Customer Rating: 
Summary: Today's Business Thinking
Comment: I see the thinking that these penguin's had today in many businesses. The majority of those people are older more mature individuals who are set in their ways and do not want change. This book was and is an easy read plus it gives the reader hope that any organization can change with the right leadership. As with the penguin's, someone has to take charge an lead the rest of the organization. If you are ordering this book, I assume that you are that person! So enjoy!!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Mirror of our 9-5 life
Comment: This is a DIFFERENT book. It made me see myself, my subordinates, colleagues and bosses in the characters. It fully utilizes fable "tools" to guide us through the process of change. Choosing the pengiun, that resourceless creature, was very intelligent in order to prove that change is ALWAYS possible - when there is a will there is way.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book
Comment: I have read John Kotter's previous work on leading change so I was curious as to whether his concepts could be effectively conveyed in fable form. To my delight, I discovered that Kotter put his own findings about the power of stories to work to create an engaging story that conveys his principles about organizational change more powerfully. By reading this book, my staff and colleagues remember the steps and continue to be guided by them as we transform our work group and help to transform our company. I highly recommend this book!
The only other book I've seen do this so well is Squawk!: How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results, which uses a seagull manager to illustrate the problem managers are having these days with swooping in at the last minute, squawking up a storm and dumping orders riddled with formulaic advice upon their people. Highly recommended as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Applicable to Nonprofit organizations too
Comment: I read this book after seeing a review in the New York Times. It is a quick read, and I totally fell for the fable, as a way to tell a story with a message.
I realized after reading Our Iceburg is Melting, that this process sounded familiar, and remembered that I had Kotter's Leading Change on my bookshelf from the time I was working on my MPA. So I took that book off the shelf and read that one again. It reinforced the story of the penguins. I also checked out Kotter's web site www.ouriceburgismelting.com, which has some really cute videos that illustrate the specific steps in the 8 step change process.
There are a variety of testimonials and training videos there, which I found useful. From that web site I learned that Kotter had just finished a book on the first step A Sense of Urgency. This step, which is by far the hardest to accomplish, was the real issue for me. I bought that book too.
I have been working in the nonprofit or government sector my whole career and realize that change is hard everywhere, but especially in places that are not motivated by money. How do you get complacent organizations to move forward and take risks? Kotter spends virtually half of Our Iceburg is melting on the first step, creating urgency.
Fred, the middle management penguin who identifies there is a problem (melting), has to manage up and down the penguin food chain to make people understand the iceburg is indeed melting. He is thwarted by No No, the penguin who resists change, actively and passively. No No is my favorite in the entire book, if only because Kotter has personalized through this penguin, the folks who are basic blockers for change in organizations where I consult. Kotter offers some great insights in A Sense of Urgency about how to deal with No Nos (and those of their ilk) that could be useful in a nonprofit context.
Kotter's 8 step change process makes sense. This fable is an easy way to engage a group of people in the many steps needed to make organizational change happen. This book is worth your time.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book on Change Management
Comment: My daughter gave me a copy of this book. As a corporate human resources director, she believed I would enjoy the subject. I can truly say that she underestimated the enjoyment I derived from these penguins.
This book is a must read for anyone that manages people with all of their quirks and baggage. While the book is largely common sense, it opens your eyes to various tools to stimulate discussion and engage in effective communication.
There is no better way to teach a topic than to build an interesting story around the topic. This empowers the subject in a way that straightforward narrative and lecture style can never achieve. Keep writing John Kotter. It is a great book. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR Author of Wingtips with Spurs
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