Daniel Robin & Associates

Making Workplaces Work Better

Hot Books Index 2002

1. The Art of Focused Conversations, edited by Brian Stanfield 

2. Turning to One Another:  Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, by Margaret Wheatley

3. Best Practices in Organization Development and Change Handbook: Culture, Leadership, Retention, Performance, Consulting edited by Louis Carter and David Giber

4. When Generations Collide, by Lynne Lancaster & David Stillman

5. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz

6. Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done, by Bob Nelson

7. Co-Active Coaching : New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life, by Laura Whitworth et al

8. The Death of "e" and the Birth of the Real New Business Economy, by Peter Fingar et al

9. Quantum Organizations: A New Paradigm for Achieving Organizational Success and Personal Meaning, by Ralph Kilman

10. Facilitating Organizational Change: Lessons from Complexity Science, by Edwin Olson et al

11. The Natural Step for Business:  Wealth, Ecology and the Evolutionary Corporate, by Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare

12. Surfing the Edge of Chaos:  The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business, by Richard Pascale, Mark Millemann and Linda Gioja.

  Stanfield, R. Brian (Editor), The Art of Focused Conversation: 100 Ways to Access Group Wisdom in the Workplace,  240 pages, softcover, New Society Publishers (4/2000).   Synopsis:  In a word, this book is practical.  Communication within many organizations has been reduced to email, electronic file transfer, and hasty sound bytes at hurried meetings. More and more, people appear to have forgotten the value of wisdom gained by skillful conversation. But how to make them productive without forcing one's agenda or need for order?

NOTE: ABetterWorkplace facilitation services and skills seminars provide an excellent strategy to demonstrate, practice and implement the strategies contained in this book.  Contact us at info@abetterworkplace.com for details.

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Wheatley, Margaret J., Turning to One Another:  Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future,  150 pages, softcover, Berrett-Koehler (1/2002). Synopsis: "I believe we can change the world if we start talking to one another again," declares author Meg Wheatley.  In this book, she proposes that we use the increasingly popular and elegant process of conversation and dialogue as the means to develop solutions and move forward.  Wheatley asserts that the changes required in all aspects of modern life will not come from government or large organizations, national programs, new policies or laws. The changes will be led by people -- everyday people that self-organize locally with colleagues and friends to create the changes they want. Turning to One Another will help you begin conversations about things that are important to you and your organization. Wheatley beings by describing several conditions that support good conversation, including simplicity, personal courage, real listening, and so on.  (The "Focused Conversations" book, shown above, is a fine complement to this one.) Ten short essays act as "conversation starters," leading people to easily discuss and explore their beliefs, fears and hopes.  This is not a business book per se, but certainly it can have useful application at work.

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Carter, Louis and Giber, David (Editors), Best Practices in Organization Development and Change Handbook: Culture, Leadership, Retention, Performance, Consulting [link to amazon.com], or Directly from the publisher; 560 pages, hardcover, Jossey-Bass (9/2001).  Human Resources professionals, OD practitioners, inside "consultants," managers and executives will recognize the value and benefits of this handbook by working in collaboration with others.  Compared to other, comprehensive guides to organizational development, these practices do not require a deep understanding of the field in order to be successfully implemented. This book can serve as a practical guide to create and enhance your organization and human resource development (OD/HRD) initiatives. Using a case study approach, Best Practices in Organization Development and Change, combines a down-to-earth approach with readily applied tools such as instruments, training concepts, and competency models that can be used as benchmarks.  Includes a CD-ROM with additional forms.  

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Lancaster, Lynne C. & Stillman, David, When Generations Collide,  240 pages (Feb. 2002), HarperCollins.  Synopsis:  The authors tackle an important topic that takes diversity to the next level: disparities in age (so-called "generational differences") may cause people to interpret and operate from very different world views.  This is a new guide for employers and employees on how to take advantage of generational differences rather than allowing those differences to drain productivity. The book focuses on the bottom-line business challenges of recruiting, training, retaining, motivating, and managing their workforce.

The authors divide the workforce into four categories: Traditionalists, born between 1900 and 1945; Baby Boomers, born 1946 to 1964; Gen-Xers, 1965-1980; and Millennials (AKA "Gen Y"), born after 1980.  The book helps us to bridge across these differences by understanding what makes others tick. It is a basic but remarkably rare skill in business to be able to fully step off one's own "map" (perspective) and onto some else's.  As a tool for noticing that others may think and act for reasons unknown to us, this book is invaluable.  Of course, it is always a risk to "put people in boxes" (stereotyping is a form of prejudice), but the authors give enough helpful insight that readers can assess for themselves how people operate, and the concepts prove to be worthwhile. The book has excellent examples and exercises that are personable and often humorous, appealing to a wide range of readers by informing and educating us not only about corporate life but also about life in general.   Currently on sale (30% off list) for $18.16.   NOTE: ABetterWorkplace skills seminars provide an excellent strategy to actually implement the awareness this book will inspire.

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Ruiz, Don Miguel, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom,  138 pages (11/97), Amber-Allen Publisher, or Abridged Audio Book. Synopsis:  This straight-arrow Toltec wisdom is delightful and perhaps too subtle for some of us.  It is full of grace and simple truth, perfect for anyone making an elementary change in their life or for younger readers (whose life is nothing but change). The four agreements are: (1) Be impeccable with your word. (2) Don't take anything personally. (3) Don't make assumptions. (4) Always do your best. But it's the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering.  If practiced sincerely (taking #4 to heart, for example), this is a tall order.  At first look, there's no real substance to this book.  At first read, you'll ask yourself "Where's the beef?"  As you allow the ideas to wash over you, the realization is that each agreement is profoundly important, much easier said than done, and can be a lifetime in the mastery.  The philosophy here is actually the same as that is found in Carlos Castaneda's work, and in very few pages, it crystallizes the teachings of don Juan.  Wouldn't it be great if everyone practiced these agreements at work?

