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Beneath The Surface of Change: Five Essential Elements for Increasing Productivity

by Randy McClure

82 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #08-0100; ISBN 1-4251-6950-3; US$17.95, C$17.95, EUR12.26, £9.27

People act on what they believe. This book helps owners and managers change their firm's level of performance, and gain comfort in their own level of control.

About the Book

People take ownership in what they understand, and act on what they believe.

Managers are expected to be good critical thinkers using analysis and understanding business needs, but too often this expectation is not extended to workers – those who own the business process. What happens if workers think like good managers?

The idea is to create "best-of-thinking" to facilitate best-in-class performance throughout a team or group, helping owners and managers change their firm's level of performance and gain comfort in their own level of control.

Critical thinking is an element of productivity in managing one's work. Those closest to the work should be encouraged to look for ways to improve the way work is done. This only happens if workers are given the tools to think like good managers. This creates change.

Change is multi-dimensional. What does that mean? It is psychological, emotional, social, and environmental in effect. It is not a subject where you memorize material and regurgitate it on tests (it's too voluminous). Studying change does not offer practicality of use in the same sense that accounting, marketing, or business law offer.

Simply put: Change is about people taking ownership in what they understand and acting on what they believe. The best way to change an organization, and its behavior, is to know what people understand and believe.

About the Author

Mr. McClure holds both a bachelor of science in Business Administration and an M.B.A. graduating with honors, from Oklahoma City University. After a 25 year career in sales and operations in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors he currently consults with companies in the area of business process improvement and organizational development. His diverse consulting experience includes utilities, healthcare, energy and public education. He is an adjunct instructor at Rogers State University, College of Business and Technology, and Wesleyan University teaching Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior. Mr. McClure serves on the education committee for the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce and is active in the small business council. He also is a member of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition.