According to author Mike Schmoker, there is a yawning gap between the most well-known essential practices and the reality of most classrooms. This gap persists despite the hard, often heroic work done by many teachers and administrators. Schmoker believes that teachers and administrators may know what the best practices are, but they aren't using them or reinforcing them consistently. He asserts that our schools are protected by a buffer--a protective barrier that prevents scrutiny of instruction by outsiders. The buffer exists within the school as well. Teachers often know only what is going on in their classrooms--and they may be completely in the dark about what other teachers in the school are doing. Even principals, says Schmoker, don't have a clear view of the daily practices of teaching and learning in their schools. Schmoker suggests that we need to get beyond this buffer to confront the truth about what is happening in classrooms, and to allow teachers to learn from each other and to be supervised properly. He outlines a plan that focuses on the importance of consistent curriculum, authentic literacy education, and professional learning communities for teachers. What will students get out of this new approach? Learning for life. Schmoker argues passionately that students become learners for life when they have more opportunities to engage in strategic reading, writing with explicit guidance, and argument and discussion. Through strong teamwork, true leadership, and authentic learning, schools and their students can reach new heights. Results Now is a rally cry for educators to focus on what counts. If they do, Schmoker promises, the entire school community can count on unprecedented achievements.

Build your nonprofit into a high performer with this practical approach to purpose, strategy, operations, and governance Planning is vital to achieving your nonprofit's purpose—too bad most nonprofits are strapped for time. Not anymore. Using a lightning-fast and inclusive process, Results Now® puts purpose, strategy, operations, and governance into one user-friendly, comprehensive plan that your board can pass in a single vote and your organization can maintain as a regular part of its business throughout the year. Results Now for Nonprofits relies on accountability and performance measurement to increase the level of effective decision-making. This "big picture first, details next" planning process helps you: Use the Results Now master plan as a centerpiece of board meetings and as a standard part of board meeting advance information Foster a welcome climate for give-and-take strategic thinking Clarify the organization's story for the community and keep people on point about what's important Develop team cohesion Orient newer leadership members and recharge seasoned ones Attract new funders who reward nonprofits who plan A must-have for all nonprofit executives and directors, members of boards and trustees, and nonprofit managers, Results Now for Nonprofits is a results-driven, practical tool that will help your organization achieve its mission, values, and destiny.

Is it possible that the way to win in business is to give employees exactly what they want? Yes. As RESPECT reveals, managers and organizations who give their employees what they want outperform those who don't. This is no hunch – it's a fact based on more than 25 years of global research. Drs. Jack Wiley and Brenda Kowske have amassed a research database unlike any other, and it all started with this simple question: "What is the most important thing you want from the organization for which you work?" Organizations that apply this research have more engaged employees, more satisfied customers, and better shareholder returns. It all boils down to seven key elements, summarized by the acronym RESPECT. These are the seven things that employees really want: Recognition, Exciting Work, Security, Pay, Education, Conditions and Truth. This book taps the authors' "in the trenches" consulting experience and offers real solutions on each element of RESPECT. Written for all types of leaders—from supervisors to the c-suite—readers can pick and choose the proven solutions that are relevant to their own organizations. By weaving stories and narrative, the authors make complex information easy to understand and fun to read. In addition, RESPECT meets the demands of the global economy, offering an international perspective with corresponding cultural nuances that are critical to helping leaders manage the needs of their workforces.

In this updated edition of the LEAD NOW! handbook, internationally recognized leadership coaches John Parker Stewart and Daniel Stewart provide busy leaders with hundreds of sparkling bits of insightful advice for continuous improvement.

“Mind-expanding—and potentially even life-altering—advice on both a personal and business level” –Kirkus Reviews Your Mindset impacts everything you think, say and do. Your Mindset creates hope and hopelessness, success and failure. It is the software your brain uses to create attitude, experience, and achievement. It is also the filter that builds behavior. Your Mindset causes you to blame others for failure or learn from experienc e. Your Mindset helps you make sense of everything that happens. It is the prism through which you experience life. Research has shown those with a Results-Focused, Growth Mindset make more money and are happier than those who choose to limit themselves. Those with a fixed Mindset make excuses for setbacks instead of learning from mistakes. Your Mindset will help you build self-confidence and self-discipline. It will help you overcome any obstacle and any problem. In New Mindset New Results, discover how: TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS WITH A NEW RESULTS MINDSET TO BUILD A RESULTS-FOCUSED MINDSET YOUR MINDSET CHANGES YOUR BRAIN GREAT LEADERS USE A RESULTS MINDSET TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS TO DEVELOP A RESULTS MINDSET IN YOUR KIDS

Praise for Developing Talentfor Organizational Results "Elaine Biech brings together some of the 'royalty' of American corporations and asks them to share their wisdom in increasing organizational effectiveness. In 46 information-filled chapters, these 'learning providers' don't just sit on their conceptual thrones; they offer practical advice for achieving company goals and the tools to make it happen."—Marshall Goldsmith, million-selling author of the New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There "Recruiting, developing, inspiring, engaging, and retaining your talent are critical to the growth and success of all organizations. Developing Talent for Organizational Results is a rich resource that can help you cultivate your most precious resource."—Tony Bingham, CEO & President ASTD and Co-author of The New Social Learning "Hiring and developing talent is the area that I am most passionate about. . . . Developing Talent for Organizational Results covers all the important topics, uses multiple experts, and supports learning with ready-to-use tools to develop talent in your company. It is like having a million-dollar consultant sitting on your book shelf!"—Mindy Meads, former CO-CEO Aéropostale and former CEO/ President Lands' End The best companies win with highly talented, highly committed employees—hiring and developing the best talent is essential. In Developing Talent for Organizational Results, Elaine Biech brings together the work of many of the most renowned learning providers in the world—all of them members of ISA: The Association of Learning Providers. Filled with a treasure-trove of consulting advice from The Ken Blanchard Companies, DDI, Forum, Herrmann International, Bev Kaye, Jack Zenger, and others, this book delivers the answers you want to improve leadership, management, and communication skills; address training, learning, and engagement issues; and shape the culture and care for your customers to achieve desired results.

This practical, comprehensive guide to designing and running more effective meetings will result in less time wasted, more collaborative decision-making, and measurably improved business outcomes. There's nothing more frustrating than an unproductive meeting—except when it leads to another unproductive meeting. Yet every day millions of people conduct meetings—in person or online—without the critical understanding or formal training on how to plan and lead them effectively. This book offers a structured method to ensure that meetings will produce clear and actionable results. Meetings that are profitable and productive ultimately lead to fewer meetings. This book offers leaders a significant edge by • Empowering readers to help their groups create, innovate, and break through the barriers of miscommunication, politics, and intolerance • Making it easier for them to help others forge consensus and shared understanding • Providing them with proven agenda steps, tools, and detailed procedures Readers will learn how to resolve or manage common problems, inspire creativity, and transfer ownership to their meeting participants while managing interpersonal conflicts and other disruptions that arise. In a world of back-to-back meetings, this book explains the how-to details behind game-changing tools and techniques.