I had the pleasure of meeting Leland Russell and discussing his theory of change management in person. This insightful book is compelling reading for those who are interested in or engaged in change management in their own lives or their organizational lives.
The authors use the first Gulf War as both a model and a metaphor in explaining their concept of effecting real and lasting change. With the lessons learned and clear descriptions of what was new and different about that conflict, we are introduced to organizational centers of gravity and the need to make multiple strategic changes in parallel rather than incremental serial changes to the processes.
Each clearly written chapter is chuck full of practical ideas for implementation. At the end of each chapter there is a “Chapter debrief” to highlight and punctuate the key concepts and ideas presented. At the end of Chapter 2, for example, the debrief reminds us that “The basic formula for winning in the twenty-first century is simple: Think strategically, focus sharply and move quickly.” We are also reminded to “Use an Open Planning approach; Decide what future you intend to create; Know what you’re willing to do and not do; Measure strategically; Change the system; Focus on Centers of Gravity; Attack in parallel’ Know when and how to get out.”
There is no doubt that we need to get back to the basics of effecting fast, lasting, and strategically focused change in our organizations. In the business environment of the internet age, we cannot take more than a few months to totally and completely reengineer our processes and organizations. The Prometheus System is a mindset that will provide your change management team with the critical tools and language to make those changes. Congratulations to Mr. Warden and Mr. Russell on a timely and critical masterpiece.
Click to see it at Amazon.