Employee-Health Books

If you are new to this topic, you will get a good grounding of why and how you should go about developing a competency framework for your organisation. This book is thorough, to the point and easy to follow.

This is a perfect choice for the novice reader who is trying to get a basic understanding of the whys and wherefores of compentency models. It's very readable book and not nearly as dry as I might have expected. In particular, the authors' copious use of real-world examples, cases and models is extremely helpful. I even got some great ideas for project management that I'll be able to apply broadly in my work, regardless of whether or not my organization undertakes a competency modeling project.

My only criticism is that the book focuses exclusively on CMs in a HRM context; there is no real discussion of industry-scale models, which was my main reason for reading the book. Nevertheless, a very good resource for a beginner.

Competency Models have become a must for an up-to-date HRM system - I have been helping companies to build this kind of models since 1996. These models make great tools for selection, training and development, appraisal and succession planning. Unfortunately, until I came accross this book, I found that most of the reference works to this field are quite unaccessible, not the kind I would put into the hands of a newcomer. This is a practical book, showing why competency models are important and helping the reader to go through the complete process of setting up such a system, including a chapter on how to sell the idea to others in the organisation - I wish some of the people I work with would have read this book before, that would have smoothened the problems that are caused if these steps aren't followed well. The book also shows how to transform your competence model into a 360° feedback questionnaire. It was the first time I came accross a book explaining how to do that! The only area that I found a bit weak is the compentency-interview (both for building the model, als doing behavior-based interviews for recruiting), but maybe that's a bias coming from my own expertise in that domain (my book "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence" includes a full chapter on how to ask the right questions).

Conclusion - whether you know about Competency Models or not - add this book to your library! And if you are a consultant in the field of competency models, this is a book you might recommend to your customers.

Patrick E. Merlevede -- co-author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

Well written. Reader-friendly without sacrificing depth of content. I am not an HR specialist, but I still find this book to be very useful. Provides me with knowledge on competency and how to build a competency model for my own company.

"Competency models that identify the skills, knowledge, and characteristics needed to perform a job have been in use for more than three decades. In the last five years, interest in them and their potential to help staffing and development efforts has increased dramatically among our client group. We believe this interest will continue to grow over the next few years due to three key, related trends-intensified competition, aggressive cost management and downsizing, and the proliferation of 360-degree feedback system (A. D. Lucia & R. Lepsinger / Preface xiii)."

In this invaluable study authors

* define what a competency model is, describe its components, and discuss some of their broad, general applications.

* examine how competency models can be applied within selection, training and development, appraisal, and succession planning systems to support an organization's business objectives.

* discuss establishing the performance criteria with which your organization measures success to better focus your data collection and analysis.

* describe specific action steps to follow during the development of the competency model from scratch.

* discuss various methods of data collection and how they can be used to increase the likelihood of identifying the knowledge, skills, and characteristics required to succeed in the job.

* describe the process of creating competency-based selection, training and development, appraisal, and succession planning systems.

* discuss the methods for converting the model into the necessary formats or tools to integrate the competencies into each step of human resource management.

This study is a "must" reading guide for HR professionals and line managers. I highly recommend.

See also :

* The Competency Casebook/D. Dubois

* Strategic Human Resource Leader/W.J.Rothwell et.al.

The book title suggests help for small organizations, but the blurb inside the front cover says that the book "provides targeted strategies for companies with as few as 50 employees or as many as 5,000."

If you have fewer than 100 employees you may be disappointed with this book. The biggest focus is on self-funded plans, which the author says are most feasible for organizations with more than 100 employees.

Highly recommended for all smaller employers struggling with the process of buying health benefits for employees. Carefully crafted, well structured, and quite comprehensive, the book details everything a small or medium sized firm needs to know to begin to leverage their buying power in the marketplace. Certainly not for large employers with market power (because large purchasers will want to use more sophisticated tools to buy quality and incentivize plans and providers for greater performance), but a good primer for anyone just starting out.

As a small employer of only 35 employees, I wasn't sure how to proceed with changes in our health plan that are under consideration. This book has helped us resolve some of the different approaches suggested by our broker. I expect we'll use it again, as we grow over the next few years.

The book arrived in good condition as described on the website within the time frame promised.
i would recommend this seller.

