Book Description

In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the company was on a watch list for extinction -- victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.

Enter Lou Gerstner. The presumption was that Gerstner had joined IBM to preside over its continued dissolution into a confederation of autonomous business units -- effectively eliminating the corporation that had invented many of the industry's most important technologies. Instead, Gerstner took hold of the company, making the bold decision to keep it together, defiantly announcing, "The last thing IBM needs right now is a vision."

Told in Lou Gerstner's own words, this is a story of an extraordinary turnaround, a case study in managing a crisis, and a thoughtful reflection on the computer industry and the principles of leadership. Summing up his historic business achievement, Gerstner recounts high-level meetings, explains the no-turning-back decisions that had to be made, and offers his hard-won conclusions about the essence of what makes a great company run.

Read by Edward Herrmann

Reviews (96)

Win, Execute, Team - He did it, He Tells It
A previous reader review suggested that Mr. Gerstner's was out of touch and if readers want the real story they should read Soldier of Fortune 500. Who better than Mr. Gerstner, the man responsible for turning IBM around to write about it? Who Say's Elephants Can Dance is wonderfully candid and well written (and by Mr. Gerstner himself, without the assistance of a ghost writer). I particularly liked the passages on "inspect versus expect," managing by principles vs. process, focus on core competency and impact of culture and how to change it. These can be applied to any company.

I am author of Soldier of Fortune 500. In fact, my book is very positive about Mr. Gerstner and what he did for IBM. I think the Gerstner book is brilliant and would recommend it to all. Rather than contradicting, my book echoes similar themes, albeit the employee view vs. CEO.

Steve Romaine
Author, Soldier of Fortune 500

Must reading for IT professionals and business strategists
Lou Gerstner has succeeded in writing a book which both provides valuable insights into the computer industry and the situation and success of IBM, as well as providing a roadmap for leaders seeking to effect strategic change in any industry. He reveals that IBM was close to running out of cash in 1993 before he stepped in and kicked out the investment bankers (later pilloried as greedy suppliers of the "hooch for all of the wild speculative periods in our economic history") who were preparing to sell of IBM, a national treasure, in pieces.

The book is easy to read, non-technical, and laced with interesting anecdotes.

Turning around IBM was one of the greatest business achievements of our time. I have worked much of my career in companies that competed against IBM and have known many ex-IBMers. All continue to have great respect for the people and the organization. There is no question that IBM had, and has, some of the best people in the world. Yet, they became unable to execute appropriate strategies quickly, losing much of their market share in the process.

Lou Gerstner rejuvenated the company, a task which is rarely permanently successful in the high technology world. Today, IBM still sells mainframes (much less expensive now, but an extension of the basic architecture introduced in 1964). And, that technology is still at the center of the IT organizations of many of our largest companies. Introduced later, but now long gone, are the Digital VAX, the Intel 8080, the Zilog Z80 and various computer architectures from the likes of Prime, Wang, Data General, etc. Most have been replaced by Unix or Windows.

We have Lou Gerstner to thank for saving IBM. As the book describes, he did it by focusing on the customer, eliminating useless bureaucratic processes, and, as a non-engineer, understanding the business implications of technology change better than most within IBM. But, it was execution, focus on cash flow and profits over revenues, and constant attention to detail in strategic planning and monitoring, together with communications and leadership which saved the day for IBM.

The title is interesting. Elizabeth Moss Kanter, a Harvard Business School Professor, wrote Teaching Elephants to Dance in 1989. Gerstner refers to some of her other works late in the book, but not this one, which appears to have provided the inspiration for the title of his book.

Worth your time and then some...
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? Inside IBM's Historic Turnaround by Louis V. Gerstner Jr. is insightful, entertaining, and full of valuable historical perspectives into the computer revolution. There are also many management approaches throughout the book that may seem like common sense to some of us, but clearly need to be re-evaluated by many mid and top-level executives. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and light-hearted details of the first part of the book; and found the second part of the book that detailed the major steps taken in restructuring to be equally compelling.

I definetly recommend this to anyone in the computer industry, anyone at an executive level of any company, and to those who just enjoy reading!

A big case study on renovation
The first part of the book is full of satire and is amusing. The rest four parts lack this satire and are a little bit boring.

The book not presents a case study of a company innovation but describes the history of IBM in nineties. For example, the author explains in detail why OS/2 was cancelled and why did they buy Lotus and didn't buy other companies.

It's very exciting to read how the CEO has diagnosed the problems of the company and which solutions did he find.

I would also recommend "Leading the Revolution" by Gary Hamel. It is a very serious examination on how companies innovate and why should they do it, with lots of remarkable examples. Gary Hamel uses plain friendly language.

The books of Chris Argyris about organizational learning are also about innovation. Although the language style is "academical", the books are interesting and somewhat unique.

Overall, good, but had a few problems
`Now before getting turned off from the stars, let me just say this: the rating reflects, for the most part, my personal connection to the book. The book itself, as well as the author, is very nice. The writing, and style of, is also nicely done. However, the writing may set you off if youfre a gslowh individual such as myself. Most authors, when writing about business, generally use the expression grepetition, repetition, repetition.h Gerstner on the other hand is very straightforward and`` doesnft repeat as much as other authors. Again, this is not bad; I however, donft care for it.

The subject matter is very well organized and easy to pick up, even in cases where you need to look up a quote. The first part, entitles gGrabbing Holdh mainly talks about the background to IBMfs problems and the effects. Part two, gStrategyh is well, self-explanatory. Part three, gCultureh talks about corporate culture inside and outside of IBM. Part four, another self-explanatory piece,`` is gLessons Learnedh. Lastly, you have the Appendices.

While reading this, I found that this was not all about IBM. A lot of it wasnft about large corporations at that. What I did notice was that a lot of saying, quotes, teachings and the such, could also be applied to other fields of life, both in and out of business. I use the comparison to gPoor Richardfs Almanach a lot, but it seems to fit and describes it quite well.

