Discusses mentoring as a feasible approach to enhancing the quality of leadership in schools. Mentoring is an evolutionary relationship that transcends guidance and support and demands commitment, trust, and reciprocity. Time must be provided for individuals to converse, observe, experience, and reflect on each other's practice. (17 references)…

The Small Company European Analysis Technique is a diagnostic tool that small businesses can use to analyze market opportunities in preparation for 1992. The approach uses small group consensus building as in the Delphi technique and brainstorming to formulate a strategic plan. (SK)

After a 16-hour industry training program, 90 participating supervisors ranked preferred topics and delivery methods. Methods were consistent with those in Dale's Cone of Experience. Most preferred were large group discussion, small group discussion, and illustrated talk. (SK)

A literature review on action learning in management/executive development concludes that few meaningful examples of action learning have been assessed for their effects on organizations. There has been more focus on team building than on individual or organizational learning. (SK)

Reviews the psychological need for certainties in uncertain situations in business and the generic solutions offered by the "guru" industry. Points to action learning as a developmental method geared toward asking questions rather than providing answers. (SK)

"In-basket" training is ineffective. The Annenburg Institute for School Reform suggests that principals learn most effectively in groups, foster more powerful faculty and student learning by focusing on their own learning, must move beyond their assumptions, and need more focused reflection. Strong leadership, rigorous planning, and…

A British study of 29 providers of competency-based management training to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a survey of 591 SMEs revealed that the value of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) was unclear to both groups. Providers felt NVQs lacked relevance to SMEs and were time consuming. Some SMEs participated only because…

A learning organization is viable when the learning climate successfully changes managers' mindsets. A case study of a financial services enterprise illustrates ways to keep mind sets from hardening and shows how changing learning activities and tools can change habits of thinking and learning. (Contains 30 references.) (SK)

One management class read a literary text and wrote answers to the teacher's questions. Another class discussed the text in small and large groups. Group discussion stimulated better and more creative insights than private reading. The teacher's questions inhibited responses. Discussion groups understood the relevance of literature to management;…

The University of Luton (England) delivers a management training course to countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Lessons learned in understanding different attitudes and experiences will be helpful in providing further assistance to former communist nations. (SK)

Reviews research on video in management education to identify uses. Recommends (1) using video for heightening affective arousal and responsiveness to instruction; (2) increasing comprehension from videos by having an educational objective in mind; and (3) recognizing that content comprehension is best attained through print. (SK)

A workshop on diversity issues and training was attended by 99 middle managers. Compared to 51 controls, attendees rated diversity practices and their use of them higher. The social environment indirectly affected ratings but the work environment did not. (SK)

A study of 157 small financial firms found a significant relationship between strategic management training for senior managers and the firm's level of commitment to planning, resulting in a return on investment for stockholders. (SK)

Line managers in empowering (n=58) and nonempowering (n=37) British companies were compared. Although "empowered" managers felt better equipped to supervise, they appeared undertrained and unmotivated to develop staff. "Empowerment" was often indistinguishable from work intensification. (SK)

Unlike traditional management development, use of conversations in coaching high-performance work teams addresses core processes of speaking and listening. Management of conversations aims to create learning that will lead to breakthroughs in team performance. (SK)