Must-win Battles: Creating the Focus You Need to Achieve Your Key Business Goals (Financial Times) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)MWB stands for "Must Win Battles," which is the title and a common acronym throughout this this book. Authors Peter Killing, Thomas Malnight and Tracey Keys use "battle" to refer to competitors and "must-win" to mean these battles must be won. There are a lot of circumstances applicable to the concept of 'battle.' Examples and case studies cover management style, team work, planning, shortlisting, and executing, are noted. One example is Unilever in Africa, Nestle China, and a two-year case study of the CFF business groups from the words of an executive.
Three sections and nine chapters.
Section I: Preparing the Journey
Section II: Engaging the Team
Section III: Making it Happen
The different types of managers listed are the commander, diplomat, thinker, and motivator, who are defined and described. This is followed by the role of Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. EI is just as, and oft-times more vital than IQ. There are questions regarding this that the reader can answer for themselves so they can apply this concept to their own situations in life and in the work place. This book helps the manager and employees as individuals and allows them to reflect on others and themselves.
Different dynamics of MWB, which often may include change. While strategically planning and implementing Must-Win Battles there are Resisters, Bystanders, and Supporters. A time-line is almost always necessary and matrices and diagrams are presented, when planning and executing.
A good reality check is in chapter 4, which lists "Typical Company-Related Myths." Those who've worked in medium or large organizations can identity with the company values and slogans. But they're usually only slogans, because they aren't practiced. :)
At the end of the book there are:
A) The MWB Journey and Road map
B) The Denison Survey: Questions
C) Using the External Assistance
This is helpful for all people who manage and work in organizations of all types and sizes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Must-win Battles: Creating the Focus You Need to Achieve Your Key Business Goals (Financial Times)

Must-Win Battles shows in a step-by-step way, how to identify the key goals that need achieving and how to win emotional and intellectual buy-in from the employees who make it all happen. By focusing on the right key short-term efforts you attain the twin benefits of delivering in the here-and-now, and making progress toward larger strategic goals.Businesses around the world are struggling for growth and profitability in today's fast-changing world. Those that achieve standout success are characterized by clear vision, focused execution, and commitment by people to doing what counts. But for the 99% of businesses that lack many of these attributes, how do they go about getting them? Should they turn to another management fad? Probably not. Senior managers are now sceptical in the face of "initiative overload". Instead they are looking for inspiration among real-world companies and real leaders.Based on a successful executive programme at IMD, one of the world's foremost executive education institutions and has been tested at some of the world's best-known companies, with intimate and compelling case studies running throughout, Must Win-Battles offers the inspiration and advice that many are looking for. "Enlightening and thought provoking in an era of cluttered agendas. Must Win Battles sets a clear path for leaders to focus their team's head, heart, and hands. Michael D. White, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo InternationalNew York "Moving a company to the next level requires confronting the right challenges, and Peter Killing, Thomas Malnight, and Tracey Keys show how to pick your battles and then how to win them.Their Must-Win Battles provides a practical playbook for unleashing and aligning the intellectual and emotional energies essential for any business triumph." Michael Useem, Director-Center for Leadership and Change Management, The Wharton School and author of The Leadership Moment "In "Must Win Battles" Peter Killing and Thomas Malnight have distilled their richly varied experiences drawn from many organizations over many years.Together they have created a practical handbook for all managers who are interested in re-energizing and improving their business performance.Must Win Battles is easy to read and brimful with practical advise; well worth a few hours of your time".Iain Ferguson CBE , Chief Executive , Tate & Lyle PLC. Named European Businessman of the Year by Forbes Magazine, 2005 "Working with must-win battles has fundamentally changed our approach to where we seek growth in the market and the way we engage our people in realizing these goals. Must-win battles are the glue that ties the business together globally, that everyone understands and can contribute to.The process clarifies for everyone the long-term vision and business direction, where to allocate resources and why it is important to get aligned."Diego Bevilacqua, President, Global Business: Foodsolutions, Unilever"Every executive knows that there are certain battles that must be won for the business tobe successful.This great new book provides a real-world, step-by-step approach to choosing the right battles in a way that helps unleash the organizational will to achieve them.Must Win Battles is a wonderful contribution to the art and science of management!So much so that it's inspired me to launch my own MWB journey."Bob Rieder, President & CEO Cardiome Pharma Corp.

Click here for more information about Must-win Battles: Creating the Focus You Need to Achieve Your Key Business Goals (Financial Times)

Read More...

