Book Description

"Unlike most project management books, which focus solely on the nuts and bolts of managing single projects, The Portable MBA in Project Management focuses on the strategy, organization, and processes at work in the three tiers of a successful project-driven organization–the project, the program, and the enterprise. By integrating many critical success factors in this comprehensive guide, Eric Verzuh brings a new vision to the art and science of project management."
–Chris Capossela, General Manager, Microsoft Project

"Verzuh delivers with impact once again. Like his first book, this one is a ‘must have’ for all professionals in project management. Everyone–from project managers to CEOs of project-based organizations–can’t help but be successful after reading and applying the principles established here. This is truly a significant contribution from a first-rate author."
–Ralph Kliem, author of The Project Manager’s Emergency Kit

"Eric Verzuh has produced another solid, readable book. In the tradition of good project management, he has gone ‘cross functional’ and added outside expertise to his own impressive knowledge. Project management is about much more than technical tools, and so this book also explains the proper business approaches to running a project-driven organization."
–Dr. Denis F. Cioffi, Director of the Project Management Program at The George Washington University
author of Managing Project Integration

A state-of-the-art education in project management from the leading thinkers in the field:

• Elaine Biech, President and Managing Principal, Ebb Associates
• Robert G. Cooper, President and cofounder, The Product Development Institute
• Denis Couture, President and cofounder, PCI Group
• Deborah L. Duarte, George Washington University
• Randall Englund, Associate, Strategic Management Group
• Robert J. Graham, Senior Associate, Strategic Management Group
• Ned Hamson, strategic innovation consultant
• Samuel J. Mantel Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of Cincinnati
• Jack R. Meredith, Editor in Chief, Journal of Operations Management
• Nancy Tennant Snyder, Vice President for Leadership and Strategic Competency Creation, Whirlpool Corporation
• Eric Verzuh, President, The Versatile Company
• Neal Whitten, President, Neal Whitten Group

Reviews (4)

Wealth of knowledge in advanced techniques
This book is more than an expansion of Verzuh's earlier "Fast Forward MBA in Project Management", ISBN 0471325465, in that both books can be used in conjunction with one another. Whereas the earlier book is a quick-start guide imparts a wealth of knowledge and techniques, this one goes deep into advanced techniques that project managers of all experience levels will appreciate. More importantly, executive management will benefit from parts of this book, especially Part One, which makes a case for project manager at the strategic level.

Contributing authors are subject matter experts in every facet of project management, assuring that this book will reflect the best thinking across all PM areas. Part Two contains a number of chapters that drill down into core areas, such as project selection, stakeholder satisfaction, risk management and quality. These areas are often overlooked by working project managers who are more concerned with estimating, scheduling and control (also covered in this part of the book).

Part Three is completely focused on team management, with excellent material on team building. I especially liked the chapter on managing virtual teams because this is an increasing requirement, both within internal organizations as well as managing teams comprised of internal resources and off-shore resources to which parts of a project may be outsourced. This is also applicable to project teams comprised of a prime and number of subcontractors.

For those interested in building an organizational structure that is project-based Part Four contains a wealth of material. I found the Stage-Gate new product development process given in chapter 11 to be both a viable and innovative approach to managing development and launches of new products. I also liked chapter 13, which covered enterprise project management in great detail. This material is outstanding for companies that are considering establishing a PMO.

As I read through this book I discovered techniques that had eluded me during my 25+ years of project management experience, as well as fresh ways of looking at techniques and methods I've used throughout my career. The selection of contributors to this book is one of its strengths - each comes across with the highest credibility, and there are no technical or factual gaps anywhere in the book.

If you are a working project manager, regardless of experience level, I strongly recommend adding this outstanding book to your professional library.

Eric has written an insightful book
Eric is on the money with this book. He has spoke at our Project Management syposium the last two years. I have read both his books and feel he has educated me in project managment. His books ar each one stop in the tools of project management. You do not have to read 500 page text books to get project managment information, and it does not hurt to have the author speak in person at your events.
This book is a buy, right off in the first pages Eric tells you that most important thing that project management is a corporate strategic strength. Many companies mis use the title and relegate project managers to be gofors or process analysts, but follow this book and you will see the real strength that leading projects is about leading and decision making.

Next level - improving the organizational capability
You can provide all the training your company can afford but if the organization doesn't embrace project management at every level performance will continue to suffer and the folks with all that new training will soon become disillusioned. Verzuh's new book outlines the issues you'll face in building a project centered enterprise that routinely adds value to customers and shareholders alike.

Verzuh has taken some of the best writing in project and program management, then added articles crafted in his honest, clear, to the point, style to fill in any gaps. The result is an excellent reader for those who care to help their business achieve the next level (and the next...) in project performance.

I've recently taken on several significant change efforts for major clients. I've found the chapters on: Enterprise Project Management: The Path to Maturity (12.), Integrating Project Management into the Enterprise (14), and Project Risk Management (6) particularly helpful in forming my approach. But as I look at this list I reflect on the fact that virtual teaming is giving one client a problem. Guess I better re-read Virtual Team Critical Success Factors (10). And I'm sure the other chapters will be needed before I'm done with this book. That's why others mention how dog-eared Verzuh's books become - because they provide assistance when you need it, and that's a value-added book you should have on your shelf - nope, it won't stay on your shelf, better make room for it right on the desk.

Thanks Eric, we needed this one.

Verzuh Does it Again
In almost every industry and profession, there is a growing reliance on Project management. This trend gives rise to a new term: the project-based organization.

This book is intended for their leaders. It takes an integrated approach to managing a project based organization. CIO's, department managers, program managers and senior project managers who are being challenged to formalize the processes of managing projects will find this compendium to be a source of strategies and standards for leveraging the discipline of project management across an organization.

Verzuh has assembled some the leading thinkers in project management to provide the reader with the theory, methods and framework to manage the project-based organization successfully. The collection includes essays from:
• Elaine Biech, President and Managing Principal, Ebb Associates
• Robert G. Cooper, President and cofounder, The Product Development Institute
• Denis Couture, President and cofounder, PCI Group
• Deborah L. Duarte, George Washington University
• Randall Englund, Associate, Strategic Management Group
• Robert J. Graham, Senior Associate, Strategic Management Group
• Ned Hamson, strategic innovation consultant
• Samuel J. Mantel Jr., Professor Emeritus, University of Cincinnati
• Jack R. Meredith, Editor in Chief, Journal of Operations Management
• Nancy Tennant Snyder, Vice President for Leadership and Strategic Competency Creation, Whirlpool Corporation
• Eric Verzuh, President, The Versatile Company
• Neal Whitten, President, Neal Whitten Group.

I particularly enjoyed Chapters 7 and 14. In Chapter seven Ned Hamson provides as concise an overview of quality, quality management and project management as I have found on the subject.

