Book Description

This book blends the latest in strategic OM issues with proven analytic techniques.While maintaining its perspective on the big picture and the strategic importance of operations, this edition shifts its overall approach to a process orientation—both service and manufacturing.Industrial Engineers and Production and Operations Managers. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?"

Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

Reviews (101)

A Business Student's Perspective
Having spent the last four years of our lives being taught to think about every business problem in a particular way, it was great to read a business book that encourages you to "think outside of the box." We have read many textbooks in our time at University, and it was refreshing to read a book that expressed clear and simple ideas that we will remember after we graduate. "Built To Last" started off strong by 'shattering' the 12 well-known "myths" that they teach us in school. The book then continued with the author's model that is based around the premise of preserving the core ideology, and stimulating progress within the organization; it uses simple points that build on one another to create a first-rate framework. The authors make their points at the beginning of each chapter and then build on them with numerous examples of 'visionary' companies...Some of our favorite points were:
- The true definition of a core ideology; including the distinction between a core purpose and core values;
- Encourage trying lots of stuff and keeping what works;
- And, "The Genius of the And"...it is possible to have two things at once.
Although, this book was primarily targeted towards entrepreneurs and CEO's, we found that we could use this book for our future career search and within our daily lives. For example, the chapter titled Cults and Cultures outlined the extraordinary commitment employees have to their particular organization; Personally, we don't think we have what it takes to be a true "Nordie," but it gave us insight into what characteristics and traits to be looking for in an organization we would like to work for.
Some of the inferior traits of the book are that there were some parts in the novel where the authors seem to stretch their examples to fit within their framework, and they came across as being slightly bias to their own theories. We also found that they never mention the same company in every chapter, which made it harder to follow and also harder to believe that every visionary company fit all aspects of their model. However, overall, this book is an easy read, with a simple model that makes sense. It uses interesting companies and is backed up by 6 years of intense research. We recommend this book to any student who is looking to think on different terms than what we are being taught in school.

Unprecedented, Compelling, Well-Researched
"Built to Last" is one of those rare non-fiction books you just can't put down. Unequivocally the best "business" book I have ever read, "Built to Last" by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras is a compelling, thorough, well-written, unprecedented look at what it takes to "create and achieve long-lasting greatness as a visionary corporation." Unlike many current "trendy" management and "business success" books out on the market, Collins and Porras differentiate "Built to Last" by using their own six-year comprehensive, well-documented research study as the basis for further analysis.

What separates "Built to Last" is that each visionary company (3M, HP, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart...) is contrasted with a comparison company founded in the same time, in the same industry, with similar founding products and markets (Norton, TI, Colgate, Ames...). Perhaps what I found most intriguing were some of the twelve "shattered myths" they go on to counter throughout the book:

1. It takes a great idea to start a great company
2. Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders
3. Visionary companies share a common subset of "correct" core values
4. Highly successful companies make their best moves by brilliant and complex strategic planning
5. The most successful companies focus primarily on beating the competition

As a current business student with a summer internship in a "visionary company," I was amazed as their careful analysis rang true. This is one book I can highly recommend to any student, professional, or business educator looking for those not-so-subtle traits that characterize a truly visionary company.

The Perfect Business Book - A Must Read
The next time you see a book that casts a business leader as a mythical or heroic figure, go back to this book and see if the leader passes the 'Level 5 Leader' tests. Sandy Weill, for example, fails that test miserably, since he cares nothing for his company or its employees, and only about feeding his insatiable appetite for personal profit, self-aggrandizement, and great food, in that order. Weill is an example of the so-called celebrity leaders who are very reluctant to groom and name their successors, since they care far more about holding onto their power than for the longer-term welfare of the company and its employees. The last thing you'd see these quasi-leaders do is sacrifice their power or money for longer benefit of the company. Eisner is another perfect example of Emperor-CEO who got paid obscene amount of money and drove out top talents from Disney, while its business and stock prices languished badly.

A perfect business book - erudite, entertaining, and relevant - and a must-read for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming (or simply working for) the true business leader.

Easy to read & Shattered Myths
Overall, this is an excellent book about how to build a company that will stand the test of time. The authors present the information in a format that is easy to read for the senior executive or someone with no business experience. While the authors present detailed and informative examples of actions that businesses have taken to be successful, the number of examples can become cumbersome. If someone is looking for a quick reference of strategies to improve a company, this is probably not the book for them, but if an individual is looking for an in depth report on techniques used by companies, it would be a useful tool. This book's intent is to show you the cogs that matter and give you some framework by which to align them to drive a company constantly/relentlessly forward. Often managers get lost in the P&L of the day. While that is important, it may not be enough to keep the fiber of the organization together. This book can serve as a reminder to us all of what is important to maintain a business that is financially successful but more importantly keeps its employees and customers happy. This book's simple goal is to shatter two myths that many believe a visionary company is founded upon, the incredibly innovative product and the charismatic leader.

The genius of the "AND" -- use his book AND his web site
I listened to the audio version on my way to work. The bonus author interview at the end was the best part. It included a pitch for one of his other books "Good to Great". Jim Collins also has a web site, of the same name, that has an additional 10 non business books that he recommends. These additional resources have provided two of the next books I plan on reading.
As far as Built to Last goes, the following are some of his key concepts from this book.
1. Be a "Clock builder" instead of a "teller of time"
2. BHAGS (def in the book)
3. The "and" instead of the "or"
4. Preserve the core
5. Cult like corporate cultures
6. Stimulating progress
7. Alignment
8. All leaders die
Two other tid bits that caught my attention: The fact about how at the 18 visionary companies only 4 CEO's have ever been selected to the top spot in these organizations from outside the company. And finally the 3M example of how to effectively facilitate interaction between internal departments, by inventing a Technology Sharing Award and Technical Honor Society.
If you are a business type climbing the corporate ladder, it is worth a read. 3.5 to 4 stars ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive text will introduce students to the many operations topics and issues faced by leading service and manufacturing organizations.An emphasis is placed on new developments in the field of operations management and new information resources available, such as the Internet, while retaining a strong focus on the fundamental concepts of operations management.The goal of this text is to help students gain an understanding of what operations management involves, how it relates to other functional areas in an organization, the types of problems that are faced by operations managers, and common decision-making approaches. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Rip off
All textbooks over $50 are a rip off, WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR STATE SENATOR TELLING THEM YOU WON'T STAND FOR THESE OUTRAGEOUS PRICES ON TEXTBOOKS FOR SCHOOL. MOST STUDENTS CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THESE RIDICULOUS PRICES!!! WE CAN BEAT THE ENDLESS NEW EDITION CYCLES THAT PUBLISHERS RIP US OFF WITH IF WE MAKE IT KNOWN!! WE CAN'T AND WON'T STAND FOR THIS!