Doing Both: Capturing Today's Profit and Driving Tomorrow's Growth Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If this book was a reality TV show, it would be a flattering portrait of a celebrity's life. Initially an intriguing glimpse into the inner world of someone of interest, then realization dawning that, in the end, you're only seeing what the celebrity wants you to see.
The opening chapters are a useful reminder that business folk often get trapped in false choices such as on-time or high-quality, for example. But that's about the extent of the concept, and the remainder of the book is a collection of anecdotes about Cisco senior executives. The writing is strangely mechanical and almost devoid of style and wit, which makes it hard to keep going. I found myself rapidly losing interest in the middle.
The Cisco examples are like a celebrity magazine cover: photoshopped for maximum effect. I worked at Cisco for five years, joining about the same time as Inder Sidhu in the 1990s. It was truly an exceptional place to work, and my experiences there left a lasting positive impression. I was part of some of the product stories he recounts, and this is where my recollection departs from Inder's. He's not trying to be deceptive, merely carefully selective to support his thesis. I did get a little suspicious of the frequent occurrence of the figure "40%". In so many of the vignettes, this is the stated bookings growth achieved as a result of "doing both".
Summaries of the thought processes for some of the major decisions are thought provoking -- made me think about how I could use the same ideas in my business. The most difficult part of corporate decision-making is bringing the rest of the organization along on the journey, though, and there's precious little on how that was achieved.
In short, an interesting glimpse into the inner life of Cisco, a good-but-not-great business book. Another reviewer describes it as a modern The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials) -- I can't agree with that. It's too anecdotal, without the rigor and depth of Christiansen's work.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Doing Both: Capturing Today's Profit and Driving Tomorrow's Growth

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Doing Both: Capturing Today's Profit and Driving Tomorrow's Growth

Read More...

The Art of Decisions: How to Manage in an Uncertain World (Financial Times Series) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Even though making decisions is a life skill, books on decision making never hit main stream. The minority of readers interested in the subject find a great choice of books incl. Think Twice, Seeking Wisdom, Smart Choices. What makes THE ART OF DECISIONS different to the other books is the applicability: the author provides real life issues with real life examples. This earns him my highest praise.
The author covers many examples on decision making as a manager, entrepreneur or VC. The intellectual capability of the author is impressive and readers who like the topics will be excited reading the book. Many of the decision making problems are viewed through the lense of a passionate poker player.
Readers who are familiar with the writings of Nassim Taleb will immediately see some resemblance the in the topics covered in this book. Chris Blake certainly likes Nassim Taleb and the reader might get the feeling that he imitates Nassim Taleb on occasions. While I'm a huge fan of Nassim Taleb, Chris Blake achieves something Nassim Taleb probably won't ever achieve; applicability. On the downside, you will laugh out loud a lot while reading Nassim Taleb which won't happen with this book.
My two favored chapters were `Deciding close to home' and `Deciding far from home'. Basically how we should make decisions where we are experienced (home) and where we are unexperienced (far from home). In particular the later, when we don't have, or don't trust our own experience, we can use `rules of thumbs' to guide our decisions - effectively the experience of others.
Business decisions are decisions about the deployment of resources - people, time or money. This book is worthy every minute and money spent on.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Art of Decisions: How to Manage in an Uncertain World (Financial Times Series)

Click here for more information about The Art of Decisions: How to Manage in an Uncertain World (Financial Times Series)

Read More...

The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)No one has enough time today. In her heavily researched book, corporate strategist Adrian C. Ott explores this issue and its implications for businesses. She proposes innovative practices that transform consumers' increasing lack of time into a fulcrum that can boost sales. Conscious of her readers' time limitations, Ott provides handy "Two-Minute" capsules that summarize each chapter's main points. getAbstract recommends Ott's timely advice and her new methodologies for increasing your sales while saving your customers time and trouble.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy

Get 35% OFF

Click here for more information about The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules for Winning in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy

Read More...

Virtual Teams: Reaching Across Space, Time, and Organizations with Technology Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Virtual Teams" was a real treat for both my academic and consulting sensibilities. I have never seen such a thorough work on this topic. It is both fundamental and visionary at the same time.
In discourse with a fellow business consultant we bantered about the topic of Lipnack and Stamps latest book (of which I had received an advance copy). He said: "Unfortunately, Lipnack and Stamps(L&S) have been 10 years ahead of the curve with their understanding of the importance of networking."
"But," I replied, "With the book 'Virtual Teams' they offer the world-wide-race-to-the-Internet a well needed moment of reflection-during which they offer PURPOSE to connecting and give virtual teaming DEFINITION and DIRECTION." And the banter continued but we both agreed and got tingles as our chat echoed the truth of their statement:
"Communication technologies and computer networks-in particular the Internet-are underwriting this moment of pregnant potential." (p 240)
"You know," I concluded, "It's a good thing they (L&S) were ahead of their time-otherwise we would not have the language to discuss our 'interdependence' symptoms, to test our 'distributed business' hypothesis', and to realize how much responsibilty it is to be 'pregnant' with potential! Really! The capabilities and expectations we have to manage in these Internet days... how exciting, how dangerous! After all, 'net potential, without 'net performance is just predisposed waste, don't you agree?"
"Yeah, yeah Paula,--yadda, yadda, yadda; 'net, 'net, 'net...enough philosophy-so, should I read the book or not?"
"Go for it." I replied. "This book is not just an electronic blip about the latest fad of virtual teams- it is a study on careful communication, on planning and developing valuable distributed business relationships...a book to be savored and re-read over time."
(BTW --Mine is already all dog-eared and worn!)
Be prepared to THINK DEEP; when you read this book, SIP it SLOWLY and --ENJOY!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Virtual Teams: Reaching Across Space, Time, and Organizations with Technology

Click here for more information about Virtual Teams: Reaching Across Space, Time, and Organizations with Technology

Read More...

