Organization

Mary Mitchell's Class Acts is filled with good information, overlaid with a gentle philosophy, and is a good read to boot. It's the only etiquette book I've read cover to cover. It makes a perfect gift -- a lovely compliment to colleagues, clients and friends who are indeed class acts.

Class Acts by business etiquette authority and consultant Mary Mitchell is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide to using good manners, etiquette, and positive relationships to improve business efficiency, profitability, and the lowering of daily stress levels while on the job. From the importance of accountability, forgiveness, and trustworthiness; to improving communication skills; to handling disagreement in the most effective manner (always disagree in private if possible, and carefully watch one's tone of voice while disapproving); to coping with the challenges of cyberspace; to knowing better than to pursue a workplace romance (or if one must, to pursue it with caution and close awareness of the other party's feelings), Class Acts emphasizes that it is the creation of good and enduring relationships which, in the end, are fundamental to the establishing of a good and profitable business climate.

Class Acts is an essential book for today's personal and professional environment. The strength of the book comes from it's applicability to one's life lived in a 24/7 world. The lines between professional acts and personal acts are less clearly defined as one realizes that a "whole life" standard to behavior is the only way to conduct oneself. It is precisely this understanding of all "actions" and their impact on daily life, both on the individual and organizational level, that makes this book a boardroom to bedroom must read.

As the CEO of ULiveandLearn, an educational company, we have been involved in developing programs that offer training and continuing education programs. Often, the benchmark programs are the ones that ignite support across a broad group of users, from corporate managers to educators to community-based organizations.

We are looking forward to helping bring Class Acts live through programs that integrate the essentials of the book with case studies and programs for corporations and organizations.

The opportunity to create and sustain an environment of good manners, good relationships and good business benefits us all. Mary Mitchell clearly understands the power of her message and it's long reaching effects on everyone who cares enough to be a Class Act.

As a professional worship director, a seminary student and a student of worship, I have read any number of books on the topic of worship. Kevin Navarro's book ranks, without question, as one of the best.
"Complete" is the right word to use in reference to this book. Kevin manages to squeeze a wealth of information into a relatively short, easy and engaging read. The chapters on musical direction alone can be used as a handy reference book, invaluable to have available in a church staff office. The sections on theology, discipleship and leadership are equally spot-on; Kevin readily points out the elements which are truly needed in today's church environment. Best of all, Kevin's heart for worship is evident throughout.
I would highly recommend this book, not just to professional worship directors, but to anyone who accepts the challenge of leading a congregation into the presence of the living God.

Pastor Navarro has written a true gem here in "The Complete Worship Leader". This book is a "how to" manual for the novice worship leader, a reference and a tune-up manual for mid-level and experienced worship leaders. For Pastors, it serves as a valuable tool in selecting the appropriate format for worship depending on the church style as well as the type of worship leader for specific churches/denominations. The roadmap in regards to theology, discipleship, artistry and leadership are an eye opener in that these four elements are crucial to the success of the praise and worship and are interdependant on one another. This book confirms that the praise and worship team is not in the sanctuary to entertain, but to bring the presence of the Holy Spirit. Easy and fun to read, you will want to have a supply of highlighters as there is a wealth of knowledge in these 200+ pages. Recommended for worship leaders, pastors, praise team members and all church members. A Winner!!!

Worship leading is more than just leading singing, and a worship leader needs to be more than a musician with a decent voice. This book gives vital guidelines on how to be a well-rounded worship leader. The way "The Complete Worship Leader" is ordered prioritizes sound theology and personal discipleship over musical ability. Although the musical tips in the later chapters are helpful, it may be a revelation to some how important it is for a worship leader to be a theologian; not only to have the experience of salvation, but the knowledge of how salvation works. As the reader works his- or herself through the chapters, it becomes obvious that no stone is left unturned. This is truly an indispensible resource.

This book was the foundation on which a 'new' (or rather renewed) church is being built. I've had the privilege of working with Richard and Robert and am seeing wonderful changes in our church as a result. We've been able to put into words who we really are and be true to ourselves. As a result we have been able to attract those who have been seeking a church just like us. They have been able to find us now that we can say "This is who we are! Join together in our spiritual journeys toward God!" I look forward to both Book #2 AND Book #3...especially #3!

Concise, easy to read, easy to understand. A good read for any pastor or church leader who wants to get some clarity on the strengths and uniqueness of his or her congregation. The REALLY good news is that this is NOT another "How I Did It" book. To be sure, "How I Did It" books are inspiring, and you can pick up a lot of good tips and tricks. The trouble is that most of them probably won't work in YOUR situation! What Southern & Norton have done is given us a method which will help us understand and analyze our own unique settings - to discover our own congregation's values and unique giftedness - so that we can focus on doing the things that are right for us, not for somebody else! Share this one with key leaders in your congregation!

