOOK WILL STAY ON MY TOP SHELF OF REFERENCE ITEMS FOR ITS EXCELLENT DETAIL AND SUBJECT MATTER.

My husband and I had both grown up with dogs, but during college and our first few years in the work force, knew we didn't have time to give a dog the full attention it needed. So when I had some time off and we decided to get a dog, we were both a bit rusty. This book was a good refresher course, and had some good new tips. The training chapters were basic--but basics are really all you need if you're not going to be showing or putting your dog through agility trials. I thought that it was particularly useful that the authors talked about correcting ingrained behaviors often seen in adult dogs who haven't been given structure in their previous homes. In the end, though, there are a lot of questions I still have. I feel as though there was a lot of wind-up about what to expect in a shelter dog, but not as much detailed follow-through about some things. The advice on crate-training, for example, was pretty thin. All in all, though, I enjoyed reading it and it gave me enough information that I was prepared when we got the call about our rescue dog.

I have found this book to be helpful. I'm an experienced dog owner - of some great successes and some not so successful. I thought I knew a great deal; but I learned some new things. I have recently seriously considered adopting a dog, but this book made some of the trade-offs more clear (particularly the risks I would take with small children). It was worth the read just to understand better why a dog mounths.

This book was recommended to me by some fellow rescue workers. I'm an experienced rescue worker and dog breeder.

I fully recommend this book to those who:

1. Are new to rescue dogs.
2. Need to know some of the typical behaviors a rescue dog may exhibit.
3. Need a refresher course on foundational basics of rehabilitating rescue dogs.
4. Need affirmation about good methods used in modifying negative dog behaviors.
5. Want to rehabilitate any dog that exhibits negative or undesired behavior(s).

To the experienced dog rescue workers like me, this book offers nothing new. It may be obvious to some readers that this author has spent many years in dog training but not indepth actual shelter work. However,I was happy to see that, although the author lacked a lot of personal shelter experience, he had invested and employed a good amount of homework and research worthy of a useful book. Through his writing, I could read the experienced views of shelter workers he'd interviewed prior to writing this book.

This book is written fairly simply. The author wrote very much as if he were standing next to you talking with you. His verbiage is simple and easy to understand. He uses case-in-point examples that are helpful in clarifying his point and method.

Occasionally, the author would title a paragraph where I expected to get much more out of the following text than what was present. On these instances, I felt like I was left hanging and looking for more.

On the whole, I was delighted to find the author's approach to be factual, experienced, compassionate, common sense and fairly comprehensive.

I really enjoyed reading the author's common sense views when he addressed some of the dog world's trendy idealisms. I'm certain that many idealists will disagree with his views because he is common sense yet not abusive. His 'middle-of-the-road views' don't pander to either of the extremes in dog training (harsh discipline versus no discipline). I felt the author's views to be well balanced and obviously experienced.

Overall, this book is a good type of manual for foundational dog training with an emphasis on how that relates to an adopted rescue dog.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. And I hope people who either have adopted or plan to adopt a dog will read this book and keep it on hand for reference. I plan to keep my copy, too.

To someone preparing to adopt, two other books you may enjoy are:

-The Other End Of The Leash
-The Adoption Option: choosing & raising the shelter dog for you

As a 4 year volunteer dog walker/trainer at my local humane society and also the owner of two adopted dogs, I found this book useful and straightforward. At the shelter we see many people with unrealistic ideas of what to expect from our shelter dogs (this applies to any dog whether it's a shelter dog or from a responsible breeder or from any of the myriad of other sources.) This book explains some of the issues that can come up and gives practical advice on addressing the issues. I also like the fact that the owners give information on training a pet dog, rather than "obedience" training. This book gives solid advice to people who just want to have a good relationship with their new dog. The writers stress the importance of structure and clarity when communicating with your new dog.

As the owner of two adopted dogs, I will tell you that it takes effort and I will also tell you that I wouldn't have it any other way. What you get back from these dogs far outweighs the effort that goes in. If you are thinking of getting a dog, whether it be "adopted" or purchased, please do some homework first and understand the type of dog you are getting and examine your expectations and then decide if you want to go through with the decision which is a long commitment.

