Since my undergraduate days I have collected books and ideas. Below is a selection of my favourites gathered through my journey from social work practitioner to public service leader to change consultant. They all share a common thread – respect for people navigating an uncertain world.
Change and Transition
Managing at the Speed of Change – Daryl Conner
A model for the organisational resilience and change leadership required for successful transitions.
Managing Transitions – William Bridges
A practical guide to supporting human beings through their individual transitions.
Lean Change Management – Jason Little
This book does what most leaders dont, reframing resistance as a very human response to change.
Consulting Practice
Flawless Consulting – Peter Block
This book brilliantly deals with the agency of a consultant. What does contracting really mean?
Humble Consulting – Edgar Schein
This book shows the reader the power of deep listening and the art of questioning.
Becoming a Change Artist — Gerald Weinberg
Weinberg explored change through a systems lens and personal awareness.
The Trusted Advisor — David H. Maister
Trust is the foundation of any meaningful advisory relationship.
Coaching and Performance
Coaching for Performance — John Whitmore
Whitmore introduces the GROW model and the discipline of coaching through questions.
The Inner Game of Work — Timothy Gallwey
Performance improves when internal interference (and noise) is reduced.
Society and Systems
Future Shock — Alvin Toffler
Toffler foresaw the mental strain of accelerating change decades ago.
Wilful Obstruction — Tony Vinson
Prison reform in 1980’s NSW was not for the faint hearted. Social ideals clashes with politics.
Social Policy in a Post Welfare State – Adam Jamrozik
A prophetic outline of how the Australian welfare state fragmented into an individualist society.
Economic Rationalism in Canberra – Michael Pusey
Why every social problem in Australia is now viewed though the prism of economics.