Marjorie

Michael Henry Cohen had provided working managers with a highly necessary and an extremely practical book. The title itself should catch your interest and cause you to do some extensive self-evaluation. Why do I continue to have personnel issues at work? Because I allow them to continue. While this book is an easy read, it is not simplistic; the practical steps necessary to bring about change will take a concerted effort on the part of the reader to implement. If you are "hoping" to bring about change, continue doing what you are currently doing; if you intend to bring about change, buy the book, and change what you teach.

This book is an excellent review for seasoned managers. It is helpful for new managers since it gets to the point. Very good refernce on so many pertinent management topics. I used this as a reference for a class I taught on Performance Management. The book arrived timely and in great condition. I gave it as a Christmas present to one of my new managers.

This is a very good book to use as a guideline for supervisors!

I purchased this particular book for an on-line program and not because it even vaguely seemed attractive much less "Effective". To my delight the book has made some excellent strong points and is very practical. I really can't say too much "cons" about the book. If you need a book for a Management program, whether online or conventional class room or even for short courses and seminars...it works great. Easy, simple reading.
I gave it 4 stars because it took 4 weeks to arrive-lost one star for shipping!

If this book can tell you something about yourself, then it is invaluable to you. It is highly original. It is exceptionally well written with a flowing style. The six fear based behaviour types provides a powerful self assessment device. This is the first step to understanding others. I think I'm now getting the message. Thanks Art Horn!

Having read and reread this book I feel confident in recommending it to anyone interested in learning to deal with with workplace conflict and cohabitation.
The author persuasively and logically argues that most workplace conflict is driven by fears that we may not even be aware of. Using the practical strategies put forth in the book has allowed me to gain greater understanding of where fears come from and how to cope with them. This book would be a valuable tool for anyone interested in turning discord into harmony, both at home and at work.
The final section of the book suffers slightly from what felt to me like a shift in tone and emphasis. This part of the book seemed to be where the author became concerned with sharing his own personal worldview and therefore might be less useful for the hardcore business reader looking for workplace strategies to implement. That being said, I found this portion of the book to be interesting and enlightening to read simply as a human being and not as a "business person".
Highly recommended.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed reading Sammys Hill and Sammys House. As someone who worked 16 years in and around the Hill and Washington, I found them entertaining and enlightening. Have recommended to several twentyish types who come to me wanting to hear war stories about my previous careers in government and politics.

Sammy's Hill lacked a compelling plot (or any real plot for that matter) and the insecure, over-analytical personality of the main character made this book highly unsatisfying to read. Despite my attempt to approach Kristin Gore's book with an objective point of view, perhaps it was my political ideology that had a subconscious effect on my negative opinion of her book.

For anyone who is familiar with the west wing, I suspect this is much like reading an autobiography of Donna. Like Donna, Sammy is dedicated to her boss who is a democratic leader, her wit will make you laugh out loud, and her folly will have you rolling on the floor laughing. Loved every second of this book and couldn't put it down.

I found the book fairly amusing at first, with some nice one-liners that i laughed at. But that quickly grew tiresome as all the quirky digressions,forced cleverness, and well-meaning but ham-fisted diatribes on healthcare, just became too much. Not to mention the book had a total lack of plot. I got to where her senator was holding meetings in Ohio, then gave up and moved on to a Lee Child thriller, because I needed plot so badly at that point.

My girlfriend really liked the book, in fact her frequent laughing out loud while reading made me want to read it once she was done. But I just didn't like it.

I enjoyed it immensely. I thought it was really funny, and consistently so, throughout the book. The main character was a little cliched in her neuroses, in that that seems like a relatively common way to milk laughter from a female character, but I still really enjoyed who she thought, though the 'illness' thing was less clever and funny (Although I did enjoy that she spent an irrational amount of time preparing for a life with an debilitating illness or an animal attack). But I definitely enjoyed the could've-been-cliched touches of the narrator loving to celebrate just about every holiday or notable anniversary and occasion in existence, and I thought her love of telemarketers was an awesome touch. While the main character was neurotic, her thought processes were hilarious and I identified with many of them.

Fun book, worth reading, consistent, easy, enjoyable. Couldn't help but compare the characters running for president in her book to the current candidates, which was interesting but distracting, considering the strange turns that happen to them in the book. (Particularly annoying in the case of the female senator and her philandering husband.)

