Organizations Books

Krovetz haas written a book that will help those involved in thinking about how to make our schools work for all children. The idea is that if we create a nurturing yet academically challenging culture, we can provide a climate in which all chiildren can flourish. Through the case studies we see how each school has encated the ideas, bringing them to life, and showing us the possibilities as well as the difficulties.

As the author, I hope that you will find Fostering Resiliency to be the book for l999 that makes you reflect deeply on the public schools you know well and that helps you ask why the schools in your neighborhood are not more like the seven schools described in this book.

Martin Krovetz published "Fostering Resiliency" with subtitle "Expecting All Students to Use Their Minds and Hearts Well." As a retired administrator and teacher I see his book striking at the heart of what all educators should be doing. This San Jose State U. professor gives narrative with examples of students and happening schools, and he integrates first lists and step-by-step procedures for winning over students of all ages so that they can be taught. The book has incredible import for balancing vital aspects of our children's education. No aspect, e.g. curriculum, assessment, nurturing, can be isolated in schools for students nor all other adults in students' lives. Mr. Krovetz builds the case for fostering resiliency in everyone. It could be the next handbook for restoring a full education to students, including the "basics" which is on everyone's wish list these days. It is a book to be studied. Is it on the shelves at Amazon?

Fostering Resiliency: Expecting All Students to Use Their Minds and Hearts Well, is a well written and easy to read resource for teachers and administrators. Martin Krovetz provides concrete examples of schools which have developed into resilient learning communities for both students and staff. It will leave you with a deeper understanding of what a "good school" does and hopefully, the inspiration to take on the work of making your school a more resilient community.

I'm a high tech entrepreneur turned social entrepreneur. This book gives an excellent analysis of the foundation world from an optimistic perspective combined with a healthy amount of constructive criticism.

Something that makes this book standout are the wealth of real world examples of both success and failure. In addition to those in the book, there's a companion piece with 100 case studies available for free download as well as purchasable as a paperback book.

What I enjoyed very much was meaty discussion of key aspects of the foundation structure. Fleishman's style is direct and clear: his points are made well and are backed up with real examples. One of the best books I've read about the social sector!

Foundations are a subset of Non-Profit organizations that have become surprisingly big busines in the United States. Somewhere around 1/7th of the business in the country is conducted by these organizations. Somewhere around 1/9th of the workforce is employed by one. They have become an integral part of the American economy.

In this book Mr. Fleishman looks at Foundations (a number of which he has been associated as employee, trustee or some other capacity). He examines what makes a foundation successful, and how some have failed. He offers insight and advice on how to make a foundation more successful, and at the same time how foundations should have an obligation to become more accountable since they received special tax considerations from the Government. He suggests that this accountability should be done by the foundations voluntarily. However, Mr. Fleishman is an attorney and believes that if voluntary response is not forthcoming then new legal requirements should be placed upon them to require more openness.

Joel Fleishman's book lays an excellent bedrock of history underneath its discussion of philanthropy as a great element of American tradition. We live in days of some staggering examples - from Warren Buffet's living bequest of billions, to the fine work of Bill and Melinda Gates - and many others. But rather than see this as some product of the new millennium - Fleishman shows how the new avatars of corporate generosity are following a fine tradition. More than this, the author shows that certain gifting strategies have been leveraged for huge social benefit. For those who are thinking - at whatever scale - of giving to support a cause, this book sets out the strategies that have produced most benefit. This is an excellent, thoughtful piece of work on a topic that currently has wide currency. Well worth reading.

This is a very helpful book, indeed, a unique book. Here are some of the notes I took. As one of 24 co-founders of a new 501c3, the Earth Intelligence Network, created to provide decision support to foundations, the United Nations, NGOs, and others seeking to address the ten high-level threats to Humanity, I could not have found a more relevant work.

