Customer Reviews

The ISIS Agreement: How Sustainability Can Improve Organizational Performance and Transform the World

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This book is a must read for anyone interested in creating change for sustainability, whether you're a consultant practitioner, organization or company sustainability coordinator, or an individual wanting to help champion sustainability. Filled with case studies, reflections, and uplifting stories, Alan shares valuable tools that can help make sustainability accessible, fun, and rewarding to everyone. Most of all, it provides proven techniques for making change happen. Well done.

Even though we all know the world should be doing things differently, making systemic changes is complicated and uncharted work. AtKisson has developed a set of methodologies for assessing systems (whether businesses, villages, countries, or an army base!)and creating more efficient and profitable ones to suit the your specific organizational needs. With these game-like activities, all aspects of making things work can be evaluated and redesigned for a sustainable world, AND (this is the thrilling bonus) for greater profits and satisfaction on all fronts!

Especially innovative is his framework for getting all the stakeholders on the same page at the same time, addressing the needs in four overlapping arenas: Nature, Economy, Society and the Well-being of individuals. It makes collaboration possible among former adversaries by providing a structure for discussion and negotiation. The results have been impressive!

The Amoeba aspect of the tool kit illuminates the impacts of diverse personalities on the task of collaboration. He uses it to clarify the interpersonal dynamics of getting the job done, which is a breakthrough in its own right.

Though the methods are solidly academic, his personal narratives flesh out the systems, making them even more tempting and accessible to analyst and lay reader alike. Full disclosure: I worked briefly for AtKisson, Inc., in 1999. It was an excellent experience.