Professional Training Books

This is a good book packed full of useful information. Glad to have it in my collection.

I am a therapist for over 30 years and always wondered about the differences and similarities with therapy and coaching. Skibbins' book really explained it for me by giving very specific examples, clearly and intelligently explained. Well-organized and easy to skip around and look at the steps to coaching. Thanks!

For any therapist interested in becoming a life coach or simply adding life coaching to their list of services, this book is an easy guide to doing just that.

David Skibbins has written THE book for therapists who are interested in Life Coaching. He makes the difference between the two disciplines completely clear and helps therapists avoid the pitfalls they might easily fall into when they add coaching to their repertoire. He also includes lots of concrete, useful exercises to help make the therapist-to-coach transition smooth. A boon to therapist-coaches AND their clients!! For although it is written for therapists, this book could be as useful to the layman/client as to the therapist/practitioner. In simple, accessible language it makes clear exactly what happens in each discipline, what the differing assumptions are about the needs of the client and the methods of the practitioner in each case, and what differing goals each aims to achieve. As a layman and sometime patient and client, I can say that I have never before encountered as clear an explanation of these two related but very different enterprises. Anyone considering either therapy or coaching for themselves would learn a lot about what to expect in either one and would thereby be able to make a more informed and ultimately more productive choice between them.

I'm enjoying this book even though I'm not at all interested in entering the profession. I just like getting gritty details of what it's like in a different and interesting way of life. Ms Bilderback gives us the good and the bad, with lots of detail and humor and honesty.

Leslie Bilderback is a Certified Master Baker and an instructor for the Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America. In "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" she draws upon her more than 20 years of experience and expertise to inform aspiring professional cooks and restaurant chefs as to what the job is like and what it details. Also included is practical advice about culinary schools, insightful tips on finding a mentor and establishing working relationships with co-workers, strategies for advanced career goals, and what must be considered when opening a restaurant. "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" covers working in a range of settings from upscale hotels and specialty food shops, to gourmet takeout establishments and bakeries. Bildeback shows how to hone cooking skills in the kitchen, sanitation and safety issues, staff management issues, and the different culinary career paths that can be pursued by anyone seeking to establish themselves in the field of the professional restaurateur. Thoroughly 'user friendly', "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Success As A Chef" is a welcome and recommended addition to personal and community library Jobs/Careers reference collections.

If you're thinking of becoming of a professional chef, read this book first. It covers all the bases, from finding culinary schools to owning your own restaurant or other food-related business. All the advice is clear, direct, uncomplicated and not sugar-coated -- you'll actually get a sense of what it's like to become a professional chef. This book was written by someone who has obviously "been there, done that," and it is an invaluable tool to anyone contemplating a career in the food industry.

A very straight forward and complete book for those who are thinking they would like to become a chef or work in food services. Ms. Bilderback pulls no punches in explaining to the reader what it is like to pursue a career in food preparation and what it is like once you are fully trained. A very easy to read and humorous book that should be read by everyone thinking of exploring a new career for themselves. This is one of those "must have" books.

I gave this book to my daughter and she stated, "Book was a great help in preparation for tests - in Teaching "

An excellent guide to pass LAST ATS-W. I am not an educational major and I took the tests only once. This book has the right information you need to pass.

I cannot say enough about this prep book. I studied for one month prior to the test, and I only studied this book. I scored a 279 out of 300 (220 is passing).
Yes, I do have brains, but I feel that I owe most of my great score to the awesomeness of this book. I hate surprises - of just about any kind. This book tells you EXACTLY what you need to know, and shows you EXACTLY what you will see on the test. There are ABSOLUTELY no surprises on the day of the test! The prep test you take in the book will show you how to answer the questions. The L.A.S.T. isn't hard. It is tedious. Knowing what the questions are going to look like and how to maximize the 4 hours you have to take the test by ignoring erroneous (and time consuming) text is a big key to success. I do not recommend doing "outside studying" because if you are planning to be a teacher and have four years of college already, you will not have trouble passing. Don't make yourself crazy brushing up on all your old textbooks - it is a waste of time. Most of the questions have the answer embedded in them already. You just have to fish it out. This book teaches you how to do that. Buy it.

