About the book
Organizational change expert Esther Derby, who started as an agile software developer, proposes change by attraction, which draws people into a change instead of imposing it by decree or rigid plan. She notes that change is part of almost every job as organizations respond to markets and technology, that it often has no clear right answer, and that people naturally resist being told to change. Her seven rules are heuristics for problem-solving that let people use their own ingenuity within broad constraints. Derby stresses giving people room to feel the loss that change brings while showing what is valuable about the proposed future, so resistance fades.
Pivotal research and development vice president Elisabeth Hendrickson endorsed it for capturing what makes change last, and software executive Kevin Goldsmith said he wished he had read it years earlier.
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This book has 6 recommendations
Elisabeth Hendrickson (Vice President, Research and Development/Pivotal)
In this book, Esther has beautifully captured the essence of successful lasting change. The seven rules provide a framework for engaging with people and systems in a way that honors everyone and creates the kind of safety necessary for change to take root, all without glossing over the hard parts. A must-read for anyone seeking to have a lasting impact or bring about change.
Kevin Goldsmith (Vice President of Engineering/AstrumU)
As a software executive, I have been responsible for leading or supporting change for a long time. I wish I had this book years ago; it would have vastly accelerated my learning.
Ken Power (Principal Engineer/Engineering Director, Cisco Systems)
I hired Esther as a consultant to be part of my transformation team in our global organization. We put many of the topics and tools in this book into practice. Applying these concepts with Esther has been invaluable as I work with teams to navigate change.
Ryan Ripley (Creator/Agile for Humans podcast, Ryan Ripley & Company)
Change is a social process. It’s messy, confusing, upsetting, and very complex. With 7 Rules for Positive, Productive Change, Esther Derby has laid out a sense-making path for change agents that not only helps us assess situations, find congruence, and honor the human nature of knowledge work but also teaches us—the change agents—that true and lasting change starts within. Read this book, internalize the rules, and help your organizations inspect, adapt, and thrive.
Howard Sublett (Chief Product Owner/Scrum Alliance)
Esther Derby has written a must-read guide for anyone whose organization is experiencing a complex shift. . . . Read this book—and learn from one of the best.
Ben van Glabbeek (Vice President, Agile Transformation, Fiserv)
This book is a blueprint for both novices and experienced change professionals to enhance their approach to complex change. The blend of both examples and detailed material helped me see where I need to polish my approach and where I need to improve my empathy. Selfishly, I plan to share 7 Rules with my team and leaders so they can gain a better perspective on complex change management.
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Elisabeth Hendrickson, Kevin Goldsmith, Ken Power, Ryan Ripley, Howard Sublett, Ben van Glabbeek