Your Online Resource Library ...featuring Free White Papers, Position Papers, Articles and Podcasts Learning Tree offers a collection of FREE White Papers, Position Papers, Articles and Podcasts written by industry experts. Enhance your knowledge with these timely reports that provide comprehensive overviews of today's hottest technologies such as SharePoint, Windows Server 2008, ITIL®, SQL Server, Oracle Database and more, plus helpful resources and Web sites offering the most current information! All resources are absolutely free and easy to download.

White Papers   Management Insights Articles Position Papers   Podcasts

White Papers
	Windows 7: An Introductory Overview Windows is the latest desktop operating system from Microsoft. Numerous improvements and features were brought to this operating system. This White Paper thoroughly reviews them all—from the different editions and new gadgets, to security measures and event log management.
	Cloud Computing Promises: Fact or Fiction Cloud computing is currently making information technology headlines, and vendors are aggressively promoting the many benefits it can provide organizations. This White Paper addresses the claims and questions that are often raised in relation to cloud computing and provides a clear view of what the cloud can—and can’t—deliver in reality.
	Managing Project Risk: Using the Art of Communication Communication problems are often cited as one of the main risks to project success. What can a project manager do to reduce this risk and provide a way to increase the odds of success? This White Paper addresses risk identification, analysis and risk response planning, and provides insight into resolving inadequate communication and interpersonal skills.
	What's in It for You: Exploring the Benefits of the SQL Server 2008 Database Engine Whether you're already implementing SQL Server 2008 or contemplating an upgrade, this White Paper will provide critical insights into the features of the core database engine. Learn about the enhancements for the developer, those for the Database Administrator (DBA) and those related to overall performance.
	How to Create a Successful Business Intelligence Program Thanks to the advancement of database and data storage technologies, as well as increased front-end functionalities, Business Intelligence (BI) initiatives are no longer plagued with the challenges they faced in the past. This White Paper defines BI, explores the benefits to the organization, then outlines the steps needed to implement an effective BI program and drive it forward successfully.
	The Theory and Business Application of Knowledge Management The critical value of an organization’s collective knowledge can’t be overstated. This Paper provides you with an understanding of how knowledge is managed and disseminated within an enterprise, as well as a strategy for creating a Knowledge Management (KM) program that can be leveraged as a competitive advantage.
	What You Need To Know About Implementing Virtualization in the Workplace The adoption of virtualization in IT departments has been attributed to gains in efficiency, increased effectiveness, cost savings, and potency in reducing server and desktop "sprawl". This White Paper provides an introduction, as well as details on configurations, benefits and how to select a virtualization platform based on your needs.
	Successful Business Analysts: How They Avoid the Five Most Common BA Mistakes Business analysts are increasingly becoming the critical liaisons between business and solution development (oftentimes IT), so they must communicate and relate with equal effectiveness throughout all levels of an organization. This White Paper identifies five common obstacles business analysts face and how to address them to ensure success.
	Leadership Success: Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities That Produce Positive Results, Part 1 – Behaviors This three-part series outlines the BCR (Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities) approach to leadership. This first part focuses on the behavioral aspects that successful managers have incorporated into their leadership style to motivate and inspire their staff. Included are chapters on embracing integrity, building trust, working with difference and establishing a "servant" leadership role.
	Leadership Success: Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities That Produce Positive Results, Part 2 – Competencies Continuing its exploration of the BCR (Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities) leadership approach, Part Two of the series addresses the competencies that effective managers should acquire in order to ensure their success as a leader. Specifically, these are collaborative communication, effective decision-making, and employing Emotional Intelligence (EI).
	Leadership Success: Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities That Produce Positive Results, Part 3 – Responsibilities The third and final installment of the Leadership Success trilogy concludes with an overview of the responsibilities managers need to embrace as part of the BCR (Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities) approach to successful leadership. Included are chapters on coaching, aligning visions and goals, and managing change.
	Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): From Introduction through Implementation This comprehensive overview of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) begins with an introduction to the fundamentals and concludes with advice on how your organization can accomplish a successful implementation. Along the way, you’ll learn about the technologies and standards that make SOA possible, the basic process of creating an SOA, management, governance and more.
	An Introduction to Oracle 11g A complete guide to the latest edition of Oracle’s database management system. Included are chapters on characteristics, new features, advantages for developers/administrators, and more. Essential reading for anyone implementing or considering Oracle 11g for their organization.
	SharePoint® Empowerment: Making Document Management and Organizational Collaboration Easier With the management of electronic documents becoming an increasing challenge, SharePoint offers organizations a boost in organizational efficiency. Those who wish to know more about this highly effective technology will find a wealth of information in this White Paper, including an overview, key benefits, components and applications.