I used the Princeton Review test guide among a few others. These guys truly have the NYSTCE "nailed." It was accurate in its strategy recommendations, but more important, it represented the types of questions on the exam very accurately. This is the only guide you need or should use.

Took only about two weeks or less, in mint conditions and at a very low price! Thanx!

Perfectas condiciones y me salió a mitad de precio. Me llegó como en una semana 1/2 a dos. ¡Gracias!

This exceptional new ethics book is one I share with friends and students at Baylor University who are or wish to become, professional therapists, coaches, or psychologists. The book's wisdom, advice and research go way beyond any professional ethics code in existence. In a fun, engaging style peppered with colorful case histories, these highly trained and experienced authors tell us how to chart the ethical minefield that is counseling, coaching, therapy, family therapy, social work, psychiatry, or clinical psychology. But their approach is positive rather than defensive. That is, we strive to be ethical as part of our pursuit of excellence. We strive to be ethical in order to express our caring and compassion to those we help--people we care for and encourage in the same way we would like to see a loved one cared for and encouraged. Only the best will do. The best therapy or coaching is intertwined with the best ethics like stripes on a peppermint stick. Buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

This is the classic work on how to practice ethically for psychologists who engage in clinical work, teaching, research, administration, or any other domain of professional activity. Not only does if offer a thorough review of the literature on ethical behavior, it provides a truly detailed analysis of how the ethics code applies to a vast range of contexts, client types, and vexing clinical dilemmas. What's more, the book is filled with interesting, and sometimes entertaining case vignettes--many of them based on actual ethical complaints. No other book on the market for psychologists offers this combination of clarity and thoroughness. It is a must for the library of any serious psychology graduate student or psychologist. When I teach Ethics at the graduate level, it is the only text I require.

Ethics in Psychology is a graduate level textbook on the subject of ethical dilemmas in counseling. The authors definitely meet their goal in exploring the APA's Ethical guidelines and applying them pratically to the practicing therapist and academic. Their use of humorous "psuedo-psychologists" illustrate well the problem of many counselors who get themselves into ethical dilemmas each year innocently. I believe every therapist and academic should read this book at least once a year in order to minimize the ethical issues that are a part of everyday practice. Non-APA practitioners may find the book slanted toward doctoral-level therapists being the minimum for competence but there is great wisdom in this book.

This book is highly recommended. With your college chm and phy texts handy, this book will prepare for any MCAT chm passage in just a few weeks (the only topics I personally needed my texts for were thermochm. and electrochm.). The 7 concise chapters with in-ch. Q's are highly effective pedagogically and for quick review. Combined with MCAT-style, 30 min exams for each ch., you will quickly isolate your deficiencies and improve your score most efficiently.

I had an outstanding chm professor a few years ago (department chair and text author), and I'm sure he would endorse this book for its pedagogical quality. I endorse it for its quality as a review and MCAT study guide. Of all the MCAT prep materials I've used so far (Kaplan, PR, NOVA, ARCO) this is the highest quality. Recommended for all persons preparing for the MCAT.

If you did well in gen chem, then this book will be great for reviewing concepts in a timely manner. The section on acid\base chemistry and electrochemistry are quick and to the point.

This book contains all the info necessary to do well on the Physical Sciences section of the MCAT. Everything is presented very clearly and this book truly gives you an understanding of mcat chemistry. I recently took the April MCAT and I must say that this book and the Examkrackers physics made me feel like the PS was a JOKE! Their materials allow you to understand the mcat science conceptually such that no mcat item is EVER intimidating. Each lecture is complemented with a 30min exam where you can test the concepts as you review. (They're challenging though) Examkrackers all the way with no Imitations!!!

This book is layed out in a fashion that allows you to learn the material in a simple but productive manner. If your going to take the mcat this book will teach you chemistry.