Again, this is not a bad book, not at all. Personally,` however, I had a few problems with the writing and such, but I do recommend it as a good read. ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring a new introduction, this classic by management's top guru forecasts the business trends of the next millennium. Peter Drucker's career as a business author spans 60 years, and centers around his three seminal management works: The Frontiers of Management, Managing for the Future, and Managing in a Time of Great Change.The Frontiers of Management is a clear, direct, lively, and comprehensible examination of global trends and management practices. There are chapters dealing with the world economy, hostile takeovers, and the unexpected problems of success. Jobs, younger people, and career gridlock are also covered. Most of all, the man The Wall Street Journal calls "the first of the analytical futurists and the first of the management philosophers" stresses the importance of forethought and of realizing that "change is opportunity" in every branch of executive decision-making. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An entrepreneurial teller of tales
An entrepreneur endows something with new wealth-making capacity.The majority of small businesses are incapable of innovation.There is entrpreneurial work and there is managerial work.

High tech is living in the nineteenth century.The great role for high tech is creating a climate for entrepreneurs.In Japan ther is still a cult of bigness.Entrepreneurship is not a romantic subject.It is hard work.

The two great economists of the twentieth century were Joseph A. Schumpeter and John Maynard Keynes.Both challenged long-standing assumptions.The two saw different economic realities.Schumpeter became one of the fathers of the business cycle theory.

Widow-makers, jobs that regularly defeat even good people, appear more often when a company grows or changes fast.The conventional organization of business was modeled after the military.That power follows property is one of the laws of politics.Another is that reponsibility follows power.

The Japanese have been Drucker's most avid readers.The purpose of business is to create customers and satisfy customers.Watson of IBM was a computer seer and social innovator.Watson was an autocrat, of course.Visionaries usually are.Intelligent monopolies cut their own prices before competitors do.

Crystal gaze by Drucker
Excellent book on Management.

A compilation of the papers on the contemporary trends and what they indicate for the future as seen by Drucker in the mid-eighties. This revised edition with only slight changes stands good for the economic realities of even today. That's precisely the speciality of this book.

The chapter on economy deals with the economy as seen differently by Keynes and Schumpeter, two contemporary economists of which the latter is not very well known. The concept of Dynamic disequilibrium is elaborated in an easily understandible manner. Also the concept of profit as to be the future cost and the ethical questions attached with profit making are clearly answered.

Cartel theory with relevance to the oil cartel and the developments leading up to the fall of the same is also dealt with.

Chapters on the relevance of unions and their changing role in today's industry, inevitability of automation, need for the rationalisaing the salaries and wages of the blue collar workers, chapters on IBM Tom watson, dependence of Japanese economy on US economy and the exim policies of the successive governments in US and their effect on the competitiveness of US exports all make an interesting read.

The macro perspective one gets after reading the book will enable you appreciate the relevance of the projections and caveats sounded by Drucker long before today's events(and those of the recent past) showed any signs of occurence at all.

A treasure of genius
Bookstall 99 stands in awe of this collection of expessions of management genius.For a great tool in understanding Drucker as the master of management in America, this is your book.Great reading no matter who you are or what you do.

Absolutely Superb!!!
Drucker took a lot of risks predicting the inevitable decline of commodityprices, as well as the current East Asian/Japanese financial difficulties,when this book was first published in the mid-1980's. More importantly hedetails the reasoning behind his predictions. Drucker once againdemonstrates with this book why he is the Godfather of all management"gurus"!! ... Read more

Book Description

2 cassettes / 3 hours
Read by Leigh Steinberg

"There really is a Jerry Maguire. Only he's not some schlumpf struggling to make it on a wing and a prayer like Tom Cruise in the movie. . . . His name is Leigh Steinberg, and he's been cultivating a choirboy image for twenty years. He also happens to be the pre-eminent sports agent of our time."

--San Francisco Examiner Magazine

"This is a book about the process of negotiation. Which means that this is a book about life."

Leigh Steinberg is the premier agent in sports. He has negotiated over $2 billion in contracts for the athletes he represents--who include Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Drew Bledsoe, Kordell Stewart, and Warren Moon--but he has also spent twenty--four years as a sports agent living by a strict personal and professional code of ethics. Steinberg's philosophy of ethical dealings and responsibility is well known in the sports world--and well known to moviegoers as well, because Steinberg's way of doing business was a model for Cameron Crowe's wildly successful film Jerry Maguire and the "manifesto" of business ethics that was the premise of the film.

Steinberg has always believed that negotiation is about more than the bottom line: the most successful business dealings are not always the ones that pay the most; they are about balance, perspective, objectivity, and values. A success in business must also be a success in one's own life. And in his book, Steinberg shares the secrets of successful negotiation, breaking the process down into the essential steps, from "Orientation" through "Making the Deal," and giving step-by-step practical and inspirational advice that will get any two people or parties, in any situation, to come to terms.

Full of great inside sports stories and characters, Winning with Integrity is an intelligent, insightful, and inspiring guide to the art of negotiation in business and in life--from the most successful businessman in sports.

"It's fashionable now, after the movie, for a lot of agents to talk about heart, but Leigh was the only one talking like that in 1993, when I began research."

--Cameron Crowe, director of Jerry Maguire
... Read more

Reviews (18)

Sound principles from a master negociator
It's been said that if you want to learn how to be succesful, you go and talk to a person who is successful. In the area of negociation, few parallel what Leigh Steinberg has accomplished.

I dissagree completely with anyone who says this is an autobiography. Steinberg uses the lost art of storytelling to convey his principles, that's all. But I suppose if you prefer textbook, "gimme just the facts" sort of reading, you'd be disssapointed. Instead of slapping you across the face and saying, "Do this, and do that," Steinberg offers examples from his own life's experience. And, frankly, I'd rather learn from his experiences than from someone less successful.

The priciples are simple, yes. The best principles always are. But who practices them perfectly? I noticed flaws in my negociation abilities as I read this book, and I have made some changes for the better because of it.

...zzzzzz
Winning with Integrity is a great self help guide for the Jerry Maguire to be. The author helps the reader to realize that it is all in negotiating. Whether it is how successful you are in life to life in general if you cannot negotiates well, you'll go nowhere.
Even though the author does seem a bit self absorbed the reader is able to see how negotiating well will help you get ahead. Leigh Steinberg has negotiated more than 1 billion dollars in contracts for the athletes he represents famous athletes such as, Troy Aikman and Kordell Stewart he also spent 24 years as a sports agent living by his own strict moral rules. Mostly everyone in the "sports world" knows of Steinberg and they follow his moral standards. He was the inspiration for the film Jerry Maguire, "SSHHHOOOWWW MMEEEEE TTHHHEEEE MMMOOONNNEEEYYYY!!!!!''

