Book Description
Senge's best-selling The Fifth Discipline led Business Week to dub him the "new guru" of the corporate world; here he offers executives a step-by-step guide to building "learning organizations" of their own.
Customer Reviews:
Tools for creating a Learning Culture.......2006-09-11
Peter M Serge, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook
To quote the first few paragraphs at beginning of book:
Among the tribes of northen Natal in South Africa, the most common greeting, equivalent to "hello" in English, is the expression: Sawu bona. It literally means, "I see you." If you are a member of the tribe, you might reply by saying Sikhona, "I am here." The order of the exchange is important: until you see me, I do not exist. It's as if, when you see me bring me into existence.
This meaning, implicit in the language, is part of the spirit of ubuntu, a frame of mind prevalent among native people in Africa below the Sahara. The word ubuntu stems from the folk saying Umuntu ngumuntu nagabantu, which from Zulu, literally translates as: "A person is a person because of other people."
"I bow in honor and reverence that place within you where to the Universe resides, when you are in that place within you, and I am in that place within me, there is One." ~namaste
The five disciplines are at the CORE of a Learning Organization
1) Personal Mastery: expand your personal capacity and ability
2) Mental Models: see how our internal pictures of the world shape action and decision
3) Shared Vision: group commitment
4) Team Learning: group ability is greater than the sum of individual talents
5) System Thinking:
"When we try to bring about change in our societies, we are treated first with indifference, then with ridicule, then with abuse and then with oppression. And finally, the greatest challenge is thrown at us: We are treated with respect. This is the most dangerous stage." --A. T. Ariyaratne (Speech made at International Community Leadership Summit, Winrock, Arkansas, March 1983. This quote paraphrases and expands upon a well-known statement made by Mahatma Gandhi in his book Satyagraha in South Africa, 1982, 1979, Canon, Me.: Greenleaf books)
"An [organization] is not a machine but a living organism." --Ikujiro Nonaka /****
Fundamentals of epistemology: what is knowledge, the nature of knowledge, and what constitutes learning.
understanding is achieved after internalization.
Without experience, we cannot truly understand.
Internalization: transformation from explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge, habits and culture that we do not recognize in ourselves.
Innovation is a process to capture, create, leverage, and retain knowledge.
What is your belief? A belief about images of the world - you may call it a mental model - is a very subjective thing
information is the flow of a message, while knowledge is created by accumulating information. Thus, information is a necessary medium or material for eliciting and constructing knowledge.
The second difference is that information is something passive. When we switch on a TV set, information comes regardless of my commitment. But knowledge comes from my belief, so it's more proactive.
And the organizational knowledge or intellectual infrastructure of an organization encourages its individual members to develop new knowledge through new experiences.
This dynamic process is the key to organizational knowledge creation - that is, socialization (from individual tacit knowledge to group tacit knowledge), externalization (from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge), combination (from separate explicit knowledge to systemic explicit knowledge), and internalization (from explicit knowledge to tacit knowledge) [...].
[...]
Three Guiding Ideas
1) The Whole. When you are pointing a finger at the problems, notice how many fingers are pointing back at you. If you fixed the symptoms and ignore the root causes, the problems have not gone away. Another way to look at this is treat the person, not the disease. Of course treat the disease if the patient is dying, but know that the patient will get sick again because the "root causes" are stil there.
2) Community. The self is "a point of view." "The essence of being a person is being in a relationship [with] other people." You will not believe this, but each person before you is there for a reason. The reason this person is there at this moment is for you to learn something about yourself. If you ignore the person, do not ignore or forget the lesson.
3) Language. The map is not the territory. We cannot contain every bit of information that comes to us in the world, so we have to create a "map of the territory" and then refer to the map for our information. By changing a person's map, we change their reality. Language is the map, not the reality.
enlightening concepts about leadership.......2005-10-26
It seems to me that The Fifth Discipline (the previous publication of the series) is more attacting to me. The second book can be more precise and concise in content. Generally speaking I still like these two books as a foreign reader.
