Editorial Review

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?

The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people—employees and managers, parents and nurses—have united both minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results:  

●      The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old medical practice that was endangering patients.

●      The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming the dread of housekeeping.

●      The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into service zealots by removing a standard tool of customer service
            
In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline. ... Read more

Reviews

Several sticky insights

Chip and Dan Heath have once again summoned a lively writing style to present a series of compelling insights that make this book even more interesting as well as more valuable than its predecessor, Made to Stick. As they explain in the first chapter, "In this book, we argue that successful changes share a common pattern. They require the leader of change to do three things at once: To change someone's behavior, you've got to change that person's situation...[to cope with the fact that change] is hard because people wear themselves out. And that's the second surprise about change: What looks like laziness is often exhaustion...If you want people to change, you must provide crystal clear direction [because what] looks like resistance is often a lack of clarity." Throughout, the Heaths work within a narrative, best viewed as a "three-part framework," as they provide countless real-world (as opposed to hypothetical or theoretical] examples and - to their great credit - also provide a context or frame-of-reference for each.

Moreover, the Heaths invoke a few extended metaphors. The most important of these are the Rider (i.e. our rational side), the Elephant, (i.e. our emotional and instinctive side) and the Path (i.e. the surrounding environment in which change initiatives will be conducted). The challenge is to direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant, and shape the Path to make change more likely, "no matter what's happening with the Rider and Elephant...If you can do all three at once, dramatic change can happen even if you don't have lots of power or resources behind you."

Donald Berwick offers an excellent case in point. In 2004, in his position as a doctor and the CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), he had developed some ideas as to "how to save lives - massive numbers of lives" and his ideas were so well-supported by research that they were indisputable and yet "little was happening" until he spoke at a professional meeting and proposed six very specific interventions to save lives. Within two months, more than 1,000 hospitals had signed up. Eighteen months later, to the day (June 14, 2006) he had previously announced that he'd promised to return, he announced the results: "Hospitals enrolled in the 100,000 Lives Campaign have collectively prevented an estimated 122,300 avoidable deaths and, as importantly, have begun to institutionalize new standards of care that will continue to save lives and improve health outcomes into the future." He had directed his audience's Riders (i.e. hospital administrators), he had motivated his audience's Elephants by making them feel the compelling need for change, and he had shaped the Path by making it easier for the hospitals to embrace the change. The Heaths offer more than a dozen other prime examples (e.g. Jerry Sternin in Vietnam, the Five-Minute Room Rescue, "Fataki" in Tanzania) that also demonstrate how the same three-part framework resulted in the achievement of major changes elsewhere despite great difficulty.

Near the end of the book, the Heaths summarize the key points they have so thoroughly made while explaining to their reader how to make a switch. "For things to change, somebody somewhere has to start acting differently. Maybe it's you, maybe it's your team. Picture the person (or people). Each has an emotional Elephant side and a rational Rider side. You've got to reach both. And you've also got to clear the way for them to succeed." By now, the Heaths have explained how others have directed the Rider, motivated the Elephant, and shaped the Path. They conclude their book with a Q&A section during which they advise how to resolve twelve problems that people most often encounter as they fight for change. They suggest, and I agree, that this advice "won't make sense to anybody who hasn't read the book." The same can probably be said about much of what I have shared in this review.

Although, in my opinion, this is one of the most important business books published during the last several years, no commentary such as mine can do full justice to it. It simply must be read and read carefully, preferably then re-read carefully. Otherwise, it makes no sense to visit www.switchthebook.com/resources to obtain additional information and assistance.

I offer my congratulations to Chip and Dan Heath on a brilliant achievement. Bravo!

Keys for making change happen, from the grassroots on up
I am a big fan of the Heath brothers' first book Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die and I am happy to report that they have stepped up to the plate and hit another home run. As a writer and someone who works for social change, I found "Switch" to be even more engaging and applicable to my own work.

In "Switch," the Heaths once again take the kernel of a good idea originated by someone else and build an expansive original work around it. In "Made to Stick" that kernel was Malcolm Gladwell's concept of "stickiness," what makes ideas memorable. In "Switch" the core is psychologist and The Happiness Hypothesis author Jonathan Haidt's analogy for the mind: that the emotional side of our mind is like a headstrong Elephant, and the rational side of our mind is the guiding Rider. The Rider holds the reins and seems to be the leader, but we all know what it's like for an emotional Elephant to overpower a rational Rider. (For example, this is why many of us would say that a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream should be labeled one serving and not four. Once a worked up Elephant digs in, the Rider has a hard time reining her in. Um, speaking hypothetically, of course.)

Add in the third element to this framework, the Path, and you have three elements that can be worked on to address change. "Switch" addresses each of these elements in detail; Directing the Rider, Motivating the Elephant, and Shaping the Path, bringing in research-tested solutions and real-world success stories. What I liked best was the simplicity of many of the examples. To encourage people to "eat healthier," an initiative that could go in so many directions, rather than doing something complicated like following an illogically-designed government "Food Pyramid," a West Virginia initiative instead encouraged people to take one step, to buy 1% or skim milk. That is simple, and creates change at the level of purchasing behavior rather than altering drinking or eating behavior. (If the Ben & Jerry's isn't in the freezer in the first place, the Rider doesn't have to worry about controlling the Elephant.) And by narrowing the change down to one action, that eliminated choice paralysis and ambiguity that arise with more complicated directives.

"Switch" is a book for anyone from the grassroots, to cubicle nation, to CEOs. Most of the examples consciously focus on people who needed to effect significant change with little power and few resources available to them. How could a low-level NGO employee make a difference in alleviating the malnourishment of Vietnamese children, in only six months? By finding "bright spots," identifying children who were thriving, finding out what their mothers were doing differently, and spreading that knowledge to other families. Stories like this are both inspiring and practical for all of us. This is really what I appreciated most about "Switch." I found myself taking notes that were not only about the book itself, but about how I could apply this knowledge to challenges I am working on. The Elephant-Rider-Path metaphor helped me see my own work in a new light. What more can a reader ask for?

If you've tried to change before and failed, "Switch" is YOUR book!!
Have you ever made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, exercise more, kick a bad habit, etc.; and then the next week slipped back into the same old routine? There is a reason that people, organizations, and societies many times fall into this trap of trying to make a big change; and shortly thereafter fall back into the same old rut. Can't we just change by trying harder? According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of "Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard", trying harder will never result in lasting change. All that it will do is tire the "Rider."

The authors explain that when we try to change, we have to use both the logical (the Rider) and the emotional (the Elephant) parts of our brain. The Rider is the part of us that decides to lose weight, but (as Chip and Dan illustrate) the Elephant is that part of us that goes hunting for the Cheetos in the pantry late at night. The Elephant will always take the easiest and most familiar course, whereas the Rider tries to take the most logical course. The Rider (our self-control or will power) will only allow us to re-route the Elephant for a short while before tiring. In order to make an effective "Switch" we must appeal to emotion (the Elephant). However, when the Elephant encounters an obstacle he will try to revert to the comfortable way of doing things

Change is hard; however, since reading "Switch", I now understand the psychology behind effective change. I've read lots of self-improvement books, books on success, goal-setting, and the like; but I've never read another one that brings the hope of effecting change down to such an individual level! You MUST read this book! It WILL change the way that you think! Thanks SO much to Chip and Dan Heath for an excellent job. "Switch" is definitely in my top ten list of books!

Perfect book for those wanting to start a new business
I recently decided to start an online business, but so overwhelmed by everything from having my friends tell me I was wasting my time to having to learn how to set up an online shopping cart. I had read an interview with the authors of this book and felt what they had to say was exactly what I needed to help me move forward. This book, I can honestly say, helped me more than any other resource. It wasn't so much about completing a bunch of tasks as it is about changing the way I approach things--to let go of the way that has been branded in my brain for years and to open up to taking small steps to bigger change.

After reading this book, I feel free. I feel like I can not only move my business idea forward, but that I can do it on my own turns and find a create way around any obstacles that come up.

Thank you for writing this book.

Grabs you from the 2nd page
This book is great follow-on to Made-to-Stick. If you're like me, you have too much to read and not enough time. This book is definitely worth the time. It had me hooked after I had read only a few pages.

After reading just the first chapters you will already have new ideas on how to identify & overcome barriers to change, both in your personal and professional life. Some of the ideas I couldn't wait to use with my kids. As Heath & Heath offer positive approaches to instituting change, there is no downside to experimenting with their ideas.

For example, if your child is getting good grades in every subject but one, you tend to focus on the one, rather than trying to figure out why he/she excels in the others. I'm looking forward to using the ideas at work at well. The company I work for is ungoing a merger and there is much need to trigger change.

Another strength of the book is that it follows the Made-to-stick approach, i.e., you'll remember most of what you read. Once I started the book, I used examples from it in daily conversations with many many colleagues. You'll find reading it a valuable investment of time that pays many dividends.

Excellent book on managing change
This book provides good insights on making changes. It can be a change at a personal level or a Leader who wants to make a change in his organization. Following is the summary and key points of the book.

An analogy of a Rider and an Elephant is used in this book. Rider is the logical part and our thinking which drives us. Elephant is our emotion. To make a change, you need to appeal to both the Rider and the Elephant. If you appeal only to Rider, your team will have understanding without motivation. If you appeal to Elephant you will have passion without direction.

It is easy to turn an easy change problem into a hard change problem. If you want somebody to eat less, serve them in a smaller plate instead of worrying about convincing or educating them.

What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem. When you shape the path you make change more likely. To change behavior, direct the Rider, motivate the Elephant and shape the path.

If you are trying to change things, there will be bright spots. Understanding the bright spots will help in knowing what needs to be done differently. Ask "What's working and how we can do more of it?". In the real word this obvious question is rarely asked. Instead the question we ask is, "what's broken , and how do we fix it ?".

Big problems are rarely solved with big solutions. Instead they are often solved by a sequence of small steps over weeks, sometimes over decades.

Leaders pride themselves in setting high level direction. Big picture and hands off Leadership doesn't work in a change situation because the hardest part of change is in the details. When you want someone to behave in a new way, explain the new way clearly.

Goals in most organizations lack emotional resonance. Instead SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely) have become norm. SMART goals are better for steady state situation and not for change situation.

Analytical tools work when parameters are known, assumptions are minimal and future is not fuzzy. Big change situation is not like that. Parameters aren't well understood and the future is fuzzy, Elephant is reluctant to move and analytical arguments will not overcome reluctance.

We are frequently blind to the power of situations. When someone behind the wheel of a car is twenty minutes late for crucial appointment that person becomes a terrible driver. What looks like a person problem is often a situation problem.

Behavior autopilot allows lot of good behavior to happen without the Rider taking charge. Habits are behavioral autopilot and that is why they are critical for Leaders. Leaders who can instill habits reinforce their team goals.

A good change leader never thinks, "Why are these people acting badly?". A change Leader thinks, " How can I setup a situation that brings about good in people ".

A simplified 3x3 approach to change
The authors of Switch clearly communicate their desire to deliver a book that presents the theories and practcal steps that allow for successful change in a simplified system. Switch delivers magnificently on this goal. I have more than 30 books in my library dealing with the specific topic of change. While I cherish the insights of Mr. Kotter in Leading Change and his other books and still believe that Managing at the Speed of Change is the best book ever written on the topic, this book certainly ranks in the top five books for me.

THe authors present a 3x3 approach to change (though they do not use the 3x3 nomenclature). Three components of a successful change initiative are presented: Direct the Rider, Motivate the Elephant, and Shape the Path. In each of the three components, three primary actions are recommended.

The book is filled with story after story illustrating the concepts. I found it refreshing that the book presents new stories. It seems that so many modern business book rehash stories already told in other books. These authors are clearly involved in multiple organizations and have contacts that allow them to gain insights others have not seen before - or at least insights that have not before been collected into one pair of minds.

My favorite section of the book was the Direct the Rider section. I found the concepts clear and have a better idea of how I can find the bright spots (what's working), script the critical moves (provide clarity of expectations) and point to the destination (establish an end goal).

I would recommend this book to anyone working in a management or leadership position and I would also recommend it to anyone seeking to master personal change. The insights in this book will help you change yourself as well as your organization. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The time was the 1980s. The place was Wall Street. The game was called Liar’s Poker.Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. Liar’s Poker is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years—a behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis’s knowing and hilarious insider’s account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune. ... Read more

Reviews

One hand, one million dollars, no tears.
In the 1980's, Michael Lewis was a neophyte bond salesman for Salomon Brothers in New York and London for four years. Liar's Poker is a high-stakes game the traders, salesmen, and executives play each afternoon, but it is also a metaphor for the Salomon culture of extreme risk-taking with immediate payoffs and clear winners and losers.

This is the story of how Lewis survived the training program, inept but mean-spirited management, an aborted take-over even featuring a white knight, layoffs and the 1987 market crash before quitting to find his real calling as a business journalist. While Lewis's career did not take off quickly, he eventually became a highly paid producer, although not in the league of the true top dogs.

Lewis tells the real story of Wall Street in both go-go and crash days with self-deprecating humor enlivened with his ecletic wit. Colorful and well-known Wall Street characters appear such as Michael Milken, Lazlo Birini, Warren Buffett, Bill Simon, Sr. and John Guetfruend. All business students need to read this as even those with advanced degrees in finance such as myself, will learn how things really work. The story of how the junk bond and collateralized mortgage backed security markets emerge is told to fill in a chapter in financial history. Perhaps most interesting is some of the political machinations, rampant at Salomon, which lead for example for Salomon to ignore the junk bond market, allowing others to flourish and eventually attempt to take-over Salomon using junk bonds.

Lewis also describes for all investors the conflicts of interest and lack of governance on Wall Street long before Eliot Spitzer and Arthur Levitt became the champions of the little guy. My next step is to read Lewis's later books.

A Great Read
What a great read. A friend of mine recommended this to me and I can say that it certainly was a refreshing read.

This book tells you about some of the influential people who shaped Salomon Brothers and Wall St in the eighties. I never realised the history that went with Salomon Brothers.

The style is great and I can really identify with the author's early years going through the stages of obtaining and starting a job. Some of the characters in the book are hilarious, you can only just believe they are real.

Only one complaint: sometimes the author goes on for quite a long time with his history e.g. the history of junk bonds and the history of various people in SB. I only wish that there was more about the author's story.

Only one gripe though, and it can't prevent this from being a 5 star book.

Buy it now! Thanks to the book, I am now constantly searching for books like this but this is the only one I have found recounting the story of a salesman as opposed to a trader.

It made me laugh, it made me cry......
**** I read this book in my last undergraduate year of college. At that time, Lewis provided me with an eye-opening, first-hand glance of life in the high-flying world of finance (1980's) and the personalities that drove that period forward. It was relevant reading material since I was intending to pursue a career in the financial services industry, and here was a book written by a former bond salesman in the New York and London offices of Salomon Brothers. **** Nevertheless, this book is not limited to only those interested or involved in the world of business. This book is for anybody who is curious how the S&L crisis emerged; how the Reagan administration's deregulations affected the salaries of a select few in the US financial industry; how much the tax burden of the average American citizen grew as a result. This book is perfect for those who dislike the dry writing found in historical textbooks. **** Lewis's anecdotes will leave you in stitches! I am now working in the financial services industry. Most of the people I run into seem to have read this book at an earlier age and most enjoyed it as much as I did. **NOTE** Other "financial history" books that could be compared to "Liar's Poker", but written with very different writing styles: "Merchants of Debt" by George Anders; "Barbarians at the Gate".

Captures the essence of the culture
In Liar's Poker, Michael Lewis writes about his journey in becoming a bond salesman and his two years of work experiences at Salomon Brothers. While the book does offer some information about the finacial innovations driving the bond business in the 1980s, I think the principle thrust of the book is an examination of the culture and the personalities of Wall Street trading desks. The first chapter story, which is the basis for the title of the book, involving John Gutfreund and John Meriwether encapsulates the nature of this world.

This book is an important read for anyone who thinks they might want to become a trader/salesperson on Wall Street. If not, it is still a very interesting peek into a world that most people do not understand.

My last comment is a minor criticism of Michael Lewis. Lewis writes in the first person and is obviously a very self-involved individual with an extremely high opinion of himself. This is more evident in his later writings and columns for various periodicals (e.g. his NY Times article on Long-Term Capital was sickening). Despite this criticism the book is still very enjoyable.

Outstanding Synthesis of Economic Theory and Practice
Somehow Michael Lewis went from Art History major at Princeton to investment banker with Salomon Brothers. In this book he shows that he understood what these markets are all about, in a way that eludes the grasp of people who may spend years majoring in finance, going to law school or business school and slaving away in these same markets without a clue as to how the whole thing hangs together.

Using bond trading theory to trade whole companies and industries, as Lewis explains Michael Milken, is especially helpful, and it suggests that Warren Buffett is doing the same thing--buying companies by acting as a "preferred" lender.

The "us v. them" relationship between an investment bank and its customers was interesting, and in our current market times, I see a lot of this in how financial planners do the same kind of petty ripoffs that Lewis describes using bigger dollars and bigger customers. It's possible that today's minor aspiring financial planner types could read this book and aspire to be an even bigger malefactor of great wealth. It's refreshing that Lewis bailed out of the business, and this book stands the test of time as a continuing accurate diagnosis of the problems with sinners running markets. The trouble is , there will never be anyone else to run them.

At the end of the book, he seems to have a weakness for praising John Meriwether. Isn't that the guy who lost a huge sum of money in the recent "Long Term Capital" hedging disaster? Even that proves the point of this book, which is that none of these guys care at all about anything but the dollars to be made in front of their nose at the moment. Exactly as Adam Smith said.

Funny and informative
Liars' Poker is the quintessential business novel. Everyone businessman I know has either read it or heard of it. So, I decided that I should check it out.

This book is an account of Michael Lewis' time at Salomon Smith Barney in the mid 80s, at the height of the junk bond craze. He perfectly describes the atmosphere of competitiveness and the vast rewards everyone was reaping as a result of the boom.

What came as a surprise to me is that Lewis describes the mortgage bond market, an obtuse and vague instrument, very clearly and in a way most non-business people could also understand. This explanation also serves to show why these junk bonds ultimately collapsed.

Then, of course, are his hilarious descriptions of his orientation, his bosses and coworkers. To read about these outlandish characters is worth the price of the book alone.

So, to close, this book is a classic for a reason. It is informative and well written, but manages to be hilarious at the same time, a feat few authors can achieve. Read this book at all costs.

The gold standard
I have read a lot of 'insider' accounts of high finance and I am amazed by how much they all seem to owe Michael Lewis for writing "Liar's Poker." From "Monkey Business" to works of fiction like "All I Could Get" to even movies such as "Boiler Room," all of them seem to have borrowed heavily from Lairs Poker.

In this book Lewis tells the story of Solomon Brothers from its ascendancy from a small bond trading house, to the world's most profitable corporation to it's decline and eventual reorganization.

Lewis narrates his story from the perspective he had as a Solomon bond salesman in the mid 1980's. This book shows off two of Michael Lewis best talents:

1.) The ability to covey the feeling of how it was while he was there.
2) The ability to write about events/activities in the past (or halfway around the world) AS IF HE WERE THERE.

In this book, Lewis is a witness, a critic and a historian all at the same time and in comes together well. Reading this book, I kept think that Michael Lewis is too observant, insightful, and people-oriented to stay on Wall St. Maybe deciding to write this book, getting himself out of Solomon while getting back at his superiors, was just another smart trade.

Maybe someday I'll read another `insider' account book that will blow me way, but for now "Liar's Poker" is the gold standard for the genre.

This really is a home run - a great read and FUNNY
This is a great book. A home run. While I am not an industry insider, I did read it while I was getting an MBA from the Michigan Business School and enjoyed it a great deal. It provided a great deal of background to what I was learning in various finance classes. Mr. Lewis helped me see the people who make these markets work and move and that it isn't faceless formulas free of emotion finding perfect prices; rather it is ambitious men (and women) ferociously and sometimes crazily pursuing their own financial interests.

The book is amazingly funny without being slapstick. There are some amazing images - not only the Meriwether games of Liar's Poker, but the food being delivered to the physically rotund mortgage bond traders, the bond trader who felt like the price would rise and then kept buying billions of dollars in bonds to prove himself right. I loved reading about the training he received and what he was taught about selling bonds and how those folks really do view their customers. Some of the institutional stuff is a bit dated (but still valuable as history), but the human stuff still rings fresh and true because people and still, well, whatever it was they were back then.

If you just want an entertaining read - read this book. If you want to read about the early go-go years in the bond trading and the pre-boom boom years on Wall Street - read this book. If you want to learn about some of the big names in finance and what they did - read this book. You get the idea. I am saying you should read this book and you will be glad you did. Really. ... Read more

Editorial Review

From one of the world's most recognized experts on management comes a charming parable filled with insights designed to help readers manage change quickly and prevail in changing times. ... Read more

Reviews

Very Inappropriate and Pointless, August 27, 2003
I found this book to be yet another one of those books churned out by the machines of middle management, and handed down to the employee. Most of these books BECOME best sellers because they are sold in bulk to corporations for pennies on the dollar. Notice how this book has "companion" pieces of merchandise, like games, a web site, and training seminars? They are selling a complete product line to ineffective management, and look at the book as more of a large business card/advertisement.

This becomes evident when you read the stories and parables that surprise me that it took two authors to write only 96 pages. The writing is haphazard, poorly edited, unhelpful, sends mixed signals, and boils down to a rather insensitive "Things change, get used to it, change or you will die. Now keep moving." I would never give this to an employee, because that would be like giving an employee a stick of deodorant and wondering why they've stopped talking to you. This book does not care about the reader, and if I got it, I'd think, "Is my boss telling me to move on?" Comparing people to mice, and life's goals to cheese is patronizing to anyone with a sense of self-awareness. The motivational parables are generic, and seem out of place to the rest of the scare tactic this book is.

There are better motivational books out there that are written by experienced people who have good ideas that are helpful, not doom-obsessed. This book is more of a poke in the back with a sharp stick than a carrot on the end of s string, or a light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, this book might as well say, "You better not go to the light at the end of the tunnel, it could go away at any moment, and then where will you be?" Like another reviewer here said, "[the book] offers no answer other than you've got to go out and find more 'cheese" for yourself.'" Anyone who has reached the age of adulthood, and doesn't realize that change is inevitable will certainly never get the message from this book. And those that do know will only think this book is redundant and almost encouraging bitterness. I don't know what the point of this book really is, except as some sort of gloomy pap.

This book is already mostly used up, and will never be remembered like Zig Ziglar or Thomas Harris. Scout around, and find some older books, by successful people (like people who have actually succeeded in life that you have heard of), that have been around for a while. People still buy them for a reason.

Of Mice and Men, June 1, 2005
This book is an analogy of mice vs. men (simple and complicated) in a maze, about how many things such as over-analyzing, stubbornness, and fear can over-complicate simple things, making anything, even life, unnecessarily unbearable.

It is intended to help readers get the most out of anything situation, stay content, and increase their confidence levels. Contrary to the title, the book is neither clich� nor "cheesy." Few if any things stay the same forever, and the book emphasizes the importance of accepting change, and even capitalizing on it. In context, it includes many inspirational quotes such as, "What would I do, if I wasn't afraid?"

`The Story' itself is very short and to the point, and includes a section where the storyteller and his classmates reflect on how `The Story' can be applied to their lives. This provides many examples on how the overall wisdom can easily be applied to many situations in everyday life, from personal relationships, to running businesses. Read this story with an open mind and it just may improve the quality of your daily life, whatever it entails.

Worthless, June 29, 2004
The unbelievably large number of people who think this is a good book is very scary. I hope these people are not important decision makers. Everything bad that can be said about this book has been said before, so I'll just compile a "Best of" list for you. (By the way, in case you're wondering, "Dr." Johnson's degree is in education.)

Regarding management and corporate American in general
* This book is the cop-out for managers who believe in change for change's sake.
* It's corporate brainwashing of the kind that science fiction writers have been warning us about for decades.
* Never have I come closer to the mind crushing monotony and impersonality of corporate America than when I read this book.
* No, change is not a good thing when it happens on a regular basis. That means upper management can't make up their minds.
* If you are thinking about buying this book, I assume you are a manager of some type

Regarding the intellectual level of the book:
* I have never felt my intelligence more insulted than when reading this.
* It's patronizing, shallow, insipid, and still manages to be patently insulting to those employees who might actually be capable of analytical thought. That's quite a feat.
* Should appeal to intellectually challenged only.
* It is a sad comment on our culture, society, and educational system that so many people have found this inane drivel to be "life-changing".
* (...)BR>* (...).
* Distilling these important matters into the inane parable of mice in a maze is a literary device meant for grade school students.
* The book presents an excellent reading for absolute imbeciles or people high on drugs.

Regarding the message of the book:
* It teaches that you must not struggle, succumb to the will of the greater power of management, and accept change without regard to whether it is appropriate or not.
* Don't think, just go with the changes as we prescribe them. If you don't, you're inflexible or afraid of change.
* The ideas in this book could have been expressed in a paragraph and even then they would not have been worth the time to read them

The people who more productively decided to just make jokes about the stupidity that is this book said:
* As I was already familiar with the concept of reality and how to deal with it, the book was not particularly helpful.
* Your time would be better spent just taking a nap.
* Buy real cheese. Don't buy this sorry excuse for a book.
* I think people like it cause it can be read and finished while sitting on the toilet.
* Resistance is futile!
* Any manager who would try to force these ideas on their employees would be better off just spiking the coffee with anti-depressants.
* The South Park gang would find it too puerile.

If you were even mildly amused by anything in this review, then you are already infinitely better off than if you read the book. Now please vote "Yes" on my review (after all, I just saved you $14+). Thanks!

Worse Than Bad, It's Evil, August 15, 2000
Luckily enough, I didn't have to pay money for this book - I was forced to read it by my employer. The fact most people read this book after their co-workers are handed pink slips as part of a kinder, gentler corporate reduction in force should be indicative enough of the intent of this book. Don't be fooled by the wanna-be New Age slant - the majority of examples in this book are work-related. The "& in Your Life" in the title is there to attempt to hide the ridiculously pro-upper management viewpoint of the book.

Even if you can get over the 2nd grade reading level writing style, there's still the truly bad content to contend with. The author categorizes us all as either mice or "little people" in a maze who get bent out of shape if our "cheese" is moved. The moral of the story is that we should not get angry when our life bread is constantly moved and hidden from us by some invisible higher power (hmm, equating a higher power to large companies isn't too disconcerting now, is it?). Instead, we should not only embrace the fact we are being messed with, but also have FUN with it.