Disappointing.
This book is pretty much a joke. There are some useful points on negotiating, but by and large the author goes out of his way to pat himself on the back for his career success. Obviously Leigh Steinberg has plenty of lessons to teach aspiring negotiators, agents, etc., but a more even approach--i.e. listing actually conflicts or problems (as opposed to those that amazingly Leigh resolved through sheer brilliance and perseverance)--would have made for much better reading.

Want to learn about negotiation with sports world examples?
For a recently college graduate and moderate sports world observer with little experience negotiating in a business environment, this book was a pleasure to read. The concepts in this book are on or above par with my textbook on negotiation. However, I specifically enjoyed how Steinberg illustrates important concepts with stories involving the ever interesting personalities of professional sports. From establishing values to finalizing the contract, this book is efficiently organized to lead through the negotiation process. Also, at the end of each sub-chapter is a summary of the key points of the reading. Winning with integrity isn't easy in general, let alone in the ruthless world of sports agents. Leigh shares his experiences that have lead to his success in this fun and insightful book.

Awesome Framework for Negotiating!
I found this book to be a real treasure and entertaining at the same time. And best of all, you don't need to be a sports fan to appreciate the examples Steinberg uses.

It is a shame that some readers have found this book shallow and only written to brag about his exploits. They are missing the real point of the book and the positive outcomes that can happen from true negotiating, not just getting what you want. If you are looking for a book on 'How to be Persuasive and Always get What you Want', this is not your book.

Rather, it helped me build a solid mental foundation and framework when I enter negotiations. Also, you need to have the right attitude when you enter negotiations. This book will help you.

There are some remarkable examples that provided me with some real insights on perceptions. It opened my eyes that the world I see is not what everyone else sees. With his examples, I began to see how that applies to the business world as well.

I own a company that provides HR and OD consulting and I get emails EVERY day about hostile work environments. In many cases I refer them to this book to make sure their perception of the problem is on track with the problematic person.

If you are looking at this book for ANY reason, I suggest you buy it. Also, because of all the famous people involved in the negotiations, it was an easy read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Communications will never be the same
This is not the first time I have turned to Andrea's works many a time to find new ways to present ideas and thoughts that I was just unable to get across.She has helped build many communication bridges where only the rawmaterials had previously existed.Being a trainer myself, I am verycritical of those who boast to know the skills the Peter's and Blanchardhave tried to present to the business world, yet here is one woman who notonly knows the skills but exceeds them.

Anrea's material is current, andfocuses on problems in today's business world, not the world of the"good old boys" or "glass ceiling companies" andalthough I usually shy away from anything that is either racially, orgender specific (because it indicates that the race or gender might beinferier to others) this is one item, I won't have a problem keeping in ourManagment Training Library.

An excellent addition to any book/tapecollection you currently have. ... Read more

Book Description

Why do all modern managers do the same bizarre things? Are these methods taught in business schools? Do managers learn by watching more experienced managers? Is it the result of mentoring?

None of the above!

Every manager learns from the same source: Dogbert's Top Secret Management Handbook. This valuable management handbook teaches new managers how to transform themselves from bitter and bewildered "little people" into fully functioning, paradigm-spewing management zombies.

In this indispensable guide, Dogbert reveals the many vital skills needed by managers in their daily lives, including:

The power of verbal instructions-sound like a boss whilemaintaining complete deniability!

Empty promises of promotion-enjoy all the motivational benefits with none of the costs!

Pretending to care-learn to hear without listening!

Company newsletter-communicate without the risk of conveying information!

Competition-experience the joy of setting your people against one another!

Decision making-be a leader without making any decisions!

Incentives-inspire employees by giving them worthless knick-knacks!

Remember: Leadership isn't something you're born with. It's something you learn by listening to Dogbert tapes.

A world-class consultant and bestselling author, Dogbert has spent much of his life giving advice to gullible people with disposable incomes. His brain has many more crevices than yours, so you'd better do what he says. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

The ULTIMATE manager handbook!
As a former manager this book hits it right on the head! Although it's listed as a 'comedy' book, everything you read is exactly how it is in real life which makes it even more funny!

We have Scott Adams years of experience in corporate America that helped him (and of course Dogbert) fine tune just how managers think...if that is even possible!

The book is hilarious and you'll enjoy reading it as well as the comic strips that relate to each section of the book! A *must* have for any future manager or those who try in vain to understand them!

It doesn't get any better than this!
Scott Adams is a genius, as we all know. What I didn't know is that he could best himself. After reading "The Dilbert Principle" and saying "Right on!" to myself a lot, then reading this book, I find even more enjoyment in Dogbert's handbook. Dogbert is more brutally to the point without frills and direct than much of what was in "The DIlbert Principle." TDP is too serious. DTSMH is a more comfortable read. I love the parts about motivating employees and how management continually seeks to avoid compensating employees and providing empty rewards and trying to make them appear great and sought after. How true! How long do they think a donkey will chase a cardboard carrot anyway?? My only criticism of both books is the repetition of strips within each book. I'll be the first to admit my greed in wanting as much Dilbert as possible

A True Classic
This is a great book. Adams does a wonderful job of capturing Dogbert's arrogance and some common themes in hi-tech management.

Oh, the beauty of good management principles!
I love this book! I oversee 10 department managers, who supervise another 120 or so more employees. I keep this book under my desk for reference when I need a hint on what to do. Tomorrow I think I will spring an employee evaluation on someone! A reorganization of a department might be in order soon too. This book will help you keep the balls you're juggling in the air (toss them off to your secretary). Helpful strategies like pretending to care and stuff like that. I hope none of my employees read this review.

