Organizations Books

This book gives new principals (and probably others too) a reference for dealing with the challenges of the job.

This book was written with humor and insight. It makes you realize that being a principal with heart and humor is possible. It's not a high-handed theory book; it's a book that you can read and put into immediate practice for success. The situations used in the book strike home with "everyprincipal" realism. I enjoyed it tremendously and found it very useful.

In the 25 years since I graduated I never learned as much about the university as I did in reading this book. Burns tells the story of the university in the way of a grandfather. I was enthralled through the entire story. That is unusual for me but I found his story compelling and the scolarship was outstanding. There were sources that were special. His handling of the Erskine affair was delicate at best. I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the Notre Dame that extends past the football field.

This is the story of Notre Dame. It is the best rendition of the university's history ever published, and is a must for any member of the Notre Dame family.

This book is short yet captures all the essential components of a succesfull benchmarking program in the non-profit sector, including government agencies. Although the examples are specifically geared for non-profit organizations, the concepts and principles taught apply just as well for any governmental entity. Saul writes exceedingly well, treating a subject with surprising zest that has been handled dryly by others. The structure of the book is perfect, as it leads the benchmarking neophyte through each step of the process, from organizational preparation to benchmark process implementation. Saul gives clear definitions and terms, and provides ample examples of each so that the reader is not left adrift. The forms provided to assist in the benchmarking process are also very helpful. Particularly original is a "quadrant" form, reminiscent of Steven Covey's four quadrants form that captures the combinations of urgent/important/not urgent/unimportant. In Saul's treatment, the four quadrants cover the combinations of controllable/important/not controllable/unimportant - a wise reality check before undertaking major change. Saul also gives a siginificant example of an organization that appeared to be doing well based on the measures it was tracking, but was actually failing in its core mission because those measure were not appropriate. I would recomment this book as a primer for anyone interested in beginning a benchmarking program in a non-profit or government.

This book is an essential for every nonprofit manager's bookshelf. The straighforward writing style of Jason Saul, coupled with practical tools, will help create an effective benchmarking and outcomes management system.

Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty SchoolsGreat job in getting this book to me in time for my class.

The subjects of this book are GREAT mentors for the aspiring school leaders... those who TRULY seek to create leaders for our future! This is a very well written book that should be a standard text for Educational Leadership and Administration students.

I ordered this book for a class I was taking. Amazon had a wonderful first-time buyers discount through the Visa card and it seemed like a perfect way to get my book. The listing for the postage said I had two hours to order for the book to reach me next day. The book did not arrive until four days later! In addition, I directed it to go to a different mailing address but it went to my home address. I didn't get the book until a week later! Another student in the class had the exact same experience with the same book, but hers never arrived!

The book itself is good. It gives ideas for lesson planning for phonics and vocabulary which have been pretty easy to follow and implement. It is an easy read.

Dr. Gambrell has done a thorough work in "Best Practices...." and the research is impeccable. I will be using this as my guide to literacy instruction for a long time.

"This book describes a process through which corporate leaders can create a high-performance organization capable of sustaining a lasting competitive advantage. It is an approach that takes into consideration all of the factors that affect organizational performance. By examining the whole organization, and by aligning its systems, structure, and culture to enable all employees to excell and execute the company's chosen strategy, corporate leaders can successfully transform their organization...Although targeted at corporate leaders, this book will benefit anyone interested or involved in any aspect of organizational change. By understanding the components of organizational change, frontline employees and middle-level managers alike can more effectively participate in and guide the change effort in their part of the organization. A successful organizational transformation is never the sole accomplishment of a leader and his or her senior team. Rather, the transformation is achieved through the hard work and commitment of all types of leaders througout the entire organization" (from the Preface).

In this context, Christopher W. Head:

* by asking/answering some critical questions such as What is going wrong? Why are so many change efforts failing? What is an organizational transformation? defines organizational transformation and indicates key factors to a successful transformation.

* by both asking/answering the following questions: What characteristics do transformational leaders possess? What must these leaders do in order to prepare their organizations for all of the difficult challenges that lie ahead? and comparing transformational leaders and traditional/transactional leaders, discusses the leadership factor for a successful corporate transformation.

* explains how leaders can lead effective change by creating an environment that fosters participation and ownership, and presents a detailed change management plan (more detailed discussion of this plan see Chapter 3).

* by asking/answering the following questions: How can leaders create a work environment that fosters high-levels of involvement from all of their employees? What are the elements that truly empower and involve all employees? How do organizations benefit from having an empowered workforce after the transformation process has been completed? discusses the steps needed to establish a high level of employee involvement within organization.

* by asking/answering the following questions: What is the best way of getting employees committed to leading the change effort? What are the transition teams? Why should they be used? Who should be on these teams and how should team members be selected? What are their core responsibilities? What kind of assistance do these teams need from top management and internal or external consultants? How should transition teams involve customers and suppliers in their work? examines the role of employees and employee teams (transition teams) during the transformation process.

* by asking/answering the following questions: What is core process redesign? What steps should organizations follow to redesign and align their core processes? What are the roles and responsibilities of the steering committee and transition teams during this stage? What other groups need to be involved? discusses how transition teams can successfully redesign and align core processes.