The Fifth Discipline.......2003-02-08
This book is a collection of theoretical summaries, reports, analyses, and strategies all quite useful to anyone interested in generating some thinking and action around change. The team of five writers (Peter Senge, Richard Ross, Bryan Smith, Charlotte Roberts, and Art Kleiner) provide some original work, but also serve as editors to a vast quantity of material drawn from practitioners, theorists, and writers in the field of organizational improvement. According to Senge, "great teams are learning organizations - groups of people who, over time, enhance their capacity to create what they truly desire to create." (p.18) This book is really about creating and building great teams. The learning organization develops its ability to reflect on, discuss, question, and change its current and past practices. To do this, people and groups in the organization need to meaningfully pursue the study and practice of the five disciplines - personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking.
The learning organization - Senge's vision for the productive, competitive, and efficient institutions of the future - is in a continuous state of change. Four fundamental questions continuously serve to check and guide a group's learning and improvement (see page 49): (1) Do you continuously test your experiences? ("Are you willing to examine and challenge your sacred cows - not just during crises, but in good times?") (2) Are you producing knowledge? ("Knowledge, in this case, means the capacity for effective action.") (3) Is knowledge shared? ("Is it accessible to all of the organization's members?") (4) Is the learning relevant? ("Is this learning aimed at the organization's core purpose?") If these questions represent the organization's compass, the five disciplines are its map.
Each of the five disciplines is explained, and elaborated in its own lengthy section of the book. In the section on "Systems Thinking" (a set of practices and perspectives, which views all aspects of life as inter-related and playing a role in some larger system), the authors build on the idea of feedback loops (reinforcing and balancing) and introduce five systems archetypes. They are: "fixes that backfire", "limits to growth", "shifting the burden", "tragedy of the commons", and "accidental adversaries". In the section on "Personal Mastery", the authors argue that learning starts with each person. For organizations to learn and improve, people within the organization (perhaps starting with its core leadership) must learn to reflect on and become aware of their own core beliefs and visions. In "Mental Models", the authors argue that learning organizations need to explore the assumptions and attitudes, which guide their institutional directions, practices, and strategies. Articles on scenario planning, the ladder of inference, the left-hand column, and balancing inquiry and advocacy offer practical strategies to investigate our personal mental models as well as those of others in the organization. In "Shared Vision", the authors make the case for the stakeholders of an organization to continually adapt their vision ("an image of a desired future"), values ("how we get to travel to where we want to go"), purpose ("what the organization is here to do"), and goals ("milestones we expect to reach before too long"). The section offers many strategies and perspectives on how to move an organization toward continuous reflection. In "Team Learning", the authors rely mostly on the work of William Isaacs and others, and make a case for educating organization members in the processes and skills of dialogue and skillful discussion.
This book is enlightening and informative. It has already found a place on my shelf for essential reference books.
A follow up to the legend.......2003-01-27
The Fieldbook attempts at making the esoteric concepts of the fifth discipline more down to earth and contains a treasure trove of strategies, tools, methods and explanations on how to make the learning organization into a reality.
Thus people who have read The fifth discipline will gain the most from this book. It's a must read for people who want to make their organizations transition into a 'learning organization'
A second dose of Inspiration..........2002-02-09
Senge's second serving of the Learning Organization is filled with practical tips and real-life examples from companies and organizations that have embraced the teachings of the Learning Organization successfully.
The Book is a collaboration of several writers who do a superb job of unraveling the web that is the learning organization. At times, it may seem to the reader that the book is a labyrinth of disjointed concepts and ideas. However, if you have read `The Fifth Discipline' you will find no problems following the concepts introduced. In fact, you will even understand why the writers have chosen to introduce them in that fashion. If you have not read "The Fifth Discipline', do not despair, it will take a little longer to get `the whole picture'.
The Book is divided into 8 main sections:
1) Getting Started addresses the basic concepts and ideas of the Learning Organization.
2) Systems Thinking (the fifth discipline) - Many people have argued that Senge should have delegated the fifth discipline until the end, however, without Systems Thinking, your vision is disjointed and incomplete.
3) Personal Mastery covers the area of individual development and learning. The chapters here are among the most valuable in the area of self-growth and self-improvement.