I am a reader of self-help books. Additionally, I deal with change for a living (it's in my title and everything). I can, without a doubt, tell you that the goal of this book is not to teach the reader change management techniques for work or personal life, but rather it teaches that we should all be good little soldiers. It is antithetical to what most self-help books and books that address coping with change try to teach their readers. If you are looking for one of those types of books, save your $10-20 and look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a way to control your large, disgruntled workforce, then by all means purchase 100 copies and distribute immediately as required reading to your employees. Those who read between the extra-large lines will most likely begin to seek employment elsewhere (who needs such rabble-rousers, anyway) and the rest will be pressured into submission (you hope).

It's all about power, June 4, 2003
When you write a book on why those WITHOUT power should be accepting of any treatment by those WITH power, you're guaranteed to sell millions of copies of said book to those WITH power. It's little wonder that managers, CEOs, teachers, and pretty much anyone with authority over others praises this book. It gives them a moral blank cheque, and condemns anyone NOT in a position of power for even questioning, to say nothing of failing to conform.

If you want a crash course in what's wrong with humanity, read this book. The fact that there are people in this world who read and agree with it is horrific.

Very Disappointing, December 13, 2000
I'm not a regular reader of "self-help" books, but I bought this one because I had heard it described as "amazing", and, frankly, because it sounded sort of fun, all of these little people and mice running around having life experiences inside of a maze. Also, it was very short, so I figured that even if I didn't like it, I wouldn't be making too much of a commitment. Now that I've read it, I wish I had my money back and I wish I had my time back. It's not insightful, it's obvious. It's not clever, it's patronizing. And the "optional" section at the end, where everybody sits around discussing how to apply to their own lives the lessons learned is downright painful.

"And To Think, All Those Poor Trees Died In Vain", June 7, 2001
In the game show of life, "Who Moved My Cheese?" is Corporate America's final answer to the lovely parting gift. Spencer Johnson's book is the literary equivalent of giving an amputee victim a band-aid for his boo-boo.

Although a short book, a resourceful reader has 96 chances to slit his or her wrists by way of the vicious paper cut.

And now, for my top ten list of more appropriate book titles:

#10 "Don't Take It Personally, Thousands Of People Get Fired Everyday"

#9 "It's Never Easy Letting Valuable Employees Such As Yourself Go, Bill, I mean, Bob"

#8 "Cheer Up! Nobody Here Liked You Anyway"

#7 "Let Me Say Once Again, The Shareholders Really Appreciate This"

#6 "Hey, You Can Sleep In Now"

#5 "Think Of It This Way: You're Now In A Lower Tax Bracket"

#4 "It's Not Like You Lost Your Job...Okay, So You Lost Your Job"

#3 "Look On The Bright Side- You're Helping Someone Less Fortunate In A Third World Country"

#2 "At Least You've Still Got Your Health (Minus The Ulcer, Of Course)"

And my #1 title: "It Could Be Worse, It Could Be Me!"

One last thing, if for some reason you are the recipient of this book, don't line the bird cage with its pages (that would be redundant) and don't slit your wrists with them (you're better than that). Instead. use them for kindling or put them in a shredder and make confetti!

Show me the cheese., December 23, 1999
First of all, let me suggest that I read this book more than 20 years ago when it was called "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," by Richard Bach. Then I read it again five years later when it was called "Illusions," also by Richard Bach. The central theme here, as well as in Mr. Bach's books, is learning to let go of your fears and anxieties so you can do and accomplish the things in life that will truly make you happy. This is not a novel notion. Nor is the concept of change as an intimidating proposition, as anyone who has moved as a child or even entered a new school can attest to from an early age. To be fair, while "Who Moved My Cheese" is overly simplistic, it does impart a modicum of encouragement and inspiration. However, I believe the message has been expressed through far more interesting story lines, such as in Mr. Bach's parable-like novellas, which by the way, I recommend to anyone who found Mr. Johnson's effort compelling and rewarding. On a substantive level, I feel Mr. Johnson could have taken the story development quite a ways further and to a deeper, more intricate level, particularly for someone who fancies himself an authority in the field of professional development. Some might argue that its appeal is in its simplicity. That's fine if you take it at bare-bones face value. Others might contest that sugar-coated, child-like allegories are great material for second-grade book reports, but when senior-management types start passing such efforts off as holy gospel, I become circumspect. Furthermore, I fear countless workplaces overflowing with trite "cheeseisms." In fact, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before conventional-wisdom-spouting clones from all walks of business start retorting to reasonable issues raised at business meetings with the glib reply "move with the cheese," at which point these people should be gently slapped back to reality. I personally would have liked to have seen more obstacles and characters introduced to the story. Even Alice had more interesting encounters in Wonderland, and she negotiated all of them with poise and dignity in her effort to reach her goal. Perhaps instead of worrying about the business associate he left behind, our protagonist could have met new business associates in the maze, with the common cause of finding the new cheese. Better yet, maybe the littleperson who was in charge of Cheese Station C should have been axed for mismanagement. And then the new littleperson in charge could have assembled a task force to go out and hunt for new cheese. We littlepeople don't always have to go it alone. Obviously, I am complicating the story line. But I think a fable that resembles a business farce or a comedy of errors with a positive ending would be far more engaging. Just saying "change happens, be proactive rather than reactive" is old news. The least Johnson could have done was come up with more interesting "writings on the wall," most of which were insipid at best. Then you could walk away with actual tools in the form of little adages you can repeat to yourself when the need arises. However, there was one writing on the wall that I thought had an elegant poignancy about it which I believe was the most useful tidbit to be gleaned from the entire book. And that is "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" This is a thought one does not normally think to put to oneself in just that manner, unlike the vast majority of platitudes which infest this marginal read.

Lemmings, hurtling over the cliff's edge, August 30, 2000
This is the WORST business book I have ever read. The intent behind it is valid, but the content can be summed up in a few statements:

Change will happen

If you don't change, you will die (figuratively or literally)

Watch for signs of change, so you can be prepared to change, too

Change is good, and can lead to something better

There. Do you feel like paying me [good money] for that priceless knowledge?

This is a parable, which means they dressed up the real content by writing a goofy story about mice and little people, taking up more pages so they could justify the cost. Unfortunately, they could only drag the story out so far (how many times can you read, "and he kept walking and looking for more cheese"). The book was still only about 20 pages long, too short for a hardcover, so they added a second story to frame the parable itself. The second story is about a group at a reunion that talks about the book. Even THAT doesn't add enough pages to justify printing it in hardcover, so they increased the print size to roughly what you see in books for 3 year olds.

The author, publisher and whoever else was involved in this moneymaking scheme obviously recognized that many people would see through their efforts. Their solution? Put in a statement saying, in effect, "If you think this book isn't worthwhile, then you aren't a talented, cutting edge business person like all the other who read the book are."

Believe me, someone in your office (probably your boss) is waving this book around, exclaiming how wonderful it is and telling you to read it. ASK IF YOU CAN BORROW HIS COPY. Do not spend money on it yourself. You're going to have to read it, unfortunately, because the herd has spoken and you can't stray from the herd. I'll bet the person who started the rumor that this was a good book is getting royalties. It's the only explanation.

The one saving grace about this book is it's a quick read. I finished it in 23 minutes. At least you can soon move on to something more worthwhile.

Where are my sunglasses?, September 23, 2000
I cannot believe this book is number 1. After reading it, I needed to go find my sunglasses because I had just been struck by a blinding flash of the obvious. If you need an allegory about mice in a maze to lead you to clarity in life and work, this is the book for you. However, if you want to save yourself a few bucks, here is my summary: People have a comfort zone. Sometimes you have to leave that comfrot zone. Change is hard but change is good. Be adaptable.

We need Spencer Johnson to tell us this? With mice? The extended metaphor that we are all rats in a maze (which, people seem to identify with though by these reviews) gets old fast. If you need this book - go buy aesop's fables for some more deep revelations like the one in this book.

This is number 1? OMG. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job.

In this hands-on guide, Michael Watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. The First 90 Days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly.

Practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. In addition, Watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period.

Concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without.

"Few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. Michael Watkins's The First 90 Days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. It is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition."

-Goli Darabi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Leadership & Succession Management, Fidelity Investments

"Every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. Read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you."

-Colonel Eli Alford, U.S. Army

"Watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role.The First 90 Days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter."

-Suzanne M. Danielle, Director of Global Leadership Development, Aventis

"Michael Watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. The pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. Watkins's timing with The First 90 Days is impeccable."

-Gordon Curtis, Principal, Curtis Consulting

"The First 90 Days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. Anyone who's been the CEO of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. In this groundbreaking book, Michael Watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully."

-Mike Kinkead, President and CEO, timeBLASTER Corporation, serial entrepreneur, and Cofounder and Trustee, Massachusetts Software Council

... Read more

Reviews

An antidote to sink or swim
This book is not just for managers at the executive level. It's also for you and me. It's for functional managers, project managers, and supervisors. The book targets new leaders at all levels that are making the transition from one rung of the ladder to the next.

If you have just been promoted to a new leadership position (or expect to be soon), then this book is for you.

The book outlines ten strategies that will shorten the time it takes you to reach what Watkins calls the breakeven point: the point at which your organization needs you as much as you need the job. Here they are ... the ten strategies:

1. PROMOTE YOURSELF. Make a mental break from your old job. Prepare to take charge in the new one. Don't assume that what has made you successful so far will continue to do so. The dangers of sticking with what you know, working hard at doing it, and failing miserably are very real.

2. ACCELERATE YOUR LEARNING. Climb the learning curve as fast as you can in your new organization. Understand markets, products, technologies, systems, and structures, as well as its culture and politics. It feels like drinking from a fire hose. So you have to be systematic and focused about deciding what you need to learn.

3. MATCH STRATEGY TO SITUATION. There are no universal rules for success in transitions. You need to diagnose the business situation accurately and clarify its challenges and opportunities. The author identifies four very different situations: launching a start-up, leading a turnaround, devising a realignment, and sustaining a high-performing unit. You need to know what your unique situation looks like before you develop your action plan.

4. SECURE EARLY WINS. Early victories build your credibility and create momentum. They create virtuous cycles that leverage organizational energy. In the first few weeks, you need to identify opportunities to build personal credibility. In the first 90 days, you need to identify ways to create value and improve business results.

5. NEGOTIATE SUCCESS. You need to figure out how to build a productive working relationship with your new boss and manage his or her expectations. No other relationship is more important. This means having a series of critical talks about the situation, expectations, style, resources, and your personal development. Crucially, it means developing and gaining consensus on your 90-day plan.

6. ACHIEVE ALIGNMENT. The higher you rise in an organization, the more you have to play the role of organizational architect. This means figuring out whether the organization's strategy is sound, bringing its structure into alignment with its strategy, and developing the systems and skills bases necessary to realize strategic intent.

7. BUILD YOUR TEAM. If you are inheriting a team, you will need to evaluate its members. Perhaps you need to restructure it to better meet demands of the situation. Your willingness to make tough early personnel calls and your capacity to select the right people for the right positions are among the most important drivers of success during your transition.

8. CREATE COALITIONS. Your success will depend on your ability to influence people outside your direct line of control. Supportive alliances, both internal and external, will be necessary to achieve your goals.

9. KEEP YOUR BALANCE. The risks of losing perspective, getting isolated, and making bad calls are ever present during transitions. The right advice-and-counsel network is an indispensable resource

10. EXPEDITE EVERYONE. Finally, you need to help everyone else - direct reports, bosses, and peers - accelerate their own transitions. The quicker you can get your new direct reports up to speed, the more you will help your own performance.

This book is not only relevant on the individual level. This transition process for new managers happens so often that it should be handled with more professionalism by (big) organizations. Whereas we as managers try to work actively with introduction programmes and training for new employees, then many managers must face their transition challenge alone. It shouldn't be like that. The "sink or swim" approach should be doomed.

Peter Leerskov,
M.Sc. in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business

Roadmap for fast start
I am the CEO of a successful holding company involved in diversification. I was drawn to this book because I was looking for a roadmap for leaders to jump start their success. This wonderful book provides the necessary critical strategies. I recommend that leaders on all levels read this book and another, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to understand the shortcomings of suboptimal thinking in corporate culture and to create a team of optimizers who optimize every situation. Five stars for each of these books!

just what I needed
I was on day 6 of a new CEO job and everything was falling apart -- I encountered serious resistance to even minor changes that obviously needed to be made. Reading this book, I realized I had walked into a problem where management saw the company was in need of a turnaround, but the employees had no idea and saw their company as a steady success story.

Every bit of this book is gold. From how to approach change implementation based on situation, to managing upwards, to making the mental switch to your new position, it's all been helpful.

Sun Tzu in plain English circa 2004.
Don't get me wrong, Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" is a classic read on accomplishing your goals as a leader. Where Sun Tsu tells you how to wage the war, Watkin's tell you how to wage and win the first and most crucial task of it. Best of all, Watkin's book is very straightforward and easy to understand. No bravado, no bull, no self-inflated ego like so many "leadership" books.

Some of his points will make you say, "Duh! Everybody should know that" but he combines those items with other insights that are useful and worthy of consideration. Are you prone to action? Great! What if the leadership role you're taking is with a team that's already successful and you need to build the case to be better? Do you know what the early win is then? What if the team is just starting to stumble but in denial? Do you know your blind spot as a leader? This book answers those questions.

The book doesn't provide a sure to fail cookie cutter plan. It provides some needed mental pokes for you to create action items, checkpoints and items to review for yourself. It'll help clarify what your real goals are stepping into a given situation, establish your plan and speed your way to self reinforcing success. Simply, it's excellent reading for anybody taking a new position at any level.

Insightful perspective for every manager or aspiring manager
If you are not planning to stay all your life in your current employer or want to re-energize your career, this book is for you.

By far the best book I have ever read.. and I have read quite a lot. It is a very hands on plan covering all the important aspects of a successful transition and the foundations for a sucessful career in the organization.

I recommend specially chapters 5 and 6 that cover alignment and expectations.

The great value of the book is that it comprises all the experience accumulated by numerous managers and strategies that have allowed many of them to climb the organization in a very solid way within a strategic frame. It provides answers to many questions that every manager has and has to go through a coach or many books to find suitable answers.

The First 90 Days - worth reading
It is all to easy in a new job to launch in with what we think are clear mandates, work with vigor and enthusiasm to turn them into plans that we think will benefit the company and the people who work for us only to realize that the glittering darkness at the end of our launch silo is not a starry night sky but a wall embedded with wreckage to which we will shortly add. "The First 90 Days..." explains the challenges that we can encounter, which are most likely for each of four types of situations, and what we can do to keep them from becoming bricks in that wall.

I won't make another job move without re-reading this book and analyzing the new situation as it suggests. It provides a good framework for understanding the type of situations one can move into. It has checklists of things to focus on and questions to ask by situation type and time frame starting before the first day and on through the first 90 days. I particularly liked the "Conversations to have with your new boss". Not only does Watkins describe the things that we as newcomers and our bosses need to have a clear understanding of but he provides a framework of several conversations and how and when to initiate them in order to facilitate the understanding. I highly recommend it for any position change. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this intriguing, readable business novel, which illustrates state-of-the-arteconomic theory, Alex Rogo is a UniCo plant manager whose factory and marriageare failing. To revitalize the plant, he follows piecemeal advice from anelusive former college professor who teaches, for example, that reduction in theefficiency of some plant operations may make the entire operation moreproductive. Alex's attempts to find the path to profitability and to engage hisemployeesi n the struggle involve the reader; and thankfully the authors'economic models, including a game with match sticks and bowls, are easy tounderstand. Although some characters are as anonymous as the goods manufacturedin the factory, others ring true. In addition, the tender story of Alex and hiswife's separation and reconciliation makes a touching contrast to the rest ofthe book. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the state of the Americaneconomy. ... Read more

Reviews

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) will change the way you think
Eliyahu Goldratt's "The Goal" is an entertaining novel and at the same time a thought provoking business book. The story is about a plant manager, Alex Rogo, whose plant and marriage are going downhill. He finds himself in the unenviable position of having ninety days in which to save his plant. A fortuitous meeting with an old acquaintance, Jonah, introduces him to the Theory of Constrains (TOC). He uses this new way of thinking to ...
TOC postulates that for an organization to have an ongoing process of improvement, it needs to answer three fundamental questions:
1. What to change?
2. To what to change?
3. How to cause the change?
The goal is to make (more) money, which is done by the following:
1. Increase Throughput
2. Reduce Inventory
3. Reduce Operating Expense
Goldratt defines throughput (T) as the rate at which the system generates money through sales. He also defines inventory (I) as everything the system invests in that it intends to sell. Operating expense (OE) is defined as all the money the system spends in order to convert inventory into throughput.
The author does an excellent job explaining his concepts, especially how to work with constraints and bottlenecks (processes in a chain of processes, such that their limited capacity reduces the capacity of the whole chain). He makes the reader empathize with Alex Rogo and his family and team. Don't be surprised if you find yourself cheering for Alex to succeed.
The importance and benefits of focusing on the activities that are constraints are clearly described with several examples in "The Goal". One example from the book is the one in which Alex takes his son and a group of Boy Scouts out on a hiking expedition. Here Alex faces a constraint in the form of the slowest boy, Herbie. Alex gets to apply two of the principles Jonah talked to him about - "dependent events" (events in which the output of one event influences the input to another event) and "statistical fluctuations" (common cause variations in output quantity or quality). He realizes that in a chain of dependent processes, statistical fluctuations can occur at any step. These result in time lags between the processes that accumulate and grow in size further down the chain. This leads to the performance of the system becoming worse than the average capacity of the constraint.
It is interesting to note that TOC practitioners often refer to TOC concepts in terms of references from this book. For example, a constraint is often called a Herbie.
The Goldratt Institute (goldratt dot com) has illustrated TOC Analysis in the form of five steps used as a foundation upon which solutions are built:
1. Identify the constraint
2. Decide how to exploit the constraint
3. Subordinate and synchronize everything else to the above decisions
4. Elevate the performance of the constraint
5. If, in any of the above steps the constraint has shifted, go back to Step 1
Although this book is excellent in the context of Operations, the "Goal" to "make (more) money by..." is limited in its focus. It is concerned with the cost centers internal to a business. Business performance in today's increasingly competitive market depends on a variety of factors that exist outside the business. These include competitors, external opportunities, customers and the non-customers. Executives need to focus on these in order to see the bigger picture.
This book is necessary reading at the best MBA programs. In addition to being a review, this write-up was intended to serve as a summary of the core concepts of this book and TOC. If you are reading this as part of your coursework, please feel free to share the link with your fellow students.

It' so much more than a business book on meeting the goal
I didn't know what to expect when I began reading this novel about a manufacturing plant. As provider of a professional (legal and risk management) services, I initially thought this wouldn't have much application for me. But it certainly does. First, the story itself, told as a novel, is an enjoyable read. This must be the first business book that I didn't want to put down until I had finished reading it from cover to cover!

Key points in the book include the principle of finding and then focusing on the one true goal and not getting caught up on a lot of side issues that others (even others in management) might think are the goal. This requires learning how to stop and really look at the problem. It then requires new ways to look for and try potential solutions. This includes ask penetrating questions of yourself and others who may provide key information and insights. And it requires really listening to what the affected people have to say about different aspects of achieving the goal.

An important point that is made is that every individual within the organization has part of the knowledge needed to reach the goal, and that we need to create a genuine environment where we not only encourage their participation but we also teach everyone how to ask the right questions so they can see for themselves what needs to be done to achieve the goal.

Incidentally, the partnership of communication that ultimately develops between the lead character and his employees and superiors overflows into his relationship with his spouse and naturally changes their relationship as well. There is much to be learned from this book, and I can see why it has been such a huge success for so many years.

Theory of Constraints explained and its wide applications revealed
The Goal is a fascinating book about the Theory of Constraints which was introduced to the world by Eliyahu Goldratt. I must admit the title didn't appeal much to me, but bought it anyway because it was recommended highly. After reading it, I realized that the title was perfect since it plays well into the questioning that needs to take place in order to identify the constraint or bottleneck in an organization. The book is written as a novel, which makes the book a lot easier to read and also a lot more entertaining
Alex Rogo is a plant manager and at the beginning of the novel is greeted at his plant by the VP who informs him that his production numbers need to improve or they will be shutting down the plant. Of course, during all this mess Rogo is also going through a rocky marriage and throughout the book the reader is taken through the struggle of both issues.
Alex seeks advice from an old Physicist from Israel named Jonah. Jonah takes Alex through the Socratic method of analysis which is the way Alex then communicates with his management team to solve the issues causing the low throughput in the factory. The conversations that take place between Jonah, Alex and the entire management team are extremely interesting and informative. I wonder how often this level of discussion actually takes place, but it sure makes for interesting reading.
A lot of the applications of the theory of constraints, although they take place in the factory, could be easily implemented in all industries.
Mr. Goldratt has written a business book that will remain relevant for many years to come. I highly recommend this incredible business book. Anyone who does business consulting and does not read and use the information on this book is doing his/her clients a great disservice.

A manufacturing based novel that changed my view of software!
I'm always searching for ideas that discuss how people solve common problems. This book, while perhaps targeting manufacturing spaces, has application in life - software inclusive.

Written in the form of a novel .. I couldn't put the book down. There were examples within examples .. parallel concurrent story lines .. golden key points that were first implied, then stated, then listed with supported logic.

I'll have to read it multiple more times for a) a refresher, and b) to pick up and apply things I overlooked the previous time(s).

Flow, constraints, waste, cost structures, team utilization, work prioritization, etc. I easily find parallels between this material and Agile software development ideology. Cross-pollenization between industries and ideas. Software heads should have to read this book and translate the fundamentals across to the software solution delivery streams. While they don't match up 1:1 .. they share commonalities brought to light by this book.

Excellent Hilarious Novel for Learning Management
"The Goal" is a hilarious novel but with a serious business message particularly with respect to production/operations management. The author expertly wove an intricate story about a plant manager (Alex Rogo) whose factory and marriage are failing into a compelling and convincing explanation about how to deal with constraints and bottlenecks effectively, not only in business but also in everyday life. This is a good captivating read particularly for those who find reading business and management books to be dry and having a soporific effect.

Alex Rogo's life is made very difficult by bottlenecks, constraints, excess inventories and pressure from management that demands efficiency in the factory operations. However, through mastering the theory of constraints (TOC), the appreciation of a business as a system, the effective use of industrial engineering techniques as well as common sense, Alex and his team overcome the problems.

This is an enlightening book that is easy to read and understand for people particularly those who a new to managing an organization. You will learn about the goal of an organization, waste (and how to avoid it), cost structures, team utilization, supply chain bottlenecks, identify improvements, work prioritization and enhance efficiencies.

You will get the most from this book if you also read the Toyota Production System which can fix many of the problems highlighted in this book. Among the highlights of the Toyota Production System are the Just-in-Time inventory system, production leveling, multi-skilling, the pull method of production planning which provides a more comprehensive approach to manufacturing operations. Another useful investment is to get a copy of the classic book "The Fifth Discipline" by Peter Senge (if you have not yet read it). Senge proposes the "systems thinking" method to help companies to become "learning organizations" that integrates all personnel levels and functions (such as production, human resources, finance etc) to increase the ability of the organisation to be more productive and effective.

In summary, this is an outstanding book packed with insightful wisdom that I recommend to employees at all levels in an organization as well as students studying business.

Very nice novel about the thoery of constraints
This book is a nice novel about a factory manager encountering typical problems in his company as: bad delivery performance, low quality and high cost. The story itself builds on the theory of constraints and covers many aspects, addressed by modern manufacturing insights from Quick-Response-Manufcturing (bottle-neck problems and its improvement, wrong understanding of utilisation at workstations, misleading accounting policies, hot-job disturbances, design for manufacturing, purchase and lot size flaws, queueing theory, influence of labour unions, tagging jobs etc.).

Even though the book will not provide the explicit theory behind the scene, it describes very well the problems we often find in companies even this days. The book covers not only softfactors than contains a lot of true findings about accounting and the often misleading interpretation of numbers we still have in the 21st century.

For people interested in operational improvement you should read books as Quick-Response-Manufacturing, Factory Physics or others. I read this book already 4 times and as your knowledge about the "mechanics" of operations grows, the book will be even more interesting, because for most of the problems arising in this novel you will recognize the flaw behind traditional thinking and what could be the solution.

What I liked most in the book is, that you always have to go where the problems are - so this is nothing else than the japanese genchi genbutsu (go see your self). Whether you work in operations ore anywhere, asking always questions about what is really going on and questioning of traditions and old policies often leads to real improvements.

May be one of the niciest business novels ever,
Best Regards,

Oliver ... Read more

Editorial Review

The No Asshole Rule was awarded a Quill Award as the Best Business Book of 2007.

When Robert Sutton's "No Asshole Rule" appeared in the Harvard Business Review, readers of this staid publication were amazed at the outpouring of support for this landmark essay. The idea was based on the notion, as adapted in hugely successful companies like Google and SAS, that employees with malicious intents or negative attitudes destroyed any sort of productive and pleasant working environment, and would hinder the entire operation's success.

Now using case studies from these and many more corporations that have had unquestioned success using variations of "The No Asshole Rule," Sutton's book aims to show managers that by hiring mean-spirited employees - regardless of talent - saps energy from everyone who must deal with said new hires. Such insights will come from:

- Seattle law firm Perkins Coie, which instituted a "no jerks allowed" policy, helping them earn a spot on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list.

- United States Supreme Court Fellow Robert Clayman, who noticed that "assholes" in the highest branch of government turned a blind eye to initiatives that would curb abusive and violent behavior.

- Testimony from a former American Airlines manager about how former CEO Bob Crandall's abusive "tough love" behavior actually caused psychological harm to those he was attempting to motivate.


FEATURING A NEW CHAPTER ON THE RULE AND ITS SURPRISING IMPACT! In this new version of The No Asshole Rule, Bob Sutton provides an uproarious account of the world-wide reaction to his best-selling book. As he writes: "I didn't plan it. I never wanted it. I didn't believe it at first. And it still make me squirm." Sutton's talking about having been branded as "the asshole guy." But beyond the initial shock value of the provocative title, Sutton's epilogue goes on to detail the kind of impact this important book has had on corporate organizations and employees everywhere. His book has provided a major wake-up call to those individuals in the business world and beyond who somehow have lost sight that a little civility goes a long, long way when it comes to dealing with our fellow human beings - and leading an effective organization. This is one epilogue that is definitely worth reading.