In his consistently insightful, informative, and often humorous book, Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning, Karl M. Kapp has crafted a significant conduit of information that may bridge chasms created by misperception, distrust, and disrespect that often exist between the Boomer and the Gamer generations. The author points out that if large numbers of individuals in the gamer generation do not engage in the symbiotic relationship that occurs when the knowledge base is transferred form one generation to the next, we will irrevocably lose one of our most valuable assets.

Inevitably, as increasing numbers of highly skilled Boomers leave the work force, Gamers will be needed to fill the ensuing knowledge gap. Dr. Kapp clearly and systematically presents practical and appropriate, adaptations that schools and organizations must implement to entice Gamers to close the knowledge gap by obtaining the advanced educational credentials needed to fill jobs currently held by well-trained, highly-skilled Boomers. This book is especially valuable for everyone one who has, or will have, contact with gamers, including the gamers themselves.

For example, by reading this book:

Employers will learn that given an adaptive work environment, which accommodates non-traditional working and learning styles, Gamers' may actually be more efficient and productive than their Boomer counterparts.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary educators will learn why a growing number of prominent educators, such as Dr. Kapp, are recognizing that video game play actually improves cognition.

Contrary to what many parents believe, playing video games can promote intellectual stimulation, encourage social interaction, and does not have a positive correlation with violence.

Gamers, most importantly, learn how they can eventually become fiscally self-sufficient by understanding that their video game skills combined with the required educational credentials, may yield high-paying, marketable job skills.

Although this work is factual and well referenced, it is much easier to read and far less erudite then some other books on similar topics. For example, I enjoyed What Video Games Have to Teach Us About... by James Paul Gee, the first time I read it. However, I realized how much I had originally misinterpreted when I reread it. Karl M. Kapp's Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning would be a valuable resource for anyone seeking an accessible, well-documented reference tool, or simply a fascinating book to read.

Rebekah Fulford
Emmaus, PA

This book is a must-have for instructional designers and other purveyors of e-Learning and Training solutions; for those who see the need and are ready to move beyond the standard teaching tools that we've been using today in preparation for the New Learners ("Gamers" and "Digital Natives").

We've been passing this book around our office. It's inspired some great conversations, both internally and with clients, about the changing nature of the workforce and the ways the training industry will need to adapt. We've gotten some great ideas for our products and programs and are itchy to implement them.

In Chapter 2, Kapp gets practical, providing endless examples of different types of learning games. This would be a great place to start a project-design/brainstorming session.

It's an easy-to-read book, packed with useful information -- even if you "cheat the book" a bit and skim. Kapp includes a ton of real-life examples and case studies, including observations and lessons learned while watching his own children play games.

Highly recommended by this Instructional Designer!

So there are a lot of book about games out now but I think I would class Dr. Kapp's work in with the likes of John Beck and Mitchell Wade's "Got Game" in that it focuses on ways that we could use game, gadgets and gizmos to accomplish some important business goals.

This book provides a thread common to all the "G's" mentioned in the title...that these devices/experiences represent not generational disconnects but channels and conduits that can allow us to address the huge brain suck that is coming soon as the baby-boomer generation heads to retirement.

I think this book nicely walks the thin line between academic coverage and pragmatic usefulness and comes away with a good bit of both. I found the book to be engaging, accessible and in a crucial test...useful.

This is not only an informative read, but a fun read (and I never thought I'd say something like that about a 'work' book). Kapp has a playful way of pointing out how gamers' and the gaming generation's pasttimes are not only viable as learning methodology, but superior, in many ways, to previously used practices. Working in the Healthcare IT field (specifically, in EMR Training), the chapter titled "Cheaters Never Win...or Do They?" really put things into perspective. If you redefine the term 'cheat' to include workflows out of the norm (shortcuts, etc.), work becomes more efficient and streamlined and the learner walks away not only learning, but feeling like they might have got one over on 'the system'...everyone wins!

All in all, it's a great way for a gamer/geek (like myself) to finally prove my parents, my wife, and everyone else wrong - I WASN'T WASTING MY TIME ALL THESE YEARS PLAYING THOSE STUPID GAMES!

This book is for preparation for the internal medicine boards, which I am currently studying for. The chapters are divided by specialty for focused review. There are over 1000 questions and they focus on points that would be found in Harrison's text.