The Pursuit of Wow Every Person's Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's Tom Peters' advice: hire "zany" people who don't know how to dress professionally (because they have a lot of energy); throw out every idea, concept, and system that has ever WORKED for your firm (because you don't want to grow stale); and forget any and all conventional measures of success (because they're wrong, and Tom Peters is right). We are not in business to make money or even to provide a great product/service --we're in business to be different at all costs (proof: Peters pooh-pooh's McDonald's as "McOrdinary's"). Although some of his ideas might prove useful to some readers, I found myself increasingly annoyed with Peters' own infatuation with himself ("aren't I crazy? aren't I just rocking your world?"). His tone conveys the sense that he'll say anything to be shocking--hardly a good motivation for writing a business book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Pursuit of Wow Every Person's Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about The Pursuit of Wow Every Person's Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times

Read More...

The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The debate over the value of high-level strategic consultants and academics has waged for decades. I was one such consultant for the better part of ten years who often spent the first part of any conversation defending my profession (I have since moved to advertising and now defend that profession). Kiechel covers the rise of strategy consulting firms--BCG, McKinsey, and Bain--and notable business school professors who contributed to the strategy revolution. His background provides the credibility to do so, he was a former Managing Editor at Fortune magazine and was the Editorial Director of Harvard Business Publishing from 1998 to 2002.
He sees the best strategists as objective intellectuals who see patterns of evidence and put them through conceptual frameworks to produce pragmatic insights. This largely began in the sixties and seventies when strategy began to be systematized and integrated. Cost, customer and competitors were the three primary areas strategists looked for patterns to exploit. In the nineties, the practices were more fad-like including reengineering and total quality management. This was the era I practiced in and I felt like the lone voice extolling the virtue of a simple but robust strategic planning process. I jumped for joy when in June, 1997, BusinessWeek had on their cover, The Return of Strategic Planning: Once More With Feeling. Which was the pivot point for Taylorism-like monitoring and measurement processes becoming more humanistic and holistic in their design.
The author tells some great industry stories but what struck me is just how important the role of strategy and management consultants is to business. The influence that such a small number of people and firms have had on modern business is truly staggering. This is where the subtitle of the book comes from: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World. Just a handful of models and frameworks devised by a small number of minds have been used by countless businesses to generate their strategies - this is what is so amazing.
From my experience, the best strategists retain a child-like wonder and a natural intellectual curiosity that is backed by analytic rigor - an incredibly hard combination of skills to possess in one person. I suggest this book only if you are interested in the history it covers and/or are a follower of the strategist value debate. In other words, this is not a strategy how-to book. Other books in this area I have read are The Management Myth, The McKinsey Mind, Rip-Off!, House of Lies, and Consulting Demons - so you may want to check them out too.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about The Lords of Strategy: The Secret Intellectual History of the New Corporate World

Read More...

The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management: Lasting Lessons from the Best Leadership Minds of Our Time Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Despite the 3-star rating, I recommend the book for those new to management and those who wish to read a cogent primer on Western management concepts: the book is well written, easy to understand, and provides a decent overview of management/leadership ideas. Those who have given the book 4- and 5-star ratings have highlighted the strengths of the book.
I found it to be just an average intro because
a) Mr. Murray can't seem to make up his mind whether this is a book for any "knowledge worker," mid-level managers, or CEOs. Various chapters appear to be targeted at different audiences.
b) The book appears to be a paean to the Wall Street Journal. Many of the stories and anecdotes shared by the author are based on WSJ articles. The author could have found better examples and stories in a myriad of other journals, magazines, and newspapers to make his points (e.g, Fast Company is an excellent resource for great management/leadership ideas).
c) Despite the chapter on Globalization, the book is entirely focused on Western management thinking. It would have been strengthened by adding management ideas from any of the rising economic powers. (e.g., Nilekani's Imagining India)
d) Mr. Murray largely omits the impact of technology and social media on management.
e) And finally, the book focuses on a rather narrow list of management classics. Mr. Murray had a difficult task of distilling 50 years of management thinking into a couple of hundred pages, but the book would have been better if he had mentioned or suggested reading a broader array of management classics (e.g., any book by Peter Block).
So if you need a primer on management or a quick review of standard topics, this is not a bad book. If you are looking to take your management skills to a new level, best to look elsewhere.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management: Lasting Lessons from the Best Leadership Minds of Our Time

Get 27% OFF

Click here for more information about The Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Management: Lasting Lessons from the Best Leadership Minds of Our Time

Read More...