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Reviews

An Excellent Must-Read for Anyone in the Workforce
I am not one who typically reviews books. I do have to say that the No A**hole Rule was an excellent book both in researched content and personality. I was able to read this book in one sitting. It is very topical for anyone who shares a workplace with A**holes or demeaning people. I am sure that most of us do not have the luxury of avoiding these people on a day to day basis. If so, let me know where you work .

For the most part, it is inevitable that we have to deal with these people face to face. This is the first book that doesn't skirt around the facts of diagnosing these people as a**holes (by there actions) and giving effective advice on how to deal with them or not be one of them.

Bob Sutton's List of The Dirty Dozen Common Everyday Actions That A**holes Use
1. Personal insults
2. Invading one's personal territory
3. Uninvited personal contact
4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non-verbal
5. Sarcastic jokes and teasing used as insult delivery systems
6. Withering email flames
7. Status slaps intended to humiliate their victims
8. Public shaming or status degradation rituals
9. Rude interruptions
10. Two-faced attacks
11. Dirty looks
12. Treating people as if they are invisible

The Author sites companies that have effectively instilled a "No A**hole Rule" because they have realized that the true cost of the A**hole runs deeper than the A**hole's salary (TCA or Total Cost of A**holes). It truly can diminish productivity in the office, increase employee turnover, stifle communication, and lower employee self esteem and health. The book explains how to implement a No A**hole Rule at any organization.

According to the book, negative interactions have a five time stronger effect on mood than positive interactions. So you can see that keeping around that "very productive A**hole" may have deeper implications that do not show up on the books, but take a toll on the ones around him/her.
There is a whole section in the book detailing how to avoid being an A**hole which I won't get into here. I think that it is a truly insightful section on how to face ones own demons, and to be a more effective co-worker/partner/boss in a work environment.

The section that really jumped out for me (due to its immediate applicability) was the ways to deal with A**holes. Many books talk about enthusiasm and working harder with passion allows you to get around people who are demeaning and rude at work. This book explains that this is not necessarily the head on solution to avoid rudeness in the workplace. In some instances, developing indifference and emotional detachment may be the best way to survive in the long run while achieving small victories. In the end, small victories can lead to winning the war. You can also limit your exposure, hope for the best and expect the worse, de-escalate and re-educate, or stand up to A**holes.

In conclusion, this was a great read. I think it is extremely topical for anyone who is involved in HR or hiring new employees and management. I also believe that it is an especially good read if you are a victim of A**holes on a day to day basis.

Oh, it also makes a GREAT GIFT for the token A**hole in your office. Enjoy!

A New Best Book on Empowerment in the Workplace
I have never written a review on Amazon, but feel strongly about writing a review for Sutton's No A**hole book because I feel many people whose might be concerned about the "taboo" title might not look beyond it and do themselves a great disservice.

As a female professional, I felt highly empowered reading this book. Dr. Sutton acknowledges the bullying and crass behavior that frequently occurs in the workplace and offers concrete ways to combat these trying individuals. I have already practiced his technique of publicly discounting bullying behavior with great success.

I found his suggestions for handling office place bullies - as both a superior and subordinate actions extremely smart and well-grounded. This book is based on sound social psychology and organizational research and does a great service to workers throughout the world.

I have dog earred many pages of the book and expect it to be a handy reference for many years to come.

A Simple, but Extremely Valuable Premise!
I'll make my review brief, since this is a little book with a very concise point. Basically, life is far too short to tolerate jerks in the workplace. It's easy to spot these people based upon the havoc they wreak and the fact that they always choose targets with less power than themselves. This book provides terrific strategies for dealing with jerks, whether you are in management and want to weed them out, or are unfortunate enough to be working under them.
One of my favorite lines in the book is: " Passion is an overrated virtue in organizational life, and indifference is an underrated virtue." While self-professed management gurus who have never had a real job like to trumpet passion in the workplace (and implicitly accept jerk-like behavior), Dr. Sutton points out that sometimes a bit of detachment goes a long way in making life bearable. This is a book about picking your battles and doing what you can to make your workplace enjoyable. It is a quick, interesting and easy read.

Fix your workplace
This book has clearly struck a cord, for good reason: it's an important book about an important topic. People are tired of having their workplaces poisoned by the behavior of a few a-holes.

I know Bob through Stanford so I admit that I may be biased, but I know lots of people who have written management books and haven't endorsed them. Bob has thought deeply about this topic as a researcher, teacher, and expert on organizations. The book is not only wise, it's a pleasure to read. Bob is great at taking solid research and making it relevant and fun.

Here are three reasons to buy this book:

1) Understand your workplace. This book weaves together front-line academic research on why powerful people behave badly, how workplaces can become toxic, and why bad behavior spreads like a virus (but optimism can as well).

2) Fix your workplace. For anyone who has put up with nasty bosses and demeaning coworkers, this book shows you how organizations ranging from law firms to retail stores, from JetBlue to Google, have protected their employees from bad behavior.

3) Change your interactions. This book shows you how to avoid being a victim of a-holes in your workplace and community. It also helps you recognize when you might be the a-hole, and gives you hints on how to achieve your goals without lapsing into bad behavior.

Bob has the reputation among students and faculty of being one of the nicest people at our university and he works in a group of researchers that has the reputation of being an extremely supportive place for graduate students. Universities often breed arrogant behavior, so Bob's reputation (and that of his group) testifies to his ability to put ideas into practice. This book will help you and your organization.

Insightful and Entertaining
This book is both insightful and entertaining. Professor Sutton doesn't just point out to us that we are often surrounded by people who are self-absorbed and mean-spirited. He gives us case studies that illuminate the spectrum of this behavior, how it evolves, and how best to deal with it. I found the book extremely empowering, especially the story of Andrea who is able to identify people who are going to make her life miserable and extracts herself before she is drawn into the downward spiral of dealing with colleagues who are going to make her life unbearable.

One of the important features of the book is that it doesn't assume that everyone should be sickly sweet all the time. Professor Sutton acknowledges that at times being a jerk is a strategy. Some managers and customers call upon this "tool" at times in order to get things done. We should all be aware that this is an option that we always have at our disposal. But, it should be used with great caution.

I highly recommend this book. I read it on the plane and everyone around me asked about it... The conversation that followed was fascinating as everyone had their own story to tell that supported Professor Sutton's ideas.

very good
Although I have only read the first three chapters, I am a believer!! It really is golden for all of us because at one time or another we'll have to survive one of these workplaces. I wish I had this book to read when I was in that type of workplace. I wouldn't have suffered as much as I did, and would have had concrete methods of how to handle situations.

Also, don't let the somewhat abrasive A** title deter you from reading this book. It kept me away from picking up this book to read it at first.

This book also has the potential of being cathartic for those who have had to survive a horrible workplace environment. I too worked in a toxic environment with an insensitive, demeaning and oppressive boss. Every criticism was passive-agressive so it took me some time to realize my slowly deteriorating capacity to serve. She would talk down to my administrative associate and myself to keep us in the "place" she thought we should be. When we did things to better our project and make it the best it could be or provide helpful suggestions, she would accuse me of wanting all the "control"...(yeah, it was a nightmare!!!) This books speaks to that kind of paranioa in the workplace and that sometimes not matter how much you love a job, some can make it unbearable.

This book helped me realize that I do/did not have unrealistic expectations of what a quality supervisor should be. It's "hammer meet nail" kind of material.

Hitting the Nail Right on the Head
Once in a while, a business book comes along that really hits a very important nail right on the head. Stanford Professor Bob Sutton's new book is one of them.

What the book does is argue that it is both anti-humane and counter-productive to give jerks free reign in the workplace, and that organizations riddled with destructive individuals - no matter how "valuable", powerful, and successful they are - should make conscious and deliberate steps towards changing their bad behaviors. Or get rid of them.

I hope that those who might be put-off by the title, or the use throughout the book of "the word" can get over it. Sutton may be provocative here, but he's not being cute. There really is no substitute for that particular word, and anyone who's experienced one at work - as victim, innocent by-stander, or even occasional perpetrator - knows it.
Sutton has the statistics to back up his claims that allowing bad behavior in the workplace is costly, citing studies that show the high proportion of people who have been negatively impacted by those insult, demean, and humiliate those under them in the organization. He even comes up with a mechanism for calculating how to itemize the overall cost of having jerks around by factoring in items like the cost of recruiting replacements for people who quit, HR expenditures on interventions and counseling, etc.

Sutton notes that many companies do, in fact, have some sort of "no jerk rule", but he is clear in pointing out that just having a rule in place is not enough. The rule needs to be enforced. You can't start making exceptions, and you have to develop a culture in which if someone's acting like a jerk - and we're all pretty much capable of acting like one on occasion, even if we're not chronic offenders - anyone can call them on it, even if the jerk's the boss.

For those who get stuck in bad situations, and where walking out is not an option, Sutton offers good advice. Forget those calls for passion and commitment. If you're in a bad company, you should "develop indifference and emotional attachment," he advises. "There are times when the best thing for your mental health is to not give a damn about your job, company, and especially all those nasty people." He goes on to offer further coping strategies: find and hang out with "the good guys," look for small victories, offer emotional support to other victims (while avoiding the rat-hole of non-productive gripe sessions), take control of what you can... All sound advice.

My quibbles with the book are minor: I think that Sutton may err on the side of providing a little too much "survey said" - they all started to sound the same. And a couple of his jerk examples were so extreme that I'm afraid that some people will come away from their reading convinced that the pedestrian abuse that they suffer or witness in their workplace is so minor that it's not worth thinking about. Or that even chronic offenders will be able to let themselves off the hook - "Hey, I'm not as bad as that jerk."

I'm sure, based on its title alone, Bob Sutton's new book will fare pretty well. But I'd hate to see it end up as a gag gift or stocking stuffer. Quibbles aside, this is an important book for anyone concerned about creating a healthier workplace. In an increasingly fractious and on-edge world, it would be comforting to know that, at least while you were at work, you weren't going to have to deal with obnoxious jerks determined to make your life miserable.

Finally a book with a plan that doesn't focus on lawsuits or exit strategies!
I highly recommend this book for employees or work teams who find themselves struggling to maintain energy and focus on the job because of the destructive behavior of one or more individuals. This book is a quick read - I finished it in one weekend. It should also become required reading for HR departments and leadership teams who have struggled to preserve a positive and efficient corporate culture.

Dr. Sutton provides an analytical approach, guidance for calculating costs, and a pro-active approach that can improve the workplace for the sake of the company, work groups and individual contributors.

This book goes beyond the usual coverage for bullies and hostile environments that describe the fairly obvious results, the legal limitations, and recommended rapid exit strategies for individuals who are in the midst of it all.

Dr. Sutton bravely asserts that this problem does not have to continue and spread throughout the organization. He provides practical and rational insight for making changes that focus on positive results for the company and the employees.

I especially like the simple diagnostic question about the impact the individual has on the energy levels of those around them.

After 15 years of success with fabulous bosses and a minimal/manageable amount of exposure to @#$holes, I found out why other people I knew did not love their jobs the way I had in the past when I started working for a bully.

Being proactive and determined to succeed, I searched for answers to questions like - How can I manage this situation better? How can I find ways to be more effective and less reactive under these circumstances? How can I shield my team and try to be a catalyst for change in this department? What are the most important results that I need to focus on and manage?

I was discouraged to find other material that I read on bullies and hostile environments, concluded the bullies always "win" - that the jerk would persevere and often expand their influence. The targets and others impacted generally had 3 choices, accept and adopt the practices, become apathetic and do the minimum to get by spending a large percentage of time doing CYA or leave the department or the company. The books also spent a lot of time focusing on different legal positions.

This book provides hope that you can survive and impact change without a lawsuit. I wish everyone who is dealing with an #$%hole the courage, stamina, and good fortune to improve the situation.

It's About Time Somebody Called Workplace Boors What They Really Are
Recently, I came across a book called The No A**hole Rule, by Robert Sutton, a Stanford professor. Pretty racy title for a Stanford professor, but Dr. Sutton says he chose it to be provocative in order to "spur corporate America to stamp out boorish behavior that reduces productivity, drives away talented workers and ruins morale". Besides that, in my opinion, a**holes are the exact opposite of interpersonally competent people. And, interpersonal competence is a key to success in life and your career.

Dr. Sutton defines an a**hole as someone who "oppresses, humiliates, de-energizes or belittles a subordinate or colleague". He lists a dirty dozen actions common to them.

1. Personal insults
2. Invading another's personal space
3. Uninvited personal contact
4. Threats and intimidation, both verbal and non verbal
5. Sarcastic jokes and teasing used to deliver insults
6. Withering email flames
7. Status slaps intended to humiliate another person
8. Public shaming or status degradation rituals
9. Rude interruptions
10. Two-faced attacks
11. Dirty looks
12. Treating people as if they are invisible

Clearly, these are all things to avoid. However, my friend Paulette Ensign always reminds me that it's always more helpful to tell someone what to do, that what not to do. In keeping with Paulette's excellent advice, here is my take on Dr. Sutton's dirty dozen.

1. Keep conversation focused on the problem or topic under discussion, not the people involved.
2. Be aware of other people's personal space. Maintain an appropriate distance.
3. Keep work relationships, work relationships. Don't assume that your work colleagues want to be your friend outside of work.
4. Explain the consequences that come with a certain behavior in a non threatening manner.
5. Use humor for humor's sake, or to relieve tension - not to hurt or insult another person.
6. If you're upset, call or speak to the other person, don't send an email. Avoid copying others on an e mail where you are providing negative feedback. Don't use the bcc function as a means of sending a message about someone to another person. Never respond to an e mail when you're angry.
7. Treat all people with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings.
8. Ban all hazing rituals in your workplace. If you are not in a position to ban such activities, choose to not participate in them.
9. Listen to people in an attempt to understand what they are saying. Don't interrupt, or speak until you are sure they are finished speaking.
10. Be forthright. If you don't like something that someone has done, tell him or her - not other people.
11. Keep a neutral or pleasant look on your face. Avoid trying to intimidate others by your expression.
12. Acknowledge others. Say hello, look them in the eye. Treat everyone you encounter with dignity and respect.

Dr. Sutton is writing for leaders. He suggests some ideas for implementing a no a**hole rule in your organization. He also presents some ideas on how to survive in a toxic work atmosphere. And, as Dr. Sutton points out, all of us are probably a little bit guilty of being an a**hole on occasion. However, by becoming aware of our actions we can all stamp out inappropriate behavior and become interpersonally competent people. And, as I always remind myself and those who I coach, interpersonal competence is a key to career and life success.
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Editorial Review

If talent is the leading indicator of whether a business is up or down, a success or a failure (and it is) . . . do you know how to accurately judge raw human talent? Understand a person's unique combination of traits? Develop that talent? Convert what supposedly are "soft" subjective judgments about people into objective criteria that are as specific, verifiable, and concrete as the contents of a financial statement?
     The talent masters do. They put people before numbers for the simple reason that it is talent that delivers the numbers. Success comes from those who are able to extract meaning from events and the forces affecting a business, and are able to look at the world and assess the risks to take and the risks to avoid.
     The Talent Masters itself stems from a unique combination of talent: During a forty-year career at General Electric, Bill Conaty worked closely with CEOs Jack Welch and Jeff Immelt to build that company's worldrenowned talent machine. Ram Charan is the legendary advisor to companies around the world. Together they use their unparalleled experience and insight to write the definitive book on talent—a breakthrough in how to take a business to the next level:

• Secrets of the masters. The specifics on how companies regarded as world-class—GE, P&G, Hindustan Unilever (and others)—base their stellar performance decade after decade on their systems for finding and nurturing leadership talent.
• Intimate and systemic. Why deep knowledge and intimacy with your talent and a systemic rhythm of reviews are the foundation for creating a steady, selfrenewing stream of leaders for all levels of an organization—from first-line supervisors to the CEO.
• The competency that lasts. Financial results, market share, brand, and legacy products all have a half-life that seems to grow shorter by the year. Talent is the only competency that endures.
• What to do Monday morning. The Talent Masters tool kit provides the specific guidelines for assessing and improving your company’s talent mastery capabilities. ... Read more

Reviews

Observing Talent, Making Judgments About It...And Figuring Out How to Unleash It!, November 14, 2010
Business has gotten a whole lot tougher in the past decade with globalization, regulation, geopolitics, and, most recently, the failure of the global financial system. Sustainability and survival of an organization depend more than ever on the recruitment, development, and retention of its human capital.

In my work, medical device start-ups, it has been well understood for years that there are three keys to success - management, management, and management. Leadership talent has been and will continue to be the differentiator in maximizing the commercial success of an unproven technology and the creation of value.

In "Talent Masters: Why Smart Leaders Put People Before Numbers," authors Ram Charan and Bill Connaty show how a few large and mostly mature companies - some with experience over many years and some newcomers - have "embedded in their culture the habits of observing talent, making judgments about it, and figuring out how to UNLEASH IT." Companies highlighted include General Electric, Proctor & Gamble, Hindustin, Goodyear, UniCredit, the Texas Pacific Group. They fully appreciate that talent is required for value creation and good numbers.

These companies "analyze talent, understand it, shape it, and build in through a combination of disciplined routines and processes, and something even rarer and harder to observe from outside: a collective expertise, honed with continuous improvement in recognizing and developing talent. These companies have disproved the myth that the judgment of human potential is a "soft" art."

Charan and Conaty have organized the book into three sections:

* First, an insider's look into GE's much admired talent management system and why it works. The authors each have 40+ years of experience with GE - Charan as an outside consultant, and Conaty as an executive insider.
* Second, a look into a wide range of approaches by Talent Masters from a number of other companies.
* The third and last section show the application of talent master by companies who have entered the "talent growth" game recently.

A weakness I have observed here in Silicon Valley with many medtech executives is a reluctance to "stretch" talent. This goes against my training at American Hospital Supply Corporation (now Baxter) where "talent" was stretched over and over again. (I served as a Director of International with 11 operations at the age of 28, and as a Division President at age 32). AHSC, a pioneering talent master, left a legacy by producing many of the health care executives that led the industry over the past thirty years.

Charan and Conaty note that Talent Masters place "stretch" bets for three good reasons.
1. People facing stretch situations are not likely to be overconfident and are eager to learn more from others.
2. Stretching people helps to retain talented people who are itching to advance and may look to greener pastures if they do not get a chance.
3. Successful stretches attract better candidates in the future because ambitious and capable people will know that they won't have to wait for slots to open.

"Talent Masters" turns managerial succession upside down - "Rather than finding people to fill positions, this approach puts the emphasis on opening paths for leaders to grow their talents and become ever more capable."

"Talent Masters" is a good "how to" book for those company executives who are seriously focused on increasing the bandwidth of their "talent pool," want to retain the high potentials they have, and want to recruit top talent in an ever competitive environment.

Talent: At the Heart of Future Success, November 11, 2010
Having read Noel Tichy's take on this subject based on his unique experience at GE, I was eager to read this book. And, I confess to being a big fan of Ram Charan as I am of Tichy. I wasn't disappointed as the authors share not only ways some successful companies identify talent but also the processes they use for growing that talent.

I have always believed that the first responsibility of presidents or CEOs of for-profit and non-profit organizations is to develop future leaders from within yet too few companies know how to do it well in my judgment. This book will help younger and older managers and executives improve how they do it. I only wish the authors had shared the secrets from additional organizations that are also committed to leadership development.

I have the privilege of working with some of the country's top business leaders--presidents, CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives. Some of them head or have headed large firms yet others have led smaller firms. In every case, though, they are constantly looking for ways to reach out to their managers and staffs to enable them to prosper in their careers. I think of Amgen, Steelcase, Chelsea Milling (Jiffy Mix!), San Francisco Giants Baseball Club, Southwest Airlines, the University of Michigan, Abbott Laboratories, Limoneira, Sage Publications and others.

Hats off to Bill Conaty and Ram Charan for their enormous contribution to this vital arena where much more learning is required if America is to regain its leadership position in the business world. This is a superb book, one to read and then use again and again.

Ritch K. Eich, Ph.D.
President
Eich Associated

Insightful and Practical, November 19, 2010
The Talent Masters provides an excellent insiders view into how the best companies manage talent. What's illuminating is just how ingrained and deliberate the principles and practices of managing talent are in the featured companies (GE, P&G, Novartis ) Nothing is left to chance. Everyone talks about how GE manages talent so it's interesting to hear just how straightforward some of the processes are, albeit underpinned by disciplined execution and absolute leadership commitment. It seems that so many companies today are getting caught up and perhaps distracted by technology. They put their talent management processes online to increase efficiency but often fall short on effectiveness. This book focuses squarely on effectiveness. It's a must read for any HR/Talent Management professionals and is equally valuable to line leaders and executives seeking to think more strategically about the age old challenge of ensuring that they have the right people in the right roles at the right time to execute business strategy and deliver results. The Talent Mastery tool kit at the end of the book provides practical tools that can be adopted and put to use in any company.

Garrett Sheridan,
Managing Partner
Axiom Consulting Partners

How to develop "robust talent pipelines and same-day succession plans", November 19, 2010

I agree with Bill Conaty and Ram Charan that Steve Jobs is the archetypical "talent master." Few others possess his combination of intelligence, temperament, energy, and determination (indeed tenacity) when the objective is to sustain generation of what Jobs characterizes as "insanely great ideas," then dominate markets with the products those ideas suggest.

However, all of us can be "more like Steve" if we are willing to become more astute in terms of (a) identifying a person's talent more precisely than can most other people by observing and listening; (b) strengthen our abilities through constant and intense practice; (c) make better judgments by mastering what Roger Martin characterizes as "integrative thinking" (i.e. "the predisposition and the capacity to hold two [or more] diametrically opposed ideas" in his head and then "without panicking or simply settling for one alternative or the other" to "produce a synthesis that is superior to either opposing idea"; and master, also, their people skills when involved in various social processes and interactions.

Whereas Steve Jobs is the archetypical "talent master," General Electric is the archetypical "talent master" organization. "When a valued leader does leave the fold - even one who may seem indispensable at the moment - the people in charge know what to do. They understand the business, know the candidates' strengths and development needs [not weaknesses], and are well prepared to fill the slot with the right match quickly - even in a matter of hours. The goal is clear: no pause, no time for people to commiserate, no laxity in decision making, and no opportunity for the competition to poach talent."

Conaty and Charan offer a case in point. "When Larry Johnston resigned [to become CEO of Albertson's], GE set itself a new record for speed, naming his successor and three others down the line in half a day and announcing the changes before the day was over. That performance has been the model to shoot for ever since. GE does not allow a top leadership vacuum to exist, even for a day." The institutional response to Johnston's unexpected resignation was possible only because GE had (and continues to have) "robust talent pipelines and same-day succession plans" in place and operational. The rapid response also demonstrates "the strength and power of the GE system of talent mastery, one centered on the Session C system.

Robust talent pipelines, C Sessions, and same-day succession plans are worthless without people who know how to make the most effective use of them. The development of talent therefore requires the mastery of skills needed to sustain that development. The ever-practical Conaty and Charan identify five specific organizational "How-Tos":

1. Get all senior leaders centrally engaged in talent recognition and selection
2. Hire for demonstrated leadership, not just for credentials
3. Learn as much as possible about values and behavior before hiring
4. Be humble enough to hire "outsiders" but ensure cultural assimilation
5. Be totally honest about who has greatest leadership potential

They also identify five specific "How-Tos" for the individual:

1. Make talent development an obsession
2. Drill down deep to the specifics of each person's talents and potentiality
3. Give frequent, honest, and specific feedback
4. Make talent development a core competency with accountability
5. Provide intellectual challenges and opportunities fir additional growth

I presume to suggest that an extended metaphor, "gardening," is instructive in this context: establish a culture of rich "soil" that has sufficient sunlight and moisture; plant the best "seeds" and then nourish them; prune, relocate, or remove one or more, if necessary; and meanwhile protect the garden as "plant" growth continues.

Talent is a resource, an asset, not a title or position. Most knowledge transfers in any workplace occur informally during interactions between and among those involved. To varying degree, each person should be both a "teacher" and a "student." That is why this book can be immensely valuable to those who have supervisory responsibilities as well as to those entrusted to their care. ... Read more

Editorial Review

One of the world's foremost experts on business leadership distills 25 years of experience and wisdom in this visionary guide to what it will take to lead the organization of the 21st century. "Every business leader can profit from Kotters thinking on change."--Larry Bossidy, Chairman and CEO, AlliedSignal, Inc. Available August 1996. ... Read more

Reviews

"The Eight Steps to Transformation"
"Over the past decade," John P. Kotter writes, "I have watched more than a hundred companies try to remake themselves into significantly better competitors. They have included large organizations (Ford) and small ones (Landmark Communications), companies based in United States (General Motors) and elsewhere (British Airways), corporations that were on their knees (Eastern Airlines), and companies that were earning good money (Bristol-Myers Squibb). Their efforts have gone under many banners: total quality management, reengineering, right-sizing, restructuring, cultural change, and turnaround. But in almost every case the basic goal has been the same: to make fundamental changes in how business is conducted in order to help cope with a new, more challenging market environment. A few of these corporate change efforts have been very successful. A few have been utter failures. Most fall somewhere in between, with a distinct tilt toward the lower end of the scale. The lessons that can be drawn are interesting and will probably be relevant to even more organizations in the increasingly competitive business environment of the coming decade."

In this context, John P. Kotter lists the most general lessons to be learned from both (I) the more successful cases and (II) the critical mistakes as follows:

I. Lessons from the more successful cases:

1. Establishing a sense of urgency

* Examining market and competitive realities

* Identifying and discursing crises, potential crises, or major opportunities

2. Forming a powerful guiding coalition

* Assembling a group with enough power to lead the change effort

* Encouraging the group to work together as a team

3. Creating a vision

* Creating a vision to help direct the change effort

* Developing strategies for achieving that vision

4. Communicating vision

* Using every vehicle possible to communicate the new vision and strategies

* Teaching new behaviors by the example of the guiding coalition

5. Empowering others to act on the vision

* Getting rid of obstancles to change

* Changing systems or structures that seriously undermine the vision

* Encouraging risk taking and nontraditional ideas, activities, and actions

6. Planning for and creating short-term wins

* Planning for visible performance improvements

* Creating those improvements

* Recognizing and rewarding employees involved in the improvements

7. Consolidating improvements and producing still more change

* Using increased credibility to change systems, structures, and policies that don't fit the vision

* Hiring, promoting, and developing employees who can implement the vision

* Reinvigorating the process with new projects, themes, and change agents

8.Institutionalizing new approaches

* Articulating the connections between the new behaviors and corporate success

* Developing the means to ensure leadership development and succession

II. Lessons from the critical mistakes:

1. Not establishing enough sense of urgency - A transformation program requires the aggressive cooperation of many individuals. Without motivation, people won't help and the effort goes nowhere.