Logic is futile
That's from the text. It almost sounds like something from
the Borg, doesn't it? There's a lot of other scary quotes
in this book. Scary because they're all true. I won't tell you what they are. You'll just have to buy Scott Adams' book. In my not-so-humble opinion, he's tight on the money with everything he says about management, most of whom appear to have been
promoted far beyond their level of competence. If you want
to laugh at the morons who are your bosses, Adams is the
guy who'll push your laugh-button. ... Read more

Book Description

This audiocassette is the next best thing to having a private session with Tama. Jam-packed with information and inspiration, she reveals how to stay focused on what you really want, how to get clear about what you want, and how to stay true to a path with no lines and no limits. This talk will entertain you, enrich you, and inspire you to action. Every creative person needs to hear this! ... Read more

Book Description

Technology Has Limits.Supply Chain Synthesis Has No Boundaries.

So your company has jumped on the e-business train, and youre confident that the opportunities offered by technology are endless. But technology is limited, and your B2B and B2C strategies will only succeed if you understand and implement Supply Chain Synthesis (SCS).

With SCS, there are new rules, no limits and no links. James A. Tompkins, Ph.D., a leading business consultant and speaker, asserts that SCS goes beyond Supply Chain Management (SCM) because it is a continuous improvement process of ensuring customer satisfaction from the original raw material provider to the ultimate, finished-product consumer.More simply put, SCS is the real B2B because it is conducting business with No Boundaries.

No Boundaries: Moving Beyond Supply Chain Management is the latest book from Tompkins, the president and founder of Tompkins Associates, Inc., an internationally recognized consulting firm specializing in Total Operations.

In this evolving age of e-, Fortune 500 companies seek the assistance of Tompkins in transforming their supply chains and business practices. Find out how to boost your customer satisfaction, strengthen your supply chain and rise to the top!Peppered with examples from Jims wealth of experience, No Boundaries is the book for any organization that wants to excel in B2B. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Sounds good, but "where's the beef"?
As a professional in the area of Supply Chain Management (SCM), I was initially excited about reading the book.It appeared as though it was going to finally address some of the problems that SCM has run into in implementation.

The author does identify some real shortcomings in the SCM literature/practice.These extensions will primarily be useful to those companies who have begun implementing, in earnest, SCM.

Unfortunately, there are many problems with the book that become apparent under a thorough review...

Once started, it quickly became obvious that many of the criticisms about SCM are, more accurately, criticisms about the way SCM is implemented in the real world.Most of the Supply Chain Synthesis (SCS) concepts are from the SCM literature.However, those concepts do not seem to make it into practice in SCM.(It should be noted that the authors SCS DOES provide some extension to the SCM concept, though the extension is not as much as the author would like the reader to believe.)

However, to get some "benefit" out of the book, the reader often has to apply their own experience and interpretation.Once the reader begins to do this, then the book appears to provide some content.However, if you view the book from the perspective of someone who either doesn't know anything about SCM/SCS or is looking for solutions to Supply Chain problems, you quickly realize that there is little real substance.

In addition, the author tends to gloss over problems that organizations, who are trying to participate in the Supply Chain, run into.From stockholders/stakeholders who have concerns that are not necessarily conducive to SCS to saying things like "the company simply has to use good practices to solve their problems and good practices is what SCS is all about".The author does not detail what these "good practices" are and ignores the fact that if it were as easy to do as say, managers would not have a need to read books like this one.

The book also contains many excessive "buzzwords" and generalizations, and the author frequently uses "buzz" words and topics in the book without expanding on HOW they INTEGRATE into his SCS concept.

Finally, there are some inaccuracies in some of the ideas the author tries to integrate (especially with regards to the Theory of Constraints).Another notable problem is that the author frequently contradicts himself.The author spends much time describing the "ideal", but almost NO time describing how to achieve that ideal.

I almost had the feeling it was an advertisement for his consulting practice... "If you like the sound of the ideal and want to learn how to actually achieve it, then call us."I also thought it was interesting that Dr. Tompkins uses his own publishing company rather than getting published through a mainstream publisher in this genre such as Sage, McMillan, Irwin, etc.

The Big Picture
Some of our current Board members are not from backgrounds that allow them to easily understand the changes occurring in supply chains, and Jim Tompkins' book has helped bring them into the 21st Century.

John C. Lucy, III, CEO Pallet Management Systems

Supply chain
The over all book is running commentary of a lecture presented to SCM group. Jim has tried to add new horizon to supply chain management with "synthesis". The book is okay for general SCS(supply chain synthesis), but not have any detail architecture. Good for student, but Jim needs to emphasis on detail architecture and what should be done to achieve synthesis of complete SC.

A fairly general overview
The book gives a very high-level overview of SCM. There is a lot of jargonbut it is an ideal starting point for understanding the concept of Supplychain management. Some of the chapters, especially the ones documenting thedifferences between SC Management and SC Synthesis, are well written. Notof much use for Supply chain professionals.

Supply Chain (Something) SCS
This book is well worth the short time it will take to read. For me as a Dane I did it in two days. James A. Tompkins uses very good examples to explain the difference between Supply Chain Management (SCM) and his ideaSupply Chain Synthesis (SCS).It provides a good overview of SCS, and asconsultant in Supply Chain (Something) and e-business I agree that SCM andthe existing ERP-system do not solve the problem in the future. "NoBoundaries" tells in an easy form, what is missing and I like the cleardefinition and explanation of the 8 core competencies of SCS. IT is a bookI highly recommend procurement pros. A lot of them will probably not agree(yet) but I think (or hope) they will think. There is no "business asusual" anymore. We are still missing a system solution to the problem andthe book does not give the answer either. This is the only missing link inthe chain, and the only reason why I do not give the highest rank. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Because finding the ideal person for every workplace position has become an increasingly difficult task, the retention of top employees has become every manager's concern. Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, by organizational-development specialists Beverly L. Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans, proposes that this "race for talent" can be effectively run only by those who adopt programs and policies that truly support their personnel. It then shows how to do so, even in organizations reluctant to participate actively.

