Technical Communication

Book Description

Technical Communication represents the works of five highly respected authors, all writing in their areas of expertise. Scientific examples and assignments within a social context are used for a realistic view of communication issues. This is the only text to extensively address argument, including reasoning, credibility, persuasion, decision making, problem solving, and critical thinking. The topic of audience is also addressed more thoroughly than in any other text. The book covers the traditional parts of the technical communication course but has been updated greatly to respond to the demands that the computer places on communicating.

Understanding the Process of Economic Change (Princeton Economic History of the Western World)

Average customer rating:

Starts out great but fizzles out
Lacks the rigor of his previous books
Economic Change For the Business Executive

Understanding the Process of Economic Change (Princeton Economic History of the Western World)
Douglass C. North
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691118051

Book Description

In this landmark work, a Nobel Prize-winning economist develops a new way of understanding the process by which economies change. Douglass North inspired a revolution in economic history a generation ago by demonstrating that economic performance is determined largely by the kind and quality of institutions that support markets. As he showed in two now classic books that inspired the New Institutional Economics (today a subfield of economics), property rights and transaction costs are fundamental determinants. Here, North explains how different societies arrive at the institutional infrastructure that greatly determines their economic trajectories.

North argues that economic change depends largely on "adaptive efficiency," a society's effectiveness in creating institutions that are productive, stable, fair, and broadly accepted--and, importantly, flexible enough to be changed or replaced in response to political and economic feedback. While adhering to his earlier definition of institutions as the formal and informal rules that constrain human economic behavior, he extends his analysis to explore the deeper determinants of how these rules evolve and how economies change. Drawing on recent work by psychologists, he identifies intentionality as the crucial variable and proceeds to demonstrate how intentionality emerges as the product of social learning and how it then shapes the economy's institutional foundations and thus its capacity to adapt to changing circumstances.

Understanding the Process of Economic Change accounts not only for past institutional change but also for the diverse performance of present-day economies. This major work is therefore also an essential guide to improving the performance of developing countries.

Customer Reviews:

Starts out great but fizzles out.......2006-12-25

North starts his book out emphasizing the important role played in economic development by the uncertainty of the future that impacts the decision makers whose actions will create technological and institutional change over time.This uncertainty is the uncertainty emphasized by Schumpeter,Keynes,Knight,Ellsberg,and Mandelbrot( or mild risk versus wild risk),as opposed to the risk emphasized by neoclassical economics in the form of the standard deviation of a normal probability distribution.Throughout the book North correctly emphasizes uncertainty and not risk as being the environment in which decision makers make choices that will determine future economic growth and change.Unfortunately,North devotes only one small paragraph on p.13 to this vital distinction(uncertainty versus risk).North needs to have spent much more time and pages carefully covering this distinction since it is crucial to understanding the process of economic change .North needs to provide the reader with at least two chapters devoted to covering the risk versus uncertainty topic.The only readers who will benefit from this book would be readers who have already read the relevant works of Knight ,Keynes,Schumpeter,Ellsberg,and Mandelbrot that deal with this topic.I would recommend that a potential reader first cover chapters 7 and 8 of Knight's 1921 book,Risk,Uncertainty and Profit ,and then read chapter 7 on the business cycle from Schumpeter's 1912 book The Theory of Economic Development.North needs to substantially revise the book .His preliminary chapter on cognitive psychology can be filled out more completely once he has added the chapters on uncertainty and its impact on the irreversible nature of investment in long run,long lived, physical,durable capital goods which is " cast in concrete " and essentially irrevocable.