In Chapter 14, Eric Verzuh discusses integrating Project Management into the organization. In it, he argues that in the successful project-based organization project management disappears. Disappearing, he says, is not the same as ceasing to exist. The purpose of the project driven enterprise is not to hone project capabilities, it is to deliver products and services.

My copy of Verzuh's first book, The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, sits dog-eared on my desk from constant reference. I will not be surprised if this, his second, soon starts to take on a similar appearance. ... Read more

Book Description

In helping establish a new field of study in the organizational sciences, POS, this book examines a variety of positive dynamics in businesses and organizations that give rise to extraordinary outcomes. Positive Organizational Scholarship does not adopt one particular theory or framework, but encompasses any phenomenon that leads to positive, nurturing results. This collection of essays, written by established senior scholars, explains why and how these commonsense prescriptions work. ... Read more

Book Description

1997 BDD Audio. Audio tape discussing a method that goes beyond the old rules of competition and cooperation to combine the advantages of both toward a highprofit means of leveraging business relationships. The term co-opetition coined by the author. Audio Tape. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Stellar business strategies with real world examples!
Co-opetition debuted before the net arrived commercially, however it could easily have been written about today's hyper-speed corporate environment. (Many companies in the Dot-bomb dead-pool may have benefited from this kind of rational strategic thinking.) As the title indicates, the book is about competition and cooperation in the marketplace. Much of that discussed in the book stems from game theory, determining what moves to make in a game (or marketplace) based on the anticipated actions of the other players. The book presents numerous case studies from a variety of businesses. Each example provides a background of the competitive environment, the implications of different possible moves, and ultimately explains the results of each particular decision. It's a fantastic book, and contains valuable lessons for decision-makers in virtually any capacity.

Co-opetition is especially for those interested in game theory and business strategy. It brings to light the fact that no decision is made in isolation, and demonstrates that a win at all costs mentality is often not the most successful plan of action. Learn to analyze a situation, understand the scenarios that may result because of particular actions, move forward with a better understanding, and well thought out contingency plans for anticipated counter moves.

Creating better strategies using game theory
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.

Outstanding for developing an effective competitive mindset
This is an important book to read for anyone involved in competitive strategy development and/or negotiations. Businesses are realizing that striving for a win-win situation in competitive negotiations is the preferred long-term approach as opposed to "crushing the competition at all costs". This book helps to develop the "gaming" mindset and does so in an easy to read, example filled way. Good addition to a business strategy library.

A ¿must-read¿ for sure
First of all I should state that this book is the kind that will make you ask yourself "Why have I not read it before?"! I strongly recommend it and shortly I will try to explain whom I recommend it and why.

In fact, we are not talking about some recent business book, and therefore the potential reader should not expect to see very recent cases as support to arguments discussed. But still, the issues are very systematically, clearly and simply explained, although the examples that are used to support the arguments are "old".

I met this "potential classic business book" (or maybe already a "classic business book") as I began to be interested in game theory. Therefore I can easily declare that "Co-opetition" is very appropriate for a person who would like to see solid, practical and especially business-oriented application areas of game theory. With this book, a "101 game theorist" can try and improve herself easily. But on the other hand, this doesn't mean that the only target readers of the book are the ones that are interested in game theory. The authors have achieved to develop and illustrate practical recommendations for business world by utilizing game theory concepts. So anyone who is business life will benefit from the concepts for sure.

The language and the methods of explanation are very clear, far from being complicated and straightforward. The authors have supported all the major concepts and conclusions by using real-life examples. This way, the reader has more "reasons" to learn and remember the arguments discussed throughout the book. The logical order and the simple modular approach used to lead the discussions also help the reader understand everything explained easily. Although the book is in fact a "strategy book", the reader does not have to be someone with background information on strategy. But still, if the reader already has some background in strategic analysis, then the book offers a much more beneficial and enjoyable read. On top of everything, the nice but "not-so-difficult-to-handle complexity" of game theory itself is the real pleasure of the book.

I recommend this book to college students who are to enter business life shortly, to people with active roles in strategic decision making processes of their corporations and to people who are interested in game theory but who don't want to cope with the mathematical models of it. Have a nice read...

Change the game a bit more than this, please
The name of the game in this book is 'get the biggest possible slice of the biggest possible pie'. '90% of $2,300 is a lot better than 50% of $2,600'. Says who? Says Barry Nalebuff.

They acknowledge that people instinctively start out by trying to get an equitable slice of a reasonably sized pie, and protect everyone else's pie at the same time - but you know what? With a little judicious ridicule, you can cure people of that attitude.

Suppose we don't want to be cured?

Nalebuff & Brandenburger regard business as both war and peace. But they see war only in its 'territory & asset-grabbing' sense, and peace, well, only in its 'territory & asset-grabbing' sense.

War on want? What's that? Real peace? What's that?

One person, in one of their audiences, proposed that business was neither war, nor peace, but marriage. Note that 'marriage' is not mentioned in the index. Note that 'divorce, threat of' is.

Co-opetition is what happens if you use co-operation to serve competition. If you'd like to see - in the interests of fair-mindedness - what happens if you put competition in the service of co-operation (comperation?), go read 'Banker to the Poor' by Mohammad Yunus. If you'd like to see the friendly face of big business, go to Amazon.co.uk (this edition not listed on Amazon.com) and put 1854105779 in the search field.

Better yet, put 'grameen' into Google, and find out why 2,300,000 people of a whole variety of faiths remember this man in their daily prayers. I'm a Quaker, and I do.

In short, while these guys were trying to teach people to make a killing, Muhammad Yunus was busy trying to help people make a living.

Comperation forever. ... Read more

Book Description

A provocative examination of the essential – and widely misunderstood--personality type of today's most innovative leaders.

What is it that Oprah Winfrey, Jack Welch, Martha Stewart, and Bill Gates all have in common? According to psychoanalyst, anthropologist, and consultant Michael Maccoby, it’s not just enormous success and celebrity – it’s narcissism. In The Productive Narcissist, Maccoby proposes a new paradigm of modern leadership and zeros in on one common character trait: the narcissistic personality. Challenging prevailing leadership theories, Maccoby argues that today’s most innovative leaders are not consensus-building bureaucrats; they are “productive narcissists” with the interrelated set of skills -- foresight, systems thinking, visioning, motivating, and partnering – that he terms “strategic intelligence.” Rejecting the negative stereotype of the individual who is destroyed by a pathological preoccupation with himself, Maccoby redefines the productive narcissist as the personality type who is best suited to lead during times of rapid social and economic change. At the same time, he makes clear that narcissistic leadership doesn’t always mean successful leadership and that narcissists lacking strategic intelligence are fated to crash and burn.

