Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change [Paperback]

Peter Bregman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 9, 2007

Seventy percent of all corporate change efforts fail because people resist the change. Is this failure inevitable? Absolutely not. Resistance is a by-product of the way we try to change people, of flawed strategies for gaining buy-in. But there is another way. A way that will enable your change to succeed. That way is captured in this book. Peter Bregman captures the perfect balance between stories you will enjoy and tactics you can implement. Delightful to read, practical to use, it reveals the mindset, strategies, and steps that will enable you to lead people anywhere you need them to go - from point A to point B.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Seventy percent of all corporate change efforts fail because people resist the change. But there is another way. A way that will enable your change to succeed. That way is captured in this book. This is a guidebook - it reveals the mindset, strategies, and steps to help you lead people from point A to point B.

"Much has been written about managing change, most of it theoretical. What makes this book different is that Peter Bregman is in the trenches. His real life experiences and simple step-by-step guidance make this the most valuable book you'll ever read as you lead people to point B." - Doug Stern, President and CEO, United Media

"If you are responsible for moving people from point A to point B, then read this book! You could probably do it without reading this book, but why wouldn't you want to get it right the first time?" - Philip Weisberg, CEO, FXall

"Point B has given me a simple, useable approach to leading people through change. It's all here in one place. Everything you need to know to execute your strategy by leveraging the skills, wisdom, capability, and energy of the people in your company." - Barbara Kurka, Senior Vice President, Katz Media Group

"If you need to motivate change in others, then you need to read this book. Peter Bregman is a creative thinker, an engaging storyteller and an insightful advisor. Whether you are leading a 100,000 person organization or a small team, following the principles he outlines will give you the confidence and the skills you need to move people from point A to point B." - Dr. Allan Rosenfield, Dean, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

Peter Bregman is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global leadership development and change management firm. He has advised leaders in many of the world's premier organizations throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Peter graduated with a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Space for Change (November 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979387205
• ISBN-13: 978-0979387203
• Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 7.9 x 5.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Peter Bregman is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm which advises CEOs and their leadership teams. He speaks, writes, and consults about how to lead and how to live.

He is the author, most recently, of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, winner of the Gold medal from the Axiom Business Book awards, named the best business book of the year on NPR, and selected by Publisher's Weekly and the New York Post as a top 10 business book. He is also the author of Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change and co-author of five other books. Featured on PBS, ABC and CNN, Peter is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, National Public Radio (NPR), Psychology Today, and CNN as well as a weekly commentator on Fox Business News.

Peter began his career teaching leadership on wilderness and mountaineering expeditions and then moved into the consulting field with the Hay Group and Accenture, before starting Bregman Partners in 1998. Peter has advised CEO and senior leaders in many of the world's premier organizations, including Allianz, American Express, Brunswick Group, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, FEI, GE Capital, Merck, Clear Channel, Nike, UNICEF, and many others.

Peter bases his work on the notion that an organization, at its core, is a platform for talent. By unleashing that talent, focusing it on business results, and aligning it with a compelling vision, both the individual and the organization thrive. Since 1989, Peter has trained and coached all levels of management and individuals to recognize their leadership, exhibit leadership behaviors, model and stimulate change, and foster their own development and growth as well as that of their teams and colleagues.

Peter earned his B.A. from Princeton University and his M.B.A. from Columbia University. He can be reached at [e-mail].

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book about change that you can really use February 17, 2009

By Andrew Geller

Format:Paperback

Point B is short, but contains a wealth of practical information for anyone who has a role in leading change -- business leaders, consultants, and everyone who is part of a major change. The approach is based on sound theory and principles, but is immensely practical and presented in a style that is clear, concise and easy to use. Bregman provides many examples, each of which is relevant and clarifies things. One of the most valuable aspects of this guide is the way Bregman describes how to work with others to achieve change -- by collaborating with them, being honest and realizing that in the end, the people who live the change are in charge. That's what really makes change happen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great insights for managing change in a small package. August 16, 2011

By Barry L. Davis

Format:Paperback

Subtitled A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change, this practical, hands-on book starts with the timely quote - "People don't resist change. They resist being changed." Bregman, CEO of a leadership development and change management firm, presents 7 key steps for managing change in any organization, providing specific examples and clearly defined guidelines through this insightful book.

Here are his 7 themes:
1. Share the story. Include Content, Context and Confidence.
2. Keep everything simple (includes his JETS trademark - Just Enough To Start).
3. Get it half right. The program isn't the point. The point of the program is the point.
4. Integrate the change, Create a supportive environment.
5. Provide on-going support (includes his trademarked coaching model QUICC - Question, Understand, Identify, Choose and Contract).
6. Build in feedback. Help them manage their own change.
7. Use the partner system. Change sticks when both people and their environment changes.

According to Bregman, people who change embody three key attributes - Ownership, Capability and Persistence. Providing the opportunity for each employee to be engaged in the change is the key.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Game changing February 3, 2009

By M. Manza

Format:Paperback

Point B is more than just a book, it is an important catalyst for change as it provides real world foundations and background along with enactable concepts for driving ownership and leadership in a sustainable model, providing for proper coaching, a goal-driven model, and improved team interactions that make sense.

I have found it more than well-received among my teams. In fact, for them it is more than a book, it has become an integral part of everyday interaction and a continual guide. Issues have been identified as "Point B" issues and processes get "Bregman-ized". With the model presented in the book, the teams are able to function better cross-functionally and organizationally.

I call the book a game changer because it makes you re-evaluate how you look at goals and how you achieve these in a sustainable way within small or large teams/organizations to ensure you are focused on the team ability to own and drive to success. It shows you how to change the rules so that everyone can achieve satisfaction along the solution path.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Change in 2009 February 10, 2009

By Carol Gershowitz

Format:Paperback

In this very challenging time of change -- Point B is an excellent book that is fast to read and extremely easy to understand. It is a great quick guide for change in your organization. It is a must to have for all HR Professionals.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Gets right to the "Point" January 29, 2009

By Todd Cherches

Format:Paperback

When going through a challenging organizational transformation, our most valuable and limited resource is Time. That's why this book is such a handy guide. It's a quick-and-easy read that will effectively help you navigate your way from Point A to "Point B" via a collection of valuable stories, models and processes. It doesn't provide you with all the answers, but Bregman's "JETS," "QUICC" and other simple, thought-provoking models definitely prompt you to ask all the right questions....

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple strategies for dealing with or effecting change in your organization January 28, 2009

By Scott D. Bonnell

Format:Paperback

Point B is an easy read that centers on implementing scalable changes within an organization of any size - a concept that is especially important in this economy. Bregman presents a logical and sustainable framework that will help managers optimize results from their teams, while maintaining focus on team member fulfillment and satisfaction.

5.0 out of 5 stars Getting to Point B quickly January 19, 2010

By gnomic

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this book. i read it cover to cover in the waiting room at the doctor's office. It is not only a quick and easy read, it gets to the point quickly, telling short and interesting stories to illustrate, not make, the point. And it offers solid, actionable advice that works. Its hard to find good books that are well worth the money and the time to read them, but this book is a solid winner and a great value to anyone's career.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Business; Better for Life! January 30, 2009

By Lori Anne Wardi

Format:Paperback

I picked up this book to help with a huge change initiative I was planning with and for a client. My hope was that I would glean some quick insights that we could put to immediate use in the roll out to help minimize resistance and maximize the likelihood of success. The book definitely delivered on that front. While "Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change" is indeed short in size, it is long on content. Peter Bregman has a unique and refreshing perspective that is revealed through his engaging stories. He provides great insights about why the ways we typically "try to change people" simply don't work - and he gives specific strategies to help you get the results you want simply, effectively and with a fraction of the stress you'd probably expect. This book has been great for business -- but it's even better for real life! The principles you'll learn will work not only in the office -- but with your family, friends and kids too! I recommend it highly!