Book Description

Today, virtually every organization faces massive change. Unfortunately, change is extraordinarily difficult, and most attempts to initiate and sustain it fail. In It Starts with One, J. Stewart Black and Hal B Gregersen identify the core problem: changing individuals and the “mental maps” inside their heads must happen before you can change the organization. Just as actual maps guide people’s footsteps, mental maps guide daily behavior. Successful strategic change for the organization is all about changing individual mental maps and behaviors first, because they are the organization. To change organizations, you must break through your own brain barrier—and help those around you do the same. One step at a time, It Starts with One shows how to do that: how to create new destinations, and new, more inspiring effective paths to sustainable change. Black and Gregersen systematically identify the brain barriers that stand in your way: failure to see, failure to move, and failure to finish. Drawing on their extensive experience consulting with world-class organizations, they offer integrated tools, strategies, and solutions for overcoming each of these obstacles. This edition offers even more effective tools, more guidance on leading change in globalizing environments, and more insight into changing your own mental maps...liberating yourself to transform your entire organization. Overcoming the failure to see Why organizations miss obvious market transformations—and what to do about it Breaking through the failure to move Why people fail to change even when they see the need—and how to break through this barrier Conquering the failure to finish Why change “stalls out” and how to maintain the momentum Anticipating change Why too often people let the need to change become a crisis before acting—to build to a crisis before acting—and how to create the capability to anticipate change, move when needed, and finish in the future without “being told” To Change the Organization, First Change the Individual. To Change the Individual, Read This Book! Seventy percent of organizations that seek strategic change fail. Organizations can’t change because individuals don’t change. Individuals don’t change because powerful mental maps stand in their way. This book offers a powerful, start-to-finish strategy for helping people redraw their mental maps—and unleash their power to deliver superior, sustained strategic change. Thoroughly updated with new techniques, case studies, and examples, this book offers even more valuable insights for today’s leaders and managers. Among the highlights: a detailed new discussion of how you must change in order to lead change...new guidance on leading change in global environments...and more integrated tools and solutions you can start using today!