Creating Partnerships: Unleashing Collaborative Power in the Workplace

Organizational consultant Cynthia King presents Creating Partnerships: Unleashing Collaborative Power in the Workplace, a guide to crafting enduring partnerships that rise above the all-too-common turf battles, office politics, and micromanagement that plague organizations. Chapters discuss the benefits and potential of a solid partnership, how to handle the paradox of power in the partnership organization, how to build the partnership community, and much more. What distinguishes Creating Partnerships is its emphasis on peacemaking and egalitarian power-sharing, rather than more traditional structures that echo the ruler/ruled dichotomy of the feudal era. A truly groundbreaking organizational guide. "The transition beyond the patriarchal system of power-over and into power-with partnerships will not occur easily. Those who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo have too much to lose in allowing changes to take place. Nevertheless, there is a growing company of individuals who are committed to weaving the fabric of a new culture."

Cynthia King goes far beyond just describing a leadership model of collaborative partnering--she gives practical steps for (1)why the "power-over" model delimits the opportunities of the 21st Century workplace and (2)for how to successfully transition to a partnership business environment where boundaries are constantly blurred--between management and employees as well as between corporation/supplier/customer. Cynthia's book is a savvy contextual challenge to unleashing the creative power of the individual as well as the corporation. As such it engages the reader in the evolving dialog of enterprise and community--a dialog that will ultimately describe our work-life environment. It is a must read for anyone seeking to improve the economic, social and psychological aspects of the workplace--or any aspect of our culture.