Thursday, December 18, 2008

Commercial Transactions or The Drucker Foundation Self Assessment Tool

Commercial Transactions: A Systems Approach

Author: Lynn M LoPucki

Help your students understand the realities of commercial practice and the relationship between the rules and the transactions they govern. The authors——recognized for their outstanding teaching ability as well as their superb scholarship——cut across arbitrary content boundaries to organize their casebook by system, rather than rules.

The book's three parts take a real—life approach to the law:

Sales Systems——progresses logically from formation of agreements to a discussion of terms, performance, and remedies

Payment and Credit Systems——covers checking accounts, credit cards, wire transfers, letters of credit, and payment systems of the future, such as stored—value cards and electronic money; competition for deferring payment, negotiable instruments and liquidity, remedies under state law and remedies in bankruptcy, and creation of security interests and secured transactions

Creditor—Third Party Relationship——deals with perfection, maintaining perfection, priority, and competitions for collateral.

This approach shows students that the law is one element of a system that includes legal rules, the people who engage in transactions, contracts designed to guide the transaction, and the physical tools used to consummate them.

To make their casebook an effective teaching and learning tool, the authors:

present material in a series of 55 self—contained assignments, each designed for a 50— to 60—minute class

use expository text, case excerpts, sample documents, forms, and problems in the assignments

make their text more extensive and their case excerpts briefer to givestudents all the information they need to solve the problems

include all the elements of a comprehensive commercial law course; no traditional topics are neglected

offer a thorough Teacher's Manual with answers to all the problems in the casebook and helpful guidance on choosing material when an instructor is pressed for time



Go to: Patterns of Entrepreneurship or Principles of Financial Accounting

The Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool: Participant Workbook

Author: Peter F Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management

Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management

As a tool for clarifying the thinking of volunteer boards, the Drucker Self-Assessment Tool is unparalleled. This is a real way to develop a language, get to the critical issues, and move on--the most practical and efficient method I have seen. As facilitator of over 175 retreats, it is the best thing I've used--and I appreciate the enhancements and improvements!

--Peggy Outon, board chair, National Alliance for Nonprofit Management

The Drucker Foundation's Self-Assessment Tool has made a lot of changes in the way we do business. . . . The workbook was a good beginning. The interactions and 'homework reports' on flip-chart paper were a vital part of this learning process.

--Sue H. Brown, executive director, Senior Centers of Spartanburg County, Inc.

The results far surpassed our expectations. The Drucker Process literally revitalized the organization. The board members have rallied around a new mission statement, taken on a variety of tasks, and designed new programs, which are very realistic.

--Beth S. Cole, former executive director, American Academy of Home Care Physicians

For over fifty years, Peter F. Drucker has shared his wisdom with organizations in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. The Drucker Foundation Self-Assessment Tool puts his invaluable management experience into your hands—and gives you the means to rediscover the mission and potential of your nonprofit organization. Originally published in 1993, the best-selling Self-Assessment Tool has helped and inspired nonprofit boards, executives, and teams to apply Drucker's insights to their organizations' needs. Based onextensive user feedback and research, the new and improved Participant Workbook has been streamlined for greater flexibility and focus.

The revised Participant Workbook presents Peter Drucker's Five Most Important Questions and fully updated worksheets. There is no right way to use this tool: you make it your own. Its clear directions and straightforward method make it easy to implement with groups of any size, management level, or planning experience. By the And of the self-assessment process, participants will not only have a stronger understanding of their mission, values, and customers, but also an effective plan to apply what they learned.

Multiple Uses for the Self-Assessment Tool

? The leadership team--the chairman of the board and the chief executive--can lead the organization in conducting a comprehensive self-assessment, refining mission, goals, and results, and developing a working plan of action.

? Teams throughout the organization can use the Tool to invigorate projects, tailoring the process to focus on specific areas as needed.

? Governing boards can use the Tool in orientation for new members, as means to deepen thinking during retreats, and to develop clarity on mission and goals.

? Universities and colleges can use the Tool as a guide for field projects with organizations from the nonprofit, business, and government sectors, and as a resource for boards and faculty.

? Working groups from collaborating organizations can use the Tool to define common purpose and to develop clear goals, programs, and plans.



Table of Contents:
INTRODUCTION TO SELF-ASSESSMENT.
Self-Assessment: The First Action Requirement of Leadership.
How to Use This Workbook.
Definition of Terms.
THE FIVE QUESTIONS.
Question 1: What Is Our Mission?
Worksheet 1: What is the Current Mission?
Worksheet 2: What are Our Challenges?
Worksheet 3: What are Our Opportunities?
Worksheet 4: Does the Mission Need to be Revisited?
Question 2: Who Is Our Customer?
Worksheet 5: Who are Our Primary and Supporting Customers?
Worksheet 6: How will Our Customers Change?
Question 3: What Does the Customer Value?
Worksheet 7: What do We Believe Our Primary and Supporting Customers Value?
Worksheet 8: What Knowledge do We Need to Gain from Our Customers?
Worksheet 9: How will I Participate in Gaining This Knowledge?
Question 4: What Are Our Results?
Worksheet 10: How do We Define Results?
Worksheet 11: Are We Successful?
Worksheet 12: How Should We Define Results?
Worksheet 13: What must We Strengthen or Abandon?
Question 5: What Is Our Plan?
Worksheet 14: Should the Mission be Changed?
Worksheet 15: What are Our Goals?
Afterword: Effective Implementation of Your Plan.

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