2. Not creating a powerful guiding coalition - Companies that fail in this phase usually underestimate the difficulties of producing change and thus the importance of a powerful quiding coalition.

3. Lacking a vision - Without a sensible vision, a transformation effort can easily dissolve into a list of confusing and incompatible projects that can take the organization in the wrong direction or nowhere at all.

4. Undercommunicating the vision - Transformation is impossible unless hundreds or thousands of people are willing to help, often to the point of making short-term sacrifices.

5. Not removing obstacles to the new vision - Sometimes the obstacle is the organizational structure: narrow job categories can seriously undermine efforts to increase productivity or make it very difficult even to think about customers. Sometimes compensation or performance-appraisal systems make people choose between the new vision and their own self-interest. Perhaps worst of all are bosses who refuse to change and who make demands that are inconsistent with the overall effort.

6. Not systematically planning and creating short-term wins - Creating short-term wins is different from hoping for short-term wins. The latter is passive, the former active. In a successful transformation, managers actively look for ways to obtain clear performance improvements, establish goals in the yearly planning system, achieve the objectives, and reward the people involved with recognition, promotions, and even money.

7. Declaring victory too soon - Instead of declaring victory, leaders of successful efforts use the credibility afforded by short-term wins to tackle even bigger problems.

8. Not anchoring changes in the corporation's culture - Change sticks when it becomes "the way we do things around here," when it seeps into the bloodstream of the corporate body. Until new behaviors are rooted in social norms and shared values, they are subject to degradation as soon as the pressure for change is removed.

Finally, John P. Kotter writes, "There are still more mistakes that people make, but these eight are the big ones. In reality, even successful change efforts are messy and full of surprises. But just as a relatively simple vision is needed to guide people through a major change, so a vision of the change process can reduce the error rate. And fewer errors can spell the difference between success and failure."

Highly recommended.

Make Change Irresistibly Attractive
The leaders of some organizations have no idea how to make successful changes, and are likely to waste a lot of resources on unsuccessful efforts. Professor Kotter has done a solid job of outlining the elements that must be addressed, so now your organization will at last know what they should be working on.

On the other hand, if you have not seen this done successfully before, you may need more detailed examples than this book provides or outside facilitators to help you until you have enough experience to go solo. I suspect this book will not be detailed enough by itself to get you where you want to go.

Here's a hint: The Harvard Business Review article by Professor Kotter covers the same material in a much shorter form. You can save time and money by checking this out first before buying the book.

I personally find that measurements are very helpful to create self-stimulation to change, and this book does not pay enough attention in that direction. If you agree that measurements are a useful way to stimulate change, be sure to read The Balanced Scorecard, as well, which will help you understand how to use appropriate measurements to make more successful changes.

If you want to know what changes to make, this book will also not do it for you. I suggest you read Peter Drucker's Management Challenges for the 21st Century and Peter Senge's Fifth Discipline.

Good luck!

Eight-stage process for transformation programs
John P. Kotter is Professor of Leadership at the Harvard Business School. He has written several books and articles on general management and leadership issues. This particular book builds on his 1995 Harvard Business Review-article 'Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail'.

The book is split up into three parts. In the first part - The Change Problem and Its Solution - Kotter discusses the eight main reasons why in many situations the improvements have been disappointing, with wasted resources and burned-out, scared, or frustrated employees. Each of these eight errors are discussed in detail, using simple, clear examples. "Making any of the eight errors in common to transformation efforts can have serious consequences." But Kotter argues that these errors are not inevitable. And this is why Kotter has written this book. "The key lies in understanding why organizations resist needed change, what exactly is the multistage process that can overcome destructive inertia, and, most of all, how the leadership that is required to drive that process in a socially healthy way means more than good management." In Chapter 2, Kotter discusses the reasons why organizations (can) need changes and improvements. Although some people suggest otherwise, Kotter believes that organizations can implement change successfully. "The methods used in successful transformations are all based on one fundamental insight: that major change will not happen easily for a long list of reasons." Kotter introduces an eight-stage process for creating major change.

This eight-stage process is discussed in Part Two of this book:
(1) The first stage of the process involves the establishment of a sense of urgency, which is required to overcome complacency. The nine sources of complacency are discussed, whereby Kotter emphasizes that "a good rule of thumb in a major change effort is: Never underestimate the magnitude of the forces that reinforce complacency and that help maintain the status quo." He further discusses methods for raising urgency levels, the role of crises, and the role of middle and lower-level managers.
(2) The second stage involves the creation of a guiding coalition. "A strong guiding coalition is always needed - one with the right composition, level of trust, and shared objective." According to the author the four key characteristics to effective guiding coalition are position power, expertise, credibility, and leadership. And he emphasizes that management and leadership must work in tandem, teamwork style.
(3) The third stage requires the development of a vision and strategy. Good vision clarifies the general direction for change, motivates people to take action in the right direction, and it helps coordinate people's actions. The characteristics of an effective vision are imaginable, desirable, feasible, focused, flexible, and communicable. But vision alone is not enough. "This is where strategy plays an important role. Strategy provides both logic and a first level detail to show how a vision can be accomplished."
(4) The power of a vision is most powerful when all people within an organization have a common understanding of its goals and direction. Although the general myth is that failures to communicate vision are attributed to either limited intellectual capabilities among lower-level employees or a general human resistance to change. But that is not really the problem. The vision needs to be communicated in a clear, simple message (focused and jargon-free). Kotter discusses each of the seven key elements in the communication of vision.
(5) Empowering employees for broad-based action - "Discouraged and disempowered employees never make enterprises winners in a globalizing economic environment. But with the right structure, training, systems, and supervisors to build on a well-communicated vision, increasing numbers of firms are finding that they can tap an enormous source of power to improve organizational performance. They can mobilize hundreds or thousands of people to help provide leadership to produce needed changes."
(6) Major change takes time and it is therefore advisable to pay serious attention to short-term wins. Short-term wins should be visible, unambiguous, and related to the change effort. Short-term wins play various roles in a change effort, most notably building the necessary momentum.
(7) Many forces can stall a change process short of the finish line. And we should be aware that irrational and political resistance to change never fully dissipates. We should not let the celebration of short-term wins allow complacency back into the organization. We should also be aware that progress can slip away for two reasons: corporate culture (see more in the next stage) and increased interdependence as a result from interconnections.
(8) "Culture refers to norms of behavior and shared values among a group of people." In large organizations, there are some social forces (corporate culture) that affect everyone. Corporate cultures have a powerful influence on human behavior, since it is almost impossible to change and invisible. Kotter believes that "culture is powerful for three reasons: (i) Because individuals are selected and indoctrinated so well. (ii) Because the culture exerts itself through the actions of hundreds or thousands of people. (iii) Because all of this happens without much conscious intent and thus is difficult to challenge or even discuss." He provides with one other important warning: "most cultural change happens in stage 8, not stage 1."

Part III - Implications for the Twenty-First Century - consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, Kotter discusses the organization of the future. In particular, the impact of the future on the eight stages in the change process. There is an interesting table, which compares the differences in structure, systems, and culture between 20th-century and 21st-century organizations. "The key to creating and sustaining the kind of successful 21st-century organization is leadership - not only at the top of the hierarchy, with a capital L, but also in a more modest sense (l) throughout the enterprise." These two notions are discussed in detail in the final chapter of the book.

Yes, this is an excellent book on controlling change. The book provides an extremely useful framework for a change process and should be kept as a checklist. Although the process looks rigid, the stages are flexible and take place concurrently. I recommend this book to all people involved in a major change process within larger organizations. The author uses simple business US-English.

Clear and direct to the point guide for management success.
This invaluable reading helped me navigate through the numerous challenges encountered when establishing a long term direction for my organization. Kotter does an excellent job in breaking down the basic elements to developing a success vision. Most importantly, his book leads you into a self evaluation of your personal traits, skills , and leadership style and how they support or encumber your goal achieving process. I believe "Leading Change" is a must read for those of us who think we are high performers and certainly recommend it for pre-interview brush ups.

Transforming Organizations is Tough Without Leading Change!
Transforming organizations is tough! It is more difficult than many people realize. Generally, leaders attempt change efforts that are too mild and then give them too little time to succeed. As a result, many transformations fail.

Even though this book was published four years ago, it is still on the cutting edge of modern, linear change in organizations. In my own consulting work I see this book--more than any other--used as a reference point when dicussing change strategies.

Kotter's ideas of establishing a sense of urgency and creating a guiding coalition brought great insight to the part of the change process known as readiness. Another great contribution is the idea that culture--being the most difficult thing to change--is generally the last change tackled, and the capping change that must take place for true lasting change to occur.

John Kotter begins this book by sharing why transformation efforts fail. He then takes the reader on a journey through an eight stage process of creating major change. He concludes this three-part book with a look at the implications for the twenty-first cnetury related to organizations and leadership.

Any facilitator or recipient of change efforts who has not read this book, has missed one of the mandatory books about the change process in North American culture.

Buy it today!

Leading Change by John P. Kotter
The book is terrific if you really intend to move your organization forward through change. The insights proferred by the author are exceptionally pertinent to today's global changes. Provided in the book are step-by-step processes to achieve success as well as pitfalls to avoid. The eight primary mistakes of leading changes are clearly identified and relevant discussions are presented in a clear and concise manner. I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to accompish change with the least amount of pain to their employees and with the most guarantee of success. Outstanding.

Organizational Diagnosis - Powerful insights
Working in an organization where change stalled, to a point where innovation is absolutely discouraged, there were some sleepless nights when I couldn't stop thinking "Why? What went wrong?" After reading the first chapter of Leading Change, the answers come to surface with surgical precision. In fact, I can now pinpoint almost all reasons why things went wrong, and how one can turn from a leading prince into a caged victim. If I had had this insight earlier in my job, perhaps early warning could have been given. In fact, Mr. Kotter's books reads (for my organization) almost like a case study on "make the 8 basic mistakes, relax and watch chaos emerge". In my particular case, I can even give the names and position for each key player that failed. At the level of this book, I can only place Sun Tzu 's classic, "The Art of War", and I would reccommend this book to every person having management resposibilities, since it gives the necessary insight to diagnose malfunction symptoms clearly and precisely. All that is needed is good sense and fair judgement. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, the latest New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller from Gallup Press.

Much of what we think will improve our wellbeing is eithermisguided or just plain wrong.

Contrary to what many peoplebelieve, wellbeing isn't just about being happy. Nor is it only aboutbeing wealthy or successful. And it's certainly not limited to physicalhealth and wellness. In fact, focusing on any of these elements inisolation may drive us to frustration and even a sense of failure.

When striving to improve our lives, we are quick to buy into programs thatpromise to help us make money, lose weight, or strengthen ourrelationships. While it might be easier to treat these critical areas in our lives as if they operate independently, they don't. Gallup'scomprehensive study of people in more than 150 countries revealed fiveuniversal, interconnected elements that shape our lives:

TheFive Essential Elements

• Career Wellbeing
• SocialWellbeing
• Financial Wellbeing
• Physical Wellbeing
• Community Wellbeing

Reviews

How to identify, measure, nourish, and then leverage whatever makes life worthwhile, May 4, 2010

This is Tom Rath's latest book, co-authored with Jim Harter whose previous book, 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Harter co-authored with Rodd Wagner. Rath explains that in addition to their own research for this book, he and Harter consulted an abundance of research conducted by the Gallup Organization with which they are associated. Moreover, "Gallup assembled an assessment composed of the best questions asked over the last 50 years. To create this assessment, the Well-Being Finder, we tested hundreds of questions across countries, languages, and vastly different life situations."

For me, some of the most important revelations include those that help to explain how people (in a 150 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe) experience their days and evaluate their lives overall. More specifically, as Rath and Harter explain, five distinct statistical factors emerged. "These core dimensions are universal elements of well-being, or how we think about and experience our lives - the interconnected elements that differentiate a thriving life from one spent suffering." Although 66% of those surveyed are doing well in one of the five areas, only 7% are thriving in all five. "These five factors are the currency of a life that is worthwhile. They describe demands of life that we can all [begin italics] do something about [end italics] and that are important to people in every life situation we studied." Here they are, with my own take on each:

Career Well-Being: To be eager to begin work each day, feel appreciated as a person as well as an employee, respect supervisor, enjoys associates, speak with pride and appreciation about company to others

Social Well-Being: To have several strong relationships, be able toactivate a support system when encountering problems, feel loved

Financial Well-Being: To manage finances prudently, be aware of costs and in control of expenditures, frugal but not cheap

Physical Well-Being: To get sufficient rest as well as rigorous regular exercise, have plenty of energy in reserve, eat sensibly)

Note: In Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, John Ratey explains why there is a direct and decisive correlation between a healthy lively body and a healthy lively brain. Those who have a special interest in this important subject are strongly urged to check out Ratey's book.

Community Well-Being: To be actively and productively engaged in the neighborhood and in the community as well as in various groups within the area such as a church, P.T.A., Crime Watch, Meals on Wheels, homeowners' association, etc.

Rath and Harter have much of value to say about each of these five dimensions of human experience such as their core values, sources of nutrition, strategies for development, threats to well-being, and interdependence with each other. Of even greater value, in my opinion, they suggest what lessons can be learned from responses to Gallup's global surveys during the last 50 years and offer their observations and recommendations in terms of how each reader can improve the quality of life and sense of well-being in each dimension.

They observe, "For many people, spirituality is the thread that connects and drives them in [begin italics] all [end italics] of these areas. Their faith is the single most important element in their lives, and it is the foundation of their daily efforts across each of the five areas. For others, a deep mission, such as protecting the environment, drives them each day. While the things that motivate us differ greatly from one person to the next, the outcomes do not."

Readers will especially appreciate Rath and Harter's provision of a brief summary of the "essentials" at the conclusion of the separate chapter they devote to each of the five elements. They also provide seven appendices in the "Additional Tools and Resources" section and thus enable each reader to complete a number of self-diagnostic exercises within the context they have so carefully formulated throughout the preceding narrative. Appendix A, for example, consists of "The Well-Being Finder: Measuring and Managing Your Well-Being" and Appendix G offers a brief but remarkably comprehensive discussion of "Well-Being Around the World."

Credit Tom Rath and Jim Harter with a brilliant achievement of enduring importance and exceptional significance. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time someone has analyzed hundreds of Gallup's global surveys involving millions of respondents and correlated, indeed integrated what they reveal within a framework that embraces five major dimensions of human experience.

I wholeheartedly agree with them that "one of the best ways to create more good days is by setting positive defaults. Any time you can help your short-term self work with your longer-term aims, it presents an opportunity. You can intentionally choose to spend more time with the people you enjoy most and engage your strengths as much as possible." Once our daily choices are in proper alignment with long-term benefits, our families, our friendships, our workplaces, and our communities will become healthier and thus even more worthwhile. If well-being is the objective, then well-becoming is the opportunity.

Jeffrey Fisher, M.A., Personal and Business Coach, May 23, 2010
This book, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, is more than just an amazing read it's also an ongoing process. I'll explain. Tom Rath and Jim Harter, both associated with Gallup, were involved in the design of an assessment - the Wellbeing Finder - that tested hundreds of questions across 150 countries and multiple languages, with populations in vastly different life situations. What emerged from the research were five universal elements of well-being that differentiate individuals who are suffering or thriving in their lives. These elements include career wellbeing, social wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing.

The book covers all of these areas, as well as much of the research, and provides a rather straightforward guide to help individuals get more out of life and boost their own wellbeing. More than that, within the book you will be able to find a key that allows you to do an online assessment of all these five areas and compare yourself to a large database of individuals demographically. In addition it is possible to record well-being on a daily basis, on all of these five factors, and get some sense of how sometimes subtle changes in your routine or experience can have a significant affect on your wellbeing.

What I love about this book, and the online assessment tool, is that reading it and actively participating in the process really provides you with some concrete areas to improve. The authors make it clear that many of us are unwilling to make long-term changes in our habits even if we know that maintaining our presence lifestyles will lead to significant long-term consequences. Their understanding that regular evidenced-based feedback and concrete goals and action plans can make a huge difference in whether we just survive or thrive.

This is going to be a very popular book!

Gallup Catches Up With the University of Notre Dame, June 27, 2010
Best-selling authors Tom Rath ("Strength Finders 2.0") and Jim Harter ("12:The Elements of Great Managing") have outlined where life's focus should be to achieve "Well Being." Wellbeing is not about being rich, successful, happy nor is it limited to health and wellness. "Wellbeing is about the combination of our love for what we do every day, the quality of our relationships, the security of our finances, the vibrancy of our physical health, and the pride we take in what we have contributed to our communities. Most importantly, it's about how these five elements interact."

The book "Wellbeing" is the result of Gallup research covering 150 countries, representing 98% of the world's population. Five universal elements of wellbeing emerged from its research and were found to be universal across faiths, cultures, and nationalities. "These elements differentiate a thriving life from one spent suffering." 66% of the study participants were found to be doing well in at least one of the major areas, with just 7% thriving in all five.

The single biggest threat to wellbeing is "me"; we tend to work against our best interests.

Authors Rath and Harter lay out how we can work in our best interests and make a difference in managing our wellbeing with a thorough discussion on the role of each of the five elements (Career Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Community Wellbeing); with an action plan (use your strengths each day, buy experiences with friends and family, etc) following each section; with a Wellbeing Finder to test the reader's wellbeing (much like the Strengths Finder test); and with plenty of other tools and references including data on wellbeing across the U.S. and the world.

I was taught that life balance is achieved by growing intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually throughout life while a student at the University of Notre Dame. Those I would meet who were "out-of-balance" would have a deficit in one or more of these essentials. "Well Being," for me, is an extension of the Notre Dame philosophy and is well worth the time for all seeking a "life well lived."

Concise Authoritative Book, but One Element is Missing, August 20, 2010
I read the Rath and Hartner wellbeing book and I loved it. I teach Positive Psychology at the University level and found it really attractive to have something so authoritative and concise and so user friendly. The relevance of the info and how only useful info was included was also attractive. I read in on the bus and only took less then 1.5 hrs. The ease of reading was a big plus. The 112 pages of core text is impressive because it is so very jam packed with vital/key info, but not in a cluttered way or a way that made the info inaccessible. I know the research and so know what was being said had plenty of empirical support. Yet, the science foundation was strategically downplayed in favor of increased user-friendlyness and accessibility. Lack of references was a plus in regards student buy-in/uptake/readability. So, to summarize, the main thing I liked most was the concise efficiency and effectiveness/persuasiveness of info delivery.

Plus, each sentence was masterfully crafted for maximum communication value in a way that packed a desirable intellectual punch. Bravo to the authors for making an art out of communicating science. Its a really truly a work of art. Rarely is science make to be so very appealing to the popular culture. And not just appealing but useful info too. I liked how it was both an authoritative read but also a friendly read.

In terms of weaknesses, being a psychologist, i felt the major limitation was they left out what I consider to be the 6th Element. It really did come as a surprise that Rath and Hartner overlooked Psychological Wellbeing. I see they compensated for the excessive autistic nature of many Psychological models of Wellbeing. It was a real strength to include coverage of career, social, physical wellbeing. I don't often see financial wellbeing being included and liked the expanded concern with the person's ecology. The chapter on community wellbeing was wonderful, again featuring the contextualized person. But, the thinking, feeling, yearning, experiencing, sensing, and motivated person was missing. A 6th Element to address this would make the next edition of the wellbeing book more appealing to psychologists. Still, its incredibly strong and I will extract some info and place it in my lectures when i teach Positive Psychology in the Fall of 2010, at the University of Windsor (Ontario Canada).s

Well Being, Indeed, July 19, 2010
The Gallup folks have done it again. They've conducted rigorous research in 150 countries, including the US, on what makes us live a complete life--one of wellbeing. In their quest among oceans of data, they've discovered five elements that shape a life of wellbeing: Career Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, and Community Wellbeing. They've not only written an immensely accessible, readable book, but also a well documented, well sourced one. Furthermore, Tom Rath and Jim Harter have created a Wellbeing Finder, an online instrument that provides follow-up reader engagement. Gallup has done this before with its now famous StrengthsFinder. I recommend Well Being to anyone interested in their own, their team's, and their organization's wellbeing.

Rate Your Wellbeing, June 23, 2010
Let me start by saying that my own wellbeing is VERY high. How do I know this? Many years ago I read both "The Guide to Rational Living in an Irrational World" by Ellis and Harper, and "You're the Expert " by Gerald I. Nierenberg, each of which describes and explains how to achieve wellbeing - I have been practicing their good advice ever since.

This book is based on extensive research and analysis of Gallup polling data, from which five clusters of factors emerged - wellbeing is based on a balance of all five. Those wellbeing factors are Career, Relationships, Finances, Health, and Community Involvement. I certainly agree that all these factors are important. There is also available an online wellbeing assessment that is accessible through a unique code from each copy of the book. I took the assessment and received my summary results.

Did the authors get it right? Yes, as a matter of fact, they did! My "Wellbeing Index," based on the answers to multiple questions that were provided and that I answered honestly and to the best of my ability was 93%! I was therefore rated as "Thriving," an achievement that only 7% of the tested population accomplished - and this scoring system is claimed to be based on 98% of the population of the entire planet!

All of this was done after I read ONLY the 8-page introduction - I didn't want to take the chance that reading the remainder of the book would prep me to skew my answers to try and conform to some stereotype that the authors had identified. But with my wellbeing results determined, I was ready to read the remainder of the book. Although the discussion of the wellbeing elements is good, based on my own experience, something was missing, namely the role of learning - since I previously learned the basis and practice of wellbeing, I don't fit the "typical person profile," as my results showed. I have also learned NOT to worry about many of the things many other people seem prone to worry about. Lastly, the assessment of some of my factors did NOT take into account that I view these things strategically, and regard any departures from "best practices" as temporary while I invest in my human capital to improve my prospects in the long run. On that basis I would rate my wellbeing index at 99%!

For any readers whose ratings from the online assessment are not in the "thriving" category, this book will point the way to developing habits that can improve their wellbeing. The challenge will be to commit to a plan of implementation, with continual refinements for fine-tuning, and occasional re-assessments on the Wellbeing Tracker to chart their progress. My own recommendation: at any particular point, do the best you can, and don't "worry" about your own shortcomings - worry can lead to depression, and it doesn't help - incremental change does help!

Maintaining a Balanced & Productive Life, May 19, 2010
Many people strive for a condition of "wellbeing" without understanding all of the elements that go into such a state. Some may become obsessed with the financial rewards, while others may dwell on the physical end of the spectrum; watching their diet and weight so religiously, they forget to enjoy anything they eat or do.

In other words, their lives lack balance; an essential element that goes into that blissful state of wellbeing. Of course, in practically any endeavor, a lack of balance is usually the recipe for disaster; or at least, unfulfilled potential.

The authors, Tom Rath & Jim Harter (co-author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing - one of my favorite books) have teamed up to produce this pragmatic and wonderfully simple guide to wellbeing. The research they compiled was anything but simple; in fact, it was exhaustive. The good news is they have successfully identified the five essential elements that go into any individual's state of wellbeing, no matter where they inhabit this planet. That may come as a surprise to some of us; wellbeing knows no geographical boundaries, political ideologies or religious beliefs. It applies to that guy in China or that lady in Germany; or to you and me.

The five elements: Career, Social, Financial, Physical & Community

Maintaing a balanced life; encompassing equal doses of these five elements, produces the best results for us. We have the authors' well-researched word on it.

How do you rate your well-being?, June 7, 2010
Our culture often dictates our priorities in life, whether it's financial gain, community participation, etc. This book allows us to step back and take a look at a bigger picture of ourselves, reminding us that a narrow focus on only one or two items is not a long term plan for true happiness with our lives. That happiness and contentment with our lives comes from a variety of aspects. Read, learn, grow. Re-Engineering Your Life

Basic common sense based on many studies from the past, May 5, 2010
Certainly this information is extremely good to revisit. But, the fact is, this is not new information. There are basic things that make for a well-rounded, happy human being. Maslow addressed what man needs to complete his life and fill it out into a well-rounded and enjoyable event in his hierarchy of needs theory in 1943.

Career Well-Being, Social Well-Being,Financial Well-Being and Physical Well-Being are the needs for a well-rounded person according to the authors. It's hard to disagree with this. But it was all set out in Maslow's theory in a more thorough way --- a way that goes further from the beginning step to the final step.

Maslow said we need the following in this order:

Physiological needs which include:

Breathing
Food
Homeostatis

Safety and security which includes:

Personal security
Financial security
Health and well-being
Safety net against accidents/illness

Love and Belonging which include:

Friendship
Intimacy
Family

Esteem . . .

and finally, self-actualization.

I personally feel that each of us has a different opinion of what some of these needs are. For example, what may be personal security or financial security to one person, may be quite inadequate to another. All things are relative.

Many books through the years and decades have addressed this. But basically we all know what makes a person happy and what a human being needs to do to feel complete and happy in his environment. That doesn't make the information any less valuable. So it's good to read it again and for those who need to revisit the information, this is a good read.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

Gallup Does It Again!, June 24, 2010
Gallup does it again with a survey that helps you look at yourself in an empowering way. Thanks also for the repetitive scoring opportunities and the daily check, this gives the book use "Well Beyond" the shelf! ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the eBook version of the printed book.

“Although we know that change is constant, we are always surprised by it. Bill provides a roadmap to successfully navigate corporate change. Being conscientious to follow the ‘Truths’ will enable people to successfully face any organizational challenge.”

Rosina Racioppi, President and Chief Operating Officer, WOMEN Unlimited, Inc.

"A must read for managers, Bill uses language with care, economy, and precision. Managing change is basically about helping people deal with uncertainty. This writing effectively uses a combination of practical experience, common sense, and humor in describing strategies designed to achieve desired results while maintaining morale and enhancing engagement."