All that being said, if you decide you want to share your life with a dog, please VISIT YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER and check out what they have. You'll be surprised. You will find purebred dogs, adult dogs who have good manners, young adult dogs "who need a little training", puppies and some marvelous mixes of all shapes and sizes. Some of these dogs have "baggage" and "issues" which will need some work, but many of them just got dealt a bad hand and it just didn't work out at their first home.All of these dogs just need a second chance! If you have your heart set on a particular breed which isn't at your shelter, look into breed rescues (cruise the web--you'll find a rescue for just about any breed)who work on re-homeing specific breeds which didn't work out at their first home.

Do some studying and if you decide to get a dog or add an additional dog to your pack, enjoy the journey--it's a very special adventure!! Not always easy, but always worth it!!

Adopting a dog is exciting; this book is not. Very very basic in its adoption advice and arrogent in support of its old-school training style, I found nothing compelling here. There are better books that don't have a "one method fits all" "only I know the right way" approach. Nor is it necessary (or mature) to insult others when advocating your own opinion.

Stick with Andrea Arden and Patricia McConnell, and give "So Your Dog's Not Lassie" a try -- it talks about independent or submissive or dominant dogs (several of the personalities you'll find when adopting) and how to cater your training style to your dog.

Dr Chu is an expert on the subject of plyometrics. This is a great place to start if your looking for medicine ball work. Don't expect anything too complicated or highly advanced though there are some gems in here that have challenged some serious athletes. It probably would have benefited from real models rather than the line drawn illustrations though this is a minor concern and anyone with a modicum of exercise experience should have no trouble in understanding the routines. For the money, well worth it.

Hi viewers im suresh form india im an ace certified personal trainer im preparing for my cscs exam i learnt about don chu in the nsca cscs book and went on to order this book along wiht jumping into plyometrics i think i know a lot about medicine ball training now thanks to don chu.the section are very clearly separated for different body segments

This book reads like a blue print for medicine ball works as it pertains to developing speed and strength. The exercises presented are the foundation of such work and hence are valuable to the beginner. Those looking for more advanced exercises and techniques will probably be disappointed. Conclusion: great for the beginner.

The title of this book is extremely misleading.
It's packed full of stupid things like "medicine ball biceps curls," "triceps extensions," "good mornings," etc... These are not plyometric exercises! Basically it's an excuse to use a medicine ball for classic weight lifting moves.

Combined with this are some very basic throwing moves, of which I was hoping for more of.

The drawings are of course crude stick figures, and the directions are weak.

I'm returning this book.

A little imagination will go a longer ways than this book.

This book is exactly what i wanted. Simply a collection of great various plyometric exercises with the medicine ball. No fluff.

I was doing a research paper on steroids, so i asked a friend of mine to get me some books out of the library. So one of the books he got me was "Pumped". I planned only to take a few notes and put it away, but when i started reading i just couldn't stop. The book is very informative. Like one of the reviewers said, it doesn't go into much detail, but its short and straight to the point. This book isn't only about steroids, it goes into things like alcohol, weed, cigarretes. So, if you have a couple of hours to spare, i suggest you pick this one up!

This is quite a remarkable book. It is short, to the point, knowledgable and readable. It tells the truth about performance enhancing drugs and is clear about the downside even for those that work. At the same time, it does not preach and I don't think would be a turn-off for teenagers.

If you have a child who is an athlete, or if you are in competetive athletics yourself, you should read this book. As a physician, I think these drugs are available in most every high school in the country. They are a giant temptation. This book is most helpful to parents, coaches and athletes themselves.

Finally, a book that provides non-judgmental information about the biology and pharmacology of body-building. This is not just one of those "just say no" books - it provides the reader with factual information so he or she can make informed choices. Take my word for it: trust the information in this book more than the layman's advice you get at the gym.

