Book Description
In Leading Change, John Kotter examines the efforts of more than 100 companies to remake themselves into better competitors. He identifies the most common mistakes leaders and managers make in attempting to create change and offers an eight-step process to overcome the obstacles and carry out the firm's agenda: establishing a greater sense of urgency, creating the guiding coalition, developing a vision and strategy, communicating the change vision, empowering others to act, creating short-term wins, consolidating gains and producing even more change, and institutionalizing new approaches in the future. This highly personal book reveals what John Kotter has seen, heard, experienced, and concluded in 25 years of working with companies to create lasting transformation.
Customer Reviews:
Effectively Managing Change.......2007-08-17
In this book, Kotter methodically and carefully explains his eight-step process for creating major change in business organizations. He notes that the rate of organisational change has been increasing in recent years. The rapid and continual innovation in technology is driving changes to organisational systems and processes. There are also increased expectations of employees as they move more freely between organisations.
Kotter highlights the critical importance of leadership in any change programme. Strong, sustained leadership is crucial to changing deeply rooted corporate cultures and successfully implementing the change process.
John Kotter describes a helpful eight step model for understanding and managing change. Each stage acknowledges a key principle identified by Kotter relating to people's response and approach to change, in which people see, feel and then change.
In spite of the importance and permanence of organisational change, most change initiatives fail to deliver the expected organisational benefits. This book should help those involved in the change process to avoid the pitfalls and follow the eight steps that are explained in detail in the book.
Anyone planning or implementing a change programme will find the book useful, helpful and handy. The author presents the subject in a simple, concise, and easy to follow format.
Wow - thoughtful AND useful.......2007-06-28
Kotter's book is a roadmap of how to introduce a culture change effectively into an organization. Similar to "Good to Great" (Jim Collins), the book is much better organized and thorough.
Amazing!!.......2007-06-26
Have no further words to describe how increrable John Kotter brings in a easy way a subject so complex and important now-a-days. Indeed, it is recommend for all leaders who wants to take right decisions during turbulent times.
Still the definitive work on Change.......2007-06-13
I have been working in the change arena for the last 15 years and Kotter's book on Leading Change is still the definitive work. Based on his seminal 1994 HBR article "Leading Change: Why Transformations efforts fail" this is the best down-to-earth guide for both consultants and managers leading change. It has good practical examples and straightforward arguments - no psychological mumbo jumbo.
Envision, introduce, sustain change. or die........2007-05-09
Kotter gives us here a valuable handbook on how to visualize, introduce, and sustain change in an organization. Here are a few quotes:
"Handling new initiatives quickly is not an essential component of success in relatively stable or cartel-like environments. The problem for us today is that stability is no longer the norm. And most experts agree that over the next few decades the business environment will become only more volatile."
"Useful change tends to be associated with a multistep process that creates power and motivation sufficient to overwhelm all the sources of inertia."
Book Description
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies.
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"
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies. "
Customer Reviews:
Great leader.......2007-08-27
When I started the book, I have no idea about the history of IBM. I am not an IT person, so I have heard IBM but that is basically it.
I learned a lot from the book about IBM, what they did wrong and how he changed it.
But besides everything he revised the company culture and organizational structure. I think that is the hardest thing a CEO can achieve. His vision, his attention to details but still seeing the big picture amazed me. No wonder they picked him as the great saver of the IBM legend.
The book is long and sometimes repeats itself, without going into details.
The part I enjoyed the most was his e-mails. How encouraging was he after 9/11, he mentioned employee names and all the things they did both to help and also to get their business going. He sent e-mails to his 300.000 employees. His tone and the things he mentions, his clarity was amazing. He is an excellent leader. IBM is very lucky to have such a good CEO.
What Life at the Top is Really Like--As Told By a Superb Leader.......2007-08-16
Having spent twenty-three years in management before I became an entrepreneur, I recognize that moving from one side of the desk to the other side may be the longest journey a professional person ever makes. When we shift into a leadership spot, not only do we find that our prior perceptions might have been totally inaccurate, we have to address personal and professional challenges we would have never imagined.
I applaud this book as one man's record of what life at the top is really like. He won me over immediately when he decided to wear a blue shirt because everyone else was wearing white. Thoreau would have applauded his individualism.