A few notes:

* Foundations are the dynamo of social change, with three roles varying from foundation to foundation: as driver, as partner, or as catalyst.
* The author is very critical of the general state of mismanagement and in some cases, lack of clear ethical guidelines or stated values, and says the field must do better.
* In his view, and his case studies bear this out, foundations are an enormous force for good, but they are unregulated, unaccountable, and if they are to retain the tax breaks and the trust of the people, they must change their process, their governance, and their attitude--this will, in the author's words, strengthen the social contract within which they are given so much leeway.
* He states that foundations *need* a decision-making process (music to my ears) and also a progress-checking system.
* He clearly communicates the willy-nilly state of many foundation programs, their lack of boundaries and focus, and hence their relative lack of impact. He states that many underperform, are insulated, and are arrogant.
* A positive quote (the book is generally positive and constructive) from page 3: "Foundations enable the creation of countless civil sector organizations--groups dealing with human rights, civil liberties, social policy experimentation, public advocacy, environmental protection, knowledge generation, human capital building, and service delivery, among other causes--and assist them in building national, regional, and local constituencies that move into the forefront of continuing social change. Elsewhere in the book he points out that in many areas, foundations preceeded and inspired later government programs.
* He is careful to point out that foundations have had limited success with education, health care, and poverty, and that in the face of global challenges (e.g. the ten high level threats to Humanity) the best they can do is educate the public and press government for action. I disagree. If foundations could collaborate with the United Nations UN) and leverage the Multinational Decision Support Center (MDSC) that we are trying to create in Tampa, Florida, they could among themselves agree to take on specific elements of a $230 billion a year program that Medard Gabel has been researching for ten years.
* He points out that US foundations take in 1.1 trillion a year in revenues, but only dole out $33.6 billion a year. In my view, given the enormous value of preventive action, I believe the foundations should be required to dole out 20% of their endowment in the first year of a concerted global program, and then so much as to keep the endowment steady, not hoarding and growing.
* While the "overarching objective" of foundations is large-scale social change, the author notes that they are peripheral players *unless they can organize and catalyze in the aggregate--precisely what the UN and the MDSC could help them do.
* He laments the current lack among most foundations of the "scientific method" that the Carnegies and Rockefellers first imposed, to wit: 1) get the facts; 2) identify problems precisely; 3) study options for action; 4) identify supporting and opposing stakeholders; and 5) plan for action. He blames the predominantly academic leadership of foundations today for the loss of "business" rigor and focus.
* The bottom line in this book appears with regularity in these pages: without goal setting and progress measuring, most foundation programs are simply arbitrary give-a-ways. He admires the Carnegie "Appraisal List" as a good starting point. He points out that neither inputs nor outputs matter; what matters is outcome.
* He lists all that ails foundations, a list that includes arrogance, discourtesy, inaccessibility, arbitrariness, failure to communicate, foundation Attention Deficit Disorder, lack of accountability, invisibility, scholarly void, and political vulnerability.
* The balance of the book consists of chapters that are extremely helpful, and here to whet the potential buyer's interest, I will simply list five core aspects of the book.
* Strategies and practices include (with subheadings not shown here):
* Creating and disseminating knowledge
* Building human capital
* Public policy advocacy
* Changing public attitudes
* Changing the law
* Creating a blue ribbon commission
* Offering an award or prize
* Building a model through a pilot program
* Financing litigation
* Building institutions
* Building physical plant
* Catalyzing partnerships among foundation
* Catalyzing partnerships with the for-profit sector
* Ways of recognizing impact include:
* Major benefits to the public
* Expansion of knowledge
* Helping to launch a movement
* Catalyzing an urgent social change
* Taking an initiative to scale
* Characteristics of high-impact programs (with much detail for each):
* Focus
* Alignment
* Due diligence about the problem
* Due diligence about the solution
* Intelligent talent selection
* Due diligence about prospective grant-receiving organizations
* Entrepreneurial riskp-taking
* Optemistic thinking
* Independence
* Effective grantee selection and management
* Long-term thinking and commitment
* Maintaining focus and alignment over time

There is a chapter on how foundations fail, and certainly this entire book, and especially this chapter, need to be read by any foundation executive--or any prospective donor to any foundation.

This is a truly great and helpful book. I put it down thinking to myself, "my goodness, not only does the United Nations need an Assistant Secretary General for Decision Support, but so also do the foundations in the aggregate." Worthy book!

