Leading Change

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."

Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change

Average customer rating:

High rating for a textbook, but it deserves it.
great results from this book
great, short, valuable
Managing Transitions by William Bridges
Great ~

Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
William Bridges
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes
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The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations

ASIN: 0738208248
Release Date: 2003-05-27

Book Description

From the most trusted voice on transition, a revised edition of the classic practical guide to dealing with the human side of organizational change.

The business world is a place of constant change, with stories of corporate mergers, layoffs, bankruptcy, and restructuring hitting the news every day. Yet as veteran consultant William Bridges maintains, the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions. In the best-selling Managing Transitions, Bridges provides a clear understanding of what change does to employees and what employees in transition can do to an organization.

Directed at managers and employees in today's corporations, Bridges shows how to minimize the distress and disruptions caused by change. Managing Transitions addresses the fact that it is people who have to carry out the change. When the book was originally published a decade ago, Bridges was the first to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization. With new information and commentary on layoffs, corporate suspicion, and the increasing tumult in the business world, Managing Transitions remains the definitive guide to dealing with change.

Customer Reviews:

High rating for a textbook, but it deserves it........2007-08-11

I have had several textbooks in Management between an Undergraduate, Graduate and Business itself. This was no different in that I expected the same old stuff, but was very pleasantly surprised at the authors candor about our perceptions of business practices. It didn't mince words on several tactics used by management and explained why so much doesn't work. It got my attention and I continued my reading with far more interest. There really isn't anything more complimentary I can say than I intend to sell all other books to new students, excect this one which I will hang on to and reference.

great results from this book.......2007-07-06

This is a wonderful book. If you deal with people who need to change how they do their work you must read this book.

great, short, valuable.......2007-07-04

This is a great book for all people who deal with people that are dealing with change. I have found this book useful when being a change agent for a company, or just for management in my own company. Part of the value of this book is it describes the emotional aspect of change. People are not always (usually) logical. Emotions play a large part. Knowing how to deal with the emotional aspect of change is essential. This book gives you great insights in this area.

Managing Transitions by William Bridges.......2007-05-13

This book is great! I was/am dealing with some pretty significant transitions -- the sudden death of my 21 year-old daughter, and a major division re-org at an S&P 500 company. Several months earlier, my VP had mentioned the book and suggested that all of his direct reports to read it. I did and it really hit home.

The author does an excellent job of describing the emotional and organizational impact of change and the mechanics of the process we use to get through it. We use the same basic process to deal with all change -- personal and professional -- and it has been very helpful to understand how it works. There is also a section in the book about the life cycle of an organization and that was illuminating. The book provided some tools to help me make critical decisions.

I bought six copies of the book and have given them out to friends and co-workers.

Great ~.......2007-05-07

This was a great book and well needed. If your your in or responsible for transitions. This is for you - an eye opener to some great ideas and the author takes the reader to both sides of the good and bad involving the transitional process and how it should be done. Great insight!

The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations

Average customer rating:

Just in Time
Not as useful as "Leading Change" by Kotter
Addresses an Often Forgotten Part of Management Studies---People!
Just what we needed!
Fundamentals for helping an organization undergo change successfully

The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations
John P. Kotter , and Dan S. Cohen
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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John P. Kotter on What Leaders Really Do (Harvard Business Review Book)

ASIN: 1578512549

Amazon.com

The Heart of Change is the follow-up to John Kotter's enormously popular book Leading Change, in which he outlines a framework for implementing change that sidesteps many of the pitfalls common to organizations looking to turn themselves around. The essence of Kotter's message is this: the reason so many change initiatives fail is that they rely too much on "data gathering, analysis, report writing, and presentations" instead of a more creative approach aimed at grabbing the "feelings that motivate useful action." In The Heart of Change, Kotter, with the help of Dan Cohen, a partner at Deloitte Consulting, shows how his eight-step approach has worked at over 100 organizations. In just about every case, change happened because the players were led to "see" and "feel" the change. In one example, a sales representative underscores a sense of urgency to change a manufacturing process by showing a videotaped interview with an unhappy customer; in another, a purchasing manager makes his point to senior management about corporate waste by displaying on the company's boardroom table the 424 different kinds of gloves that the company had procured through different vendors at vastly different prices. Well written and loaded with real-life examples and practical advice, The Heart of Change towers over other change-management titles. Managers and employees at organizations both big and small will find much to draw from. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

John Kotter's international bestseller Leading Change struck a powerful chord with legions of managers everywhere. It acknowledged the cynicism, pain, and fear they faced in implementing large-scale change-but also armed them with an eight-step plan of action for leaping boldly forward in a turbulent world.

Now, Kotter and coauthor Dan S. Cohen delve deeper into the subject of change to get to the heart of how change actually happens. Through compelling, real-life stories from people in the trenches, in all kinds of organizations, the authors attack the fundamental problem that underlies every major transformation: How do you go beyond simply getting your message across to truly changing people's behavior?

Based on interviews within over 100 organizations in the midst of large-scale change, The Heart of Change delivers the simple yet provocative answer to this question, forever altering the way organizations and individuals approach change. While most companies believe change happens by making people think differently, Kotter and Cohen say the key lies in making them feel differently. They introduce a new dynamic-"see-feel-change"-that fuels action by showing people potent reasons for change that spark their emotions.

Organized around the revolutionary eight-step change process introduced in Leading Change, this story-driven book shows how the best change leaders use not just reports or analysis, but gloves, video cameras, airplanes, office design, and other concrete elements to impel people toward positive action. The authors reveal how this appeal to the heart-over the mind-motivates people to overcome even daunting obstacles to change and produce breathtaking results.

For individuals in every walk of life and companies in every stage of change, this compact, no-nonsense book captures the heart-and the how-of successful change.

John P. Kotter, world-renowned expert on leadership at the Harvard Business School, is the author of many books, including the award-winning, best-selling Leading Change. Dan S. Cohen is a Principal with Deloitte Consulting LLC.

