Body and Soul: Unleashing the Power of Your Team

Louise Karch is a career consultant with Carswell Partners in London, Ontario.

The author of this how-to book for managing successful organizational
change believes that the current obsession with quarterly profit
statements results in corporate anorexia, meaning that companies
generate short-term profits via cutbacks and layoffs. This shortsighted
approach violates most companies’ values and destroys the very soul
that drives corporate success. If your staff is too thin and your
employees are cranky, cynical, and unmotivated because they are
overwhelmed and not involved in the change process, you have a recipe
for disaster.

In addition to an analysis of mission and soul, Gernon gives us the
recipe for successful change management that he has used as a
consultant. His book is peppered with principles and illustrated with
anecdotes, most of which (unfortunately) are American. Still, he does
manage to illustrate key continuous improvement philosophies and
practices that are easy to understand and even implement. He provides
step-by-step guidance on all phases of the change process, including
overcoming resistance, building steering and design teams, and choosing
initial projects to ensure success and minimize cynicism.

Although more Canadian content would have been welcome, Gernon’s book
offers valuable insights for any group or company initiating substantial
change.