Suggested Reading

The Berrywood Group has assembled a number of books in the field of Organizational Transformation that may improve your understanding of the subject.

“The Intellige nce Advantage, Organizing for Complexity” by Michael D. McMaster
“By far one of the most significant books on organizational change.” Barbara Berry
Complexity is becoming a common word in business literature. Mike McMaster blends complexity with post-modern thought and the work of the interdisciplinary group called the Santa Fe Institute to provide useful, understandable metaphors and analogies, as well as practical design principles and effective management and work practices.

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“Real Numbers: Management Accounting in a Lean Organization” by Jean E. Cunningham, Orest Fiume, and White Lisa Truit
This explosive issue and its implications are fully explored in “Real Numbers.” The authors, each a chief financial executive, describe how management accounting evolved to this point and how simplicity and clarity can be restored — particularly in a lean organization. The management accounting model illustrated in “Real Numbers” points the way to unlocking the true profit potential of lean.

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“Who’s Counting? A Lean Accounting Business Novel” by Jerrold M. Solomon ( Winner of the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence)
Is a business novel that, for the first time, explains how accounting and manufacturing personnel must develop a partnership to successfully achieve world class results. This novel takes readers on a successful “Lean Journey”, and illustrates how to bring accounting practices into the 21st century in order to compete in today’s global market. A must read for all those interested in successfully implementing lean accounting!

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“Finding Our Way” by Margaret Wheatley
This is a thought provoking collection of essays in which the author explores sustainability, human development, leadership and other complex topics facing us today. I like this book not only for Wheatley’s excellent writing, but also that I can suggest my clients find the short readings that appeal to them instead of reading a whole book.

Berrywood

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“Presence: Human Purpose and The Field of the Future” by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, Betty Sue Flowers
This is a journey of four leading thinkers engaging in dialogue over a period of time. They explore possibilities for deep understanding of the way we view life and our world. The lessons here provide a model for communicating together about global and local issues and possibilities for the future.

Berr

“W orld Café” by Judy Brown and David Issacs
The most important manual or tool for high level exploration in a large group. Our clients have found it is a powerful method for strategic planning, exploring multiple futures and as a learning environment that is far more effective than traditional training.

Berrywood

“The Toyota Way” by Jeffery Liker
This is the most comprehensive book I’ve seen that addresses the need for learning organization and culture driven to quality principles such as lean management and six sigma.

Berrywood

“Redesigning Society”by Russell Ackoff and Sheldon Rovin
Ackoff is a seasoned and wise thinker about major issues facing the world today. Though his thinking is more global the book has important models for both business and society.

Berrywood

“The Tipping Point” by Malcom Gladwell
Essential information in a quick read. This book has helped our clients recognize when their models for developing the organization’s culture toward adaptability and redesign is working. It has a powerful message. Available on C D as well.

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“The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman
Everyone needs to know this important message about the global economy. It is an important read. Available on CD.
Berrywood

Berrywood

“The Long Emergency” by James Kuntsler
If your business is dependent on petroleum for energy and transport ant you might want to understand Kuntsler’s point of view. He predicts that the time span between unaffordable petroleum energy and the time it will take to engineer an affordable alternative will be 30+ years. He also has a very outspoken blog site: James Howard Kuntsler

Berrywood

Berrywood
” The Rise of The Creative Class” by Richard Florida
An insightful portrait of the values and lifestyles that will drive the 21st century.

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Berrywood

“Abolishing Performance Appraisals: Why they Backfire and What to do Instead”by Tom Coens and Mary Jenkins
“Life at the Edge of Chaos:  Creating the Quantum Organization”  by Mark D. Youngblood
Introductory Level - This breakthrough book provides practical applications of how to transform companies to operate on the “edge of chaos” based on the principles of living, self-organizing systems.

Berrywood

“The Complexity Advantage”  by Suzanne Kelly and Mary Ann Allison
Advanced Level - Susanne Kelly and Mary Ann Allison show managers how to use complexity’s self-organizing techniques to increase efficiency and creativity, inspire new ways of leading, and predict the behaviors of employees, customers, vendors, and competitors.

Berrywood

“Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos & Complexity”  by Jamshid Gharajedaghi
Advanced Level – Leading edge systems thinking and practice that goes far beyond what is currently availableIt deals with the whole, both conceptually and practically, written in a reader-friendly style.
Berrywood

Berrywood

“Leadership and the New Science: Revised” Revised” by Margaret J. Wheatley
Introductory Level - In this revised edition of her 1992 book, Wheatley provides an overview of some dramatic changes in scientific thought, such as chaos theory and quantum physics, and then applies those theories to organizations.

Berrywood

“A Simpler Way” by Margaret J. Wheatley
Introductory Level - Strikingly different from most business books–it opens and closes with a pair of very powerful black-and-white photo essays, for example–A Simpler Way lays out a fascinating and productive reexamination of the traditional tenets of organizational behavior.

Berrywood

“Open Boundaries: Creating Business Innovation Through Complexity”  by Howard Sherman and Ron Schultz
Drawing from groundbreaking research at the Santa Fe Center for Emergent Strategies, new insights on applying complexity thinking in business to break out of old patterns and imagine new possibilities.

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Berrywood

“Complexity:  Life at the Edge of Chaos” by Roger Lewin
Science-writer Lewin writes for the determined lay audience, those who want to grasp some of the excitement churning among biologists regarding complexity theory.

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Berrywood

“Learning Organizations - Developing Cultures for Tomorrow’s Workplace”  by Sarita Chawla and John Renesch
An excellent collection of articles on all aspects of building the learning organizations.

Berrywood

Berrywood
Berrywood

Berrywood

“The Systems Thinker” by Pegasus Communication
This is a newsletter published 10 times each year by Pegasus Communications, Inc. It is not available through Amazon.com. For more information, write to P.O. Box 120, Kendall Square, Cambridge, Ma 02142 Or Call 800-272-0945

Berrywood

“Rewiring the Corporate Brain” by Danah Zohar
Talks about using the new science to rethink how we structure and lead organizations.

Berrywood

Berrywood
“Corporate Tides – The Inescapable Laws of Organizational Structure”by Robert Fritz