* by asking/answering the following questions: What can organizations do to make sure they create 'good' jobs for all employees? What elements are needed to make 'natural' work teams successful? examines the terms 'good' and 'natural' and their importance to realize drastic performance improvement.

* explains the changing role of middle management and the additional structural changes that an organization must make to support the newly established work teams.

* argues that "traditional measurement systems, solely focused on functional outcomes and overall financial performance, fail to provide the natural work teams with the necessary feedback they need to improve their performance", and hence presents an alternative performance measurement system.

* in addition to new performance measurement system, presents a new performance-based compensation system that rewards and motivates.

* argues that "an organizational transformation is never truly complete. Rather, it is series of large-scale changes - to the culture, processes, structure, and so on - over the course of a given time period, approximately one to three years, followed by continuous learning and ongoing improvement by all employees. Eventually, despite such improvement efforts, industry conditions and/or technological developments will necessitate another transformation in the years ahead", and describes how innovative companies are creating continuous improvement by 'learning organizations'.

Finally, C. W. Head suggests that "organizational transformation is not easy. The path to a successful transformation is often met with many obstacles. You will be confronted with people who doubt your plans and resist your every move. Do not fight your resistors. Rather, help educate those who do not yet understand the value of transforming the workplace, who have yet to tap into the potential of all employees. Be patient, stay focused, and do not lose hope. Your perseverance and dedication will pay off as your organization succeeds".

Highly recommended.

Beyond Corporate Transformation provides a refreshing view about organization change. While many consultants get caught up in their terminology, the author, Chris Head, seems to be genuinely concerned that the reader gain something useful from his book. This book is great for anyone who doesn't have an understanding of whole system design or who would like a process for implementation. The author's key point that the future organization cannot succeed without tapping into each employee's potential should be heeded by all organizations.

This is a wonderful book and a must have for anyone looking to strengthen their organization. It is full of clear, logical instructions on how to make everyone come together. This book was worth the money and time!

"Beyond Teams" is an excellent reference for anyone interested in charting or changing results in their collaborative networks. From the standpoint of anyone involved in Organizational Behavior/Organizational Development, from manager, practitioner, academic, consultant or team member, this book provides many useful insights and has the feel of actual fieldwork used in its writing. The book is laid out in such a manner that it can be applied in any given situation. The ten guiding principles are structured and repeated in various collaborative work settings consistently. This allows the reader to apply the principles in their unique setting. The ten guiding principles are then explained for each general situation with a short description given for when the principles are not working and, more importantly, when they are working. Too often in this field books are written from a purely academic viewpoint or "this is how you fix it" approach. This book is different in that you can sense the fieldwork in the research and you see how things are supposed to work as well as when they are not working. This gives the reader the option of working on a group's deficiencies while complementing their achievements. This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in improving team communications.

Christian community in the nature and character of God is the framework for this extraordinary book on Christian small group ministry. Scripture from both Testaments supports the thesis that small group gatherings are both ontological and teleological, consistent with the spirit and intention of God's existence in community. The author emphasizes that humanity, created in God's image, is called to live and mature within small communities or groups.
From the Creation stories, through the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Christ, Icenogle reiterates that certain divine and human realities are uniquely communal where two or more persons come together in the presence of God (Mat 18:20). "Scripture begins and ends with God calling humanity into relationship with the divine community and with one another."
There are three major biblical sections: before, during and after Jesus' life on earth. Chapters highlight biblical material relating to major small group concerns, such as covenants, leadership, communication, structures and ministry. General themes of God, creation, sin, covenant, Christ, Spirit, the church and eternal life are also explored in detail.
In the Old Testament section of the book, there is a great deal of reflection on friendship, tribal, marital and familial communities, and God's struggle to create, re-create and participate in that shalom (wholeness). For example, Icenogle says the book of Ruth is about three women and a man, related by family ties, who share in the faith history and ancestry of Jesus. " Their face-to-face relationships are a classic small group case study that deals with grief, friendship, love, loneliness, journeying, self-sacrifice, sorrow, security needs, bitterness, personal faith, grace and reconciliation."
God as a small group, as three persons in one is described as a dialogue with other members of the God-self of the Trinity as an intracommunicating group who also created a similar existence for humanity. Yet, all human groups display human brokenness, says Icenogle. He cites the Cain and Abel story to underscore the shattered relationship between two brothers. "The brokenness of every group would continue except that God refuses to leave us alone to self-destruct."
By definition, the author says small groups are face-to-face gatherings of persons to be, to share and to act for the betterment of one another and the wider good of others, where God is the subject, and the groups are the vehicle for humanity to carry out God's will in everyday life.
" Jesus changed human history through the process of forming an intentional small group of twelve. The various small groups around Jesus-of men, women, young, old Jew and Gentile, give a clear signal as to how God desires humanity to move into our salvation future."
Icenogle asserts that God's perspective must be the centering reality of any Christian small group, where its members are invited to understand one another through God's eyes. In order for this transforming perspective to develop as a group ethic, the group must first invest deeply in the presence of God to define each relationship, through prayer,
listening for God's voice, a continued intimate relationship with God, and further knowledge of the Scriptures. I highly recommend this book as a "must read" for pastors, lay leaders, consultants and professors as an excellent resource for intentional small group ministry.

