The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning [Paperback]

Stephen G. Haines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1999

Systems Thinking is a more natural and better way to think, learn, act, and achieve desired results. Effectively implemented, it can dramatically improve a manager's effectiveness in today's complex and interconnected business world. This book provides managers with many practical new Systems Thinking tools and the main concepts of Systems Thinking to enhance individual, team, and organizational learning, change, and performance. Every manager should have a copy!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Stephen G. Haines, founder and CEO of Haines Centre International and its four Haines Companies including his publishing companion, Systems Thinking Press, based in San Diego, CA, Steve is the world's foremost authority, leader and speaker in The Systems Thinking Approach(tm) to the field of Strategic Management (Planning - People - Leadership - Change - Customer Value).

For more than 30 years, he has led the development and expansion of The Science of Systems Thinking, "the natural way the world works". It is a practical discipline that views organizational issues in their natural and biological contexts (environments). He currently travels the world, speaking on Strategic Management and Systems Thinking, presenting seminars, and writing books and articles.

Stephen has an M.S.A. in Organization Behavior with a minor in financial management from George Washington University and has completed his coursework requirements and dissertation research for an Ed.D. in Management from Temple University. He received his B.S. degree in Engineering (minor in foreign affairs) from the U.S. Naval Academy, at Annapolis, MD, and is a graduate of the DoD Human Goals Institute.

As a former U.S. Naval officer, Stephen flew Navy jets, piloted ships, and served off Vietnam. He was a member of the famed U.S. Naval Academy class of 1968, that graduated many prominent leaders in today's world of business, government, the military, and industry.

His corporate career included tenure as Executive Vice President of ICA, a diversified, $14 billion nationwide financial services firm and Senior Vice President of Freddie Mac, a $32 billion financial institution. He was also President of University Associates Consulting and Training Services in San Diego, CA.

Steve has been a member of eight top management teams in the United States and abroad, with corporate responsibilities for all aspects of organizational functions, including planning, operations, marketing, PR, communications, finance, HR, training, and facilities. His career has also included executive positions with MCI, Exxon, Sunoco, and Marriott Corporation.

Steve's diverse background includes intensive work with over 300 CEOs and keynote presentations delivered to over 1,000 CEOs. He has personally led extensive "Best Practices" research for over 15 years at Haines Centre International. He has received numerous Who's Who honors, written more than 14 books, over 50 articles, and developed 12 volumes of the Haines' Strategic Library (over 7,000 pages--Planning, Leadership, HR, Change, Customer Value, and Systems Thinking).

He has taught over 80 different kinds of seminars and is in demand as an insightful and passionate keynote presenter at conferences worldwide--with a special emphasis on CEO and Board issues. He is a premier TEC Organization Resource Chairperson (groups of 15 CEOs) with over 75 presentations to his credit. He has also been the co-leader of the prestigious Banff Centre for Management's two-week senior executive and leadership development course. His Books have been sold in 68 countries and counting.

He has been on nine Boards of Directors, including chair of a Credit Union. His personal interests include family, community service, sports, sailing, travel, photography, art, and design.

Today, Stephen maintains a busy world-wide schedule of keynote presentations, consulting, conducting seminars, and writing books in the continually evolving study of Strategic and Enterprise-Wide Change from a "Systems" point of view.

Product Details

• Paperback: 227 pages
• Publisher: HRD Press; 1 edition (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874254531
• ISBN-13: 978-0874254532
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,912 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shows how a systems approach can simplify all change, November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning (Paperback)

Simplifies and clarifies a new, universal approach to all organizational change--systems thinking--that I was able to put into action immediately and virtually eliminate crisis management.

Provides clear, easy-to-implement management tools--including a great strategic planning model--for facilitating change on every level, while supplying a blueprint for real-time, interorganizational communication.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An introductory (maybe too much) book, March 25, 2007

By 

Andrea Carugati "beergame dude" (Lille, France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning (Paperback)

I was looking for a simple book on systems thinking and this is definitly it. However I find it in many cases too simplistic. It mixes hard and soft system thinking without enough care for the origin of this separation. If you are interested in system thinking you can start here but certainly not stop here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars definitely a pocket guide, October 6, 2008

By 

Dr. A. B. ONEILL - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning (Paperback)

Apart from the number of typos which I got distracted by (maybe someone forgot to run the book through spell check) the book is definitely just a pocket guide that takes some general systems thinking concepts to support a traditional top down strategy development & change management approach. Topics such as emergence and self organization appear to be missing.