4) Mental Models - These are the pictures that you have in your head which represent reality.
5) Shared Vision - You've seen the whole picture, you've developed and you understand how you see the world. Now you need to find a common cause with the rest of the people in your organization, something that you all work for.
6) Team Learning - As you work with other people in teams or groups, you need to pass the stuff that you have learnt and the wisdom you've acquired to others. At this stage, the learning is no longer that of the individual, but the group.
7) Arenas of Practice - (Self explanatory)
8) Frontiers - Where do we go from here.
If you are interested in development, learning, growth, leadership, gaining a competitive edge whether at an organizational or personal level, then this book is for you. In fact, I'd venture to say that this is book is for everyone.
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.
Book Description
Since it was first published in 1995,
Practicing Organization Development has become a classic in change management. Now completely revised and updated, editors Rothwell and Sullivan, leaders in the field of OD, and numerous expert practitioners, walk you through each episode of change facilitation.
Youll find exhibits, activities, instruments, and case studies. You'll get help applying each phase of a popular emerging change making model. And youll find include applied research and insights from a wide variety of well-known OD practitioners and academicians. Included in this comprehensive resource are an instructor's guide, ever expanding materials on the Web, and a companion CD-ROM with PowerPoint slides and supplemental materials.
Practicing Organization Development is packed with useful, current, proven direction on applying OD principles in the real world -- order your copy today!
Download Description
"Since it was first published in 1995, Practicing Organization Development has become a classic in change management. In this completely revised and updated second edition, expert authors walk you through each episode of change facilitation.
The second edition is enhanced with exhibits, activities, instruments, and case studies. This indispensable guide will help apply each phase of a popular emerging change making model. The editors, themselves leaders in the field of OD, include applied research and insights from a wide variety of well-known practitioners and academicians. A comprehensive resource, included is an instructor's guide, ever expanding materials on the Web, PowerPoint slides and supplemental materials on the companion CD-ROM. "
Customer Reviews:
Too Academic.......2006-07-29
This book is much too academic. Can somebody recommend an organizational change book written by a practitioner? This book is designed for undergraduate students.
Professional 'Keeper'.......2003-03-17
This 'Guide' book is one of four used in a Human Resource Development course that I took in a masters program. The content is the type that will be referred to over and over again in the course of an HRDV career. Some principles should not change, and the ones in this book are rich. A copy is staying in my personal library.
Solid definitions and foundation for understanding OD.......2001-08-04
I love this book! It is a must-have for all practitioners, beginners, or anyone who wants to place solid definitions of all elements associated with organization development.
Excelente.......1999-02-17
Es nuestro libro de texto en la materia de Desarrollo Organizacional de la Maestría de Gestión de la Calidad en el Centro de Excelencia de la Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, México. Por motivo de traducción su lectura no es tan rápida como desearamos por lo que me interesa saber cuando tendrán una edición en español. Gracias. Ana Luisa Mejía.
The essestial skills needed to do change management today.......1997-06-16
This book has become a best seller in the change managment and organization development arena. It is used as a text book by many universities. At the last OD network meeting, 4 graduate programs in OD identified this as the favorite of students.
It is practical, easy to read and is very useful for anyone doing consulting.
Dick Beckhard who coined the phrase Organization Development says it is the best book on change since his Addision-Wesley Series on OD
Book Description
The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change is an essential tool for both practitioners and students who want to know how to effectively bring about meaningful and sustainable change in organizations. Featuring contributions from leading practitioners, academics, and scholars in the field, each chapter comprehensively explores a key aspect of organization development including core theories and methods, OD in the international and world setting, practical applications, the future of OD, and many others. Co-published with the NTL Institute, a long-time leader and champion for the field, The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change boasts an extensive range of knowledge, experience, and methods integrated by a philosophical system that underscores the vital mission of OD as well as provides expert guidance in the art and science of making organizational development and change work.
Customer Reviews:
Superb overview of modern Organization Development.......2006-03-19
Edited collections at this price point can be a problem. But compared to its competitors, this NTL Handbook is an outstanding volume, written by some of the biggest names in OD for practitioners at all levels. Great value after you get over the sticker shock.
