Consultant Neal, who specializes in the study and practice of spirituality in the workplace, believes that people are changingand that those who aren't can be led to changein the direction of understanding themselves as something more than material, as intuitive creatures with one foot in the real and another in the possible. Such changed people are able to forge alliances and create unusual opportunities, abilities that are essential for innovation and growth. Neal closely describes these desirable traits, interviews those who are already practicing, and gives instructions for those who wish also to become new.

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In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. These edgewalkers have contemporary counterparts in today's organizations—those individuals who don't fit squarely into any one box; in their metaphorical travels they interpret trends from the marketplace, translate messages across departments, and envision the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, diverse, and globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization. They're the first people to volunteer to head up a new business unit, lead a cross-company initiative, or take on an overseas assignment. They're the glass half-full folks, who are constantly thinking out of the box, forging alliances with colleagues in other departments, seeking out new solutions to old problems, and anticipating challenges on the horizon. And in today's increasingly diverse workplaces, they are often people who have pursued unusual educational and career paths, traveled widely, and speak more than one language. Judi Neal has a term for these people: Edgewalkers. Literally, an edgewalker is someone who walks between two worlds. In ancient cultures, each village had a shaman or medicine man who would visit the invisible world to obtain vital information, guidance, and healing for members of the tribe. Today's corporate edgewalkers serve a similar function, interpreting trends from the marketplace, translating messages across departments, and envisioning the future impact of today's decisions and actions. Edgewalking doesn't come without its own risks and challenges; these unconventional people often clash with more traditional, rule-bound colleagues, and they are often frustrated by organizational systems that emphasize quantitative results over creative impulses. And yet in today's fast-changing, globalized business environment, organizations must recruit and support these people in order to stay competitive. Featuring colorful interviews with edgewalkers from a variety of fields and practical tools to gauge and manage your own edgewalking skills, Edgewalkers explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organization.
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Featuring interviews with edgewalkers from a variety of fields and practical tools to gauge and manage the reader's own edgewalking skills, this work explores the opportunities that are created by defying formal boundaries and fostering creativity at every level of the organisation.
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Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 Why Now? Why Edgewalkers? Chapter 2 Who Are the Edgewalkers? Chapter 3 The Edgewalker Qualities of Being Chapter 4 The First Stage of Edgewalking: The Skill of Knowing the Future Chapter 5 From Invisible to Visible: The Four Stages of Creating What Has Never Existed Before Chapter 6 Thriving as an Edgewalker in a Mainstream World Chapter 7 The Edgewalker Organization Appendix A Edgewalker Interview Questions Appendix B An Interview with Tony Visconti Appendix C Tools: Resources for Edgewalkers Edgewalker Development Diagnostic Personal Values Reflection Edgewalker Workshop Outline Edgewalker Resources Appendix D Steve Jobs Commencement Address at Stanford University Appendix E Sounds True 17 Principles Notes Index
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"Judi Neal is an <i>Edgewalker</i>. Her book magnificently describes the profile of individuals and corporations committed to the essential and spiritual transformation of the human family."
"Judi Neal is an Edgewalker. Her book magnificently describes the profile of individuals and corporations committed to the essential and spiritual transformation of the human family." -- Michael Stephen, Chairman, Aetna International, Inc. (Retired) "When I think of the word Edgewalker Judi Neal immediately comes to mind. Through her powerful writings, presentations, and leadership of the Association for Spirit at Work she has stretched the minds and hearts of thousands of people. This book is a must read for anyone who has ever considered living and working in pursuit of a higher calling that just might change the world." -- Charles C. Manz, author of Super Leadership, Emotional Discipline, and co-author of The Wisdom of Solomon at Work "Visionaries can peer through the screen that separates reality from possibilities and see glimpses of a more hopeful way. Edgewalkers however, can move easily between both worlds, blending the best of both into their lives and world. Executives, leaders and anyone who resides in Maslow's top realm will love this book! It's their passport to the better frontier." -- Martha I. Finney, consultant and co-author, HR From the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies for Building the People Side of Great Business "As you think about all the voices raised on issues about management and leadership over the last 20 years, most have been echoes. Judi Neal, by contrast, has been an original. She pulsed the appetite for managerial leaders to talk about issues like 'workplace spirit' early; then she started to profile the people who were making such issues tangible, manageable, popular, and productive. The result is her amazing Edgewalkers book. There is really no other book like it, because there is no other voice quite like Judi's. Listen up." -- Tom Brown, Publisher and Co-founder, BrownHerron Publishing, and Best Practice editor, Business: The Ultimate Resource "Years ago we called ourselves 'corporate outlaws', managers who were willing to toss aside accepted practice and try new and different techniques. Today Judi Neal has put a new name to leaders who take risk and who understand the importance of the whole person to an organization-Edgewalkerss! I'm proud to be one and to have participated in Judi's workshops, where my leadership skills were set even more wildly free. Every organization needs Edgewalkers." -- Sharron Emmons, Information Technology Manager, Northeast Utilities System
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780275989200
Publisert
2006-10-30
Utgiver
Vendor
Praeger Publishers Inc
Vekt
482 gr
Høyde
235 mm
Bredde
156 mm
Aldersnivå
G, UU, UP, P, 01, 05, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
208

Forfatter

Biografisk notat

Judi Neal is Founder and Executive Director of The Association for Spirit at Work, a non-profit association of people and organizations interested in the study and practice of spirituality in the workplace. She previously served in management at Honeywell and is Professor Emeritus in the management department at the University of New Haven. She is also President of Neal & Associates, a consulting firm that supports enlightened organizations, and, as Founder of the International Spirit at Work Awards, she has helped to increase awareness about organizations that nurture the human spirit. Past Chair of the Management, Spirituality and Religion Interest Group of the Academy of Management and Past President of the Eastern Academy of Management, she organizes and participates in conferences on spirituality in the workplace and has published many articles and book chapters in the field.