With my current profession dedicated to improving individual and corporate communication, I agree with Gerstner's assertion that "No institutional transformation takes place, I believe, without a multi-year commitment by the CEO to put himself or herself constantly in front of employees and speak in plain, simple, compelling language that drives conviction and action throughout the organization."
Another striking bit of Gerstner wisdom: "Success in a company comes foremost from success with the customer, nothing else."
He's right on target again when he observes that "lack of focus is the most common cause of corporate mediocrity."
Yet Gerstner goes beyond mere platitudes: "Execution--getting the task done, making it happen--is the most unappreciated skill of an effective business leader."
Possibly two of Gerstner's words capsule his approach to awakening IBM to its possibilities: "constructive impatience."
In my judgment, Louis Gerstner should rank alongside Jack Welch as a take-no-prisoners leader. Read this book, and you will agree that he was the right man at the right time for IBM.The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!
Where Were the Details?.......2007-06-06
Throughout this book Gerstner discusses the changes IBM made and how he helped turned the company around. I have no doubt that he was a large part of the dynamic shift at IBM to again make it the successful, global company that it is today, but I felt that I went through the book without completely understanding what those changes were. There was a lot of discussion of how IBM was operated and managed when Gerstner took control of the company in 1993 as it was falling apart before the public's eyes, and there was a lot of explanation of how IBM was successful and reborn when he stepped down from the CEO position in 2002. But there was little substance in between. I am not sure if that is because the day-to-day steps taken throughout the mid and late 1990s are too mundane for the average business reader, of if the details were just left out. Gerstner does share some insight into leadership skills and his management style, but IBM as is left in the shadows. All in all, this is not a bad book, but be aware that the reader is left wondering exactly how IBM regained its dominant position in the marketplace.
A leader thru change.......2007-05-17
Mr. Gerstner provides his story of when he took over the reigns at IBM and brought the company back on its feet. This is a strict business book with internal memos and charts at the end so it can lend itself to being a bit boring in some parts. However, when the authir describes how he was able to navicate thru the huge complexity of all the different divisions, then this book becomes a valuable reference for any business leader who needs to go thru the same process.
smooth transaction, exact product, nice&easy supplier.......2007-05-14
exact product at an affordable price w a smooth transaction
Book Description
Building the Bridge As You Walk On It tells the personal stories of people who have embraced deep change and inspired author Robert Quinn to take his concept one step further and develop a new model of leadership—“the fundamental state of leadership.” The exploration of this transformative state is at the very heart of the book. Quinn shows how anyone can enter the fundamental state of leadership by engaging in the eight practices that center on the theme of ever-increasing integrity—reflective action, authentic engagement, appreciative inquiry, grounded vision, adaptive confidence, detached interdependence, responsible freedom, and tough love. After each chapter, Quinn challenges you to assess yourself with respect to each practice and to formulate a strategy for personal growth.
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Building the Bridge As You Walk On It tells the personal stories of people who have embraced deep change and inspired author Robert Quinn to take his concept one step further and develop a new model of leadership—“the fundamental state of leadership.” The exploration of this transformative state is at the very heart of the book. Quinn shows how anyone can enter the fundamental state of leadership by engaging in the eight practices that center on the theme of ever-increasing integrity—reflective action, authentic engagement, appreciative inquiry, grounded vision, adaptive confidence, detached interdependence, responsible freedom, and tough love. After each chapter, Quinn challenges you to assess yourself with respect to each practice and to formulate a strategy for personal growth.
Customer Reviews:
Thought provoking, although no easy answers.......2007-03-10
Bob Quinn explores what it takes to be in the "Fundamental State of Leadership", stressing it is more about who a leader is than what a leader does to be effective. Eight practices are introduced which illustrate the creative tensions that exist in the leadership role. This book makes you think. Where each leader will come out on each of the 8 dimensions will depend on your own style and strengths, but the book serves as a great discussion/think stimulator to aid in the growth of your leadership ability.
A Great Guide for Those who want to Effect Organizational Change........2007-02-19
Many books have great ideas about how to lead change but this one is exceptional. Mr. Quinn provides great case studies / examples using Appreciative Inquiry to reframe decision making and facilitate the always difficult task of transforming organizational culture.