	Windows Server 2008: An Introductory Overview This insightful introduction to Windows Server 2008 covers the subject from three perspectives: security, manageability and availability. Chapters include Security Enhancements, Identity and Access Control, Virtualization, Auditing Enhancements, plus helpful references and Web sites.
	Open Source Software: An Overview and Outlook Explore the world of “free software” with this comprehensive study. Included are sections on Architecture and Integration, the Linux Kernel, GNU/Linux Distributions, Development Environments, Free Software in a Network, the Workstation, and more.
	Oracle 10g : An Introduction Examines the wealth of functionalities offered by Oracle, in particular the 10g Edition. Chapters include the following: Costs, Options, Characteristics, Strengths, Developing Applications, and Benefits for DBAs.
	RealityPlus™: Increasing Value Through Performance-Based Training An introduction to the dynamic new learning methodology developed exclusively by and for Learning Tree. Chapters include the following: Foundations of RealityPlus, The RealityPlus Experience, Measurable Performance Results, and Benefits.
	ITIL®: Best Practices for Managing Your IT Infrastructure A comprehensive, up-to-date look at the Information Technology Infrastructure. Chapters include the following: What is ITIL, Benefits of ITIL, Implementing Best Practices, Certification, and Training. * Newly revised to include Version 3.
	Managing Storage: Trends, Challenges, and Options This White Paper presents the findings of a global study involving over 1,000 IT professionals focusing on storage infrastructure. Chapters include the following: Challenges Faced by IT/Storage Managers, Complex Storage Environments, Storage Technology Segments, Recommendations, and Conclusions. *New 2007-2008 Edition.
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Position Papers
	Using the PMBOK® Guide to Build a Practical Project Management Process - Position Paper Offers an instructive and insightful approach to applying the various principles of the PMBOK® Guide (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th Edition) when building a project management process that aligns with the unique needs and structure of your organization.
	Ten Questions to Ask Your Training Provider - Position Paper What defines great training — and a great training provider — is how much more effective your people are when they return from their course. Asking these Ten Questions of your training provider, whether current or prospective, will help ensure that you realize all the benefits you should expect from your training investment.
	The Analytical and Management Skills Required for a Successful ITIL® Migration - Position Paper A must-read for individuals and organizations who are planning—or are currently involved in—adopting ITIL best practices. Outlines the critical personal and business skills that produce success, nurture change and maintain support for the initiative.
	Getting the Most from Project Management Training: Changing the Box - Position Paper Makes the case that professionals with Project Management training require a supportive, project-driven organizational culture to truly succeed in their work.
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Management Insights Articles
	Six Steps to Improving Team Effectiveness with Emotional Intelligence Do you know what emotional intelligence is and how it can improve your team’s effectiveness? In this month’s Management Insights article, author Dr. Adrian Britten offers six detailed and proven strategies that use emotional intelligence to achieve highly effective and better performing teams.
	Five Critical Steps for Effective Assertiveness How effective are your communication skills? Are you effectively assertive or just aggressive? In this month’s Management Insights article, author Jean S. Corson discusses the difference and how being effectively assertive can lead to successful collaboration and productivity in the workplace.
	Five Steps to Managing Successful Meetings Do you know what it takes to chair a successful meeting? In this month’s Management Insights article, author Serena Williamson offers five detailed and proven strategies for effective and successful meetings.
	Five Key Steps to Managing Stress How we deal with, and respond to, stressful situations can have a big impact on our emotional well-being. In this Management Insights article, author Judi Williams shares her insights into dramatically reducing stress with five proven stress management techniques.
	Four Key Steps to Building Effective Networks By asking the right four questions in the right order, building an effective business network can be a smooth operation. In this Management Insights article, author Eric Magnuson uses a real-life example to demonstrate the positive impact building networks can have on both project and personal success.
	Six Steps to a Strategic Situation Analysis with SWOT SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project or business venture. In this Management Insights article, author Ramana Metlapalli shows the best way to develop and execute an analysis project, turning situation analysis into a smooth, interactive and inclusive experience via the SWOT planning method.
	Turning Complaints into Opportunities: EARN Customer Loyalty in Four Steps A customer complaint is actually an opportunity for earning a loyal, lifetime customer. In this Management Insights article, author Judi Williams dissects a real-life customer service disaster—turning it into a positive experience via the four-step EARN process.
	Dealing with Difficult People: 14 Rules of Engagement. When professional managers are attacked, they react by following the 14 Rules of Engagement. In this Management Insights article, author Dr. Phillip Walker reveals how to handle difficult people. Learn how to turn even the most negative attitude into a positive influence.