This is a useful, readable description and summary of drug and supplement use and the body's functioning especially written for athletes and those interested in physical fitness. It seems to make an honest effort to give the facts about drug and supplement use and sort out the truth from all the training ads that bombard anyone who uses fitness media. The problem is what most everyone suspects- there are no shortcuts and anything that does effect the body's functioning is a potential health risk. However, those who want all the drugs and supplements to work will be critical of this book because it doesn't tell them what they want to hear and unfortunately will probably continue to use what they want. The authors did a good job of describing the efficiency of the human body. It is such a remarkable machine that it adjusts to any "shortcut" and the effects become counter-productive. The well-known fact that the body starts to store fat when a person diets too quickly is a good example. I know the information in this book will not be accepted by some teens and exercising adults but it is worth knowing and hopefully the recommendations will be followed for health's sake.

If you are looking for a book that will explain the uses, and the effects of certain sports supplements and or drugs this is not the book. The book uses scare tactics from out-dated and disproven information. If you are an athlete or have a child that is an athlete and you want up-to-date information on products then you are better off buying a book or a magazine that is written by, doctors that are also athletes. Save your money and buy a book that uses studies that were done after 1999 unlike the 5 year studies used in Pumped.

The authors have done well in this book. They show the importance of leader development, as well as how easy it is to get you and your organization pointed in the right direction. As a trainer, I know that the principles discussed are valid and implementable.

Also recommend a book we use in our leader development program that has scored high with our managers and well-received by our top execs: ""The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills.""

This is a terrific book if you have no idea how best to train people in a corporate environment. But if you do, then this book is old news. The ideas and concepts are absolutely right, but unfortunately the authors try to imply they invented this method and no one else has ever done it. I currently work for a training company, and we have used all of these techniques for years. In fact, many of the authors' examples are over 10 years old. On the other hand, let me repeat that the authors' educational techniques are right. But they never went into enough detail to really tell a company how to do it themselves. I wonder why? They need to tone down the sales job. At the end of the book, I wanted to get an unlisted telephone number to keep them from calling to sell me Action Learning techniques.

The book contains really basic information that is not a new revelation. For a better book on the subject read "Action Learning in Action: Transforming Problems and People for World-Class Organizational Learning"; Michael J. Marquardt. Marquardt's is slightly better and provides better real life examples.

Unlike traditional leadership development, this approachimmerses executives in a process of change; learning-by-doing in acontrolled environment. Based on experiences of major corporations, the authors present a model of action learning and show how it has been applied. Action learning is tied to organizational change and building new mindsets-the ongoing challenge in today's hyper-competitive global economy. The process is also issue-focused. This book shows how to test and use this enormously valuable process. Recommended readings are provided. A worthy contribution to leadership and organization development.

For over the past hundred years there has been the debate over whether leadership is a competency that can be trained and fostered or whether it is an innate skill that individuals are born with. Dotlich and Noel add fuel to that fire as they assert that there is a mechanism called Action Learning that can create within organizations the necessary shifts in attitudes and behaviors at the leadership level for substantial organizational renewal. Action Learning, simply stated, is fostered experiential learning. In that there is nothing new here. What is new, however, is the way in which Dotlich and Noel have created a "whole body" syllabus for organizations that includes key learning activities that are tied to business objectives.

Where many leadership programs are deficient is in tying key attitudes, behaviors, and competencies into key business situations. Making the learning relevant and urgent is the key. The tie between learning and business application must be more than cognitive. It has to be an experience that includes intellect, emotion, risk, feedback, and reflection. "When we are fully engaged in a process, we are much more likely to be profoundly influenced by it." The way in which Action Learning creates this engagement is through tackling a significant business issue with people from cross-functions within an organization. The context of the book is the demonstration of the Action Learning principles as they were applied by Dotlich and Noel on several organizations going through major transformation. Some of the richest scenarios come from Citibank's challenge to become unified in how it approached business, General Electrics mandate to become global thinkers, and Johnson & Johnson's need to upgrade and develop executive talent here and abroad. Each of these industries utilized the Action Learning framework to tackle the necessary changes brought on by the complexity of today's business.

