Terms of Engagement Changing the Way We Change Organizations 2nd EDITION

by Richard H. Axelrod

Terms of Engagement introduces a new method for changing organizations based on four essential Widening the Circle of Involvement, Connecting People to Each Other and Ideas, Creating Communities for Action, and Embracing Democratic Principles. This method enables leaders to create the energetic, flexible, responsive organizations necessary to thrive and prosper in the contemporary business world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

Unknown Binding

First published May 1, 2000

About the author

Richard (Dick) Axelrod co founded the Axelrod Group, Inc., a consulting firm that pioneered the use of employee involvement to effect large-scale organizational change. He now brings more than thirty-five years of consulting and teaching experience to this work, with clients including Boeing, Chicago Public Schools, Calgary Health Authority, Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, and the UK’s National Health Service. Dick is faculty in Columbia University’s Principles and Practices in Organization Development and the University of Chicago’s Leadership Arts Program.

Dick is a founding member of the Berrett-Koehler Authors Cooperative. He authored the award-winning Terms of Engagement: New Ways of Leading and Changing Organizations, and co-authored You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: How to Involve Others to Get Things Done, which the New York Times called “the best of the current crop of books on this subject.” Dick is the recipient of the Organization Development Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Teacher Award from the University of Chicago’s Graham School of Liberal and Professional Studies.

Reviews

[Vincent Musolino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book full of redundant examples and thin on content. Disappointed.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book outlines methods of dealing with change in businesses in an increasingly complex world. It could have made a big difference particularly in American corporations although it would have been costly.

Alas it has been superseded by increased contracting out and the changing economic view of the nature of the firm especially with regard to workers.

The format is old fashioned in that it typically follows the business book format of including case studies where a more direct approach would be preferable in my humble opinion.

Interesting though just the same.

[Lenore Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many people know how to coordinate at work but not in a volunteer setting. Well you use the same tools that you would at work. Richard H. Axelrod has his second edition of Terms of Engagement out. I have found that it is a great guide to help me learn how to widen my circle of involvement. I take the same ideas on how to network with careers and use it in the volunteer community. I love how it has steps on connecting people to each other. And how to create communities for action too. By learning how to be fair, non biased and reaching out to others we can bring a lot more people into the volunteer groups.