Customer Reviews:

Just in Time.......2007-10-07

I read[[ASIN:0875847471 Leading Change] Change by Kotter first. This follow on is a great compliment to the first book. By using examples of the eight-step process, the authors drive home those principles. My organization is in the midst of a large change process, and I am able to identify those who are the guiding coalition and raise my own visibility by aiding them. I am also able to give useful suggestions and identify the change blockers who endanger the process, and therby, the organization.

Not as useful as "Leading Change" by Kotter.......2007-06-28

Full of anecdotes about how the principles in "Leading Change" were implemented, I found this less helpful than that book in implementing a culture change. None of the scenarios were close enough to our organization to make a meaningful impact on the management team. A good read though, illustrating Kotter's excellent roadmap to change.

Addresses an Often Forgotten Part of Management Studies---People!.......2007-05-07

In this age of data, management is still about people. This book hits that aspect square on the head. It provides a realistic 8 step process for managing change filled with examples that bring the steps to life. The book is primarily written for managers of change, but the concepts can be useful to anyone at any level of an organization that's in a state of change. (And what organizations aren't?) It can be a bit dry at times, but the stories spice it up and make it bearable. Overall excellent content.

Just what we needed!.......2006-07-15

This book hits the "heart" of what many managers miss in planning change initiatives. This helps us remember that change isn't all number and business decisions. It's the people. I was able to immediately apply some of the ideas and resteered a change initiative successfully. Now all of my supervisors are reading and learning.

Fundamentals for helping an organization undergo change successfully.......2006-04-03

This book is the textbook for how an organization can successfully lead with change. I have used the 8-step method with various organizations and successfully 'seen-felt-changed' for the better.

The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance (Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series)

Average customer rating:

Very helpful. One omission distresses me.
I just read the Philippy review...
Shallow and Pedantic
The Improvement Guide
A must read for all Black Belts

The Improvement Guide: A Practical Approach to Enhancing Organizational Performance (Jossey-Bass Business and Management Series)
Gerald J. Langley , Kevin M. Nolan , Clifford L. Norman , Lloyd P. Provost , and Thomas W. Nolan
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
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Binding: Hardcover

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Measuring Quality Improvement in Healthcare: A Guide to Statistical Process Control Applications
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ASIN: 0787902578

Book Description

Improve quality and productivity in most any organization

Based on W. Edwards Deming's model, this guide offers an integrated approach to testing and improvement?one that is designed to deliver quick and substantial results. Using simple stories to illustrate core ideas, the authors?all active consultants?introduce a new, flexible model for improving quality and productivity in diverse settings. They draw from research conducted in a variety of areas?manufacturing, government, and schools?to present a practical tool kit of ideas, examples, and applications. What's more, they've included a Resource Guide to Change Concepts so even beginners can utilize the tested techniques of some of the world's most experienced practitioners.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful. One omission distresses me........2007-06-09

Clear, practical, and empowering. The authors are ambivalent on whether or not they will keep the focus on business operations; from the start they're keen to promote to a fully generic application, but the examples veer to and away from the business world, finally settling there a bit awkwardly.

The Change Concepts index near the end is a great idea, but the scope is confused along the lines I've already cited, and you might feel stuck in the QC department by the time you get through it. That's a bit of a shame, because one wonders if the challenges so elegantly met by the improvement model couldn't be cast in a more universal mode. (One also realizes one doesn't have the time to pursue this thought to fruition.) More pertinently, I'm trying to learn business process engineering, and it's easy to see a list dedicated to that discipline would be different. So despite the book's opening claims to a generic application, I felt stranded in one small tributary of the mighty River Improvement.

Nonetheless, I feel enabled by the book to succeed in my company where others have failed. It's so easy now to see how attempted improvements went wrong, through poor planning or inappropriate opening scope or simply through a failure to acknowledge real benefits when they happened. These pitfalls can be avoided, and the book shows how.

Now, I will mention an important omission. In my workplace I have to test and pilot and implement changes that are complex because a single change has no effect -- rather, two or more changes must be made at the same time, because they are mutually contingent. Management is not sure about A, nor about B. I would like to test A and get a decision, and I would like to treat B as a separate decision path. But they depend on each other, so things aren't so simple. (This is a point where Darwin's theory of cumulative biological mutation fails, if you care to know.) A mechanic troubleshooting your car's ignition system could give you concrete examples, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any in this book. My sense of empowerment has suffered correspondingly.

I just read the Philippy review..........2007-05-16

...and feel compelled to write in response. I must say it is hard to believe that Mr. Philippy and I are looking at the same book. I wrote an extensive review of this book already some time ago (it is listed below) and still feel the same way, even stronger. The Improvement Guide has continued to be, for me and my students/clients/mentees the "here's how" of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's philosophy. I am at a loss to find any hint of self-promotion of the authors in the book, save what one could reasonably infer about the competency and knowledge of the authors given the wealth of useful, in depth examples it contains. These could only come from deep knowledge of the theory and extensive successful experience in its practice. This book is as devoid of self-aggrandizement as any I have ever read.

I take considerable comfort from the fact that given the principles exemplified by the book, it is unlikely that the authors will over-react and over-adjust their professional aims in response to a single review, and will instead continue the fine work that has been done in this volume. My only question is, will there be a second edition? I would love to see it. In tenor and tone, I for one hope that it is exactly like this one....

David Wayne
[...]

Shallow and Pedantic.......2007-01-22

I should qualify this review by stating that I am not an expert on the subject of improvement. This book will not make you or even guide you to expertise. The only shining concept within the book, PDSA, is a great format for structuring improvement within a company, but could have been summed up successfully in 20 pages or less. BOOKS SHOULD NOT SPEND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR VOLUME ADVERTISING THEMSELVES!

The Improvement Guide.......2006-03-11

A very clear update of performance improvement process for business. Can be used as an introduction to the concept for newly trained staff and an everyday reference for those working on real projects.