The term framework is intentionally as there is no template for this process. Action Learning is pliable, versatile, and malleable in order for it to flex to the urgent needs of the business. What makes up this framework is consistent. Action Learning is comprised of a process that selects key issues, creates cross-functional teams, designs presentations, and involves senior management. The time frame for this process can span nine weeks to nine months. In the process the individuals are given key assignments, attend specific seminars and learning events, and have a dedicated coach and sponsor. The sponsor is the key ingredient that ensures Action Learning success. The sponsor is the senior executive who endorses Action Learning and creates an atmosphere affirming the process and creates a top-down awareness of what's at stake for the business not address the key issues. The dedicated external coach offers the second key ingredient-reflection and feedback. In the midst of chaos-business today, there is often little time for individuals to reflect upon actions taken and impact of those actions. The coach observes individual and team dynamics and offers key questions for awareness and reflection. Some of the most powerful questions include:
Is your team on the right track?
Will your project make a significant difference in cutting costs or raising revenues?
Have you made any breakthroughs?

Through Action Learning, Dotlich and Noel claim that leaders in organizations can re-create that frames of reference in order to more effectively adjust to emerging business issues and are more effective leaders. They have identified ten contrasting mindsets that illustrate the gap between traditional leadership and re-created leadership. These include:
ü Providing direction versus providing directions.
ü Owners versus mangers.
ü What might be versus what is.
ü Involvement versus isolation.
ü Generalist versus functionalist.
ü Reflection versus doing.
ü Emotion versus intellect.
ü Faith versus skepticism.
ü Receptive versus rejecting.
ü Free speech versus censorship.

Re-created leadership that is realized through the Action Learning process enables leaders to be more agile and responsive to employees, customers, ideas, and opportunities. I recommend this book for anyone who is responsible for business strategy, anyone who is leads a cross functional team, and anyone who participates in curriculum design. The Action Learning framework and the accompanying scenarios offer ideas, important key questions, and a context for personal and organizational success.

I purchased this book before I started my transcription service and it was immensely helpful. I refer to it often and will make it required reading for my staff as they come on board. It is a wonderful reference book even for those of us who are experienced but have the occasional "mental meltdown". I would recommend it to everyone interested in the field. (Please excuse any typo's - currently in bilateral braces for carpal tunnel) Shelby DellaRosa MedScribe Services, Inc

A lower priced alternative to similar books. I am learning medical transcription with little financial support and find this book works for me.

Judi Croft

I made a$36.00 mistake. This book in no way compares to The AAMT Book of Style. Some of the advice is way off course (for those who want to be certified or who work for physicians who want us to use the AAMT style) and information is too hard to locate. I personally do not like the spiral binding. It is too ackward to handle.

I am a new MT and have found this book very helpful. The table of contents (listed alphabetically - nice) is on the back cover that folds over, which I have found easy to use. I LOVE that it is spiral bound, as it only takes up half as much space on my desk. It also includes appendices for items such as problem words, genus and species names, commonly used abbreviations, etc.

This book is awesome for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it's very comprehensive--containing grammar, spelling, medical transcription-specific info, frequently misused words & sound-alikes, lab values, and much more. This is my bible, even though it hasn't been updated for a while and is definitely due. I can't wait for the new version to come out!
The spiral-bound version is a real bonus because it's so much easier to use and not lose your place.

This is the most useful Training book I've come across in a long time. I find myself referring to it often. However, it is in desperate need of editing. It could easily be cut down by 1/3 - and that would make it much better.

"Ultimate" and "comprehensive" are the key words in the title that set this handbook apart from the others. They say it all - over 600 pages of checklists, diagrams, models, and examples covering every topic of the workshop business. And you are given permission to copy pages for personal workshop use! When paging through the book I began to play a game - he must have missed something! Well, whatever it is, I'm still looking...

This book has everything one needs to lead successful workshops and training programs, from agendas to evaluations. It gives strategies for designing workshops to meet the needs of the learners. It reviews models and theories of best practices. If you are in the business of providng workshops or training this book is an excellent resource. It has everything you need.

It is tragic to find wonderful research compiled into a book wrought with spelling, grammatical, and sentence structure errors. Unnecessary comments by the author makes reading even more tedious. A new edition with a good editor would make this book priceless.

It is tragic to find wonderful research compiled into a book wrought with spelling, grammatical, and sentence structure errors. Unnecessary comments by the author makes reading even more tedious. A new edition with a good editor would make this book priceless.

Dr. Miller has a wonderful gift of understanding the horse's mind, from imprinting at birth to all training phases, his understanding of the mind of the horse is deep. He has so much to offer us and our horses in all of his work.