Lacks the rigor of his previous books.......2006-10-19

The book's main conjecture can probably be best described backwards: at the end of a number of steps, the political and economic outcomes may be observed. These outcomes are the result of the behavior of a number of relevant actors. Their incentives are structured by the prevailing institutions, which, in North's understanding, consist of formal rules, informal norms, and their enforcement characteristics. Institutions themselves, however, are not exogenously given; they are created by humans who act intentionally. North argues that institutions are created based on the relevant actors' beliefs. If the results of the institutions people create are not as expected, people will update their beliefs--they will learn--and institutional change will continue endlessly. To understand the process of institutional change, then, one must understand how beliefs come into being, receive updating, and form the basis of human action. Such understanding is North's current goal....

North tries to deal with the question by delving into cognitive science. To understand how beliefs are formed and how humans learn, he asserts, we must first understand better how our brains work. Thus, he enters territory where, owing to the academic division of labor, economists are amateurs. However, rather than seriously engaging the relevant issues, he barely scratches the surface. Far from familiarizing the reader with the relevant issues by a thorough survey of recent discussions in cognitive science, he barely mentions two or three competing standpoints and then ends the chapter....

In sum, at the outset of my reading of this book, I hoped to find further substantial progress in the new institutional economics. While reading it, however, I realized that it lacked the rigor of the same author's previous books in this field of research. Instead of offering intriguing new arguments, North repeats questions without offering any real answers.

Economic Change For the Business Executive.......2005-11-24

I think everyone interested in general business, economics or business strategy should read this book. For some a topic as big as the one Professor North is tackling here might require thousands of pages and a great deal of analytical complexity.

Most students of economics recognize Nobel Prize winner Douglass North and his work. As a specialized student of management, finance and accounting, I am not qualified to analyze the work in relation to its place in the professional field of economics -- although I understand its intentions and direction. My review rather focuses on the relevance of Professor North's statement in this book as a guide for my students of corporate strategy, business policy, finance and accounting; including as well my many clients in executive positions and the practice of law.

The systems view of economic change provided by Professor North casts light on long-term organizational thinking and helpful to our search for corporate and business strategy models in the increasingly efficient capital market environment revealed by modern financial economics.

More to follow....

Understanding Statistical Process Control

Average customer rating:

Process control change
SPC at its Pure and Original Dogma
The best book to learn SPC
Recommended read for beginners and experienced practitioners
Explains the SPC philosophy extremely well!

Understanding Statistical Process Control
Donald J. Wheeler
Manufacturer: SPC PRESS (Statistical Process Control)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0945320132
Release Date: 1992-06-01

Customer Reviews:

Process control change.......2006-01-31

Based on this book, we are changing all our process control. It has gained our CEO's trust.

SPC at its Pure and Original Dogma.......2004-12-23

This book is for all practicing professional on SPC and an eye-opener for the novice. It highlights many important topics specially the four state of a process model and shows how the process behaviour chart ( a.k.a control chart)can help in reaching the ideal state. The correct and wrong way of doing the calculation for the establishment of the control limits is also discussed and clarified and much more . This is a must to have for all who wants to go through their personal path to SPC . Buy this Book !

The best book to learn SPC.......2004-07-31

SPC is a widely MISUSED and OVERused term in the manufacturing world. It is amazing how many myths and misunderstandings exist and are accepted as rules of thumb. Understanding Statistical Process Control explains the foundations of Shewhart's control charts in depth, tying up its usage in real world. This is the simplest, most accurate guide for learning and applying SPC. Wheeler carefully separates the facts from fiction. His examples and excercises give reader a chance to see how control charts should be used in real world.
Conclusion: BUY IT

Recommended read for beginners and experienced practitioners.......2004-02-25

The book is well written, the examples illustrate the concepts in a nice way. Readers new to Statistics ought to read about basic concepts of Statistics from other texts that deal with the subject on a simpler level, then read this book.

Certain topics are not included although they are relevant in today's business context - for instance, Lean, and Mass Customization have resulted in many processes being changed around to small lot sizes. This requires the use of Short Run SPC, and it is covered in a separate book.

I keep the book handy as a ready reference, and also recommend it on a regular basis.

