The last post addressed how to develop a handbook's table of contents and alluded to the idea that The Handbook will ensure that the content from our distinguished authors will be practical and helpful. How will The ASTD Leadership Handbook be useful and practical for you? Those of you familiar with my work know that I am all about practical. How can I help you take any content and easily use it in your day-to-day work?

What Constitutes Practical?

We could turn to any number of definitions: adapted for actual use; results of action; engaged in judicious and sensible practice or work; adopt a means to an end; or others from many sources. The bottom line is that practical means you will be able to implement the content to accomplish something of use.

To ensure that The ASTD Leadership Handbook is practical, we have asked the authors to contribute a tool that the readers can use to better understand the content, to implement the content with others (after all, you are trainers), or to adapt the content for actual use.

What's a Tool?

What's a tool? Well that's what our authors asked too. We suggested that a tool could be a template, worksheet, checklist, model, quiz, survey, or any job aid that helps the reader implement the content of the chapter. To make it as easy for our authors as possible, I provided few parameters. The tool could be:

• Previously published or not.

• Validated or not.

• Relative to the entire chapter or focus on just one area.

The chapters and their accompanying tools are arriving every day. Here are a few of the tools you will have access to. These tools will help you implement leadership concepts you will read about in The Handbook.

• John Kotters Eight Step Change Model.

• Bill Gentry's Checklist for Avoiding Leader Derailment.

• Marshall Goldsmith's mini Coaching Survey.

• Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood's Personal Leadership Proficiency Leadership DNA model, they call the Leadership Code.

• Patrick Lencioni's Team Assessment to help you evaluate your team's susceptibility to the five dysfunctions of a team.

• Bev Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evan's "Jerk Checklist."

• Len Goodstein's Applied Strategic Planning Model.

• Ed Betof's Checklist for Mentoring Leaders.

This list constitutes less than 1/3 of the tools that will accompany The Handbook. So what do you think? Do these sound practical to you?

How Can You Use the Tools?

Here's the best part. The tools will be found on a companion website. You will be able to download them. As long as you maintain the copyright and the "used with permission" state,emt on the tool, you will be able to use it for your daily work. Free tools! Now that's exciting!

Next Up: How to Ensure Quality

Respected authors are good. Realistic topics are good. Practical content is good. But what about quality? In my next post I will provide you with several ideas for how The ASTD Leadership Handbook will guarantee the highest quality possible.