Customer Reviews

Common Sense Training: A Working Philosophy for Leaders

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Athletes are coached to "play within themselves" while striving to set new performance standards. In the business world (as Buckingham and Coffman explain in First, Break All the Rules), the most effective managers are those who focus almost entirely on their people's talents and get those talents in proper alignment with the tasks to be completed. The United States military services (especially the Marine Corps) take an entirely different approrach: Through what is indeed basic training, they require everyone involved to master essentially the same skills, within the same schedule, under the same conditions, etc. Only later are graduates of this rigorous process selected to receive more specialized training, usually according to their talents.

This book will be especially valuable to those organizations which have limited resources to invest in formal training. More than 90% of what is learned in any workplace is the result of on-the-job (i.e. informal) training. Collins and Bolger have obviously taken a close look at all manner of formal training programs, including those in the military srevices. They also fully understand the importance of informal training. If your organization has limited resources but a great need to increase the value of its human capital (i.e. increasing the quantity and -- especially -- the quality of what they understand and what they can do), what this book offers would be an excellent starting point. I'm not damning with faint praise. Eventually, if and when appropriate, I would then recommend Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline and The Dance of Change.

All organizations, regardless of size or nature, must constantly focus on increasing the effectiveness of on-the-job training. There are always at least a few people in each corporate department or small-to-midsize company who are both knowledgable and passionate. "They really know their stuff." They love to explain what they do and how they do it. Others probably think of them as "born teachers." Put them to work as trainers and be sure to reward them generously for their services. Provide books such as Collins and Bolger's to assist their preparation. One effective strategy is to have them conduct what I call "brown bag seminars." Employers or supervisors provide the food and beverages, welcome the participants, wish them well, and then leave the room. Any organization's most valuable assets really do "walk out the door at the end of each day." It is also important to remember that those assets are located between two ears.

A very good read if you are looking to improve the quality of your training programs. Stresses the importance of continuity, breadth, and the leadership role. If you are tired of elaborate and expensive training programs which are difficult to develop and sustain (and therefore not that effective!), you might want to try this book out! I have never served in the military yet found it quite useful. Good civilian application if you understand the military.

Responding to the review by the ROTC APMS, I found this book to be anything but dry. I was stunned at the parallels I discovered between the old Army and the modern Marine Corps. I read it mid-career and a lot of issues the author brings up resonated due to experience. That cadets found it dry does not surprise me in the least - they have no frame of reference. Their instructor's response, while disappointing, does not surprise me at all.

My last experience with Army training was in 2006 at the newly revamped Civil Affairs course at Ft. Bragg. Much of it was classroom lecture focussed on absorbing doctrine, vice practical techniques for actual operations. There was some good training, but they could have achieved so much more in 9 weeks. I think the "modern" Army needs to read this book. Anyone responsible for teaching a new skill set should do the same.

I am an Assistant Professor of Military Science at an ROTC university and I used this book for my class, based on the excellent reviews it has received. However, both my cadets and I found the reading to be dry & many of the issues brought up by the author may have been relevant during the Vietnam & post Vietnam area, but do not apply to the modern Army. The book might be better suited if one was strictly studying the Army during the Vietnam area, but I cannot otherwise recommend it.

Even though this book is out of date, the talking points are still relevant. Read this book with an open mind and don't expect it to answer all of your pressing curiosities. I believe every leader could get a wealth of knowledge and insight from this book and it's emphases on training.