While the book is a bit heady it does provide some refreshing insights on how to lead change without going crazy.
It's All About Facing our own Fears.......2006-12-02
Walking naked into the wilderness. Being willing to talk about the elephants filling the room. Recognizing the trunk growing on my own face. Letting yesterday's organization go, those cozy perceptions that make our own inaction seem to be the safest way. Taking the road less traveled. Questioning my supervisor in an open, warm and respectful way---rather than complaining about him or her over lunch with a friend. Realizing the more of us who believe we are responsible for the organization we are part of, the more real that organization will become. That we are co-creators of our work reality--that there is no Them doing bad things to US.
These were many of the thoughts that emerged through my exploration of Robert Quinn's book Deep Change.
It is very challenging for me to evaluate Building the Bridge as I had the great privilege of Dr. Quinn including my story and some of my experiences once I faced my own fears at work several years ago.
There is no question in my mind, however, that Robert Quinn is a man of great wisdom and great gifts which he freely shares in a warm, personal and authentic way. After finishing his books I feel as though I have had a long conversation with a man who wants me to fulfill the purpose of my life. Such unselfishness is so rare in our age of narcissism and self-aggrandizement. I found his approach helped coax me toward being a more authentic, honest, and courageous leader.
No other author has brought me such insights in such an inviting and comforting way.
Jeremy Fish, M.D.
It will become a classic.......2006-11-25
Base on my understanding of the American society, I am not surprised that this book, like Quinn's previous book "Deep Change," doesn't get as many reviews as it deserves, but I am confident that this book, and Qinn's trilogy, will become classic down the line.
This book would seem esoteric for the society that is addicted to data and techniques, thinking that what we need is more information and skills in order to lead. It does require the reader to be more mature to understand the content at a deeper level. In my case, my understanding of Systems Theory helps a great deal. In fact, this book fills the gap that is missing in the systemic leadership books that I have read.
Edwin H. Friedman's A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix is one of the books that I like best on leadership and systems theory. However, even though it describes the sickness of the societies, organizations, families, etc. extremely well, it lacks the recommendation for the leader to develop the systemic quality to transform the society, organization, or family he or she is leading. Quinn's books fill the gap right on the spot.
As a Chinese living in America for 16 years, my concern is seeing the rampant reductionism in this society that seems to be leading America to gradually becoming like a third world nation that I escaped from. Books like this, though few, give me hope. America has a bright future if more leaders can chew this book, and its two siblings.
Challenging and wholly worthwhile.......2006-10-22
Dr. Quinn and his colleagues have been working with us at Prudential Retirement to help create a culture founded on the concepts that arise from this book. The effect on our business has been significant. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
That said, this book asks a lot of its readers. It provokes reflection, thought and contemplation about organizational change and the inner change that must precede it. If you are looking for a quick airplane read on the subject, this book is definitely not for you. If you have some reflective time to devote to this complex subject, it will provide an outstanding return on your investment. The book and its author possess an authenticity that you will appreciate.
Book Description
Most people can think of a time when their lives changed in just a few moments. Over the next seven days, you will experience dozens of those moments, and the resulting changes in your life will positively affect your happiness, success, and well-being for years to come.
Paul McKenna has helped millions of people to quit smoking, lose weight, increase their self-confidence, and change their lives. He is well aware that even small changes can make a huge difference. For years, he has consistently astounded his audiences and clients with his ability to cure lifelong phobias in less than an hour and clear up deep-seated issues in just a few days. Now, Paul McKenna will show you how to use his time-tested, state-of-the-art techniques to help you break through your limitations, release your true potential, and become a happier, more confident, and powerful person.
Paul McKenna has studied many highly successful and effective people around the world and discovered that success and happiness are not accidents that happen to some people and not to others—they are created by deliberate ways of thinking and acting. In this highly practical and engaging book, he distills the core strategies and techniques of the super-achievers into an amazing life makeover that will help you to think and act more positively and confidently, and noticeably improve your life in as little as one week.
• Would you like to make more money and be more successful?
• Would you like to have more energy and feel happier every day?
• Would you like to start living the life of your dreams?