A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility--Report of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
Preparing for the 21st century: An appraisal of U.S. intelligence : report of the Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the United States Intelligence Community
The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (Authorized Edition)
On Intelligence: Spies and Secrecy in an Open World
The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
Peacekeeping Intelligence: Emerging Concepts for the Future
Information Operations: All Information, All Languages, All the Time
THE SMART NATION ACT: Public Intelligence in the Public Interest

A substantive and crystal clear guide, especially for CEOs. Light takes years of data provided by the Rand Corporation and distills them into the 4 essential pillars to establish high performing organizations and the operating principles of "robust organizations." Most useful of all is Light's guidance in facilitating organizational change -- thereby enabling readers who are leaders (or consultants to leaders) to advance organizations to new heights of performance for today's and tomorrow's challenging environments. Light shines light on the path for success !!

Obviously, when building anything, there are several essential requirements: an appropriate design, materials of the highest possible quality, skilled workers, and establishment of a solid foundation. In this volume, Light suggests how certain organizations have met these requirements and how others can also do so. He concedes that a moribund or demoralized organization can "create a burst of high performance by terrifying [its] workforce or rallying [its] troops" but invariably the results are only temporary. He asserts (and I agree) that the greater challenge is to "build organizations that produce results by hedging against the inevitable surprises and vulnerabilities that lurk in today's environment, while exploiting opportunities to shape the future to their advantage." Hence the importance of having a stereoscopic perspective which includes an awareness of possible and at least a sense of probable perils as well as opportunities. Hence the importance of having a design which can accommodate modification in response to "inevitable surprises." Hence the importance, also, of having a foundation which can withstand the impact of adversity while sustaining competitive initiatives.

In 1999, Light was engaged by the RAND Corporation to examine what its researchers had learned about managing public organizations during several previous decades . He eventually decided to focus on what had been learned about how any organization can achieve and then sustain high performance. It is important to note, as does Light, that RAND research is guided by three basic principles embedded in its own organizational culture: "First, RAND has a well-deserved reputation for questioning the questions.....Second, RAND has a long history of questioning its own answers through peer review and quality control....Third, RAND allows the evidence to speak, even when it unsettles the client." I was also interested to learn that RAND had some serious problems of its own during the mid-1990s which are noted within Light's narrative. RAND solved those problems by focusing on the basics of the Four Pillars.

That said, let's examine how he organizes his material. In Chapter 1, he shares several lessons about the future revealed by RAND's research after a rigorous analysis of "four critical sources of organizational vulnerability: ignorance, inflexibility, indifference, and inconsistency." In Chapter 2, Light shifts his attention to what RAND research has learned about addressing the vulnerabilities of uncertainty. Of special interest to me are the "seven powerful predictors of high performance" and the "four underlying pillars that help organizations achieve extraordinary results," all of which had been identified by the research. Then in Chapter 3, Light explains what RAND has learned about each of the "four pillars." In Chapter 4, he focuses on what RAND has learned about operating a "robust" organization. "Simply asked, how do robust organizations create the alertness, agility, adaptability, and alignment [which are] essential to high performance?" This chapter provides four answers. Then in the fifth and final chapter, he shares what RAND has learned about managing change. In this chapter, the reader is provided with "six suggested steps for improving the odds of success."

At this point in my brief commentary, I feel obliged to explain that Light has accomplished far more than examine an immense body of research data and then merely summarize key points. He had more ambitious objectives for this book and he achieved all of them. They include focusing much less attention on broad general principles (albeit sound ones) and far more attention on HOW almost any organization (regardless of size or nature) can apply those principles where perils are greatest, where opportunities are most promising, and where significant change is most likely. Granted, senior-level executives will find few head-snapping revelations in this book. Light creates for them, however, broad and deep access to a wealth of valuable (previously inaccessible) information from which he helps them to learn how to establish or nourish their own "robust" organization. After a careful reading and then re-reading of his book, they should then review key points in the Conclusion at the end of each chapter. I strongly recommend that his readers regularly review, also, the dozens of (boxed) idea clusters which Light thoughtfully provides throughout the narrative. For example, The Six Revolutions (Page 27), The First, Second, and Third Rounds of Winnowing: Strong Associations with Performance (Pages 56-57, 60, 62, respectively), and Organizing for Lightning (Page 150).

