Terms of Engagement : New Ways of Leading and Changing Organizations

NEW EDITION, REVISED AND UPDATED Building engagement is crucial for every organization. But the traditional top-down coercive change management paradigm—in which leaders “light a fire” under employees—actually discourages engagement. Richard Axelrod offers a better way. After debunking six common change management myths, he offers a proven, practical strategy for getting everyone—not just select committees or working groups—enthusiastically committed to organizational transformation. This revised edition features new interviews—everyone from the vice president of global citizenship at Cirque du Soleil to a Best Buy clerk—and new neuroscience findings that support Axelrod’s model. It also shows how you can foster engagement through everyday conversations, staff meetings, and work design. "Building engagement is crucial for every organization. But the traditional top-down coercive change management paradigm--in which leaders "light a fire" under employees--actually discourages engagement. Richard Axelrod offers a better way. After debunking six common change management myths, he offers a proven, practical strategy for getting everyone--not just select committees or working groups--enthusiastically committed to organizational transformation. This revised edition features new interviews--everyone from the vice president of global citizenship at Cirque du Soleil to a Best Buy clerk--and new neuroscience findings that support Axelrod's model. It also shows how you can foster engagement through everyday conversations, staff meetings, and work design."--Publisher's website Terms of Engagement offers a better way. Richard Axelrod first destroys six common change management myths and then shows leaders how to involve everyone in an organization-not just select committees or working groups--in designing change efforts. He offers strategies for creating connections between people at all levels and building communities within the organization enthusiastically engaged in fostering change. Undergirding all these efforts, he insists, must be a fundamental and transparent commitment to fairness in planning, implementation and outcome "Building engagement is crucial for every organization-Gallup estimates that disengaged employees cost the economy more than 300 billion dollars a year-and is particularly vital when it comes to change efforts. But the old change management paradigm actually discourages engagement. Change is strictly a top down affair. Fear is often recommended as a way to motivate-leaders are urged to "light a fire" under their employees. The result is rank-and-file cynicism, resistance and resentment Introduction: engagement makes a difference Why change management needs changing Engagement is the new change management Six change management myths Lead with an engagement edge Leadership conversations that foster engagement Widen the circle of involvement Connect people to each other Create communities for action Promote fairness When engagement disengages : some words of caution before you begin Design work with engagement built in How to start where you are. This revised edition features many new interviews-everyone from the Vice President for Global Citizenship at Cirque de Soleil to a check out clerk at Best Buy-and three new chapters. It includes a summary of recent findings in neuroscience that support Axelrod's change model, and advice on how you can encourage engagement through everyday conversations, staff meetings, and work design."--pub. desc also available as 9781605094489 (PDF e-book) or 9781605099590 (IDPF e-book)