The Seven Arts of Change

Book excerpt: Many businesses try to change...but few succeed. At best, a few buzzwords and new reports become part of the company's structure. At worst, programs crash and burn, and everyone becomes irreparably disillusioned with the revolving door of new-mission statements. According to David Shaner--a business consultant with a 100% success rate of change at companies including Duracell, Frito-Lay, Ryobi, and Gillette--the problem is that the implemented changes don't address either individuals or the corporate culture. They're only on the surface.Combining lessons drawn from four decades of Aikido with knowledge gleaned from his 30-year consulting career, Shaner merges Eastern philosophy with Western business savvy to present his Seven Arts of Change (including the Arts of Preparation, Relaxation, and Compassion), showing how individual adjustments from CEO down can transform a company. Using exercises, strategies and real-life examples to show how to awaken the untapped potential in any organization and every person within it, Shaner shows how to create change built to last.