The Change Handbook

This book is a reference work about methods of organizational change — a “definitive resource in the exciting area of engaging ‘whole systems’ of people to create their own future.”

It presents “profiles of sixty-one change methods” with associated case studies. It seems like a professional reference work, a kind of b-school blend of theory and practice, with applications to both “organizations” and “communities”.

One review summarizes it thusly: “What Encyclopedia Brittanica does for facts, the Oxford English Dictionary does for words, this book does for changing whole systems…”

The first, short section is about how to navigate the various methods. The second, main section contains the sixty-some methods themselves. These are followed by a short concluding section, and a “Quick Summaries” appendix.

The 61 processes covered span a diverse selection: major methods like “Appreciative Inquiry”, “Scenario Thinking”, and “Six Sigma”, as well as ones drawn from other disciplines, like “Charrettes” (architecture) and “Playback Theater” (performing arts). A helpful Summary Matrix groups the methods into several core types, providing a practical road map for mixing and matching methods.

This seems useful in many contexts; in particular I’d love to learn about methods that facilitate cross-pollination and interdisciplinarity, and apply to smaller communities and learning groups.


Additional information:

  • ISBN: 978-1576753798
  • Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

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