Rework Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)One of my biggest gripes about the early reviews to come out about Rework is that they had no substance. Words like "inspirational", "brilliant", and "rethink" generally trigger my BS alarm, so I really didn't know what to expect with Rework. I've been reading Signal vs. Noise, the design and usability blog by 37signals, for a few years now, and I've had plenty of time to become acquainted with Jason and David's style. That I even refer to them by their first names should clue you in to their style. They come across in writing as they do in their live webcasts and presentations: familiar. Point is, I've been irked by the longest by those vapid early reviews to come out. They meant nothing to me. Hopefully you'll find this review more much helpful for determining whether or not Rework is worth your time.
TL;DR Version: Buy the book if you have no idea what 37signals stands for. If you do, expect SvN on paper.
Long Version: If you've never heard of 37signals or read Signal vs. Noise and you're a business owner or someone who needs to buy a book for an "entrepreneur" (Jason and David prefer the term "starter"), then this is a pretty good book to purchase. It's 273 pages, but most of that is filled with white space and somewhat relevant artwork (almost too much artwork, really), so it's an easy read. From start to finish I spent just over a few hours reading Rework, and I'm no speed reader by any stretch of the imagination. Don't expect to be blown away by any revolutionary ideas, either. One of the early reviews to come out said, "The clarity, even genius, of this book actually brought me to near-tears on several occasions" (Tom Peters, New York Times bestselling author). I don't want to bad mouth the guy, because I don't know him, but that's some wicked crazy rad hyperbole. This is a simple book that's just a by-product of the blog. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you are someone who is very familiar with 37signals and has spent a considerable amount of time reading the blog, then don't feel like you need to pick up this book immediately. Don't get me wrong, $12 (or however much it costs when you buy Rework) is entirely worth it, if even just to have some good night time reading material. But if you think that Rework will bring you any additional insight into 37signals beyond what is available online, then you are thinking incorrectly. Rework felt like a package of SvN blog posts from 2007 to 2009. I'll explain why in a bit.
The Major Takeaways:
If you're strapped for cash and still want to take away lessons from this book, just read the table of contents and then cross-reference those words with the 37signals blog. Jason and David do a heck of a job being straightforward about what they are writing about. For example, "Ignore the real world" (page 13) can be found on their website. In fact, a whole bunch of their content from Rework can be found on their website. To wit:
"Learning from mistakes is overrated" (Rework, page 16): "Learning from failure is overrated" (Feb. 3rd, 2009)(SvN)
"Planning is Guessing" (Rework, page 19): "The Planning Falacy" (Jun. 12th, 2009) (SvN)
"Workaholism" (Rework, page 25): "Fire the workaholics" (Mar. 7th, 2008) (SvN)
"Enough with 'Entrepreneurs'" (Rework, page 28): "The word entrepreneur and its baggage" (Apr. 22nd, 2009) (SvN)
"Scratch your own itch" (Rework, page 34): "What's your problem?" (Getting Real)
"No time is no excuse" (Rework, page 40): "There's always time to launch your dream" (Mar. 10, 2009) (SvN)
"Outside Money is Plan Z" (Rework, page 50): "Fund yourself" (Getting Real)And that's just the first 50 pages! You see where I'm going with this. If you are an avid reader of 37signals and have kept up with them for 6-12 months, then most of what you read in Rework will simply be a regurgitation of what's already been written online. That's why the early reviews really irked me. Is this book insightful? Clearly. Is it legendary or tear-worthy? Give me a break! The grand language is really making me distrust books, and if I didn't already know the great work that 37signals does or if I were not already a long time customer with 37signals, I wouldn't have bought this book. The flowery language of the early reviews just made me expect the world from Rework, and all I really got was the hardcover form of Signal v. Noise, with better edits and word choice.
I wouldn't write this long, rambling review if I wasn't passionate about the line of work that 37signals is in. I owe much of my organization and peace of mind to 37signals products, so count me as one of the 37signals "audience" members. I think Rework is an exceptional book in that it serves as a reminder of many of the lessons and "recipes" that Jason and David have given us through the years. It is definitely worth the money if you have not already internalized much of the lessons contained in the Rework table of contents. If you have, and you are an avid fan of Jason and David already, then there's really no need to read Rework unless you have some extra time on your hands.
And to Jason and David, if either of you actually read this review, then I hope in your next book you'll ditch the early BS reviews. That's my main gripe. If you want to recycle SvN from 2009-2011 and turn it into a book called ENHANCE! in 2012, that's fine by me. I'll be the first one in line to read it; but know that I, and many other readers, will expect to see the same stuff that we've already read on the blog. I love the work you two do; I mean I REALLY love the work that you two do. But come on. Don't set me up for the stars and then throw glitter in my face.
All in all I give Rework a 7/10. It's worth a read if you have no clue what 37signals stands for. Even if you do, buy the book for a friend or out-of-touch boss.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rework

Get 44% OFF

Click here for more information about Rework

Read More...