Paul McKenna helps us to integrate powerful new “software” into our minds, using his unique combination of checklists, exercises, informative sidebars, and anecdotes from people who have used this program successfully. Filled with encouraging advice and carefully crafted exercises based on the amazing mind-control techniques he has developed over many years, Change Your Life in Seven Days is designed to help you make a small yet monumental shift that will, over time, lead you to a brighter and more successful future.
All it takes is seven days to turn our lives in a positive new direction. This book will take you there.
Customer Reviews:
Practical Techniques for Change.......2007-04-10
I expected much more from this book , however there were some very practical techniques that were useful for living successfully.
Life change made possible.......2007-01-31
I started to use a review title of "Life change made easy", but that just wouldn't be true really. You still have to work at it if you want to change your life. However, I did find this book to be both interesting and useful. It was interesting as it provided a different perspective on change than I had previously encountered and it was useful because you could actually try the different techniques to see if they work.
The author's use of imagining is very powerful and can be done with the book, however, you will probably have to read through the imaginations multiple times before you can actually do it effectively. When you can go through the process without interruption (to read the next step), you'll be amazed at how it impacts your sense of being.
I enjoyed the book and hope you will too.
Tom Carpenter, Senior Consultant - SYSEDCO
Helping IT Professionals Succeed
This book does not contain a CD.......2007-01-24
I ordered this book because I mistakenly thought it was the hardcover version of Paul McKenna's "Change Your Life in Seven Days" paperback published by Bantam Press. The paperback and hardcover may contain the same text (both are 256 pages), but only the paperback version contains an audio CD. This harcover version does not contain a CD, but shows you where to download the audio online.
Other than being miffed that I didn't get a CD with this hardcover, I am a big fan of Paul McKenna. His audio trances really work for me.
Make your own mind up.......2006-08-03
Pay no attention to the vitriol of the english reviewer below. McKenna won his court case against claims that he knowingly bought his doctorate from a disreputable university. He also won a previous case brought against him. And if you have Sky TV, he is on TV over the last year with shows about confidence, fat loss etc. His reputation in the UK is pretty good.
A good read from a great motivator.......2006-07-31
I enjoyed reading this book McKenna is great at motivating you to change your life and provides very common sense approaches working on you from the inside. It is not a great book that will radically change your life but it is a good book with good advice, it is a mixture of cognitive psychology and self hypnosis. Here are a couple of great quotes from the book:
The changes that matter most are more often changes in perception than changes in the world outside us. And we can change the way we perceive in a heartbeat.
Your experience of life is primarily affected by the perspective you view it from. Depending upon the meaning we give to situations or events,we will feel and behave differently.
If you like these quotes and you think thinking this way will help you buy the book. If you think this is common sense search else where.
Book Description
Many books have been written about leadership and change, but until now none has focused on the kind of change that tears at a community's very fabric. Alban senior consultant Gil Rendle provides a respectful context for understanding change, especially the experiences and resistances that people feel. Rendle pulls together theory, research, and his work with churches facing change to provide leaders with practical diagnostic models and tools. In a time when change is the norm, this book helps to "lead change" in a spiritual and healthy way.
Customer Reviews:
Required leadership reading.......2007-08-01
A relevant and practical book for transitional leaders. Describes the current socio-economic environment impacting congregations and need for new leadership approaches. Rendel's writing style and first hand knowledge makes this a fast and compelling read.
A good investment of your precious reading time.......2006-03-08
Remember back to course you took in seminary about leading
your church through change? No? There wasn't one! Come now, that can't be true, but sadly it is in most cases. Pastors are called to shepherd their church's through changes but are rarely given the education or tools to do so. Most of this is picked up by trial and error, often painful trials with many errors. This book could be considered "Remedial Congregational Leadership 101," for those of us who never received this formal training. Clearly Rendle wrote this book not out of some theoretical model (although there is solid theory supporting it) but out of his lived experience of leading many congregations through the turbulant waters of change. With so many demands pulling at the free time of a pastor, this book is well worth devoting some of that time.
A Great Resouce.......2000-05-10
Excellent insights for planning strategies to help congregations into and through change. A great guide for dealing with the dynamics of change -- spiritual, intellectual, and emotional. Helpful differentiation between "management" and "leadership" and the kinds of situations when each style is more appropriate. I use it as a handbook in doing interim ministry.
