Non-Fiction Review

Thinking Inside the LiteBlue Box
by Ronald Williams, Jr.
ISBN: 142417189X
Review by Heather Froeschl


Did you receive any mail today? Chances are, you sure did. How did it get to you? You might be surprised to learn the USPS is a business like any other. In Ronald Williams Jr.’s book, “Thinking Inside the LiteBlue Box,” you will see a side of the postal service that you might not have even considered. So what exactly is the LiteBlue? The heart of the matter: the people of the USPS.

Building on his first book, “Deep Inside LiteBlue,” Williams looks at the big picture. What exactly is going on in this business of correspondence delivery? Many of the same issues that go on in nearly any other business. There are management issues, regarding unions and interpersonal problems. There are moral issues. There are safety troubles. There are personality, cultural, and attitude issues. If your local business office has these problems, so does the USPS. What can be done? Williams has numerous ideas, two books full! Chances are that his ideas will work for any business, not just the one he’s inside of.

In his every day guy tone, Williams proves that he’s not just any worker bee in the hive. He takes initiative and shows readers how to do the same, no matter where you work. His encouragement to make the changes you envision, you the every day worker in whatever job you do, is priceless. For every job there is room to improve work conditions. For every job there are several co-workers who will complain but never do a thing, to that one who speaks up and makes things better…or not. At the very least, they have tried. See what Ronald Williams, Jr. has done, and be inspired.

Business Review

The Benefits Performance Process
by Matthew T. Sears
ISBN-10: 0972200614
Review by Heather Froeschl

Every Human Resources Manager, CEO and CFO needs to read "The Benefits Performance Process" and implement the plans outlined within it. Without doing so, they are simply throwing away money and valuable employees. Every company that offers benefits to its employees will want to be sure that they are doing the best that they can when it comes to providing a competitive package while getting their money's worth. Matthew Sears offers the plan to do just that. Whether your company employs 50 or 3,550, you can benefit from this book.

By "Maximizing the Performance of Your Employee Benefit Plan" you will be learning how to assemble a benefits team, analyze current plans and problems, develop concrete objectives and plan for your company's long-term success. Through self-analysis and workshop exercises your team will develop guidelines to follow. From there you will have a plan to follow that will see you through staff changes, acquisitions, and changing regulations. "The Benefits Performance Process" is a workshop to go; it is a plan to help you develop a plan that will eventually benefit your company and your employees.

Matthew T. Sears is an Executive Vice President of Athens Benefits Insurance Services and a Fellow of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists. You couldn't ask for a more qualified guru in the benefits performance process. Yet his book is an easy to read, understand and implement guide to improving your benefits plans. Sears is straightforward and concise, while being upbeat and friendly in his text. You likely won't find another business guide like this one and why would you want to? When it comes to improving your current plans, this is the guide to follow.

Don't put off thinking about your benefits plan until the day before your renewal is due. Don't wait until the premiums are upped once again to do something about it. Don't fear the CFO telling you to cut costs by 30%. You can be prepared. If you're not, you may lose the loyal employees you have to another company who has followed "The Benefits Performance Process."