	How Do I Know if I’m Working for Enron? Three Indicators of a Company’s Financial Health. Glancing at your company’s annual report is not enough to determine its real financial health. In this Management Insights article, author Richard A. Stanley reveals how to assess your company’s fiscal situation. Discover whether you’re working for a winner.
	Getting Others to Engage in Change: The Five-Step Process When trying to implement large-scale internal changes, most organizations usually falter when trying to sustain employee commitment over the life of the project. In this Management Insights article, author Bob Black outlines a five-step process that can help you achieve—and maintain—the sustained internal engagement that results in successful change implementation.
	Creating Compelling Executive Summaries in Seven Easy Steps Today’s fast-paced business environment is rife with quick digital communication, resulting in a great deal of frustration for anyone trying to get individuals to read a complete document. In this Management Insights article, author Peter Dillon-Parkin outlines a seven-step process that can help you write the most concise—and persuasive—part of your proposal: The executive summary.
	Negotiation: Five Steps to Help You Prepare and Succeed The ability to handle the unexpected question or line of attack during a negotiating session is one of the most critical skills an effective negotiator has. Unfortunately, even the most seasoned professionals can find themselves in a weakened position. Author Bob Black addresses the issue in this instalment of Management Insights with a five-step Negotiation Process Model that can give you the winning edge.
	Positive Persuasion: Influence Factors That Create a Win-Win Scenario To stay productive and profitable, companies depend on their managers to work together effectively in order to achieve fiscal and organizational goals. Unfortunately, individuals sometimes withhold their commitment if they feel they’re losing ground on their own “turf.” This Management Insights article—authored by workplace behavior consultant Jean V. Corson—outlines Five Critical Influence Factors that can positively persuade team members to commit towards goals that benefit everyone.
	Building a Business Case as the Foundation for Project Success In today’s business climate, there’s little room for resources of any kind being wasted. That’s why it’s critical that projects meet organizational goals and realize the maximum return on investment. In this Management Insights article, author John Moore outlines how you can ensure project success by developing and applying a solid Business Case throughout a project’s lifecycle.
	Successful Strategic Planning in Eight Simple Steps Volatile economic markets and internal crises can leave an organization—and its employees—feeling lost and demoralized. In this installment of our Management Insights, author Anita Caputo outlines a methodology for managers to implement sound strategic planning that provides clarity, focus and alignment in tough times.
	Four Elements That Create a Motivational Environment Keeping staff engaged and motivated to do their best can be a challenge for any manager, especially in a tough business climate. In this installment of our Management Insights, author Mimi Banta offers up a “four pillar” solution that addresses the needs of individuals in order to create a more positive and productive team.
	Creating and Proving Business Benefits in Six Simple Steps In today's economic climate, the process of proposing—and acquiring support for—any project has become a far more rigorous exercise. In this month's Management Insights by Peter Dillon-Parkin, learn how to use the six-step ADAPTS process to build a successful business case for your project that ensures a return on investment.
	Prioritizing Your Day as Easily as 1-2-3 and A-B-C A prioritized to-do list is the best way for today's professionals to accomplish far more complex tasks in less time. In this month's Management Insights by James L. Haner, learn two easy processes that can help even the busiest executive be more productive and efficient by identifying and prioritizing tasks.
	Applying a Four-Step Process for Difficult Conversations Neither avoidance nor hard-hitting confrontation are effective methods when dealing with difficult situations. In this month's Management Insights by Cheryl Eckl, find out how to apply a four-step process that can help you overcome the aversion to "difficult" conversations by subduing confrontational factors. The result: dialogue that is meaningful and productive for all parties involved.
	Engage Your Audience with the 5-Step Presentation System What type of presenter are you? Want to improve delivery and make engaging presentations? In this month's Management Insights article, Martin Shinn has adapted the strategy in Ron Hoff's book, Say It in Six, to construct a targeted, five-step presentation method that can help you become the effective, polished presenter you want to be.
	Replace Lofty Platitudes with Real Goals Using SMART Objectives Setting objectives focuses you on specific aims over a period of time and can motivate staff to meet set objectives. In this edition of Management Insights, Dana Brownlee focuses on how realistic, well-defined goals and objectives are far more attainable (and measurable) than those based on aspiration. Applying the SMART methodology solves the "platitude" problem, enabling individuals to be more effective in securing realistic, sustainable results.
	Responding to Conflict Responding to conflict is often intimidating and can result in avoidance until it reaches extreme levels. In this edition of Management Insights, Cheryl Eckl presents a 6-step process to deal with conflict early on and to properly reach a collaborative resolution that is satisfying to each of the parties involved.