A must read for all Black Belts.......2002-08-13

This is a very practical and powerful guide for improvement.

1. The first revelation this book brings is: improvement is a change. From this viewpoint, the fundamental questions faced by the improver (e.g. Green Belts and Black Belts) are:

(1) What are we trying to accomplish? (Define phase)
(2) How will we know if a change will result in an improvement? (What are the key Y's?)
(3) What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
(What are the key X's and their settings to affect Y's)
Appropriate tools from `6-sigma' tool sets can be used to seek answers to (2) and (3).

2. The Guide emphasizes testing a change in small scale before full implementation so we can learn and improve the proposed change using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. This significantly improves our typical `trial-and-error' approach.

3. The Guide classifies improvement into 3 categories:
(1) Eliminate Quality Problems (the aim of many `6-sigma' projects)
(2) Reduce Costs while maintaining or improving quality (the goal of many internally focused improvement efforts)
(3) Expanding Customer Expectations
Specific advises and examples are presented for each of these categories.

4. Best of all is a list of 70 Change Concepts categorized under 9 sessions, e.g. standardization under Manage Variation, Synchronize under Improve Work Flow.
Using these change concepts can significantly reduce the time to develop the specific changes.

This book is very easy to follow and contains a lot of examples. It is a must read for all improvement practitioners including Green Belts and Black Belts.

Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean Enterprise
Average customer rating:

Pushing instead of pulling Lean

Setting the Scene for Lean

After 2 years, I refer to this most often

Excellent Book

Good Overview of the Lean Journey

Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean Enterprise
Bruce A. Henderson , and Jorge L. Larco
Manufacturer: Oaklea Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Lean Thinking : Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated

The Toyota Way

The Lean Manufacturing Pocket Handbook

The Lean Pocket Guide

A Workbook for Assessing Your Lean Transformation

ASIN: 0964660121

Book Description

Known in manufacturing among those striving to maximize productivity and create pull-scheduling of production as "the yellow book," Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business into a Lean Enterprise is used across the globe by companies as they switch to lean production and management by empowered teams. Touted by lean production experts everywhere as practical, down-to-earth, and easy to read, it warns of cultural issues that are almost certain to arise, and gives management step by step instructions as it explains clearly in terms anyone can understand such concepts as continuous flow, value stream mapping, kanban, kaizen, six sigma, just-in-time (JIT), techniques for converting to quick set-ups, and other pillars of the Toyota Production System. Indeed, Toyota may have been the first, but Toyota is not the only company that excels at lean manufacturing. Dell Computers provides another model of a successful lean enterprise as do Harley-Davidson and Pella Windows. Learn why initial improvements of 40 percent in direct labor productivity and a 50 percent reduction in the space required for manufacturing are routine when production and assembly are converted to continuous flow. Lean Transformation is chock full of real life examples of value stream mapping, how kanban can resolve material supply issues, how kaizen brainstorming can result in startling improvements overnight, how just-in-time (JIT) frees mountains of money tied up in work-in-progress, why six sigma quality needs to be built in and not inspected in, how bottlenecks can be eliminated, kanban snafus spotted before they happen, and how instilling a championship mentality in cross-functional teams can lead to increased productivity and continuous improvement that doesn't stop after the initial kaizen event.

It doesn't take a genius to know that the low cost producer that meets customers "want" dates 99% of the time yet carries only two days inventory has a tremendous competitive advantage. So put value stream mapping, just-in-time (JIT), six sigma, kanban, kaizen, continuous flow, empowered teams, and all the other techniques you'll learn about in Lean Transformation to work. Order a copy for everyone involved in your transformation into a lean enterprise.

Customer Reviews:

Pushing instead of pulling Lean.......2007-07-17

I think that everyone interested in Lean is already convinced that Lean adds value. Therefore I found it annoying that the book is pushing on or selling Lean. This book is good for managers needing good coverage of the arguments and issues in lean. Although the subtitle of the book is "How to Change Your Business Into a Lean Enterprise", this is not really a how-to manual - there is no explanation of how to map value streams, implement 5S, TPM, or implement any other of the Lean techniques. Rather the book is giving an overview perspective of the issues.

Setting the Scene for Lean.......2006-12-14

Extremely well written and easy to read, "Lean Transformation" does a great job of setting the scene for lean. It covers the issues and challenges you will face in moving to lean. As such it is a good primer or starter text for managers about the make the leap to lean. Although the subtitle of the book is "How to Change Your Business Into a Lean Enterprise", this is not really a how-to manual - there is no explanation of how to map value streams, run 5S events, or implement any of the techniques. Rather the book is giving an overview perspective of the issues. For more detail you will need to move to other books such as "The New Lean Pocket Guide", "The New Lean Toolbox", "Lean Production Simplified" etc. I recommend this for senior managers needing good coverage of the arguments and issues in lean. Senior managers should also read "The Toyota Way", and "Creating a Lean Culture".

After 2 years, I refer to this most often.......2006-04-03

I've noticed that I reach for this book in my Lean practice, more than any other. Coincidence or a great book? I think it's not coincidence. This is lean classic for the TOTAL ENTERPRISE.

Excellent Book.......2006-02-21

Solid book. Filled with quality info, no fluff. I wish every book was of this quality.

Good Overview of the Lean Journey.......2006-01-09

I have been a Lean Practitioner for over twenty years and have had the privilege of learning from some of the original teachers of Lean in the United States. I have reviewed other publications on implementing LEAN Systems and this book is one of the few that have any value to the reader. If you are a company owner or President, I would recommend you also read "The Toyota Way" (the most enjoyable to read), or "Leading the Lean Initiative" by John W. Davis. If you are a Lean Champion "Lean Production Simplified" is the BEST introduction to the Toyota Production System and to LEAN Tools that exists today. If you have any responsibility for leading or implementing LEAN in your organization, this would be required reading for everyone who will be part of your own transformation. Lean Production Simplified is an excellent investment of your time and money. Another good introduction to LEAN is "Running Today's Factory". The series of shopfloor guides by Productivity Press is also helpful for your first "baby steps". Beyond that, find a real lean "sensei". A great place to find one is at your state's "MEP" (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) Center.

Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within (Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series)

Average customer rating:

An excellent read...
Excellent read on real change
Deep Change
Easy to follow recommendations
Deep Change or Slow Death?

Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within (Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series)
Robert E. Quinn
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations

ASIN: 0787902446

Book Description

Don't let your company kill you!

Open this book at your own risk. It contains ideas that may lead to a profound self-awakening. An introspective journey for those in the trenches of today's modern organizations, Deep Change is a survival manual for finding our own internal leadership power. By helping us learn new ways of thinking and behaving, it shows how we can transform ourselves from victims to powerful agents of change. And for anyone who yearns to be an internally driven leader, to motivate the people around them, and return to a satisfying work life, Deep Change holds the key.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read..........2007-01-22

I had to read this book for my executive MBA program, and the class agreed that it was a very relevant and enlightening experience. I work for a large company that had a big merger pending, and I ordered copies for the senior managers that report to me. It is thought-provoking and helps one re-examine oneself with rich anectodes and vignettes that keep the book from descending into psycho-babble or abstract theory.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that is interested making difficult changes in their lives. The fact that Quinn addresses change in both a personal and professional environment makes this book a useful tool for self-enrichment or teams. There are thought-provoking discussion and/or self-reflection questions at the end of each chapter that allow the reader to take what the author has discussed and relate it to their own situation.

Excellent read on real change.......2007-01-10

Quinn's purpose in writing Deep Change is to challenge the reader to recognize that everyone is a potential change agent, if they are willing to take the difficult, yet necessary steps to experience deep personal change. He lays a strong foundation by first differentiating between deep change and incremental change. There is little doubt that most change that takes place in the life of an individual is incremental. Because people are uncomfortable with major change they choose to move in small steps. The possible exception to the choice of incremental change occurs when a person is faced with a major crisis. For example, when a person experiences a heart attack, they are motivated to make deep lifestyle changes in habits such as smoking or dietary chooses. Or when a marriage is on the brink of divorce, marriage partners are motivated to make sweeping changes in how they communicate or handle conflict. However, beyond these periodic times of being motivated by crisis, people usually make changes slowly and incrementally, rather than making needed deep change.

The tendency towards incremental change over deep change is also true on an organizational level. Rarely do organizations, including the church, make deep major changes. While it may be argued that leadership needs to be mindful of bringing people along in the midst of change, there are certainly times that organizations need to experience deep change to survive. Quinn is correct in stating that without deep change, routine patterns move organizations increasingly toward decay and stagnation. This is true in the life of the church today. The church has grown comfortable with the patterns of ministry from years past and as a result has lost much of its influence in the changing culture.

One of Quinn's foundational themes is that personal deep change must precede deep change within a system or organization. While most of the time organizational change is seen as a top-down process, Quinn argues that it can also happen from the bottom-up. He states that deep change requires a personal evaluation of the ideologies that under gird the organizational culture. This is a refreshing insight that has application to other relational contexts. As people desire to see change in the lives of others, whether in parenting, marriage or work relationships, they first need to examine what changes need to occur in themselves. It is true that we do not easily recognize the part that we play in the problem. This thought is consistent with the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:3, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"

Another topic that is very applicable to numerous arenas of life is Quinn's discussion of the logic of task pursuit. Most people, under the pressure of task completion, have no opportunity to consider routine maintenance. This is true in the life of the individual on multiple levels. If a person does not take time to experience physical renewal through rest and exercise the body will experience exhaustion. This is certainly true with the spiritual life as well. People need to carve out time from the pursuit of tasks to spend time alone with God. The logic of task pursuit is also true in the life of the church. Each church needs to set aside time to revisit its mission and to ensure that the work of the church is in alignment with that mission.

Other helpful insights are found in Quinn's discussion on why organizational change doesn't take place. He states that the dominant coalition in an organization is seldom interested in making deep changes. Therefore, deep change is often driven from the outside. This has been true in the life of many organizations. Furthermore, there are pressures within most organizations to conform to the prevailing structure. Quinn does an excellent job of identifying the barriers of bureaucratic culture, embedded conflict, and personal time constraints. It is helpful to recognize that in most cases people do not need new skills and competencies, but instead they need a new perspective that allows them to act as empowered leaders in a changing organization. While this section on overcoming resistance to change was helpful, it would have been strengthened with practical examples of how individuals brought about significant change.

There is also much to appreciate with Quinn's emphasis on the transitions from the technical, the transactional, and the transformational paradigms. Quinn's description of each paradigm and the paradigm's representative would prove to be very beneficial to any organizational leader's attempt to understand those that they lead and the unique perspective they hold about the organization.

Finally the culmination of Quinn's emphasis on empowerment and ultimate transformation of an organization is what he refers to as the transformational cycle. The cycle is a helpful visual reminder that deep change does not come to a point of completion. It is a cycle that will itself become routine and stagnate if there is not a time of reinvention and realignment of self and the organization.

While written from a business perspective, Deep Change is applicable for anyone who desires to bring about change within an organization. The book is structured in an easy to follow format and includes reflection and discussion questions at the end of each chapter to provide further assistance to the reader in taking steps towards deep change, on both a personal and organizational level.

Deep Change.......2007-01-09

Absolutely one of the best personal and leadership books I have ever used.
Very practical applications. Plan to use as a reference for my managerial library.

Easy to follow recommendations.......2006-10-24

It is interesting that out of the many books that I have read this one does not hit me across the head. However with that said, I re-looked at the book before writing this note and I did mark a lot of text that I found highly useful. I particularly liked the solid recommendations for implementing personal and community change at the end of each chapter. Maybe the fact that the authors do not try wow you with their brilliance but provide solid and easy to follow recommendations is why this book is so valuable. The structure also lends itself to a study group within your management team helping to drive implementation of the principles introduced.