My congregation worked with Southern and Norton over the course of several months. We found their strategy for church growth and renewal to be easy to follow, highly participatory, and full of wisdom. It has totally transformed our congregation and organizational systems!

"Cracking Your Congregation's Code" is a great contribution to the church growth movement! It not only offers a theoretical framework for congregational health and vitality, but provides easy to use surveys and inventories. Their recommendations for church growth and renewal are not "one size fits all" but are easily tailored for each congregation's unique "DNA". The end result is the development of a "strategic map" that will guide one's congregation to a new place of enthusiasm and growth!

Fastrack Business Management is an interesting and enjoyable read. It is extremely substantive, with a wealth of helpful insights on subjects of interest to top and middle managers today. I would recommend it to anyone.

The BEST business book for the Millennium - superior value and information for the business professional who wants answers, fast. "Fastrack" is extremely relevant to the critical issues facing business today and cuts through the typical buzzwords with refreshing clarity and directness. It is a timeless practical guide to making better decisions and improving the way you manage. You will find the "Key Points" (at the end of each chapter) most valuable. Each lists a succinct summary of the author's important business tips you will refer to time and time again.

The BEST business book to come along - superior value and information for the business professional on the move. "Fastrack is extremely relevant to the critical issues facing today's leaders. It cuts through the typical business jargon with refreshing clarity and directness and is a timeless practical guide to making better decisions and improving the way you manage.

Finally!... A book providing both practical guidance AND sound theoretical reference materials for change leaders and organizational effectiveness practitioners. Chan Allen's book is clearly organized, easy to use, and accessible at whatever level of conceptual depth her reader wishes to work (or to start from). Her examples are creative, original and fun to use -- in both professional and personal contexts. I highly recommend this for organization development professionals and those interested in transformation methodology.

One of the greatest challenges an author can undertake is to write a book that is both theoretically complex and strongly pragmatic. Rebecca Chan Allen has accomplished this in Guiding Change Journeys. In combining the philosophical underpinnings and conceptual bases of a wide variety of organizational change strategies with practical approaches, examples, exercises and illustrations, she skillfully supports change practitioners in integrating Eastern and Western perspectives. Through her integration of stories from mythology and concepts from organization development, new science and wisdom traditions, Chan Allen takes us on an "Archetypal change Journey" based on Jungian archetypes, which describe enduring patterns of transformation.

In a spirit of integration, the book implies throughout that successful organizational change is dependent upon individual and group psychological approaches, conceptualized within a systemic framework. The author's intention seems ultimately holistic, in that she continually addresses issues of mind/body/spirit, whether individually or organizationally.

Though the book may seem esoteric and philosophically dense at times, it carefully balances the more theoretical introductions to each chapter with a plethora of practical examples and exercises, which bring the theory to life and make the concepts infinitely usable. The overall impression is a treasure-trove of ideas. The many insights, methods and resources are offered by the author as gifts, with the invitation to "tinker and improvise" in order to adapt them to one's own needs.

In this simple offering, Chan Allen summarizes the heart of her book as a journey of discovery - which may well alter the life of the change practitioner, as well as the very nature of his or her organizational context.

An excellent publication for all those who have desired to implement eastern theology and the soul's path into the corporate realm, but didn't have the tools or know how. This book is revolutionary in providing the practical tools to bridge this tricky terrain.
Apply the soul's work in an "acceptable" format that won't raise the eye brows of CEOs. Execute exercises that seem sincere and truly contribute to well-functioning individuals and organizations. Review organizational and personal experiences with the new perspective of eight steps of the change journey realizing that they do exist, and how you can work with each step for the best possible outcome.
Highly effective in my work as a consultant and organizational behavioral specialist.

I pastor a church, sit on a management committee for a ranching operation, coach soccer, raise four kids with my wife, and I felt buried underneath the load. Before this, I was president of a bank for nearly eight years. I never got organized. I had become completely unproductive and couldn't get out of the trap. Now, I have established goals and projects with deadlines and I'm meeting the deadlines!! The office is ORGANIZED for the first time in my life. I'm out of the trap!! Thanks Stephanie.

