The Dance of Change

Since Peter Senge published The Fifth Discipline, he and his associates have frequently been asked by the business community: "How do we go beyond the first steps of corporate change? How do we sustain momentum?" They know that companies and organizations cannot thrive today without learning to adapt their attitudes and practices. But companies that establish change initiatives discover, after initial success, that even the most promising efforts to transform or revitalize organizations - despite interest, resources, and compelling business results - can fail to sustain themselves over time. That's because organizations have complex, well-developed immune systems, aimed at preserving the status quo.

Now, drawing upon new theories about leadership and the long-term success of change initiatives, and based upon twenty-five years of experience building learning organizations, the authors of The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook show how to accelerate success and avoid the obstacles that can stall momentum. The Dance of Change, written for managers and executives at every level of an organization, reveals how business leaders can work together to anticipate the challenges that profound change will ultimately force the organization to face. Then, in a down-to-earth and compellingly clear format, readers will learn how to build the personal and organizational capabilities needed to meet those challenges.

Filled with individual and team exercises, in-depth accounts of sustaining learning initiatives by managers and leaders in the field, and well-tested practical advice, The Dance of Change provides an insider's perspective on implementing learning and change initiatives at such corporations as British Petroleum, Chrysler, Dupont, Ford, General Electric, Harley-Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, Mitsubishi Electric, Royal DutchShell, Shell Oil Company, Toyota, the United States Army, and Xerox. It offers crucial advice for line-level managers, executive leaders, internal networkers, educators, and others who are struggling to put change initiatives into practice.

“This should be a valuable guide and reference to those leading, or simply taking part in, organizational transformation. There's a lot to learn and use in the Fieldbook. - Philip Carroll, President and CEO, Shell Oil Company Peter Senge's concepts take work. They take time. They take personal commitment. But, I believe, they hold the potential for sustained success. - Robert E. Allen, Chairman of the Board, AT&T PRAISE FOR THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE SERIES If you believe, as I do, that people are the only long-term competitive advantage and lifelong learning is the way to fully develop that advantage, you must read this book. It's about the real work, the work of implementation! Senge's message of growth and prosperity holds strong appeal for today's business leaders. - Fortune Peter Senge's advocacy of the learning organization helped begin a revolution in the workplace. And, the relevance of Senge's work is growing rather than diminishing over time. As more businesses go global, the need to overcome psychological barriers to necessary organizational change increases. - Management Today A landmark book. - Christian Century”

This should be a valuable guide and reference to those leading, or simply taking part in, organizational transformation. There's a lot to learn and use in the Fieldbook. - Philip Carroll, President and CEO, Shell Oil Company

Peter Senge's concepts take work. They take time. They take personal commitment. But, I believe, they hold the potential for sustained success. - Robert E. Allen, Chairman of the Board, AT&T

PRAISE FOR THE FIFTH DISCIPLINE SERIES If you believe, as I do, that people are the only long-term competitive advantage and lifelong learning is the way to fully develop that advantage, you must read this book. It's about the real work, the work of implementation!

Senge's message of growth and prosperity holds strong appeal for today's business leaders. - Fortune

Peter Senge's advocacy of the learning organization helped begin a revolution in the workplace. And, the relevance of Senge's work is growing rather than diminishing over time. As more businesses go global, the need to overcome psychological barriers to necessary organizational change increases. - Management Today

A landmark book. - Christian Century

Peter Senge is director of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School of Management, and an associate at consulting and training firm Innovation Associates and at the Learning Circle, an organization founded to develop the worldwide community of learning organization practitioners.

The Dance of Change offers exercises, tools and techniques for sustaining organisational learning over the long term, as well as suggestions, advice, cautions and warnings based on the experience of people who have already followed the path suggested by the author in The Fifth Discipline . The central message of the text is that learning is the only sustainable competitive advantage.

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