The questions tend to be fairly difficult and I suspect they might be harder than actual board questions. However, the majority of questions focus on the key points of the "need to know" diseases of internal medicine. So knowing these questions will likely be good prep for the boards.

The answers provided are quite detailed and it is like reading a summary out of Harrison's. The incorrect answers are reasoned out, which is helpful.

In comparison to MKSAP, the questions are likely more of a "classical" disease presentation sytle and less of a clinical approach style that MKSAP often uses. Difficulty level is roughly equivalent.

I would recommend this book to anyone preparing for the boards. It should be used in addition to other question banks for diversity of preparation.

A must have for all the internal medicine residents!!!
Extraordinarilly structured questions and even better explanation focused on the highlight topics in internal medicine.

The first question I had when I was to purchase this book was whether this book was good for the USMLE Step 2 and 3.

The answer, in my case atleast, is an emphatic 'yes'. From my experience of Step 1, I have come to the conclusion that there is no quick solution to the USMLE exams - books like First Aid and some other 100 pg 'high yeild' review books can help you pass and score above average but getting great scores requires more than just that. The questions on the exam [step 1] were very varied and I don't expect the questions on step 2 to stick to what Kaplan and other review books call 'high yeild'. Being a little over-prepared is definitely worth the effort. And that's where this book is an absolute ace!

About this book - about 1000 Qs - well researched - fantastically up-to-date - it "is" the 2005 edition!. They are well arranged - meaning if you are in a chapter on rheumatology, the questions on Rheumatoid arthritis are clustered together. While solving them and while reading the solutions, one gets a wholesome idea about that disease. This also means that you don't have to read another 'review' book to get to know the subject matter. The explanations are detailed enough to make using a short review book superfluous. That the answers are referenced to the corresponding pages of the Harrison's Textbook is an added benefit.

About the questions, more impressive than the difficulty level is their construction. All choices are well thought out and there are hardly any sitters. The questions stay away from tiny details and do a great job at testing basic concepts in a somewhat difficult fashion - ideal for USMLE step 2 preparation in my opinion.

Guess that'll be it.

If you are reading this, you are probably preparing for an ABIM internal medicine exam in addition to all your other duties. There is never enough time, is there? Well, I was preparing for the ABIM recertification exam, and it had been 10 years since I'd finished residency. I had slogged through the Mayo review book over the course of five months, dutifully going over every page. Tres painful. There were three weeks left before the exam, and I figured I'd give this book a try. I quickly discovered how ignorant I was, despite doing the Mayo book. Charlie Wiener taught me a lot of critical care medicine way back when, and this text was a lot like sitting down with Charlie. If you are a former member of the Osler Medical House Staff (or did residency training at some other urban hospital), the case scenarios will give you flashbacks. The questions are well-written, and the answers give you really good feedback. The questions are highly relevant, reflecting what the ABIM wants you to know. There are a handful of errors here and there, where the letter of the answer in the key has a different letter than the same correct answer in the question... perhaps the editors changed the order of some of the answers or some of the distractor answers between editions. Mildly annoying, but not fatal.

I got my pass notice from the ABIM today. I'm convinced that Charlie's book made a crucial difference. Yeah, the book lists for $55, but it's a bargain compared to the $550 it costs to take the recert examination over. :-)

Good luck!

The poems tickle the funnybone, pull on the heartstrings and definitely hit the target for anyone who has had the often inexplicable experience of working with students. The title poem hits home as I work in the town I live in and am always encountering students who find it incredulous that teachers buy groceries and toilet paper!! A recommended read for the rookie or veteran teacher!!!

This book is a clever and sometimes thought-provoking collection of prose and poetry about the realities of teaching in today's world. It's a cute read for a teacher at the end of a long day and should be shared with colleagues!

The poems in this book are a must read for any teacher! I've read my book at least 50 times and it just gets better. The insight and humor keeps my attitude towards teaching fresh...even after 26 years! Every student teacher and new teacher that I mentor gets a copy.

Hide Your Ex-Lax under The Wheaties lifted my spirits tremendously and helped me realize that all the good things in teaching far out weigh the troubles. "Music & More," a CD by Moonlighting Teachers has taken some of the poems and readings from Ex-Lax and set them to music. What a fun addition to this book! You must listen to it too!

FINALLY! Here is a book I can only hope will allow new teachers to remain in the field without constantly asking, "Why don't they teach the realities of teaching in College?" or "Why didn't my college coursework and training include real life and not one in a PERFECT WORLD?" After completing the four years of college in order to take that first step into one's own classroom, it is so frustrating and defeating to realize that the picture painted in the job preparation is actually one of an idealistic and fictional world full of sunshine and rainbows of satisfaction. This book should be a required text for all student teachers beginning their experience in the classroom.

If only this book had been written 28 years ago when my career began! It certainly could have helped me to avoid some of the hard knocks of the realities of experience. One of the topics included in this book is the unspoken politics of the professional undefined hierarchy within the school, which I've never before seen addressed. The advice suggested for newcomers into the field can definitely allow for more positive personal relations and a less fearful, self-doubting or threatening working environment. This book contains answers and suggested solutions to so many real problem situations within the classroom setting as well as in the whole school environment.

Most teachers don't even realize they are not yet asking themselves the right questions when self assessing their reasons for the stress and anxieties they feel as they prepare to go to school each day. By the time one even recognizes and accepts that physical problems may exist as a result of the emotional traumas and strains of the job, the solutions are too far out of their energy level to attain. I have witnessed this situation countless times and it is often too late for the pieces to be put back together as one goes down for the third time......with defeat and resignation in hand.

If only The New Teacher's Handbook had been available to the hundreds of excellent and qualified professionals who chose to leave the profession because they felt they had no way to find solutions and alternative strategies and practices to deal with the challenges, troubles, stress and unspoken negatives of the profession.

Thank you, Yvonne Bender, for possibly saving the profession of so many new teachers who are just about to step over that glorified idealistic threshold into the den of reality. With your book as a resource and hopefully the advice and expertise of others who already have learned the HARD way to stay happy, satisfied and sane in the profession, the teaching force will have a much better chance of continuing to grow and maintain its qualified newcomers.

FINALLY! Here is a book I can only hope will allow new teachers to remain in the field without constantly asking, "Why don't they teach the realities of teaching in College?" or "Why didn't my college coursework and training include real life and not one in a PERFECT WORLD?" After completing the four years of college in order to take that first step into one's own classroom, it is so frustrating and defeating to realize that the picture painted in the job preparation is actually one of an idealistic and fictional world full of sunshine and rainbows of satisfaction. This book should be a required text for all student teachers beginning their experience in the classroom.

If only this book had been written 28 years ago when my career began! It certainly could have helped me to avoid some of the hard knocks of the realities of experience. One of the topics included in this book is the unspoken politics of the professional undefined hierarchy within the school, which I've never before seen addressed. The advice suggested for newcomers into the field can definitely allow for more positive personal relations and a less fearful, self-doubting or threatening working environment. This book contains answers and suggested solutions to so many real problem situations within the classroom setting as well as in the whole school environment.

Most teachers don't even realize they are not yet asking themselves the right questions when self assessing their reasons for the stress and anxieties they feel as they prepare to go to school each day. By the time one even recognizes and accepts that physical problems may exist as a result of the emotional traumas and strains of the job, the solutions are too far out of their energy level to attain. I have witnessed this situation countless times and it is often too late for the pieces to be put back together as one goes down for the third time......with defeat and resignation in hand.

If only The New Teacher's Handbook had been available to the hundreds of excellent and qualified professionals who chose to leave the profession because they felt they had no way to find solutions and alternative strategies and practices to deal with the challenges, troubles, stress and unspoken negatives of the profession.

Thank you, Yvonne Bender, for possibly saving the profession of so many new teachers who are just about to step over that glorified idealistic threshold into the den of reality. With your book as a resource and hopefully the advice and expertise of others who already have learned the HARD way to stay happy, satisfied and sane in the profession, the teaching force will have a much better chance of continuing to grow and maintain its qualified newcomers.