Michael Mimnaugh, Vice President, Human Resources, Sony Corporation of America

"Many students are under the impression that a graduate degree will impart all wisdom, but what they fail to recognize is that there is no substitute for experience. What Bill's book does so well is to impart his substantial experience--along with the textbook knowledge--to move you ahead in your career. If you manage people or projects, the wisdom found within each 'Truth' will help keep you on the leading edge of your profession. This is a reference guide that belongs in your library."

Stuart J. Lipper, Senior Director of MBA Programs, Rutgers Business School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Everything you need to know to drive and sustain successful change...what really works!

·        The truth about transforming organizations without destroying morale

·        The truth about why your way may not be the best way

·        The truth about creating a cultural framework for long-term success

This book reveals 49 PROVEN CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES and bite-size, easy-to-use techniques that work

This book brings together 49 powerful “truths” about planning, driving, and sustaining organizational change: real solutions for the tough challenges faced by every business leader. You'll discover which skills you need most, and how to develop them...how to lead change without eroding employee motivation, commitment, and productivity...why you must start fast, and "run before you walk"...when to persuade, when to educate, and when to "use force"...how to make the change agenda everyone's agenda...and how to create the right cultural framework for successful change. This isn't "someone's opinion." It's a definitive, evidence-based guide to effective change leadership--a set of bedrock principles you can rely on throughout your entire management career.

Editorial Review

First published in 1984, Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal?s best-selling book has become a classic in the field. Its four-frame model examines organizations as factories, families, jungles, and theaters or temples:

• The Structural Frame: how to organize and structure groups and teams to get results
• The Human Resource Frame: how to tailor organizations to satisfy human needs, improve human resource management, and build positive interpersonal and group dynamics
• The Political Frame: how to cope with power and conflict, build coalitions, hone political skills, and deal with internal and external politics
• The Symbolic Frame: how to shape a culture that gives purpose and meaning to work, stage organizational drama for internal and external audiences, and build team spirit through ritual, ceremony, and story

Reviews

weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org, December 16, 2002
Reframing Organizations is considered by many to be a modern masterpiece. Today it is used as a class textbook by some major universities in their management and leadership classes. Bolman & Deal encourage leaders to step back and re-examine the operation of their organization through the use of various frames or windows. These different lenses can bring organizational life into a different or clearer focus. They allow the leader to view the workplace from different images to make judgments, gather information and get things done. The authors label four windows and name them the structural, human resource, political and symbolic frames. The purpose of the book is to examine the elements and advantages of the four frames presented by Bolman & Deal. The end result is that we learn the importance of stepping back and looking at a situation from more than a single pane of glass. This is vitally important because most of us have the tendency to look at situations or problems from a limited narrow perspective, and this hinders our ability to be effective and visionary leaders.

The Structural Frame attempts to look at the social context of work and not simply at the individual. Once an organization designates specific roles for employees, the next decision is to form or group them into working units. Coordination and control of these various groups are achieved either vertically or laterally. The best structure depends on the organization's environment, goals and strategies. Bolman & Deal list six assumptions behind the Structural Frame. 1) Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives. 2) Organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal preferences and external pressures. 3) Structures must be designed to fit organizational circumstances. 4) Organizations increase efficiency and enhance performance through specialization and division of labor. 5) Appropriate forms of coordination and control are essential to ensuring that individuals and units work together in the service of organizational goals. 6) Problems and performance gaps arise from structural deficiencies and can be remedied through restructuring.

The Human Resource Frame is another window to bring an organization into a unique focus. It views an organization like a large extended family. From this perspective, an organization is inhabited by individuals. These individuals have needs, prejudices, feelings, limitations and skills. The goal of the leader is to mold the organization to meet the needs of its people. The leader will seek to merge the peoples' need to feel good about what they are doing with the ability to effectively get the job done. Bolman & Deal state that the key to this window is a "sensitive understanding of people and their symbiotic relationship with organizations."

The Political Frame is a window that looks at the workplace as a jungle. This may not sound pretty but the reality is that "it is a jungle out there". It is a competitive environment or contest in which different people compete for power and limited resources. Reframing Organizations recognizes the work environment is one of rampant conflict immersed in negotiation, bargaining, compromise and coercion. Bolman & Deal offer five propositions as a summary of this frame. 1) Organizations are coalitions of various individuals and interest groups. 2) There are enduring differences among coalition members in values, beliefs, information, interests, and perceptions of reality. 3) Most important decisions involve the allocation of scarce resources and what gets done. 4) Scarce resources and enduring differences give conflict a central role in organizational dynamics and typically make power the most important resource. 5) Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining, negotiation, and jockeying for position among different stakeholders. Unfortunately, this is truly the business and social world most of us live in.

The Symbolic Frame is a powerful window that builds on cultural and social anthropology. It views organizations as carnivals, theaters or tribes. An organization is a unique culture driven by stories, ceremonies, rituals and heroes. This is in contrast to an organization being driven by rules, authority or policies. The organization is analogous to a theater. With this theater, various actors play their respective roles in the drama and the audience forms its own impressions of what is seen on the stage. The Symbolic Frame also looks at team building in a different light. It views the development of high-performing teams as a spiritual network also enhanced by rituals, ceremonies and myths. One does not need to look far to discover these symbols. They exist from the proverbial "corner office", to corporate seals, to the camaraderie of military units.

The four windows or frames presented by Bolman & Deal allow a leader to see events in new ways and to shift perspective. The use of the multiple frames can assist the leader to see and understand more broadly the problems and potential solutions available. It encourages the leader to think flexibly about their organization and opens various opportunities to the leader to view events from multiple angles. Reframing Organizations is the kind of book that forces you to view organizational life from a different viewpoint and new reality.

The four-frame model, July 2, 2001
"Managers, consultants, and policymakers draw, formally or otherwise, on a variety of theories in efferts to change or improve organizations. Yet only in the past few decades have social scientists devoted much time or attention to developing ideas about how organizations work (or why they often fail)...Our purpose in this book is to sort through the multiple voices competing for managers' attention. In the process, we have consolidated major schools of organizational thought into four perspectives. There are many ways to label such perspectives. We have schosen the label 'frames.' Frames are both windows on the world and lenses that bring the world into focus. Frames filter out some things while allowing others to pass through easily. Frames help us order experience and decide what to do. Every manager, consultant, or policymaker relies on a personal frame or image to gather information, make judgments, and determine how best to get things done" (from the Introduction).

In this context, Lee G.Bolman and Terrence E.Deal devote four parts of their book to detailed description and discussion of these frames. And they firstly determine basic assumptions behind each frame as following:

1. The Structural Frame: *Organizations exist to achieve established goals and objectives. *Organizations work best when rationality prevails over personal preferences and external pressures. *Structures must be designed to fit an organization's circumstances. *Organizations increase efficiency and enhance performance through specialization and division of labor. *Appropriate forms of coordination and control are essential to ensuring that individuals and units work together in the service of organizational goals. *Problems and performance gaps arise from structural deficiencies and can be remedied through restructuring.

2. The Human Resource Frame: *Organizations exist to serve human needs tarher than the reverse. *People and organizations need each other: organizations need ideas, energy, and talent; people need careers, salaries, and opportunities. *When the fit between individual and system is poor, one or both suffer: individuals will be exploited or will exploit the organization-or both will become victims. *A good fit benefits both: individuals find meaningful and satisfying work, and organizations get the talent and energy they need to succeed.

3. The Political Frame: *Organizations are coalitions of various individuals and interest groups. *There are enduring differences among coalition members in values, beliefs, information, interest, and perceptions of reality. *Most important decisions involve the allocation of scarce resources-who gets what. *Scarce resources and enduring differences give conflict a central role in organizational dynamics and make power the most important resource. *Goals and decisions emerge from bargaining, negotiation, and jockeying for position among different stakeholders.

4. The Symbolic Frame: *What is most important about any event is not what happened but what it means. *Activity and meaning are loosely coupled: events have multiple meanings because people interpret experience differently. *Most of life ambiguous or uncertain-what happened, why it happened, or what will happen next are all puzzles. *High levels of ambiguity and uncertainty undercut rational analysis, problem solving, and decision making. *In the face of uncertainty and ambiguity, people create symbols to resolve confusion, increase predictability, provide direction, and anchor hope and faith. *Many events and processes are more important for what is expressed than what is produced. They form a cultural tapestry of secular myths, rituals, ceremonies, and stories that help people find meaning, purpose, and passion.

Finally, in the last part of the book, they focus on the implications of these frames for central issues in managerial practice, including leadership, change, and ethics.

Highly recommended.

A life changer., October 20, 1998
This text has enlightened me and has opened my eyes to the four frames: structural, human resource, political and symbolic. I now understand that without being cognizant of all four frames and planning appropriately, no plan of action will succeed. So many times we have made emerging, empowering decisions in the workplace only to see our ideas fail. More often than not we have missed addressing one of the frames. The text clues us in to the reasons for failure and through many very appropriate case studies, shows us how to act effectively in the future.

The authors take the ambiguity of effective leadership and sort it out, write it down and meld lasting principles to the reader.

A must read for anyone desiring to be effective in an organizational beast.

MBA 101 Under One Cover, October 16, 1998
The book looks at organizations and organizational performance/effectiveness using four frames (essentially tinted looking glasses)- structural, human resources, political and symbolic. We used the book in our first MBA course, with a primary focus on high performance teams.

The book provides a good cognitive idea base to observe and analyze any organization- your church, your family, your corporation or your favorite bar.

Best of the Best, January 18, 2000
I have been using "Reframing" for years to teach people how to look at the world from different perspectives. Hundreds of managers and leaders have read this book and I have never heard anyone say they didn't like it. It has a practical, useful approach that seems to appeal to everyone. It is, without doubt, one of the best books ever for anyone who needs to think about organizations from a big picture perspective (which is just about everyone)and who wants or needs a useful tool to do that.

Worth Re-reading, May 25, 2000
Bolman and Deal have given us a well-researched, thorough study of the human dynamics unfolding in virtually all organizations. For those seeking to live considerately, i.e. understand and take into account, the aspirations and perspectives of others, this book will prove a great benefit. For those who just "don't quite get it" with people, but who need to (to survive), this book will reward study. I took issue with some of the conclusions reached, especially regarding the "symbolic" frame; but then that's how we SHOULD read.

Some insightful studies of organizational structures., December 29, 1997
The text for Navy Post Graduate School Organizational Management class in Summer 97. Somewhat dated in areas such as the description of car production lines. The book lays the foundation for defining the types of modern organizational heirarchies, lightly identifing philosophies back through Max Weber and up to the latest fad for what have become disposable employees. Nordstroms, Volvo and other corporate environments are reviewed. Saturn carmaker seems to be the latest organization observed. The book could use a look at how information technology is putting a spin into the workplace and some of its new upstart organizations. Cable networks, chip manufacturers, Postal service/UPS, and the dramatic changes expected in the IRS look ripe for case studies. Nonetheless, I liked the book and found it an inspring read. Looking forward to more of these. Frank Steinbach ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

The New Reality at Boeing, October 15, 2010
"Turbulence" tells two stories that define the new economic realities of American corporate life. One story deals with the massive changes that Boeing aircraft's management had to make if it was going to survive the challenges of competition, outsourcing, technology, globalization, and deregulation. This corporate giant literally had to reinvent itself and its culture. But it was a wrenching experience for those who worked there. Boeing's ailments became theirs.

The other story -- many stories, actually -- deals with how employees and middle managers at Boeing tried to cope with issues of psychological stress, layoffs, downsizing, job security, changing procedures, and uncertainty about Boeing's future. Their sense of loss of Boeing as "family" and their attempts to cope with a different and harsher environment but a very human face on the narrative.

The authors analyze and blend both the economic and human narratives clearly and evenly, but they excel at looking at the employees, including a core group of 500 who were constantly followed throughout the ten-year research project. It is that longitudinal analysis that gives great credibility to this book.

Essential Reading, October 11, 2010
The bottom line is that this book is essential reading for business managers, executive officers, and anyone who feels they have a stake in guiding the success of any incorporated entity. Unparalleled access, scope of data, and critical timing set this work apart from the field. One can imagine how this cautionary tale would apply to just about every major enterprise in the current world market, and any serious player in those markets would be well-advised to learn what is offered by this account.

A quick and easy read - stuffed with detail and yet fully accessible to the everyman reader.

Boeing's decision to feel threatened by Airbus, November 24, 2010
The book is worth the price but it's only an introduction to some aspects of how globalization as it is now began. Any factory level employee that was present when Airbus announced they wanted a larger share of the market can confirm how the threat was passed on to us. In weekly crew meetings we were reminded that if Airbus took any of 'our' share of the market, that would mean loss of our jobs. It occurred to several of us that we were being induced to feel not just threatened by competition but were also the cause. Our benefits, our high wages, the restrictions and restraints imposed by unions were producing not just corporate frustration and anxiety but the threat by Airbus. This was actually said often, that our benefits, insurance, workmens comp, etc and high wages were not entitlements but could be and should be withdrawn. The reason was literally put into words: "That money belongs to the shareholders." There were motivational seminars, lots of them, books were read by management (The Goal by Goldratt was almost a bible because as we were told, 'nobody goes into business except to make money' and that's what the book is about.) There wasn't any focus on the fact that capitalism is about competition. Changes in technology of course drove a lot of the change from building a product and selling it to raising the price of stock, creating intellectual property, etc. Stress didn't used to be a household word, neither was paranoia.
It's a good idea to read The Last Hours of Ancient Sunshine by Thom Hartmann to get a reality based understanding of the original foundation then the expansion of corporations into how they are now. The chapter: The Robots Take Over should be integrated into any thought about whether Boeing felt the threat of competition or decided to promote fear and paranoia or whether there are other explanations beyond our understanding at this point in Time. It was tangible in the work place, it was an experience literally of 'forces' at work. It was a combination of exciting involvement because we were asked to contribute our ideas gratis (after the award program was terminated)and a sense of being asked to contribute to our own dimenishment. I reserve judgment of whether it was a good thing or not. Time will reveal that.

Bad Book, December 24, 2010
Not very well written or descriptive of the company as a whole. Overly sensational and not very interesting. Layoffs are part of life and not unique to Boeing. Sorry I bought it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas are identified and developed before being realized as new offerings and capabilities.

This book introduces the idea of design thinking‚ the collaborative process by which the designer′s sensibilities and methods are employed to match people′s needs not only with what is technically feasible and a viable business strategy. In short‚ design thinking converts need into demand. It′s a human−centered approach to problem solving that helps people and organizations become more innovative and more creative.

Design thinking is not just applicable to so−called creative industries or people who work in the design field. It′s a methodology that has been used by organizations such as Kaiser Permanente to icnrease the quality of patient care by re−examining the ways that their nurses manage shift change‚ or Kraft to rethink supply chain management. This is not a book by designers for designers; this is a book for creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking into every level of an organization‚ product‚ or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.

Reviews

High level, October 7, 2009

How to use design thinking to convert a need into a demand, October 10, 2009

I recently read two books (this one written with Barry Katz and Roger Martin's The Design of Business) and am reading a third (Neil Sheehan's A Fiery Peace in a Cold War) in which major organizational transformations are accomplished by those who understand the power of design thinking, help their colleagues to do so, and then together, take an approach, Tim Brown suggests, "that is powerful, effective, and broadly accessible, that can be integrated into all aspects of business and society, and that individuals and teams can use to generate breakthrough ideas that are implemented and that therefore have high impact. Design thinking, the subject of this book, offers just such an approach." He goes on to acknowledge, "I was trained as an industrial designer, but it took me a long time to realize the difference between [begin italics] being [end italics] and [begin italics] thinking like [end italics] a designer. That strikes me as a critically important distinction. Brown views the power of design "not as a link in a chain but as the hub of a wheel"...not as a stage in a process but as a center of gravity, as a gravitational/centrifugal force, with involvement at all levels and in all areas of operation. "Design is now too important to be left to designers."

Brown carefully organizes his material with two Parts. First, he introduces a set of principles for design thinking that be applied by almost anyone in any organization, whatever its size and nature may be. He involves his reader in a journey through the important stages of thinking. He provides a framework that he hopes will help the reader identify the principles and practices that make for great design thinking. He focuses on design thinking as applied to business and examines a number of the most innovative companies in the world, such as his own firm, IDEO, as well as Bank of America, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Google, Intel, Kaiser Permanente, Mattel, Mayo Clinic, Pixar, Procter & Gamble, and Shimano. Each of these companies has established a culture within which there is a constant generation of ideas. After rigorous evaluation according to criteria that are most appropriate for the given context, and frame-of-reference, the focus of most promising ideas shifts from problem to project. This requires articulation of a clear goal at the outset. Design thinking "creates natural deadlines that impose discipline and [provide] an opportunity to review progress, make midcourse corrections, and redirect future activity. The clarity, direction, and limits of a well-defined project are vital to sustaining a high level of creative energy."

Where to begin a project? Brown recommends first formulating the brief that can allow for serendipity, unpredictability, and "the capricious whims of fate," then assembling the project team, selecting those who have multidisciplinary capabilities, are not risk averse, are what Roger Martin characterizes as "integrative thinkers," welcome collaboration, and thrive on challenges. The importance of design thinking to this process cannot be exaggerated. It starts with divergence, expanding the range of options rather than limit them; it balances the perspectives of users and is what I could call "beneficiary-centric"; helps to accelerate time to first prototype (a subject to which Brown devotes a great deal of attention, notably on Pages 87-108); "shares the inspiration" within internal knowledge networks; accommodates the reality that there are no silver bullets for innovation, only "silver buckshot"; allocate resources to accommodate fast-paced, unruly, and disruptive innovation initiatives; and enables creative innovators "to bridge the chasm between thinking and doing because they [are] passionately committed to the [common] goal of a better life and a better world around them."

Here in Dallas, we have a Farmer's Market near the downtown area at which several vendors offer slices of fresh fruit so that people can sample for taste. In that spirit, here are two brief excerpts from Brown's lively and eloquent narrative:

On an approach to innovation that consists of a "judicious blend" of bottom-up experimentation and guidance from above: "The rules for this approach are as simple to state as they are challenging to apply:

1. The best ideas emerge when the whole organizational ecosystem - not just its designers and engineers and certainly not just management has room to experiment.

[Note: In 1924, William L. McKnight, then CEO of 3M observed, "If you put fences around people, you get sheep. Give people the room they need." That is especially true of those who participate in brainstorming sessions. ]

2. Those most exposed to changing externalities (new technology, shifting customer base, strategic threats or opportunities) are the ones best placed to respond and most motivated to do so.

3. Ideas should not be favored based on who creates them. (Repeat aloud.)

4. Ideas that create a buzz should be favored. Indeed, ideas should gain a vocal following, however small, before being given organizational support.

5. The `gardening' skills of senior leadership should be used to tend, prune, and harvest ideas. MBAs call this `risk tolerance.' I call it the top-down bit.

6. An overarching purpose should be articulated so that the organization has a sense of direction and innovators don't feel the need for constant supervision."

On brainstorming: "Brainstorming, ironically, is a structured way of breaking out of structure. It takes practice...[All organizations have their own rules] that lay out the playing field within which a team of players can perform at high levels...At IDEO we have dedicated rooms for our brainstorming sessions and the rules are literally written on the walls: Defer judgment. Encourage wild ideas. Stay focused on the topic. The most important of them, I would argue, is `Build on the ideas of others.' It's right up there with `Thou shalt not kill' and `Honor thy father and thy mother,' as it ensures that every participant is invested in the last idea put forward and has the chance to move it along."

Recall a previous reference to the "journey" on which Brown invites his reader to embark. "There are useful starting points and helpful landmarks along the way, but the continuum of innovation is best thought of as a system, of overlapping spaces rather than a sequence of orderly steps." As Brown makes crystal clear, the reason for the iterative, non-linear nature of the journey "is not that design thinkers are disorganized or undisciplined but that design thinking is fundamentally an exploratory process; it will invariably make unexpected discoveries along the way, and it would be foolish not to find out where they lead."

Bon voyage!

An Invitation And Tutorial On Design Thinking And Action, September 17, 2009

Too many vignettes; not a user-friendly book, February 1, 2010

Great introduction to what Design Thinking is & can do, September 17, 2009

Great story, poorly told., March 15, 2010
I'm not a good writer, so I'll keep this review informal.

I enjoyed reading this book, but maybe because I'm a business literature junkie.

Tim Brown, a self-admitted man of pictures, obviously has problems with words, and he didn't get any good help from the "editors". Brown should read his own advice about telling better stories and getting people excited about your idea.

As he talks about using creative problem-solving skills to make better mops and to improve the airline checkpoint experience and to make kids brush their teeth more often, you gain a new appreciation for creative, open minded thinking, but you have no idea where to go from here.

He does encourage companies to hire creative and out-of-the-box people and to give designers some space and some time (Think of IBM's skunk works and Google 20%-free-time rule) but the he only practical application for individuals is to "notice the ordinary, and to think why manholes are round..." Come on.

The book is certainly not boring. It was interesting to read, but it's like an average movie where you hope for that great catharsis which never comes...

To give credit where credit is due, he did give vivid examples in the cases of the Indian Aravind eye hospital and the cheap, disposable, irrigation systems they're using in developing countries. (Anyone could've come up with the Oral-B toothbrush idea. Sorry) but very little, if any, meaningful practical suggestions.

This book brings too few specifics, too few examples, considering that non of us ever built a prototype. I want to know, for example, of what idea IDEO helped the TSA develop to increase understanding between their agents and the passengers, etc, etc, etc, etc,

[To compare this book with another thinking-man's business book, Good to Great by Jim Collins doesn't have many stated practical suggestions, but he does provide you with an abundance of live, simple examples, which lets you expand on your own.

I repeat, as an avid reader of business news and books, I understood most of what was not adequately explained, but this book clearly needs a rewrite - and I will buy the next version.

Design thinking makes innovation accessible and applicable, September 1, 2009

Abstruse, January 3, 2010

Good overview of design thinking and high-level rollout, October 22, 2009

An expert's view of design thinking, September 20, 2009

Editorial Review

What would a playbook used to operate a small business that's grown over 1300 percent in nine years look like? That playbook is the manual Steve Henry used to run his business with the vision that every day is a championship game with victory on the line. Implement his sixteen creative, inspired lessons, and see immediate results. These 50-plus strategically engineered plays can produce a wildly successful business. ... Read more

Reviews

Simple, yet effective, June 3, 2010
Steve Henry has seemed to have woven the perfect small business success story. Part biography, part textbook. If you look at his customer reviews, (5000 Car Store) and his website, (Where he gives away $2,000 a month to a small business) and car dealership expansion, it appears what they write about him qualifies him to write this small business book. Honest and funny, worth the read. Must arrive by foot? I waited 10 days to receive it.

BUY IT, June 15, 2010
This book is an insightful tool for anyone who desires to open their own small business. The Author lives through everything he writes. Great read.

Wonderful easy read., June 15, 2010
Except for the delivery time, this was actually a great book on running a small business. I read it on my lunch break and afterwards wondered why I was returning to my job. I think it's time I started my own home based business. Thank you.

Want to start your own business? Worth reading., June 7, 2010
This book uses an interesting approach... It's actually someones TRUE testimony too, it can work, if you follow these time tested principles. (Over 50) I love the way he uses his own experiences to prove his points. Very well thought through using an NFL head coach, Tom Flores, into a football theme. (A GREAT coach) He offers offensive solutions to nagging defensive problems. Only area needing improvement, a quicker delivery process, "How about KINDLE?" I would highly suggest giving this book a read.

The Perfect Small Business Text Book, June 19, 2010
Steve Henry does a superb job explaining how to succeed in your small business. HE'S DONE IT!

Honest, Practical, Worth the read, June 3, 2010
A business book for the start-up for sure - but some great advice even for established business that wants to go to the next level. Practical suggestions that can be implemented the day you read them. Suggestions that keep you thinking about your approach to your business. A good read.

These are great ideas!, June 2, 2010
Steve henry practices what he preaches. Just check out what his own customers have to say. It's about time someone wrote a book based on truths, action, and real workable solutions to everyday problems we business owners face.

Loved It!, June 19, 2010
You can't start your own business without first reading this book. It's all about vision. Excellent book for anyone wishing to start or improve their small business.

Unbelievably well delivered, June 8, 2010
Steve Henry takes what is the impossible task of dovetailing the Christian and the Entrepreneur into a spectacular and entertaining read. Sixteen chapters of insightful lessons he himself challenged through a 30 year business career. (Loved the Alan Alda story) Several chapters are referenced to God as the reason for his success. In each chapter he provocatively navigates the sensitive issues regarding the very delicate subject. I liked how he articulates his philosophies in a way that can be easily understood and implemented into my nail salon immediately. Eager to stimulate small business, he gives away $2,000 every month on his website. Doesn't say if thats every city or state?

SHOCKED!, June 11, 2010
You should know that I am a long time customer of the $5,000 Car Store and Steve Henry. (Bought a vehicle there and have referred several people over the years) I however did not know he had written a book until I receiced this FREE one in the mail. Definitely shocked, that he did this. (But this is who he is) After reading the Playbook for Small Businesses, I've succumbed to the realization that he writes exactly what he does in his business. This man knows how to make a business successful by treating his people and his customers honorably. For instance, he gives away $2,000 every month to a small business who registers on his web site. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to start a small business or who has one, and desires to increase what's already there. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Great read on helping others and yourself make the most of change, April 1, 2010
The only other review rated the book at 1 star. Wow, did that confuse me until I discovered that the beef was with the vendor and had nothing to do with the book. This book is very helpful. I read it about four months after the launch of a major change at work. Initailly, I wished that I had read it sooner, but then I realized that the pain I had experienced without the knowledge from the author made the book more meaningful. Still, I regard chapters 4 and 5 essential and wish I had read them months ago as it would have been helpful to me and those I lead and influence. Heck! I wish the leaders in the company would habe read and headed the author's advice before even beginning the planning of the change!

More about handling change, than doing change., September 7, 2010
While no expert, I found Bridges' book to be a great addition to the process of handling the three phases of change (Stopping Something, Starting Something, and the Period Between the Two). I especially appreciated the checklist of questions at the end of each chapter, as they have the potential to help workgroups or consultants as they move people between phases.