	5 Steps to Delegate for Results It's not unusual for managers to feel uncomfortable delegating responsibility for challenging assignments. In this edition of Management Insights, Larry Barnard discusses why delegation is such an essential skill, as constraints on success increase and jobs become even more difficult. To ensure effective delegation, managers need to follow the 5-step process to selecting the right person and assigning the task.
	Exposing the 3 Myths of Leading Virtual Teams When we have no face-to-face experience with new colleagues, our communication lacks a certain richness. In this edition of Management Insights, Judie Williams from Great Beginnings exposes the 3 Myths of Virtual Teams. To ensure success, the virtual team leader must not be seduced by the 3 myths and must proactively attend to providing the social richness that virtual communication lacks.
	7 Steps to Building a Coaching and Development Plan Your success as a manager depends on developing and motivating your entire staff—not just the top and bottom 10%. In this edition of Management Insights, Jean Corson from Corson Wolff Consulting discusses how to get high performance from the "Middle 80%." This article shows you the 7 steps to building a coaching development plan.
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Podcasts
	What It Takes to Manage Successfully in Tough Times With the business world in turmoil, it takes more than just a steady hand to keep your organizational vision on course. Anita Caputo—author, consultant and founder of the Big Picture Institute for management training and career coaching—offers practical, actionable advice on how managers can keep both themselves and their teams motivated and working effectively through difficult economic times.
	It’s About Time: Managing Your Most Precious Commodity Effectively Business psychologist Judi Williams offers her expert advice on how to manage your time to get the greatest return—rather than letting it manage you! This brief interview is filled with tips on how you can invest your most precious commodity effectively.
	The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Today’s Workplace Emotional Intelligence (EI) and its measurement—the Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ)—are becoming critical tools in the modern business environment. In this insightful interview, management consultant and author Larry Barnard discusses the five components that constitute EI and how they can be applied to build high-performance teams.
	What You Need to Know About Oracle 11g Whether you’re in an Oracle shop already or considering a migration, this interview with Oracle-certified professional Kent Hinckley will enlighten you as to the features and benefits that the new Oracle 11g has to offer.
	The Successful Business Analyst in Today’s Working World Dana Brownlee, PMP-Certified founder of Professionalism Matters, Inc., offers insights into the complex role BAs play in today’s dynamic business environment. Topics include the requirements process, enterprise analysis, plus tips and recommended techniques for both seasoned and aspiring Business Analysts.
	Getting the Maximum Return on Your Investment in Project Management Training Learning Tree’s PMP-Certified CEO, Nick Schacht, elaborates on how organizations with a strong project management culture benefit the most from PM training. Topics include the evolution of project management, how technology has influenced the role of the PM in the workplace, and the emergence of the Project Management Office (PMO) in the enterprise.
	Leadership Success – Producing Positive Results, Part 1 PMP-certified management consultant James L. Haner discusses the Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities (BCR) approach to successful leadership in this three-part series. In Part One, he discusses the BCR concept and its origins, then focuses on the first element, Behaviors.
	Leadership Success – Producing Positive Results, Part 2 Management consultant James L. Haner continues his presentation of the Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities (BCR) approach to successful leadership with a discussion of the second element, Competencies.
	Leadership Success – Producing Positive Results, Part 3 Our discussion of the Behaviors, Competencies and Responsibilities (BCR) approach to successful leadership concludes with management consultant James L. Haner explaining the third element, Responsibilities.
	Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA): IT Fad or IT Future? Expert Mike Way answers questions regarding one of IT’s hottest trends, Service-Oriented Architecture, better known as SOA. Along with defining SOA and its benefits, this podcast also addresses hot-button topics such as the use of BPEL and XML languages, “code-first vs. contract-first” and the impact of SOA on an organization.
	Applying PMI Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Principles Interview with expert Susan Weese about some of the challenges project managers face as they try to apply the principles of the PMBOK within the real-world environment of their own workplace.
	Understanding SharePoint: Benefits to the Organization Our expert, Dux Raymond Sy, is currently designing and deploying SharePoint initiatives for clients in both the public and private sectors. In this insightful interview, he discusses what’s behind all the excitement SharePoint is generating within the industry, including benefits such as streamlining document management and enhancing organizational collaboration.
	An Introduction to Windows Server 2008 Windows consultant and author Lori Sanders answers the question, "Why do I need to migrate to yet another Windows Server operating system?" with a comprehensive overview of Microsoft's newest platform.
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SharePoint is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. ITIL and PRINCE2® are Registered Trade Marks of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other countries. RealityPlus is a trademark of Learning Tree International. PMBOK is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.