Beginning with an examination of the crucial role personality plays in the workplace and an analysis of the primary personality types (a questionnaire allowing readers to evaluate their own personalities is included), Maccoby makes an eye-opening case for how narcissism has been misunderstood and how throughout history narcissists have always emerged to inspire people and to shape the future. While narcissism can be extraordinarily useful—even necessary—for effective leadership, Maccoby shows how it also has a distinct downside when narcissists become unrealistic dreamers and harbor the illusion that only circumstances or enemies block their success. Strategic intelligence is the hallmark of the productive narcissist, and by elucidating its key qualities – and how they can be developed – Maccoby illuminates both what it takes for narcissists to truly succeed and how to work with them most effectively .

Based on over thirty years of first-hand experience consulting with business leaders around the world, The Productive Narcissist redefines the way we understand and relate to today’s leaders. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Harnessing Narcissism
The book teaches how to harness malignant or pathological narcissism. Narcissists are driven, visionary, ambitious, exciting and productive, and if handled properly - an asset to the corporation. While I do not share the author's view - the book is an impressive achievement and of use both in the academic and in the corporate setting. Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited".

Insightful, thought-provoking, intriguing
In these confusing and uncertain times, the cry goes out for more visionary leaders. We need men and women who can lead us out of the darkness of despair and short-term Wall Street thinking into the clear air of vision, goals, and high achievement. Enter the narcissistic leader. Narcissists admire themselves, they believe in themselves. They have complete confidence in themselves, even though they may think they can do more than they really can.

The dictionary tells us that narcissism is "a psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem." Maccoby-a psychoanalyst, anthropologist, and consultant-takes us further. He explains that "narcissistic leaders are not a product of their time; rather, they are a product of their personalities, and are psychologically suited to rise, and fall, during disruptive times." Sometimes their grandiosity serves them-and their organizations-well...especially if they (or their organizations) are protected by counterbalancing aides or confidants. Sometimes that grandiosity can be their downfall.

In this enjoyable and education book, Maccoby describes several psychological styles and how they influence leadership behavior. He concentrates on the productive narcissist, results-focused aggressive leaders who can valiantly lead their organizations to the brink of destruction. The good news---bad news juxtaposition is explored in page after page, with enlightening examples from the lives of historical figures like Napoleon to today's leaders whom we read about in the newspapers daily. Not only does he name names, but Maccoby goes deep into who these leaders are, what they did, why they did it, and the impacts of their behavior. It's a fascinating read that will have you bobbing your head with understanding and insight.

This book will be valuable to leaders-and not just narcissists. Human resource professionals, executive coaches, and venture capitalists will find the knowledge in these pages to be quite useful. A self-test, with full explanation of scoring and meaning, adds value to the book. Index.

Prescient study of leadership and human character
As I write this, Arnold Schwarzenegger was just elected governor of California in a chaotic and unprecedented recall election.

Could anyone have forseen it?

If you had read Michael Maccoby's book you might have.

California's new "governator" has a classic Narcissistic personality-- in short, making him a charming, creative strategist focused on leaving a legacy.

Can Schwarzenegger "give back to California" all he says the state has given him?

Or does his stunning election success bear the seeds of our future disaster?

For the sake of all Californians, I hope that Schwarzenegger himself has studied Maccoby's book-- just as he may have studied the "Fuhrer princip" and body-building manuals in his youth.

Maccoby Cuts Through the Leadership Literature Clutter
My home library shelves are cluttered with many of the best selling books that present varied and conflicting leadership theories. Very often, those best selling theories are presented in popular and simplistic terms that appeal to wishful thinking but are not very applicable in the workplace. Maccoby cuts through the leadership literature clutter with a very clearly reasoned and persuasively presented vision of leadership. It is a very insightful and integrated vision based on 30+ years of practical field research and experience as a consultant, anthroplogist, psychologist and leadership coach. As a Director of Human Resources with 20 years of experience, I found Maccoby's description of the narcisisstic leader and other personality types to be a useful aid to understanding CEOs, Presidents, Vice-President and other leaders who were difficult to relate to and eluded explanation. Maccoby's self-inventory and descriptions of Freud's and Fromm's personality types are also pragmatic tools for any managers and would be leaders who are interested in understanding themselves and in developing their ability to partner effectively with other personality types. Maccoby's elegant writing style and use of entertaining poignant illustrations from productive narcissists we know and love make his analysis of the personality types and strategic thinking entertaining,lively and dynamic... without losing sight of what is practical. What you learn from reading this book may not leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, but it is very useful.

No Ordinary Book About Leadership
Dr. Maccoby takes much of our wishful thinking about great leaders and presents a compelling and realistic contrast. His work is grounded in excellent illustrations of what leaders are like "who want to change the world."

Almost all of us have worked with leaders we admire and who are also hard to get along with. Dr. Maccoby takes us into their world and explains what is happening. He also has good ideas for how you, as a subordinate, can work the most effectively with them and under them.

I highly recommend the book for any leader or consultant who wants to take a look at how creative leaders really do innovate and change things. It is contrary to the narrow research of Jim Collins and points out that Collins' work really misses the boat in understanding the innovative corporation and the innovative leader. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent Book
I have often felt that many times the leadership of a company or even division was all about defining the strategy, where are we going and what are the overall goals.It was then up to the next level of management to make it happen.I am a manager and like most managers I have had a few occasions when I new where we should be going, I felt I clearly set the direction, but something in the execution failed and we did noting but waste a lot of time to get half measures.The world is full of good plans that failed due to poor performance. This book explains that a true leader needs to keep the execution of the strategy in mind when creating the direction.Combine the two and get your hands dirty in the working of the plan.This book is all about getting the job done, covering the processes and actions that need to get done to make solid strategies work.

The author created this book from real life experiences, either his own or those of case studies and interviews. He is giving the reader solid techniques derived from real world examples that were a success.I also got a great deal out of the final chapter.The author shows the reader how to apply what he has detailed in the book into a real life problem.Making a strategy come together and really work is either good management or luck and most of us are not that lucky.This book gives you the tools for making strategies work.What I liked about the book is even though the author is aiming for the CEO chair with the book, the methods he talks about could be used by any level of management on any size of project.The book is well written and enjoyable.It is well work your time.

A book on Corp Strategy about executing all those plans
You can select from any number of books on what corporate strategy is, how to develop an appropriate strategy, and using strategy to competitive advantage.And yet, we see announced strategies fail time after time.What breaks down?What is the problem with a plan that looked so good on the white board?

Prof. Lawrence Hrebiniak of the Wharton School makes a convincing case that it is in the execution of the strategic plan that things fall apart.He takes us through the reasons why execution fails and they are many.The plan doesn't fit the culture, poor internal communications (silos), lack of patience in building the ability to implement the strategy, a planning culture rather than an execution culture, incentives poorly aligned with the strategy, and so on.

The author does spend a small portion of the book talking about what goes into a good strategic plan.If you have ever read anything on corporate strategy, this summary will seem familiar.However, the rest of the book is about what to consider about executing this great plan and all the things that you will likely face that will work against what it is you are trying to do.

He has several helpful models that are simple and can help you make sense of what it is you are trying to do versus the resistance you are facing.He has good advice on how to manage change.I particularly like his discussion of embracing error versus avoiding it.The denial of problems creates a kind of mental state that needs rigidity because any kind of movement will quickly expose all the errors the rigidity is trying to hide.

This is a book about doing things rather than just thinking about neat ideas.I like that approach a lot.Obviously, the complexity of reality is far beyond the scope of this book, and you will likely only face a portion of what the book discusses in any given situation.However, getting a feel for the broad spectrum of misery execution entails can be quite enlightening and brace you for facing down future futility.

THIS BOOK IS RIGHT ON TARGET!
Based on the experiences of managers, the book focuses on the knowledge, skills and capabilities managers need to execute strategy. It presents an integrated approach, presenting and detailing key execution decisions, incorporating central change-management issues. The final chapter shows how to apply the logic, insights, and guidance presented in this work. Of special note is that one chapter is devoted to motivation, incentives, and the control process encompassing accountability, responsibility and leadership. If you want a book to help guide turning your strategic plan into performance and profits, this book is right on target. Highly recommended.

Putting the exec into execution
Top executives tend to set strategies and then leave the implementation to others. This book sets the path for executive participation in execution, including managing change and growth, to ensure effectiveness.Written by Lawrence Hrebiniak, top strategy professor in the Department of Management at the Wharton School, should make this book credible. Hrebiniak has consulted at Chase Manhattan, DuPont, and General Electric.

There are not many good books on strategy. This book is an exception. Lots of innovative strategy frameworks make this book an indispensable addition to the business library of every manager. I really liked Making Strategy Work and I hope this book will become a classic. I think all interested in business strategy should read this one.

A Strategic Look At Strategy Execution
Volumes have been written about the theoretical and practical frameworks against which senior executives in large companies can run their operations. But in the end, executives are faced with the straightforward task of simply getting things done. Execution is key to every successful project or implementation, and yet, oddly enough, it's in this area that Lawrence Hrebiniak, professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and business consultant to many Fortune 500 companies, believes too many business leaders fall short. And few companies have developed a disciplined approach to it.


In his new book Making Strategy Work (Wharton School Publishing, January 2005), Hrebiniak says that many of today's top executives are far better at developing strategy than executing it and overcoming the political and organizational obstacles that stand in their way. Senior executive editor Patricia Brown spoke with Hrebiniak about overcoming the obstacles to execution and how CIOs can build systematic road maps for tackling it.

Q: You write that execution has been an issue for executives for more than 20 years. Why is it so difficult to bridge the gap between strategy and execution?

A: Execution represents a disciplined process that enables an organization to take a strategy and make it work. One of my arguments is that we've put out a whole class of MBAs in management who are well-versed in planning and conceptually brilliant, but who are very weak in terms of even the theory and the approach to execution. They have to learn about execution on the job.

In the absence of appropriate guidance and conceptual models, many managers jumped into execution head-first and did a lot of things wrong. Only recently have people started thinking, "If we execute better, if we integrate long term and short term better, if we translate strategic objectives into short-term objectives, if we worry about incentives and controls and feedback, we'll execute better, we'll perform better, and we might even gain a competitive advantage because very few people in other companies are so well-versed in execution."

Also related to execution is integration. People gain knowledge in buckets. For example, if you're a marketing person, the whole world becomes a marketing problem. Because of this, we need more integration. We need someone with a perspective, someone who understands various functions and parts of the company. The ability to integrate is essential to execution, and managers who can do this are very tough to find.

Q: Can CIOs play a role in providing this integration?

A: A CIO or senior-level IT employee can provide integration, provide the data-the kinds of things that back up the models of execution we're working with. If I develop a model of execution, I'll need to change the [corporate] structure in a certain way. For example, I create a need to move goods or knowledge around the world from unit to unit, from organization to organization. I've now created an IT issue. I need someone well-versed in information-knowledge transfer. Information sharing becomes a critical part of that execution plan or strategy. The IT people or the CIOs are becoming increasingly important because of this need for integration that we're finally waking up to.

Q: Some C-level executives would rather focus on strategy, and they don't believe they're responsible for execution. Are they?

A: Execution demands ownership at all levels of management. From C-level managers on down, people must commit to and own the processes and actions central to effective execution. Some people say there are two processes going on. One is the conceptual process: The brilliant people look at things like industry forces and competitive forces, and come up with new strategies, new ideas, and new products. And once they're done with the smart work, they turn to their subordinates and say, "Here, execute this."

It's that separation of planning and doing that I contend is wrong. It's important that the CEO, just like all managers, have a hand in execution. Strategic success demands a simultaneous view of planning and doing. Managers must be thinking about execution as they're formulating plans; they're part of an integrated, strategic management approach.

Q: Execution requires more people than strategy, but are companies adding the resources necessary to follow through on the execution? Are they growing fast enough to support effective execution?

A: As soon as you start talking growth, you're talking change. You're increasing tasks. You're focusing on different responsibilities. You're entering new markets. You're developing new products. One thing that relates to execution right away is the speed of change. If I implement a big change during a growth spurt and develop new responsibilities around new strategies in new parts of the world, and I do all these things simultaneously, I'm potentially creating problems with growth because speed can kill. If I make too many changes and do too many things simultaneously, I'm creating additional problems for execution.

As companies grow, it's important that they answer questions like: How fast should we grow, how do I ensure responsibility and clear accountability as I'm growing; how do we ensure that we have the right capabilities, including skills, IT, information, and people? What kinds of people do I need? What training do they need?

However, planning a strategy requires fewer people than the execution. Once you start delegating and getting involved in different aspects of execution, you're getting more people involved at lower levels without even growing. Even assuming organizational size remains constant, there's another problem: As you get more people involved, it's harder to control execution.

Here's an example: A financial institution I was working with created a program at the corporate level to better integrate the branches. When the managers went to check on the program at the branches three, four, or five months later, no one knew about the program. The project had failed because no one had stated the objectives to the many thousands of branch-level employees.

To set the objectives and make things clear at the management level is one challenge; to move those things to lower levels is another. You have to focus on communication and focus on ways of integrating throughout the hierarchy.

Your question about growth, size, and people reflected those two different things. No. 1 is running into unclear responsibilities due to rapid growth, and No. 2 is getting people at the lower levels involved in the execution process in some meaningful way.

Q: Since you consider execution a process, is there room in some companies for a chief process officer-someone who can look at divisions horizontally rather than vertically?

A: Yes, execution isn't the result of a single decision or action. It's the result of a series of integrated decisions or actions over time. Some companies have gotten so large and complex that they need someone who literally is in charge of integration and knowledge sharing across functions. So we're beginning to see more of these roles. We're also beginning to see more matrix-type structures where people are integrating, for example, business and country or functions like engineering and projects. That's their job in the matrix- to integrate across diverse measures of performance or different views of the world.

We see that in global companies and in high-tech industries. We're seeing it in companies where we have to integrate knowledge, such as engineering knowledge, across different projects. More and more of the focus is on integration, and this is very consistent with my approach to execution.

Q: Are there a couple of key points CIOs should keep in mind as they begin to develop an execution road map?

A: Organizational structure is very important to execution. Despite its centrality, the role of structure in strategy execution can be problematic. Many of the managers we surveyed for the book argued that structure is often set up or changed for the wrong reasons. Simply put, structure affects real costs and benefits. Different ways of organizing affect outcomes. Process specialization or functional structures, for example, positively affect efficiency via standardization, repetition, high volume, and economies that follow.

Creating a structure, however, is only half the story. For companies to operate effectively and execute effectively, integration or coordination is also needed. Information sharing, knowledge transfer, and effective communication are vital to execution. Poor or inadequate information sharing was rated as a major obstacle in our survey. In addition, for execution to work, all responsibilities and accountability for key decisions and actions must be unambiguous. They must be understood by all managers involved in the execution process.

Another important element of the execution model is incentive and controls. Incentives motivate behavior toward ends consistent with desired strategy-execution outcomes. Controls provide feedback about performance, reinforce execution methods, provide corrective mechanisms, and facilitate change.

Q: Execution requires effective change management, something a lot of CIOs are addressing. Is managing change an execution problem?

A: Yes, I have two chapters on managing change in my book. One is managing change, and the other is managing culture and culture change. They're related, of course, but I separate them because each is so important.

Let me give an example that I find problematic when I look at upper-level managers managing change. Given a large strategic change or the need for change, how do I manage this change? Do I break it down into smaller pieces and do it logically, going through the different parts sequentially, or do I do everything at once? A major conclusion of our analysis is that complex change is difficult and dangerous, often resulting in poor change management and failed execution. When companies are faced with strategic problems, sequential change is preferred. It's logical to break the large change into smaller, more manageable pieces, or elements, and manage change sequentially, focusing on each element only when the previous one is completed. The downside is sequential change takes time, but it's an effective way to handle large changes rationally and methodically.

The other aspect of change is culture change. The biggest mistake managers often make is trying to change culture. They try to convince people to change attitudes. They tell people that something has changed, and they have to act differently. Well, this doesn't work. My argument is in order to change culture, you don't focus on culture; you focus on changing people, incentives, organizational structures and responsibilities, and controls, such as performance appraisals and feedback. By changing the elements of execution, you're changing culture.

---

Obstacle Course

Here's a list of the primary execution challenges, based on discussions with corporate managers.
- Inability to manage change effectively or overcome internal resistance to change.
- Strategy conflicts with the existing power structure.
- Poor or inadequate information sharing among individuals or business units responsible for strategy execution.
- Unclear communication of responsibility and/or accountability for execution decisions or actions.
- Poor or vague strategy.
- Employees' lack of feeling of ownership of a strategy or execution plan.
- Lack of guidelines or a model to guide strategy execution.
- Lack of understanding of the role of organizational structure and design in the execution process.
- Inability to generate buy-in or agreement on critical execution steps or actions.
- Lack of incentives or inappropriate incentives to support execution objectives. ... Read more

Book Description

The sixth edition of internationally acclaimed strategy volume retains the established strengths of previous editions while updating and revising material to address today's corporate climate. The book builds on the practice of strategic management and blends theory with practice with case studies for experiential learning that allow readers to apply concepts and theories and build their own. The book emphasizes the importance of a clear analysis of the strategic situation facing the organization and a rational assessment of future options as it draws on the growing research and literature on decision-making processes within a political and cultural context.The volume comprehensively addresses the strategic position, strategic capability, expectations and purposes, corporate-and business-level strategy, directions and methods of development, strategy into action, and managing strategic change plus it includes extensive case studies.For managers and potential managers. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

the grammar of the book is very confusing, unclear
we have to study this book
(unfortunately) for Strategic Management which I see very unnecessary for 3rd year in Tourism Management. the book sucks! the sentences are not good structured and some subjects are not clear. i wouldn't recommend this book to anybody. I like to read books written by American authors.

Saleh Ali Al Kharraz, Saudi Aramco, Hull Univ. Student
The book is very useful for all scholars as well as professionals. This book is an excellent reference and I am happy to have it in my home library. I will be having an exam on Strategic Management on Wednesday 08/08/2001 at 17:00 PM Saudi Arabia Time. Part of the exam will be on the Pharmaceutical Industry Case Study in the book. Would you help me in this regard? Would you send me a brief about the case and how it is applicable in regard to Five Forces and Business Environment?

Thank you very much.

An excellent introduction to Strategic Management
This is one of my favourite strategy texts. At first, I found this book fairly heavy reading. However, once I got deeper into the subject, I found it very useful (especially when I was studying for an MBA). I believe that the text provides the reader with a good grounding on strategic principles on which to build more specialist knowledge of the subject.

The text covers all the key steps of strategy development including analysis, selection and implementation. For each step, Johnson and Scholes also provides a number of techniques (including, PEST analysis, Porter's Diamond, Porter's Five Forces, Value Chain analysis, SWOT, Cultural Web, etc).

Best study book in Strategy currently available
When being midway in my MBA Strategy course, I bought this book. I've never regretted it, and it continues to be one of my favorites. In fact, I have many times wished I had it as my study litterature, as the authors manage to get thru a number of subjects in sufficient detail to make it understandable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject. If you're not interested in Strategy, skip this book, as they are very concentrated on making you understand and learn what they are discussing. In short, I won't trade this book for anything, it saved my hide a number of times during study and I keep getting back to it to refresh my memory or understand some finer points.

Exploring Corporate Strategy- worth a look into
Good book with a wide coverage of topics. Considering how boring the subject actually is, the authors do a good job of making it vaugely interesting. ... Read more

Book Description

The bestselling author of The Leadership Engine shows how great leaders develop their business knowledge into "teachable points of view" and in turn learn from the employees they are teaching.

Calling this exchange a "virtuous teaching cycle," Professor Noel M. Tichy shows how business builders from Jack Welch at GE to Joe Liemandt at Trilogy create organizations that foster knowledge exchange and how their efforts lead to smarter, more agile companies -- and winning results.

Using examples from GE, Intel, Dell, Southwest Airlines, 3M, Yum! Brands, The Home Depot, Genetech, Trilogy, and many others, Tichy presents and analyzes these principles in action and explains how managers can begin to transform their own businesses into teaching organizations and, consequently, better-performing companies.

Read by Ron McLarty ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sensible advice, but repetitive, repetitive, repetitive
While I will never dispute the premise that great leaders teach, mentor and learn, it doesn't have to be repeated over and over until I get it. The hero of this book, and that is really the only way to describe it, is Jack Welch, former head of GE. There is a lot of ink used to laud Welch and what he did at GE. While I don't dispute that Welch deserves to be acknowledged as a great leader, Tichy comes very close to crossing the line between praising and deifying him.
The basic theme of the book is the dynamics of teaching and learning within a business environment. This includes all levels, from the lowliest greeters to the CEO and board members. It starts with the leader's Teachable Point Of View or TPOV. This is basically the leader's view of the company direction and how well it is communicated to the people underneath. Without question, this is a valuable point in the success of any organization, assuming that the TPOV is reasonable and the leader is capable of accepting feedback. Or, to put it another way, is the leader capable of learning from underlings? While good leaders must teach and do it well, they must also learn even better. For even the best teachers can be rendered ineffectual if the material they are trying to impart is valueless. In the modern business world, if you don't learn and adapt, you die.
Another focus is on the Virtuous Teaching Cycle or VTC, which is about leaders teaching leaders. This is of course sensible; any leader should constantly be training several potential replacements. The problem with this is twofold. The first is that there can be only one leader, so if more than one potential leader is being groomed, it is necessary to have an unambiguous selection mechanism in place. Succession struggles have doomed many countries and organizations. Secondly, this can lead to the successor suffering from the same weaknesses that the leader does, which is why some of the most successful leaders were outsiders, brought in to provide a necessary fresh perspective.
There are two points of criticism. The first is the repetition. Some of the stories are told several times, even to the point of distraction. The other is that education is a complex task and recent revelations in the corporate world demonstrate that there are leaders that are not only incompetent, but are even criminal. I would have preferred reading more about how learning is done in these dysfunctional situations.
With the pace of life and business changing so fast, companies must learn faster than they produce. While I agree with most of the points in this book, there is a tendency of the author to ramble and repeat, which I found distracting.

Robert Knowling?
I just read the intro to this book by Robert Knowling. As far as I can tell Robert Knowling was booted out of Covad having delivered dismal results. He is listed as CEO of Simbion, which according to Hoovers has 1-5 employees and $50-$100K in revenues. He is even featured on the cover. Am I missing something?

Nothing new
I was somewhat disappointed in this book despite its endorsement by one of my business school classmates.Professor Tichy discusses already well known principles of leadership within the context of what is promoted as a "new" approach.Only a few individuals and companies are profiled and are used repeatedly throughout the book.The examples cited fit awkwardly into the message that is being presented.The title of the book attributes greatness to the individuals profiled based on only one attribute--a belief in teaching and learning.This seems such a narrow focus on which to base such accolades.

A New "Business Classic"
Those who are familiar with my reviews of other business books already know that on several dozen occasions, I have strongly recommended The Leadership Engine (1997) which Tichy wrote with Eli Cohen and Nancy Cardwell. He teams up with her again in this book, expanding and enriching his concept of leadership development at all levels throughout any organization, regardless of its size or nature. Hence the importance of what Tichy calls a "Virtuous Teaching Cycle": Everybody teaches and everybody learns; all practices, processes, and values promotion teaching; all teaching is interactive to generate the effective exchange of knowledge; thereby, maximum use is made of everyone's skills and talents to ensure all-level alignment for smart and rapid response to needs, problems, opportunities, etc. Tichy asserts (and I agree) that hypertransformation (in established organizations) and hypergrowth (in start-ups) are essential to business success. The challenge in established organizations is to overcome what Jim O'Toole characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." For start-ups, the challenge is to achieve appropriate scale while ensuring that new employees are brought on line and up to speed ASAP. In ten chapters, and with prevision as well as eloquence, Tichy explains how various organizations (notably GE) have met those and other challenges.

Unlike other authors who address many of the same issues, Tichy also includes a substantial Handbook (pages 285-394) which consists of ten Sections: The Teaching Organization, The Hand You have Been Dealt, Building Your Teachable Point of View, Pulling It All Together, Building a Team Timetable Point of View, Architecting the Leadership Pipeline, Scaling the Teaching Organization, Building Teaching into the DNA, Global Citizenship, and finally, Start the Journey. In the Handbook, Tichy explains provides decision-makers with with just about everything their need to know to design, implement, and then strengthen their own Teaching Organization, one within which the Virtuous Teaching Cycle sustains leadership development at all levels.

In his Introduction to the Handbook, Tichy quotes a brief statement from Thomas Stewart's most recent book, The Wealth of Knowledge:

"The knowledge economy stands on three pillars. The first: Knowledge has become what we buy, sell, and do. It is the most important factor of production. The second pillar is a mate, a corollary to the first: Knowledge assets -- that is, intellectual capital -- have become more important to companies than financial and physical assets. The third pillar is this: To prosper in this new economy and exploit these newly vital assets, we need new vocabularies, new management techniques, and new strategies. On these three pillars rest all the new economy's laws and its profits."

Tichy includes this brief statement because it is directly relevant to his own objectives in The Cycle of Leadership but also because, unless and until an organizations has all three pillars (not one, not two but all three), it cannot survive major challenges which await them, many of which have yet to be revealed. That is to say, the Teaching Organization can only be built on the foundation they provide.

"Winning leaders are teachers, and winning organizations do encourage and reward teaching. But there is more to it than that. Winning organizations are explicitly designed to be Teaching Organizations, with business processes, organizational structures, and day-to-day operating mechanisms all built to promote teaching." However, Tichy doesn't stop there. More importantly, the teaching that takes place is a distinctive kind of teaching. It is interactive, two-way, even multi-way. Throughout the organization, `teachers' and `students' at all levels teach and learn from each other, and their interactions create a Virtuous Teaching Cycle that keeps generating more learning, more teaching, and the creation of new knowledge."

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Peter M. Senge's The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization (1990) and The Dance of Change: The Challenges of Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations (1999), William Isaacs' Dialogue and the Art of Thinking Together: A Pioneering Approach to Communicating in Business and in Life (1999), Carla O'Dell's If Only We Knew What We Know: The Transfer of Internal Knowledge and Best Practice (1998), and Thomas H. Davenport and Laurence Prusak's Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know (1997).

Great Team Building Ideas
After hearing about all the corporations with failing management, my business team went looking for some guidance.I learned a lot from this book about building and teaching teamwork, leadership skills and trust within a team.I really enjoyed the business case examples from other corporations.Our team is now going through the exercises in the leadership handbook in the back of the book and know it will help us all be better leaders.I highly recommend this book for any business team looking for some leadership training. ... Read more

Book Description

This tenth edition of Strategic Management Cases offers a practitioner-oriented perspective; focuses on skill-building in all major areas of strategy formation, implementation, and evaluation; and contains the most up-to-date compilation of cases available. The 43 featured cases include Verizon, Nextel, American Airlines, E-Bay, Wal-Mart, Target, Mandalay Resort Group, First Reliance Bank, Revlon, and many more companies. For consultants and other strategic planners. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Deeply and updated cases on strategy
Very good book, comprehending cases for many global and local industries, small and big companies, with sales risisng or declining, facing pressure from substitutes, intense rivalry and demanding customers.Summary of the Industry situation are helpful guides to solve the cases with the financialstatements, frequently included, helping to providedeeper data. ... Read more

Book Description

Filling a void in the market, Conflict Diagnosis, Brief Edition uses the innovation of the Conflict Diagnosis concept to provide an in-depth appreciation of ADR processes. The survey takes both a true sociological perspective on the interdisciplinary topic of alternative disputes and prefaces these descriptions with an in-depth exploration of the theoretical and empirical basis for understanding their uses, misuses, indications and counterindications to provide readers with a thorough and complete approach to understanding, evaluating and developing strategies and tactics to address interpersonal conflict.The survey addresses basic definitions, dispute resolution processes, preconceptions about conflict and how they short change us, conflict diagnosis, the nine steps of conflict diagnosis, alternative dispute resolution processes, using conflict diagnosis to manage legal disputes and select ADR processes.For human resources personnel, dispute resolution system designers, trainers and ombuds, as well as ADR neutrals and neutrals-in-training. ... Read more

Book Description

Realistic, intermediate-length cases make up this inexpensive casebook. Based on real events but with all names changed, the cases either illustrate theory or describe a recent real-life dilemma requiring a decision.Cases are long enough to require significant analysis from the reader, but short enough that a wide variety of topics can be covered. Describes the full range of management, systems, group, interpersonal, and individual topics; also highlights international business, globalization, diversity, ethics, communications, and human resource decisions. References each case to several leading management and organizational behavior books. Offers a versatile range of material and organization, making book suitable for a variety of uses.An inexpensive, handy reference for trainers, organizational development consultants, and other Human Resources professionals. ... Read more

Book Description

The ideal customer defends, champions, forgives, and commits to a company or brand for the long term — but how can a business create such long-lasting loyalty? Chip and Bilijack Bell explain how in Magnetic Service, based on examples of real companies who have done just that. Written in a lively, accessible style, the book shows that loyalty comes not from allegiance to a product but from compelling experiences. Using case studies, the authors explain the concept of "magnetic service" that turns casual customers into loyal and enduring fans. The book unlocks the seven secrets of this phenomenon, from "Focus on Customer Hopes, Not Just Needs" to "Add ‘Charisma’ to the Mix" to "Empower Customers Through Comfort." ... Read more

Book Description

For full description, see Hill/Jones, Strategic Management, 6/e.

Reviews (19)

I found Strategic Management Theory to be helpful
I am a senior business major at Hannibal LaGrange College. Strategic Management Theory is the textbook that we are using in my Business Strategy class. I found the textbook to be very helpful in understanding the terms. I like the way the book repeats important terms throughout the chapters. I also found the closing cases at the end of each chapter to be helpful by providing real business examples to help you understand the concept of the chapters. The only real weakness of the book is the coloring. I think that the yellow used in the charts make some of them hard to read. I found this book to be helpful, and I think its a good senior level book.

Informative?
I am a student at Hannibal LaGrange College and we are using this book for our senior level Business Strategy class. The text was very easy to read and the information was explained in great detail. Also, the charts and figures were explained and easy to read. The book doesn't jump around from cases to material like a lot of text books. The book, the use of color, and the summary at the end of the chapters are rated good in my opinion.

Complete and comprehensible
This strategic management book is definitely a good introduction into strategic management. I am a management student myself and read it as an introduction. I have compared it to some of the other intoductory books that other schools use, and in my opinion, it is much more direct than the others I have seen. It does not beat around the bush. And it is more detailed than the others. For example, the chapter on competitive, unlike many of the other books, really tries to give as concrete a picture as possible about what this 'vague' concept actually entails. In short, it really increased my insight into the area of strategic management a great deal!

"Approach" is the right word
I used this book in my Business Strategy class this semester. I think that this book only begins to approach the material it covers. I am sure that the authors could have gone into far more detail when writing the book, but I don't think that was the purpose of the book. I think that it is intended to be an introduction to strategic management, and it does a great job of doing that. It provides an easy to read format and attractive tables and diagrams. The strategy in action, opening, and closing cases provide a helpful real-world application of the material. I think that this is a great way to provide students with an overview of the material. I learned alot from the book and the class it was used for.

Comprehensive introduction to strategic management
An excellent introduction to strategic management. Very readable and flows exceptionally well. Diagrams a bit to basic, but easy on the reader. Clear and concise (no MBA jargon). A very exciting book. Case studies are American Bias, but readable by us Brit's. The first half of the book is excellent, but it loses direction towards the end. Includes, the strategic management process, stakeholders, the nature of competitive advantage, external analysis, internal analysis , business corporate and functional level strategies, building competitive advantage, implementing strategic change etc. Case studies are excellent and bring the book to life, they include Starbucks, Coral divers resort, Microsoft, KFC and many others.

If you have left your strategic management essay to the last miniute buy this book and work through it with company reports to write your esssay in under a Week - I did and recieved 85% (highest mark out of 40 students).

Good luck with the essays. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall....
Ruthless Execution

Ignore this book's somewhat overheated title and concentrate on Hartman's core concepts which he develops with meticulous care. He suggests a number of strategies and tactics by which business leaders can respond effectively when they encounter what Hartman calls the "rude awakening that occurs when a company has enjoyed consistently high-level performance, but comes up against some new factor: a downward turn in the economy, a lack of product innovation, growth that occurs too rapidly, a missed market opportunity, or as is most often the case, ineffective execution." Hartman organizes his material within five Parts which consist of a total of 12 individual chapters: Managing Through Tough Times, Leadership: Dealing with Rude Awakenings, How to Play the Game, Breaking Through the Wall, and What It All Means. The focus of Hartman's book is on "business reversals and the need to shepherd business leaders through those reversals because, quite frankly, corporations are passing through a new, more complex, more worrying age. The long and short of it is that it's far more difficult to be a successful business leader today than ever before."

The statistics support Hartman's last observation. In 2001, for example, 257 public companies (with a total of $258 billion in assets) declared bankruptcy. In 2002, another 67 did so. Go back even further to the 43 companies which Peters and Waterman quite properly praised in In Search of Excellence (1982). Most no longer qualify according to the criteria by which they were selected...and several do not exist at all. Scary? You bet.

In Chapter 8, Hartman offers a "Ruthless Execution Checklist" which can be of substantial value to all organizations, regardless of size or nature:

1. Do you have a cost and working capital management program that is driven through the business?

[NOTE: For small companies, the more appropriate question is "Is there a sound reason for the expenditure of each hour and each dollar?"]

2. Do you have a proactive and disciplined approach to identifying and assessing potential acquisitions and divestitures?

[NOTE: For small companies, the more appropriate question is "What should you add to what you now offer? What should you eliminate?"]

3. Do you regularly assess whether the corporate center is adding distinctive value to each business unit?

[NOTE: For small companies, the more appropriate question is "Does everything you do add value to each customer relationship?"]

4. Do you effectively and swiftly manage out non-performers?

[NOTE: Extensive research indicates that, on average, each mishire costs 24 times her or his annual salary. Hire slowly but fire FAST.]

Most organizations now face serious challenges. Many of those organizations will not survive. For their decision-makers, what to do? To his credit, Hartman does not propose a series of specific (one size fits all) answers to that question. Rather, in the final chapter, he includes a "Ruthless Execution Index" with instructions as to how to use it. It remains for each reader to provide correct responses to the 54 statements which comprise the "Index." Once this exercise has been completed, the far greater challenge -- obviously -- is to take appropriate action. Hartman can assist with that process. I also recommend a careful reading of Bossidy and Charan's Execution, Hammer's The Agenda, Collins' Good to Great, and Kaplan and Norton's The Strategy-Focused Organization.

Familiar stories, great execution strategies
What do you do if your company has been a high performer but then hits the wall? The economy may have slowed down, your product innovation has dropped off, growth has been too fast, or execution has been ineffective. According to Amir Hartman, what your company needs is ruthless execution (a term Hartman coined with John Sifonis while working with Hewlett-Packard). This consists of the method and strategies that Hartman's research suggests business leaders have employed to break through performance walls.

Ruthless execution consists of strategies organized into three categories: leadership, governance, and critical capabilities, each of which contains several practices. Hartman does not guarantee success in breaking through the wall if you use any of these strategies. But these approaches are common to those who have succeeded in the past and were used in the order presented in the book.

When troubled or uncertain times arrive, leaders typically but fruitlessly adopt either the "Run-and-Gun strategy" or the "Slash-and-Burn" strategy. According to Hartman, a third approach of ruthless execution works far better for most business leaders. In this book, he has no interest in identifying the major causes of companies hitting the wall. No matter what the cause it is an inability to focus and execute that is at the core of the problem.

By studying a diverse set of industries and companies of all sizes, using surveys, company documents, research reports, publicly available financial data (10-Ks), and interviews with key business leaders, Hartman believes he has discovered the practices used by those companies who succeeded in breaking through the wall. Much of the book consists of overviews of these efforts, many of them familiar to business readers, including Jack Welch's time at GE, Louis Gerstner's turnaround of IBM, Larry Bossidy's famous execution at Honeywell, along with Baxter, Novartis, and Cisco.

Ruthless execution proceeds through the stages of leadership, governance, and critical capabilities. The first part of the leadership aspect is strategic recalibration: the act of validating the direction and focus a company is going to take. This involves rearranging the portfolio of business initiatives (Hartman offers four rules for portfolio management), assessing how resources are allocated to initiatives, and setting a course while finding a healthy balance between performance and growth efforts.

After strategic recalibration, the second leadership practice is devising a business philosophy. Hartman prefers "business philosophy" to "organizational culture" because a culture may endure over generations but he is referring to the view that comes from the top and typically is identified with the CEO. He holds up Jack Welch as exemplifying the creation and promulgation of a business philosophy.

The second part of ruthless execution is governance. This consists of: Accountability - using a set of "alignment" strategies; Performance management system - using a small number of critical financial, strategic, and operating metrics (10 principles are offered); Discipline - communicating messages that are consistent, straightforward, and easily comprehended.

The final part of ruthless execution is critical capabilities: These are the specific actions that executives drive to break through the wall. They are the three critical skills and delivery capabilities with which business leaders need to be equipped: Productivity management - cost and working capital management, productivity management inc. technology-driven productivity improvement (which is aimed at optimizing, reconstructing, inventing and for which Hartman outlines six principles); Talent management - hiring the best talent and getting rid of underperformers; Focused corporate transactions - mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures.

The final chapter introduces a Ruthless Execution Index intended to help executives who want to understand where to improve their ruthless execution. While some executives will find much of the material familiar, the book gathers and organizes many aspects of the execution so vital to continuing and recapturing success.

Waste of money!
Ruthless Execution is a simplistic view of leadership 101 topics. If your company needs this to break through the wall, you have much deeper problems. It seems that Mr Hartman is trying to write to the uneducated or non-professional. Don't waste your money!

Practical and Insightful, a Must for Business Execs
Too often business books fall into one of two categories: 1) the kind that provides practical information but is lacking any kind of new insight, or, 2) the kind that's packed with new ideas but is painfully short on actionable info you can really put to use.

Ruthless Execution by Amir Hartman is that rarest of business books that delivers the best of both worlds: It's loaded with new ideas and fresh insights, yet throughout the author firmly grounds his working philosophy in practical tools and proven methodologies for getting the job done.

Let's face it: Even the best-managed companies hit a wall at some point. Ruthless Execution spells out a proven framework for swiftly analyzing your strategic options in a rigorous and thorough manner. As any veteran of the business world knows, strategic recalibration is a challenge that's easier said than done. This book explains how it's done.

Great stuff. Hugely helpful to any company that needs to take a good, hard analytical look at which initiatives they should nurture, and which they should kill in order to get back on track.

Are you Ruthless? A must read for all leaders!
Are you Ruthless? A must read for all business leaders!

This could not have come at a better time. Hartman clearly articulates the methods and strategies on how to recover after hitting performance walls. Ruthless Execution dives into this described methodology within each chapter developing itself into a comprehensive workplan for success.

As a former military officer, the major obstacles that I faced when entering the corporate world were the lack of focus, discipline and accountability within the corporate framework or organization. I applaud Hartman's approach to tackling these problems head on. As he states, leaders must be proactive, focused, disciplined and held personally accountable for all respective successes and/or failures.

These are just a few points that I will file into my business tool kit. Additional points to file will include Ruthless Execution Principles (leadership, governance, and critical capabilities), The Ruthless Execution Checklist, Case Studies and Interviews with some of the top business leaders (Jack Welch, John Chambers, and Lou Gerstner), and the Performance Portfolio Framework.

Special Note: For all military officers exiting the military, this is a must read.

Outstanding! ... Read more