Explains the SPC philosophy extremely well!.......2001-10-12

This book starts with a extremely well explained chapter on the philosophy of control charts. This is really the most important part of the book. Other topics about rational subgrouping and myths are also very well covered. The book deals with interesting examples which should be a little bit more up-to-date. Presenting control charts on mm-paper is outdated in this computer era.

Business Process Improvement: The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness

Average customer rating:

Still Relevant and Valuable
The quality: the best competitive tool!
Excellent Starting Point
More Info.
This is the essential Quality book.

Business Process Improvement: The Breakthrough Strategy for Total Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness
H. James Harrington
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070267685

Book Description

It's one of the hot topics for the 1990s--how to apply quality improvement techniques originally developed for the manufacturing sector to service industries. How to Take the Lead in Business Process Management details how to do it, providing a step-by-step formula that helps companies improve quality and productivity in the support areas. Here in one comprehensive volume is all the information an organization needs to start the improvement process right away: how to determine customer needs and expectations and deliver the best service; how to establish which processes drive your business; how to create process improvement teams and train team leaders; how to eliminate bureaucracy, simplify the process, and reduce processing time; how to measure progress and provide feedback to participants; how to document the levels of improvement and certify operations and activities; and how to ensure ongoing improvement. Two special features further enahance the value of this highly practical guide: (1) a chapter of case histories, showing the results of business process improvement, and (2) an exhaustive section that guides readers in the application of problem-solving methods, value analysis and process analysis techniques, perfection analysis, work simplification programs, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Still Relevant and Valuable.......2007-02-09

I recently re-read this book, first published in 1991, and found that - despite all the changes which have occurred in the business world since then - most of its material remains solid and relevant. In the Preface, H. James Harrington observes that organizations "are thinking differently about their processes. Processes are no longer viewed as just production processes. Today (i.e. in 1991), management realizes that that there are many processes that use material, equipment, and people to provide many types of outputs and services. They are called business processes, and today they are even more important to competitiveness than production processes." In this context, I am reminded of what Peter Drucker asserted (in 1963) in an article which appeared in the Harvard Business Review: "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." Presumably this is what Harrington has in mind when suggesting that "automating a bad process not only ensures that we can do a bad job every times but that we can do it faster and with less effort than before."

Harrington carefully organizes his material within ten chapters, followed by an appendix that provides "Interview Guidelines." His pragmatic approach throughout the narrative focuses on what to do to initiate and then sustain business process improvement (BPI):

Focus on business processes
Set the stage for BPI
Organize for process improvement
Use flowcharting to draw a process "picture"
Understand the process characteristics
Streamline the process
Use measurements, feedback, and action to "load, aim, and fire"
Qualify (i.e. establish credibility for) process
Benchmark process

For me, some of the most interesting and valuable material is provided in Chapter 5, "Understanding the Process Characteristics." Harrington identifies five (Flow, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Cycle Time, and Cost) and explains what must be done to get them in proper alignment (hence the importance of a flow chart) in terms of people involved, objectives to be achieved, strategies and tactics to be executed, measurements, evaluation, and modification.

As they embark together on a journey to achieve the desired objectives, they should realize that they will be involved in a marathon, not a sprint. They must be persistent but patient.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out sources which were published later, such as Dan Madison's Process Mapping, James R. Press's Process Improvement and Process Management, Process Improvement Essentials: CMMI, Six SIGMA, and ISO 9001, John Jeston and Johan Nelis' Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementation, and Paul Harmon's Business Process Change: A Manager's Guide to Improving, Redesigning, and Automating Processes.