This book is well written, easy to understand and right on target. I am a person who works with computers on a day to day basis, and it is exactly what i have been looking for. If you have no time, no energy, no clean area in your home, have a ton of things to do, and are about overwhelmed by everything that you need to do, and everything that you want to do. GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!! It will definately help. The hardest part is picking it up, after that you will be on your way.. :-)

A common sense down-to-earth, yet comprehensive approach to the headaches, heartbreaks and hassles of the "terminally disorganized."

Written in a very kind, understanding and humorous tone, this book diagnoses the problem, analyzes the consequences and pitfalls of disorder, and suggests marvelous ways to remedy the situation and get one's life back on track.

This book is truly joy to read and provides very useful creative ideas and techniques even if "constantly tidy, always punctual, and completely organized" are characteristics used to describe you! Culp's simple five-step approach could be put to use by anyone seeking a successful, more fulfilling life. The chronic "organizationally challenged" could totally turn their lives around!

In my seminar on nonprofit communications I strongly recommend several titles, chosen from the dozens on my shelves. Mal Warwick's How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters tops the list. It is pretty much a model, I think, for good how-to books: it is well organized, comprehensive (in ways you'd never anticipate), filled with case studies and annotated examples, brief, to the point, practical, and extraordinarily reader-friendly. I wrote fund-raising letters before I read Mal's book; some letters worked, some didn't. After I read his book, I never wrote an unprofitable letter again. You will not regret buying this book: it removes the veils from so many mysteries of successful direct mail fundraising.

This was an excellent book! I was able to put together not just a letter, but a fundraising package. The instructions are complete and the examples are wonderful reference tools. I am new to the Fundraising industry and this is a book that I am now purchasing for my library. It also covers thank you's. I would highly recommend this book to someone who has never wrote a fundraising letter before or even for the experienced letter writer!!

Fundraising is a very specialized area of copywriting and marketing. Unlike the more common direct mail letter wherein you are selling a product or service, fundraising often offers nothing more to the receipient than a chance to feel good about doing good.

As a consequence, fundraising letters for charities and oher non-profits literally have their own rules that vary from the traditional approach to direct mail. Warwick is the recognized master of this field and is a legend in fundraising circles.

Every charitiable organization and non-profit group should have this book on their shelf, or have a copywriter available to them that does. And even if you aren't going to apply the principles in the book to fundraising, its still a great guide to writing effective marketing copy.

If you have found most personality tests insignificant, unhelpful, or unrevealing, then perhaps this book is for you. Human Dynamics goes into much more depth and provides a greater understanding of human communication and actions than any simple personality test. While people can be placed into certain "dynamics," these dynamics are not nearly as restraining or stereotypical as personality tests tend to be. Rather than explaining one's personality, dynamics explain how groups of people tend to process information, not necessarily how aggressive, passive, or "likeable" they are. This book helped me in terms of personal discovery, and has also helped me understand why it always seemed that so many people "just never seemed to think like me."

Models to describe human personality are presented. Each model has it unique characteristics, its strengths and weaknesses. Each model will respond most effectively to certain modes of communications. This understanding of the different models presented will help a manager, a teacher, a student or just about anybody to understand themselves and people around them better. This will enable better communication of ideas and thoughts. Students will learn better and managers will be able to communicate more effectively with individuals. The models can be taken up to an organizational level. The applications of this book are far and wide. It is also simply and clearly written.

the first time that I have found an approach which looks at humans holistically and systemically. It is not a group of personality characteristics describing superficial behaviours, but a way of understanding and recognising internal processes particular to various human dynamics. It therefore goes much deeper than any other personality assessment technique I have seen and because of this can not be reduced to a paper and pencil test. However, the gift this approach brings is that it can be taught to everyday people and can provide access to better relationships and a greater understanding of how to release our judgement of others. A truly life changing book.

William E. Halal, editor, writes, "This book brings together the views of prominent leaders in the trenches of the Information Revolution to examine the revolutionary new principles for managing knowledge. Here's a quick overview of these confusing but exciting management heresies.

Principle 1: 'Complexity Is Managed Through Freedom': Success is no longer achieved by planning and control-but through entrepreneurial freedom among people at the bottom.

Principle 2: 'Cooperation Is Economically Efficient': Economic strength does not come from power and firmness-but out of the cooperative flow of information within a corporate community.

Principle 3: 'Progress Is Guided by Knowledge and Spirit': Abundance is not the result of material riches-but of understanding the subtle workings of an infinitely complex world.

There are the new laws governing institutions today, the economic imperatives that determine who succeeds and who fails, the keys to pioneering an unexplored frontier of boundless knowledge-The Infinite Resource" (from the Introduction).

