Built to Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness

by Edward E. Lawler III, Christopher G. Worley, Jerry Porras (Foreword)

In this groundbreaking book, organizational effectiveness experts Edward Lawler and Christopher Worley show how organizations can be “built to change” so they can last and succeed in today’s global economy. Instead of striving to create a highly reliable Swiss watch that consistently produces the same behavior, they argue organizations need to be designed in ways that stimulate and facilitate change. Built to Change focuses on identifying practices and designs that organizations can adopt so that they are able to change. As Lawler and Worley point out, organizations that foster continuous change Are closely connected to their environments Reward experimentation Learn about new practices and technologies Commit to continuously improving performance Seek temporary competitive advantages

Genres: Business

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Shana D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was positively prophetic, as it predicted the trends of contract work that has become the standard for employee-employer relationships. Diverse teams and shared leadership! Now if we can just get leaders who possess identity entrepreneurship and individuals to share group identity the world of work will be more profitable.

[Nancy Messina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was fine for what is was supposed to be, but I think they could have cut i2 or 3 chapters since it felt like they were starting to talk in circles at the end. I also think this book really needed an update. When this book first came out it was probably more relevant than it is now. Many books need an update after the pandemic, but this one had its moments of feeling old.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this was really rich information about hiring etc. The section on remuneration seemed pretty obvious, or maybe this is just a reflection of the age of this edition.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why didn't I read this when it first came out? Its subject matter is, after all, very relevant to my work of e.g. Rightshifting. I didn't read it then because I didn't notice its publication. And that's most likely because it made almost no splash.

I attribute this to its turgid prose, platitudes, and flawed analysis. I'd have given it only one star but for the general premise, which I can support. Namely, that organisations in the present business climate might do well to organise themselves for "positive opportunism". Cf. Dee Hock and the Chaordic organisation.

Disappointing.

[Sumit Singla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apart from being told that Leaders should buy into the entire change Process and not just focus on being charismatic, visionary types, I didn't get even a scrap of valuable information from this book.

I don't think it needs to be mentioned that "Leadership needs to understand the difference between core values and all other values floating around in the organisation."

There are numerous such ridiculous statements in the book, and I Ann thoroughly disappointed to have read it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just beginning to read, but the SDCOE Sup recommended it! The concept is sound - all we can count on is change.