PERSONAL COMMENT
This book is a guide for all people involved in manufacturing processes. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a "must have" for anyone whose job requires writing clear, professional reports, memos, e-mail, or letters.Helps readers refine their existing communications skills while learning how to communicate effectively via various mediums, including the Internet and other technologies. Listening, working in teams, and understanding nonverbal communication are also covered and a handy appendix includes grammar and usage fundamentals.For readers in all levels of business interested in improving their communications skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great for reference
Although I owned the 6th edition, I can say this book is a must have for everyone. Actually I was a silent person and everytime I wanted to talk, I was a bit trouble sometimes, and this book has help me communicating easier, whether it is business or general.

With this book, started with easy to understand short-theory, move into non-verbal communications, divided by step-by-step preparations, suggestions, how-to-practice, then into verbal communications with letters, from routine & persuasive messages into how to deliver bad news (one of the hardest task), how to create report, how to make visual aids, how to make presentations, and how to make a job letter.

One of greatest feature is it provides many sample letters include few other culture or other countries' style letters, and along with it, there's a reason why he or she write that. There's also some tips how to write in e-mail, or make recorded voice for telephone systems.

This is a must have for everyone, include those who never attended this lecture.

Buisness Communication today
This is a fantastic book. It can be used for reference at home and at work. It helped me fine tune my job resume and also helps in communications between companies at work. Keep this book, you never know when you need a letter format or an outline for some other form of written communication.

Comprehensive and easy to understand
This book is really good to help me understand my course. It was well developed and accounted for basic skills needed for people to develop their skills. It was full of useful, colourful illustrations and easy to comprehend. The exercises were excellent and it did make me really able to detect my mistakes. The book would be helpful for future references (example: attending interviews, writing letters). I wouldn't even trade this book with another since I found it will help me to improve my skills in communicating and writing.

The only complete book of business communication
I did enjoy every page of this book, although I haven't read all of them. It's more an encyclopedia, which you may use in your day-to-day business, than something you will read straight through over the weekend. Very valuable and up-to-date were the chapters about intercultural and e-mail communication. Strong recommendation. ... Read more

Book Description

The business world is ready for an entirely new approach to leadership.Steve Farber has written the perfect book to energize business leaders and help them make the leap into extreme leadership.In fact, taking a giant "L.E.A.P." forward is exactly what Farber prescribes.What exactly is an extreme leader?One who cultivates love, generates energy, inspires audacity, and provides proof.

In his exciting and innovative new business parable, The Radical Leap, Farber explores an entirely new leadership model, one in which leaders are not afraidto take risks, make mistakes in front of employees, or actively solicit employee feedback.His book dispenses with the typical, tired notions of what it means to be a leader.

Farber, former Vice President and Official Mouthpiece of the Tom Peters Company, has written a business parable like no other, filled with vivid, fully realized, and eccentric characters, crazy plot twists, honest and believable conversations about leadership, and most importantly, an innovative program for leaders to inspire and engage their companies.

In The Radical Leap, we meet Steve, a leadership consultant who is intrigued and challenged by an enigmatic man named Edg, from whom he learns the concept ofL.E.A.P.Steve is then asked to help a friend, Janice, overcome conflicts at the biotech company where she works and bring back the company's inspiring former CEO. The company is revitalized, having undergone a radical and successful transformation.

Farber's book reveals the questions leaders must ask themselves in order to truly become extreme leaders, including:
* Why do I love my business, my employees, and mycustomers, and how can I show them how I feel?
* What effect do my actions have on the energy of the people around me?(OR, what are the unnecessary, time-consuming, bureaucratic policies and procedures that suck our energy?)
* How are we going to change the world of our company, our employees, customers, marketplace, and industry?
* What have I done today to show my commitment to my colleagues and customers? ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Can You Change the World? Absolutely!
Within the last month, I have had the pleasure to hear Steve Farber speak on Extreme Leadership and to read this book. Its marvelously communicated paradigm for leadership not only lives up to the other 5 star reviews on this site, but has become an invaluable part of my daily life leading, managing, and enjoying the people I serve. Extreme Leadership has changed my world and inspired me to seek opportunities to do the same. Do yourself a favor: buy this book NOW. Read it as soon as it arrives. Prepare to delight in sharing this powerful paradigm with your friends and colleagues who also aspire to lead and serve people. You'll be glad you did.

Powerful/simple/effective
"The Radical Leap will capture your heart, appeal to your sense of discovery and challenge your intellect in less than 200 pages. Farber is both a creative storyteller and a serious practitioner of the authentic reality of leadership; what it is, what it requires, and most important, what it provides to the lucky few who discover its essence. If you want to challenge yourself to take the risks that are necessary to really make a difference, read The Radical Leap and apply it. It is a gem."

Terry Pearce,

Author, Leading Out Loud

Co-author, Clicks and Mortar

President, Leadership Communication

Cookie-cutter receipes & Hallmark cards language
Whatever message the author is conveying gets lost in the third-rate "story" in this fable. Quoting: "I noticed that I really didn't give a flying *** if my thougts sounded like a Hallmark card." Well, most characters' thought did. The company VP gives a rousing speech, and the whole company "connects." Etc. All of the book sounded like a contraption far from the real world.

Pithy but bland
The Radical Leap turns out to be nothing of the sort. It's the same old story told a slightly different way - the dialog seems to be taken from a Nickelodeon TV sitcom episode than a serious business book.