As a skimmed the book I was amazed by the new insights that leapt out at me, by the clear, jargon-free writing (relatively, after all it's a professional book) and by the generous references and citations. History, ethics, techniques, it's all there. While the formatting of tables is sometimes inconvenient (I found myself turning the book sideways more than I should have had to), it's a small price to pay for the comprehensiveness of the treatment.
My only disappointments were the two chapters on large group interventions. One covers the familiar territory the familiar way (refer to the books you already own). The other gives a partial account of the newest, technology-enabled 'town meetings' without grounding the story in the theory of why they work (or should) and how cost-effective they are as OD interventions, as opposed to political rallys. The rest of the book is fresh and new, even of topics that we practitioners think we know like the back of our hand. I marvelled at the new life some chapters breathed into traditional material.
This book from NTL Institute should be in every consultant's library, as a refresher and, more important, as a source of new inspiration as you work with organizations and the people in them.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Resource Manual
- A TOP-NOTCH, IN-DEPTH INTRODUCTION TO FACILITATION.
- The Facilitation Reference Book
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The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation: Best Practices from the Leading Organization in Facilitation (J-B International Association of Facilitators)
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ASIN: 078797160X |
Book Description
Sponsored by the International Association of Facilitators, The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation offers the need-to-know basics in the field brought together by fifty leading practitioners and scholars. This indispensable resource includes successful strategies and methods, foundations, and resources for anyone who works with groups. The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation provides an overview of the field for new and aspiring practitioners and a reliable reference for experienced group facilitators, including chapters on
- Creating positive ongoing client relationships
- Building trust and improving communications
- Facilitating group brainstorming sessions
- Drawing out the best in people
- Developing a collaborative environment
- Designing and facilitating dialogue
- Managing conflicting agendas
- Working with multicultural groups
- Using improvisation
- Understanding virtual meetings
- Facilitating team start-up
- Assessing group decision processes
- Building expertise in facilitation
- Reviewing core facilitation competencies
- Modeling positive professional attitudes
Download Description
Sponsored by the International Association of Facilitators, The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation offers the need-to-know basics in the field brought together by fifty leading practitioners and scholars. This indispensable resource includes successful strategies and methods, foundations, and resources for anyone who works with groups. The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation provides an overview of the field for new and aspiring practitioners and a reliable reference for experienced group facilitators, including chapters on -Creating positive ongoing client relationships -Building trust and improving communications -Facilitating group brainstorming sessions -Drawing out the best in people -Developing a collaborative environment -Designing and facilitating dialogue -Managing conflicting agendas -Working with multicultural groups -Using improvisation -Understanding virtual meetings -Facilitating team start-up -Assessing group decision processes - Building expertise in facilitation -Reviewing core facilitation competencies -Modeling positive professional attitudes
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource Manual.......2007-03-08
I purchased 3 different books regarding faciliation techniques and guidelines and this was the ultimate. It is set out very clearly, provides background to faciliation and then systematically steps through an end-to-end process including a wide range of techniques to select from when developing a plan for a facilitation workshop.
A TOP-NOTCH, IN-DEPTH INTRODUCTION TO FACILITATION........2005-08-09
An extraordinarily rich and in-depth introduction to the subject. Each chapter is written by one or more experts. The book covers such topics as:
- creating an ongoing client relationship;
- the skilled facilitator approach;
- process issues such as difficult personalities;
- facilitation planning and preparation;
- building trust;
- the art of drawing out the best in people;
- building a collaborative environment;
- facilitating the whole system in the room;
- improvisation in facilitation;
- virtual meetings;
- facilitating communication in group decision making discussions;
- how to build you facilitation expertise.
These topics are but a sampling, to give some idea of the scope and depth of this most valuable volume, which takes the reader far deeper than methods and techniques. The book is well organized and very accessible. Based on our organization diagnosis, design and change consulting experience (www.FutureOrganization.com), we find this book to be a terrific resource for practitioners.