Book Description
Creating the Project Office is written for managers who are searching for ways to transform their organizations into more effective and efficient project-based workplaces. As this important book reveals, there is no more effective way to make that change than to create a project office tailored to the needs of the organization. While a project office model leads to better products from projects, it is also a vehicle for generating overall organizational change— by transforming the organization from function-based to project-based. This model incorporates projects into the very fabric of the organizational strategy and revitalizes organizations, creates competitive advantage, and increases shareholder value.
Customer Reviews:
Don't have metric for start the PMO.......2006-04-03
I belive, if the book would have metrics and templates for the process start, it is very usefull.
Creating the Project Office : A Manager's Guide to Leading Organizational Change .......2006-02-24
Excellent service
Common sense applied to change management, wrapped in a bow!.......2004-12-02
I purchased this book on recommendation from a previous reviewer and was amazed by the breadth, depth, and more importantly pace of the book. The book moves quickly and does not spend a lot of time on theory, more time on examples (drawn mainly from Englund's work at HP).
The high level process applies as a general change management agenda, but applied through the lense of a PMO or project office. The annecdotes and lessons learnt provide an excellent framework for either internal "change agents" or external consultants to structure a successful organizational change and increase in proejct delivery quality.
The examples and frameworks in the book are easily understood and presented in a way that they can be reused or applied to many different project management challenges. I highly recommend this book to program managers or IT consultants who are intereste in affecting change in any organization.
Unusually rich.......2003-03-26
This book takes the leading thinking in implementing organizational change and applies it directly to the challenge of implementing project management. The authors then advance the art through the application of their extensive experience and original thought that leaves the reader-practitioner with a step-by-step guide to implementing a project management office.
The major strength of this manuscript is its revelation of the organizational challenges in creating a project office, their causes, and straightforward advice on navigating the pitfalls. The knowledge and experience of the authors comes through with `been there, done that' credibility. The reader leaves with a deeper understanding of their organization and the means for achieving their goal of implementing a project office.
I thought Part One was one of the best discussions I have seen of the organizational change factors involved in implementing a project office. It provided thorough overall coverage on the existing body of work in organizational change and provided an application to project management. The author's contribution of speaking truth to power is valuable.
I found the manuscript replete with illustrative material. I particularly liked the anecdotes from Greek mythology and literature. This book is unusually rich in supporting the principles advocated with clear `how-to' instructions. As a practitioner reading the book, I found myself saying: "Yes, that works," "I wish I had thought of that sooner," and "I am going to use that tomorrow." - a manuscript reviewer
Book Description
"At the very time the need for effective leadership is reaching critical proportions, Michael Fullan's Leading in a Culture of Change provides powerful insights for moving forward. We look forward to sharing it with our grantees."
--Tom Vander Ark, executive director, Education, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
"Fullan articulates clearly the core values and practices of leadership required at all levels of the organization. Using specific examples, he convinces us that the key change principles are equally critical for leadership in business and education organizations."
--John Evans, chairman, Torstar Corporation
"In Leading in a Culture of Change, Michael Fullan deftly combines his expertise in school reform with the latest insights in organizational change and leadership. The result is a compelling and insightful exposition on how leaders in any setting can bring about lasting, positive, systemic change in their organizations."
--John Alexander, president, Center for Creative Leadership
"Michael Fullan's work is remarkable. He masterfully captures how leaders can significantly improve their learning and performance, even in the uncontrollable, chaotic circumstances in which they practice. A tour de force."
--Anthony Alvarado, chancellor of instruction, San Diego City Schools
"Too often schools and businesses are seen as separate and foreign places. Michael Fullan blends the best of knowledge from each into an exemplary template for improving leadership in both."
--Terrence E. Deal, coauthor of Leading with Soul
Business, nonprofit, and public sector leaders are facing new and daunting challenges--rapid-paced developments in technology, sudden shifts in the marketplace, and crisis and contention in the public arena. If they are to survive in this chaotic environment, leaders must develop the skills they need to lead effectively no matter how fast the world around them is changing.
Leading in a Culture of Change offers new and seasoned leaders' insights into the dynamics of change and presents a unique and imaginative approach for navigating the intricacies of the change process. Michael Fullan--an internationally acclaimed expert in organizational change--shows how leaders in all types of organizations can accomplish their goals and become exceptional leaders. He draws on the most current ideas and theories on the topic of effective leadership, incorporates case examples of large scale transformation, and reveals a remarkable convergence of powerful themes or, as he calls them, the five core competencies.