The quality: the best competitive tool!.......2005-07-21

In the actual times of constant, requiring and increasing professional improvement, you just have just only an alternative: to isolate yourself from the world: It's not an optional choice, but a question of surviving.
The leadership process must involve all the team under his service; otherwise your destiny is uncertain in the values market: your market share will vanish silently and if you don't act and react faster than the business dynamic, you will be out of game: I think the comparison may be established without any risk: the quality in the Darwinian environment will become in an additional gene to survive.
You do not have to think but living according this life system. This adaptation process has a hard barrier, the resistance to change: most of people live with this mental premise: the minimum effort and the maximum boring.
Arnold Toynbee wrote about the minority creators, that attitude does not sound challenging for any artistic activity, because the quality, conceived as one the main ingredients of the creative work is inherent in the inner process.
I wrote an article in the local press in 1996 named "Art and quality" (available for any one who is interested) in which I remarked this ineffable premise.
James Hillman stated once that the first enemy of the art is the mediocrity, and the quality process in last instance follows that change of behavior.
In this sense Harrington's text is a fundamental guide that explains step by step a wholesome creation process of a qualitative thinking, you will obtain the practice tools and the extreme useful basic elements available for any person.

Excellent Starting Point.......2004-09-04

This book was highly recommended to me and it did not dissappoint. Simple yet powerful practices and principles are clearly laid out in an easily understood manner. I now have a foundation to build upon with future readings on the subject of BPI.

More Info........1999-09-08

I rate it a 2 because it didn't give that much information. Some people just don't have enough money to go out and buy books. Especially young adults on a fixed income. When I come to the internet I expect to learn and read, not spend my money. Thank You

This is the essential Quality book........1999-07-20

This book is a great investement. This book explains much more than Business Process Improvement, it also breaks down the sub categories of Quality management into easy to digest pieces. Harrington makes the complex/theoretical Quality "mechanics" easy to understand. He explains today's business trends which can help any business become more productive.

Amazon.com

For those interested in redefining the way in which their business does its business, SAP R/3 Business Blueprint: Understanding the Business Process Reference Model is worth a perusal. Authors Curran and Keller define their central idea--business engineering--as a method by which information technology is used to design and reengineer business processes, such as sales and distribution, instead of simply automating them. And as is clear from the title, this concept is explored almost exclusively within the context of SAP R/3.

The book is broken down into four sections: "Business Engineering," "Process Engineering," "Architecture," and "Framework & Tools." These segments follow a sliding scale that goes from MBA esoterica to practical application to behind-the-scenes implementation. The first section is dedicated to such things as mapping out global goals and identifying the organization processes that need to be reengineered. Next, the authors get more fundamental, looking at ways in which SAP R/3 can enable a retooling of existing practice, illustrating this thought via case studies. Lastly, the book examines the details of an R/3 system and the tools in the R/3 arsenal. A terrific discipline-spanning volume, SAP R/3 Business Blueprint's one shortcoming is that it never addresses a world in which SAP R/3 might not be the ultimate answer to an organization's efficiency problems. But perhaps it wasn't meant to. --Sarah L. Roberts-Witt

Customer Reviews:

Informative But Poorly Written.......2000-11-07

There's a lot of relevant information in this book, but the authors have a repetitive, rambling, and sometimes vague style that makes it anything but a pleasure to read. You really have to work to sift the wheat from the chaff here. It could be easily condensed to half its size without losing any information.

Very well written.......2000-01-07

I don't normally comment, but I don't know what book the reader from Minn. was reading. I'm guessing he meant to review a different book. This is not a "German" book at all. This is the clearest, best written book on SAP I've read, and I've read most of them. If you need an introduction to the business logic behind SAP, this is the book to buy.

Need English Version?.......1998-12-01

This is my third book on SAP R/3. This book is another example of poorly written book on SAP. Though the topics are categorized very carefully and intelligently, the text in the book is in the language that requires 'translation in English.' The terms are either ill defined or if defined, then they have been used inconsistently. It was hard to get out the concept behind a topic, since authors give scattered information without focusing on main idea. Also, authors could have written the business processes (SAP modules) in more like step-by-step (or recipe) method, rather than in 'composition' format.

The SAP Bible.......1998-11-26

Mr. Curran's book is the best book on SAP R/3 on the market. Everyone interested in this area should own this book.

