Customer Reviews

The Change Leader's Roadmap: How to Navigate Your Organization's Transformation (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

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If you are involved in organizational change, including the introduction and rollout of new systems, steering company culture and/or reengineering this book is a gem. What sets it apart from other books on the subject is that it has no fluff - it jumps directly into what you need to do and how you need to do it to meet your change objectives.

What I like is the step-by-step approach that is process- and project-oriented. As a process the approach is provided as a change process model that meshes with the phases, activities and tasks that are required to effect the change. Each of these are explained as they are introduced in the book, and are summarized in the appendix. This makes it easy to quickly develop a work breakdown structure, determine resources and create a schedule using project management software.

I also like the way the authors sequence the activities and the thoroughness with which they examine details and provide advice, questionnaires and other useful information and tools to cut through the complexities of the change process.

Among the growing pile of books I have read on the subject this one is the most pragmatic and provides the clearest path to effectively planning for and implementing change.

NOTE: The review that follows is of the Second Edition, published in 2010

I recently read the Second Edition of this book (first published in 2001) and the Second Edition of Beyond Change Management (also first published in 2001) and commend Linda Ackerman Anderson and Dean Anderson on a brilliant explanation of how to achieve breakthrough results through what they characterize as "change conscious leadership." My only criticism, and it is a significant one, is that neither volume adequately addresses an essential component of organizational transformation: performance measure. For that, those in need of guidance are encouraged to read Dean Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measure: Rethinking the Way We measure and Drive Organizational Success, published by ANACOM (2007). If possible, the Andersons suggest that Beyond Change Management be read first, then this one.

Readers will especially appreciate the Andersons' skill use of "cases in point" that focus on real-world situations to illustrate key points. They include capacity assessments (Page 84), DTE Energy Mindset Shift (92-95), Fortune 500 company reward system (158), manufacturing company system-wide integration strategy (262), and common change methodology for efforts (297). There is substantial value to be found in real-world situations in which the most important do's and don'ts of change agency are revealed within an empirical frame-of-reference. Those who read this book also receive a substantial value-added benefit: free premium content that includes worksheets and job aids. Access them at www.pfeiffer.com/go/anderson using the password provided in the book.

Reading most business books is a benign experience as material is absorbed and digested. That is certainly not the case with this book, nor with Beyond Change Management. Each includes checklists (especially of the right questions to ask) and worksheets that are designed to facilitate, indeed intensify the reader's engagement in their narrative. The Andersons immediately establish a direct and cordial rapport with their reader so that there is continuous interaction between the reader and the material provided. Throughout their narrative and at the aforementioned website, the Andersons provide about as much information, wisdom, and advice as an individual or team will need to design and then implement change initiatives. I also highly recommend Spitzer's book as well as the one co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

There is another resource worthy of consideration, The Execution Premium: Linking Strategy to Operations for Competitive Advantage co-authored by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton. In it, they devote almost all of their attention to focusing on (a) what is most important in terms of linking strategy to operations for competitive advantage and (b) how to do that with resources and initiatives that are cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective. Kaplan and Norton are also the co-authors of Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes and Alignment: Using the Balanced Scorecard to Create Corporate Synergies.

I selected the title of my review because, as I worked my way through this book, I was reminded of Peter Drucker's observation, "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all." It is no small praise to suggest that in this book, Linda Ackerman Anderson and Dean Anderson,do everything humanly possible to help their readers and their colleagues to avoid doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all" when planning and then implementing change initiatives.

This book builds on the theories and models in Beyond Change Management and breaks the transformational process down into three stages. Each stage is then further broken down into a number of phases to make what might otherwise feel like an overwhelming proposition more manageable. At the end of each chapter are a list of questions to answer and activities to undertake. This book is truly a roadmap worth purchasing for every organization's glove compartment.

These days corporate change or transformation is no longer a phase, it's a way of doing business. Many of us find ourselves steeped in change, often times without a clear picture of how to move forward. I'm always looking for great resources that help make the work of executing change easier. This is one of those books. Linda Ackerman lays out steps, tools and useful advice on how to get commitment and alignement, while using a proven approach to leading change.

I enjoyed the case studies, real-time tools and easy style of translating "consultant speak" into easy to execute methods.

This book is an excellent handbook, written by two writers with deep insight in the game of change. I am business consultant and have used it together with clients. The Handbook is not the full truth, I found out there is a web based toolbox, that goes even further, with more tools and methods, checklists etc. But this book is a handy "on the Road" book. The web based toolbox is by the same people: www.changeleadersroadmap.com.

Linda and Dean have upgraded their fabulous set of books on change leadership! Most change efforts in organizations fail because most of the strategies and models for guiding this very challenging work are flat-out inadequate. Linda and Dean have produced the most thorough manual for guiding change ever written. They have also delved more deeply than anyone else into the intangible "inner game" aspects of change more. If you are an executive that wants to implement change successfully, or guide change as a consultant, these are the books you must have.

For any leader struggling to navigate the turmoil of change. The Change Leader's Roadmap delivers on it's promise and provides step-by-step solutions to help leaders at every level succeed with change. Whether you want to reorganize your department, merge with another company, change your strategy or launch a new initiative, The Change Leader's Roadmap provides you with practical ideas to gain buy-in and commitment, manage the politics of change, and engage others successfully. This easy-to-read book is the perfect guide for leaders who want to overcome resistance to change and achieve their vision.