In 1948 World War II veteran Earl Shaffer decided to "walk the war out of his system" and became the first person to report hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail in one, continuous journey. This children's book tells the story of Earl's remarkable journey of five million steps across fourteen states for over two thousand miles. "So, on a blustery April morning in 1948, Earl stood on a Georgia mountain peak, beside a weather-beaten sign, with a pack on his back and only the birds in the trees for company." One hundred and twenty-four days later he stood atop Maine's Mt. Katahdin in triumph. In 1965, he hiked the AT from north to south and became the first person to report a thru-hike of the AT in both directions.

Creating Contagious Commitment: Applying the Tipping Point to Organizational Change

Too often, necessary and technically appropriate change initiatives fall short of expected gains because leaders fail to involve employees and leverage their perspectives. This deprives leaders of valuable input, and causes the very people who are expected to modify the way they work to feel discounted and disconnected. "Creating Contagious Commitment: Applying the Tipping Point to Organizational Change" presents a proven approach to turn this all too common situation around. It goes to the heart of effective change implementation and shows how to move employees from being apathetic or resistant to becoming committed advocates of a change.

"Creating Contagious Commitment" demonstrates why many of the traditional approaches to change implementation (such as focusing on the easily measurable technical aspects or relying on mass awareness campaigns) don't work very well especially on their own. It explains the dynamics that contribute to successful change initiatives and how to use them, right now, in your own initiatives. The accessibility of the concepts and the practical strategies they provide make" Creating Contagious Commitment "a unique and powerful guide for change agents in any organization.

Andrea Shapiro s clear and skillful blending of theory with useful examples brings these concepts to life in a way that appeals to anyone who is involved in change. Solidly grounded in organizational theory, systems thinking and real-world experience, "Creating Contagious Commitment "can be used as a stand-alone resource or in combination with the companion tipping point workshop and computer simulation. It has been applied by hundreds of change leaders around the world in a wide range of organizations, from banks and hospitals to high-tech corporations, to make organizational change both contagious and sustainable. It is packed with diagrams, illustrations, and stories from the field many of them first-person accounts of applying its lessons. Visit CreatingContagiousCommitment.com to learn more.

Praise for "Creating Contagious Commitment" It is very easy to have good intentions, and even easier to get advice from someone who has good intentions. What is hard is to recognize the landmines on the path to successful change. "Creating Contagious Commitment" helps identify and think about such obstacles before we encounter them, making the path to change more thoughtful and ultimately more successful. Dan Ariely, Ph.D., James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics, author "Predictably Irrational" It is only by effectively influencing people's beliefs, values and changing social norms that we can change behaviors that get us all to yes. Andrea understands this and clearly maps out how new cultural norms can be systematically embedded into any organization. This book is a must have in any change agent's toolbox. Peter Faill, M.Sc., Corporate Procurement Manager, Durham County Council, UK The Tipping Point is a brilliant computer model of change initiatives as they unfold in large, complex organizations. Change agents need to be informal, keenly aware of the different needs of different types of people, and committed to their purpose. This book shows what to do and what happens along the way, both in the model and in real life. Art Kleiner, author, "Who Really Matters" and "The Age of Heretics"