It misses the mark....
Leadership is a difficult subject especially in the land of business and post Enron and Worldcom scandals.

This book borrows liberally from characteristics espoused in Ayn Rand's books, as Farber tries to pull an humanistic objectivism framework out of her work and characters, which I don't think is possible.

Don't get me wrong it is very readable and has a laudable goal but at the core of it Farber is missing the key ingredient to Love and Energy and without it Audacity and Proof will be little better than Mutt and Jeff.

Farber's book assumes self-love but that assumption is not possible in today's work force which is largely driven by fear. And without it the concept of love, trust and respect within an organization is impossible. In order to deal with it Farber must address the emotion/energy duad which is the leadership genre's haunted forest complete with trails of breadcrumbs and a gingerbread house; and up till now no one who has gone in has ever returned.

As such this book stands as another missed mark by business professionals and no doubt fires the starter's pistol on yet one more leadership tome and philosophy which the world (small 'w') can ill afford to endure. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

STUDENT VERSION LIMITATIONS
Students who are purchasing this product along with the CDROM should be aware that the student version is limited to 1500 cases. I recently purchased SPSS 11.0 (student version) and have not been able to use it due to such limitations. It is fine for in class assignments, but does not serve the needs of graduate students who intend to conduct research in excess of 1500 cases. You may want to invest in the non-student version to eliminate the need to purchase two SPSS programs. This limitation should be fully discolsed on the website.

Excellent, but not the full version
Note that this version, while as good as the first, is not suitable for Ph.D. students. It is only for undergraduates and for MBA students. The program is up to its usual excellent standards. ... Read more

Book Description

Ole!

If you think you smell something at work, there's probably good reason -- "bull" has become the official language of business. Every day, we get bombarded by an endless stream of filtered, antiseptic, jargon-filled corporate speak, all of which makes it harder to get heard, harder to be authentic, and definitely harder to have fun.

But it doesn't have to be that way. The team that brought you the Clio Award-winning Bullfighter software is back with an entertaining, bare-knuckled guide to talking straight--for those who want to climb the corporate ladder, but refuse to check their personality at the door.

Why Business People Speak Like Idiots exposes four traps that transform us from funny, honest and engaging weekend people into boring business stiffs:

• The Obscurity Trap: "After extensive analysis of the economic factors facing our industry, we have concluded that a restructuring is essential to maintaining competitive position. A task force has been assembled..." These are the empty calories of business communication. And, unfortunately, they're the rule. The Obscurity Trap catches idiots desperate to sound smart or prove their purpose, and lures them with message-killers like jargon, long-windedness, acronyms, and evasiveness.

• The Anonymity Trap: Businesses love clones--easy to hire, easy to manage, easy to train, easy to replace--and almost everyone is all too happy to oblige. We outsource our voice through templates, speechwriters and email, and cave in to conventions that aren't really even rules.

• The Hard-Sell Trap: Legions of business people fall prey to the Hard-Sell Trap. We overpromise. We accentuate the positive and pretend the negative doesn't exist. This may work for those pushing Ginsu knives and miracle Abdominizers, but it's dead wrong for persuading business people to listen.

• The Tedium Trap: Everyone you work with thinks about sex, tells stories, gets caught up in life's amazing details, and judges everyone else by the way they look and act. We live to be entertained. We all learned that in Psychology 101, except for the business idiots who must have skipped that semester. They tattoo their long executive-sounding titles on their foreheads, dump pre-packaged numbers on their audience, and virtually guarantee that we want nothing to do with them.

This is your wake-up call. Personality, humanity and candor are being sucked out of the workplace. Let the wonks send their empty messages. Yours are going to connect.

Fast Company magazine named Why Business People Speak Like Idiots one of the ideas and trends that will change how we work and live in 2005.

So grab your cape and sharpen your sword. It's time to fight the bull! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful
The title of this book should be: Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: And How To Overcome Sounding Like One Yourself.

I'm saying this because the title doesn't accurately describe how many great recommendations and ideas the book contains, for improving communicating, influencing, and relationship building skills. This book is chock full of ideas to strengthen verbal, written and presentation approaches. After reading this book you'll never again sit through another jargon-filled, tedious meeting or presentation without harkening back to the concise, crisp ideas set forth in this book.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Excellent book! Its about time someone cut thru the esoteria
How many times have you read a phrase in a book, financial report, consultant's report, or technical journal that, when you finished, you asked, "What did that just say?" If this esoteric jargon drives you nuts, and makes you wonder why the author uses these terms/phrases, then WHY BUSINESS PEOPLE SPEAK LIKE IDIOTS: A BULLFIGHTERS GUIDE is a book to read. IDIOTS calls to task the disingenuous garbage many corporate types call "reporting." Many just wanting to get by will drink the koolaid and allow these items to pass without exception.

Fugere, Hardaway, Warshawsky are three consultants, "addicts" if you will, who have decided to get off the jargon-riddled bandwagon. They detail how generic corporate atmospheres have mutated business from one of communication and meaning to one of faux intellectual elitism. Those deriding this seemingly overwhelming problem have found that speaking to the masses is much easier when one tries NOT to speak Greek.

The three authors, in an effort to spread the word virally, have created a software program called, appropriately, Bullfighter. The purpose of the program is to scour MS Word and PowerPoint documents to rid them of "jargon-mania."

Every profession creates its own jargon so insiders can discuss their livelihoods in a form of esoteric shorthand. However, jargon becomes a problem when it is used to lord over others or make them feel inferior, Warshawsky said.

The authors have studied the reception to their concept by setting up shop in an ever-busy Starbucks to take a simple survey. They showed patrons one of two actual company writing samples: one was jargon-less, while the other was the typical junk-filled jargon-based smoke and mirrors. The authors asked the patrons to assign adjectives to each communiqué. The jargon-laden sample consistently earned words like "rude and obnoxious" while the clearly written one was called "energetic" and "friendly." 'Nuff said.

