You Don't Have to Do It Alone: How to Involve Others to Get Things Done

by Richard H. Axelrod, Emily H. Axelrod, Julie H. Beedon

We all need to involve others to accomplish tasks and achieve our goals, but all too often involving others seems like more trouble than it's worth. You Don't Have to Do It Alone Alone is the Swiss Army Knife of involvement—a set of tools that can be used in any setting to get you the help you need. The authors lay out a simple, straightforward plan for involving others to get things done, detailing a practical five-step involvement process that begins with five key

What kind of involvement is needed?
How do I know who to include?
How do I invite people to become involved?
How do I keep people involved?
How do I finish the job?

The answers to these questions serve as a guide to finding the right people and keeping them energized, enthusiastic, and committed until the work is completed. Real life examples from corporations, government, and nonprofits illustrate the process in action. You'll learn to involve others in a way that will actually make your work easier, resulting in less stress, better ideas, and more successful outcomes.

Genres: Business

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Richard (Dick) Axelrod co founded the Axelrod Group, Inc., a consulting firm that pioneered the use of employee involvement to effect large-scale organizational change. He now brings more than thirty-five years of consulting and teaching experience to this work, with clients including Boeing, Chicago Public Schools, Calgary Health Authority, Coca-Cola, Harley Davidson, Hewlett-Packard, and the UK’s National Health Service. Dick is faculty in Columbia University’s Principles and Practices in Organization Development and the University of Chicago’s Leadership Arts Program.

Dick is a founding member of the Berrett-Koehler Authors Cooperative. He authored the award-winning Terms of Engagement: New Ways of Leading and Changing Organizations, and co-authored You Don’t Have to Do It Alone: How to Involve Others to Get Things Done, which the New York Times called “the best of the current crop of books on this subject.” Dick is the recipient of the Organization Development Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Best Teacher Award from the University of Chicago’s Graham School of Liberal and Professional Studies.

Reviews

[EL · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is definitely valuable wisdom in this book, though more than some of it may sound almost common-sensical or almost like reminders. Those looking for high-impact 'magic bullets' will not find them here. But they will find accessible outlines, forms and suggestions (backed by the authors' testimonials and anecdotes) that helps one to organise the involvement of others. I found most value in the last 30% of the book (and it was good). I think the book could be shorter, as the forms (or what the authors refer to 'tools') could be presented more succinctly.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Don't Have To Do It Alone is the perfect resources for those looking to organize small or large community or other volunteer projects. This book takes the reader through all of the questions he or she should ask in order to determine if help is needed on a particular project. The reader is then guided through decisions about what skill groups are required for the job, deciding which individuals should be invited to join the project, and how to go about recruiting these particular people. This book even gives the reader some tips on how to keep the project on task while keeping participants happy and motivated.

You Don't Have To Do It Alone gives the potential project organizer some real useable tools to help make his or her project a success. These resources are versatile enough to use for a small hands on project or a larger project where the project manager must depend almost entirely on delegation of tasks. There are also several charts and checklists that the reader can use to plan, keep organized, and make best use of his or her resources.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I had read this book when I first started working in non-profit! I'm only giving a 3 star review because it's so basic, it's hard to say I "really liked it." I think anyone starting out in a position where they will be leading a team, or even working in a team environment for the first time, should read this.

[Pellumb Collaku · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a great and simple process to involve others in any kind of project.