In this context, Halal organizes this invaluable collection into three parts that each focuses on the principles outlined as below:

1. Halal writes, "Part I shows that today's hierarchical structures are being replaced by an emerging foundation of management based on enterprise. The complexity of a knowledge era has made our old command-and-control systems obsolete, and so entrepreneurial freedom is now crucial, not only in economic systems but also to permit free enterprise in organizational systems." Thus, authors of this part, S.Goldsmith, R.L.Ackoff, J.P.Starr, W.Gable, and M.Lehrer mainly focus on decentralized structures, self-supporting units, entrepreneurial freedom, internal competition, and accountability to clients.

2. Halal writes, "Part II illustrates how entrepreneurial organizations must also use cooperation to form collaborative communities. Knowledge differs from physical resources because it increases when shared, making collaborative working relations productive not only in strategic alliances but between buyer and seller, employee and employer, business and goverment, and other stakeholders." Thus, authors of this part, G.H.Taylor, R.E.Miles, J.Lipnack and J.Stamps, T.Holbrooke, and R.Oklewize mainly focus on virtues of teamwork, networking among internal units, shared knowledge, spherical organization, collaborative alliances, and corporate communities.

3. Halal writes, "Part III descibes the intelligent infrastructures now being built to guide this corporate community in creating powerful forms of knowledge." Thus, authors of this part, R.W.Smith, D.Walters, M.Malone, G. and E.Pinchot, R.Kuperman, and W.A.Owens mainly focus on global information networks, free flow of information, knowledge society, employee training, virtual organizations, strategic direction, and vision.

Finally, Halal writes that "the message my colleagues and I want to stress is that the world is entering such an uncharted new frontier, an epoch so fundamentally different that the old rules no longer apply. The conventional wisdom of the past must be replaced by concepts that conform with the new realities of infinite knowledge:

* Order can be best achieved-not through control and planning-but through entrepreneurial freedom.

* Strength comes-not out of power and firmness-but through cooperative community.

* Abundance flows out of-not material riches-but a subtle frontier of boundless understanding, meaning, and spirit."

Strongly recommended.

There are far too many books out there that focus on 'knowledge' as if it existed in a vacuum. These tend to be one person's opinion; a single 'flavor of the month,' if you will. This collection of essays explores the impact that the free sharing of information will have: changes in management, changes in employee relations, changes in the free enterprise system itself. As an unforeseen bonus, a very few of the articles are now a bit dated (the "Information Superhighway" article by the CEO of Bell Atlantic was doomed to be old as it was penned), a fact that only reinforces the tremedous speed of change many of the essayists speak to. The many references provide one the ability to more deeply research a particular area.

There are far too many books out there that focus on 'knowledge' as if it existed in a vacuum. These tend to be one person's opinion; a single 'flavor of the month,' if you will. This collection of essays explores the impact that the free sharing of information will have: changes in management, changes in employee relations, changes in the free enterprise system itself. As an unforeseen bonus, a very few of the articles are now a bit dated (the "Information Superhighway" article by the CEO of Bell Atlantic was doomed to be old as it was penned), a fact that only reinforces the tremedous speed of change many of the essayists speak to. The many references provide one the ability to more deeply research a particular area.

"Typically a top management team goes off for three days," writes the author Quinn. "They hole up in a room with lots of flip charts and go to work." Then he says that when they're through they typically write words on small cards and pass them out to employees. Sadly, he observes these cards are "ignored and things go on as before." The premise underlying this book is that Quinn would have us care enough to change this way of thinking. The key, he says, is to stop doing things out of self-interest and start identifying and going after the shared goals of the group. He does a nice job of working good examples into his text. He also points out how risky it is to be a true leader since it involves overcoming a fear of failure when trying something new. He also does a nice job of making clear that hierarchy in itself is not a bad thing; it's only bad when they're perceived as mechanisms that result in getting nothing done. "Hierarchies become frozen bureaucracies due to the failure of human courage." He makes a compelling case for why it's crucial to skip the hollow words and dare to lead toward change. Only then can organizations hope for real change.

Hopefully, you have already read some (if not all) of Quinn's earlier books, especially Deep Change which serves as an excellent introduction to this one. In the Preface, he explains that this book "is about changing the world. It is about coming to a deep understanding of human beings and human relationships." He then adds, "The book focuses on vision, unconditional confidence, and profound impact. It is about the mastery of human influence, transformational power, and the capacity to accomplish extraordinary things. It argues that everyone of us is a change agent." It is important to add, that Quinn advocates "deep change" as opposed to "incremental change." Moreover, no organization can achieve deep change unless and until those within that organization achieve deep change. So as I understand it, each of us must assume full authority as well as responsibility for (and have control of) our personal development. "There is a language of transformation. Yet most of us are cut off from that language. All our lives we have been explicitly taught to see human influence as an exercise in domination." Even the most sensitive among us is shaped by this paradigm or worldview. But this outlook prevents us from seeing more deeply into the actual workings of human systems. This book demonstrates an alternative system."

Quinn recalls the remark by Oliver Wendell Holmes that he placed little value in simplicity that lay on this side of complexity but a great deal of value on simplicity that lay on the other side. The framework within which Quinn presents his material comes from the "seed thoughts" of people who have mastered "the language of transformation." By "seed thoughts" Quinn means some of the "core notions that masters of transformation hold in common, the simplicity they send us from the other side of complexity." Specifically, Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quinn focuses on eight (8) "seed thoughts" (eg Envision the Productive Community, First Look Within, Embrace the Hypocritical Self), providing brief quotations from each of the three "masters of transformation" which he correlates with each of the eight "seed thoughts." His objective is to explain how Advanced Change Theory (ACT) can enable individuals to achieve deep change in their own lives and then within their organizations. The title of this book (Change the World) may be somewhat misleading. I wholeheartedly agree with Quinn that "ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary results", both individually and as members of a group. I also agree that Jesus, Gandhi, and King were "masters of transformation" within their respective spheres of influence as were Carnegie, Edison, Ford, Morgan, and Rockefeller within their own. Quinn's basic idea is sound. He and I may differ only when defining terms such as "change" and "world."

I urge you to read this book, to consider very carefully what ACT offers to you (personally) and to your organization, and then to select whatever is most appropriate. Quinn provides an eloquent and convincing argument in support of his concept of deep change; better yet, he suggests all manner of strategies and tactics to achieve and sustain it; even better yet, almost anyone who reads this book already has the resources required. If you need help to organize and allocate those resources, and truly powerful encouragement to support your efforts in process, look no further.

Most books on change posit the concept that the leader has to change herself or himself before the organization or community can improve. This book sets a high standard by encouraging ordinary people to follow the examples of Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

I heard Norman Schwartzkopf speak once about leadership. He said, "Be the leader you would like to have." That's the essence of this book.

Each principle is established by showing a quote from each of the three models, and then is followed by stories of ordinary people as well as those in major organizations.

The principles expressed here entail going several psychological levels lower into the human psyche than I have seen in other leadership books.

"Envision the productive community" is important as a first step, because chances are no one else sees the way that the people could cooperate to create much more. Human beings have trouble imagining what they have not yet seen, so those who are good at this can provide very valuable guidance to the others.

"First look within" is a good second step because it concentrates oneself on why one wants to change. It is very easy to want the change for the wrong reasons (pride, self-esteem, or misdirected ego). You have to purge that and focus on selfless reasons for changing.

"Embrace the hypocritical self" was very impressive to me as a concept. Almost every leader I know is actually partly driven by hypocritical motives. Even the Stephen Covey books show examples where he seems to have been operating hypocritically. I sense this issue in many of my consulting projects, and find that it is difficult for people to address this.

"Transcend fear" is good advice, too, because trying to make such large changes will undoubtedly encourage unusual levels of fear. Working through the fear is good for the leader and those who will benefit from the change.

"Embody a vision of the common good" is essential inspiration to carry the vision forward both internally and by drawing support from others.

"Disrupt the system" is based on complexity science. By creating disruption, you create the largest potential for self-organizing solutions to be generated.

"Surrender to the emergent process" is a follow-on application of complexity science. You have to trust what is working, because it will lead to other self-organizing improvements. Trying to "manage" this process at this change will simply shortchange its potential.

"Entice through moral power" is something that needs to permeate each of the earlier stages. There is a compelling quality to moral power that draws attention and commands respect and action. Here, the leader must be clearly acting from beyond self-interest to attract the collective support of those who respect the same moral tenets.

I found this combination to be a unique synthesis of how change leadership can be accomplished. I can recognize the model from cases I have seen that worked and missing elements from the model in cases that did not work. I think the author has made an important step forward with this thinking. My only quibble is that the ordinary person reading this book may still have a conflict between the original reasons for seeking a change and the realities of how to pursue such a change. Almost everyone is attracted to making a difference initially because of a desire for self-aggrandizement. Early in the process, people may not be able to abandon that ego-based need for a selfless one. I suspect that more help is needed in this area than the book provides.

Overcome your disbelief and misconception stalls about making beneficial changes!