The New Teacher's Handbook by Yvonne Bender is a well written and helpful book. Although I'm no longer a first year teacher, my experiences with teaching lead me to agree with her advice in almost every case. I'm recommending this book to my student teachers with the following suggestion: This book is meant to be read.
Although thumbing through and reading headings, examples, and scenarios can be helpful, it is well worth the time to read The New Teacher's Handbook completely. It is written with humor and sensitivity toward beginning teaching problems and filled with useful teaching strategies. It does not insult young teachers as it is not full of pictures, platitudes, and large type. Charts and forms are informative and useful. It is certain to be a reference for more than the first years of teaching. I plan to keep and refer to my copy for a long time.

FINALLY! Here is a book I can only hope will allow new teachers to remain in the field without constantly asking, "Why don't they teach the realities of teaching in College?" or "Why didn't my college coursework and training include real life and not one in a PERFECT WORLD?" After completing the four years of college in order to take that first step into one's own classroom, it is so frustrating and defeating to realize that the picture painted in the job preparation is actually one of an idealistic and fictional world full of sunshine and rainbows of satisfaction. This book should be a required text for all student teachers beginning their experience in the classroom.

If only this book had been written 28 years ago when my career began! It certainly could have helped me to avoid some of the hard knocks of the realities of experience. One of the topics included in this book is the unspoken politics of the professional undefined hierarchy within the school, which I've never before seen addressed. The advice suggested for newcomers into the field can definitely allow for more positive personal relations and a less fearful, self-doubting or threatening working environment. This book contains answers and suggested solutions to so many real problem situations within the classroom setting as well as in the whole school environment.

Most teachers don't even realize they are not yet asking themselves the right questions when self assessing their reasons for the stress and anxieties they feel as they prepare to go to school each day. By the time one even recognizes and accepts that physical problems may exist as a result of the emotional traumas and strains of the job, the solutions are too far out of their energy level to attain. I have witnessed this situation countless times and it is often too late for the pieces to be put back together as one goes down for the third time......with defeat and resignation in hand.

If only The New Teacher's Handbook had been available to the hundreds of excellent and qualified professionals who chose to leave the profession because they felt they had no way to find solutions and alternative strategies and practices to deal with the challenges, troubles, stress and unspoken negatives of the profession.

Thank you, Yvonne Bender, for possibly saving the profession of so many new teachers who are just about to step over that glorified idealistic threshold into the den of reality. With your book as a resource and hopefully the advice and expertise of others who already have learned the HARD way to stay happy, satisfied and sane in the profession, the teaching force will have a much better chance of continuing to grow and maintain its qualified newcomers.

It is the book that the American Society of Training & Development provides to students upon completion of their Basic ROI Certification course. You couldn't do better than this book.

The formula Phillips uses is a good one and he illustrates his model with many practical examples. There is a particularly good chapter on isolating the effects of training and this answers many of the objections raised to this sort of model where dollar amounts are calculated. The problem with the model is that it is mainly retrospective which means that you are closing the stable door after the horse has bolted in some cases. Having said that, it does deal with topics such as the collection of post program data in a thorough and clear way. If you are interested in intangible benefits of training then there is a chapter which deals with this topic. I would recommend that you also read the ASTD publication which Jack Phillips edited called 'Measuring Return On Investment'. Here there are 17 case studies which demonstrate how you can do ROI studies in the real world. Both these books are vital for anybody interested in the whole area of ROI on investment.

Dr. Phillips has simplified a very complex concept. His step-by-step recommendations to conducting ROI studies are clear and concise. However, caveat emptor! He simplifies ROI so well that it seems relatively easy; but beware: there are great hurdles to leap when conducting ROI studies. While Phillips does cover some of the most serious obstacles one may face, such as getting management buy-in, isolating training effects, and handling soft data, conducting a ROI study is by no means a cake walk. For instance, ROI is more than a fifth level of evaluation after Kirkpatrick's four. It should be conducted at all levels of evaluation, which Phillips does suggest. Furthermore, ROI, or any evaluation effort for that matter, should not be viewed as merely a summative attempt; it should be conducted in an ongoing formative manner. Every project should have an evaluation component that parallels each task through the lifecycle of the project.