In sum, this book cuts directly to the chase of the confusing, mind-numbing rhetoric, and offers an alternative. As one who reads legal and financial documents for a living, this book fits the bill, and none too soon. If you read these types of documents in your work or are just tired of the insanity of double-speak, pick this book up and read it.

Highly recommended.

Great gift for your clients and collegues who are full of it
Easy and fun read on bull... more than just bull actually. Great insight into how things work in corporate america and how bull has affected so much of our lives. Great analogies and comparisons from current events makes the book an interesting and easy read.

This book will make a great gift for your clients, collegues, bosses and others who are full of it and you just can't tell them "Don't gimme none o' that jibba-jabba!".

Finally - it's OK to be "normal" at work...
Read the book cover to cover and have it sitting on my desk (I'm in Human Resources) for my colleauges to pick up, peruse, commit to memory etc.This book could not come at a better time, when being genuine and authentic in this world is so important.People want to forge real and effective connections at work - we spend a lot of time here.When there is a lack of bull, it's amazing how much you can get done.I am recommending our leaders across the company be given the book to read, as well as our new hires.Long live the bullfighters!

A Refreshing Look at Business
I found this book both enjoyable and useful for any businessperson. After reading the authors witty and candid views on business communications, I think of this book before every speaking/writing opportunity I have on a daily basis. I also appreciated the use of humor and the role it plays in making work a more personal and genuine place. The authors advocate a refreshing return to simplicity, which is long overdue inside of all our organizations. Do yourself a favor, read this and get a copy for your co-workers! ... Read more

Book Description

Covering the same topics found in more advanced-level texts, Investments incorporates minimal math and is much more student-friendly, resulting in an increased excitement for and understanding of the basic investment course material. It is the text of choice for the College of Financial Planning. It includes a strong focus on the individual financial planner and features a ?Financial Advisor?s Investment Case? at the end of each chapter. These short cases illustrate how text material applies to real investment decisions. Financial calculators are introduced and utilized throughout the text with explanations employing both interest tables and the calculator. It is also ideal for non-majors courses. ... Read more

Book Description

This introduction to statistics emphasizes inference; data collection and analysis are covered extensively as needed to evaluate the reported results of statstical studies and to make good business decisions.Stresses the development of statistical thinking—the assessment of credibility and value of the inferences made from data—both by those who consume and those who produce the information. Provides numerous case studies, examples, and exercises that all draw on real business situations and recent economic events. Includes Excel computer printouts (with PHStat add-in) as well as SPSS and MINITAB printouts (SAS and STATISTIX dropped).A useful reference for business professionals who need to brush up on their statistics knowledge. ... Read more

Book Description

"This book should be in the library of everyone who serves--or aspires to serve--on the governing board of any organization, large or small, nonprofit or corporate. Better than any other available resource, it tells what the roles of board members are and what they must and shouldn't do. An indispensable guidebook to leadership excellence."
--George Weber, secretary general, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva

"John Carver's Boards That Make a Difference was required reading for board members of the Calgary Philharmonic Society. It provided a clear and concise road map with which we carried out significant governance restructuring of the society."
James M. Stanford, president & CEO,, Petro-Canada, and past chairman of the Calgary Philharmonic Society, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

John Carver's groundbreaking Policy Governance model has influenced the way public and nonprofit boards operate around the world. Now, as widespread experience with the model continues to grow, Carver enriches his definitive exposition with updated policy samples, a new chapter on the process of policy development, and additional resources for various types of boards. He debunks the entrenched beliefs about board roles and functions that hamper dedicated board members. With creative insight and commonsense practicality, Carver presents a bold new approach to board job design, board-staff relationships, the chief executive role, performance monitoring, and virtually every aspect of the board-management relationship. In their stead, he offers a board model designed to produce policies that make a difference, missions that are clearly articulated, standards that are ethical and prudent, meetings, officers, and committees that work; and leadership that supports the fulfillment of long-term goals.

... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very Helpful
The world is full of experts at what is wrong with the things that we do. Dr. Carver has a rock-solid, well thought out suggestion concerning how to do it right. One reviewer complained that Dr. Carver's suggestions are not realistic. Right is not often realistic, but right is always right. It's far better to start with an ideal and compromise from that point than to capitulate from the outset. Boards that Make a Difference is well worth reading.

Idealistic
The carver style of governance is a tad idealistic and perhaps overly optimistic. I have read everything Dr Carver has written concerning this field and enjoy this material at an academic level. But when it comes to operationalizing this model in boardrooms I've seen it fail time and time again. Not to say that the model is flawed because in fact the model is normative and conceptually complete. However it doesn't capture that element of reality from which, in my experience, the model requires - practicality and real-world application. Dr Carver's notion that Boards can do without Finance and Audit Committees is very naive. Most consultants from the chartered accountant genre are saying the complete opposite. In fact most government policy initiatives are moving toward more control of financial affairs of organizations for boards from charts of accounts to fiscal policy. So I don't think the elimination of Finance and Audit Committees is realistic nor is it a terribly bright suggestion. I guess my only crticism is that the carver model is far to idealistic and philosophical for a practical application in the form Dr Carver suggests. Sorry but a hybrid model of traditional Board governance and the carver model may work given the commitment required from directors to follow-though on everything suggested in that system of governance,

A must-have for not-for-profits!
This book was the core piece of a radical change in our board room. It led us down the path we knew we wanted to go but didn't know how to get there. His model for board room organization could revolutionize boards of companies in transition, like those of the rural electric program in America. It's a road map for where you already know in your heart that you want to go.

Essential for public boards seeking to lead strategically
After 5 years on a local Board of Education I finally found a book that describes everything I know is wrong with board management practices in schools and nonprofit organizations. But that is the easy part. Carver offers sound alternatives to current practices that put the responsibility and the capability for strategic leadership right where it belongs--on the board.

I winced as I read Carver's description of reactive boards trapped in the "approval syndrome" in which boards rely on staff to bring issues and recommendations to them for approval. This pervasive practice not only takes board members out of the driver's seat, but it confuses the lines of accountability between the board and the CEO for the organization.