One final point. As James Q. Wilson notes in the Foreword, Light's work at RAND "did not involve any pre-conditions or post-research clearances. What you will read here is Light's best independent advice." In my opinion, The Four Pillars of High Performance is a brilliant achievement.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Evan I. Schwartz's Juice: The Creative Fuel That Drives World-Class Inventors, Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien's The Keystone Advantage: What the New Dynamics of Business Ecosystems Mean for Strategy, Innovation, and Sustainability, Peter Schwartz's The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World and Inevitable Surprises: Thinking Ahead in a Time of Turbulence, and Jason Jennings' Think Big, Act Small: How America's Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-up Spirit Alive as well as Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change co-authored by Clayton M. Christensen, Erik A. Roth, and Scott D. Anthony.

It is evident from the text and from the author's course notes that his working title was Robust Organization. His publisher must have thought that people would not buy a book with that title, that they will only buy a book that promises, like all the others, 'high performance' as a direct and immediate result of reading the book. Light's actual message is that, in a turbulent environment, you have to build in a capability to achieve performance in different ways. This is not efficient, nor is it a direct path to high performance. But if you do it the right way, it is extremely efficient insurance, and an insurance that many organizations don't have or throw away needlessly. It is an extremely important line of argument, especially for organizations of last resort, such as any Federal agency. The literature in this area is thin and this is a good addition. (Charles Perrow, Normal Accidents, is a classic.) While Light gets to the right answer, his concepts, arguments, and evidence are often unclear or disappointing. I get the impression that Light has the gift of gab, lays it down quickly, and moves on. (His frequent talks on NPR flow nicely.) He asserts, for example, that his robust organization qualifies as a resilient organization in Hamel's terms, but that a resilient organization isn't necessarily robust. Correct, but I tried to restate his argument and found that I had to make up a lot that wasn't there. But I suppose that makes the book useful for readers who want to make it their own and use it. I have reorganized my own organizational diagnostic instrument around Light's categories and am pleased with how it helps me relate detailed alignment issues with broader strategy.

The RAND Corporation's organizational strategy advice is based on more than 50 years of research. Author Paul C. Light draws from RAND studies primarily related to the U.S. military to explain the need for organizations to confront unavoidable change with alertness, agility, adaptability and alignment. He notes that these four attributes are equally valuable to small and large businesses, and to organizations of all kinds. You can apply each solid lesson Light takes from RAND's studies to your organization's structure and planning. In fact, some of his points are already common wisdom. Political instability, labor force fluctuations, or the potential for terrorism or economic unrest affect some industries more than others, but every organization is susceptible to unanticipated developments. If you want to find out what to do when your organization gets surprised, we recommend this in-depth research-based report.

As someone who is involved in helping nonprofits do fundraising, I think Keegan's book is a fairly helpful resource. Most successful was its straightforward tips on how to involve the community-at-large in a nonprofit campaign.

Most of the nonprofit "help" books are very dry, but this one is very readable. The information is extremely helpful and directly addresses the difficulties that we have to overcome in fundraising, particularly the "I hate to ask people for money" syndrome. I love that in places, the author says, "here is the attitude you may have.. but... get over it!" and then proceeds to tell you how TO approach things with humor and good advice. If you do fundraising or work with a group that does fundraising, you will find great information and ideas in this book!

A thoughtful, humorous account of the world of grassroots fundraising. The author brings her experience, warmth and humor to this very important book on fundraising. It is an excellent tool for non profit agencies. I recommend it for any non-profit agency staff member or volunteer board member that wants to break out of the fundraising doldrums into fundraising excellence.

The web is really just as a communications medium. But what a medium it is. e-Bay set up all kinds of new records as a way to get money out of the used stuff stored in your back room. In doing so, it has become a phenomonen of its own. One of the many unexpected side effects of e-Bay has been the development of on-line fund raising. Instead of working with the relatively few people in your home town or local community, e-Bay reaches some 160 million people.

The authors of this book are: ==1 -- a power seller on e-Bay, a consumate master at using e-Bay to sell all kinds of products, and

2 -- an ex-e-Bay executive who specialised in setting up new marketing areas.

