a book review
ENGAGING CHANGE IN SCALING THE HEIGHTS OF PUBLIC SERVICE
By Salvador A. Aves, National Statistics Office Regional Director
How fortunate of our new public service managers! Now they have this book to guide them as they go through the process of management - getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively.
This book is a pioneer not only in Philippine public service but in local public service as well. While publications that try to fill our Filipiniana section of the library come from national figures, here is actually a written work from a multi-awarded career executive officer from Cagayan de Oro City – teacher, friend, acquaintance and neighbor to most who would have the first chance to get the book.
Engaging Change in Scaling the Heights of Public Service is three books in one – a gentleman’s memoir of outstanding experiences in government service, a record of public administration programs within the National Statistics Office, and a how-to and do-it-yourself guide for managers that spans both the corporate and the government setting.
Moreover, it is also a nod to the numerous management gurus and business leaders who have forwarded their theories on effective management and leadership, as the book provided accurate and real examples on how those strategies actually work in real situations.
Of particular interest is the art and manner on how the author featured the points in the book – by first presenting the carefully-selected strategies, then bolstering these with leadership lessons that have been tested in time by other international sources, and most importantly, backing it up by his actual experiences. To provide the complete finish, a personal assessment at each end of the chapter makes the discussions more relevant to the reader.
The only thing to propose for the book is to have its layout and printing in more vivid colors. But on the whole, it is a highly recommended read for both students and practitioners who want to have a better knowledge and appreciation of public service and its intricacies, the challenge of change and its impact to the organization, and the practical and available solutions of achieving managerial and leadership success in the work place.
