It Starts with One: Changing Individuals Changes Organizations

by Hal B. Gregersen and J. Stewart Black

Book Overview

To change the results an organization achieves, one has to change the mental maps that guide stakeholders. * Individual behavior follows the mental maps that people carry in their heads. Until you... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0132319845
• ISBN13: 9780132319843
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Wharton School Publishing
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An organizational change program that truly works

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus taught that nothing is permanent except change. But, in business, even attempts to change aren't permanent - in fact, corporate transformations are usually either temporary or doomed at the outset. Executives order organizational shifts, assuming that their employees will institute them immediately as instructed and that fruitful transformation will thus ensue promptly. Unfortunately, that seldom happens because human beings, including your staffers, strongly resist giving up comfortable patterns. They will hew to familiar paths unless you or your "change champions" intercept them, one by one, explain J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen. Their book on organizational transformation makes it clear that companies cannot alter the status quo unless leaders can convince employees to adjust their mindsets and processes first. The authors outline an approach to corporate change rooted in this concept. While their plan is not exactly quick and easy, it is methodical and logical. getAbstract recommends their book to executives and managers who want to direct and control organizational change by working with their employees instead of dictating to them. Why? Because, say Black and Gregersen, one way works and the other way doesn't.

Informative and actionable guide to engaging your team in change initiatives

With a wonderful presentation format and very engaging writing style, this book informs and guides leaders who want to roll out change initiatives in their organizations. Critically, it provides information on the most important steps to take, how to build momentum, and the variety of issues that prevent your desired change from happening. This book will prove most useful when there's a good idea, someone wants to champion it, you (as the leader) want it to happen, and you need to know what to do next. The only real thing that I'd like to have seen was a few more examples of real-world cases where change failed surprisingly due to not following the steps. Sometimes knowing the smoke signals to look for is important as knowing the success metrics to track.

Great book, plus...

This is a great book. I recommend it in addition to "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler.Black & Gregersen focus on the management development level. Beitler focuses on the organization development level.They make a great combo!Charles "Chuck" Lowell

Good book, plus...

This is a very good book. I also recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Beitler.

Leading Strategic Change (Black, Gregersen)

Really like this book...easy to read, different way of looking at a well-covered topic, keeps your interest. I took away a lot of insights from the book. I've read quite a few books and articles on change and leadership, and this book does not go through the same "list" of things to do to bring about change with a new set of vocabulary. It gets at the fundamental core of how to even influence/drive the "list". So many books just say do this or that (e.g. get buy-in to your vision) to enable change, but they never get at the process an individual goes through during the change (e.g. to individually buy-in) - which is the key to making it happen. There's been a fundamental missing link between management advice and the reality of cognitive psychology. That's one of the big things I like in this book. It makes that link in a pragmatic way. You get a sense of being better armed to attack the drivers, barriers and challenges to leading change.