Having heard Dr. Miller speak about imprinting a foal, I've been a big fan of his work. He's done a lot in the field of horsemanship, helping to educate horse owners. His work is aimed at the amateur horse owner, someone who might not have a background in horses, or who only has one or two in their care. With that said, do I agree with everything he says? No, I do not. However, I did find this book to be a thought provoking collection of essays.

The "ancient secrets" to which Dr. Miller refers is simply the natural way in which a horse is hardwired. Those who work around horses know that they are prey creatures. Their instincts tell them to flee from danger, and barring that, fight to get free. Therefore, many of things that owners and trainers do to them run counter to that instinct. Dr. Miller's book helps the owner and/or trainer to understand a bit more the details in a horse's mind, and understand why a horse may be performing a certain action.

From the title of this book it sounds like it might be the "be-all-end-all" to horsemanship tomes. Certainly "Understanding the Ancient Secrets of the Horse's Mind" sounds weighty and important. I'm not saying this book isn't important, but the book cannot, especially in such a slim volume, be the complete handbook to getting inside a horse's psyche. No, this is a title to read, to ponder, and to learn from, and then use as a way to branch out into other books on equine psychology.

With that said, however, I do feel that this book is a worthwhile addition to any horseman's library, and certainly should be on the "must read" list of any serious horse owner.

I found this book to be much better than its flashy, "whisperer-trendy" title would indicate. It is a well-written, logically built collection of key "psychological" characteristics of horses. Not directly useful as a problem-solving guide, but still a must-read, because it explains quite clearly what every horse lover should deeply absorb.

This book is so good I have already sent 3 copies as gifts to friends. What more can I say. It is the best book about basic horse instints I have ever read. If one wants to understand why horses do what they do, then read this book.

While this book contains valuable information, it is not by any means a thorough text on the horses mind. It contains some controversial advice. Too many stories and too much personal information for my taste. The Ancient Secrets of the Horses Mind is big on promises but falls short on delivery. Recommended as a training supplement only, not as the only book you get on training the horse.

The table of contents and general outline were acceptable.

The reference to diet affecting assertiveness was a big stretch.

The bibliography was difficult to corroborate and certain references to books were not found when searching for them by using Amazon.com

The book is worth less than the price asked.

The best written and most complete non-technical book on assertiveness training available. A clear, even handed guide to the behavior and thinking changes required to become more assertive. Very practical in its approach.

This is a time honored book that teaches individuals how to be themselves with dignity. If you have ever felt that you can't say no, or that you can't ask for something that 'belongs' to you then this is a great text. It is easy to read and well illustrated with examples of its teaching. A Primer of sorts for all who want to live their lives fully. Remember this teaches about being assertive and that is not a 4-letter word. enjoy

This book is the definitive text on re-learning communication. I have used it for myself and taught programs using this as the primary guide. These tools are very effective and the book is an excellent resource.

I thought the advice given was nothing new, cliche-ish and thus very uninspiring. The book often refers the reader to other books for what I believe it lacked--depth and focus. Also I disagree with the writers idea of how to handle anger. They mention how, in early editions of this book, they had encouraged readers to physically express anger safely but now recommend verbal expression instead. The importance of safe physical expression of anger is clearly and effectively explained in John Lee's "Facing the Fire"--a must-read for anyone having issues over anger especially suppressed anger left over from the past.

I have more than thirty years of successful experience using models of leadership, management, and supervision in training classrooms, and I have passionately absorbed the ideas and content in approximately 400 leadership-related texts during the last 20 years.

Action Coaching is to coaching effectiveness what The Supervisor's Survival Kit by Elwood Chapman is to first-line/project lead effectiveness. I've used and advocated the latter book for thirty five years.

Action Coaching, and I haven't finished it yet, "begins with the end in mind". The authors define Action Coaching as "a process that fosters self-awareness, resulting in the motivation and the guidance to change in ways that meet organizational needs." The approach is directly linked to organizational goals and an action plan (both of which are dynamic). There are processes to involve the executive's boss in the process. (Good luck, you say, with getting executives to devote time to such a process!?) Feedback on progress toward important goals and leadership development is valued and seen by the CEO.