Carver offers a framework for changing all that by forcing the board to rethink all of its policy with an eye toward board-determined policies that operate at the highest level possible. In Carver's approach only four types of policies need to be set by the board: 1) "Ends" policies (board expectations), 2) Executive Limitations (the "don'ts" for the organization), 3) Board process policies and 4) Board-CEO relationship policies. *Everything* you need to be involved in can be fit into one of these four categories.

Want to learn how to stop working at the staff level and how to help your organization find a true sense of direction? Carver's book offers practical and straightforward ways of getting there.

Accessible, Codified Common Sense
Mr. Carver presents a very readable way of looking at how governing boards should work. His theories are logical and his arguments pursuasive. He offers board members an intellectual framework to consider how their organizations are running. The book is prescriptive, but not preachy. I was very surprised to find it sensible after hearing so much hype from "converts" to his method. ... Read more

Book Description

Updated with more than 50 percent new articles, Negotiation explores the major concepts and theories of negotiation and bargaining psychology, and helps professionals understand and resolve both interpersonal and inter-group conflicts.

Roy J. Lewicki is a professor at Ohio State University. David M. Saunders is a dean at the University of Calgary.John Minton is the president and CEO of Havatar Associates, Inc.Bruce Barry is on the faculty of Vanderbilt University.

Reviews (2)

Academic
The articles in this book are great reading. They provide thoughtful insite on many different topics. The cases, however, are completely useless without the instructors' manual. As best I can tell, the instructors' manual is not available for purchase unless you are using this book for a class. Therefore, in my opinion, this book is a poor value outside the academic world.

Comprehensive collection of articles and exercises.
This falls between the average "how to" and academic journal type articles. Great for classroom use, or for enterprising individuals who want to teach themselves about negotiation. Nearly all the authorities in organizational behavior and negotiation are included here. Nice variety of approaches to the subject. Exercises cover the range and include material on natural environment and on international negotiation. International material needs more, but gives good beginning frameworks. Exercises need teacher's manual (forthcoming?). ... Read more

Book Description

Improve quality and productivity in most any organization

Based on W. Edwards Deming's model, this guide offers an integrated approach to testing and improvement?one that is designed to deliver quick and substantial results. Using simple stories to illustrate core ideas, the authors?all active consultants?introduce a new, flexible model for improving quality and productivity in diverse settings. They draw from research conducted in a variety of areas?manufacturing, government, and schools?to present a practical tool kit of ideas, examples, and applications. What's more, they've included a Resource Guide to Change Concepts so even beginners can utilize the tested techniques of some of the world's most experienced practitioners.

... Read more

Reviews (6)

A must read for all Black Belts
This is a very practical and powerful guide for improvement.

1. The first revelation this book brings is: improvement is a change. From this viewpoint, the fundamental questions faced by the improver (e.g. Green Belts and Black Belts) are:

(1) What are we trying to accomplish? (Define phase)
(2) How will we know if a change will result in an improvement? (What are the key Y's?)
(3) What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
(What are the key X's and their settings to affect Y's)
Appropriate tools from '6-sigma' tool sets can be used to seek answers to (2) and (3).

2. The Guide emphasizes testing a change in small scale before full implementation so we can learn and improve the proposed change using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. This significantly improves our typical 'trial-and-error' approach.

3. The Guide classifies improvement into 3 categories:
(1) Eliminate Quality Problems (the aim of many '6-sigma' projects)
(2) Reduce Costs while maintaining or improving quality (the goal of many internally focused improvement efforts)
(3) Expanding Customer Expectations
Specific advises and examples are presented for each of these categories.

4. Best of all is a list of 70 Change Concepts categorized under 9 sessions, e.g. standardization under Manage Variation, Synchronize under Improve Work Flow.
Using these change concepts can significantly reduce the time to develop the specific changes.

This book is very easy to follow and contains a lot of examples. It is a must read for all improvement practitioners including Green Belts and Black Belts.

Improvement viewed as a science.
Whether involved with improving products/processes within a business or coaching little league baseball, The Improvement Guide provides a practical and fundamental approach for improving performance. The book serves as an excellent reference for those involved with change, specifically, change that will result in improvement.

A few of the items from the book which ring in my mind continuously include:

Improvement can be viewed as a science (in fact, some of us do!).

Three questions provide the framework for improvement: 1. What are we trying to accomplish? 2. How will we know if we if a change will result in an improvement? 3. What changes can we make that will result in improvement?

While there are many opportunities to change, there are only 70 change concepts (included in the Appendix) available to us today.

Any system for improvement will include five activities: 1. Establishing and communicating the purpose of the organization/team. 2. Viewing the organization/team as a system. 3. Designing and managing the a system for gathering information for improvement 4. Planning for improvement and integrating it with business planning. 5. Managing individual and team improvement activities.

Leaders are required to implement change that will result in improvement and they draw their power from three sources (the informal leader gets his/her power from sources 2 and 3 below). 1. Authority or position 2. Knowledge 3. Personality and persuasiveness (caring about people)

These items and many more, are introduced in the book via an easy-to-understand model that uses proven methodology for developing, testing, and implementing change that produces specific, identifiable improvements.

The Answer to Dr. Deming's question: "By What Method?"
Dr. W. Edwards Deming, whose management ideas and Profound Knowledge provide the theoretical underpinnings of this book, continually asked the question to anxious audiences: "By what method? How do you go about it?" As a professional in the quality sciences field, I believe this book has the answer to those questions as it relates to improvement. The Improvement Guide defines improvement and describes in complete detail workable, easy to use techniques that are effective and time-tested. The book is based around the Improvement Model, an expanded and improved version of the Deming-Shewhart cycle, whose historical roots trace are grounded in applications of the scientific method and applied scientists since Roger Bacon. The principle of testing on a small scale, learning using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, and building knowledge sequentially using the Improvement Model are some of the most practical and useful aspects of the book. Part I is written on an introductory level and provides lots of simple examples that guide the beginner through theory and practice. The heart of the book, and some of its most useful content, describes ways to develop, test, and implement a change. The insights provided, based on decades of experience and knowledge of the authors, are invaluable. They are followed up by thoroughly documented and easy to understand case studies that ring true using real life examples related to manufacturing, services, health care, and a variety of standard business and educational processes. Finally, the third section describes an integrated approach to various standard improvement goals and useful strategies for achieving them. This section also includes extremely insightful guidance for leaders trying to promote and enable improvement, and an innovative and thought-provoking section suggesting techniques for expanding customer expectations to increase demand for products and/or services. This section, too, is replete with examples and case studies to support and illustrate methods and concepts.