If you are more interested in solid principles to implement rather than the "my way is the best way" often presented, I highly recommend that this book be part of your arsenal to improve personal and community performance. A must for your library.

Deep Change or Slow Death?.......2006-07-11

In this wonderful book, Quinn challenges us to confront our own hypocrisy and make a choice between deep change or slow death -- that is to say between commitment or disengagement. It's actually not an easy choice to make. Most of us have taken the easy path and chosen not to speak out when w've known what needed to be changed. Or, we've run from a difficult work situation, leaving the problems behind for someone else to clean up, not admitting our part in the failure or taking responsibility for changing ourselves.

Quinn instructs us by modeling the behavior we need to follow. Particularly striking, for me, is his personal account of finding himself crying while writing a short story called "The Prophecy." This is a version of the story his mother had told him about his father, who, knowing that he was soon going to die, and seeing his newborn son for the first time, had said, "I think our boy is going to make his mark on the world."

Quinn explains that this true story about his father was etched in his consciousness and had great meaning for him. "In retelling the story I was retelling one of my core myths...I had always heard the story from the perspective of the woman. Now I was telling it from the point of view of a 38-year old man who was dying. The man was asking himself what his life had meant. There was no money, no house, no insurance policy, no signs of worldly success, no legacy to mark his passage."

"Years later, facing a midlife crisis, I was asking myself the very same questions about the meaning of my own life. Without even realizing it, I was trying to deal with the issues of impact and legacy," says Quinn, reflecting on the emotional impact of the story. "As all this become clear, I began to clarify what I wanted to do differently in my life. At work, for example, I took on a different perspective. I became more focused on my research. In my teaching and consulting, I became more caring yet more demanding. The resulting impact, in terms of outcome, was dramatic. I had a new perspective, and my life was changed. I became more empowered and more empowering."

This empowerment is demonstrated by Quinn's role in one intervention he made at one troubled company. In this intervention, Quinn conducted interviews, identified the core issues, and put his insights into writing, calling the resulting document the "Inner Voice of the Organization." This document was structured around eight questions and eight answers -- each answer describing a key issue facing the company and illustrated by a concrete example. Each of the eight issues had previously been "undiscussable," and each issue represented a weakness or need within the company. Quinn listed these issues as follows:

1. "The company is characterized by loyalty and considerable unused human potential
2. The organization must make deep change in order to become more viable and thus to be able to survive in a rapidly evolving world
3. The company is hampered by an unconscious conspiracy of silence and an inability to confront issues and identify needed adjustments
4. "Groupthink" is widespread, and models for constructive conflict are lacking
5. Certain key figures have favored individual good and self-interest over the collective good, and they have been reinforced
6. Everyone would like to believe that certain transparent issues are successfully kept secret. Individuals try to save face by pretending that no one knows what everyone knows--and the process works as long as no one listens to the organization's inner voice
7. A cohesive leadership team is lacking
8. The company has no clear, believable, and motivating vision"

Quinn sent the document to the CEO. He explained that it would be a useful tool to introduce at the outset of the program -- and proposed breaking the participants into five subgroups to discuss the five most important undiscussable issues honestly. He expected the CEO to reject the plan. Instead the CEO made a few factual corrections and agreed to it.

Most striking about this story, apart from the courage and honesty of the approach, is that it seems this identical list of eight issues could be applied to all companies, whether they're in trouble or not. It seems that the issues are universal, grounded in human nature, and that every company faces them to different degrees depending on their specific circumstances.

As Quinn puts it, there is often an "inner voice" in a company that everyone knows but dares not discuss. People know that if they do bring up these issues they will be marginalized and may be fired. It is a risky business to be a change agent, and Quinn does not underplay this. Speaking of one intervention at Ford, Quinn states that "Change means taking risks and facing the possibility of failure. Unfortunately, risk taking sometimes has a negative outcome...approximately 3 percent of participants reported being disciplined for taking initiative, and their anger was apparent. They told us, 'Your program is a fraud. The company doesn't want leaders; it wants conformists.'"

It doesn't take long for people in companies to learn that management cannot be trusted. In this light, it is amazing that around 12 percent in this same program at Ford were willing to engage in the riskiest form of change. The risk-takers were the people who reported higher scores on health, job satisfaction and personal relationships. Surprisingly, they were also usually the oldest participants. "We believe that they had reached a career plateau yet had maintained a positive outlook. They were loyal to Ford and eager to make a positive contribution. Their perception of the "risk-reward ratio" was different...They were willing to confront the pressures of conformity and pay the price of deep change."

So, even in the most jaded of organizations, there are always people able and willing to take a risk to improve the organization for themselves and others -- a finding which is as encouraging as it is surprising.

This is a compelling and useful book. It's written in a poetic way with a deep level of commitment and personal revelation. On the other hand, it's not for those looking for a quick fix. People who assume that the problem is with others and that they can be changed by instruction and coercion will not find it useful. Also, I found the exercises for reflection and discussion were valuable, but hard to use. What's needed, instead, I believe, is a daily practice regimen for personal reflection, and a more carefully designed, more usable set of exercises for use in management teams -- exercises that do not require all participants to have read the book.

However, these are minor criticisms. What differentiates this from the vast majority of other books by business school professors -- and what saves it from irrelevancy -- is the depth of the passion it conveys. Also, the real-life examples. Quinn epitomizes deep change.

If you are a change agent, or intend to become one you should read this book. It has the power to change your life. It could, in fact, be the only book you need. However, I think it will work best when read alongside others. I recommend starting with "Dance of Change," by Peter Senge and some of his colleagues from the Society for Organizational Learning. This will provide an additional perspective, including a wealth of examples of both successful and unsuccessful change efforts and a list of the key impediments to change, consolidating the message that many of the barriers to change are within ourselves.