Kaye and Jordan-Evans encourage an initial scan of their 26 alphabetically arranged chapters--such as "Information: Share It," "Mentor: Be One," and "Space: Give It"--so attention can be fully focused on the most relevant benefits and responsibilities associated with employee retention. All are bolstered with hands-on exercises and stories of others' failures and successes. The section on family-friendly conduct, for example, suggests uncovering specifics by directly asking employees what would make their lives easier. Resultant needs can be met, it continues, by allowing staffers to bring children to the office on occasion, assisting anyone who must line up care for an aging parent, giving weekday comp time to those who travel on weekends, etc. It also explains how Deloitte & Touche and DuPont addressed these issues. Any manager who dreads losing a top performer would do well to consider this book. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Guaranteed Resource!
Beverly and Sharon have written the book that's sure to stay on your desktop for the next few years. This practical, clever, and oh so useful book is chockfull of ideas to help you win the talent war. LOVE 'EM OR LOSE 'EM provides you with the toolkit you need to retain your talented workforce. You will return to it again and again looking for just the right tool-and you will find it. Guaranteed! I have shared this book with a dozen clients and expect to share it with dozens more. Thank you for investing so much of yourselves in a book that is sure to be a hit with managers everywhere.

Beverly Kaye Does It Again
Beverly Kaye Does It Again! Her classic book is back, updated, and still and always the single best book ever written on the subject of employee retention and engagement.

Truly outstanding work!

Wow, is this ever timely!
All I keep hearing about is this new talent war ... people want to leave their jobs, they're not giving their effort, the boomers are leaving, the X'ers aren't staying.In the meantime, businesses are starting to pick up and it's obvious we're not going to have the right people available to do what's needed.So out comes this book ... makes sense?What's even better is it's simple.There's tons of to-do's and tips to keep people.If we don't start doing these common sense things, we don't stand a chance.Thanks Bev and Sharon for a great update, just in the nick of time!

Love 'Em indeed!
All I can say is I wish I'd found this book early on in my career as a manager!Every manager today should have this book on their desk and make it as interactive in their every day lives as a day planner!Your employees will LOVE YOU!

A good read
Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans organize this book in an easy to read fashion. Kaye and Evans encourage bosses to communicate effectively with their workers. They stress the importance of having meetings and getting feedback from key employees.This is an excellent book, and it never hurts to mentor good employees.I highly recommend this book, along with "He Never Called Again", and "Good Grief." ... Read more

Book Description

In Birth of the Chaordic Age, Dee Hock argues that traditional organizational forms can no longer work because organizations have become too complex. Hock advocates a new organizational form that he calls "chaordic" - simultaneously chaotic and orderly. He credits the worldwide success of VISA to its chaordic structure: It is owned by its member banks, which both compete with each other for customers and cooperate by honoring one another's transactions across borders and currencies. The book shows how these same chaordic concepts are now being put into practice in a broad range of business, social, community, and government organizations. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A book that will change our world. A must read!!!!
Sorry, but is not a another book on how to make more money in business. This book is a must read for all. It changed my life. Dee Hock is a true visionary and leader for the new millennium. Certainly everyone who feels that there must be a better way to approach the myriad of problems our world is experiencing will delight at the liberating possibilities that Hock presents here. Please read it and know that there is a path to bring our collective societal behavior into harmony with our values by employing the very organizing principles that are found throughout nature. I deeply thank Dee Hock for having the courage and perseverance it took to bring this message to the world.

The Right Stuff for Maximum Human Progress
If you are interested in the best way for people to work together in organizations, you must read Dee Hock's account of the founding and development of Visa. His thinking has played a key role for those who are trying to apply chaos and complexity theory to organizations, and to seminal thinkers like Peter Senge and Arie de Geus. Now, you can read the simple, humble thoughts that can turn ordinary people into extraodinary combinations of effectiveness. I loved the aphorisms interspaced through the book and the down-to-earth way that Dee Hock shared his experiences and thoughts. Think of this as the opposite of Chainsaw Al, and with greater results. Anyone who wants to move beyond the command and control culture that tends to dominate in most organizations should read Dee Hock's account of Chaordic Organizations in the new Chaordic Age. If you liked The Fifth Discipline, The Dance of Change, or The Living Company, this is must reading for you.

Stick to the article.
Like many others, I bought this book because of the outstanding article written about Dee Hock in one of the first issues of "Fast Company." So I waited...and waited...and waited for Hock to come out with this long-planned volume (replete with many publishing delays).

The result. Yeech. I couldn't stomach more than 10 pages or so. In the future, let's keep the writing to others writing *about* Mr. Hock. This book reads like someone who's been cooped up in the study a bit too long. In the original article, there was an exciting thesis about creating organizations in which power was pushed away from the center. And Visa, Hock's brainchild, was a brilliant manifestation of that principle.

But the book is about...ummmm, what? "Old Monkey Mind" musings? Who can follow these meanderings? Readers of the article are bound to be disappointed. At least we get a little insight as to why the author is no longer at Visa. Tough to imagine that a man with this sort of obvious brilliance could function trying to run the nuts-and-bolts of an increasingly static (and less chaordic) organization.

A Must Read Book
The Birth of the Chaordic Age is the most exciting and hope filled secular book I've read in my 80 years of political life.

Lack of response
I cannot review this book which I purchased simply because even though my credit card has been debited I have not received the merchandise of my last and first shipment. I have been repeatedly trying to tell you are using the wrong postal address but cannot seem to get through. You are so automated but took no provision for cases like this one.

Hellooooooooooooo! ... Read more

Reviews (124)

I'M IMPRESSED!
Suze Orman definitely knows her stuff. When it comes to financial awareness, I have slept through 40 years, and made countless mistakes, as have untold millions of Americans. I completely agree with Suze when she states that it truly does take "Courage to Be Rich". It requires planning, budgeting, understanding, and total willingness to change from living from paycheck to paycheck, wondering when everything's going to get better. But, it won't get better, unless you and I make a change, and improve our lives. The middle of this book got a little dry when it got into the meat of the issue, eg. stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, Roth IRAs, etc., however, she explained those various investments very well. I'm just beginning to make up for a lot of wasted time, and this book was very enlightening to me. If any other books explain the subject as good or better than this one, please let me know. One inherent problem with a book like this is that after a few years some of the concepts will have changed, but the basics will always apply.