Mastering Strategy Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The book presents an excellent companion of the top issues involving strategy today. The book is structured according to global themes, like strategy and economics, strategy and leadership, and so on. Each chapter has 4 or 5 articles related, written by authors from important business schools. Issues like game theory and commitments are deeply reviewed, but in a simple way, easy to understand, thus allowing anyone with no MBA to understand it. The book offers an easy way to update your strategy knowledge, if your are interested in business strategy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mastering Strategy

Cutting edge thinking and best practice from the bestbrains at four of the world's top business schools.Everyone in business is involved in strategy. Whether it be formulating it or implementing it. Every business from Fortune 500 companies to internet start-ups is reliant on strategy for survival and success.Mastering Strategy brings you the latest thinking from the world's top international business schools. This rich mix of thought leadership covers all the top strategy issues, from mergers & acquisitions, risk, technology, and alliances, to knowledge, governance, globalization, and leadership.With contributors from among the world's top strategists, including C.K. Prahalad, Henry Mintzberg, John Kay, Noel Tichy, and W. Chan Kim, this book combines definitive new thinking with examples of leading corporate strategies.Strategy is everybody's business. Become a master of yours.SAIDThe Said Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford, and the newest department in one of the world's oldest universities. The school was established in 1998 through an initial GBP20m benefaction from Mr Wafic Said and matching funding from the University.It specializes in high level research into international business topics, including strategy, finance and corporate governance. The school also offers MBA, undergraduate and research degrees to an international student body.INSEADIn just 40 years, INSEAD has grown from a modest European educational start-up to one of the world's leading business schools, with more than 650 MBAs, 5,500 executives and 40 PhDs from over 75 countries passing through its programs every year. Participants are taught by an internationally recognized faculty of 124 professors from 26 countries. The institute's extensive alumni network is present in 122 countries and represents more than 20,200 MBA and executive alumni.CHICAGOThe University of Chicago Graduate School of Business is at the forefront of bringing a discipline-based approach to the study of business. Chicago GSB is known for its world renowned faculty, which includes more Nobel Prize winners than any other business school.Chicago GSB is also known for its strength in a number of areas including strategy, finance, entrepreneurship, international business, general management, economics, accounting, marketing and its innovative MBA program, which has campuses in Barcelona,Singapore and Chicago.MICHIGANIn Business Week magazine's bi-annual survey of corporate executives, the University of Michigan Business School (UMBS) was rated the most innovative business schools in the United States. UMBS's MBA and undergraduate programs blend the school's unusual across-the-board academic prowess with intensive development of applied skills and capabilities for results-producing leadership. In addition to degree programs, the Executive Education Center at UMBS offers a wide range of public and customized programs for working executives. More than 5,000 people participate in these programs each year, both on the school's campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in overseas locations.

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Mastering Strategy

Read More...

The Ultimate Strategy Library: The 50 Most Influential Strategic Ideas of All Time (The Ultimate Series) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This is one of the volumes in the "The Ultimate Series" published by Capstone Publishing Limited. Previously, I reviewed Des Dearlove's The Ultimate Book of Business Thinking and Stuart Crainer's The Ultimate Business Library. The three volumes comprise an especially informative and valuable resource for busy executives as well as for those now preparing for a business career. The nature and extent of coverage of "the most strategic ideas of all time" and of the sources in which they were introduced are remarkable. For example, during the course of a 192-page narrative, John Middleton provides a briefing on a total of 50 primary sources, arranged by author in alphabetical order (from Igor Ansoff to Shoshana Zuboff) but Middleton also offers other material that, all by itself, is worth far more than the cost of this book:
"Introduction" [Note: One of the most informative I have encountered thus far.]
"A Brief History of Strategy" which includes a comprehensive timeline that begins with the pre-history of strategy (e.g. Sun Tzu's The Art of War), proceeds through a four-decade period from 1960, and concludes with six works published in 2000. Middleton also identifies a number of key themes.
[Sequence of analyses of "the most strategic ideas of all time" and those who devised them, Pages 3-192]