The Facilitation Reference Book.......2005-04-20
I have over 35 years of experience in facilitation, working in villages, multinational companies, intergovernmental bodies and not-for-profit organizations. The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation is the reference book of facilitation. From the day it arrived I began using it.
Chapters cover a wide array of applications, methods and theory of faciliation. Topics such as visual facilitation, the use of stories in facilitation, training of facilitators, facilitation as a communications tool and much more make this book a must have for those concerned with the profession of facilitation
Customer Reviews:
Nice Introduction / Well organized book.......2007-08-31
Very helpful book and I give it 5 stars for easily fulfilling its purpose, i.e. an introduction to many of the problem solving techniques, and I highly recommend it for that purpose. This book does not go into a comprehensive discussion of the various techniques, nor was it intended to, but it does give a very good introduction to each and you can research further those techniques you would like to use. I have researched some of them on the internet (free of charge).
He categorizes the techniques by function (in other words, he presents the various techniques in the particular stage of the problem solving process in which they are most effective) and gives you an excellent summary in the Appendix.
I have read quite a few books on Problem Solving / Decision Making and they all come down to Divergence and Convergence, or Creative and Critical thinking. One book I read (Psychology of Intelligence Analysis) made the very good point that creative and critical thinking are both absolutely necessary in the problem solving process, however, in his words, they do not mix well. You must consciously and diligently halt all criticism and judgment, no matter how small, during the divergent phase of the problem solving process - "deferred judgment". This is the foundation for any productive brainstorming session, or even any individual analysis of a problem. There will be plenty of time to evaluate later on.
This book functions as a brainstorming session...it presents many ideas and approaches, and allows you to review each one and determine which is best for your situation. Many of the techniques in this book, and any other problem solving book, are really just different variations of brainstorming sessions (larger or smaller groups, an extra step or two, limitations on one thing or another, a change in procedure, etc..) which is OK too. Most problem solving techniques are either brainstorming sessions of some sort, or techniques designed to force you to lay aside your preconceived opinions and study a problem from different angles (yes that is a major simplification).
The book is organized and formatted very well. The information is presented in an interesting manner and never gets boring. Most of the sections are short and sweet, and what few times he goes beyond a couple pages is by necessity. I really liked the "Summary of Steps" that are throughout the book and the mini case studies were nice as well. Personally, I would like to have seen at least a couple extended case studies, but that was not the purpose of this book.
One of my favorites is the Delphi technique. I have actually used a form of it several times in my work before I even knew it was a technique, and I suspect many of you have used it too in an informal way. I have had some good success with it and believe it to be an excellent technique in any stage of the problem solving process, whether I am dealing with professionals, layman, mechanics, or bozos.
Very helpful, well written and well-organized book. The $15 or so for the book is a great investment for your career or business. I am sure there are more comprehensive books that cost alot more, but this one fulfills it purpose nicely.
Practical tools for problem solving and brainstorming.......2007-01-06
There are a lot of books out there on creative problem solving that are inspiring, but a person is left wondering how to really solve problems.
101 Creative Problem Solving Techniques is a great books filled with practical tools/exercies/activities to get people to think outside-the-box. My company has embraced brainstorming and problem solving as a critical element in doing business; this book is a much used resource.
Nice book with good ideas.......2005-09-14
I liked the book because it shows you in a clear way several techniques to generate ideas. Some of the techniques are unpractical, and some are incredibly simple, effective and easy to implement. I have a copy of this book at work and I use it with my team.
Excellent.......2004-03-10
This book is an excellent collection of creative-thinking techniques that will make you more creative in your business and personal lives. This ranks close to the classic book on creative-thinking "Thinkertoys" by Michael Michalko.
Original and good.......2004-02-08
This book is both original and good. The part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.
Book Description
The Employee Handbook for Organizational Change is a handbook created to teach employees the differences between myth and reality during times of rapid change. It provides practical tips to help employees take personal control, face problems with a constructive attitude, and find the positive opportunities which exist in this unstable environment. The handbook delivers guidance on surviving in the age of instability, clearing up the myths and presenting the realities of what is likely to be going on behind the scenes, overcoming resistance to change, and becoming a change agent.
