Leading at the Edge of Chaos How to Create the Nimble Organization

by Conner, Daryl R.

• ISBN13: 9780471295570
• ISBN10: 0471295574
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-10-06
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Praise for Leading at the Edge of Chaos "If your organization is facing any anticipated chaotic event in the next six months-and who isn't-you should read Daryl Conner. His tough-minded definitions of winners vs. losers will make you think twice." -Craig E. Weatherup, Chairman and CEO, The Pepsi-Cola Company "Conner's new book is thoroughly original and useful on the mastery of leading change." -Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California, and author of Organizing Genius "Daryl Conner has done it again! The leading authority on managing change has given us what we need right now. Leading at the Edge of Chaos offers prescriptive advice for leading in today's world, where the tempo and thrust of change has escalated. A must read for anyone who is still breathing and leading." -Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager(r) "Delightful and thought-provoking . . . [links] deep organizational research with useable 'real world' advice . . . I would recommend this book to others-senior line leaders and their management teams." -Kenneth Schwenke, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Aramark Corporation "In the new reality in which the human need for control is continuously assaulted by escalating change, Daryl Conner provides [organization leaders] . . . steps to take . . . in clear language and vivid images, with psychological insight and knowledge born out of broad hands-on experience." -Judy Bardwick, author of In Praise of Good Business and Danger in the Comfort Zone "Every executive who is leading constant change in their organizations should read this book." -Don Beattie, Chief Executive, Personnel, The BOC Group (U.K.) "Gone are the days when innovations and new ventures were incremental in scope and sequential in nature. In their place is 'perpetual unrest,' unending, fundamental changes . . . " -Daryl Conner In his 1993 classic, Managing at the Speed of Change, Daryl Conner showed managers how to implement business innovations on time and under budget. In this groundbreaking new book, he shows them how to ride the whirlwind. The tempo of change has sped up to a dizzying pace over the past few years. Globalization, rapid-fire technological innovation, and mounting pressure for shareholder value have pushed the markets into a state of ceaseless turmoil. What was cutting-edge change management theory just five years ago now seems naive. Success amidst such a maelstrom of change calls for much more than what change management models have to offer. It calls for a radically new kind of organization, nimble enough to adapt instantly to changing market conditions, and piloted by leaders versed in the art of Leading at the Edge of Chaos. This book is not about decision making; it is about execution. It is not about predicting change; it is about adapting to it at a moment's notice. Internationally renowned "Change Doctor" Daryl Conner defines the new roles that all leaders must assume in order to direct the changes that are crucial to their organizations' survival. He schools them in all of the essential components of the change process. And, most importantly, he arms them with action steps for instilling their companies with the nimbleness and resilience needed to survive and thrive in today's supervolatile markets. Conner also introduces the revolutionary concept of human due diligence-the human equivalent of financial due diligence and an indispensable tool for orchestrating major enterprisewide transitions. Strategic, results-oriented, and proactive, human due diligence focuses on people's capacity to absorb change as a limited resource, and offers tools for ensuring that there is sufficient capacity available to face the next challenge-and the many others sure to follow.

Author Biography

DARYL R. CONNER is President and CEO of ODR, Inc., a research-based consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in helping organizations prepare for and implement major change initiatives. As a consultant, executive, and lifelong researcher on the psychology of change, Mr. Conner has, over the past twenty years, devoted himself to understanding the ways in which people and organizations respond to change. He is the author of the international bestseller Managing at the Speed of Change, and he and his ideas have been extensively covered in both professional journals and the popular press, including the New York Times and Business Week.

Table of Contents

PART ONE The Nimble Challenge	1	(36)
CHAPTER 1. Execution, Execution, Execution	3	(7)
CHAPTER 2. Confronting the Challenge of Change	10	(27)
PART TWO The Contained Slide -- Creating the Nimble Organization	37	(60)
CHAPTER 3. The Constant Quest	39	(37)
CHAPTER 4. Working in the Nimble Zone	76	(13)
CHAPTER 5. Powering Up for the New Game	89	(8)
PART THREE Human Due Diligence	97	(36)
CHAPTER 6. The Human Side of Change	99	(9)
CHAPTER 7. Andy's Decision and Yours	108	(15)
CHAPTER 8. Capacity versus Demand	123	(10)
PART FOUR Nimble Leadership Capabilities	133	(76)
CHAPTER 9. Strategic Oversight	135	(12)
CHAPTER 10. Change Leadership Styles	147	(42)
CHAPTER 11. Leadership's Personal Resilience	189	(8)
CHAPTER 12. Optimizing Paradigm Life Spans	197	(12)
PART FIVE Fine-Tuning the Nimble Organization	209	(48)
CHAPTER 13. Conditioning for Constant Turbulence	211	(6)
CHAPTER 14. Expanding Change Knowledge	217	(8)
CHAPTER 15. Genuine Delegation and Empowerment	225	(15)
CHAPTER 16. The Value of Structured Flexibility	240	(7)
CHAPTER 17. Ensuring Effective Implementation	247	(10)
PART SIX The Destination Is the Journey	257	(48)
CHAPTER 18. Mastering the Leadership Role	259	(33)
CHAPTER 19. Where from Here?	292	(13)
APPENDICES	305	(30)
APPENDIX A: The Origins of the Investigation	305	(5)
APPENDIX B: The Mechanics of the Adaptation Reflex	310	(19)
APPENDIX C: The People Side of Realignment Initiatives	329	(6)
NOTES	335	(4)
BIBLIOGRAPHY	339	(6)
ABOUT ODR	345	(2)
INDEX	347