A Quick Read with Some Powerful Tools for Mapping and Improving Outcomes
936663
The Outcome Primer plays an interesting role in the Outcome Primers Series 2.0. If you are building or re-building a system of assessment and continuous improvement, you need to agree upon the definition of outcomes relatively early in the process.

In this primer, Ruth Stiehl and Lori Sours provide a framework for distinguishing outcomes from competencies (and other outcomes-like statements that have developed through the years). These outcomes are rooted in real world experience, what students will be able to do when they leave college. But this doesn't mean that competencies become irrelevant. Stiehl and Sours introduce a system for mapping concepts, process skills, and issues alongside outcomes (whether they are college, program, or course). When refining outcomes, sometimes there is a feeling that something has been lost in the process. However, when outcomes, process skills, concepts, issues, and assessments are listed on what Stiehl and Sours call an outcome guide, it is clear that you have ended up with more rather than less.

I have coached faculty in using outcome guides and in refining learning outcomes. Outcome guides have become an indelible tool for faculty presenting their work to our Curriculum Committee, making their work and the committee's work much easier. I have also used Stiehl and Sours's method for creating learning outcomes for helping faculty to create measurable outcomes. It is also an excellent method for helping groups of faculty to agree on outcomes for courses they teach in common.

Another thing I have found helpful is a list of preferred terms in the appendix. Colleges use words like program, assessment, artifact, outcome, and competencies in many different ways. If you are working on assessment at an institutional level, you'll likely create a glossary as one of your first steps. This appendix provides a great start for that process.

I also own the previous series of primers. For some reason (maybe this is because this was not my first exposure to this system), this volume felt like a much quicker read. Everything felt better organized, more seamless.
2906355
I just finished reading Randy's latest book, "Make Change Work" and was very impressed with it. It's short, focused, and full of practical, ready-to-implement recommendations and action items. A powerful combination you do not find that often in a crowded market of many theory-laden textbooks.

This book shares strategic insights on what you must change and how to lead to make change stick. As always, when I sit down with a new management book, I have a textmarker handy to highlight the important passages. However, after the first three of four chapters I noticed I had better ordered a copy printed on yellow paper and used a white marker for the very few words not worth remembering!

A great book that deserves five stars.
2231122
This book presents a solid collection of succinct, memorable tools and informative passages that had impacted the way I learn before I was even done reading it.

Beyond Brilliance does not just describe methods to revamp the way you process and store information - it also helps you build a growth mindset and confirm that it is the key to tackling the hardest of feats, while equipping you with a plethora of tools to do so.

Alongside effective myth-busting, evidence-based strategies, and well-curated summaries of relevant research, in my eyes it is the revelation that learning is what you make of it that really engages you as a reader to get up and put what you have just read to use in your own search for knowledge.
986468
One of the better books that can guide us to making a needed transformation.
1285598
Many facilitators have shied away from incorporating new technologies into their practice, partly from just not seeing opportunites, partly from concern about new skill sets it would require. The good news: a good deal of the facilitator's work, as well as familiar activities, can be replicated without too much struggle. After all, a good facilitator knows how to direct and redirect conversations, how to encourage participation and draw out insights, and how to help participants interact with each other effectively. John Chen has stepped up with a great resource to help facilitators fill in the remaining blanks. "50 Digital Team-Building Games" offers simple, straightforward instructions on using digital approaches to familiar areas of team-building work. There are Twitter-based tasks and structured chat work, tablet-based activities and even GPS-based Treasure Hunts. I'm excited for the possibilities of user-generated photos: with entire workforces approaching 100% ownership of wireless phones, we're looking at a new age of inclusiveness for those beyond knowledge workers. Chen has included plenty of options for photo-based activities I hope will help get us there a little sooner. A great feature is the up-front matrix helping match goals to group size, time, and type of technology. This is a great resource at an excellent price.
92239
This book is a clear, concise, easy-to-digest, yet highly effective guide, to achieving impactful outcomes. As someone frequently charged with helping clients as the right question, this has become my go-to handbook to craft powerful questions for crowd-sourcing, ideation and design thinking projects.
1875897
This is a short guide with very practical tips for improving performance.  The book is very light on detailed explanations of the research studies on which its main ideas are based, but includes links to those research studies if you are interested in learning more.  It's a nice format and makes for an easy read.
1602841
Dr. Tony has written a useful, easy-to-read book.  You've heard some of the tips before - deveIoping SMART goals, the virtues of positivity, etc.but, there are some new gems that everyone can benefit from if practiced regularly.  It's not the type of book you absorb in one sitting - but, great for your library if you're a coach (organizationally or life) or possibly as a self-help book, making your way through it reading one tip a day.
350229
A powerful tool in helping to reorient ones focus and direction.
2591016
Organize Tomorrow Today is a well-organized and useful handbook for improving your performance.  The book shares eight useful tools and techniques for you to achieve more by focusing on the process, not the result.  The book provides a toolbox of powerful activities for you to implement, including 3 musts and 1 most, maximizing your time, and evaluating correctly.  But knowing doesnt make things happen.  Doing does.  But the book and choose just ONE of the ideas and follow through.  Youll be glad you did.
4546348
As a strategic planning business consultant, I see many mid-level managers and executives who operate alone, and without the support, feedback and encouragement so necessary to their success and mental health.