Customer Reviews:
Get Your Mind Right.......2003-09-15
This is not actually a handbook in the sense of it being a concise reference, but rather it is something that organizations undergoing change might want to distribute in order to suppress dissention among the rank and file. Its message: Resist organizational change and you will be crushed; embrace change and you might keep your job.
Most of the handbook comprises a "myth versus reality" section. The myths are the employee perceptions, the realities are management perceptions. The author includes tips on handling the stress of organizational upheaval such as exercise, relaxation, and humor. However, he has omitted one of the most effective: Lining up a new job.
Pro-management propaganda blaming workers for its failures........1998-12-04
In parental fashion, the book blames the workers for corporate failures. This pro-management piece of propaganda insinuates the workers are the problem, it stereotypes them as malcontents and recalcitrant rebels. In a "thou shalt be ashamed of thineself" mode it warns that management failures are due to the intransigent and rebellious employees' indifference toward managment and change. The book absolves management of all failures and instead points the finger at the work staff's inability to cope with change. It further justifies management's "cold" behavior as being in the best interest of the corporation (vs. employees).
I agree management's vision and actions should be directed toward its corporate goals and longevity, but it gives no credit to most of the employees who understand this. Instead, it preaches that "you" workers are mostly incapable of long-term vision & understanding that change is "good", and that "good ole" management has to beat this fact into you employees.
Basically, the book justifies all management action and behavior while chastising workers for not going along, not coping, and ultimately being responsible for negative outcomes. The myths stereotype workers as sniveling, ungrateful, and behind-the-times, while justifying management's mistakes as a "cost of doing business".
The book has many fine points and can go a long way toward acceptance if it could present a more effective picture of management and employees in a joint venture together, in a partnership for the betterment and enhancement of the employment and paycheck producing corporation. Cut out the guilt production and anti-employee negativity and expound instead on the positivity of shared responsibility for the well-being of the company.
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Individual Differences and Development in Organisations (Wiley Handbooks in Work & Organizational Psychology)
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ASIN: 0471485403 |
Book Description
Organisations, of all kinds, are facing the challenge of rapidly advancing technologies, and ever-increasing levels of competition, both nationally and globally. They are also seeking to operate in an environment where the traditional relationships between employer and employee are rapidly changing.
Learning to harness the talents of everyone comprising an organisation is critical to sustainable organisational effectiveness. Successfully developing the talents of all members of an organization is, arguably, the only lasting source of competitive advantage.
This handbook provides a unique and authoritative review of relevant research, theoretical developments, and current best practice in the management of individual development.
Drawing on the expertise of both renowned academic specialists and leading practitioners, the book is designed to be a practical resource for the guidance and support of those whose role is to bring about the development of people at work.
- Authoritative reviews of relevant evaluation research, and best-practice descriptions of key assessment and development tools
- Editor with excellent psychological and consultancy knowledge, experience and contacts
- Written by International contributors within a strong conceptual structure
- Part of a new series - Wiley Handbooks in the Psychology of Management in Organizations
Download Description
"How can we maintain competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment and at the same time create and sustain organisations in which people thrive both materially and psychologically? While organisations are facing the twin challenges of advancing technologies and increasing levels of competition, successfully developing and retaining the talents of all its members is key to organisational effectiveness. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANISATIONS is a wide-ranging review of research, theoretical developments and current best practice for HR consultants, managers, academics and advanced students in psychology. Michael Pearn has assembled a comprehensive collection of renowned academic specialists and leading practitioners to provide academic research findings and practice-relevant information on a variety of subjects. These include: whether competencies exist; the meaning of Emotional Intelligence; whether personality influences performance; what turns an assessment centre into a development centre; whether development resources should be concentrated on the most gifted; methods of developing diversity; and using networks to enhance learning. This authoritative handbook will prove an invaluable tool for those charged with the development of people in organizations in today's climate of constant change.