"Coda: The Future of Strategy"
Annotated Bibliography
Glossary of Strategy Terms
I like the various reader-friendly devices that Middleton uses so effectively throughout his narrative such as highlights of key points (e.g. Robert Baldrock's in The Last Days of the Giants?), brief excerpts (e.g. from Michael Hammer and James Champy's Reengineering the Corporation), "Zeitbites" (e.g. taken from Kenichi Ohmae's The Mind of the Strategist), summaries of key components within a methodology (e.g. Peter Senge's as developed in The Fifth Discipline and The Dance of Change), and "nuggets of wisdom" (e.g. from Sun Tzu's The Art of War). These and other reader-friendly devices energize what would otherwise be a solid but somewhat ponderous narrative.
To sum up, Middleton offers 50 different responses to an especially important three-part business question: "Where are we now, where do we want to go, and how do we get there?"
Those who share my regard for this book are urged to check the other two volumes in the "The Ultimate Series. " To supplement the sources that Middleton recommends for further reading on the subject of strategy, I presume to add Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson as well as Dean R. Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success, Lawrence Hrebiniak's Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution and Change, Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris' Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, and Jack Alexander's Performance Dashboards and Analysis for Value Creation.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Ultimate Strategy Library: The 50 Most Influential Strategic Ideas of All Time (The Ultimate Series)

* A genuine time and money-saver-no need to invest in big textbooks* The Ultimateformula is highly successful* The author is regarded as a visionary business thinker-he's the founder of the Bristol Management Research Centre and editor of Future Filter,a business digest for the new economy

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about The Ultimate Strategy Library: The 50 Most Influential Strategic Ideas of All Time (The Ultimate Series)

Read More...

Harvard Business Review on Leading in Turbulent Times (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I was offered a chance to review a book on leadership I knew my father would be interested. As a retired military commander now in the business world his perspective is two-fold. Here is a brief look on what he thought of the Harvard Business review pinpointing on leading in turbulent times.
~
The importance of quality leadership is the main thread woven throughout the eight articles of "Leading in Turbulent Times". Although this collection of essays was published in 2003 and mostly refers to the economic challenges from the beginning of the decade, the principles of leadership remain the same today. Many readers may miss the main theme as they attempt to compare our current recession to that of the past and dismiss many of the contributing author's thoughts on business leadership.
It is clear when you read this book that an understanding of our economic past and the poor leadership decisions made will help to avoid making the same mistakes again. Whether you are a manager, executive, or an up and coming employee, this book from the Harvard Business Review series will offer an insight to handling the real challenges of leadership. Setting a course to reach the company's vision for the future, rightsizing and layoffs, anticipating and preparing for volatile markets, understanding resiliency in people and organizations, and understanding your core competencies and seizing opportunities is explained in easy to understand and focused language.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Harvard Business Review on Leading in Turbulent Times (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)

Click here for more information about Harvard Business Review on Leading in Turbulent Times (Harvard Business Review Paperback Series)

Read More...

Definitive Business Plan Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here you have a man named Richard Stutely who was the Minister of Finance in UK, and has worked in their Stock Market Board, first rate banks and schools. He is also a very prolific writer for The Economist.
What would you expect of a book from him?.
Well, he writes in a very simple, easy to read manner. But almost in every sentence and thought one can see, feel, understand and then apply years of top management wisdom.
I consider myself an expert on this subject, I live from it, I teach and I am also a consultant. I've read thousands of ideas and walked through many best practices myself. But this IS the book.
Why?
1- It is honest 2- It teaches you to know yourself first, then where you want to go, then to know the world around you, make a strategy and finnaly how to present your way towards profits managing the risks 3- Then he shows you a very simple and important lesson; how to get your plan approved 4- And finnaly, how to avoid putting the plan in a shelve and instead how to use it for every day operations guidance 5- A book for all- no previous knowledge required 6- You can use all the chapters or costumize it for yourself 7- It is the backbone of all the other guides and software do-it-yourself in one minute type
If you want to DO IT and also UNDERSTAND what you are doing read this 300 pages beauty.
(you'll made yourself and the world business community a big favor)...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Definitive Business Plan

Buy 2 bestsellers get 25% off.The Definitive Business Plan (027366569)A good business plan is the difference between success and not even getting the chance to try.This international bestseller is THE ultimate guide to business planning. Whether the goal is raising start-up or development finance for a new business, requesting venture funding from a corporate parent or directing operational management, The Definitive Business Plan will help you deliver the information that the decision-makers are really looking for and make sure your plan is good enough to start, run or revitalise any business enterprise. ""Truly a practical guide to better business planning. The book is friendly and easy to read. It is especially helpful in developing the correct thought process, which is so essential to effective strategic planning. An indispensable corporate tool."- Peter N. Tan, Senior Vice President, Hambrecht & Quist" Developing New Business Ideas (0273663259)Buy 2 bestsellers get 25% off.At some time in their life, almost everyone in business has an idea for a new enterprise but how do you take a promising thought and develop into an enterprise worth backing?Developing New Business Ideas offers a wide range of hands-on, how-to-actually-do-it techniques to help you add value and viability to your original idea. It will also introduce you to the experiences of a range of today's successful entrepreneurs, enabling you to learn from the creative lessons that they learned as they built their businesses.""Having had your bright, fresh, original idea, the really hard part is turning it into successful reality.By detailing four structured steps to developing saleable products or services from that first idea, this excellent and imaginative guide significantly simplifies that task.Essential reading for all would-be entrepreneurs".""Trevor Baylis OBE, the inventor of the clockwork radio."