By integrating the five core competencies--attending to a broader moral purpose, keeping on top of the change process, cultivating relationships, sharing knowledge, and setting a vision and context for creating coherence in organizations--leaders will be empowered to deal with complex change. They will be transformed into exceptional leaders who consistently mobilize their compatriots to do important and difficult work under conditions of constant change.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful.......2007-08-03
Leading in a culture of Change was very helpful. It showed a great comparison between leadership in the business world and leadership in the world of education. There were many ideas to ponder and consider implementing.
Great Read.......2007-07-03
Fullan's book is a good, straight to the point read. It is a very insightful, easy to follow guide on leadeship.
Leading in a Culture of Change.......2007-02-09
This book is very informative, but it is also extremely dry.
Useful and realistic take on leadership.......2007-01-13
This book by a prominent educator is readable. That may sound like faint praise, but it isn't at all. Michael Fullan is a university dean, and as such is a full-fledged member of the fraternity of educators. Yet he has not written in educator-ese, that impenetrable, opaque jargon familiar to anyone who has trudged through books on education. His approach to leadership is useful and realistic, with sections on moral purpose, relationships, knowledge sharing and change. Fullan does not set out to break new ground. Instead, he includes a good deal of information he has gathered from other researchers. Occasionally his compendium of useful ideas feels a tad disjointed, but generally, he presents his selections in a logical sequence that leads you to his main conclusion: business leaders have a lot to learn from pioneering school system managers. We recommend this book to school administrators, business executives and managers who are looking for guidance during organizational transitions.
Great resource tool!!!!.......2007-01-05
This book was easy to read and understand. It was extremely helpful and is a keeper. I will not get rid of it.
Book Description
Although an increasing number of organisations have embraced the idea of sustainability in the last decade, why do so many initiatives fail, leading to wasted resources, frustration and cynicism? Why have so few organisations successfully adopted more sustainable policies or practices? And when they do get launched, why do so many efforts plateau after a short time and fail to ascend to the next level of excellence? What process is required to create change within organisations to move them towards sustainability?
Because so few resources are available to answer these questions, Bob Doppelt spent three years researching how the leaders of both private and public organisations that have initiated and sustained significant sustainability programmes designed and approached them. His findings, presented in this hugely readable book, will demystify the sustainability-change process by providing a theoretical framework and a methodology that managers can use to successfully transform their organisations to embrace sustainable development.
According to Doppelt, discussions about what to do - which new technologies and policy instruments to apply - have dominated the public dialogue on sustainability. Practitioners place comparatively little emphasis on how organisations can change their internal thought processes, assumptions and ingrained behaviours to embrace new tools and techniques. Organisational and cultural change is the key missing ingredient in the operationalisation of sustainable development. Without such change, sustainability efforts usually stall soon after they begin or fail outright.
Changing organisational culture requires interventions in two key areas:
First, the governance system of the organisation must be altered. A majority of organisations today hold a mechanistic, autocratic view of governance. In contrast, organisations that have made the most progress toward sustainability view all of their internal members, as well as external stakeholders, as vital parts of an interdependent system. In the leading sustainability organisations, these beliefs engender a skilful distribution of information, power and wealth among employees and stakeholders because managers realise that all of the parts of the organisational system must feel valued and be meaningfully involved for these higher purposes to be achieved. Transforming systems of governance to achieve these results requires seven core interventions. Each intervention builds on and reinforces the others. Part II of the book describes these interventions and how the leading organisations employ them to establish an enduring systems approach to change.
The second intervention is leadership. Organisations that develop effective governance systems typically have good leadership. Effective sustainability leaders have the ability to keep their organisation focused on achieving its higher mission while simultaneously managing numerous, sometimes contradictory, streams of activity. Savvy leaders can inspire and mobilise employees and stakeholders to embrace change as an exciting opportunity to learn. In the exemplary organisations, this style of leadership pervades not only top management, but also most levels of the enterprise.
