Practice Management Books

This book captures the essential elements of the overall organizational strategy developed and applied in Silicon Valley over the past decades. The author captures and illustrates many of the sub-strategies that were originally used by many of the founders of Silicon Valley, such as David Packard (see: "The HP Way"). One of the primary benefits of the present book is the classification of these strategies in an easy-to-understand, numeric order, accompanied by excellent examples and quotes from people using these strategies. In addition, the inclusion of "quizes" and "points to ponder" at the end of each chapter help the reader to ascertain where their present organization is in relationship to the Silicon Valley high-growth company model. While the average Silicon Valley company is living the ecosystem described, the greatest value of the book may be its use as a teaching tool for the extension of a Valley company's culture to team members in non-Valley locations or subsidiaries, or as a teaching mechanism for other companies desiring to replicate the results achieved by Valley companies.

SUCCESS SECRETS FROM SILICON VALLEY is a thoroughly enjoyable book that takes a look at why Silicon Valley companies are so successful.

James' point-of-view is that these companies are able to win because they value their human capital and create jobs that provide scope for human ambition and expression for human creativity. They manage by lending support, not by imposing control, and they treat employees as peers, not children. Instead of asking "How can we get everyone to march in step?" they ask, "Do we have sufficient diversity to approach this market?"

The book could serve as a mandate for change management. It recounts numerous examples of companies given a run for their money by small start-ups. For instance, take IBM. In 1984, IBM completely dominated the computer industry. It had fanatically loyal customers, great management, and an enviable image. It had an enormous was chest with which to capture any market. And, it had just invented the personal computer. So how did an 18 year old freshman, a kid probably wondering what to do on Saturday night, in just thirteen years, grow a company to 8,000 people and end up selling more personal computers than the inventor? Michael Dell had no revenues, no customers, no capital, no experience, no image and no product to call his own. How he won is the story of how management vision and corporate culture has to change to stay competitive in the 21st century.

It does not matter that the examples come from Silicon Valley; the book could serve as an abridged change management manual for any company desiring to replicate the success culture of these upstarts. Size isn't the issue. Culture is. If, at times, James's points seem self-evident and appear to be the exaltation of common sense, then tell me, where is Digital Equipment Corporation today? Anybody ever hear of Wang? According to James, a company doesn't have to be small to organize into teams and autonomous workgroups. He makes the point that the PC was created within a huge corporation - but as far away from headquarters as possible. Unfortunately, after Don Estridge, the "father" of the IBM PC, was killed in a plane crash, IBM's bureaucrats descended on the PC division "like a plague of blue-suited locusts". They tried to implement strategies that had made sense in the past but were hopelessly outdated in the world where "quick to market" is key.

"Success Secrets" devotes a chapter to each of eight main change points: Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield; Corporations are communities, not machines; Management is service, not control; Employees are peers, not children; Motivate with vision, not fear; Change is growth, not pain; Computers are servants, not masters; Work is play, not toil.

Each chapter is organized in an easy to follow format : Silicon Valley mindset; traditional mindset; a case study; strategies; quiz (to determine "gaps" in an organization) and points to ponder which serve as good change management points to consider when we are with clients.

The book is entertaining in presenting computer history mingled with the "new" corporate thinking - thinking that began in 1939 (yes, that long ago) with Hewlett Packard and came to fruition with Microsoft, Dell, Compaq and Sun.

Though the original print goes back as far as 1927, the foundations of the theory of linear elasticity aren't changed so this book is still up to date.

Though this book is an introduction text, as it devellops the theory from the very basics, it covers a wide range of applications that are hard to find elsewhere. For example, the equations of Hertz for contact stresses are develloped, the elasticity of a gravitating rotating sphere(earth), torsional deflextion of thin beams in bending and shell- and plate theory. This all in considarable detail.

The style of writing is not oldfashioned at all and is easy to read. Not as easy is the amount of math and time you have to invest to really understand this book. It's does not use tensor represantations but still demands a ready knowledge of advanced calcus (determinants, multivariable calcus, line-integrals, etc.)

It's text only and has no exercices, it's a very enjoyable and rewarding book. It even has a brief chapter on the development of the theory through the centuries.

absolute bible in elasticity, every professor who teach elasticity would list it among the reference books. But you have to invest much time to understand it.

We all make excuses for not getting organized. This book will help you get thru your excuses and finally get the process underway.