Gareth Icenogle not only shows some very good theological insight into the nature and dynamics of small group ministries, but also offers practical applications for many of these ideas. He lays fundamental groundwork to the topic of small group ministries and expounds with passion and clarity the need for this expression of spiritual formation in the church today.

This book can be appreciated everyone involved in this type of ministry, ranging from the seminary-educated clergy to the parishoner or lay leader in a church.

I highly recommend Black Students and School Failure (BSASF) to all serious educators and parents of black students. I also highly recommend re-reading it to anyone who has read this book some time ago. Simply put, this book makes the reader think.

I first read BSASF in 1991. Over the years, I have re-read sections of the book a number of times. For me, the vital and brilliantly communicated points of BSASF are these:

1. [Contrary to "Bell Curve" thinking,]Black children's capacity and potential for learning is equal to that of other ethnic groups.

2. Black children's learning potential is systematically not being realized in America's school systems. Reasons or this include but are not limited to: low expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies; lack of cultural synchronization; lack of national, strategic focus on effectively educating poor, minority children.

In other words, black student failure in school does not point to an inherent inability to learn. Rather, it points to clearly ineffective - perhaps even racist - policies and practices on a classroom, school, school system, and national level.

3. The problem of black student school failure is significantly correlated with the problem of black poverty - and the salient issues of drug abuse, violence, teen pregnancy, etc. These problems persist and will continue to persist until there is an active commitment address them with not just short-lived interventions, but long-term strategic focus on improving educational outcomes for black students.

Being a first-year teacher of math at a 90+% black high school in South Florida, I am an everyday witness of low teacher expectations and self-fulfilling prophecies for black students. This book convinces me that there would be significantly less black poverty if significantly more teachers had high expectations for their black students. Moreover, it makes me wonder if perhaps there would even be a cure for cancer!

Patrick Harper

Coconut Creek, Florida
April 20, 2003

That book is difficult, but I made my way through it, because it’s the truth. And it is good stuff. And it’s worth it. She tells the truth. She explains why black children and students have such problems with Western education. Her answer is that Western education was designed and made by whites. This may be OK for Asians, who are closer to whites, but it can’t work for Africans, our race is too different, the “racial distance”(and the culture that stems from each race) is too big. I don’t mean to be racist, man, but that’s how it is, we are no whites, and whites are no blacks, and that’s fine. Seems to come close to a book I haven’t read, The White Architects of Black Education: Ideology and Power. AND, even worst, she proves, reveals that the aim of this white education that is imposed unto blacks is enslave them by conditioning them to respect white authority, to be docile, subordinate and dependent on white, and by predestinating them to the inferior lowest jobs whites need for their free-market economy. Put it clearly, man : it is still white slavery and exploitation of Africans, but it is hidden. And worst, because you don’t see it and you won’t revolt and shake off the white yoke. It’s deception. And I would had that this white schooling hurts terribly, breaks our African soul, identity , and that’s why many of us fail, our African soul can’t work out with a white identity that is unnatural to us and that enslaves us. But she has the (obvious) solution: we need our own separate schools, but not just so before the segregation, not compulsory, and above all not designed by whites for white children, but designed by Africans for black children. That’s it. The whole point is about designing black school. It should be done by Africans who have rediscovered their roots, I mean their own African cultures, religions, races and languages. Here in South Africa we got a seminal book, P. C. Luthuli’s The Philosophical foundations of Black education in South Africa. Luthuli saw that “While throughout their history Black people have borrowed quite generously in order to construct their school curriculum, the time has come for this to be done within the dictates of their basic needs” and that our schools “must be governed by the fundamental collective philosophy of life”, that is by our own African soul, not the thinking, the soul of the white race, which is alien to us. Irvine, working with the African diaspora in America has come exactly to the same conclusion. What a good book, man, that’s real black studies, black university, and it’s not baloney like some of those white racists say who would like to abolish black studies. Quite the contrary, read her book, she proves we need our own “Afrocentric independent schools”.

If you are looking for a book to explain how to plan and implement a special event, this is the book for you. This book explains what to do and what not to do, so that your organization can get the most money out of your event. You can read it straight through or just go to certain chapters to get the information that you want. Also, don't let the celebrity/high society examples turn you off. What is in this book works even if you don't have access to a celebrity or society connections. I used what is in this book to raise money for my local Lions Club. Don't get any other book for special events--Black Tie Optional is the guide for special events.

At last! This book answers all the difficult "how to" questions for the fund-raiser for a non-profit organization. Every possible problem is anticipated and discussed, and reasons for doing and not doing are offered. Most organizations spend more money raising funds than they collect, and Harry Freedman explains where the hidden costs are and how to avoid them. Freedman seems to know what you are thinking and he will tell you why what someone else does may not be the right event for you. There is something in this book for the veteran fund-raiser or the eager new volunteer.
--Andrew Kevorkian
Public Relations Consultant