Book Description
Discover a wealth of issues in the field of consulting psychology with this landmark book. Explore key topics in assessment and evaluation, building teams, executive coaching, career counseling, interpersonal conflicts and relationships, benefit design, personality testing, and much more. Learn to delineate and better understand the wide array of information you are faced with, and become more adept and knowledgeable in the field of consulting psychology. This comprehensive volume has expert contributors recruited by the volume's editor--himself an eminent educator and practitioner in the field.
You will get:
- Special issues in consulting to specific types of organizations including industry, schools, government, non-profit, and international
- Informative guidelines for professional practice procedures
- Organized sections on individual, group and organizational issues
- And much more!
Customer Reviews:
Excerpt from Personnal Psychology Review!.......2003-11-03
Personnel Psychology, 2003: As you would expect in a comprehensive handbook, there is something for everyone: perspective, techniques, guidelines, conceptual frameworks, research findings, and comprehensive reference lists. It is a genuine portal into the vast interdisciplinary world of consulting psychology for practitioners, academics, researchers, and students. Bon appetit! Stephen Hrop, Personnel Psychology, 2003, p. 785.
NOTE TO EDITORS: DO NOT LIST STARS WITH THIS REVIEW EXCERPT. THE REVIEW DID NOT USE A STAR RATING SYSTEM AND IT WOULD BE MISLEADING TO DO SO ON LINE.
Comprehensive Book on Organizational Consulting!.......2002-12-15
Wow! Incredibly comprehensive coverage of topics in organizational consulting. Destined to be a "classic" for years to come. Shows what works and doesn't in organizational consulting. Assessment, interventions, ethics, outcomes--it's all here!
A must read for every consultant........2002-11-16
The 31 chapters organized into 8 sections are a treasure for any one who serves in a consulting role. The text is written for psychologist but is of extraordinary value for consultants in all domains. Of broad interest are the chapters on "Assessing Candidates for Leadership Positions," "Individual Level Variables," "The Effectiveness of Executive Coaching," "Integrating Individual Assessment, Position Requirements, Team-Based Competencies, and Organizational Vision," "Successfully Implementing Teams," "Proactive Ways to Improve Leadership Performance," and two areas on Organizational Performance. Well worth both the price and the time to read it.
Featured Selection for Transforming Education Bookstore.......2002-11-13
The value of The California School of Organizational Studies Handbook of Organizational Consulting Psychology goes far beyond what the title might indicate. This is a must read for anyone who works in the realm of organizational transformation or who works in a consulting capacity.
We have selected it as the November 2002 Featured Selection for Transforming Education Bookstore and highly recommend it.
Book Description
The vision of the MIT Process Handbook Project is the creation of a systematic and powerful method of organizing and sharing business knowledge. Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook presents the key findings of a multidisciplinary research group at MIT’s Sloan School of Management that has worked for over a decade to lay the foundation for just such a comprehensive system. It does so by focusing on the process itself. The book proposes a set of fundamental concepts to guide analysis and a classification framework for organizing knowledge, and describes the publicly available online knowledge base developed by the project, which includes a set of representative templates and specific case examples as well as a set of software tools for organizing and sharing knowledge.
Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook includes twenty-one papers, some previously published and some appearing for the first time, that have come out of this decade-long project. Together, they form a comprehensive and coherent vision of the future of knowledge organization. The Handbook is organized into five parts: an introduction and overview; the presentation of a theory of process representation; "Contents of the Process Repository"; "Process Repository Uses," which gives examples from both research and practice; and a conclusion, which maps the progress so far and the challenges ahead.
Books:
- The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
- The Great American Tax Dodge: How Spiraling Fraud and Avoidance Are Killing Fairness, Destroying the Income Tax, and Costing You
- The Lean Manufacturing Pocket Handbook
- The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain's Untapped Potential
- The One Minute Manager Balances Work and Life (One Minute Manager Library)
- The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practical Guide to Positive Change
- The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children
- The Restaurant Managers Handbook: How to Set Up, Operate, and Manage a Financially Successful Food Service Operation
- The Secrets of Facilitation: The S.M.A.R.T. Guide to Getting Results With Groups
- The Shadows of Power: The Council on Foreign Relations and the American Decline
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The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
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