This book really offers helpful and easy to accomplish ideas on getting paper and computer files organized. I have taken my desk at work from mounds of undistinguishable paper to a few, very practical, files where I can at least find the info I need WHEN I need it. Also teaches how to efficiently use a personal calendar along with your files to accomplish your goals. GREAT BOOK!

Another outstanding book by this author. Working Out, Working Within-The Tao of Inner Fitness was the first book I read of this genre which was a huge help in beginning a healthy long-term approach to fitness.

This book is so beautiful and really makes you aware that mentor and mentoree enjoy the same process of learning and growing. The writings are well stated and heartfelt. Truly, mentoring is a powerful force in deeper self-awareness and growth.

as i allow the book to open to a page
the words satisfy my hungry soul
sometimes
brings a grin of delight
and when needed
soothes
with a there-there

It is so full of wisdom and is different every time I read it. I get something new out of it each time I read it. Truly beautiful. The best author on the planet. I highly recommend John-Roger and his work!

Each summer wildfires destroy American communities and wreck havoc - yet there are 'good' fires, too: those which restore habitats and strike habitats which rely on them for ecological balance. How to cope? Stephen Pyne is an expert on fire, having spent fifteen seasons fighting fires in the Grand Canyon: he outlines in Tending Fire: Coping With America's Wildland Fires, a new paradigm for viewing American wildland fires, discussing the history of fires and human habitats around the world, and contrasting the pros and cons of current fire politics in the last decade.

"Tending Fire" by Steve Pyne is a landmark work. Modern society has lost its connection to the natural world, a connection that our ancestors depended upon and nurtured with fire. Pyne reveals the price of our foolish Faustian bargain to ignore our fire roots, and how our self-proclaimed "sophisticated" culture is continually staggered by natural forces we have forgotten how to deal with. Pyne's point is that man is a fire creature, unique among animals in our ability to create fire and to manipulate our world with fire. Our disconnect from our fire roots has had unfortunate consequences, including the catastrophic destruction of our forests and the wholesale alteration of other ecosystems. If we do not relearn how to tend fire, to produce it where and when we need to, then we will not be able to prevent or control the most destructive fires, the firestorm holocausts that threaten rural and urban America alike.

Plus, Pyne is a poet, a master wordsmith, and tons of fun to read.

The Therapist's Starter Guide is an easy to use guide for both beginning therapists and those who have been in practice for years. It is well organized and can serve as a resource tool for any practice. I particularly enjoyed the case studies and the way in which the text is organized. As someone who is quite visual and working in a busy practice group, I appreciate the book's layout and visual appeal. It is easy to skim through quickly and find useful bits of information. The tips and exercises are also helpful ways to "tune up" and refresh skills. I highly recommend this text for all professional therapists.

this book is a great starter for new therapists, as well as a tune up for those who have been working for a long time in mental health. It has excellent organization case examples and is interesting and very educational. I highly recommend this book, a must read!

Laura Ellis, Ph.D.

The Training Mesurement Book by Josh Bersin is the clearest and most practical book (or article, white paper, etc.) I have read on the topic. His framework pulls together in such a usable way the several elements that are most worth paying attention to; and, in doing so, he moves the entire conversation to the next level beyond, yet encompassing, the Kirkpatrick framework and the Phillips methods. The alignment of learning investments with business strategies and operational objectives is among the top concerns of business leaders: everyone talks about it but very, very few know what to do about it. His description and measures of alignment are, I can tell you first hand, right on target. Also, it's an easy, though not simple, step to transfer the ideas in the book to one higher level of generality to address the measurement of talent management initiatives. Absolutely, the L&D book of the year!

According to Josh Bersin, the material in this book is based on the results of surveys that he and his associates conducted among more than 600 C-level executives in 2005-2007. One of the most important revelations is that more than 90% identified performance measurement as being either most important or next most important on their list of what to improve. In 2007, they conducted research among more than 700 HR and learning executives indicated that only 4% rated their learning programs were "fully aligned" with talent needs, and, only 15% rated them "well-aligned." These additional revelations also caught my eye.

While acknowledging the important work of others, Bersin asserts that the models offered by Donald Kirkpatrick and Jack Phillips, specifically, "limit an organization's thinking and make the measurement process difficult to implement." (Others are far better qualified than I am to comment on this assertion.) Bersin also asserts that organizations need more than what these models offer. In this volume, he introduces and then examines the Business Impact Model® and the Impact Measurement Framework®; then he recommends a seven-step training measurement process to implement both.