Greg Atchison, Ph.D.
Aspyre Coaching

Very unhappy, March 16, 2010
I ordered this book a month ago, and was told that the book was shipped the day after I order it 2/16/10. I have already been charged for the book and paid for the book. I understand NOW that the book is no longer available as of 3/16/10. I'd like an explanation......AND A REFUND. ... Read more

Editorial Review

When a hurricane warning is announced, everyone's concerns and actions become focused on that expectation; the hurricane essentially becomes the future which people are "living into." Similarly, when an organization needs to transform or make the leap to a higher level, everyone involved should be "living into" the vision of the organization's new, improved future. But in the majority of organizations, the future people are living into is based on past performance and experience, and so major transformation is almost impossible.

Steve Zaffron is, CEO of Vanto Group which has helped hundreds of companies envision and effectively implement major change and performance improvement. Zaffron and Dave Logan outline this proven system for rallying all of an organization's employees around a new vision, and more importantly, making it stick. Their focus is on making such transformations permanent and repeatable, providing practical examples from Vanto Group’s clients such as Apple, Lockheed Martin, Reebok, BHP-Billiton, Johnson & Johnson, Morgan Stanley, and many others. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent for breakthroughs and for innovative leaders, January 27, 2009
This review covers:

- Why I found Three Laws different from most business books.

- One example of a powerful technique I use from the book.

- The concept of the "Self-Led Organization" - a company that can run itself

A Perfect Book At the Perfect Time, January 27, 2009
The Three Laws of Performance could not come at a better time. Unless you have been living underground cut off from communication with the outside world, you must know that the world is facing unprecedented challenges. From the economy to the environment to global terrorism, the future doesn't look pretty. In fact it looks down right depressing.

While the authors of the book may not have intended it, the ideas in this book could very well be the answer to the question "How do we get ourselves out of this mess?" The US President has recruited some of the best minds in America to his administration to fix the US banking system, jump start the economy and stop climate change. We all may be praying that they are successful, but in each of our hearts we know that we are going to need to each embrace the required change if it is to be successful.

The personal and political habits that got us where we are now will not allow us to get where we need to go. We don't need change, we need re-invention.

So what about this book?

I, like many people want to do something about the issues that we are facing. A friend of mine gave me a copy of the book to read saying that I would like it especially because of the community work that I do. I was doubtful. I found the title to be boring and I am generally not interested in business books. She said that I would like it because I have to deal with a lot of resignation, which is true. Being an environmental advocate can feel like talking to stones.

I began reading it and got immediately intrigued by the First Law of Performance:

"How people perform correlates to the way the world occurs to them"

I would have never said it that way, but it made perfect sense to me. People don't recycle because it occurs for them like it doesn't matter. People will drive out of their way to save 10 cents on a gallon of gas or to use a 2 for 1 coupon but they won't recycle. How we act in the face of climate change or the economy really does make a difference but as my friend says, we are resigned.

This is also true even in organizations where people get paid to do a job. The authors Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan contend that it is people's individual views and the language they use to describe their situations that determine the actions they take. According to the book, the way people both view and speak about situations is influenced almost exclusively by the past. This in turn limits people's ability to adapt and work cooperatively together as past successes and failures literally limit their view of what is possible. This is true for both individual people as well as the organizations they are a part of. Just think of the auto industry or a losing sports team.

In most organizations, individual people feel that they have little or no say in what happens. As a result there is little or no real communication between the leaders and those they lead. The Three Laws asserts and illustrates that it is possible not just pay lip service to the notion of giving people a say in the organization but open a kind of platform for communication that is profoundly human.

An example of this comes in a surprisingly moving passage from the book where two women, working at the Lonmin Platinum Mine in South Africa, one black and one white were able to speak openly about their personal experiences of apartheid with one another and thus heal wounds they had carried since their childhoods. On the surface this conversation had almost nothing to do with the operations of a mine. Presumably mines care about productivity, profitability and safety, yet the legacy of distrust from apartheid and the fact that no one was willing to talk about it openly affected all of those things. The book goes on to tell the story of how a new spirit of trust developed at Lonmin and surrounding community.

The book is loaded with similar examples from real organizations all of which are used to illustrate the basic assertions of the book. I was finding it almost hard to believe until I read the endorsement from Bishop Desmond Tutu:

"God invites each of us to participate in the process of transforming the world - to create a world in which every person knows their infinite and irreplaceable worth and can truly fulfill their potential. This book filled with insights, real-life encounters and experiences, shows us how we may do this work of transformation. Applicable in the corporate, labour, political and civil society sectors - Steve and David have written an inspiring, practical book that will assist all who seek to rewrite the future of our world."

I must admit that I am one who seeks to rewrite the future of our world. I don't think I am very different than most people. As I said this is the right book at the right time.

Excellent and Timely Guide for Leaders, February 1, 2009
In an age where conversations have become a commodity, a good book on the relationship between organizational performance and language is a must-read; and The Three Laws of Performance doesn't disappoint.

I was interested to see how the authors would handle the issue of generative language, language that's used to create rather than just describe. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the authors do a great job of navigating the delicate balance between the extremes (no appreciation for the power of future-based language on the one hand and a complete disregard for real world limitations on the other); they provided a clear road map along with engaging cases studies that help to guide the reader along a path that I believe will help leaders for years to come take their organizations to new levels of effectiveness and performance.

Ironically, the only thing I would suggest changing about this book is the language. The title should have been simply The Three Laws, or possibly The Three Laws of Leadership. Additionally, the 3 main laws could have been stated in a way that was easier for the reader to remember. Twice now, I've tried to describe the 3 laws to a friend and I wasn't able to articulate the laws effortlessly. I had to work at remembering the precise language. For those in the same boat, here's the shorter version that I'm now using when I give a quick description of the book to friends.

1) Performance is related to perception
2) Perception is rooted in language
3) Vision casting changes perception (Or, Generative language changes perception)

Rather than perception, the authors speak of the way things occur to the members of an organization, which works great in the book, but not as great in an elevator. I imagine that they strayed from the term perception in order to steer clear of the obvious clich�s related to the term. For example, "Perception is 9/10th of reality" can be used to mean too many things.

With that said, I don't want to diminish the power of this book. I found that it was one of the few books that took me a couple of nights to read because I didn't want to miss anything. It may also be one of the few books I actually read again.

The overall structure of the book worked well for me: a section describing the 3 laws, a section on leadership and the 3 laws, and then, finally, a section on personal application. The first section includes 3 chapters which introduce the 3 laws by taking the reader through a mesmerizing weave of case studies that help to put real world handles on the ideas proposed by the Three Laws.

The second section focuses on the application of these 3 laws in the context of leadership. I loved the 3 corollaries to the 3 laws written for leaders and found the concept of listening for the future of your organization to be compelling in light of the supporting case studies.

The second chapter in this middle section describes the Self-lead organization. This is a loaded term that is defined in the chapter, but in essence the authors are providing guidance to leaders on how to guide organizational conversations so that the whole organization moves in unity toward what Jim Collins described in Good to Great as the organization's hedgehog principle. I loved this chapter.

Finally, the book ends with 3 chapters in a section that focuses on a personal application of the Three Laws. Don't skip these chapters! I can only imagine what it would cost to attend a Three Laws workshop with the authors, and I felt as though they provided all the instructions needed to replicate that experience as closely as possible.

As the authors note in the final chapters, reading The Three Laws is just the first step. The real goal is mastery; and in the new age of hyper-connected, social-media-powered conversations, the future shoguns (this term will make more sense when you read the book) of organizations of all sizes will be those leaders who have not only mastered the Three Laws, but are able to train others in the same art.

Use Powerful language, March 18, 2009
It is an excellent book although it can be tough to read. It was somwhat of a compilation of other success books. The laws of performance are great though.

1 - Its all about perception and how people view things. Figure that out to win. And change that to win.

The book re-emphasized how people perform is related to how the world occurs to them and we all have different backgrounds and screens that we filter what is going on in the world. Part of the key to good communication is to understand how people view things.

The book was also very hopeful in telling people that they could change how they view things. I have always been a big believer in being able to change myself.

2 - The language we use shapes us.

This section of the book talked about the language we use and how it has a powerful effect on outcomes. The suggestion �" use powerful language. I had incorporated something along these lines in my daily to do list some time ago. It goes like this:

Instead of saying "workout" on my list; I say "I had a great 3 mile run in 22-1/2 minutes. I feel great." (One of the other books that I had read at the time said phrasing things in the current tense also helps them be achieved.)

Or "I just finished reading, "The Three Law of Performance" and was inspired to take action. The book was interesting and enjoyable to read.". Phrasing the to do items in that way gives them passion and makes me more eager to achieve them.

Incorporating the present tense has als helped to inspire me to get more things done on my to do list.

3 - I will let you read the book to get the thrd law.

Good book. I recommend it.

A 21st century version of Plato's Allegory of the Cave, March 11, 2009

In his comments in the "Editor's Note" section that precedes the Introduction, Warren Bennis acknowledges that he was fascinated by Zaffron and Logan's "gutsy aspiration to integrate an interdisciplinary slew of disciplines as disparate as brain science, linguistics, organizational theory, and complex adaptive systems with a few fundamental laws of human and organization behavior that could lead to palpable and profound change in both domains." Frankly, I had no idea what to expect when I began to read this book but soon realized that Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan would be focusing on an especially serious challenge that most people face every day: How to develop the ability to "rewrite the future"? That is, "rewrite what people [begin italics] know [end italics] will happen." In this brilliant book, they explain how Three Laws of Performance can help their reader to complete a natural shift "from disengaged to proactive, from resigned to inspired, from frustrated to innovative." Part I (Chapters 1-3) "takes these laws one at a time, and shows how to apply them" and answers the question "Why do people do what they do?; then Part II (Chapters 4 and 5) "looks at leadership in light of the Three Laws" and answers the question "What are the interrelationships between language and occurrence?"; and finally, Part 3 (Chapters 6-8), "is about the personal face of leadership" and answers the question "How does future-based language transform how situations occur to people?"

Note: "What exactly does [the word] occur mean? We mean something beyond perception and descriptive experience. We mean the reality that arises within and from your perspective on the situation. In fact, your perspective is itself part of the way in which the world occurs to you. `How a situation occurs' includes your view of the past (why things are the way they are) and the future (where all this is going"). Indeed, they assert, "None of us sees how things are. We see how things occur to us."

Throughout their narrative, Zaffron and Logan urge their reader to keep in mind that the Three Laws of Performance really are laws, not rules, tips, stages, or steps. Each of the three "distinguishes the moving parts at play behind an observable phenomenon. A law is invariable. Whether you believe in gravity or not doesn't lessen its effect on you." Nor does any of the three lessen its effect on performance. The challenge is to understand them, to understand how there are interactions and even interdependences between and among them, and most important of all, how to apply them effectively, productively, and consistently.

Bennis and the others have their own reasons for thinking so highly of this book. Here are two of mine. First, Zaffron and Logan's ideas about "rewriting the future" may at first seem (as Bennis' suggests) "astonishing" but not after understanding exactly what they mean by it. Specifically, to "rewrite" is to overcome the quite normal tendencies of not seeing and hearing what is but, rather, only what we expect based on past "occurrences"; of protecting and defending what James O'Toole so aptly describes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom;" of encouraging and, if necessary, forcing others to accept our determinations of what is and is not real; and of using descriptive language (i.e. that which accurately depicts the world as it once was or is now) rather than future-based language (also called generative language) to "craft vision, and to eliminate the blinders that are preventing people from seeing possibilities." In essence, "rewriting the future" involves using future-based language that projects a new future that replaces what conventional thinking predicts, once a process of "blanking the canvas" has been completed. Zaffron and Logan explain that process on Pages 74-81. I also suggest re-reading the discussion of "Rackets" on Pages 45-47.

Another reason why I think so highly of this book is that, in Chapter 6 ("Who or What Is Leading Your Life?") Zaffron and Logan share some especially interesting insights about "taking on some deep work - the kind of work that needs to be done for us to be leaders in our lives. And we really mean being a leader in all respects of our lives, including at work, in relationships, with family, with community, even with all of society." As I worked my way through this chapter, much of the material resonated with material in another book that I also highly admire, Alan Watts's The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. With regard to the subtitle, Watts explains that there is no need for a new religion or a new bible. "We need a new experience -- a new feeling of what it is to be `I.' The lowdown (which is, of course, the secret and profound view) on life is that our normal sensation of self is a hoax, or, at best, a temporary role that we are playing, or have been conned into playing -- with our own tacit consent, just as every hypnotized person is basically willing to be hypnotized. The most strongly enforced of all known taboos is the taboo against knowing who or what you really are behind the mask of your apparently separate, independent, and isolated ego." This is precisely what Zaffron and Logan have in mind when stressing that each individual must first understand and then be guided and informed by the Three Laws before attempting to transform others. In the final chapter, they urge their readers to take on and then sustain seven commitments that, when made with integrity, will break the "performance barrier" in various conversation, first with one's self and then with others. For example, commit to creating a new game by declaring that something is important. "That is what you are putting at stake, and it is what you are holding yourself accountable to. When others commit to the [new] game with you, they join you on the field."

This what Jim Collins and Jerry Porras have in mind when advocating that an organization commit to what they call a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. As they explain in Built to Last, it is "a huge and daunting goal -- like a big mountain to climb. It is clear, compelling, and people `get it' right away. A BHAG serves as a unifying focal point, galvanizing people and creating team spirit as people strive toward a finish line...a BHAG captures the imagination and grabs people in the gut...Indeed, when you combine quiet understanding of the three circles with the audacity of a BHAG, you get a powerful, almost magical mix."

Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan are world-class pragmatists. They have no illusions or delusions about how difficult the challenges will be for those who make the seven commitments. However, they offer this strong reassurance to their reader: "There are no circumstances in business or in life that you can't handle with the Three Laws. No matter what hurdles you have to jump, challenges have to face, unfamiliar territory you have to cross, you're ready for it. Play the game passionately, intensely, and fearlessly. But don't make it significant. It's just a game."

Profound book., May 2, 2009
A profound & groundbreaking book. Read it twice. I would consider The Three Laws of Performance is as important as Good to Great by Jim Collins & its a must read book.

Transformative work for you and your organization . . ., July 5, 2010
Steve Zaffron and Dave Logan have written a book that changes the game when it comes to taking your company to the next level. They have done so by pointing out how to clear the past from defining your future and instead allowing you to create the future you desire. Sounds a bit "over the top" and it is not. If we as business leaders can take our companies through this long and difficult process, then we have the opportunity to finally move beyond the normal company dysfunction and have everyone on the same page.

This very well written book is part of the Warren Bennis collection of business management thought. The series is devoted exclusively to new and exemplary contributes to leadership practice, and this volume is definitely in the right place. The authors organized the book in three parts: 1.) the three laws in action, 2.) rewriting the Future of Leadership and 3.) mastering the Game of Performance.

The three laws of performance are: 1.) How people perform correlates to how situations occur to them. 2.) How situations occur arises in language. And 3.) Future-based language transforms how situations occur to people. The book clarifies these terms for the reader. First "occur" means the reality that arises within and from your perspective on the situation. "`How a situation occurs' includes your view of the past (why things are the way they are) and the future (where all this is going)." It is critical to understand that our view of the future includes our view of the past - and that therefore limits the options for most people. A lot of work will be to understand that past, put it to rest and be complete with it so that the future is no longer being limited by our stories, beliefs or convictions about reality from the past.

Next, it is important to understand that "how situations occur is inseparable from language." The authors use the Helen Keller story to demonstrate how incredibly powerful language is in shaping our perception of "reality." It is worth repeating their report from Anne Sullivan, Keller's tutor:

"For nearly six years I had no concepts whatever of nature or mind or death or God. I literally thought with my body. Without a single exception my memories of that time are tactual. I was impelled like an animal to seek food and warmth. I remember crying, but not the grief that caused the tears . . . . I was like an unconscious clod of earth. Then, suddenly, I knew not how or where or when, my brain felt the impact of another mind, and I awoke to language, to knowledge of love, to the usual concepts of nature, of good and evil! I was actually lifted from nothingness to human life."

Keller, because she can compare life without language to the discovery of language - through Anne Sullivan and sign language - saw language for what it is: "a force that makes us human, that gives us a past and a future, that allows us to dream, to plan, to set and realize goals." The authors also explain that we humans deal with a phenomenon of the "communicate the unsaid but communicated."

The third law is based on the concept that there are two different ways to use language. The first is descriptive - using language to depict or represent things as they are or have been. Future-based or generative language does not describe how a situation occurs; it transforms how it occurs. It has the power to create new futures and to create visions. It eliminates the descriptive limitations of the future by rewriting the future that was originally written by our descriptive language.

Part I of the book comprises three chapters--Transforming an Impossible Situation, Where is the Key to Performance: and Rewriting a Future That's Already Written. This section introduces the three laws and helps clarify the meaning of the terminology used. It's critical to remember that language defines our experience and so to define how words are used, the definitions for the purpose of the authors clearly communicating is key to the reader's successful understanding of the concepts put forth.

Part II of the book comprises two chapters and is particularly poignant at the time of this writing since we are presently having lots of discussion about the leadership lessons being learned from several incidents including the Gulf of Mexico Oil spill. The chapters are: With So Many Books on Leadership, Why Are There So Few Leaders? And The Self-Led Organization. It is the contention of the authors that there are two "Leadership Corollaries." The first is "Leaders have a say, and give others a say, in how situations occur." That is to say that a leader helps create the future, inspires others to see that future and align with it and makes sure that the environment needed for people to align exists.

The second Leadership Corollary is "Leaders master the conversational environment." The authors suggest that we consider that our organizations are a network of conversations. They ask, "Is there anything that matters that isn't done through conversations?" Conversations produce innovations. Conversations are the vehicle for delivery of services. Conversations coordinate activities.

The third Leadership Corollary is "Leaders listen for the future of their organization." Leaders create conversations from the Third Law (Future-based language transforms how situations occur to people) to invent futures for the organization that didn't previously exist. However, "leaders don't rewrite the future by themselves--they create the space and provide the `listening' for that future."

Part III of the book comprises three chapters: Who or What is Leading Your Life?, The Path to Mastery and Breaking the Performance Barrier. In this section the authors tackle the hard fact that there is almost always someone or something that is driving our lives. It could be a distant past decision you made about who you were based on how an event occurred to you. To be authentic (to be your own author), you need to "find your native energies and desires, and then find your way of acting on them." Who are you really and how did you become who you are? Answering these questions requires some deep, difficult work on our parts. The authors give us a framework to do that work.

The chapter on mastery points out that there are no "Steps to Mastery." The point is that the best way to learn a new language is to be immersed in it. There is no one best way to do things, and when you are immersed in a culture to learn the language, things to not go sequentially and neatly. Instead there is chaos and lots of parallel paths. There are milestones however, and they are:

1. Seeing your "Terministic Screen" in action
Leadership is about inventing something radically new, in concert with those who will implement it, and it can't be done through a formula, steps or checklist. And to create something radically new, we have to realize we are always viewing the world through a Terministic Screen - the names we have for things, situations and the events of the past are like a set of contact lenses that filter out possibilities for the way something is and limits it to what we "believe" it is.

2. Building a New Terministic Screen
The example given by the authors here is to think about how Galileo had to overcome the Terministic Screen of his time with the sun "rising" in the morning and "setting" in the evening. That is the Terministic Screen of the day, confirmed by human observation, was that the sun was doing the moving, the action. It limited people's view of possibilities, specifically that the earth was rotating, not "still." We have the same issues in our world today. When you have that "Aha!" moment and get a breakthrough to an issue, you likely had to recognize a change in your "Terministic Screen"; you put on a "new set of lenses."

3. You'll see New Opportunities for elevated performance everywhere
Zaffron and Logan proclaim that shortly after you pass the second milestone, you will begin to notice you are seeing old situations with a new perspective. You will begin to ask in various daily situations, "How must the situations be occurring to the people here, such that they are doing what they are doing." "How does my spouse occur to me, and me to her, such that we behave as we do?" And perhaps a bit more profound, "How must I occur to myself, given what I do in these types of situations?"

The call to action is in Chapter 8 - Breaking the Performance Barrier. Here the authors advise that the reader take on the following commitments:

1. Get out of the stands.
Are you in the game, or only an observer? What kind of conversations are you having?

2. Create a New Game
A game starts when some influential person uses future-based language and says that something is more important than something else.

3. Make the obstacles conditions of the Game
If something occurs to you and others as an obstacle, you'll push back by playing on the obstacle's terms. Instead, make the obstacles conditions of the game.

4. Share your insights
So who do you share with? How will you improve the performance of your organization if you don't share what you learn about breaking the performance barrier?

5. Find the Right Coach
From the Three Laws, great coaching alters how the situation of the game occurs for the players, especially at the critical moments. The coach will say and do whatever is necessary to win the game.

6. Start filing your past in the past
Get the future and the past straightened out, once and for all. We all make a very simple and far-reaching mistake--one that you must not make if you're going to elevate performance. We use past experiences and our Terministic Screen as a filter that defines and limits how situations occur to us.

7. Play the Game as if your life depended on it;
because, in actuality, it does depend on it. So "play the game passionately, intensely, and fearlessly. But don't make it significant. It's just a game."

This is not the average book on leadership and performance enhancement. If you take this book seriously, embrace the suggestions of the authors, your life will be transformed - never to be the same again.

Great Book, August 28, 2009
This book is great. If a person would take the information from this book and apply it to their lives, they would be able to accomplish anything in their career or personal lives that they wanted to. This book, along with participation in the Landmark Education seminar series is priceless.

A truly remarkable book, April 16, 2009
One of the things I've always wondered about Management Consultants is "What do they actually do?" Or, to put it another way, "How much difference can they really make, or is it all just a bunch of hot air?"

This book certainly gives some dramatic real-life examples of radical shifts that the authors caused in companies that they advised. Shifts that went way beyond any normal conception of what we would expect to be possible. Right in the first chapter they detail a turn-round at the Lonmin mining company in South Africa, where a disastrous safety record and inter-racial tension stalemated all previous attempts to improve productivity.

The case of Lonmin was an illustration of the "First Law" - that How people perform correlates to how the situation occurs to them. This is profound. It rarely crosses our minds that what we perceive is merely our own interpretation of a situation - we take it for granted that we directly perceive the reality itself. Other people's actions often seem to us to make no sense at all - yet they will be perfectly logical to that person, given the interpretation they have: on that occurs to them as reality!

The second and third laws deal with ways that this perception of situations arise, and what can be done to re-cast them both for ourselves and for others.

Although primarily written from the perspective of resolving conflicts and challenges in a workplace contexts, every insight in the book applies just as readily to our family and inter-personal situations.

Inspiring, practical application, February 1, 2010
This book is very inspiring and gets you to the heart of what success is by giving you real life examples that worked for people - putting into perspective of how it actually was successful, and how you can create that for yourself in your own life. This is a book to share with loved ones, friends and colleagues you would like to see grow in their professional (and personal) lives. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Most organizational change initiatives fail spectacularly (at worst) or deliver lukewarm results (at best). In his international bestseller Leading Change, John Kotter revealed why change is so hard, and provided an actionable, eight-step process for implementing successful transformations. The book became the change bible for managers worldwide.

Now, in Urgency, Kotter shines the spotlight on the crucial first step in his framework: creating a sense of urgency by getting people to actually see and feel the need for change.

Why focus on urgency? Without it, any change effort is doomed. Kotter reveals the insidious nature of complacency in all its forms and guises.

In this exciting new book, Kotter explains:

Reviews

Changing the idea of change management, November 17, 2008
A Sense of Urgency is a book that is sorely needed in today's times as the difference between urgency and change will make the difference between survival and liquidation in today's economy. Executives need to recognize the difference between the two. Urgency creates a motivating force on results and teaming. Change is imposed from above, the subject of skepticism and Dilbert cartoons.

Every organization needs to change, that is commonly understood and the subject of endless books, including those by John Kotter. We have become complacent in our approaches to change management as every one of those books deals with change as a process, an event something that happens and then happens again at a latter date. This gives executives the belief that there is a change management recipe, based on principles like the burning platform, communication, and executive sponsorship. That recipe has lost its meaning and its time for use to change the approach to change management.

I recommend this book to any executive, manager, team leader, and concerned professional as a way for them to lead and create results in a powerful way. The book is easily read over a weekend, a couple of airplane rides, etc. The charts and tools are clearly presented and actionable. Overall a must read part of any management library.

Why? Because change has lost its potency. It's become routine and we have lost sight of its fundamental roots. Change and enterprises have become internally focused, concerned with themselves, their processes, their investments etc.

Kotter reminds us that the root of success involves sense of Urgency. Urgency is the highly positive and focused forces that give people the determination to move and win now. It's a simple definition but one that is powerful and well executed throughout the book.

A sense of urgency is a focused book concentrating on the actions and practices involved in creating and sustaining a sense of urgency. Kotter provides four core tactics for driving urgency into an organization. These tactics are supported by anecdotal stories and detailed tools which make the book actionable and practical. The tactics are:

 Bring the outside in

 Behave with urgency every day

 Find opportunity in crisis

 Deal with NoNo's

This can give the reader the sense that there is `a recipe for urgency' and I guess that is unavoidable, but internalizing the books message you can readily get a sense of how this all fits into your context.

The strengths of the book centered on its clear and focused organization of these ideas in a way that Executives can easily read on a plane ride or afternoon and apply these practices right away. Kotter accompanies each Urgency Tactic with the details that not only make it real, but also really applicable. Here is a detailed example for the first tactic:

Bring the outside in:

a. Recognize the pervasive problem of internal focus
b. Listen to customer-interfacing employees
c. Use the power of video
d. Don't always shield people from troubling data
e. Redecorate
f. Send people out
g. Bring people in
h. Bring data in, but in the right way
i. Watch out that you don't create a false sense of urgency

Each sub tactic contains a focused page and a half discussion of what they are and how leaders can implement the idea. This detail and its presentation is what really distinguishes the book and brings something new to the debate.

The book's primary weakness is that it is not specific in their examples. There are discussions of nondescript companies that dilute rather than support the messages. Most of the case stories do not have a conclusion - the results companies were able to achieve. This makes the examples more fables that case studies. It's really a shame as strong specific stories are the one thing that is missing that would make this a killer book.

Finally, there are some surprising gaps in the book that by themselves do not diminish the book, but in total they certainly take away from its power. First the book does not recognize that there are other approaches to change management and urgency. This denies the reader the ability to put A Sense of Urgency in the context of the broader literature. This is really unfortunate as this book should replace some ideas and enhance others - Kotter leaves that up to the reader rather than providing a recommendation. Second, the book has no index, which not only makes it tougher to use after the fact, but also is a silly omission.