If you read this book, you are sure to come away with a few ideas you can use or insights that will be of value. I, for one, will not easily forget that I do indeed need to make the choice every day between the slow death of apathy, and the deep change of personal growth. In the end -- hard as it may be -- the choice of reflection and deep change is the only one that makes sense.

Graham Lawes

Fish! Sticks: A Remarkable Way to Adapt to Changing Times and Keep Your Work Fresh

Average customer rating:

IT means: Find Purpose, Live Identity, Coach Accountability
Decent but not as good as the original
Disneylayne
Quick read, Back to basics
A good followup to Fish!

Fish! Sticks: A Remarkable Way to Adapt to Changing Times and Keep Your Work Fresh
Stephen C. Lundin , John Christensen , and Harry Paul
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
Fish! Tales: Real-Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your Life
Fish! for Life: A Remarkable Way to Achieve Your Dreams
WHEN FISH FLY: LESSONS FOR CREATING A VITAL AND ENERGIZED WORKPLACE FROM THE WORLD FAMOUS PIKE PLACE FISH MARKET
Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

ASIN: 0786868163

Amazon.com

In this third installment in the popular Fish! series, the authors examine change as a necessary, ongoing process that should never stop--at least not if one wants to keep the workplace vital and fully alive. Using a fictitious sushi restaurant as an example, this fable examines the three principles that Lundin, Christensen, and Paul believe are necessary for continuing success: Find It ("it" being each employee's personal vision of the business), Live It, and Coach It. Readers of the authors' previous books--Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results and Fish! Tales--should find its familiarity comforting. For those new to the series, this standalone volume is easy to read and highly valuable. --David Bombeck

Book Description

he 'o-FISH!-al' follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling Fish! and Fish! Tales, Fish! Sticks is a stand alone business parable that shows you how to come up with a vision for your business and how to keep it alive, vital, and renewed through tough times, such as turnover in management and staff or a troubled economy. Using the example of a hugely successful, fictional sushi restaurant as a model for a vision of continual renewal, Fish! Sticks employs the same kind of easy-to-read story that was used in Fish! to illustrate its three major principals of continued success: Commit, Be it, and Coach it. When Stephanie, a new manager, takes over from a wildly popular and now promoted boss, she is faced with the problem of how to keep spirits up in a corporate unit that has, frankly, started to get bored and cranky and revert to its old ways. But then she visits the amazing Taka Sushi (formerly Taka Teriyaki), with its lines of customers cheerfully waiting for hours to get in. Soon, she realizes that the way to keep her employees motivated and her customers delighted can be learned from a bunch of waiters who teach one another everything they need to know. And when she finds out just how the owner of Taka knew to switch her main bill of fare from teriyaki to sushi long before anyone else, what she really discovers is the secret of keeping your work fresh.

Download Description

The "o-FISH!-al" follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling Fish! and Fish! Tales, Fish! Sticks is a stand alone business parable that shows you how to come up with a vision for your business and how to keep it alive, vital, and renewed through tough times, such as turnover in management and staff or a troubled economy.

Using the example of a hugely successful, fictional sushi restaurant as a model for a vision of continual renewal, Fish! Sticks employs the same kind of easy-to-read story that was used in Fish! to illustrate its three major principals of continued success: Commit, Be it, and Coach it.

When Stephanie, a new manager, takes over from a wildly popular and now promoted boss, she is faced with the problem of how to keep spirits up in a corporate unit that has, frankly, started to get bored and cranky and revert to its old ways. But then she visits the amazing Taka Sushi (formerly Taka Teriyaki), with its lines of customers cheerfully waiting for hours to get in. Soon, she realizes that the way to keep her employees motivated and her customers delighted can be learned from a bunch of waiters who teach one another everything they need to know. And when she finds out just how the owner of Taka knew to switch her main bill of fare from teriyaki to sushi long before anyone else, what she really discovers is the secret of keeping your work fresh.

Customer Reviews:

IT means: Find Purpose, Live Identity, Coach Accountability.......2007-08-19

An easy read and good use of the fable to emphasis an often overlooked part of performance management; the importance of each individual finding a piece of their Me Inc. vision within the Business Inc. vision. Although authors Lundin, Christensen, and Paul never use the term Me Inc. in this fable about sustaining a performance transformation within the 6th-floor neurological care ward of Good Samaritan Hospital (Business Inc. in the fable), referring to the connection as IT; they clearly convey the message that sustainable performance is only possible when individuals find their IT within the wards vision of customer care.

Recognizing that sustainable motivation/energy can only be created when individuals connect their purpose, identity, and accountability with their business's performance vision, the authors show how the employee's must Find IT thru individual conversations, Live IT by putting their unique identity into action, and hold each other accountable thru a Coach IT process unencumbered by hierarchy. While fables can only go so far in conveying the complexity of organizational effectiveness, this fable brings a critical piece of the puzzle to the front. It is recommended for use with teams as the next step after the initial visioning and performance goal setting processes of performance management. Dennis DeWilde, author of "The Performance Connection"

Decent but not as good as the original.......2007-08-01

After reading about this book I was excited by the opportunity to get some more insight into the "Fish!" world, and I was especially interested in learning about `how to make change stick'. I liked how the book was another "fable" type story, and thought that this might make another good Book Club selection for our company book club.

Well, I read the book, and although I thought it had some merit, it was not nearly as easily accessible and distillable to the same audiences as the first "Fish!" book was. I was still glad I bought the book, and I did get something out of it, but I had real trouble imagining trying to pass this message on to others in our company.

I will say this, though. One message that came out of this book and that hit me loud and clear was that for "change" to stick, the meaning of the change has to be personalized to each individual, and it has to mean something to them, because once all the bells and whistles of the program are gone, and the initial excitement dies down, it will be impossible to keep a culture change program going unless others can relate to it personally and continue to buy into it on a day to day basis.

So, I thought THAT message was valuable and worth buying the book for, but I don't think I will be passing this out at our next book club. It was just not a book that was otherwise easily understandable to a much wider audience.

However, if you haven't read the original "Fish!" book yet, I HIGHLY recommend it...

