New York, NY, July 18, 2014 – Organizations are like Rubik’s Cubes. Multifaceted, sometimes frustrating, with many possible moves leading to a single desired outcome. A leader cannot twist one side of the cube without affecting the others. Mastering the Cube: Overcoming Stumbling Blocks and Building an Organization that Works (AlignOrg Solutions) is by Reed Deshler and Kreig Smith. A leader’s guide to orchestrating complex organizational change, it’s a practical approach to a topic that is usually academic, too technical or overly complex.
Changing a large business to maximize opportunity in the marketplace is a process of aligning a multifaceted organization. Following the metaphor of an organization as a Rubik’s Cube, Deshler and Smith have identified eight common but misguided moves of organizational change. These are Stumbling Blocks. But for each of these they offer an alternate move, or Building Block. These are solid principles or methods for leading organization alignment.
Reed Deshler is a principal with AlignOrg Solutions and a leading organization design and change practice leader with extensive corporate and consulting experience. He has worked with leaders at some of the largest and most respected companies in the world. Deshler’s expertise is in the science of organization design and change coupled with a talent for diagnosing organization misalignments. This facilitates the insights needed to drive business change and growth. Deshler is a regular presenter at industry conferences and a noted educator of organization design and change management skills with business executives around the world.
Kreig Smith is the founder of AlignOrg Solutions and a principal with the firm. He has consulted with a wide range of organizations—from Fortune 50 corporations to small businesses, for profit and nonprofit organizations, and domestic and international enterprises—for nearly thirty years. His expertise centers in the alignment of organizations to marketplace positions. Kreig focuses on large-scale change efforts, strategy clarification, organization design, and education.
For more, please visit the website: www.masteringthecube.com
Mastering the Cube: Overcoming Stumbling Blocks and Building an Organization that Works
AlignOrg Solutions
Available August 2014
This is what People are saying about the Book:
Clayton Christensen, Professor, Harvard Business School: “This is a great step-by-step how-to manual on defining and changing the design of your company. If you’re facing such challenges and have only time to read one thing, read this. It is omniscient, efficient and sufficient. “
Joe Nothwang, President, Rentals and Leasing, the Americas and Asia, Hertz Corporation: “A must read for C-Suite execs interested in cutting the fat and preserving the muscle. Mastering the Cube: Overcoming Stumbling Blocks and Building an Organization that Works is a blueprint for smart, engaging cost reduction and efficiency no matter the circumstances.”
Angela S. Lalor, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Danaher Corporation:
“Mastering the Cube offers thoughtful and practical wisdom and techniques for any leader who seeks to ensure that the organization design efforts they undertake are aligned with strategy and result in sustainable business impact.”
Ann R. Henry, Vice President, Global Operations, Cisco Capital: “This book doesn’t sugar coat the tough choices with which organization leaders are confronted For those who have the courage to move forward, Mastering the Cube is a practical and valuable guide to aligning organization ‘choices’ to strategy.”
Larry Costello, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, Tyco International: “Mastering the Cube is a guide organization architects can use to maneuver through the critical steps to produce an organization that works. Nicely done.”
Alan Bird, President & Chief Executive Officer, SCI Marketview: “I not only endorse the concept and principles in this book, I’ve implemented them in my business. As a CEO I have learned that an organization perfectly delivers what it is designed to deliver. No doubt the best practices shared in this book have been a key driver to our company’s success.”
Andrew J. Chandler, Senior Director, Organization Effectiveness, Gap Inc.: “Mastering the Cube represents a no nonsense and pragmatic approach to the challenges facing so many of our organizations. Filled with compelling examples, this myth buster will help leaders and organization practitioners alike in building a more aligned organization. Deshler, Smith, and Von Feldt provide us with some highly applicable building blocks and the core ingredients to chart a new path of change in these dynamic times.”