How to solve "the number-one problem" with workforce performance, September 16, 2008

Years ago, Stephen Covey suggested that many (most?) executives spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough on what is important. In Chapter 1 of this book, John Kotter suggests that, in fact, the problem is that many (most?) workers -- including executives -- do not have "a true sense of urgency [that is a] highly positive and highly focused force [and] the result of people, up and down the hierarchy, who provide the leadership needed to create and re-create this increasingly important asset. These sorts of people use a strategy that aims at the heart as well as the mind. They use four sets of tactics." Kotter devotes the balance of his book to explaining what the strategy and tactics are, why they are essential to the success of individuals as well as to the success of their organization, and how those who read his book can execute the strategy and tactics to achieve the given objectives, whatever they may be.

As I read this book, I was reminded of recent research conducted by the Gallup Organization indicating that 29% of the U.S. workforce is engaged (i.e. loyal, enthusiastic, and productive) whereas 55% is passively disengaged. That is, they are going through the motions, doing only what they must, "mailing it in," coasting, etc. What about the other 16%? They are "actively disengaged" in that they are doing whatever they can to undermine their employer's efforts to succeed. They have a toxic impact on their associates and, in many instances, on customer relations. These are stunning statistics. How to explain them? Reasons vary from one organization to the next. However, most experts agree that no more than 5% of any given workforce consists of "bad apples," troublemakers, chronic complainers, subversives, etc. How to get as many as possible among the other 50% to become positively engaged?

It is important to note that, for many years, Kotter has conducted rigorous and extensive research of his own on employee engagement and has a wide and deep range of hands-on experience with hundreds of major corporations that were either planning change initiatives or had only recently embarked on them. In three of his published works (Leading Change, The Heart of Change with Dan Cohen, and Our Iceberg Is Melting), he explains why more than 70% of change initiatives fail. "The number-one problem [organizations] have is all about creating a sense of urgency - and that's the first step in a series of actions needed to succeed in a changing world...Winners first make sure that a sufficient number of people feel a true sense of urgency to look for an organization's critical opportunities and hazards now." It is not that Kotter disagrees with Covey. On the contrary. If I understand what Kotter shares in this book, one of his key points is that workers must devote most of their time to what is most important...and do so by creating and recreating "a true sense of urgency" at all levels and in all areas.

In this context, I am reminded of a hospital emergency room. Its success requires adequate resources as well as a highly skilled staff with cross-functional capabilities. All of its members share "a true sense of urgency" when responding to all manner of health crises. More often than not, they are treating strangers about whom they know little (if anything) and sometimes must deal with a life-or-death situation. There is no time for complacency. Everyone must be fully engaged. For the ER team to be successful, its members must be both intellectually and emotionally committed to assist those entrusted to their care. There is no place on the team for anyone who is unwilling and/or unable to accept these responsibilities. Kotter's point (and I wholeheartedly agree) is that no team can succeed unless and until each of its members feels as well as understands "a true sense of urgency" and that is as true of executives and those on the shop floor as it is of ERs. "Get that right and you are off to a great start. Get that right and you can produce results that you very much want, and the world very much needs."

The other three tactics are best revealed within Kotter's narrative, in context. Now I wish to shift my attention to some material in Chapter 6 as Kotter discusses two perspectives on the nature of crises. "The first group, by far the larger, sees crises as horrid events, and for obvious reasons." Therefore, every effort is to avoid them or at least to prepare for them with comprehensive plans for crisis management and damage control. "A very different perspective on the nature of crises is described with the metaphor of a `burning platform.' In this view, crises are not necessarily bad and may, under certain conditions, actually be required to succeed in an increasingly changing world." Which perspective is correct? "Neither," Kotter responds, and then he explains various downside risks of a damage control mind-set or when using a crisis to reduce complacency and create. Again, what he recommends is best revealed within the narrative. However, I want to reassure those who read this brief commentary that Kotter fully appreciates the potential value of that contingency planning and crisis management. (He is a world-renowned expert on both.) He also clearly aware of problems that could occur when crying "Wolf!" in the absence of such a threat. In this context, his objective is to help his reader to understand how and why there are times when judicious use of created crisis can be appropriate. That said, "any naivet� about the downside risks can cause disaster" and for that reason, he identifies and briefly discusses four "Big Mistakes" (Pages 136-141) and then suggests that crises can be used to create true urgency if eight principles he recommends are followed. (Please see Pages 142-143.) In a world in which change is the only constant and seems to be occurring at an every-increasing velocity, Kotter notes that "finding opportunities in crises probably reduces your overall risk." It seems to me that in this chapter, Kotter explores a previously neglected dimension of crisis of management, and once again, he indicates still other applications of the eight-step pattern introduced in the aforementioned earlier books, Leading Change, The Heart of Change with Dan Cohen, and Our Iceberg Is Melting.

In Chapter 9, he shares his thoughts about how to sustain a high sense of urgency in an organization. That is indeed a major challenge, especially when thinking in terms of doing so throughout an entire enterprise. Obviously, leadership is needed at all levels and in all areas. "The ultimate solution to the problem of urgency dropping after successes is to create the right culture. This is especially true as we move from a world in which change is most episodic to a world in which change is continuous." Completing that transition is never easy but is far easier in what Kotter characterizes as "the right culture." Although significantly different in most ways, all high-performance companies seem to have a culture in which a majority of those involved take pride in what they achieve but are convinced that there is always room for improvement, that they can always do better. They are never satisfied. They view mistakes, errors, detours, dry wells, blind alleys, etc. as valuable learning opportunities. Their change initiatives to sustain improvement tend to be customer-driven and with, you guessed it, "a true sense of urgency."

Is this also true of your culture? If not, I urge you to read this book first and then each of the other three (Leading Change, The Heart of Change with Dan Cohen, and then Our Iceberg Is Melting) to prepare yourself to attract and engage others in urgently needed change initiatives. If not now, when? If not you, who?

Meanwhile, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock....

Move, Win, Now, March 9, 2009
"the number one problem they have is all about creating a sense of urgency"

A Sense Of Urgency by John Kotter is, simply put, a sequel of his previous book; "Our Iceberg is Melting". "Our Iceberg is Melting" is a fictional story of emperor penguins who fight for survival during the threat of change. The eight steps to overcome and embrace change are 1.) A sense of urgency 2.) The guiding team 3.) Visions and strategies 4.) Communication 5.) Empowerment 6.) Short-term wins 7.) Never letting up 8.) Making change stick.

This book is focused on the first step, a sense of urgency. As Kotter wrote "Most organizations handle step 1 poorly". Without a "true" sense of urgency, the following 7 steps to embrace change is a cumbersome task. And more importantly, because "we are moving from episodic to continuous change. With this shift, urgency will move from being an important issue every few years to being a powerful asset all the time."

Contents

1. It all starts with a sense of urgency
As I mentioned earlier that a sense of urgency is vital to a process of change. John Kotter also indicated the two most hazardous enemies, complacency and false urgency.

2. Complacency and false urgency
Kotter digged deep into the two enemies, complacency and false urgency. He elaborated the cause of them, how do the complacent (and people with false of urgency) think? What do they feel? How do they behave? He, later, wrote on how to find complacency and false urgency. This chapter is truly alarming and you might not like it!

3. Increasing true urgency
The critical point of the chapter is that true urgency aims for the "heart". A true sense of urgency is "a set of feelings: a compulsive determination to move, and win, now"; not hundreds of PowerPoint slides with graphs, charts, and researches. He concluded the chapter with four tactics (the following four chapters).

4. Tactic One: bring the outside in
"Tactic One is based on the observation that organizations of any size or age tend to be too internally oriented." He suggested us seven useful ways to "bring the outside in" to create a sense of urgency in the organization.

5. Tactic Two: behave with urgency everyday
To make sure any action is not just a flavour of a month, we need to behave urgently everyday. Behaving urgently does not mean panicking and Kotter tells you how. I personally like the term "urgent patience" because "behaving urgently does not mean constantly running around, screaming "Faster-faster". Urgent patience means acting each day with a sense of urgency but having a realistic view of time.

6. Tactic Three: find opportunity in crises
There are two camps of people amid crisis, one always looks for crisis avoidance, crisis management, damage control, budgets, budget reviews, and financial control system. The other looks for a burning platform; they view crises as not necessary bad. With fire spreading, they move, status quo eliminated and new beginning is possible. Which one is correct? Yes, neither. Kotter wrote on the pitfalls of the two and how to balance and how to make the most out of crises.

7. Tactic Four: deal with NoNos
NoNo is a character in "Our Iceberg is Melting" who always say, as the name suggests, "No no". They are resistant to change, slow down movement, and kill urgency. NoNos are not skeptics, they are worse. And Kotter wrote on how NOT to deal with them and how to deal with them effectively.

8. Keeping urgency up
True urgency leads to success with leads to complacency. This chapter tells you how to avoid this problem.

9. The future: begin today

...

Next, I'll try to briefly rate this book on a scale of ideal business book or a book that is "easy to understand, distinct, practical, credible, insightful, and provides great reading experience"

Ease of Understanding: 8/10: This book is focused on a single issue which helps you understand the subject thoroughly. The drawback is that the (real or unreal) supporting stories or examples are written lightly or fiction-like with no reference or supporting data. They do not support the contents well enough.

Distinction: 8/10: With hundreds (if not thousands) of books already on the topic of change, this small book gives you a more elaborated and detailed view on the sub-topic of change. There are also far too many titles about the rate of change in business but most of them focus on technological side of change. This is a book on a fast pace business environment with very little mention on the Internet and not a single word (I believe) on Google, My Space, Twitter, etc.

Practicality: 7/10: Although there is no step-by-step instruction to create a true sense of urgency, the book sufficiently provides you with valuable and practical guidelines.

Reliability: 5/10: There are many stories supporting the subjects but they are not truly convincing. They are (I hate to say) a bit too short and too fictional with no data or reference as I mentioned. Moreover, the one strategy (aim at the heart) and four tactics are mainly from the words and experience of the author. Simple said, the only reliable factor of the book is the author himself. I wish there were more concrete facts.

Insight: 5/10: I feel that the author wanted this book to be easy to read and easy to grasp the essence of it. Kotter believes that to create a sense of urgency in an organization, we need to communicate to the heart not to the mind with too much data and analysis (two hundred slides PowerPoint presentation, for instance). However, that is suitable for communication in the business setting with very little time to spare and to comprehend the message. Intellectual readers (not me) might expect more.

Reading Experience: 6/10: The two most important words in the book are "urgent" and "now". This book will put you in the state of emergency. One point of this book that made me feel uncomfortable is that it is, from my judgement, 80% pessimistic and 20% optimistic.

Overall: 6.5/10: If you have read "Our Iceberg is Melting" and had a problem with the first step (like I did), you should definitely buy the book. If you have not but feel that your organisation is either stagnant and slow (complacent), or chaotic with no result (false urgency) and your organisation does not respond to change well enough, this book is a good start.

Are You Creating a Real Sense of Urgency in Your Ministry Setting?, April 8, 2009
John Kotter is author of the now classic business book, Leading Change, published in 1996 and still a bestseller. In that previous book he suggested eight steps in leading change. The first of these was to develop a sense of urgency.

As a follow-up Kotter has written A Sense of Urgency. In this 2008 book he clearly makes his point in the six page preface and the first three chapters that take up 61 of the 196 total pages of primary text. That is all you need to read to benefit from his VIP's [short for very important points].

Here are some of the VIP's:

*The single biggest error people make when they try to craft change is they do not "create a high enough sense of urgency among enough people to set the stage for making a challenging leap into some new direction." [viii]
*Our biggest challenge is complacency. "We underestimate its power and its prevalence." [4]
*Our second biggest challenge is a false sense of urgency. "A false sense of urgency is pervasive and insidious because people mistake activity for productivity." [9]
*To increase a true sense of urgency, "create action that is exceptionally alert, externally oriented, relentlessly aimed at winning, making some progress each and every day, and constantly purging low value-added activities--all by always focusing on the heart and not just the mind. [60]
To create a real sense of urgency I entreat you to go forward and do likewise. What is your first step to create a real sense of urgency in your congregation or other ministry setting?
[...]

Leading Change? Get this book now! Urgent!, May 22, 2009
You know what you've got to do. You've just got to lead the change programme.

But leading change is fraught with difficulties. Why? Well, how about this.

Over 70% of all change projects fail.

So what's the secret? How do you DO change? How do you implement change successfully?

Professor John Kotter of Harvard Business School has identified the single most important aspect of successful change programmes. The leaders who drive successful change identify and communicate a real sense of urgency.

Watch this review now. Then get the book. Before it's too late.

Note: Amazon has limited this review so to get the full review visit www.boss.tv

A Sense of Urgency

Get Off the Dime and Pick Up the Big Bucks for Your Organization, November 4, 2008
Whenever I meet CEOs, they invariably tell me that they wish their people had more "fire in the belly" or more of a sense of urgency. What are they talking about? Their organizations go about saving someone's life in such a slow methodical fashion, that no life would ever be saved. It's as though a fire truck arrived at a fire and never unrolled any hoses or attached them to any fire hydrants. Instead, they are checking the equipment before getting started.

I have seen this in my own organizations. Hire a new marketing person, and you can be sure that not much more will be accomplished in the first six months than to have the company stationery, business cards, and promotional material redesigned.

What the leaders often don't realize is that their behavior facilitates this "business as usual" slow-motion sleep walk. If you want to get beyond that frustration into effectiveness, this book can help you.

Professor John Kotter knows all this. In his excellent books on change management such as Leading Change and The Heart of Change, he documented that change requires these characteristics be present:

1. A sense of urgency
2. An effective guiding team
3. Appropriate visions and strategies
4. Communications that cause the right messages to be understood by all
5. Allowing people to make necessary changes
6. Making regular progress that inspires people
7. Keeping at making useful changes
8. Not letting the helpful changes unravel

As you can see, it all starts with a sense of urgency. In this book, Professor Kotter gives us his most in-depth look at how a leader can instill and take advantage of a sense of urgency to overcome complacency and bad habits.

He proposes that leaders engage a strategy of continual action based on sensing changes outside the organization that provide opportunities or present threats while eliminating activities that don't add much value. Such a strategy should be implemented in a way that appeals to your organization both rationally and emotionally.

To implement that strategy he suggests these tactics (see pp. 60-61):

1. Bring the outside in with engaging information so that the outside is acknowledged, understood, and acted on.

2. Demonstrate urgency every day as a leader and expect everyone else to do the same.

3. Find appropriate opportunities to change and improve from crises that threaten the organization.

4. Wall off, neutralize, or eliminate those who oppose or slow down change for no good reason.

The book goes on to provide lists of questions, examples of good and bad behavior, and check lists to help you follow Professor Kotter's advice.

I found a few flaws in the ointment that concerned me about the book that I think you should be aware of:

1. In the book's beginning, there's a lot of attention paid to what is described as a "false sense of urgency." He characterizes people with this attitude as feeling that change must be made but whose actions aren't very helpful (like the new marketing people who spend a lot of effort redesigning the stationery). I don't think that's the only syndrome that you have to deal with. I also see people who have a real sense of urgency, but who don't have the management skills to know how to fix whatever it is that needs to be fixed. I would characterize that as incompetent management. Professor Kotter fails to address what to do about incompetent change management.

2. The sections on the tactics don't contain many examples, and many of the examples are ones that he has shared in earlier books such as The Heart of Change. I would have liked to see more examples and more details about how to pursue these tactics in organizations with different kinds of cultures. As a result, I didn't feel like I gained very much information about the tactics beyond what the description of the tactic provides.

3. Can leadership be defined and parsed like management is? To some extent. I think that Professor Kotter doesn't feel comfortable trying to do so. As a result, the book is a little on the superficial side for a reader who hasn't seen an effective change leader in operation.

4. There are many other tactics for leading successful change that require the use of new business models and those ideas are totally missing from the book.

But I don't know of a better book on the challenges of creating a sense of urgency in leading change. So do read this one and make the best use of it you can.

Virtually Unreadable, March 21, 2010
This book is a scam, no doubt knocked out by the author on his laptop while he waited for airplanes, travelling between speaking engagements. The first tipoff came in the "preface", where the author said so many people had contributed to this work that giving any of them credit by naming them would be inadequate and pointless. Go ahead; read the book and tell me where you see anything that looks like someone else shared knowledge, research, insight, or anything with this guy. Not in this book.

The contents of the book can be distilled down to maybe a page worth of the author's ideas: organizations that don't have a sense of urgency might either be complacent (based on previous success) or be exhibiting a false urgency - lots of meetings and committees and PowerPoint presentations and stress and anger. A real sense of urgency, the author explains, is identifiable by its embrace of every flaccid buzzword that has trickled out of graduate school in the last decade.

To use one of this author's favorite tropes - stating a fatuous statistic about some bland generality (he likes 70%) - I would venture to say that 70% of the people who bought this book have not read it (or couldn't stay awake long enough to read it). Seventy percent of its purchasers no doubt strategically place this slim volume, front cover out, on their book shelves or credenzas so that the ominous-sounding title will have a talisman-like effect on their co-workers who wander into their offices, thus instilling in the organization this magical sense of urgency.

P.S. Not quite believing that this book actually was on the NY Times Bestseller list, I did some research online, and it turns out this guy has written three other books - all about the same simplistic idea! One of the titles is a cutesy parable called, "Our Iceberg is Melting!" (Ooooh, do you think he read "Somebody Moved My Cheese"? and thought, "Hey, here's another way to repackage my boffo idea and sell some more books!").

I have read plenty of bad books in my time, but I very rarely am moved to write scathing reviews. An affront to common sense and the craft of authorship of this magnitude deserves my best efforts at warning others to use their time and money more productively.

could use more examples, but has great general advice, March 17, 2009
While targeted to organization leaders, Kotter's latest book has some excellent points for anyone looking to effect change (including jobseekers (http://sixfigurestart.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/book-review-john-kotters-a-sense-of-urgency/):

Bring the outside in.
Behave with urgency every day.
Find opportunity in crisis.
Deal with NoNos.

Aside from these four main points, Kotter's conclusion recommended two key points: focus on quick and easy; and start now. These are practical points and the book has helpful advice. I was hoping for more specific examples. Perhaps to protect client confidence, Kotter does not give many details on how companies successfully or unsuccessfully do what he prescribes. But otherwise, it's a fast engaging read of a timely subject.

Ten pages would be enough to explain the same stuff, June 8, 2009
This is one of the worst books I have read in my life. It lacks substance and provides useless information in so many pages. The book also shows that even famous professors may write rotten books. Even if he wrote the same stuff in 10 pages I still believe it would still not be worth reading. Here's my summary of the book: Sense of urgency is important for companies and they should have it. That's it.

A Sense of Urgency is Critical for Change, April 26, 2010
The first step in John Kotter's framework for leading change is developing a sense of urgency. It is such an important step that Kotter dedicated a whole book to it. Kotter provides the tools for creating a TRUE sense of urgency within your organization. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Some people are simply great at their job. They always seem to say the right thing; do the right thing. They are mentioned in every conversation. Everybody likes them. They get promoted. They get pay rises. They get along with the boss. And somehow, they do all these things without being unpleasant, breaking much of a sweat or seeming to put in excess effort. And when they are offered another step up the corporate ladder or a fabulous new job, no one is surprised. After all, they have 'potential' written all over them. How do they do it? Do they know some secret we don't? Yes, they know The Rules of Work. These rules aren't about how to do your job, day-to-day (assuming you are pretty good at that already). The Rules of Work are about how you are seen to be doing it. They are about how you appear to others. And they are about helping you to achieve the success you richly deserve. The first edition of The Rules of Work became a global phenomenon, topping bestseller charts around the world. This new, even better, edition includes 10 brand new rules to take you further, faster. These rules are the guiding principles that will improve both what you do and how you do it, giving you the unmistakable air of confidence that will win you admiration, respect, and the next promotion. With The Rules under your belt you'll have the edge in everything you do, without having to compromise your principles.

Reviews

Worthwhile Words on the World of Work, June 12, 2006
If you are looking for some good insights and perspectives from an experienced business manager about how to use the unwritten and unspoken rules of your workplace to your advantage, then you should read this book. Templar's 100 rules cover the gamut from what to wear and how to act to get noticed, to developing a career game plan. If you have never worked in an office environment, this book will help prepare you for what you will likely experience. If you have spent any time in an office environment, you will find many familiar situations to which you can relate.

The book is divided into ten parts (Walk Your Talk, Know That You're Being Judged at All Times, Have a Plan, If You Can't Say Anything Nice--Shut Up, Look After Yourself, Blend In, Act One Step Ahead, Cultivate Diplomacy, Know the System--and Milk It, Handle the Opposition), each with ten rules, that cover many important and sensitive aspects of virtually any work environment. Each rule is presented in two pages in a very conversational writing style that is generally easy to read.

I liked most of the content of the book. However, the book had way too many distracting spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors (including a 115-word sentence!) that detracted from the main points. Also, I found too many shady or questionable passages that seemed to contradict the rules they were describing or other rules:
-"You have to look as if you gossip without ever doing it." (from Rule 31--Don't Gossip)
-"But if in doubt--never lie or embellish if you can't think fast on your feet." (from Rule 44--Never Lie)
-"You don't need to volunteer information unless it directly helps you to do so...Sometimes it pays to be a little editorial with what truth you are giving out." (from Rule 47--Know the Difference Between the Truth and the Whole Truth)
-"If you need information and someone asks you why you need it, invent something entirely bogus...Don't lie, but you can be circumspect, devious, inventive, creative, eccentric, and you are allowed to set up a decoy." (from Rule 95--Don't Give Too Much Away)

Despite the book's shortcomings, I found many worthwhile points that either reinforced what I already knew or did, or that I am adapting into my overall style and behavior:
-"There is no bad karma in trying your hardest to be pleasant, cooperative, helpful, friendly, kind, and honest in your dealings with others around you." (from Rule 24--Develop a Game Plan)
-"Remember though what we said right from the outset--you have to be able to come up with the goods, you must be able to do the job--and do it well. That is the bottom line. If you can't do the job leave the stage." (from Rule 67--Walk the Walk)
-"You must work to live, not live to work. Don't take stuff home with you--learn to be assertive and say no. Put your family first. Spend time with your children--they will grow up so fast you will miss their precious childhood if you work your way through it...." (from Rule 80--Put Things in Perspective)
-"There are no bad jobs, only bad attitude to jobs." (from Rule 99--Capitalize on the Career-Enhancing Moments)

The Truth Road Map, May 27, 2005
If ever there was a how to book on career success this has got to be it. This is a no nonsense and straight to the point book that covers the basics for a successful career. The book focuses on getting promoted or moving into a better position, but the rules are such that anyone can follow them and become better at your job. What gets me as while I was reading the book I kept thinking two thoughts. One was the fact that I kept thinking these rules are all common sense. The second was the number of the rules that I have seen broken or that I have broken.

Overall I found the book wonderful. It was informative and well written. It gets right to the point and does not get bogged down in long winded and marginally useful examples. The book can be read in one sitting and is the perfect companion for a road trip. This is one book you will find yourself reading multiple times.

The Rules of Work by Richard Templar, February 24, 2005
This is an exemplary work on the details of getting ahead in
today's business environment. It incorporates some of
Andrew Carnegie's advice, as well as others in the human relations
art. Here are some of the more noteworthy pieces of advice :
- get your work noticed by management
- develop a niche or specific area of your expertise
- overdeliver what you promised
- make definitive commitments
- be cognizant of your attitude
- dress appropriately
- smile and extend your hand for a handshake
- exude energy and enthusiasm
- be cool
- speak well of others generally
- set realistic objectives
- keep copious records and notes
- understand the corporate culture and hierarchy
- speak in the "we" rather than the "I" mode
- don't get too personal
- study the opposition as well as proponents

All of the above advice will constitute important precepts for
the workplace. Naturally, the details of implementation will
differ for each employer or work setting. Nonetheless, the
general principles set forth by Templar are worthy of emulation.
The work is important, if you intend to advance in a workplace
of any size and complexity.

Everything a Mentor Should Tell You in a Few Easy Lessons, April 14, 2006
The domain of this book extends well beyond business. It is one of those books I wish I'd written myself, after having experience with a variety of mentors in different contexts, and mentoring myself.

The wisdom presented here is ageless and boundless. I would place it along with Bill O'Reilly's recent book as advice well presented for the young adult about to embark on the travails of life in the world of work, higher education, professional development, and life-decision making. Its admonitions are as useful for the neighborhood block party, the frat party, as for the boardroom and coffee room on the 24th floor of a New York highrise or the back room of a border security outpost.

It is well organized, and presently in a friendly, easy to read fashion that will make it a pleasant read on a several hour flight, train trip, or rainy afternoon when keeping up with the ESPN scores will do. Share it carefully--because its knowledge is the type that will help you succeed, but you don't necessarily want others to know where you gained its valuable insights--let them marvel at your acumen and skill in all social situation--which, as Templar points out, don't really exist, because any social situaiton is really one in which your merits and liabilities will be enumerated and judged by peers, superiors, and subordinates.

It incorporates also the accumulated wisdom of John Malloy's Dress for Success, imitated but never bettered--although the content here is much, much broader.

Highly recommended to all who wish to avoid unnecessary pitfalls in life.

An excellent resource for the striving few!, February 17, 2005
This Templar should be knighted for his efforts. Career strategy guides certainly aren't a new concept, but Templar's concise, yet well-explored presentation educates and inspires the prepared reader to greatness.

With the proper PR campaign, 'Rules' can easily become a vital resource much like "The 48 Laws of Power". Read the sample. If you like that and are persuaded to buy the work, don't hesitate. It is worth it!

Insightful!, July 14, 2005
Shortly after author Richard Templar started his career, a boss whom he despised relegated him to the menial job of taking the CEO his morning coffee. Templar used this assignment as an opportunity to chat with the CEO for five minutes each day. One day Templar recommended that the CEO assign his unpopular boss elsewhere in the company. Soon the hated boss was gone, and Templar had learned his first lesson about taking advantage of the unwritten rules of the office. Books like this tend to come across as reiterations of Machiavelli's 'The Prince', promoting stratagems that work only if you're willing to behave like a conniving finalist on 'Survivor'. Yet, this book is actually useable and it has an interesting twist: Templar says it's only for those who are willing to work harder than everyone else. He writes, "These rules are not for...posers. They are for the really industrious, the talented, the hardworking, the naturally gifted, those who are prepared to put in some effort and burn some oil." Templar's rules range from obvious to delightfully devious. He upholds ethical boundaries, however, and he's secure enough to lampoon himself to make a point. We recommend this fun, useful compendium to anyone who could use an official rulebook, spiced up with a little attitude, for the game of office politics.

