Ugh—meetings. They're where productivity goes to die, right? There has to be a better way. According to leading consultants Dick and Emily Axelrod, there is.

Using the same principles that make video games so engaging and that transformed the numbing assembly line into the dynamic shop floor, the Axelrods outline a flexible and adaptable system used to run truly productive meetings in all kinds of organizations—meetings where people create concrete plans, accomplish tasks, build connections, and move projects forward. They show how to design every aspect of a meeting—from the way you greet people at the beginning to how you sum up at the end—so that real work actually gets done. Those who have adopted this system will never go back. Neither will you.

• Written by pioneers in the field of large scale organizational change, sharing the knowledge of nearly two decades of Dannemiller Tyson Associates' experience consulting to organizations worldwide
• Combines systems theory with a practical methodology for initiating, implementing, and sustaining an organizational change effort
• Reveals key processes that are proven, durable, and effective for anyone thinking about change in organizations or communities

• Written by pioneers in the field of large scale organizational change, sharing the knowledge of nearly two decades of Dannemiller Tyson Associates' experience consulting to organizations worldwide
• Combines systems theory with a practical methodology for initiating, implementing, and sustaining an organizational change effort
• Reveals key processes that are proven, durable, and effective for anyone thinking about change in organizations or communities

PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONs of all types-public and private, large and small-have for years had to wrestle with the formidable challenge of successfully planning and implementing changes in how they do business. Today, the demand for faster approaches is increasing across a broad spectrum of organizations in business and society, as they are faced daily with an array of change mandates-new business strategy development and deployment, merger and acquisition integration, work re-design, community organizing, and more. Traditional command and control structures and processes no longer enable and mobilize people in organizations-the rapid rate of change in the environment demands new and different ways for organizations to respond.

Whole-Scale Change: Unleashing the Magic in Organizations combines systems theory and practical methodology to offer a proven, flexible approach that leads to aligned action by hundreds, even thousands of people-and creates powerful processes for change. Shattering the old paradigm about how long it takes organizations to change, the book shows how to rapidly engage the whole system in meeting organizational agility and flexibility demands. It offers adaptable, repeatable strategies for different settings and convening issues through the authors' unique Whole-Scale approach-which has been successfully applied in diverse businesses and industries, the service sector, health care, education, government, other nonprofits, and communities throughout the world.

Imagine everyone in your organization pulling in the same direction, everyone with the same information, acting quickly to solve the problems and confront the issues facing your organization. Whole-Scale Change provides not only the theories and principles underlying the approach, but also the practical methods, tools, and road maps for unleashing the energy and combining the power and wisdom of all the people in an organization.

• Written by pioneers in the field of large scale organizational change, sharing the knowledge of nearly two decades of Dannemiller Tyson Associates' experience consulting to organizations worldwide
• Combines systems theory with a practical methodology for initiating, implementing, and sustaining an organizational change effort
• Reveals key processes that are proven, durable, and effective for anyone thinking about change in organizations or communities

Many significant failures—from FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina to the recent economic collapse—could have been prevented or mitigated if those lower in the hierarchy were successful at communicating to leaders the risks they saw in the system. Ira Chaleff’s Courageous Follower model has facilitated healthy upward information flow in organizations for over 15 years. The Harvard Business Review called Chaleff a pioneer in the emerging field of followership—this new edition shares his latest thinking on an increasingly vital topic. The updated third edition of The Courageous Follower includes a new chapter, “The Courage to Speak to the Hierarchy.” Much of Chaleff’s model is based on followers having access to the leader. But today, followers can be handed questionable policies and orders that come from many levels above them—even from the other side of the world. Chaleff explores how they can respond effectively, particularly using the power now available through advances in communications technology. Everyone is a follower at least some of the time. Chaleff strips away the passive connotations of that role and provides tools to help followers effectively partner with leaders. He provides rich guidance to leaders and boards on fostering a climate that encourages courageous followership. The results include increased support for leaders, reduced cynicism and organizations saved from serious missteps. NEW Related Product in February 2010 - The Courageous Follower Self-Assessment: Evaluating Your Followership Style and Growth Path

Dean Baker, codirector of the Center for Economic and Policy Research recounts the strategies used by the country's top economic policymakers to conceal their failure to recognize the housing bubble or take steps to rein it in before it grew to unprecedented levels, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, homes, and the life savings of tens of millions of people. He quashes dire warnings of looming rampant inflation and spiraling debt with solid historic evidence to the contrary—evidence that supports more stimulus, not less. He reveals the evolving role of the U.S. dollar in today's global economy and lays down cogent arguments about why the dollar will fall in value. With a dose of optimism, Baker outlines a thoughtful progressive program for rebuilding the economy and reshaping the financial system, including new financial transaction taxes that will reduce or eliminate economic waste while providing stimulus and incentives where and when they are most needed.

Dean Baker, codirector of the Center for Economic and Policy Research recounts the strategies used by the countrys top economic policymakers to conceal their failure to recognize the housing bubble or take steps to rein it in before it grew to unprecedented levels, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs, homes, and the life savings of tens of millions of people. He quashes dire warnings of looming rampant inflation and spiraling debt with solid historic evidence to the contraryevidence that supports more stimulus, not less. With a dose of optimism, Baker outlines a thoughtful progressive program for rebuilding the economy and reshaping the financial system, including new financial transaction taxes that will reduce or eliminate economic waste while providing stimulus and incentives where and when they are most needed. 

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Resiliency—the ability to adapt to life's changes and crises—is key to a healthy, productive life. Based on his deep knowledge of the new science of resiliency, Dr. Al Siebert explains how and why some people are more resilient than others and how resiliency can be learned at any age. Through anecdotes, exercises, and examples, Dr. Siebert details a unique five-level program for becoming more resilient. You'll learn how to:

Sustain health, energy, and positive feelings during the worst of times,
Improve your analytical, creative, and practical problem-solving skills,
Strengthen your self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-concept,
Develop the specific attributes and skills found in highly resilient people, and
Sharpen your talent for serendipity—the ability to convert accidents and misfortune into lucky accidents and good fortune.

The Resiliency Advantage will enable you to bounce back quickly from setbacks, gain strength from adversity, and meet life head on.

• By the author of the bestselling The Survivor Personality
• The first organized, research-based program that walks people through the process of learning how to become highly resilient
• Not a "recovery" book, but a book for psychologically healthy people who are interested in developing higher levels of resiliency

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Every great company has an engaged workforce, and nurturing a culture of engagement is at the heart of great leadership—employees who really care about their work, their coworkers, and the organization can supercharge a company's success. But for many years, engagement has been suffering. Gallop reports that 70 percent of employees are not fully engaged on the job. Mark Miller draws on more than forty years of leadership experience to show leaders at all levels how to change the conversation and create real competitive advantage in the process.

In the fourth book in Miller's High Performance Series, CEO Blake Brown sets out to discover how to create the kind of workplace where everyone feels excited to come to work, passionate about what he or she brings to the company, and energized at the end of the day. It's a journey that takes him literally all over the world—from Italy to Greece to Green Bay and more. What he discovers from the pages of history is as relevant as the evening news.

Engagement unleashes untapped potential buried deep within the hearts of your people. An engaged workforce is more creative, more driven, and more enthusiastic about reaching company goals. If you put the lessons in this book to work, your people will never look at work, or their leaders, the same way again.