Good introduction to SAP R/3--but not for the experts.......1998-08-24

This book gives a general insight on SAP R/3 functional (and a little bit of technical) model. This book can be very good introduction for the corporate executives with very little or no SAP R/3 experience. However, the contents of this book can be too obvious for those who already have worked with SAP R/3 system.

Sales Forecasting Management: Understanding the Techniques, Systems and Management of the Sales Forecasting Process

Average customer rating:

Well below expectation
how and why to develop sales forecasts
The Best Book Ever Written On The Subject

Sales Forecasting Management: Understanding the Techniques, Systems and Management of the Sales Forecasting Process
John T. (Tom) Mentzer , and Carol C. Bienstock
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0761908226

Book Description

Incorporating 25 years of sales forecasting management research with more than 400 companies, Sales Forecasting Management is the first text to truly integrate the theory and practice of sales forecasting management. This research includes the personal experiences of John T. Mentzer and Carol C. Bienstock in advising companies how to improve their sales forecasting management practices. Their program of research includes two major surveys of companiesÆ sales forecasting practices, a two-year, in-depth study of sales forecasting management practices of 20 major companies, and an ongoing study of how to apply the findings from the two-year study to conducting sales forecasting audits of additional companies. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the techniques and applications of sales forecasting analysis, combined with a managerial focus to give managers and users of the sales forecasting function a clear understanding of the forecasting needs of all business functions. Practitioners in marketing, sales, finance/accounting, production/purchasing, and logistics will find this easy-to-understand volume essential. Sales Forecasting Management is an ideal text for graduate courses in sales forecasting management.

Customer Reviews:

Well below expectation.......2004-09-03

I started reading this book and I really liked it at the beginning. It was clear and very simple. After some chapters it become a little confuse and then... half the book is used to tell authors esperiences and benchmark data that don't teach much to you. On the other hand the software that is included to practice forecasting techniques doesn't works in the way the book tells (it's a mess).
Really I enjoy only the first half of the book.

how and why to develop sales forecasts.......2000-07-26

Sales Forecasting Management provides an easy coverage of both quantitative and qualitative forecasting techniques along with a clear understanding of the forecasting needs within a company. Special skills in mathematics are not needed to go through the first chapters. Understanding becomes easier as you advance in your reading. I grade it 4 stars for its unique and relevant topics. The book is easy to understand although personal effort is constantly needed from begining to end. Pierre Achard, MD.

The Best Book Ever Written On The Subject.......1998-07-07

Anyone who ever wants to improve thier companies ability to forecast demand should read this book. The book is filled with excellent examples of both qualitative and quanitative techniques that will help to improve the forecasting process. In addition, an excellent benchmark study is examined that shows how companies currently use forecast and how to improve the forecasting process. This book is a must. Thanks Mentzer

Understanding and Applying Value-Added Assessment : Eliminating Business Process Waste #H0934

Average customer rating:

Good book for mapping business processes
Often overlooked part of process design & cost control

Understanding and Applying Value-Added Assessment : Eliminating Business Process Waste #H0934
William E. Trischler
Manufacturer: ASQ Quality Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0873893697

Customer Reviews:

Good book for mapping business processes.......2007-05-09

A business processes is just like any other process. It has inputs, someone processes the inputs (hopefully by adding value) and an output is created. The only difference between a business process and a manufacturing process is that the output in the business process is typically paper (or an electronic version of paper). This book does a good a job of explaining this and even offers key words for the user to look/listen for when mapping out the process to point you towards non-valued activities.

On a personal note, I have found for business processes that involve multiple people doing the "same" job that it is most beneficial to interview each person separately. Map out every detail of each individual's process and listen for the key words noted in the book. Once completed label each person as 1, 2, 3, etc. (hide the names to protect the innocent) Then put each person's process one on top of the other on a single sheet. Start at the left and map towards the right. Put each process step in line with the one above it. This method will very quickly show just how the CYA factor creeps into a business process and creates a monster.