Fatherhood statements in print., October 22, 2005
I really enjoyed reading this book. With every rule Richard Templar stated, I kept thinking of all the times that my father told me to "have a firm handshake" and "look them in the eye when you address them". The only fatherhood statements missing from Templar's work where "have a marketable skill" and "have a safe care to drive".

I would suggest this book to anyone, such as myself, who has been working in an office setting and who, also like myself, seems to just miss out on getting ahead. Plain and simple, work is a game. Know the rules of the game and you get to use them for your own benefit.

1 star for the artistic work on the cover and the typed pages, August 26, 2010

Not worth the time or money, March 25, 2008
Most of Templar's points, are just obvious. Curiously Templar uses the word ain't throughout this book as if it's an acceptable word - spoken or written. Most of what he writes is about his experiences at his many jobs, telling me that this guy is either 125 years old or only keeps a job for a few months. Unless you have lived on an island by yourself, his points should have been something you learned growing up or watching tv.

Point 8, Enjoy what you are doing
Point 11, Dress well
Point 44, Never lie
Point 61, Dress one step ahead

He repeats points over and over with minor variation.

You can get better value, both time and money, from The Unwritten Laws of Business - W.J. King

If you're already doing a good job, this book is helpful, September 11, 2005
While some of Templar's guidelines are common sense they are still worth reading. Others are much more insightful. Regardless, they provide a good starting point for someone looking to distinguish themselves from the pack.

The premise, however, is that you are already doing a good job and want to take the next step. It will tell you what to do, but no great detail on how to do it. Still, a worthwhile read for the price. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Reviews

Children's stories, October 3, 2009
It is amazing how children's stories have changed over time. I remember my grandmother reciting some of the stories from memory. Walt Disney certainly came along and repackaged them to be more modern or sensitive to modern sensibilities?

Childrens Red Riding Hood, January 7, 2010
Reading this book on Kindle and the stories are so fast that it is like not reading them at all. I guess I should have left this on alone. Of course it was a freebie. ... Read more

Editorial Review

If you cut off a spider’s head, it dies; if you cut off a starfish’s leg it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organizations are like spiders, but now starfish organizations are changing the face of business and the world.

What’s the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, craigslist, and Skype? What do eBay and General Electric have in common with the abolitionist and women’s rights movements? What fundamental choice put General Motors and Toyota on vastly different paths?

Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom have discovered some unexpected answers, gripping stories, and a tapestry of unlikely connections. The Starfish and the Spider explores what happens when starfish take on spiders and reveals how established companies and institutions, from IBM to Intuit to the U.S. government, are also learning how to incorporate starfish principles to achieve success. ... Read more

Reviews

Useful introduction, but there's more ..., August 29, 2007
It took me some time to warm to this book. Nothing much happens in the initial 80 pages. The first chapter develops two fairly tortuous case studies - the vicissitudes of fortune in the recording industry in the last decade and the struggle of the Apaches against the Spanish invaders - to introduce the theme of the book. Then follows a discussion of the morphology of decentralised organisations (in terms of power distribution, funding, etc). Chapter 3 illustrates these formal characteristics with a series of examples, ranging from Skype over Wikipedia to Burning Man. There is honestly not a lot of meat to chew on in these first chapters and some patience is required from the reader.

It becomes more interesting in Chapter 4 where Brafman and Beckstrom discuss operational principles behind decentralised organisations (the need for pre-existing networks as a substrate, the role of catalysts and champions to activate leaderless organisation, "circles" as their chief co-ordination mechanism, and "ideology" as the glue holding everything more or less together). The role of the catalyst as a "servant leader" (term, however, not used by the authors) is further elaborated in the fifth chapter.

In chapter 6, the discussion turns to the question "What do you do, as an incumbent, when you are under fire from a starfish?" It transpires that there is not an awful lot to be done: you can try to morph them into a spider by activating internal cancer cells (greed and competition), you can try to dissolve or change the glue, the ideology that keeps the structure together or you can join them and become decentralised too (then it's starfish against starfish).

Brafman and Beckstrom maintain that it is not always necessary to go all the way and radically decentralise. There is such thing as a "hybrid" organisation (Chapter 7), which mixes principles of centralisation and decentralisation. Here the discussion suddenly gets denser and this is a part of the book that warrants repeated reading. A distinction is made between centralised organisations that give customers a voice (eBay with its peer-to-peer feedback is an example), those that put their customers to work (IBM developing open source applications) and those that decentralise parts of their internal structure. Towards the end of the chapter, however, the discussion peters out. "Appreciative Enquiry" is invoked as an approach to bring a whiff of decentralisation into companies who want to hang on to their centralised bureaucracies. It's a dangerous example that may tempt people into crass opportunism (that is, however, bound to backfire on them).

Finally, the authors hypothesise that in a given ecosystem there is no static equilibrium in terms of right mix of centralised/decentralised characteristics ("right" in terms of securing survival and the ability to extract economic rent). The "sweet spot" changes as a function of time, sometimes dramatically so. The desire for anonymity and the free flow of information are forces that push towards the decentralisation end, whilst the desire for security and accountability pull the system back to a more centralised mode of operation.

The book closes with a short epilogue that lists 10 simple guiding principles to make the most out of decentralised organisations or to defend yourself from their attacks.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book. It provides an intelligent and accessible discussion of a complex issue. With respect to the latter, the authors do a laudable job in keeping thing simple, but sometimes it's over the top. Particularly in the first halve of the book, their penchant for telling anecdotes and stories makes them err on the side of the trivial (a discussion on Wikipedia starts with "we all remember doing school reports in the sixth grade. Back then, research meant going to the library and hoping the that the Encyclopaedia Brittanica wasn't checked out ... and so on, and so on.) I was irked more than once by the patronising and befuddling prose of Brafman & Beckstrom. Admittedly, sometimes they hit it right. The title of the book, for example, is a very strong and aptly chosen metaphor for decentralised and centralised organisations, respectively.

Also I believe this book does not exhaust the potential of this fascinating subject matter. I think the discussion would have gained significantly in clarity and power if only a number of well known systems science principles (such as Ashby's Law of Requisity Variety, see Introduction to Cybernetics (University Paperbacks)) had been invoked to give the whole discussion a rock solid footing. I also missed a solid link to the burgeoning literature on the P2P movement. It is clear that the issue of property rights in central in making leaderless organisations work (Brafman discusses this as a way to sabotage starfish only) and people like Lawrence Lessig ("Free Culture: The Nature and Future of Creativity) and Yochai Benkler ("The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom") have a lot to say about these issues.

A small point, but a fairly irritating one, is the use of the word "ideology" in the book. The authors ostensibly use this to refer to any set of beliefs that underpin a decentralised organisation. From my point of view, the word "ideology" refers to a more elaborate and closed system of abstract thought (and as such has a pejorative tinge to it). Many starfish (also amongst those mentioned in the book) thrive on a much more vague and fluid set of beliefs, norms and values. It's worthwhile to be more nuanced about this.

Morally speaking, the book leaves the reader in suspension. From an internal point of view, leaderless organisations are unquestionably superior - morally and aesthetically - to centralised organisations, not only because of their structural simplicity and elegance, but also because they rely so openly on trust (in my opinion THE key word in the book), on the belief that man is fundamentally good and ultimately because they are capable of drawing the best from people and providing them with truthfulness, meaning and purpose in their life. Problem is that not only Alcoholics Anonymous operates as a decentralised organisation, but Al Qaeda does too. So starfish can server all kinds of purposes, some more constructive than others. It all depends which side you're on.

A handbook for world changers, October 16, 2006
No matter how you identify yourself in the human ecosystem -- worker bee, sheriff, manager, capitalist, entrepreneur, politician, healer, parent, activist or consultant -- this book is going to turn on lights in your brain. It's that multi-layered. It's also that packed with the kind of simply brilliant insights that are totally familiar, and you wonder why you didn't remember that you knew that.

The Starfish and the Spider is about the power of individuals coalescing in groups of common interest and goals. It is about people doing things because they are important and meaningful to them. And how, under these circumstances, hierarchical control just isn't necessary.

Using an eclectic group of examples that range from the guerrilla tactics of the Apaches against the colonial Spanish army to the network of independent AA groups to a variety of Internet-driven modern companies, the book distills some clear principles about the structure, roles and ultimate "unstoppability" of healthy starfish organizations in surviving, growing and getting things done.

Promoted as a business management book, this book has just as much value in many other realms. Specifically, it leads to interesting ideas in psychology, religion and spirituality, government, social activism, global diplomacy, and certainly no less, to individuals who are poised to become more active in their communities, local and global.

The fundamental concepts are not new. The tribal system of collaboration and cooperation, based on trust and kinship, undoubtedly predates the emergence of power-based heirarchies. The effectiveness of grassroots movements is well known. The achievements of these organizational systems -- often against heirarchy-based organizations with massively more wealth and power -- are detailed throughout the book.

However, the authors offer some new interpretations and suggestions about these laterally networked human systems can be used. To improve business performance in conventional, heirarchically organized firms. To achieve social change. And even to fight other laterally organized systems.

The overwhelming messsage of the book is the goodness of people, their willingness to step up and help better a situation. The only "dark" spot is the section about Al Qaeda and the stresses it creates not only on foreign nations it targets for terrorism, but on its home communities. The discussion in that section about ways to weaken the incentives for hate-based groups and then a story about what one community did about its embedded terrorists are sobering and fuel for debate.

Today, the ease of bringing together people and sharing information and plans is dramatically facilitated by the Internet and wireless telephones. That is also the message of this book. Starfish organizations are coalescing all around us, both in formal intent and casual happenstance. If the authors are correct about the goodness and inherent compassion in human nature, there has never been a time when there was so much potential to change the world for the better.

For individuals looking for inspiration and support, this is a crucial takeaway from this book. There is no excuse for complaining anymore about almost anything, because it is possible to gather people of like minds and do something about it. It requires learning to speak up. If requires learning to trust each other. It requires believing that things can be different. After that, the almost magical nature of these groups kicks in, and what can be accomplished is often more than anyone expected.

Sound too airy fairy? It's not. It's the most practical treatise on change management and individual empowerment I've ever read.

It's also a quick read and very entertaining. Read the book. You won't be sorry.

an organizational behavior book for bloggers and green berets, October 5, 2006
Simply a great book.

Brafman and Beckstrom make a very compelling case for decentralization in organizations, businesses, causes, and life. They contrast the spider (top-down management) with the starfish (which is essentially headless ... all its "legs" go in any direction it wants to ... but the starfish still moves and is effective).

The book discusses the management techniques of wikipedia, craigslist, al Qaeda, the blogosphere, and more. Though these are first time authors, I found the book mimics the unique observations of someone like Malcolm Gladwell.

Overall: the book packs a big impact ... especially given that it is short and I was able to read it in one cross-country trip. It will certainly changed the way we thought about managing our organization.

The Starfish and the Spider ... Yes!, October 16, 2006
I have a childhood memory of building a go-cart. Every kid in the neighborhood was involved. Who was in charge? Whoever had the right answer in the moment of the next right thing to do. Hands, hearts, minds worked together, one idea building on another. It was an emergent experience in every sense of the word. The go-cart was more beautiful and functional than any one of us could have built alone.

Before beginning to read The Starfish and the Spider, recall your own memories of magical groups in self organizing action. Whether you are a teacher, community leader, business owner, NGO officer, or corporate executive, this is a book worth reading.

This is a book about the power and magic of groups engaged in self-organizing, non-hierarchical projects. Using stories of business, politics, activism and common interest groups, the authors show how such groups coalesce, grow and effect change, often in the face of tremendous "conventional" opposition. Some of the examples include Wikipedia, eBay, Skype, Napster and P2P sharing, al Qaeda, and many open source and decentralized projects which are ... starfish like.

From the book: "Starfish have an incredible quality to them. If you cut an arm off, most of these animals grow a new arm. And with some varieties, such as the Linckia, or long-armed starfish, the animal can replicate itself from just a single piece of an arm. ...They can achieve this magical regeneration because in reality, a starfish is a neural network - basically a network of cells. Instead of having a head like the spider, the starfish functions as a decentralized network..."

For me, one message of this book is that this "new" form of leadership does not need to be learned. Rather, it is a matter of unlearning our cultural training that a hierarchical organization is required to accomplish anything of importance. Once you understand the dynamics that authors Ori Braufman and Rod Beckstrom identify, you will begin to notice starfish-like organizations springing forth in many remarkable places.
The authors tell the story of Dave Garrison's (CEO of Netcom, 1995) attempt to engage French venture capitalists in investing in Netcom. Trying to understand his business model, the investors wanted to know, "Who is the President of the Internet?" "Who decides?" They could not grasp that the Internet had many contributors and no central leadership. It went against everything taught in the best business schools. Thus, the French investors declined to invest, and lost an incredible opportunity.

There is no question that there are stresses within starfish organizations. A go-cart is a short-lived project; a new business is in it for the long term. The games can be intense and the tactical agreements fluid. But common interests and shared objectives enable people to undertake the initial creative act of letting go, and learning to trust each other. With that, the locus of power and control shifts, and the results challenge everything we have been taught in our schools, MBA and management courses.

Throughout the book the authors illustrate and compare many aspects of both hierarchical "spider" organizations and leaderless "starfish" organizations. Simple graphs, role definitions and lists make it easier to see and feel the difference between these two ways of organizing.

This book is aimed at the business management market, but I believe it is worth serious study in universities and even elementary schools where principles of management and human relations are taught. Many aspects of starfish-like behavior are counter-intuitive to what we have learned in our schools, not only about how companies work but about how anything is accomplished.

For existing "spider" enterprises, it may be a challenge to embrace the starfish principles as a means to improve performance. As a spider cannot simply decide to change the design of its neural network and decentralize, neither can a top-down, centrally controlled organization or school. But in promoting and training the concepts of group genius in big corporations, I have seen the successes of "experimental" projects create a ripple effect on the entire corporate culture. Over time, even the most conventional firm can reframe its thinking and work towards the unstoppable engagement, commitment and achievement that can be found in leaderless organizations. This book promises that we will see more of it in the near and distant future.

The Starfish and the Spider is a celebration of the power of human beings taking their destiny into their own hands, and a welcome break from the artificial, mechanical-like treatment of human attributes that has saturated "management" theories based on hierarchal organization. Beyond describing a much more natural way of employing human talents, this book is particularly noteworthy because it is about the success and achievement of starfish in a world that seems to be dominated by spider organizations.

Enjoy the book, study the stories, use Brafman's and Beckstrom's "Five legs of the Starfish" as design parameters for your organizations, your work and your life. Though arguably as old as the tribal way of life, this way of organizing is still young in terms of formal research and mainstream attention. There is much room to mature the concepts and to become part of the ongoing emergence that is clearly being powered by the capacity of Web and wireless communications to link us all together. Enjoy the journey. It can be wonderful, rewarding, long-term child's play!
Gail Taylor, Tomorrow Makers, Inc.

A starfish organization can overtake your industry by storm!, January 22, 2008
In this book, the authors address the differences between starfish and spider organizations. A spider has a tiny head and eight legs coming out of a central body. If you chop off the spider's head, it dies. A centralized organization has a clear leader who's in charge. Get rid of the leader and you paralyze the organization. A decentralized organization is a starfish. The starfish doesn't have a head. The major organs are replicated throughout each and every arm.

In 2005, MGM sued Grokster because it allowed the sharing of music and movies over the Internet. Five years earlier, Napster was sued for allowing file sharing. The recording industry went after the people who were swapping the music as well. But this did not prevent the problem of music piracy. The harder they fought, the stronger the opposition grew. The best explanation for these events comes from a book by Tom Nevins about the Apaches.

Spanish explorer Cortes fought the Aztec, who had a central government, and took their gold; killed their leader; and starved the city's inhabitants. Two years later the entire Aztec empire had collapsed. The same fate befell the Incas. But they lost against the Apaches. It was all about the way the Apaches were organized as a society. The Apaches distributed political power and had very little centralization. They persevered because they were decentralized. A centralized organization has a clear leader who's in charge. In a decentralized system there's no clear leader and no hierarchy. The power is distributed among all the people and across geographic regions. Instead of a chief, the Apaches had a Nant'an--a spiritual and cultural leader who led by example. As soon as the Spaniards killed a Nant'an, a new one would emerge. No one person was essential to the overall well-being of Apache society. When attacked, a decentralized organization tends to become even more open and decentralized. Every time the labels sue a Napster, a new player comes onto the scene that's even more decentralized and more difficult to battle. The harder you fight a decentralized opponent, the stronger it gets.

Some examples of starfish organizations:

(a) The Internet is a decentralized starfish network where no one is in charge. Spider organizations have structures, hierarchies, and a president.
(b) At Alcoholics Anonymous, no one is in charge. If you were to ask how many members or chapters it has, there'd be no way to tell because it is an open system. An open system doesn't have centralized intelligence; the intelligence is spread throughout the system. Spider organizations weave their webs over long periods of time, but the starfish can take over an entire industry in the blink of an eye.
(c) Craigslist attracts three billion page views a month. The way craigslist runs is that people who use it post, and if they find something inappropriate they flag it for approval. So the people who use the site run it. It allows users to interact with each other directly without anybody telling anybody else what they can and cannot do. In an open system, what matters most isn't the CEO, but whether the leadership is trusting enough of members to leave them alone.
(d) The first popular browser for surfing the Web came from the University of Illinois. But the University did not respond when engineers sent patches to be integrated, so they decided to post the patches on their own and called the project Apache. The software was completely open-source, and Apache quickly became the industry standard, with 67 percent of websites running on it.
(e) Wikipedia allows website users to easily edit, police, and contribute the content of the site themselves. Put people into an open system and they'll automatically want to contribute! When you give people freedom you get incredible creativity and a variety of expressions.

Differences between Spider organizations and starfish organizations:

(a) Most centralized organizations are divided into departments. If a spider loses a leg, its mobility is significantly affected. Units of a decentralized organization are completely autonomous. Cut off a unit and, like a starfish, the organization does just fine.
(b) In spider companies, power is concentrated at the top. In starfish organizations, power is spread throughout.
(c) Decentralized organizations are fluid. Centralized organizations depend more on rigid structure. It is possible to count the members of any spider organization, but members of starfish organizations are impossible to count because anyone can become a member.
(d) Information in centralized organizations is processed through headquarters. In open systems, communication occurs directly between members.
(e) In decentralized organizations, the founder plays the role of a catalyst. He would lead by example, but he never forces his views on others. A catalyst gets the decentralized organization going and then cedes control to the members.

Strategies to combat a starfish invasion:

(a) Ideology, the shared philosophy among members, is the glue that holds decentralized organizations together. If the ideology can be successfully changed, the results are detrimental.
(b) The Apaches remained a significant threat until the Americans prevailed by giving the Nant'ans cattle. Once people gain a right to property they quickly seek out a centralized system to protect their interests. The moment you introduce property rights, the starfish organization turns into a spider.
(c) If you can't beat them, join them. The best opponent for a starfish organization is another starfish.

This is by far the best business management book I have read this year!

Challenging Thoughts for leaders, February 4, 2007
The thesis of the book is that organizations that are organized in autonomous cells are unstoppable and require different competitive techniques than those that are centralized with a leader. The analogy he uses is the starfish. If you cut a starfish in half, you get 2 starfish. If you cut it into 5 parts, you get 5 starfish. Unlike a traditional organization (the spider) where you cut off the head and you kill the organization.

Starfish - decentralized, get stronger if broken up, decentralize more when attacked, smaller win (diseconomy of scale), flat is better than heirarchy.

Spiders - centralized, die if the head is cut off, centralize more when attacked.

The books cites many examples of leaderless organizations (or ones that have some characterisitcs of one) including Al Qaida, Napster, Kazaa etc, the Apaches during Spanish times, Craiglist etc.

Good book, interesting read. Challenging thoughts.

Outstanding and Thought Provoking, December 26, 2006
This is an exceptional book addressing how decentralized organizations flourish. It is easy to read, yet stimulates exploratory thinking beyond its words. The suggestions in the Starfish and the Spider can impact society on the grand scale from fighting terrorism worldwide to defeating alcoholism. As a university professor, I read many business books. This is one of the best. I have recommended it to my graduate students, and they have unanimously agreed it is great.

Sometimes the obvious gets missed, February 6, 2007
I wish that more of our elected leaders / business leaders had the mental aptitude to grasp the implications of the theories put forward in this short book. Many of our problems today are the result of leaders who try to defeat "starfish" entities using "spider" techniques (e.g. shock and awe, surges, lawsuits, hostile takeovers, etc..) We waste energy, treasure and lives because we have been too lazy to truly understand what we are fighting, or the actual opportunity that stands before us.

History has shown that people are actually quite clever at solving problems once the situation has been properly explained. This book goes a long way to explain and categorize a type of social organization that will defy certain forms of force, and thrive in specific environments, regardless of the external forces. To deal with a new entity, in politics / business / society, we must first understand what we are confronting. Otherwise, we're sort of in a Ready - Fire - Aim mode. This book promotes and defines a mindset that is desperately needed.

Elusive Nodes, July 31, 2007
This book offers an excellent discussion of the extremely elusive concept of networked type of organizations which social scientists refer to as organizations where decision making power is distributed and whose structure is flat. Such an organization consists of semi-autonomous nodes or cells linked and given cohesion by one or more factors such as kinship, mutual experiences, ethnic culture, or common ideology. In the 21st Century the Global Telecommunications Network (sic) serves as an enabler to networked type of organizations. The book, "Networks and Netwars" (Rand 2001, Amazon.com) provides a formal explanation of networked type of organizations, but will leave many folks still wondering about the anatomy of a networked type of organization.

The book quit effectively uses examples and the analogy of a starfish to both demonstrate and explain how networked type of organizations actually work in practice. This is very important and helpful because such organizations are becoming increasingly more common, but are very difficult for persons used to hierarchical organizations to understand. The book explains for example how the command and control system for al Qaeda cannot be knocked out because it does not exist. More ominously the book notes that as the U.S. increasingly centralizes its efforts against al Qaeda the harder it will be to cope with terrorist operations and threats.

There are now several first rate books available now on networked type of organizations, but this one is probably the best because of the clarity with which it explains what networked type of organizations are and how they really work. It is a shame that the U.S. Intelligence and National Security Communities appear unable to come to grips with geographically dispersed cell of one or more individuals using distributed decision making, and linked by such tenuous ties as personal relationships and shared ideology. This book offers some suggestions for dealing with networked type of organizations, but one is left with the impression that nobody is listening.

Compelling and Sensible, Offers Hope in Face of High-Level Threats, January 23, 2007

I like this book very much and recommend that it be read in conjunction with "Wikinomics" and "Infotopia," or at least read my reviews there. Each of these three books has its own perspective and the combine well. There are other books, such as Kevin Kelly's and Howard Rheingold's that were ten to fifteen years ahead of what is now "conventional wisdom" and it is important to give credit to the true pioneers.

From a business and governance perspective, the book is valuable in emphasizing that any endeavor based on information will improve with decentralization--more dots will be captured, shared, understood, and acted on in a timely fashion. I have been saying for over a decade that in the age of distributed information, central intelligence is an oxymoron, something the Central Intelligence Agency, my former employer, simply refuses to believe.

I listened to Al Gore last night on Global Warming, in Boise, Idaho--10,000 people who gave him multiple standing ovations, and I plan to listen to George Bush on Iraq tonight. Al gets it, George does not. Centralized systems cannot defeat decentralized systems. Al Gore is leading a massive global campaign to get all of us to change the planet from the bottom up, while George (or Dick Cheney, depending on who you think actually runs the place) is deepening America's loss of global standing and moral stature at the same time that he is bankrupting the treasury and destroying the Armed Forces--and planning a conventional attack on Iran at the same time. One of these guys is sane, the other is a nutcase. The good news is that decentralized morality can triumph over centralized corruption, and that is the back story on Al Gore's emergence as a virtual Earth Leader.

The authors offer us a number of gems and conclude with ten rules I will list below.

The key point is that a distributed brain or organization is more resilient and more likely to pick up weak signals. Distributed consensus is both scalable and sustainable, while centralized coercion is neither.

The authors place great emphasis on the importance of a spiritually-compelling ide[a]ology as the glue that helps decentralized organizations adjust to external and internal challenges much faster and with greater precision (as well as fewer resources) that any centralized system can manage. The "catalyst" model (Al Gore) is compared with the "commander in chief" model (George Bush) and there is no doubt at all which is the superior model for addressing today's complex high-level threats.

Indeed, it may be that between state secessions and popular boycotts of corporations using the federal government to pick people's pockets, that the Internet could create a form of global self-governance that makes the Federal government largely irrelevant, while re-directing funds from waging war to waging peace. That is the next big step. The authors specifically say that the price of software is declining toward zero. It will be content, sense-making, and what IBM calls "services science" that will add value and be marketable.

The authors describe Amazon and E-Bay in very favorable terms, and as hybrids with a centralized infrastructure for delivering services, but a vast decentralized network of customers who are also "prosumers" (Alvin Toffler's term) creating value on the network with their reviews and buying patterns. The authors' phrase "decentralized creativity and centralized consistency" jumped out at me.

The ten "rules" (better described as guidelines) are:

01 Diseconomies of scale
02 Network effect
03 Power of chaos
04 Knowledge at the edge
05 Everyone wants to contribute
06 Beware the hydra response
07 Catalysts rule
08 *Values* are the heart of any organization or network
09 Measure, monitor, and manage
10 Flatten or be flattened

Overall, this is a very fine book. I also recommend the emerging literature on the "true cost" meme and on natural capitalism, demonstrating that a proper understanding of the true and long-term costs of any product or service actually makes businesses more profitable and more sustainable.

I have added an image I created in the 1990's when I first started advocating Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), today I am focused on a non-profit, the Earth Intelligence Network, whose objective is to empower individuals and communities with public intelligence in the public interest. This book gave me hope, gave me a sense that we can indeed come together as a global network, and displace the authoritarian and corrupt governments that have been bribed by corporations to loot our commonwealth.
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