The concept of raising money on e-Bay is not too different that becoming a e-Bay marketeer. However the wording that you would use in the offering, the ways you would get items to sell, and particularly the impact of having a famous name to assist make fundraising subtly different than what you would normally do. This book then is like a normal book on selling on e-Bay, but 'subtly different.'

The stories of successful campaigns, illustraing what other people have done make the book worth its cost.

Carefully researched and includes lots of information first-hand from successful sellers and nonprofits. It has a great visual layout too. Lots of illustrations and navigational aids, like Tips, Must Haves, Warnings, etc. It is an invaluable resource to get up & running on eBay in the most effective way.

I purchased this book for our church group and we are quickly putting it to use. The book is very informative and demystified online fundraising. It is easy to read and follow, with great insight and simple advice. About 20 of us are going to run a holiday fundraiser on eBay using this book as our guide. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about fundraising.

I don't think I ever considered eBay a source of income for fundraising. But Greg Holden and Jill Finlayson convinced me otherwise in the book Fundraising on eBay. A valuable book that should be a "must read" for nonprofits...

Contents:
Part 1 - Mastering the eBay Marketplace - Opportunities for Nonprofits: Why eBay? A Guide for Nonprofits; eBay Fundraising Success Stories; Planning Your eBay Fundraising Event
Part 2 - Selling Donated Items: Deciding What to Sell; Deciding How to Raise Funds with eBay; Building Your Credibility - and Your Donor Base; Listing Your Items for Sale on eBay; Managing Your Auctions and Building Good Donor Relations; Advanced Selling - Using All of eBay's Sales Options
Part 3 - Leveraging eBay for the Biggest Bang: Making Your Charitable Auction a Major Event; Partnerships - Good for Bidders, Good for Partners, Great for Nonprofits; Marketing to Make the Most of Your Event; Glossary; Index

I've always mentally framed eBay as a way to sell some of your own stuff or for a business to market direct to the consumer. I wasn't even that surprised when cities and governments started using eBay to unload surplus equipment. But I never really thought about how the use of eBay could be leveraged by a nonprofit or charity to raise funds and expand the donor base. Holden and Finlayson make a strong case for using eBay to generate money for your nonprofit, and they cover all the eBay features specifically designed to assist you in this. I've probably seen those features before, but I guess I just ignored them. They also cover the traditional information on how to get set up as an eBay seller, how to price your items, etc. So even if you've never touched eBay before, you can confidently venture forth with this book and get started with little effort. All those books on how to become an eBay power seller can then be used to fine-tune your selling techniques. The abundance of real-life case studies help the reader to see that this really *can* work and has been used successfully by thousands of other groups.

Definitely a unique book in the growing collection of eBay titles, and one that could be the best investment you ever made in your cause...

There is little difference between this book and "Up the Organization." So, if you were hoping for something new and different you will be disappointed. However, there are a few updates and a few additions. If you can't get "Further Up the Organization," then buy "Up the Organization."

If this review was helpful, please add your vote.

It's a great shame that this book is out of print.

It's well worth the trouble of finding a copy. I make a point of re-reading it at least once a year to keep my feet on the ground and my head out of the clouds and other unfortunate places.

Townsend is a very sensible person who has sterling credentials as a succesful manager; we should all do half as well as he did. He believes in the power of doing simple things very well and allowing your staff to do what they know how to do.

"In Search Of Excellence" and "Who Moved My Cheese" and all the great morass of poor, high faulutin' salve for the over-inflated but tender and insecure egos of senior managers should be immediately put into the trash ... shame on you if you ever attend another Hammer-esque seminar. You don't need seminars and the tricks don't work.

What works in management is what works everywhere in life, in the long run: humility, hard work, loyalty downwards, rewarding success and knowing how to define it.

In a sense, nobody should need a book to tell them these things, but life is complicated and the world is full of charlatans, so we all need to be reminded from time to time to take a step back and laugh at ourselves.

This book belongs on every business owner's bookshelf -- not at the other end of the house, but right at hand. Currently ignored, it will likely re-emerge as a classic, perhaps ranking close to The Prince.