The book is loaded with tips, tools, exhibits, questions, processes, and ideas for helping a manager become a more effective coach, even without the support of the organization. The authors of Action Coaching offer forty helpful, easy- to- understand exhibits that: serve as diagnostic tools, offer suggestions on handling difficult situations, provide checklists of to-do's, feature evaluation and role-playing tools, etc.

Wouldn't it be helpful to have a resource where the processes and approach had been successfully field tested in corporations with real executives, with real CEO's who had extremely important strategic challenges ahead of them, and where traditionalist leadership paradigms and behaviors made it impossible to accomplish the articulated goals? That is precisely what these authors did in developing and refining their processes and approaches?

What the Action Coaching is not is a lock-step guide, prescribing every important step and nuance along the way toward helping executive leaders grow. It is a particularly interesting, believable, and seemingly sound approach based on the experiences that they have had with major organizations. The process with individuals and with organizations is one that enables both to help themselves, becoming less dependent upon the external coaches, while building coaching expertise internally.

This is the best book of coaching I have ever read, and I've read quite a few.

Bill Parker
Bill Parker Associates
A Leadership Development Resource
Richmond, VA

PS This is the fourth book I have read by David Dotlich and his colleagues within the past six months. I'd recommend every one of them: Action Learning (1998), Unnatural Leadership (2004), and Leadership Passages (2004). Put together, the series represents a longitudinal action-research case study. Readers of Unnatural Leadership can appreciate the need for the ten new leadership instincts when they remember that they grew from strategic goals and leadership development experiences with corporate clients/partners.

David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo discuss how to use action coaching to improve individual effectiveness and boost your overall organization. Their approach begins with fostering self-awareness and then uses this awareness to motivate change that the organization needs. Action coaching involves a series of steps and some specific coaching tools. While this book provides a fairly well-organized and well-written introduction to the concept, it covers familiar training and development ground. If you are a beginner in this area, the repetition of steps and processes will come in handy. Experienced trainers will find the coaching tools quite familiar and the assessment questions fairly obvious. Thus, we at getAbstract.com recommend this book for those who are new to training and development, or for employees who are considering getting coached.

The need to cope with change, inside and outside of the organization, and the employee's need for personal development should be brought into alignment, say these founding partners of CDR International, a consulting firm that specializes in executive coaching. Action coaching is a process that fosters self-awareness, and guides personal development so that an employee's personal development goals are congruent with the goals of the organization.

Action coaching differs from traditional coaching in three ways:
1. The employee's relationship to the coach is a business relationship rather than a therapist-patient relationship.
2. Action coaches tailor their strategies to the individual and the strategies are geared towards performance breakthroughs, where traditional coaching tends to be unfocused and generalized.
3. Where traditional coaching focuses on personal insights, Action coaching translates insights into actions with organizational results.

There are eight steps to implementing Action coaching in your organization:
1. Determine what needs to happen and in what context.
2. Establish trust and mutual expectations. Make sure the employee understands the purpose of the coaching as well as the steps in the process.
3. Contract with the employee for results. There should be a formal written and oral agreement with the employee about the purpose of the coaching and specific goals to achieve.
4. Collect and communicate feedback.
5. Translate talk into action. Use your feedback to enact change. Review and revise goals when needed. Make sure the goals are still in alignment with the business needs of the organization. Set deadlines.
6. Support the employee in taking big steps.
7. Foster reflection about actions.
8. Evaluate both individual and organizational progress.

Dotlich and Cairo have put together a fine and practical book that really helps focus coaching skills towards results. They give a very specific approach to developing an action plan to produce results from coaching. In fact they address four kinds of results - self-awareness results, performance improvement results, performance breakthroughs and finally full-blown transformations. Maybe most important for modern organizations is the anal;ysis of coaching skills in the context of the organizational needs, not just individual developmental needs. We develop and support people because our organization needs their current compliment of skills enhanced with other skills or it needs to rehabilitate a counterproductive approach. Although much of their work is not necesarily new, I believe they have packaged it to be more usable and accesible. I would highly recommend this book for someone looking for a chance to evaluate their own coaching skills, develop an improvement action plan and maintain high levels of motivation to improve their performance. Who know, maybe even transform their performance!