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Nelson, Bob, Please Don't Just Do What I Tell You, Do What Needs to Be Done : Every Employee's Guide to Making Work More Rewarding, 103 pages, hardcover, Hyeperion (9/2001).  This is all about employees taking initiative and leading, and does a good job of providing ideas for inspiring leadership at all levels of the organization.  Of course, any semi-sane employee will take charge and get things done (the things that need to be done) if management has set up the proper work environment and culture -- for example, one that rewards initiative and innovation (hint, hint).  This book reviews the basics of what every manager wished every employee, new or old, would know and retain. It says the unsaid, but it is no substitute for deeper issues of trust, recognition, and constructive criticism, let alone dealing with "undiscussability" itself, so often the result of inconsistent or ambiguous behavior in managers. Thus, this book is a good reminder for mangers as well. 

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Whitworth, Laura et al. (1998), Co-Active Coaching : New Skills for Coaching People Toward Success in Work and Life, 288 pages, Davies-Black Pub.,  $39.95. This is a solid book from coaches we know and respect.  ABetterWorkplace principals Daniel Robin and Karin Leonard are both graduates of the coaching school started by the authors.  Their book explores the concept of coach and client as partners in a "co-active" dance. The authors highlight the three core co-active coaching principles of fulfillment, balance and process; as well as five key co-active coaching skills. They've also included a number of handy coaching tips. Well-written with an eye toward helping the practitioner, but "in house" coaches and their clients will also benefit.  Compatible with our Coaching Skills coursework

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Xerox's John Seely Brown said "The Death of e is unquestionably the birth of a new understanding of where the real new economy is headed." The book explains the business models for Value Chain Innovation and Collaborative Commerce. But it doesn't stop there. It goes on to clarify the need for a new generation of Internet technologies to enable these new business models.  More focused on the business impact of the dot com era than the more humanistic view of people and what we are (hopefully) learning, this work does nevertheless help put tools and technology into perspective.

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Kilman, Ralph (2001), Quantum Organizations: A New Paradigm for Achieving Organizational Success and Personal Meaning; 344 pages, Davies-Black Pub, $45 (hardcover). This multi-disciplinary book puts organizational transformation into the context of a shift from the Cartesian-Newtonian to quantum-relativistic paradigm. He places, and links together, the study of organization and change initiatives into the context of cutting-edge transformations in physics, evolutionary biology, and the study of the brain/mind that are changing our view of reality.

The quantum organization is profiled by seven attributes including: inclusion of consciousness in self-designing systems; cross-boundary processes; and, internal commitment of active participants. Kilmann presents a five-stage process for closing the gap between the old and the new (i.e., quantum) organization.  Important concepts, still a bit too theoretical for most of us.  Unless you are leading organizational change and can apply this work immediately, we're still recommending Facilitating Organizational Change: Lessons from Complexity Science (click here), a shorter, more practical and far more digestible read.  Quantum Organizations goes deeper in theoretical underpinnings and for that reason, has merit.

These are our current favorites for leaders of organizational change, entrepreneurs, business people, and those interested in the connections between nature and business.  Our tribute to nature's designs, chaos and complexity.  Enjoy!

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Olson, Edwin E., Eoyang, Glenda H., Beckhard, Richard (2001) Facilitating Organizational Change: Lessons from Complexity Science, 160 pages, John Wiley & Sons, $29.95. Synopsis:  Provides a language and practical set of tools and models for applying understandings of complex adaptive systems (CAS) to organizational change.  Applies complexity theory so that leaders and facilitators can better use these tools for addressing challenges and complexity inside and outside their company's systems.  Picks up where The Dance of Change (Senge et al) leaves off. Highly recommended.

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Nattrass, Brian; Altomare, Mary (1999), The Natural Step for Business:  Wealth, Ecology and the Evolutionary Corporate (Conscientious Commerce).  222 pages, New Society Publishing, $16.95. This book clearly explains the powerful framework of The Natural Step, a scientific definition of sustainability, but also gives some excellent practical examples of major corporations starting down the path towards sustainability. This will give them a great competitive edge. With such examples, one can remain optimistic in the face of the torrent of negatives about the degenerating nature of the world environment. Includes many "how to" implement tips and ideas.

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Pascale, Richard T., Millemann, Mark, and Gioja, Linda. (2000), Surfing the Edge of Chaos:  The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business.  320 pages, Crown Publishing, $21.56.  Every few years a book changes the way people think about a field. In psychology there is Daniel Goleman's Emotional Intelligence. In science, James Gleick's Chaos. In economics and finance, Burton Malkiel's A Random Walk Down Wall Street. And in business, there's this one, a brilliant, powerful, and practical book about the parallels between business and nature -- two fields that feature nonstop battles between the forces of tradition and the forces of transformation. It offers a bold new way of thinking about and responding to the personal and strategic challenges everyone in business faces these days.

Pascale, Millemann, and Gioja argue that because every business is a living system (not just as metaphor but in reality), the four cornerstone principles of the life sciences are just as true for organizations as they are for species. These principles are:

1. Equilibrium is death.
2. Innovation usually takes place on the edge of chaos.
3. Self-organization and emergence occur naturally.
4. Organizations can only be disturbed, not directed.

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