Disneylayne.......2007-04-14

YOU MUST READ FISH. F I R S T.

THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO JUST WANTS TO ENJOY LIFE AND NOT ALLOW THE EVERY DAY FOOLISHNESS AT WORK OR LIFE GET TO YOU....

YOU WILL PROBABLY BUY MORE THAN ONE COPY AND GIVE THE TWO BOOKS AS PRESENTS.

WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO LIGHTEN OUR HEARTS, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE BAD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE WORLD TODAY. OR JUST IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS.

Quick read, Back to basics.......2007-01-10

This book is one in the FISH series. It is a quick read. If you like the story telling approach to learning, you will like this book. Not one of my favorites.

A good followup to Fish!.......2006-11-10

This is an excellant, easy to read follow up to Fish! It continues the process, to keep the good things going. I strongly recommend this book.

Average customer rating:

Good Change Management Basics
Not bad -- a quick read
A great PowerPoint presentation
Change Management: A definitive guide
Change Management

Change Management
Jeffrey M. Hiatt , and Timothy J. Creasey
Manufacturer: Prosci Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools & Techniques of Organizational Change
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ADKAR: a model for change in business, government and our community
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ASIN: 1930885180

Book Description

This book is a solid, research-based introduction to the discipline of change management, and a primer to catalyze change leadership and competency in managers and executives. Change Management is a practical look at what it means to manage the people side of change, and gives the reader insight into best practices in this area.

Customer Reviews:

Good Change Management Basics.......2006-06-25

The environment in which organisations operate is very dynamic, forcing firms to continually adapt and modify themselves to enable them to survive and prosper. Such an environment requires that managers are adequately equipped with change management skills. This book equips readers with the basic skills and knowledge required to manage the change process sensitively and effectively.

This is a small and well presented book on change management. It provides advice and guidance to change agents and managers involved in the change process to enable them to cope with the initiation and implementation of change in organisations, departments or teams. The book gives practical advice and techniques on managing all aspects of the change process.

The author did a good job of using several interesting and useful case studies which are very helpful in reinforcing the message. The reader is advised to particularly consider the people side of change to ensure that the process is a success.

Not bad -- a quick read.......2006-02-28

This is neither a great nor bad book on the subject of change management. It is written in a succinct way and is therefore a quick read. If you are reading a number of texts on the subject, you won't go wrong adding this one to the list, but make sure you read some others alongside it. It does make a number of good points (particularly about senders and receivers of messages), but the examples aren't as powerful as other texts I have read.

A great PowerPoint presentation.......2005-07-19

This book is essentially an expanded PowerPoint presentation, and I mean that in the best possible way. It is direct, to-the-point, practically applicable, and based on a solid change model (ADKAR). Note that it is a mere 90 pages or so of text, so it is a quick read. If you are a consultant or looking to apply change management principles tomorrow, this is the perfect book for you. The case studies are, however, laughable. One has to do with someone wanting to repave a parking lot and hasn't gotten the buy-in of all the surrounding business owners -- hardly the strategic change some of us are faced with managing.

Change Management: A definitive guide.......2005-04-06

The key to change managment is communiation. A point jeffrey illustartes perfectly in his book.

Very helpful to any organisation or individual who is struggling with the concept of communicating change.

Change Management.......2003-11-11

I really liked the use of case studies to present relevant research and concepts in the field of change management; not only were the case studies interesting, but they were memorable. It made the topic come alive and be real instead of dry and boring.

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems

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The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems
A Book We All Must Have
Utterly Phenomenal: *The* Book for Living Life to the Fullest
Great Refrence to Systemes Chamge

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems
Peggy Holman , Tom Devane , and Steven Cady
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Handbook of Large Group Methods: Creating Systemic Change in Organizations and Communities (Jossey-Bass Business & Management)
Covert Processes at Work : Managing the Five Hidden Dimensions of Organizational Change
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Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society
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ASIN: 1576753794

Book Description

Originators and practitioners of such change methods as Future Search, Real Time Strategic Change, Gemba Kaizen, and Open Space Technology outline the distinctive aspects of their approaches, detail roles and responsibilities, share stories illustrating their use, and answer frequently asked questions. A comparative chart allows readers to evaluate the methods to find the one that seems best for them.

Customer Reviews:

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems.......2007-09-06

A good support text for the change agent, consultant or practitioner. Over 60 different types of interventions with clear descrition for when and how to implement.
The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems

A Book We All Must Have.......2007-02-22

We have been waiting for that book for a long time. Peggy Holman's Change Handbook is now available in its second edition. Since its first edition in 1999, it has increased in volume and in significance. Holman and her co-authors describe 61 collaborative methods that can be applied for working with large groups in private corporations, the public sector and for the development of democratic institutions. The book provides more than a thesaurus and an encyclopedia of change - it contains probably more than 90% of the current world knowledge on whole systems change applications. Beside the well-known methods and frameworks such as Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry, etc. there are a lot of new methods that I have never heard of. Unfortunately, there is no article on Worldwork and the Process Oriented Psychology Framework. Next Edition, please?

The Change Handbook is very well organized, methods are categorized and there are good hints for when to apply the different methodologies. It is a must for Change Practitioners. If you are keen on The Standard Reference, you need to buy The Change Handbook.

Utterly Phenomenal: *The* Book for Living Life to the Fullest.......2007-01-28

I could spend the rest of my life trying to learn, use, and share each of the methods in this book, and never finish. When it was first published in 1999, it was before its time. Now, in 2006, this is a book made for our times, when Burning Man is now Green Man, Al Gore is a rock star, and even the greediest Wall Street CEO is starting to realize the party is over and we have to get real, real fast.

I have been an admirer of Free/Open Source Software (F/OSS) and a champion of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and have gradually learned about other "opens" that are coming to the fore: Open Spectrum, Open Access, Open Culture, Open Innovation, and of course George Soros' Open Society. From this book I now add Open Circle, to complement the Open Space concept I learned recently in Seattle's Town Hall while listening to Paul Hawken talk about the World Index for Social and Environmental Responsibility.