Doppelt found that, when an organisation has an effective governance system and effective, forward-looking leadership, it is much more likely to be able to marshal the tremendous forces required to transform its culture and successfully adopt sustainability-based thinking, values and behaviours. When an organisation lacks an effective governance system or sufficient leadership, its culture will remain static and the adoption of a more sustainable path will be stymied, no matter what type of new technologies are adopted, quality-control tools are used, or consultants are hired.
Crammed with case examples, interviews and checklists on how to move corporate and governmental cultures toward sustainability, the book argues that the key factors that facilitate change consistently appear in the ongoing and successful (but incomplete) efforts Doppelt examined at companies such as Nike, Starbucks, IKEA, Chiquita, Interface, Swisscom and Norm Thompson and in governmental efforts such as those in the Netherlands and Santa Monica in California. For these and other cutting-edge organisations, leading change is a philosophy for success. In fact, in many ways Leading Change Toward Sustainability is just a restatement of what their leaders already know and do.
Customer Reviews:
At the cutting edge.......2005-09-30
While the concept of sustainability and sustainable development is still ethereal, Bob Doppelt has his finger at the pulse of our best thinking, practices and strategy for implementation. I resonate with his view that the process of achieving sustainability is messy and non-linear and people enter it from many directions. This book has informed my understanding and has helped structure a subject that has a moving target component to it. Bob Doppelt's work has credibility and substance for me.
Best book on change and sustainability.......2004-03-05
Bob Doppelt is the first sustainability expert to describe the nuances and challenges of successfully implementing a systemic sustainability program. Where others have said that "you need to get the people in the organization involved," Doppelt goes deeper and tells us how to do this.
His comprehensive approach, systems thinking, and concrete examples give us previously unavailable insights about successfully implementing sustainability programs in organizations.
I especially appreciate that he includes economic, population, and social equity concerns and not just the technical aspects of protecting and improving the environment.
I have recommended this book to all my sustainability Ph.D. students.
Book Description
The practical implementation guide to John Kotter’s revolutionary 8-step change process and the “See-Feel-Change” approach as introduced in Leading Change and The Heart of Change. John Kotter’s change bible Leading Change has sold nearly 490,000 copies since publication in 1996 and The Heart of Change, co-written with Dan Cohen, has sold nearly 125,000 copies. Now, Dan Cohen delivers a highly practical, hands-on complement to both of these books in The Heart of Change Field Guide. Filled with practical tools, checklists and advice, this book will guide leaders and managers step-by-step through real change programs within their organisations.
Customer Reviews:
Cohen's Experience Makes Field Guide Useful Addition.......2007-02-19
I have been using The Heart of Change book in my consulting practice. Dan Cohen's Field Guide adds a new dimension to the useability of the model. In this book Cohen has brought his extensive experience with Deloitte Consulting's Large Scale Change Practice to bear in delivering tacit knowledge of how successful change initiatives using the Heart of Change model really happen. There are ample insights, tips and tools. In addition he very successfully integrates the the theory behind the model with key challenges, diagnostic tools, stories to remember and other helpful resources.
Winning Principles to Practical Tools!.......2006-02-28
The Heart of Change (2002), co-authored by Kotter and Cohen, hit a chord in the marketplace because it told stories that leaders could relate to (based on the eight steps of change) about project successes and failures. Cohen's Field Guide (2005) takes those winning principles and translates them into practical tools to help monitor and measure success along each step.
As a consultant, I use these principles and tools on a regular basis to help my clients achieve lasting change. The diagnostic tools for each step are a great way to identify barriers and risks so you can bust through those barriers and mitigate risks.
If your organization is undergoing significant change, this is a book that you MUST have not only in your library but on your desk for regular use.
Making Change Real.......2006-02-08
This is a strong practical guide to organizational change. It's foundational with tools well integrated and clearly defined. Brilliant. Thanks for this practical guide.
A follow-up to the 1996 John Kotter best-sellers Leading Change.......2006-02-07
Dan S. Cohen's The Heart Of Change Field Guide: Tools And Tactics For Leading Change In Your Organization is a follow-up to the 1996 John Kotter best-sellers Leading Change, which outlined an eight-step program for organizational change which was applauded and followed by businesses around the world. Here leaders and managers receive tools and frameworks for bringing these changes to life within their own companies, teaching how to implement each step in the process and packing in checklists, commentary, tips, and practical application methods throughout. From communicating for buy-in to creating, shaping and imparting a vision for change, The Heart Of Change Field Guide takes idea and applies it to real-life situations.