I especially liked Elainas simple and powerful model of Peer Mentoring in her excellent and user-friendly new book, A Swift Kick in the Cants.  The wonderful descriptions, charts, exercises and Skill Assessments helps to shorten the learning curve for any busy person to implement these ideas and put them into action right away.

The chapters on the anthropological and historical roots of barter and sharing practices stirred my interest as cultures drive performance.  Working with corporate anthropologists and strategists, organizations see the importance and impact of Peer Mentoring and mutual support in groups, teams and departments.
402444
This is a well-organized book that clearly lays out actionable items to make your day more productive.  It emphasizes healthy habits to feel stronger and thus enable one to tackle projects to become better organized.  Multi-tasking is a habit we all have but this book has proof that it's actually detrimental to being effective. A short read packed with useful ways to manage your day.
1927055
Feser combines powerful insights from a range of disciplines (psychology, sociology, economics, ...) into what leaders need to know and do in order to continue to thrive in an ever more competitive marketplace with an entertaining narrative of a new CEO (Carl) turning around an organisation.

The strength of this book lies in the simplicity with which complex research is transformed into practical insights and made accesible to the reader.

Furthermore, by inviting us to experience Carl's personal journey as he faces up to some of life's un-welcome challenges, the author reminds us that what really matters  is " to live a life that matters, a life in which we make a difference"
2868096
Many books approach the topic of strategy or strategic leadership from a 30,000' level. This book takes that 30,000' view and distills it into clear and concise insights, suggestions and proposed actions.  At the same time, the authors' experience in the field has enabled the content to be meaningful and impactful. They have found the balance between gravitas and applicability.
One very useful aspect of the book's format is the number of checklists, models, self-assesments and lists of key points that encourages the reader to continuously use the book as a "learning journal" and a future resource.
We are already integrating many of these "tools" into our consulting work.
3198613
This book packs quite a punch. I love how it simplifies the complex topic of leadership down to three levers that are measurable. I already tried having a "PWR Conversation" with great success. It fostered a much more open and constructive dialogue than I've seen with teams in the past. And personally, the PWR framework gives me a very useful way to reflect on where there is opportunity for me to improve as a leader.

As I think about PWR Score, I see a lot of similarities to Net Promoter Score (NPS). NPS has been coined the "ultimate metric" since it gauges a company's health by measuring in a simple way how many customer promoters vs. detractors the company has. NPS has been a huge success in the business community, yet it is externally focused. What I like about PWR Score is that it is the NPS equivalent (simple, measurable, impactful), but internally focused. The authors could be on to something here that is as big, or bigger, than NPS.
3815054
I enjoyed this book.  It's a quick read.  I firmly believe our habits and rituals impact the quality of our lives but we seldom give those habits a second thought.  We continue to do what we've always done and get the same results.  Although the information presented isn't really "new" there is always room for thinking in a new way and that's what I got out of this book.  It provoked me to really examine my current habits and patterns and to create sort of a support "system" (stacking habits) to streamline my way to living a better life.  The author stressed the importance of TAKING ACTION and knowing your WHY.  Without a good WHY you won't keep up with continuing to make positive changes.  In reading this book I was inspired to re-examine my current patterns and "why" I might want to make some changes.
2112466
This book includes personal stories of adversity-turned-triumph accompanied by a methodology and toolset for anyone in need of a new approach.