DEVELOP THE COURAGE, MOVE YOUR STALLS ASIDE!
This latest book by Suze Orman continues her wonderful advice combining how to feel positive about making and collecting lots of money with simple "how to" investment advice about things like the common mortgage and retirement plan. This book is especially good for people who have unique problems and need basic financial advice. Her greatest contribution is to make people realize that on an emotional level, it is okay to want to be rich and her exercises help us develop THE COURAGE TO BE RICH. It is not as easy as it sounds. The psychological side of us keeps putting up "stalls" to succeeding. We need to ask ourselves some tough questions to deal with how we feel, what needs to be done and to develop solutions that make us and everyone else better off. I recommend THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION if you are interested in identifying your own "stalls" and want to start asking some of the tough questions. You will start to succeed in many new ways and at a much faster rate. Read both books to become so much more effective and develop the courage to accept the good things that come your way.

Another winner by Suze!
When it comes to personal finance, no one is better than Suze Orman.

This book goes a lot deeper into personal finance tha her previous books.

Highly recommended.

A very, very, very good book. Thanks Suze
I have read several other books by female financial authors. And found those 1,000 page fluff filled books about as useful for financial knowledge as a used piece of toilet paper.

Suze is the best. She is passionate about personal finance and goes beyond just offering financial advice. Not just marketing, although her books and other products certaintly outsell that NY female magazine writer by about 1000 to 1. Suze's books sell only because she has something to say.

The Courage To Be Rich is by far one of Suze's best works to date. She really get's down and deep into the mental aspects of money and why your attitude directly affects your financial situation.

Some of what Suze writes here is similiar to 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, Suze's best book in my opinion and I like The Courage To Be Rich better than The Road to Wealth which is also excellent and probably appeals more to those analytical types who enjoy that NY female writer with the 1,000 page book full of fluff. The Road to wealth, is not fluff...it is powerful information.

None the less, I still like The Courage To Be Rich even better. More hard hitting. More results oriented.

Great book Suze. We love ya!

The Courage To Be Rich
I found this book very annoying. I wanted a financial help book and got a religious discussion of everything. I do wish that business and religion could be kept separate. If I wanted religion I would look for a religious book. She would be more helpful if she kept to the financial facts and let the reader deal with their own spirituality. I am sorry I wasted money on it. ... Read more

Book Description

"Success is defined by a continuing desire to be the person God called you to be and to achieve those goals that God helps you to set," says Charles Stanley. In Success God's Way, Stanley teaches God's principles for success, including ten steps to help you reach God's goals in your life, and what to do about the seven success blockers that entangle believers. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

God is the only path to real success
What a terrific book. Dr. Stanley points out that the only way to truly be successful is to follow the Lord's plan for you. Pray. Ask the Lord what He wants you do. Pray for the strength and courage to do it. Listen. Follow. They are simple guidelines to being successful. Success is not always measured by wealth and material things. Those are nice and all, but without the Lord, it's like trying to "buy love"; it just doesn't work.

Dr. Stanley relates certain experience to Scripture in ways that truly reinforce the messages.

I am actually going to go back and re-read the part on goals. I will set mine with the Lord's guidance, for maximum success potential.

I am a Christian, but not a Baptist. Dr. Stanley writes his book not on Baptist ideals but on true Christian ideals---right from the Bible. I am actually looking at purchasing some of his other books for additional spiritual knowledge and growth.

I will be giving this book as a Christmas gift to my brothers and sisters!

Positive Thinking...God's Way!
Dr. Stanley's book came at a perfect time for me. We are a "Self-help" world now. With several books published on positive thinking, etc....someone has finally addressed positive thinking from the Christian perspective. This book outlines "how-to's" to become a success, but shows you how these principles are not anything new. They are God's "how-to's." I would recommend this book to anyone. This is one of those few applicable books you will ever purchase.

There is nothing "watery or cotton-candy" about this book. Nothing but solid biblical truths! Dr. Stanley shows you how to plug your dream into God's scheme!

Excellent Antidote to the World's Way of Achieving Success!
Once again, Stanley has written a down-to-earth book with practical advice. The Lord's definition and way of success radically differs from the world, and Stanley encourages us to focus on how precious we really are to God.

Among the many excellent points Stanley offers are:

1. God's ways are different from the world's ways.
2. Principles of goal-setting.
3. Ask God for guidance and leadership when goal-setting.
4. Keys to good time management.
5. Time wasters to avoid.
6. Keys for successful believing.
7. Principles about persistence.
8. Trust God to order your steps and arrange the details of your life!

Again, these are just a few of the many excellent topics covered in the book. Highly recommended and is an excellent supplement to the Bible!

Reinforces God's Plan for each One of Us
I really enjoyed this book! It was more of a devotional book than anything else, touching on the principles of reaching true happiness, success, and evils such as greed and being negative. Success God's Way reminded me that in order to have true success one has to put God first and everything else will fall into place. I have now adapted one of the techniques that Dr. Stanley stated in the ladder part of his book, which is prioritize the initiatives and goals that you want to accomplish for the next day on a flash card before you go to bed and then put it in your pocket throughout the whole day. It is amazing how much more one can stay on task. The true examination I believe that this book illustrates is are one's goals Godly purposed goals striving to go along with God's plan, or are they individualized goals that do not fit in God's initiative, which makes their purpose lost and unmeaningful? Definately read Success God's Way!!!!!

Biblical Perspective on Success
I really enjoyed Dr. Stanley's book about success. In it he gives a biblical perspective about success, and how to achieve it. I like the fact that he uses many different examples of success from the Bible, and tells you how to apply these lessons to your own life. This book has really made me take a hard look at my life, and the goals I have set for myself.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a Christian perspective on success. Having said that, unlike others reviewers, this is not the best "how-to" success book that I have read. The Success Journey by John Maxwell provides better "tools" and "methods" for how to set goals, and achieve success. But Maxwell's book lacks a Christian perspective on the subject. Therefore, I recommend that those readers looking for books to help you plan your course along the pathway to success, look into both books, John Maxwell's and Dr. Stanley's. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the most powerful forces in business today is the positive psychology movement -- overcoming self-defeating attitudes and developing our talents and positive traits. Much of the new thinking stems directly from the concepts in Norman Vincent Peale's classic bestseller, The Power of Positive Thinking, which has sold over 22 million copies.

After years of extensive research with the Peale Center and major corporations nationwide, Scott Ventrella has adapted these concepts to form a systematic program for people in business so that they can achieve greater levels of personal and professional performance. This audiobook provides a practical way for each of us to actually develop and strengthen the ten traits of a positive thinker.