This book should be studied by anyone, beginner or experienced professional, interested in a systematic method for improving processes, products, or services. I strongly recommend it.

The definitive book on performance improvement
I think this is the most important and practical book available on performance improvement since Deming's "The New Economics". I found this book to be highly useful and well articulated around the practical application of Deming's system of profound knowledge, authored by some of the world's most preeminent thought leaders and practitioners in quality improvement. Chock full of relevant and easy to understand examples. The Model for Improvement, introduced in this book, is an amazingly simple way to bring about improvement in any undertaking. If you are interested in performance this book is a must.

A significant contribution to quality literature
In the extensive library of quality material, a select few items stand out for their practical approach to implementing powerful quality principles in such a manner to be understood by everyone. These authors, strongly tied to Deming principles, are consultants with Associates in Process Improvement, a national quality consulting firm, and have consulted on quality with numerous industries in the US, Canada, and Europe. They are heavily schooled in statistics and quality engineering and now add this valuable item to the elite group of quality tools. The book is driven by their simplified approach to the now well known PDSA cycle, preceding this with their three fundamental questions: What are we trying to accomplish?, How will we know a change is an improvement?, and What changes can we make that will result in improvement? After considering these questions, the authors then take the reader through the classic PDSA steps in this useful model of quality improvement easily adaptable in any business. Part 1 introduces and explains this model, part 2 further applies the model in exemplary business situations, and part 3 offers solid advice for leadership in a quality organization. The added resource guide, alone worth the investment in this work, further explains how different executives are applying in their business the numerous concepts that fill this excellent guide to improvement. This is a very useful addition to the library of any quality professional, and will be most useful to those newly entering the endless road to quality improvement. ... Read more

Book Description

Bestselling Lean Six Sigma author Michael George provides the first pocket guide for deployers of Lean Six Sigma

The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook blends Lean and Six Sigma tools and concepts, providing expert advice on how to determine which tool within a "family" is best for different purposes. Packed with detailed examples and step-bystep instructions, it's the ideal handy reference guide to help Green and Black Belts make the transition from the classroom to the field.

• Features brief summaries and examples of the 70 most important tools in Lean Six Sigma, such as "Pull," "Heijunka," and "Control Charts"
• Groups tools by purpose and usage
• Offers a quick, easy reference on using the DMAIC improvement cycle
• Provides comprehensive coverage in a compact, portable format

Reviews (1)

Outstanding Quick Reference Guide
This pocket toolbook hits the "sweet spot" as a quick reference guide for lean six sigma practitioners.Don't expect this to be an in-depth treatment of the 70+ tools covered in this book.If you're new to the lean/six sigma disciplines, you need to start someplace else.However, if you are currently working in these disciplines and you need a reference with enough meat to remind you of how/why/when a particular tool should be used and also a little of the statistical foundations supporting the tool, then you will find this to be a very valuable book to own.I own just about all of the "pocket guides" and I often find them to be a little too cryptic and abbreviated to meet my needs.This book is a very nice middle ground between the often complex and verbose "learning textbooks" and the often times overly brief pocket guides.As with any first edition, there are some errors that slipped through the editing process, but I can still highly recommend this book as one to keep handy when your out there fighting those "quality and productivity" battles. ... Read more

Book Description

What do your people at work and your spouse and kids at home have in common with a five-ton killer whale? Probably a whole lot more than you think, according to top business consultant and mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and his coauthors from SeaWorld. In this moving and inspirational new book, Blanchard explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. He shows how using the techniques of animal trainers -- specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld -- can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home.

When gruff business manager and family man Wes Kingsley visited SeaWorld, he marveled at the ability of the trainers to get these huge killer whales, among the most feared predators in the ocean, to perform amazing acrobatic leaps and dives. Later, talking to the chief trainer, he learned their techniques of building trust, accentuating the positive, and redirecting negative behavior -- all of which make these extraordinary performances possible. Kingsley took a hard look at his own often accusatory management style and recognized how some of his shortcomings as a manager, spouse, and father actually diminish trust and damage relationships. He began to see the difference between "GOTcha" (catching people doing things wrong) and "Whale Done!" (catching people doing things right).

In Whale Done!, Ken Blanchard shows how to make accentuating the positive and redirecting the negative the best tools to increase productivity, instead of creating situations that demoralize people. These techniques are remarkably easy to master and can be applied equally well at home, allowing readers to become better parents and more committed spouses in their happier and more successful personal lives. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A Good Read!
Ken Blanchard of One-Minute Manager fame draws on the positive training techniques that SeaWorld whale trainers use to get their whales to want to perform. Although using whale training as a teaching model is a unique twist on the literature about training and motivating employees, the material itself is not nearly as exotic. Much of it draws upon traditional principles for getting along with others, such as building trust, emphasizing the positive and redirecting undesired actions into more productive channels. If you've read Blanchard's previous book about being aware when people do something right so you can praise them, some of this content will seem familiar, though he says this is his "most important" book. The story line tracks mythical businessman Wes Kingley's discussions with whale trainers who reveal what they do to train their creatures, gradually, carefully and with real warmth. These conversations blow some very basic points up to whale-size, but Blanchard writes with charm. We recommend this splashy manual, the first course in Whale Psyc 101.

Another winner from Blanchard
Whenever Ken Blanchard (one of my favorite authors) comes
out with a new book, I usually rush to read it . . . so when I
saw that WHALE DONE! THE POWER OF POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS had just been released, I got hold of
a copy and devoured it in one sitting.

