Change and renewal are important individual and organizational realities, with which we all have to deal on a day‐to‐day basis. This book acknowledges such realities as its starting‐point. Topped and tailed by an impressive list of endorsements, from both academics and practitioners across the UK, Europe and the USA, Making a Difference is informed by the author, Bruce Nixon’s time in HRM at a senior level in a range of notable UK organizations. The book is also driven by Nixon’s extensive experience as a consultant, and a career seeking to influence organizational practice. As such it presents a point of view that suggests an organization; its managers, trainers and consultants can be transformed. This contrasts with the perhaps more embittered and stereotypically academic view that change is not something which we can effectively enact. Nixon’s view and the examples and cases presented provide a persuasive argument for the view that we can effectively influence the world in which we work. Importantly they provide pragmatic help for those seeking to do the same.
Overall, the book draws inspiration from a model of strategic leadership. This, as an ideal, requires managers to have a full understanding of their organization, its systems, people and strategy and their own values, purpose and vision in order that they can significantly, effectively and positively influence their organizations. Nixon himself highlights this model as the major change in this revised edition, incorporating explicit recognition of the strategic and leadership roles of all managers and the need to recognize an organization’s purpose and values.
The strategic leadership model informs not only the ethos and approach of the book but also its structure. The book is organized in three parts. Part one, “Seeing the Big Picture”, considers the modern and developing working environment that informs the book’s perspectives on change and transformation. Much is made of “tomorrow” and the forms of organization, culture and leadership required, according to Nixon, to deal with the consequences of the changing nature of the global marketplace and human aspirations. Part two, “Principles, Strategies and Basic Tools”, contains two chapters concerning the nature of the contribution we should make to our organizations. The first of these looks at the tools and techniques needed for engendering transformation in organizations. In the author’s own words, it presents a “new vision for learning and development”, presenting effective practice in these areas as essential in the type of organization he is seeking to create. This is an important and persuasively made argument. The second chapter looks to the strategic level, and considers the role of the internal consultant and the need for relevant and appropriate vision and strategy providing direction for an organization.
The final and largest part of the book (ten chapters in all) expands on the thesis outlined in Part two. It presents views on some of the key imperatives for managing change (culture, commitment, teamwork, resistance), as well as some areas not typically covered, but no less valid (networking and facilitation). Within these, it is perhaps unsurprising that someone who has spent much of his career as a consultant also makes a strong case for the external consultant’s role. Chapter nine, which stresses the importance of listening as a tool for effective facilitation and management seeking to release the potential of an organization’s people, stands out in particular. This is an underestimated skill in many modern managers, and one that we could all do well to develop. Throughout Part three, much is made of the importance of development, echoing the sentiment of Part two, driven by the notion of “real time management development” (RTMD), whereby the learning comes from the issues, problems and opportunities faced by managers in their day‐to‐day working lives. Significantly, according to Nixon, the real benefit of this learning is not just its impact on the individual, but rather the impact that it has on the overall organizational system. He distinguishes RTMD from action learning on this basis, a criticism of a long‐established and worthwhile concept that perhaps comes from a desire to differentiate the ideas presented in this book rather than from any flaw in the theory or practice of action learning itself, which has, in the workplace, to effectively impact on the same if it is to be supported and continued.
In reading Making a Difference, you are struck first and foremost by Nixon’s enthusiasm for ideas he imparts and, whilst this is an undeniably and inescapably personal account, this does not stand in isolation. The discussion presented is fully referenced and supported and the book is full of models, examples and cases that will offer practical help, advice and explanation for managers, practitioners, academics and students concerned with change and organizational development. The book’s strength lies in its reflective nature; throughout the book, Nixon is able to impart much of his learning, knowledge and passion to his readers, and readers will gain most from this book if they are themselves in a reflective frame of mind when reading. Considering the impact of Nixon’s ideas on yourself and your organization is how to make the most of this book.
