Sparrow Training

360 degree feedback is one of the most powerful experiences a person can have in the workplace, according to Tony Peacock the author of The 360 Degree Feedback Pocketbook. In this book he shows how feedback can be used for personal development, self-awareness, identification of talent and how in flatter organisational structures it will help management obtain a richer picture of team members. The focus of these reviews is all about how people behave, the work activities they undertake and how feedback is given to facilitate change. This book guides the reader through the whole process, starting with any concerns individuals may have and overcoming objections, followed by the pluses and minuses of developing in-house systems, or using external providers. How to handle confidentiality and feedback, and the way sharing of development plans are undertaken are explained in an easy step-by-step format.

Simply put, a competency describes the behaviour or actions that can be seen when a job is being done well. Organisations use competencies to get consistency in what they do, ensure people are treated equitably, enhance communications, improve stakeholder relationships and establish high standards of quality and performance. The Competencies Pocketbook explains how to develop a competency framework, how to assess competencies and how to reap the benefits from both the individual's and the organisation's perspective. It also describes why some competency initiatives don't work and how to make sure that yours does. Author: Roger Mills. Pages 128

Author Ian Fleming directs The Developing People Pocketbook at full time trainers and managers with staff training as part of their jobs. He deals with training needs identification, the pros and cons of different training methods, learning styles and learning blocks, finding and briefing external trainers, assessing the outcome and applying the learning. Reviewing this title, training education employment journal wrote: 'A worthy overview of training needs identification, design, delivery and evaluation. Read this and you could save many hours ploughing through far less accessible tomes on the subject'.

Unacceptable behaviour, substandard work, poor morale, frequent absences, bad relationships, awkwardness; The Discipline Pocketbook looks at the causes and how you should respond. It stresses the importance of having fair and consistent procedures and of finding the correct balance between improvement and punishment. A practical approach, with case studies and examples.

Empowerment is often confused with delegation and, wrongly, is often seen as a form of power or authority over another person. The authors of The Empowerment Pocketbook prefer to liken empowerment to a licence that is issued only after those concerned have proven their ability and only when the scope and conditions of the activity to which the licence applies are clearly defined. This Pocketbook explains what empowerment is, what can be gained when it is in place and how to put it there and keep it there. It will be helpful to managers, trainers, consultants and all those people who are concerned with getting the best from their workforce. Areas covered include: identifying the need for empowerment, enabling the individual, implementation (nine steps to get empowerment in place) and, finally, monitoring and feedback.

The 'facilitraining rainbow' won't lead you to a pot of gold but it will enable you to decide on the most suitable approach for your next facilitation session. This innovative decision-making model is central to The Facilitator's Pocketbook - a comprehensive guide covering all stages of facilitation, from planning through to implementation. Interpersonal skills (including attitudes and values) and session skills (including energising and problem solving) are dealt with at length.

Flexible working recognizes individuals' differing needs, lifestyles and life stages. It's about creating an environment in which people can achieve a work-life balance that leads to fulfilment inside and outside their place of work. The Flexible Workplace Pocketbook looks at the reasons for creating a flexible working environment and at the benefits for the individual and for the employer and its customers. Flexible working options are many and varied. They involve an organisation changing where, when and how their employees work. The Flexible Workplace Pocketbook explores the different options for flexible working, looks at how to introduce flexibility across the organisation, how to encourage 'flexible behaviour' and how to measure its success.

The Icebreakers Pocketbook contains some 40 original activities that will enable trainers to add impact to their training workshops. The activities are grouped together according to their suitability for particular areas of training - for example: assertiveness, communication, coaching & mentoring, people management, teams and trainer training. For each activity the authors describe the aims, outcomes and relevance of the learning, and provide full user instructions along with information on timing, number of participants, materials required, necessary trainer knowledge and possible variations. Most of the activities take between 10 and 30 minutes to complete. There are those suitable for small groups and those appropriate for any number of people. A good read.

Influencing skills are at the heart of all successful communication. The Influencing Pocketbook examines influencing styles, how to establish rapport, dealing with different personalities, handling resistance and, crucially, getting a decision. It lists five easy steps to influence, eight influencing styles, ten good reasons to build rapport and four different personality types with influencing techniques for each. In an American Management Association survey, in answer to the question 'What is the number one need for success in business today?', the most popular answer was 'To persuade others of my value and the value of my ideas'.

Written for leaders at all levels - strategic, organisational and team level - The Leadership Pocketbook explains how to inspire, influence, deal with change and achieve objectives. Illustrated throughout, the book adopts a practical approach, setting out the principles of leadership, the role of the leader, the skills required for effective leadership and the key challenges facing leaders in today's business environment. Its author, Fiona Dent, is Director of Faculty Development at Ashridge where she is also Programme Director for the Influencing Strategies and Skills Programme. She has over 20 years' experience as a management developer.
A focus of the book, described by the author as 'perhaps the most necessary skill for any leader', is self-awareness - to know yourself, to realise what your leadership strengths and weaknesses are and when you must continue to develop.

Read "The Manager's Pocketbook" and learn the POLCA, the five essential management skills. 'P' is for 'planning': the essentials of good planning and objective setting. 'O' is for 'organising': managing time and work, and decision-making. 'L' is for 'leading': teambuilding, leadership, motivation and communication. 'C' is for 'controlling': correcting errors, disciplining and appraising. And 'A' is for 'achieving': the action planning section, so get your pen ready! This enlightening Pocketbook is for team leaders, supervisors and people managers of all levels.

The Appraisals Pocketbook adopts a strongly practical approach in explaining how to set up and run an appraisal system. Using a helpful 5-stage model, the book shows how to identify the job objective and key result areas, how to set clear achievable goals, and how to structure and conduct the performance discussion. The 2nd edition of this popular title has been brought up-to-date by the author and there are new illustrations throughout. Reviewing the Appraisals Pocketbook, Management Today concluded: 'This little book provides a lot of help. It challenges managers to ask themselves whether they understand what an appraisal is for, and what questions they should be asking'.