Additionally, in my opinion, Dr. Phillips' conservative approach to ROI is the greatest selling point. He accounts for error in all his measurements. For instance, when collecting self-report data, he has the respondent allocate a confidence weighting to their estimates. This confidence value weights the response while taking into account error. Furthermore, when calculating values for hard data or converting soft data (i.e., work habits and attitudes) to monetary benefits, he offers formulas that result in a range and suggests that the lowest, most conservative value is reported. Converting soft data to monetary benefits can be painstaking, but Phillips very eloquently addresses the conversion. By obtaining estimates from stakeholders (with a confidence weighting, of course), soft data can contribute to the overall calculation of return on investment. Therefore, your final conservative monetary return is not only based on hard data, but it is based on the less tangible elements of your organization as well.

If Phillips' approach to calculating ROI is too quantitative or laborious for your organization, you should consider calculating the return on expectations. Return on expectations can be assessed via a concept mapping (a multidimensional scaling approach) technique derived by Dr. Bill Trochium at Cornell University. Visit www.conceptsystems.com to review his technique. With Dr. Trochium's visual approach, you have stakeholders (i.e., stockholders, executive management, clients, employees, etc.) set expectations for your organization and then assess the alignment between set expectations and the actual performance of end groups. The result is a graphic pattern match that is easily interpreted and empowers decision-makers at all levels. Concept mapping has some of the same problems inherent in ROI, such as obtaining management buy-in. However, it is much easier to conduct than an ROI study, is based on a sound measurement techniques, and produces graphical results that, when considered collectively, illustrate the expected bang for your organization's buck

Dr. Phillips has simplified a very complex concept. His step-by-step recommendations to conducting ROI studies are clear and concise. However, caveat emptor! He simplifies ROI so well that it seems relatively easy; but beware: there are great hurdles to leap when conducting ROI studies. While Phillips does cover some of the most serious obstacles one may face, such as getting management buy-in, isolating training effects, and handling soft data, conducting a ROI study is by no means a cake walk. For instance, ROI is more than a fifth level of evaluation after Kirkpatrick's four. It should be conducted at all levels of evaluation, which Phillips does suggest. Furthermore, ROI, or any evaluation effort for that matter, should not be viewed as merely a summative attempt; it should be conducted in an ongoing formative manner. Every project should have an evaluation component that parallels each task through the lifecycle of the project.

Additionally, in my opinion, Dr. Phillips' conservative approach to ROI is the greatest selling point. He accounts for error in all his measurements. For instance, when collecting self-report data, he has the respondent allocate a confidence weighting to their estimates. This confidence value weights the response while taking into account error. Furthermore, when calculating values for hard data or converting soft data (i.e., work habits and attitudes) to monetary benefits, he offers formulas that result in a range and suggests that the lowest, most conservative value is reported. Converting soft data to monetary benefits can be painstaking, but Phillips very eloquently addresses the conversion. By obtaining estimates from stakeholders (with a confidence weighting, of course), soft data can contribute to the overall calculation of return on investment. Therefore, your final conservative monetary return is not only based on hard data, but it is based on the less tangible elements of your organization as well.

If Phillips' approach to calculating ROI is too quantitative or laborious for your organization, you should consider calculating the return on expectations. Return on expectations can be assessed via a concept mapping (a multidimensional scaling approach) technique derived by Dr. Bill Trochium at Cornell University. ... With Dr. Trochium's visual approach, you have stakeholders (i.e., stockholders, executive management, clients, employees, etc.) set expectations for your organization and then assess the alignment between set expectations and the actual performance of end groups. The result is a graphic pattern match that is easily interpreted and empowers decision-makers at all levels. Concept mapping has some of the same problems inherent in ROI, such as obtaining management buy-in. However, it is much easier to conduct than an ROI study, is based on a sound measurement techniques, and produces graphical results that, when considered collectively, illustrate the expected bang for your organization's buck