Amazon.co.uk Review
We live in an age of vast social change. Every day we are expected to learn faster and work faster. The breath-taking advances of new technology and the globalisation of the economy mean organisations cannot expect to avoid change either. However, most people and most organisations fear it. Change promises joy and pain and threatens what previously brought you satisfaction. In his stimulating book, Smart Change, David Firth thinks it is time to look upon change in a more positive way. He urges people and organisations to love change and to embrace it creatively. The benefits of being open and responsive to change for an individual are that you can become more employable and enjoy increased job satisfaction. For organisations, they can attract more customers and become more successful. In a nutshell, in order to change effectively you need to know what you want, where you are and then you have to change your beliefs, systems and attitudes to align yourself with what you want. Firth describes this process for an individual and an organisation and explains why change is resisted and how that resistance can be overcome. His favourite companies are those that make change fun. If enough people read this book then there is a strong chance more of us will grow to like change and it will receive less of a bad press in the future. --Justin Hunt
Product Description
You′d think change was the worst thing to happen to business. A disaster. The Smart Change Master knows that change is the colourful, frustrating, multi–patterned rhythm of life.
From the Inside Flap
Smart Things to Know About Change Smart is a breakthrough series that offers a completely new learning experience for hassled business people. The books deliver all that the fast–track executive needs to shine and perform. Each book delivers a sharp introduction to the basics as well as experiences and tips from the frontiers of the subject and the insights of the hottest gurus. Smart books have been selected to feature only those subjects which matter most to today’s business professional. The Smart series brings these subjects together to equip the next generation with the secrets of success. Each Smart book contains icons, features and signposts to help you use the ideas in your career and business: Smart things to say: gives you inside tips and tricks Smart quotes: what the experts say Smart people to have on your side: make friends with the gurus Killer questions: ideas to make your colleagues jump Smart answers to tough questions: helps you stay out of trouble and ahead of the game! Smart voices: real people from smart companies
From the Back Cover
Change is everywhere in business. As markets develop at an unprecedented speed so organizations rush to keep up. But change is complex, frightening and expensive. So, why bother? Just thinking about it will cost money and time. The Smart Change Master knows that not thinking about it will cost even more. If you want to really understand business change, you’ve picked up the right book. Smart Things to Know About Change is a distilled summary of everything you always wanted to know about change. It will show you how to:
- Understand the change process
- Create a vision
- Communicate change
- Build trust and commitment to change
- Measure the benefits of change
- Sustain change through learning
- Make change Fun!
About the Author
David Firth is the principal of international consultancy, Treefrog, specializing in the psychology of change. He is the author of The Corporate Fool and How to Make Work Fun.