The Power of Positive Thinking in Business encourages businesspeople at all levels, disciplines, and functions within an organization to concentrate on objective, rational thinking instead of self-limiting beliefs and negative self-talk. The result is an increased ability to deal effectively with tough situations and difficult people, in both business environments and personal lives. Together, rational thinking and the ten traits of a positive thinker can turn defeatist behavior into productive actions that will overcome the toughest of challenges with powerful, positive results. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Written as an antidote to gossip
Scott Ventrella's The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business: 10 Traits For Maximum Results was written as an antidote to the gossip, griping, and negative impediments to team effort that undermines productivity and costs U.S. companies about three billion dollars a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When the bottom line suffers from negative thinking, so do all the countless individuals who depend upon the business in question. The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is a careful, easy to understand guide to adopting a healthy, optimistic attitude for positive action, as well as successful payoffs. From stimulating creativity to fostering an environment of trust, The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is an excellent reference for increasing workplace productivity, and ultimately, saving a great deal of money.

A Helpful Update and Application of Dr. Peale to Business
The Power of Positive Thinking is one of the best selling volumes of all time. In this book, Professor Ventrella has taken Norman Vincent Peale's work and applied it successfully to business. The principles are consistent wih Dr. Peale's original, the examples will be meaningful to most business people, and the book can readily be applied to diagnose the reader's key issues and improve. I found the book easy to read, even easier to use, and insightful. Anyone who wants to apply the principles of positive thinking to business should read and use the material in this book.

Undoubtedly, one of the reasons the book is successful is because it had the support of the Peale Center. In fact, the foreword is an endorsement of the book from Ms. Ruth Stafford Peale.

The book puts the concept of positive thinking very effectively in context. "[Over] 95 percent of the time, people list internal factors as . . . why people fail to reach their full [business] potential . . . ." These are "attitude" issues like "fear," "low self-esteem," "lack of confidence," and having "no clear goals." Also external factors like "lack," "loss," and "limitations" are also controlled by internal perceptions.

The line that really hit me was that "most people start their jobs with a positive, hopeful outlook." This means the "challenge for managers is to create an environment that constantly reinforces and nurtures positive attitudes."

The book provides a road map for applying its concepts to any situation. You start with (1) define the situation (both in terms of business issue and the emotional gravity), (2) then determine what you are telling yourself, (3) determine your desired outcome (goals, affirmation, and visualization), (4) access your positive traits, (5) rehearse the situation mentally, (6) take action, and (7) assess the results of your actions. This is nicely summarized in the end as a Professional Challenge Worksheet.

The book has a very involved definition of what positive thinking is. I won't try to paraphrase or quote it. The main point is that positive thinking is much more than optimism, and is practially tied to a process for producing results.

The book is well grounded in psychological studies of human behavior. In this section, I was particularly impressed with the list of self-limiting beliefs that almost everyone has. These are tied to self-denigration, intolerance, frustration, and blaming others.

The ten traits are as follows: optimism, enthusiasm, belief, integrity, courage, confidence, determination, patience, calmness, and focus. There is a quiz to help you determine where you are strong and where you need work. Each trait then gets detailed treatment, along with suggestions for how to strengthen yourself appropriately in each area. I found the quiz to be helpful and perceptive.

The book is also well grounded in sports metaphors and stories that will be meaningful to many.

I should share that despite having read many books about affirmations and taken many courses in them, I fail to find them to be very useful when I practice them. Research shows that affirmations can be powerful motivators of the subconscious mind if said with emotional conviction. Maybe that's my problem, because I certainly find it hard to locate affirmations that excite me. I hope you find affirmations more helpful than I do.

You can also take the lessons of this book and simplify them into the perspective of the fiction character, Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. He believed that there was always a solution, and always found one. If you treat your business that way, it can be an adventure rather than an overwhelming burden. Difficulties and setbacks then just become the setting in which to allow you to be more heroic and achieve more.

After you read this book, you should take five business problems that hold the full potential for helping you make breakthrough gains and use this process on them. You have nothing to lose except your pessimism!

Prepare for and live in hopeful expectation of your next business success! Then you will be irresistible!

Positive Thinking AND Action Oriented Approach to Success.
In less than 200 pages, Scott W. Ventrella tries to incoporate the principles behind the Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale into the business world. This original work (Power of Positive Thinking) was translated into forty-two languages and sold over 22 million copies. So, it was inevitable that someone was going to leverage the popularity of this concept and ressurect it. Sure enough, the author Scott W. Ventrella has written this new book as it applies to the business world in cooperation with the Peale Center.

The old concept had come under massive attack in the last decade or so by more recent self-help gurus for its undue amount of focus on positive thinking and not enough on taking action (or how and what kind of action to take). The current book as applicable to modern day business world doesn't make that mistake. There is heavy focus on taking action. This book isn't something you just read through and put away, it is a book that you have to work through and probably refer to several times over the next few years.

The title caught my attention because my very first self-help book was the original 'Power of Positive Thinking' by Norman Vincent Peale. It had given me a lot of motivation to overcome obstacles and achieve a lot of success in life. Of course, even then I recognized that it wasn't enough to think positively. Hence I continued my search for a good self-help book and found 'The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence' by Robert Anthony. In that book, the author explores deep into why we are where we are today. It traces everything back to your belief system embedded in your sub-conscious brain and how it manifests itself in your conscious actions during everyday life. These principles of how your belief systems ultimately affect your position in life are absolutely true and will never change. Ventrella combines these two and makes both sets of principles very action oriented. The book gives you a lot of things to do by yourself that will result in success.

This book in combination with other good self-help books (for both business and personal life) should drastically set your path in life towards that of success in business. But one has to really WORK through this book. It is not like the original book by Norman Vincent Peale where you got motivated by just reading the book.

Overall, I felt it was a book worthy of being in my business library collection. It does not provide any paradigm shifting ideas, but instead repackages old theories for today's audience. It does so very effectively and hence it is worthwhile to read and re-read this book till you are satisfied with the business results you are getting. I have already started taking massive action based on these ideas and I am confident that I will see the results. I hope you do too. Good luck!