Hypesters need not read it. Business people who think should read it, re-read it, and refer to it. Cynical and fair, mercenary and humane, realistic and pessimistic and mostly optimistic, it is one of the finest business books of this century.

whenever i have had a tough problem in my 17 year business career, i pick up "up the organization" and lo and behold, there's the answer. it has been my business bible and it is amazing how it never gets outdated. i am thankful i chanced on to this book early in my career.

The sub title of this book, "Organizations as Weapons" is derived from a comment made by a U.S. Congressman in 1986.This is certainly an interesting concept, but it really does not describe the contents of this book. In point of fact, the book is a very good and careful dissection of the concept of network centric warfare. The author clearly supports the concept and sees it as the convergence of the Information Revolution and the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). He provides the reader with a careful and well thought out discussion of the implications of this concept not only on military organization, but on personnel, and operations. He notes the problems raised by the concept and cites specific examples of how it works. In the course of doing this, he also provides a very nice tribute to Jean de Bloch a brilliant and prescient late 19th Century military thinker and strategist who inexplicably has been largely forgotten. Bloch developed the method of multi-level analysis of warfare which has three layers: 1) analysis of technology; 2) analysis of tactics and operations; and 3) analysis of the actions and behaviors of people and organizations making up nation states. The author applies Bloch's analytic method in his analysis of network centric warfare. At least to this reviewer this book offers the clearest and most well developed explanation of network centric warfare available.

My only quarrel with this excellent and thought provoking book is that it introduces yet another appalling military acronym, C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) which is apparently is how the U.S. military describes network centric warfare. Well, as long as they understand what C4ISR stands for I guess it is al right.

The author makes three assumptions--that military revolutions do occur; that it is possible to identify them while they are occurring; and that their ultimate effects can be predicted and shaped by current actions. Drawing upon economics, political science, sociology, and history and influenced by his own experiences as an analyst on the U.S. Air Force's Gulf War Air Power Survey, Mark D. Mandeles argues that those seeking to transform the modern American military have focused too heavily on changes in technology and techniques and not enough on the organizational implications of the digital revolution. In his view the goal should be to organize all American forces into three unified commands by mid-21st Century: a precision-strike command; a constabulary command; and a conventional command.
The Future of War is a brilliant analysis of trends in the post-Cold War military. It deserves reading as much for the author's way of reaching his conclusions as the conclusions themselves. Historians will find his reflections on the role of chance and contingency in the preparations for the Gulf War well worth the price of the book. Students of the contemporary military scene and force planners will find the volume very thought provoking. Because of the range of disciplines the author draws upon, this is not an easy read--but it is an important one and well worth the time invested. Highly recommended.

Edgar F. Raines, Jr.

Mark D. Mandeles' THE FUTURE OF WAR: ORGANIZATIONS AS WEAPONS (1574886312, $24.00) provides an analytical, college-level defense study adding to the 'Issues in 21st Century Warfare' series with a study on the radical technological changes which have reshaped the face of US military strategy in this century. It'll require a consequent restructuring of defense to fully take advantage of these newfound capabilities, Mandeles argues in an original study of factors which change military strengths.

Military organizations change slowly. The last big change in the United States military from an organizational sense was the closer integration of the various services under the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. World War II was fought with almos as much fighting between the Army and the Navy that it is somewhat surprising that we had time for the Germans and the Japanese.

It took considerable effort on the part of the military to meet Goldwater-Nichols. But by the first Iraq war considerable progress had been made. By the second there even more.

This book looks at even further organizational changes to reflect the changes in information warfare, the role of the media, and the changing battlefield as superpower confrontation recedes further into the past and the nature of battles to be expected in the future changes.

This book is a fantastic read for those interested in the practical side of rescuing horses. It describes the various conditions rescued horses may be suffering from and how to recognize them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who might even consider starting a horse rescue or rescuing a horse from a bad situation.

I learned of this book title and author mentioned on the ASAP horse rescue website, and I'm very glad I did. A lot of careful thought goes into the decision to take on the lifelong commitment of adopting a rescued horse. This book brought up many easy to understand details I may not have considered properly before making a decision. Nothing speaks more clearly than experience. With all of the helpful references, it's a very useful and enjoyable read.