Click here for more information about Definitive Business Plan

Read More...

Co-Opetition : A Revolution Mindset That Combines Competition and Cooperation : The Game Theory Strategy That's Changing the Game of Business Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just out of college I was very enthusiastic to use game theory to solve business problems. But never found a way to use it. That was forty years ago. This is the first book that transforms a wonderful theory into something you can apply. The three key concepts are the "value net", PARTS and role-playing. The value net is a simple model of the players to consider. Not just your business and your client, but also the competitors, suppliers and complementors (a complimentor adds value to your product like mustard to hot dogs). PARTS are five ways to look at the game. P from players-who are they; may be add new ones, A from Added Value- how much value do you add to the game, if any, R from Rules-can the rules be changed, T from tactics, and S from Scope- making the game bigger. With role-playing I refer to putting yourself in the shoes of all the other players. How do they see the game? The book contains many practical examples. Some of these do not require game theory to think of them but without game theory you would never see all the interesting options. The book also has "spiritual" content. It shows how to find "win-win" theories and avoid price wars that are "lose-lose".Very worthwhile.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Co-Opetition : A Revolution Mindset That Combines Competition and Cooperation : The Game Theory Strategy That's Changing the Game of Business

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Co-Opetition : A Revolution Mindset That Combines Competition and Cooperation : The Game Theory Strategy That's Changing the Game of Business

Read More...

The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There is an old expression that says that knowledge is power. Yet, if no one knows you have the knowledge, does it matter? Ken Lizotte, with his concept of being a thought leader, helps experts create market visibility that they could never achieve on their own. He also helps experts come out of the shadows and into the limelight. Having knowledge is one thing. Being recognized as an expert is another. The knowledgeable starve while the thoughtleaders thrive!
- Lee Salz, author of Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time


You've seen them everywhere-on the covers of books and magazines, quoted in newspaper articles, interviewed on the radio and TV. They are the "thoughtleaders," the high-profile professionals who rise above everyone else in their field to become the go-to experts in all forms of media.

Sound bite needed for what's happening in real estate? Call Donald Trump. Personal finance questions? Get Suze Orman!

What about you? Who seeks you out for opinions for trends in your specialty?Are you merely an expert in your field or are you the expert?Do you dream of attaining higher levels of business fame and fortune? Is there a way to make that happen?

The answer is Yes-if you've got The Expert's Edge.

An action-ready program of proven success strategies, this easy-to-follow game plan can turn any level of entrepreneur into the must-have expert that prospects and media seek out before all others.You raise your profile, expand demand for your services, and increase your profits. Just follow the "Five Pillars of Thoughtleading":

1. Publish articles and books

2. Speak regularly to groups and companies

3. Inspire with "fresh" thinking

4. Attract ongoing media attention

5. Leverage the Internet creatively

Used together, these Five Pillars offer an unbeatable strategy for positioning your business as the only one to call.Prospects and clients will think only of you when your service or product is needed. Your competitors are left struggling to catch up.

No matter what you do-entrepreneur, intrapreneur, consultant, manager or specialist-The Expert's Edge will elevate you to an enviable status as the go-to-authority in your field.

Get 48% OFF

Click here for more information about The Expert's Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time

Read More...

Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)'Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change',
by Jeremy Gutsche;
The strategy of exploiting chaos in order to seize opportunities in today's crazy times is obviously the rousing battle cry of innovation expert Jeremy Gutsche's new book, 'Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change'.
Backed by excellent credentials - host of TrendHunter TV, founder of [...], reportedlythe world's largest network of trend-spotting & cool-hunting pros, & now a widely-sought keynote speaker in North America - the author & his book are seemingly getting raving reviews.
In the first place, the book is quite unique in itself: visually engaging, with a fancy mix of large format, bold letters, coloured texts, oversized fonts, long & short sentences, wide spacing, & interspersed with wise quotes, jumpy lists & large portraits or photographs. All these features make reading a breeze!
In fact, I get the impression that the author may have been heavily influenced by the published thoughtwares of corporate skunk Tom Peters.
In reality, the author writes exactly like Tom Peters with his short, staccato bursts of energetic prescriptions, occasionally outrageous & yet written succinctly, with enchanting anecdotes & provocative examples from real-world events, in contrast to the staid academic texts of the time.
So much so that reading his book on my part reminds me of reading Tom Peters' 'Reinventing Work' series of small pocket-sized hard-backs, namely, 'The Brand You 50', 'The Project 50' & 'The Professional Service Firm 50' (combined, they also give a total of 150 ways to spark innovation, many of which are still relevant for today) during the late 90's.
I don't mean to throw a wet blanket on 'Exploting Chaos', but it is obvious to me that the many ideas in the book are not ground-breaking or revolutionary, but the author certainly has given them a new & refreshing spin with his so-called 'Crowd Sourced Insights'.
The latter is definitely a cool innovation on the part of the author, even though, with the luxury of today's Internet & Web 2.0 technologies, he has apparently extended the content analysis intelligence methodologies of futurist John Naisbitt, whose resultant book, 'Megatrends', rocked the world during the early 80's.
Instead of running probably a large team of media analysts to scan some 6,000 local & regional newspapers, trade journals, etc., within the United States during the 80's as in the case with John Naisbitt, TrendHunter intelligently uses a small project team of dedicated staff to sift & resift the constant flow of disparate spotted ideas (known as micro-trends) from some 28,000+ global trend hunters.
They are then posted on the TrendHunter website - just imagine they garnered 40 million page views in 2008 - & then, measured & filtered down to 360+ clusters of inspirations, which in turn are reconfigured into their popular Trend Reports, which are sought after by big boys, like The Economist & Financial Times.
In a nut shell, the book's selling point, besides promoting the company's lucrative Trend Reports, is how to ride & leverage on the current recession & emerging trends - through the adept use of some of the 150 ways offered in the book as fuel to spark innovation - to make a quantum leap.
The 'Exploiting Chaos' framework, comprising 'Culture of Revolution', 'Trend Hunting', 'Adaptive Innovation' & 'Infectious Messaging', is interesting too, but one needs to work diligently to get it to work.
The author's principal argument about the giants of business - Disney, CNN, HP, GE, Apple, Sun, to name just a few - having started & prospered during time of crises, certainly makes good reading. Encouraging, too.
There is only one point in the book that sort of annoys me: 'Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast', even though his checklist of parameters, 'Perspective', Experimental Failure', 'Customer Obsession' & 'Intentional Destruction', is reasonably valid.
I hold the view that strategy formulation or thinking strategically must always comes first & be sustained throughout, so that one can really do something about the culture.
On the whole, this book is still worth reading. To paraphrase the marketing maverick Seth Godin, "with the ideas from the book, you might catch an ideavirus!".
Nonetheless, I also like to recommend two books to go as companion reading:
Jim Carroll's 'What I Learned from Frogs in Texas: Saving Your Skin with Forward-Thinking Innovation', & 'Ready, Set, Done: How to Innovate When Faster is the New Fast', which I had already reviewed on Amazon.
[Reviewed by Lee Say Keng, Knowledge Adventurer & Technology Explorer, Optimum Performance Technologies, September 2009]

Click Here to see more reviews about: Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change

Get 60% OFF

Click here for more information about Exploiting Chaos: 150 Ways to Spark Innovation During Times of Change

Read More...

Finding Time: How Corporations, Individuals, and Families Can Benefit from New Work Practices (Collection on Technology and Work) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)While this book explores work-family issues, it also gives concrete suggestions about how to improve management processes and allow workers more personal time without decreasing productivity. Essentially, the thesis of the book is that workers that can work uninterrupted for a significant period each day are more productive and efficient. This thesis is supported by a study done by the author at a Fortune 500 company named "Ditto" (probably Xerox in real life).
However, a depressing aspect of the book is that once higher productivity is achieved, Ditto Corp just piles on more work! Anyone who has worked in a high-stress, tight-deadline environment will be able to identify with the situations in this book.
In terms of action orientation, I found this book better than "Time Bind" by Arlie Hochschild. It also leaves out the liberal politics. Give it as an anonymous gift to the the CEO of your company!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Finding Time: How Corporations, Individuals, and Families Can Benefit from New Work Practices (Collection on Technology and Work)

Why do Americans work so hard? Are the long hours spent at work really necessary to increase organizational productivity?Leslie A. Perlow documents the worklife of employees who assume that for their own success and the success of their organization they must put in extended hours on the job. Perlow doesn't buy it. She challenges the basic assumption that the more employees work, the better the corporation will do.For nine months, Perlow studied the work practices of a product development team of software engineers at a Fortune 500 corporation. She reports her findings in detailed stories about individual employees and in more analytic chapters. Perlow first describes the individual heroics necessary to succeed in the existing work culture.She then explains how the system of rewards perpetuates crises and continuous interruptions,while discouraging cooperation. Finally, she shows how the resulting work practices damage both organizational productivity and the quality of individuals' lives outside of work. Perlow initiated a collaborative effort to restructure the way team members worked. Managers who were involved credit the project for the rare and important on-time launch of the product the engineers were developing. In the end, "Finding Time" shows that it is possible to create new work practices that enable individuals to have more personal and family time while also improving the corporation's productivity.

Click here for more information about Finding Time: How Corporations, Individuals, and Families Can Benefit from New Work Practices (Collection on Technology and Work)

Read More...