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Rating: 
Summary: Solid Popular Treatment of Effectiveness Improvement Methods
Review: As the authors point out, "The ideas in this book are not new . . . what is new here is the manner in which the ideas are tied to practical case studies and to analytic, decision and operational tools." The book is designed to be used as part of a seminar for both managers and their subordinates, and the material has been tested on over a thousand people in various seminars. The key subjects of the book include environmental scanning for irresistible forces, value chain analysis for locating opportunities to improve (especially by reducing cycle times for things like new product development and serving customers), continuous improvement methods, better leadership styles, empowered cultures, self-directed teams, and partnership relationships through outsourcing and alliances. The vision for the future is that environmental scanning will locate the pent-up demand for products and the relevant windows of opportunity. Value chain anslysis will focus on where cycle time can and must be reduced. Continuous improvement will use teamwork to reduce cycle times. The examples in the book are well chosen. My only complaint about them is that they lean a little too heavily on General Electric as a source. Typically, however, they are actually examples rather than case histories. I was positively impressed by the fact that the book addressed dealing with irresistible forces and stalls that delay effectiveness and progress in companies. I rated the book down by one star for two reasons: (1) the thinking was focused too much on the idea of being responsive rather than on being in a proactive cause of irresistible forces and (2) the risks associated with speeding up cycle time were not fully explored. Many people have had serious problems with such efforts. The book is very well researched and is a good guide to the foundation work that others have done earlier that lies behind the popular versions in this book. You can start here, and then dive into the source books as appropriate to your interests and needs. Starting here will save you a lot of time in scanning the literature of these subjects. Good luck in turning irresistible forces into your permanent allies! Donald Mitchell Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution (donmitch@fastforward400.com)
Rating:
Summary: Solid Popular Treatment of Effectiveness Improvement Methods
Review: As the authors point out, "The ideas in this book are not new . . . what is new here is the manner in which the ideas are tied to practical case studies and to analytic, decision and operational tools." The book is designed to be used as part of a seminar for both managers and their subordinates, and the material has been tested on over a thousand people in various seminars. The key subjects of the book include environmental scanning for irresistible forces, value chain analysis for locating opportunities to improve (especially by reducing cycle times for things like new product development and serving customers), continuous improvement methods, better leadership styles, empowered cultures, self-directed teams, and partnership relationships through outsourcing and alliances. The vision for the future is that environmental scanning will locate the pent-up demand for products and the relevant windows of opportunity. Value chain anslysis will focus on where cycle time can and must be reduced. Continuous improvement will use teamwork to reduce cycle times. The examples in the book are well chosen. My only complaint about them is that they lean a little too heavily on General Electric as a source. Typically, however, they are actually examples rather than case histories. I was positively impressed by the fact that the book addressed dealing with irresistible forces and stalls that delay effectiveness and progress in companies. I rated the book down by one star for two reasons: (1) the thinking was focused too much on the idea of being responsive rather than on being in a proactive cause of irresistible forces and (2) the risks associated with speeding up cycle time were not fully explored. Many people have had serious problems with such efforts. The book is very well researched and is a good guide to the foundation work that others have done earlier that lies behind the popular versions in this book. You can start here, and then dive into the source books as appropriate to your interests and needs. Starting here will save you a lot of time in scanning the literature of these subjects. Good luck in turning irresistible forces into your permanent allies! Donald Mitchell Coauthor of The Irresistible Growth Enterprise (available in August 2000) and The 2,000 Percent Solution (donmitch@fastforward400.com)
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