This book complies basic information and is layed out well and a good starter book.. One thing I was disappointed is that it didn't really outline how to start up a Horse rescue but then again it didn't state that it did- A overall nice book !

I found this book extremely informative and an enjoyable read. The author obviously writes from experience and with a desire to encourage responsible horse ownership. She offers helpful advice for first horse owners and outlines the issues involved when taking on a horse in distress. For those of us with soft hearts and a lack of good sense, when it comes to an animal is trouble, this is a handy and humorous guide that will help us do the most good where it is desprately needed.

Wonderful array of best practices of the top global companies

Wonderful array of best practices of the top global companies

Excellent overview as well as best practices in globalizatio

This is truly a fascinating study about globalization. As told by Marquardt "two years ago, a large consulting firm that helps companies go global gave me a list of the ten most common questions its clients had about globalization :

1. How do you create a global culture?

2. What are the key components of globalization?

3. How do you create a global mind-set?

4. What kinds of skills should we look for in global managers?

5. Why do some people fail when going overseas?

6. How do we establish a global training program?

7. What experiences should we give our future leaders?

8. Should everyone in the organization become globalized?

9. Is there an order or process in which a company should go global?

10. Where can we go for help as we work toward globalization?

This list inspired me to write this book, for I realized that these questions had no easy answers and that only a handful of companies had resolved even of these issues."

In this context, after defining six components of his "GlobalSuccess" model, Marquardt explores and illustrates these six components, namely corporate culture, human resources, strategies, operations, structure and learning with best practices of more than forty successful global companies, such as : GE, Whirlpool, Colgate-Palmolive, Shell, Coca-Cola, Xerox, FedEx and HP.

I highly recommend this study. As proclaimed by Jack Welch " companies either globalize or they die."

I work for a not-for-profit organization that has increased its non-US activity (as measured by revenue) by 150% in the last 10 years. Four years ago, we began considering the governance and operational implications of this change. Going Global for the Greater Good was one of the key tools we used to orient member leaders, managers and staff to what such change really entails. Her continuum, "The Six Stages of International Engagement," helped us understand where we were and to what we aspire. We were on the edge between levels 4 and 5 at that point. As a result of our work, informed by this book, we've brought in new member leaders from outside the US, added technical infrastructure in Europe, and continue to increase our non-US activity every year. A major change being contemplated in our governance structure this year (April and May 2008) could take us to the cusp of level 6.

Nonprofits considering expanding into the global arena are often overwhelmed by the complexities and sensitivities involved. Koenig's book breaks the process into practical steps for integrating global considerations into all the strategic directions and goals of the organization. It is realistic about the challenges but optimistic about possibilities. Useful features include bibliographies, an excellent index and case studies of global efforts by organizations. The book cannot be compared to any others I know of because there aren't any others. Koenig has filled a gap and filled it well.

The practical advice and examples from a variety of organizations both large and small are balanced with clear explanations of the principles as well as the personal and organizational challenges of action on the global stage. This sort of activism is not easy and Bonnie Koenig's insights are very helpful. Eve Sullivan, PARENTS FORUM®

As someone who spent many years working or volunteering in multinational organizations and who cares deeply about international issues, I found the book to be an excellent primer for a nonprofit thinking about entering or deepening its international engagement. I truly believe that it is essential for every nonprofit to become more aware of its role in the global community. This book can get your nonprofit started.
While most of the examples are from US nonprofits, in the spirit of the book, the author also includes examples from other countries.

You might be surprised at the nonprofits that already have benefited from international connections, such as Chicago's StreetWise, Boston-headquartered City Year, or the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

The book is easy reading and raises issues that any nonprofit will need to consider as it deepens its international involvement. It gives very helpful examples of other nonprofits that have addressed some of those issues. It is not in the scope of the book to give detailed answers to every question - for example, the mechanics of fundraising in other countries.

Of particular usefulness is the author's attention to both strategic and practical advice for nonprofits going international - from big picture issues such as organizational structure to more mundane but essential challenges such as setting up phone meetings across international time zones. The book is particularly good at highlighting cross-cultural communication considerations. Ms. Koenig's 20 years of experience working with local, national and international nonprofits, and her time spent living abroad, clearly show through.