I especially appreciate the fact that all of Bersin's insights and recommendations are based on a wealth of research data; also that he provides within his narrative a number of real-world examples and mini-case studies based on a wide variety of exemplary companies that include Caterpillar, Defense Acquisition University, Eaton, EDS, FedExKinko's, HP, KPMG, McDonald's, Pep Boys, Saks Fifth Avenue, Wells Fargo, and Wendy's. Six appendices provide a substantial value-added-benefit:

I and II: Case studies of Ranstad and HP
III: "The State of Training Measurement Today"
IV: "Examples [`Snapshots'] of Learning Measurements"
V: "Specific Learning Measures"
VI: "Training Analytics Specifications"

Bersin insists (and I agree) that:

1. The purpose of measuring any business process is to obtain actionable information for improvement;

2. A measurement program should not be designed to cost-justify training;

3. Measurement should be - and be perceived to be - a business support function;

4. A measurement program must meet the needs of multiple audiences;

5. Measurement should be an on-going process, not a project;

6. The Learning management System (LMS) is a foundation for measurement;

7. Sufficient resources must be committed to an LMS; and finally,

8. Because training measure requires patience, it is best to start simply and evolve over time.

These are the eight general principles of training management on which the Business Impact Model® and Impact Measurement Framework® are based. Bersin thoroughly explains both in Chapter 4 and then, in the next chapter, shifts his attention to the seven-step training measurement process. In Chapters 6-8, he offers eminently practical advice with regard to measuring business impact (e.g. simplify the problem, use line-of-business-specific measures, and integrate with performance measurement processes), measuring alignment (he cites Caterpillar University's planning and budgeting process and CNA's "learning and investment portfolio"), and measuring customer satisfaction (he explains what various Six Sigma processes offer and then suggests how to "operationalize" customer satisfaction). To Bersin's credit, after he briefly but carefully identifies what must be done throughout the seven-step training measurement process, he devotes the bulk of his attention to explaining how to do what must be done.

Special mention should be made of the dozens of "Figures" that are inserted throughout Bersin's narrative. These reader-friendly devices facilitate, indeed accelerate periodic review of material long after the book has been read. I also appreciate the skillful use of checklists, bold face, and italics that focus on the key points within each chapter. This is especially important, given the wealth of information that Bersin provides. I do offer one caveat: With all due respect to the Business Impact Model® and the Impact Measurement Framework®, it would be a fool's errand for any reader to attempt to adopt them or any one business model and framework in their entirety.

For decision-makers in any organization (whatever its size and nature may be), however, the first five steps of the training measurement process are essential. As Bersin explains in Chapter 5, the most valuable step most organizations need is the sign-off process (which is often missing) and the basic Level 1 surveys. As for the other two steps, follow-up evaluation for the learner (#6) and follow-up evaluation for the manager (#7), he believes they are optional. I strongly disagree. Managers who fund training as well as those who receive it should be included among those who are viewed as "customers." Their evaluations can be of incalculable value if the information obtained from them is pragmatic, actionable, and specific.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Jay Cross's Informal Learning: Rediscovering the Natural Pathways That Inspire Innovation and Performance as well as Return on Learning: Training for High Performance at Accenture co-authored by Donald Vanthournout and his associates on Accenture's Capability Development team. Also Edward Lawler's Talent: Making People Your Competitive Advantage, Tamar Elkeles and Jack Phillips' The Chief Learning Officer (CLO): Driving Value Within a Changing Organization Through Learning and Development, Dean Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success, and Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

This book is unbeatable when it comes to resources for understanding and creating good solid goals that match up with diagnosis for various services in the mental health field such as counseling, case management, community supports, CAP, and others. The book gives clear examples of broad and specific goals and interventions that would be effective with each. If you are making a treatment plan and want evidence based goals, or you are using person centered planning this book is for you. Everyone in my office bought one after we were introduced to it and it has really helped with getting approval from the state with our plans for community support services. I suggest trying to find it used, although the later editions have more information. I have purchased several for others and the prices have ranged from $15 to $40.

Very good road map to person centered planning. Many of us in the Mental Health field "talk the talk" and this book shows us how to "walk the walk". A must have for anybody working with people, not only in Mental Health or Substance Abuse but for the medical field as well.