Gives new meaning to the term "practical.".......2005-11-12
I was initially skeptical when this book was recommended by a coworker. But wow! The two most outstanding points are:
1.The change management insights to be gained from the real-life case studies. It's reassuring to know you're not alone in facing these challenges.
2. The dignostic tools are very helpful in identifying similar issues to be resolved in my company. Great not to be "insulted" by cookie-cutter solutions.
This is information and guidance that I can put to work immediately. Would recommend to any executive currently facing change management issues.
Book Description
The most trusted names in workouts and turnarounds share their valuable strategies Compiling insights and methods from industry experts, this authoritative and practical guide cuts through the maze of corporate restructuring jargon to give corporate leaders and professionals the proven techniques and clear advice needed to understand today's corporate turnarounds and workouts. Workouts & Turnarounds II: Global Restructuring Strategies for the Next Century gives detailed coverage of the key issues involved in this process-from both the creditor and company positions. You'll learn how to identify a troubled company and determine the chances of turnaround, and what management should focus on before it's too late. One of the leading authorities in financial and operational restructuring services, Dominic DiNapoli has assembled experts from around the country who have provided their insights and years of experience in the various topics covered in this book. From business regeneration tactics, to managing corporate communications, to the roles of lawyers and lender services, you'll find a wealth of information in this comprehensive reference. In addition, this guide contains case studies of turnarounds in progress, illustrating many of the techniques and strategies currently available. Whether you are a CEO, an attorney, or a lender restructuring or investing in distressed companies, Workouts & Turnarounds II: Global Restructuring Strategies for the Next Century gives you the crucial information you need to make the right decisions today.
Customer Reviews:
Not to the point.......2002-08-23
This book will explain how the rules were created and turned to what they are today. Who cares how they came to be, the only important thing is what you can and cannot do under the circumstances. It will explain what to consider, in general terms, when valuing distressed companies. But what discount rate should you use? How would you value different assets? It doesn't explain. There are no numbers in this book. It's not practical. It's like buying a cooking book and when you want to know how to make a cake the book reads: "use eggs, milk, flower and mix". Ok, thanks.
What to Do...What Not to Do.......2000-05-09
Every executive should make active use of a basic reference library of about 12-15 business books; Workouts & Turnarounds II should be one them. Edited by Dominic DiNapoli, it consists of 21 different chapters, written (or co-authored) by experts on various subjects. These chapter titles suggest some of the issues which are addressed:
* Trouble-Spotting: Assessing the Likelihood of a Turnaround
* Looming Financial or Business Failure: Fix or File -- A Legal Perspective
* Preparing for Bankruptcy: Building the War Chest
* The Lawyer's Role in Representing the Distressed Company
* The Accountant's Role in the Workout Environment
* Dealing with Employee Issues in a Bankruptcy Situation
* Mergers and Acquisition Strategies for the Distressed Company
At one time or another, all organizations experience serious problems. Many of them eventually recover. The wealth of information and advice provided in this single volume explains HOW. Other organizations, unable to solve their problems, are either liquidated or acquired. This book explains WHY. I know of no other single volume which offers more and better information about workouts and turnarounds, corporate restructuring, and bankruptcy proceedings. This book can be of substantial value to those involved with a distressed organization. It was written primarily for them. However, I think this book can also be of substantial value to those whose organization is (at the moment) thriving and who are determined to sustain that success. Knowing what NOT to do is often as important as knowing what to do.
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- Macroeconomics
- Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
- Marketing: An Introduction
- Marketing Management (12th Edition) (Marketing Management)
- Microeconomics, 6th Edition
- Mobile Messaging Technologies and Services: SMS, EMS and MMS
- Modern Real Estate Practice in Pennsylvania
- Never Cold Call Again: Achieve Sales Greatness Without Cold Calling
- One More Kiss: The Broadway Musical in the 1970s
- Options, Futures and Other Derivatives (6th Edition)
Books Index
Books Home
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Strategy & Competition
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
The Heart of Change Field Guide: Tools and Tactics for Leading Change in Your Organization
Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