You'll be able to do so, too, in that it is real short . . . but
don't be fooled into thinking that there's not a lot of "meat"
contained in its 128 pages . . . Blanchard, along with
coauthors Thad Lacinak, Chuck Tompkins and Jim

Ballard, takes a simple tale and uses it to get you
thinking about how both whales and people perform
better when you accentuate the positive . . . that information
may sound basic, but it is far too often never used.

The story revolves around a gruff manager who visits
SeaWorld and is impressed with how animal trainers
of killer whales can get them to perform amazing
acrobatic leaps and dives . . . he begins to see how
these same techniques could be applied to his
business life, as well as his situation at home . . . in
addition, he learns the difference between "GOTcha"
(catching people doing things wrong) and "Whale
Done!" (catching people doing things right).

I particularly liked the many examples that were used,
and the fact that these could be applied to countless
work and home situations.

There were many memorable passages; among them:
"The point here is that progress--doing something better--is
constantly being noticed, acknowledged, and rewarded.
We need to do the same thing with people--catch them
doing things better, if not exactly right, and praise
progress. That way, you set them up for success and
build from there."

"Killer whales can 'take out' any other animal in the
ocean. We sometimes use that information when we're
working with dog trainers. Some of them scold and yell
at their animals. They use choke chains and sometimes
hit them. When they talk about that kind of treatment, I
ask them, 'If your dog weighed eleven thousand pounds
like Shamu, the whale, how would you treat him? Would
you use a choke collar or smack him around?' I don't
think so."

If you don't hire people on a performance review curve,
why grade them on one?

My only criticism is that some of the material seems
recycled from Blanchard's first bestseller, THE
ONE MINUTE MANAGER . . . but maybe that's not
such a bad thing, in that I still consider this his best
work . . . and a "must" read for anybody who has not
yet had the pleasure of experiencing it.

An okay read!
"Whale Done!: The Power of Positive Relationships" by Ken Blanchard talks about the importance of building trust, accentuating the positive side of things and redirecting the energy when mistakes are made. According to Blanchard, it is crucial to provide recognition appropriately to either co-workers or family members. He uses the example of training the killer whale, Shamu at the SeaWorld. When it comes to training killer whales, trainers have to reward the whales when they do something right to reinforce the same behaviors and that it is basically useless to punish killer whales if they make mistakes.

I think this is an okay read because there are basically nothing new here. However, I do like the "training of killer whales" illustrations that help to reinforce what Blanchard is saying - rewarding animals/people appropriately. Like a few reviewers here, I do prefer "Who Moved My Cheese?" and "Fish!" better. I also agree that some of the lines in "Whale Done!" are sort of cheesy. It's basically an okay read.

A Good Read!
Ken Blanchard of One-Minute Manager fame draws on the positive training techniques that SeaWorld whale trainers use to get their whales to want to perform. Although using whale training as a teaching model is a unique twist on the literature about training and motivating employees, the material itself is not nearly as exotic. Much of it draws upon traditional principles for getting along with others, such as building trust, emphasizing the positive and redirecting undesired actions into more productive channels. If you've read Blanchard's previous book about being aware when people do something right so you can praise them, some of this content will seem familiar, though he says this is his "most important" book. The story line tracks mythical businessman Wes Kingley's discussions with whale trainers who reveal what they do to train their creatures, gradually, carefully and with real warmth. These conversations blow some very basic points up to whale-size, but Blanchard writes with charm. We recommend this splashy manual, the first course in Whale Psyc 101.

Simplistic book that should be no more than an article
Written as a fictional story with unnatural dialogue, very simplistic message, does not even scratch the surface of human motivation. Nothing new here, this would not even be noticed as an article by a popular magazine. A typical example of low content book that is no more than a streched and pumped-up 4-page article. Nuff said. Leave on the shelves. ... Read more

Book Description

Remarkable insight into the leadership culture of one of the world's largest cosmetics companies

It's no secret that Mary Kay Inc. -- home of the famous "Pink Cadillac" -- is one of the best run and most successful companies in the world, prompting Harvard professors and U.S. Government agencies to study what made the company a global phenomenon.But what many people may not realize is that Mary Kay is much more than a Pink Cadillac.While this widely recognized icon is a symbol of top performance, it stands for something greater - a way of doing business with a personal concern for people that has made Mary Kay a different kind of company.This book explains the methods and mindset that can bring the same kind of success to your organization.

More than a Pink Cadillac provides insights into a unique and extraordinarily successful business - one that grew out of, and is still founded upon, a simple set of powerful principles.It represents the first time the company has given an outside author -- Jim Underwood -- unlimited access to its employees and management.The principles he reveals in this book have already influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of men and women around the world - and they can do the same for your organization.

Reviews (8)

Highly Recommended!
Mary Kay, Inc., is perhaps best known for two things: the cult of personality surrounding its founder, Mary Kay Ash, and the fact that it rewards successful salespeople with pink Cadillacs. In this illuminating book, management expert Jim Underwood delves into the guiding principles of Mary Kay, Inc.'s daily operations, which remain, 40 years later, true to Ash's founding vision. Countries or corporations founded by a charismatic leader often sag or sink when that leader inevitably steps down. Mary Kay's leadership was unique in that she built a solid foundation for the company so it could continue without her day-to-day guidance. This corporate biography represents the first time the privately owned company allowed an outsider complete access to its managers and employees, enabling Underwood to persuasively illustrate nine leadership rules with testimonies from members of the "Mary Kay family." We recommend this to anyone who aspires to leadership. Mary Kay may look fluffy, but it's all about the firm.

"Nothing happens until somebody sells something."
The book was interesting enough to keep me listening all the way until the end. I listened to the 6 CD version of the book on the way to work.
Without being associated with Mary Kay, I had a hard time relating to the experience the author was trying to convey.
If I had some first hand experience with the product or the sales staff, my opinion of the book might be different.
It sounds like a fine company. Based on the individual stories in the book and the company sales statistics, the company merits high praise. It seems as if they offer a wonderful culture and opportunity to anyone who might be interested in selling. I must say after reading Jack Straight from the Gut first, I can not think of a greater contrast in management style than that of Mary Kay and Jack Welch at GE. Two successful companies - Two completely different management/leadership styles. I sounds like Mary Kay applied the Dale Carnegie method to her company and people.
The Nine Keys:
Create and Maintain a Common Bond
Create the Future: Think and Act Strategically
Make Me Feel Important
Motivate Others with Recognition and Celebration
Never Leave Your Values
Innovate or Evaporate
Foster Balance: God, Family, Career
Have a Higher Purpose
OK Never Does It: You've gotta been Great!

