Back to Category Personal Finance & Investing

It Starts with One

Changing Individuals Changes Organizations

by J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen

		Publisher: Wharton School Publishing This Edition: 2008 First Edition: 2002 ISBN: 9780132319843 No. pages: 192 Category: Leadership & Management

In this summary you will learn

Why businesses must constantly change
Why transforming your organization requires first motivating your employees to modify their attitudes and actions
Why employees resist change
How you can convince employees to work differently

Why you should read It Starts with One

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.

About the Authors

J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen teach at INSEAD, Europe’s largest M.B.A. organization. Gregersen, co-author of nine other books, was a Fulbright Fellow at the Turku School of Economics.

Rating (what is this?)

Overall		(8)
Applicability		(9)
Innovation		(6)
Style		(8)

Level of Expertise (what is this?)

Level

(2)

Buy the Book

Click here to buy the book "It Starts with One". If you wish to purchase 20 or more copies of the same title (not the summary, but the "real" book), please contact us at bulkorders@getAbstract.com. Make sure you include the title of the book and your phone number.

getAbstract makes it easy for you to access the summary of It Starts with One any time or any place. Once registered, you can choose from a variety of download formats: PDF for your computer, BlackBerry, iPhone, Kindle, PDA or other handheld devices. You can even obtain the audio version of many of our summaries.
Subscribe today to gain access to this summary as well as many other compelling titles!