Customer Reviews

Change Is Everybody's Business

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Pat McLagan probably did not know that the last 30 years of work with organizations were preparing to write this book. All that experience shows in this book, written especially for you and me. She knows that change is not dictated by management; she knows that it doesn't happen quickly; she knows that it takes real work on the part of everyone affected. She cuts through much of the complication by focussing on what one individual (namely: the reader) can do to make change happen around him/herself.

McLagan emphasizes belief, character, and action--and offers specific steps to strengthen yourself in each of the three areas. This one of the real strengthes of the book. She also engages you with questionnaires and suggestions and exercises--all of which make it more likely you will do something about what you've read.

And this book is not just about work; it's also about the changes you'd like to make in the rest of your life. Her change wisdom applies whether you are at home or at work; the basic dynamics are much the same. But be prepared to held responsible; she expects YOU to do something about it.

McLagan's writing style is engaging, and her book is layed out in an attractive and readable format. This is the kind of book that everyone on a work team (or a company) could learn from together.

This book contains three sections that relate to change: powerful beliefs, powerful character, and powerful actions. The author looks at how each of these affect changes and our experience with them. Each section is followed by a questionnaire that allows you to rate your own beliefs, character, and actions against the recommendations in the book. Though the book primarily deals with change in the context of work or professional life, it would be applicable to other life changes as well.

This is a simple yet powerful book; it gives the reader a nice guide to navigating through the often rocky terrain of change. I'd recommend it as a basic roadmap to whatever your change is. It will help you sift through all the issues that change brings up, and leave you with a well thought out plan for managing your change more effectively and successfully.

I would not recommend this book as a stringent review of best practices in business change or change management. This book is more for the individual working through change on a personal level. There are other books or reports that cover these areas at the org level - this book doesn't (nor does it mean to). However, the author speaks from a history of work with organizational change, and it does show that individual beliefs and actions will affect team or group change efforts every time. This book could be a nice supplement to a strategic change management plan for employees or team members.

This is a perfect book to gain knowledge as well as skill in dealing with change (personal, organizational or societal). Ms. McLagan presents ideas, concepts and actionable and implementable advice to deal with the options that confront us.

Unlike many of the "popular" change management books, this book has "depth" in content as well as presentation. It doesn't create "guilt", it isn't "cutesy" and it is absolutely relevant to the world's current siyuation.

I have read most of the change management literature and this book is a "must read"! It is personal, logical, emotional and well illustrated.

Thank you!

Pat McLagan's premise in her book Change Is Everybody's Business is certainly a good one. Change does not show up overnight. It develops long before most of us aware of it.

McLagan encourages all of us to embrace the new and allow sufficient input from our colleagues, employees, etc. Her stand is a very positive one. The questionaries are pretty good. However, some of the examples are way too brief and non-existent towards the end of the book. What few examples of change that are given have limited emphasis and therefore forgotten long after one has explored other reading material.

Since Change Is Everybody's Business is a mere 135 page book, it won't take much time to read. However, I crave information and details that grab the rader. McClagan falls a little(not a lot) short in this area. This material would be more appropriate in a lecture format than as a book. Good but not all that essential.