Re: comparisons to bridget jones-There are some similarities, but I much preferred this book as Sammy was a much less pathetic character, more interesting and quirky, and it was funnier overall. Plus it had a focus other than how sad, useless, pathetic, and needy the female lead was.

I am so please to be able to say that product was shipped early and great condition!!!!!!!!!

This delightful small book skillfully shows you how not to stress out at work. Another way to get a perspective of your job situation is to learn to laugh at things that stress you out. WorkLaughs:Quips, Quotes, and Anecdotes about Making a Buck can provide you with the laughs to do just that-- from job interviews to meetings to dealing with the boss, WorkLaughs will show you that all aspects of the job can be a laughing matter. (WorkLaughs is also available on Amazon).

This book is just okay. There are a lot of examples of how to improve morale at work, but the writing isn't that great, and the book isn't very well organized. There are much better books on the topic...try Managing to Have Fun by Matt Weinstein or 1001 Ways to Energize Employees by Bob Nelson.

This book provided a great deal of information and ideas to draw from. I enjoyed that I could read it quickly. I was able to apply some of the ideas or variations of them at work !

Barbara Glantz has written a life altering book--at least a life at the workplace altering book. It is easy to read and filled with hundreds of big and little things that can change the way you spend 40 hours a week. Very positive, super ideas.

Dr. Beverly Potter has come up with a self help book that can really help in that it is clear, based on experience, and written for adults with not a tinge of the patronizing tone and cliches that make so many books that try to help far less successful than this one.
All her Stanford training in psychology stands the author in good stead, making this a book that speaks to both head and heart. Our frantic mechanized society today contributes to the deadly dynamic of burnout as described by Dr. Potter, and her methods for avoiding burnout are happily simple and achievable by following her suggestions. Her experience as a writer stands her in good stead and makes reading this book a pleasure.
The author has managed to avoid the pat simplistic directions that taint so many self-help books today. I read it at a moment of personal burnout and found myself embarked on a new voyage of self-discovery as I worked my way through her suggestions. Noteworthy is the refreshingly clean and literate style, so different from the often sentimental advice given in books that try to help our personal crises. This book is marked by a clear intelligence and background of knowledge of our human strengths and frailties. For the weary twentieth century person, bogged down by responsibility and unending chores, the book can be a lifesaver. I recommend it to anyone who, like myself, feels that there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish those goals that we seem to have set ourselves. Dr. Potter's book is refreshingly free of stale ideas. I think the author is an original, and the book should be a best seller - I for one needed it. My hunch is that there are many others like me out there who could benefit from her crisp and inspiring style, as well as engaging content.

I find it difficult to give a self-help book much credibility when it is filled with spelling errors, grammar errors and printing errors. I would think that someone who cares enough to write a book to help people could at least care enough to check her work.

There are few books on burnout that deal with practical strategies. Many times, we know - at least in part - why we feel burnout. The problem is moving forward, and theoretical analyses of organization structure, etc. are often not that helpful. This book provides detailed strategies for recognizing the factors that lead to burnout and strategies for dealing with burnout. For example, the book indicates that frequent "negative wins" will lead to burnout. We get a "negative win" when we do something in order to avoid something negative. A kid cleaning her room to avoid being yelled at by a parent is an example of a situation with a negative win. An adult cleaning the living room because he wants to relax in a comfortable environment is an example of a situation with a positive win. Potter suggests that we develop ways of providing our own positive wins when we do not get them naturally from the situation. I find these insights valuable in developing my own recognition of situations that can lead me to burnout. I have implemented some of the strategies, and they have helped quite a bit. This is not the perfect book on this subject, but it is a good and useful book - most importantly, it actually does help. I'm very happy that I purchased it.

Way back when, people used to enjoy going to work. Nowadays, almost everyone I speak with can't stand their job! A lot of factors make up this attitude. Stress is one of the primary causes and Doctor Potter seems to have the cure. But she doesn't just spout off impractical theories. The value in this book is Potter's pragmatic blueprint to help the reader renew his or her passion for work. In my paticular case, her strategies helped me perceive the predicaments I always seemed to get into as opportunities for change. I am now more positive and self-assured whenever I encounter stressful situations. And, of course, she offers tips to help reduce daily stress. But her tips are more well-reasoned and rational as opposed to other books I've read. Potter's guidelines are easy to follow and ultimately work. Anyone who has a job they don't like will get a new lease on life after reading this book. And I'll wager that those readers who do love their job will never want to take it and shove it. Oh...and Phil Frank's illustrations are simply wonderful. I highly recommend this book!