Often overlooked part of process design & cost control.......2001-07-07

This book is a highly readable, informative approach to an activity that is often missing from process design, process improvement initiatives and cost analyses. The premise is that processes consist of tasks or activities that either add value or don't add it. The goal is to discover and eliminate the non-value adding activities, which, of course, saves money, reduces cycle time and improves efficiency.

The trick is discovering non-value adding activities and making sure that you don't misclassify a necessary task or activity as non-value adding, which causes its own set of problems. This book steps you through the assessment process. It does so in a straightforward manner and provides a wealth of tools and techniques along the way. The first four chapters place value assessment into context with a chapter each devoted to business stakeholders, business processes, business process evolution and methods for improving processes. These chapters are rich in content and cover the basics well. The author makes good use of both page layout, illustrations and good writing to get you up to speed on the fundamentals of organization, process and value concepts that you need to know before proceeding with the analysis and assessment phases.

Chapters 5 through 7 provide procedures for performing the analysis phase, gives a well-defined framework for the analysis and step-by-step procedures for the value-added assessment process. Chapter 8 augments this with tools and techniques for quantifying the process time and cost elements. This chapter provides process flows, calculations and tips and advice. This chapter is also heavily illustrated and makes excellent use of tables, which removes any uncertainty or ambiguity. One of the best parts of this book is the non-value added dictionary that is provided in chapter 9. Every task or activity that is a possible non-value added step is listed in alphabetical order, ranging from "Adjusts" to "Waits for". There is a page devoted to each, which follows a specific format which is a nice template for adding your own activities and tasks. The format includes a definition of the step, symbol used to represent it, category, an example, rationale for identifying the step as non-value added, synonyms, related actions and notes. Not all steps provided in the book will be non-value add in all processes. For example, in software engineering an inspection is one of the most effective quality assurance methods with a proven record for catching defects early in the development life cycle. Because software development is usually a one-off process that produces a unique product inspections are warranted. Use your judgement here.

Book Description

Finally, a complete guide to the hospital coding and billing processes that includes both inpatient and outpatient coding as well as inpatient and outpatient billing! Understanding Hospital Coding and Billing offers a comprehensive look at the world of hospital/facility coding and billing in a worktext format. This learning solution will promote understanding of the entire facility process from patient intake through the entire billing process. Knowledge of the total process is imperative to successful comprehension of both coding and billing in the facility setting.

Customer Reviews:

Not for self study.......2006-08-15

I ordered this book for self study, not for any class. There are no answers; they're all in the instructor's manual, which you cannot purchase if you're not an instructor. Calls to the publisher were met with indifference. The book itself is great, but if I already knew the answers I wouldn't have needed the book!

From Debate to Dialogue : Using the Understanding Process to Transform Our Conversations

Average customer rating:

Phill1SPHR@aol.com, Dallas, TX
Transform heated discussions into constructive dialogue
Contains valuable ideas to improve communication.

From Debate to Dialogue : Using the Understanding Process to Transform Our Conversations
Deborah L., PhD., Flick
Manufacturer: Orchid Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Communications | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0966367103

Book Description

This book provides a direct method called the "Understanding Process" for moving us from debate into dialogue about any issue, especially difficult or controversial ones. As an alternative to debate in which we seek to win or be right, when we use the Understanding Process we make an effort to understand others from within their frame of reference. We also learn ways to speak our own truths without polarizing issues, invalidating others and fostering defensiveness. A key to practicing the Understanding Process is the knowledge that understanding someone from their point of view does not necessarily mean agreeing with them. Nor does deeply understanding another perspective require that we surrender our own beliefs and values.