I have to confess that this book is over-whelming, and I can barely scratch the surface. This is more of a book where you should read one author, one segment, each night, and fall asleep thinking about how to implement that one small section, how to embrace someone else and engage them with that one method.

Having three teen-agers, all three of whom have completely rejected the prison/child care format and the rote learning objectives of the current school system (even as good as it is in Fairfax County) I will go so far as to say that this book, combined with serious games/games for change, is a complete one-to-one substitute for our current educational process.

Everything in here is what we *should* have learned in school, what we *should* be practicing in fulfilling our civic duty (what we *actually* do is described in "The Cheating Culture," "Confessional of an Economic Hit-Man," and "Rogue Nation").

I am moving quickly and heavily into the intersection of Collective Intelligence (see my reviews of "The Tao of Democracy," "Smart Mobs," "Wisdom of the Crowds," or my longer list; and Natural Capitalism with its "true cost" meme. See my reviews of Paul Hawken et al, "Ecology of Commerce" and "Natural Capitalism," of the varied books by Herman Daly, and soon, my reviews of "The Great Turning," the "Omnivore's Dilemma," and others. For a broader sense of the possibilities, check out "Earth Intelligence Network" online.

I still have the 1970's operating manual for spaceship earth someplace in my lower library. This book is the manual for spaceship earth for our children and those of us recommiting ourselves to the joy of learning and changing in our later years. It's not over until *we* decide its over.

Great Refrence to Systemes Chamge.......2007-01-11

The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems by Tom Devane, Steven Cady, and Peggy Holman (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) is the most comprehensive guide available to methods of organization and community change. It's designed for quick and easy access to information about high leverage change from today's foremost practitioners. This new edition is updated to describe more than 43 additional change methods and includes new chapters on selecting a method, mixing and matching methods, and responsibilities of the people involved, conditions for success, and more. This tremendously expanded second edition--400 pages longer, nearly twice the length of the first edition--will undoubtedly become the definitive resource in this rapidly expanding area.
This book offers practical insights and how to affect systems in positive ways to make them do the things we wish them to do and to mitigate the harm caused by some systems. Anyone who is interested in social change and personal change at any level will find the practical suggestions for intervention in this book to be positively enlightening.
In 1999, the first edition of The Change Handbook provided a snapshot of a nascent field that broke barriers by engaging "whole systems" of people from organizations and communities in creating their own future. In the last seven years, the field has exploded. In this completely revised and updated second edition, lead authors Peggy Holman, Tom Devane, and Steven Cady profile sixty-one change methods--up from eighteen in the first edition. Nineteen of these methods are explored in depth, with case studies, answers to frequently asked questions, and details on the roles and responsibilities of the people involved, conditions for success, and more. This tremendously expanded second edition--400 pages longer, nearly twice the length of the first edition--will undoubtedly become the definitive resource in this rapidly expanding area.
Simply put I can not find enough superlatives for the utility of this volume when it comes to explaining the practical steps necessary in systems change. The book is so comprehensive that many of the chapters could actually be books themselves. What is useful here is that one finds the boiled down essential information in one place. By offering potpourri of possible strategies group facilitators and therapists do not become overly committed to only a few strategies, but can find new ways to do old things better and with less effort and ways to evaluate old efforts that may have been well-intentioned but the intervention was misdirected. The book is a wonderful reference to the important evolving field of systems analysis and change. You overlook this volume at your peril.

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change

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A Life-Changer for Me
The right balance of principles and methodology
Appreciative Inquiry
Inspiring and Practical
beware of the positive reviews

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change
Diana Whitney , Amanda Trosten-Bloom , and David Cooperrider
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1576752267

Book Description

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes a new strategy that inspires people and brings about a higher performance level in any organization. This method encourages people to study, discuss, learn from, and build on what works well when they are at their best, rather than focusing on what's going wrong.

The theory, practice, and spirit of this approach to organizational change is described in plain language. The authors provide guidelines for defining the change agenda, initiative, or project; forming the "steering team"; and launching an organization-wide kick off. Case histories demonstrate how organizations can attain sustained positive change by studying their strengths.

Customer Reviews:

A Life-Changer for Me.......2006-12-12

Appreciative Inquiry is a process that I feel is one of the most powerful there is for - as the subtitle of this book says - offering a practical tool to create positive change. It's easy to talk in abstract terms about change and improving the world, but it isn't often we come across a way to actually make it happen in concrete terms. AI is one of those tools. This book offers a very thorough guide to the history, mindset, methodology and diverse potential use of this powerful process. In addition, it was instrumental in the startup and methods that I now use in my own coaching, consulting and training firm. It was both an inspiration and a way of approaching the world that has helped me grow tremendously.

The right balance of principles and methodology.......2006-11-03

As an OD professional, I own a dozen different books on AI. This book is the one I most frequently buy for my business leader clients because it offers a great balance between principles and methodology. The clear writing, ongoing case examples and useful tips make "The Power of Appreciative Inquiry" a powerful resource for consultants and managers interested in putting AI into immediate practice.

Appreciative Inquiry.......2006-09-28

This is an excellent book. It is very readable while it explains the theory and foundations of AI. There are examples of its use in the for profit and non profit world. I have been involved in strategic planning for several year with non profits and this is one process that folks get excited about. I would highly recommend this book and "The Appreciative Inquiry Summit" to get a practical outline on how the process can be put into practice with groups and organziations.

Inspiring and Practical.......2006-05-03

As a professional organization development consultant for over 20 years, I have found The Power of Appreciative Inquiry extremely helpful, not only in change consultation but in many other aspects of working with human systems. I recommend it highly.

beware of the positive reviews.......2005-06-17

I bought this book, and it is full of really obvious statements that are not backed by any meaningful examples. A requirements based analysis would have been a lot more useful.

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