Upon reading this book I feel the author is doing her best through examples of others to demonstrate those that have hit burnout. Once its established if you have reached it, or if you are on your way, she moves on to how this can happen, and how much you are empowered to change this. Tips and ideas are given on how to reduce stress and how to help change or tailor your job in a direction that you have the most power. She does not advocate moving on before you have resolved some of the internal issues that have caused your displeasure at your current job. I feel ths examples of how real people in the book overcame their burnout and became happy and sucessful once again.

This great book should be on the desk of every stressed out business executive.It brilliantly describes what it takes to be in a peak state of mind when you need to be.There is no question that business people as well as everyone should train their bodies to get their minds in top shape.This book illustrates that with great information about diet,exercise,and proper attitude.A wise investment.

I waited in anticipation for this book to arrive. Much hype had been made about this new research and the 21 day plan. Business men and women stuggle to balance work and home-life, and the foundation of this book is right on. If we loose weight, drink more water and exercise we will have more energy for both. The problem with this book is that it says very little more. I found myself brousing through the book looking for new ideas to give me some boost. The book does have some excellent chapters on how to deal with stress in the work place. In fact, this book is worth buying just for these two chapters. However, for those of us who read self help books on a daily basis, you might be looking for more.

Finally - a book that delivers on its promise to help you get to the top of your game, to help you achieve maximal performance levels in life - and does so using a common sense approach that integrates experience, study and science with focus and commitment. The key is training like an athlete whether its following an exercise or nutrition program or developing a positive attitude. What a refreshingly realistic concept in this "a pill a day takes the fat away" world! Through Dr. Groppel's convincing clarity, it all makes perfect sense. And you don't have to be in the business arena to benefit from the principles of THE CORPORATE ATHLETE. Maximizing performance can be a goal that crosses age, gender and occupational or vocational boundaries. But what makes this book stand out for me is Dr. Groppel's holistic approach - completing the palate of fitness by incorporating the physical, mental and emotional with the spiritual. It takes courage to take spirituality out of its politically correct closet and plop it onto the Board Room table, to make it a key component of performance enhancement. Could it be that the growth of courage, confidence, conviction and character is a natural end product of one's development into the ultimate corporate athlete? I am convinced, after reading the book, that this is the case.

The first quarter of the book was extremely interesting and informative. She gave a basic overview of the semiconductor industry, and included reasonable comparisons and predictions. She included an abundance of information and research on possible environmental issues that could arise from semiconductor manufacturing. As I began reading, I prepared myself for a slamming of the industries' "clean manufacturing" procedures. However, I was pleased to discover that her analysis was well thought out, and presented in an unbiased fashion. I would have liked to see more analysis in terms of the economic implications/costs, either micro or macro, associated with restructuring the industry into a "cleaner state." In review, this book was informative, and helpful in presenting underlying environmental issues associated with the semiconductor industry.

I didn't want to like this book. The cover copy led me to expect a one-sided attack on the semiconductor industry's claims of clean manufacturing. Instead, I found a clear discussion of the difficult balance between the public interest and the needs of a constantly evolving industry. Semiconductor manufacturers regularly change manufacturing processes, shift production between countries, and even (through foundries) transfer production to entirely different companies. All of these characteristics complicate traditional environmental regulation based on clearly defined lists of pollutants from clearly defined sources. Meanwhile, the industry's sometimes obsessive secrecy, though justified by competitive pressures, complicates community relations and can hamper more flexible regulatory approaches.

In some cases, Mazurek's lack of semiconductor manufacturing expertise shows. For example, she repeats without comment the contention of environmental groups that water too dirty for wafer manufacturing is, of necessity, unfit for human consumption. In other instances, the existing regulatory structure itself leads to potentially misleading analysis. For example, Department of Commerce statistics on semiconductor shipments do not clearly distinguish between US-manufactured chips and US-designed chips manufactured outside the US, making it difficult to tell whether declines in toxic releases are due to cleaner manufacturing or simply to production transfers.

These complaints are merely quibbles, though. Taken as a whole, Mazurek has composed an impressive and thought-provoking analysis. Environmental policy makers, manufacturing executives, and the citizens affected by their decisions could all learn something from this book.