Replete with examples and case studies that illustrate the transforming potential of the Understanding Process approach to dialogue, this book shows how we can: * Convert conflict into understanding, * Increase our confidence and competence in dealing with difficult situations, * Improve relationships at work and home, * Enhance respectfulness and civility in our public conversations without sacrificing truthfulness, * Express different points of view without becoming polarized, * Replace destructive stereotyping of each other with understanding and concern, * Listen so that positive change occurs, and * Create innovative inspired solutions.

Customer Reviews:

Phill1SPHR@aol.com, Dallas, TX.......2000-04-14

Have you ever listened to someone only to have them ultimately say to you that you weren't really listening? What was your response? Was it something like, "Sure, I was listening!" Well, what you have found is a book that gives you a recipe for developing some skills which most of us think we have mastered. Like fish in water, we don't see that what we are surrounded by is the "stuff" to which we have become accustomed. Like fish in water, we don't recognize its hold on us until we are taken out of it and asked to try something totally different. Like fish who are taken out of the water and placed on dry land, we usually gasp at the thought of trying something different for too long. Some of us don't get it and don't see the need to change. Like fish, we just want to be placed back in the water! Dr. Flick's assertion about the fact that we have become accustomed to the "Debate Culture" is right on target. She is also correct in her assertion that if we are going to "walk a mile in another's shoes" the only way to do it is to transform our conversations using what she has called the "Understanding Process". You must read the book and practice the skill to really experience how this process can impact professional and personal conversations. I have utilized the exercise she recommends in the book during a diversity exercise in an organizational setting. I started at this point because it was my observation that the group of people that I was working with had difficulty constructively discussing the topics of race and gender. I believe that before we can have healthy constructive discussion, we have to know how to carry on dialogue that allows us to embark upon the "diversity journey". The beautiful thing about the "Understanding Process" is that Dr. Flick isn't proposing that in the dialogue your objective is to change the other person's position, she is simply proposing that this is a method that you can use to begin to appreciate and value the other person's perspective. These skills are required for us to successfully challenge our assumptions in situations requiring dialogue with other human beings. Challenging our assumptions is fundamental to acquiring new knowledge and developing critical thinking skills. I have found that we can help others to begin to develop their ability to challenge their underlying assumptions utilizing critical debate. Combining this exercise with the "Understanding Process" is a recipe that strengthens the development of skills that allow for meaningful conversations. These conversations are critical to our ability to push past the awareness building "parlor games" we have become accustomed to in our pursuit of valuing diversity within organizations. Be warned! Some executives are prone to launch into difficult diversity conversations thinking they inherently have the skills Dr. Flick recommends. I have observed that the more anxious they are to "get to the issues", the less they are willing to recognize the water in which they are swimming and the harder it becomes to convince them to learn this new method. Appropriate sponsorship and positioning are important to successfully utilizing the "Understanding Process" as a first step in pursuing deeper levels of learning regarding diversity. Practicing the skill is also important. Because the "Debate Culture" is so entrenched, a plan to carry forth learnings is imperative to changing behavior. Thank you Dr. Flick!

Transform heated discussions into constructive dialogue.......1998-11-15

Dr. Flick has captured the essence of Debate Culture. More importantly, she offers a way to transform heated discussions into dialogues which expand knowledge, affirm relationships, and transform debate into hope. I have seen the Understanding Process in action with peers and clients and have never seen it fail to transform discussions for groups and individuals. The Understanding Process is disarmingly simple to understand, but requires focused attention and a degree of discipline to apply successfully. Anyone needing to engage in meaningful discourse would benefit from this timely book.

Contains valuable ideas to improve communication........1998-09-01

This is a great book! Flick's analysis of the debate culture goes right to the heart of what's keeping us from really communicating with each other. Her suggestions for how to break away from debate to true understanding are effective and liberating.

"From Debate to Dialogue" showed me why so many discussions in meetings I have been to recently have been unfruitful. If I can get several more people in my department to read this book, I believe we could discover better solutions to the problems we are working on. And we could all get there in a much better frame of mind.

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