Based on his diverse personal experiences and two decades of interdisciplinary research, Dr. Ehin unveils the "mysteries" and shows the practicality of tapping into the ever evolving, yet extraordinarily powerful, informal networks present in all social groups. What this book reveals is the extraordinarily dynamic and tight linkage between three "hidden" organizational success factors responsible for most work accomplished in both for profit and nonprofit ventures, especially in the development of new innovations. The book shows why in a knowledge economy it is essential to design organizations that facilitate the fundamental collaborative and creative qualities of human nature rather than unconsciously suppressing them. In doing so, it is made obvious why most mergers and change efforts fail and the reasons why an average employee only works at two-thirds of his/her capacity.

This work clearly demonstrates how "smart" institutions can harness, rather than manage, these invisible emergent forces and in the process avoid the dismal record of past organizational transformation initiatives. Hidden Assets is a must read not only for top executives, knowledge professionals, and organizational scholars, but for everyone associated with private, public, or voluntary social institutions.

Employee disengagement is one of the most pressing problems plaguing managers today hampering the innovation capacities of countless organizations. According to recent polls, some 20 percent of workers report feeling disconnected from their jobs, in an environment of stagnating wages, massive layoffs, rising health care costs, and other factors that contribute to alienation, distrust, and apathy.

In The Organizational Sweet Spot, Dr. Charles Ehin takes a refreshing new look at what it will take to reengage disaffected workers and boost their resolve to advance novel ideas. Applying the latest research from such fields as evolutionary psychology, social neuroscience, organizational behavior, anthropology, and social network analysis, Ehin demonstrates how employee disengagement is rooted in a fundamental misalignment between people's instinctive drive to develop their personal and group identities through informal or "emergent" relationships and the ways in which organizational goals and profit motives are executed through formal bureaucracy.

The challenge for today's organizations-which operate under constantly changing conditions-is to narrow this gap, that is, to find the "sweet spot," where the formal and informal elements of the organization overlap. Ehin provides practical tools for leaders to support this "shared access domain" to improve productivity, catalyze innovation, and inspire exceptional performance. His new model is likely to reverberate throughout current management thinking as we move toward creating more vital and meaningful workplaces.

Employee disengagement is one of the most pressing problems plaguing managers today hampering the innovation capacities of countless organizations. According to recent polls, some 20 percent of workers report feeling disconnected from their jobs, in an environment of stagnating wages, massive layoffs, rising health care costs, and other factors that contribute to alienation, distrust, and apathy.

In The Organizational Sweet Spot, Dr. Charles Ehin takes a refreshing new look at what it will take to reengage disaffected workers and boost their resolve to advance novel ideas. Applying the latest research from such fields as evolutionary psychology, social neuroscience, organizational behavior, anthropology, and social network analysis, Ehin demonstrates how employee disengagement is rooted in a fundamental misalignment between people's instinctive drive to develop their personal and group identities through informal or "emergent" relationships and the ways in which organizational goals and profit motives are executed through formal bureaucracy.

The challenge for today's organizations-which operate under constantly changing conditions-is to narrow this gap, that is, to find the "sweet spot," where the formal and informal elements of the organization overlap. Ehin provides practical tools for leaders to support this "shared access domain" to improve productivity, catalyze innovation, and inspire exceptional performance. His new model is likely to reverberate throughout current management thinking as we move toward creating more vital and meaningful workplaces.

Provides insights in cutting-edge models to put to practical use in order to increase an organaization's intellectual capital and new knowledge.

Softcover version of the original that published in August 2004.

Testimonials

"Finally, a real breakthrough in management theory and philosophy. In Hidden Assets Ehin breaks the mold of current management thinking and presents a comprehensive and practical framework specifically designed for the knowledge economy." (Chris Tomecek, President, Bank of New York Separate Accounts Division)

"Where was all of this when I needed it Over 40 years of management knowledge, experience, and tools packed into one book! What an incredible jump-start into a management career found in one quick-read work!" (Peter F. Gerity, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, New Mexico Tech)