Highly Recommended!
Mary Kay, Inc., is perhaps best known for two things: the cult of personality surrounding its founder, Mary Kay Ash, and the fact that it rewards successful salespeople with pink Cadillacs. In this illuminating book, management expert Jim Underwood delves into the guiding principles of Mary Kay, Inc.'s daily operations, which remain, 40 years later, true to Ash's founding vision. Countries or corporations founded by a charismatic leader often sag or sink when that leader inevitably steps down. Mary Kay's leadership was unique in that she built a solid foundation for the company so it could continue without her day-to-day guidance. This corporate biography represents the first time the privately owned company allowed an outsider complete access to its managers and employees, enabling Underwood to persuasively illustrate nine leadership rules with testimonies from members of the "Mary Kay family." We recommend this to anyone who aspires to leadership. Mary Kay may look fluffy, but it's all about the firm.

Very inspirational...
This is not a self help type of books for MK consultants. It describes the type of leadership you will find at the MK headquarters and throughout the company. Many business owners and corporations could learn a thing or two from this book, as well as the lay person in search of living a better life and improve their interpersonal skills. I am a consultant and now I understand many things I've been learning from my directors. If you are in MK you MUST get the book. If you are a business owner, YOU MUST also get the book.

A BOOK ANYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM!
I am a MK Consultant and this book is a great recruiting tool! A must-have for ANY MARY KAY Independent Beauty Consultant OR Director. Also, a perfect book for any employer or large corporation to read and apply the nine Leadership keys! ... Read more

Book Description

Organizational Behavior places core concepts of human behavior and industrial psychology in a real-world context. The text's applied approach and succinct coverage of topical issues helps prepare students to meet practical, day-to-day challenges. Strong end-of-chapter exercises, activities, plus an optional case and exercise book make this flexible text suitable for students at the undergraduate level. Likewise, the authors' emphasis on the latest organizational behavior research continues to attract graduate students.

In keeping with the emphasis on current content, the Seventh Edition includes an ongoing case featuring Enron that encourages students to consider how all OB topics tie together and practice applying key concepts by systematically working through the case and answering the accompanying questions. All boxes have been replaced or significantly updated to reflect recent changes in business—including Talking Technology, Mastering Change, The Business of Ethics, Working with Diversity, and World View features. Call-out quotes from managers appear at appropriate points throughout the text to highlight relevant, real-world examples. In addition, each chapter includes one cartoon with a content-based caption that highlights an interesting, and often humorous, aspect of organizational behavior.

• New! Building Managerial Skills exercises require students to consider different workplace situations from a manager's standpoint and determine a suitable course of action for each scenario.
• New! OB Online exercises, previously known as Developing OB Internet Skills, ask students to gather information from the Web and use it to answer critical-thinking questions.
• New! Self-Assessment exercises, previously known as Building OB Skills, give students the opportunity to complete brief self-assessment and diagnostic activities.
• Experiencing Organizational Behavior exercises reinforce the real-world application of chapter concepts and ask students to work through the activities together.

Reviews (3)

Well Nice bookie
Nice treatment of management. I learned a lot from this book.

Most helpful and insightful
The book is fairly comprehensive in terms of its scope. We are currently using the book at our Organizational Behavior class, and it's proved to be an excellent reference. The way it is structured (for the reader) makes in-depth reading or skimming through it (let's face it: this is the reality for most working MBA students!) equally effective. It has clearly distinguishable definitions on the margins, which can serve as a cue for the topic, along with the summaries at the end of every chapter. The intro and closing "cases" provided around the topic of the chapter are VERY insightful and on every other page or so, there are examples about the matter being discussed, which help with the understanding (I know that I, as an Engineer, appreciate examples to illustrate a point). Finally, the illustrations (graphs and charts) are one of the best things the book has! Remember that phrase that used to say "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Well, the authors epithomize it. The charts in the book do a great job at conveying entire pages of information at a time in a very efficient way. All in all, I like the book a lot, and it's been very helpful in complementing our in-class discussions about cases and topics of Organizational Behavior.

But this book ONLY if it is required!
I had to buy this book for a college management class. The material is painfully obvious. However, if you've lived you're entire life living in a dark, dank room eating Cheetos and watching MTV, then this book will be a watershed for you. If, on the otherhand, you are looking for some solid management theory, this book is not for you. If you have to buy this book for a course like I did, remember, you can always sell it to someone who hasn't read it yet. ... Read more

Book Description

If there’s one thing that’s consistent in today’s business world, it’s rapid change. So how do you not only stay steady but actually grow—and quickly enough to stay safely ahead of your competitors? Built for Growth delivers specific solutions to create a brand and presence that generates true customer passion, as you lay a solid foundation for long-term success. Author Arthur Rubinfeld was a major driver in Starbucks' unprecedented retail expansion from 100 stores to more than 4000-- and its transformation into one of the world's most recognized brands. Here he draws on his singular expertise to present a proven, holistic approach to conceiving, designing, and executing your business plan: creating exciting concepts, growing them to fruition in local markets, expanding rapidly, and keeping your brand fresh and relevant as it matures. His revolutionary approach to business strategy embodies strong personal values, promotes exceptional creativity, leverages scientific methodology in finance and market analysis, and brings it all together with 'old-time' customer service. Each lesson is clearly distilled with detailed examples from one of the best business writers, Collins Hemingway, co-author with Bill Gates of the #1 bestseller Business at the Speed of Thought. So whether you're seeking to reignite growth or planning your first store, Built for Growth will be utterly indispensable. Foreword by Jeff Brotman, Co-founder and Chairman of Cost