An excellent reference for increasing productivity
Scott Ventrella's The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business: 10 Traits For Maximum Results was written as an antidote to the gossip, griping, and negative impediments to team effort that undermines productivity and costs U.S. companies about three billion dollars a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When the bottom line suffers from negative thinking, so do all the countless individuals who depend upon the business in question. The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is a careful, easy-to-understand guide to adopting a healthy, optimistic attitude for positive action and successful payoffs. From stimulating creativity to fostering an environment of trust, The Power Of Positive Thinking In Business is an excellent reference for increasing workplace productivity, and ultimately, saving a great deal of money.

The Power of Positive Thinking is too weak.
I am an organizational psychologist, and I have been reviewing a lot of bibliography about positive thinking, optimism, depression and related concepts. The very apealing title of Ventrella's book moved me to read it, but I dindn't find what I expected to find. From my point of view, this book by Scott Ventrella has three importantan weaknesses and one strength. First, it adds nothing new or different from the original book by Norman Vincent Peale "The Power of Positive Thinking"; second, during the reading I felt, many times, like I was hearing a preacher and not a man from bussines administration arena; third, in spite of the etimologic analisys of key words used to nominate the 10 traits, Ventrella has a very low conceptual precision. He makes some reference to some cognitive psychologists, like Ellis and Seligman, but the book is far from having a suond psychological foundation. The only strength I found in this book is the style to write: Ventrella has a light, entertaining way of writing. The stories and anecdotes he tells in his book make it easy and nice to read it. Books like this, that attempt to show the efficacy of an approach only based in some "succesfull" cases, without empirical support are not very usefull for changing nothing. From the time of the first edition of the Vincent Peale's book, a lot of literature has been published in the same line. If the subject (to be positive)was so simply and easy as this books say, we couldn't explain why depression continues growing up in the world. I think we need instead a better diffussion of more scientific solid demonstrated concepts and technics to really help people. ... Read more

Download Description

The new economics of information is blowing apart the foundations of traditional business strategy. According to Blown to Bits, your business definition, industry definition, and competitive advantage are simultaneously up for grabs. Evans and Wurster argue that with the spread of connectivity and common standards, your customers will increasingly have rich access to a universe of alternatives, your suppliers will exploit direct access to your customers, and focused competitors will pick off the most profitable parts of your value chain. With an uncompromising clarity and vivid examples, Blown to Bits is targeted squarely at today's practicing business and corporate leaders. This groundbreaking book shows how to build new strategies that reflect the new economics of information, and explains how to take advantage of the forces shaping today's competitive advantage. ... Read more

Reviews (64)

Good discussion of eCommerce Dynamics
Blown to bits provides a good review of the fundamental issue in eCommerce, what are you going to be when you go virtual. The premise, that you compete on reach or richeness, provides a way of distinguishing the various paths through eC as well as the impact of eCommerce on business models and market structures. Overall, the book is worth the read, however, the authors rely too heavily on the richness/reach framework so it shows some wear-n-tear latter on in the book. This is a strategy/economics type work, so if you are looking for implementation guidance this is not the book for you. If you are looking for something that will help explain what eCommerce may be doing to your company and markets its as good as anything out there and better than most.

Interesting Insight into the New Economics of Information
Richness or reach? The trade-off used to be simple but absolute: your business strategy either could be focus on "rich" information-customized products and services tailored to a niche audience-or could reach out to a larger market, but with watered-down information that sacrificed richness in favour of a broad, general appeal. Much of business strategy as we know it today rests on this fundamental dilemma.

Now, say Evans and Wurster, the new economics of information is eliminating the trade off between richness and reach, blowing apart the foundations of traditional business strategy. Blown to Bits reveals how the spread of connectivity and common standards is redefining the information channels that link businesses with their customers, suppliers, and employees. Increasingly, your customers will have rich access to a universe of alternatives, your suppliers will exploit direct access to your customers, and your competitors will pick off the most profitable parts of your value chain. Your competitive advantage is up for grabs.

To prepare corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike for a fundamental change in business competition, Evans and Wurster expand and illuminate groundbreaking concepts first explored in their award-winning Harvard Business Review article "Strategy and the New Economics of Information", and present a practical guide for applying them.

Examples span the spectrum of industries-from financial services to health care, from consumer to industrial goods, and from media to retailing. Blown to Bits shows how to build new strategies that reflect a world in which richness and reach go hand in hand and how to make the most of the new forces shaping competitive advantage.

Philip Evans is a Senior Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group. Thomas S. Wurster is a Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group in Los Angeles. The authors are co-leaders of The Boston Consulting Group's Media and Convergence Practice.

Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan is currently Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management from the Westminster Business School in London.

Internet Hype
The authors must be embarrassed. But they are probably too busy on their next bogus book full of more mananagement consulting buzzspeak and claptrap.
"Blown to Bits"?--perhaps they were referring to the bursting of the Internet bubble??

Blown to Bits
BLOWN TO BITS
How the new Economics of Information transforms Strategy
Authored by Philip Evans & Thomas S. Wurster

By Mike Jones
Management Information Systems
05/27/03

This book is about how the new age of technology dealing with the way information has changed the business environment forever. It starts out with the example of Encyclopedia Britanica and how they were leaders in their field in the late eighties and early nineties. Though they were very pricey the sales force targeted families with young children and the parents had to have this source of valuable information for their children. Sales were very high and there was no competition for the Encyclopedia icon. Everything was great until the computer age took hold and all of a sudden you could get that same information on a little round disk known as a CD-ROM for a fraction of the cost. That disk was even being given away with the purchase of a microcomputer that people could use for other things as well. This goes to show us that even the strongest business can be blind sided when they least expect it. Moral to be learned here is that "even the most venerable can be the most vulnerable".
All businesses are information businesses and the information is the main glue that holds any business together. The business of information is different than the business of things. When something is sold, the seller no longer owns it but when a piece of information is sold, the seller still has access to that information and can sell it again. Although the two are different they are still very much linked together as all things consist of some kind of information.
One of the most fundamental issues of the information business in the beginning was the dilemma of Richness and Reach. It was nearly impossible to have both Richness and Reach in information but the rise of the computer industry and the Internet has changed that forever. There are six aspects that come into play when talking about Richness of information and they are Bandwidth, interactivity, reliability, security, currency and the degree to which the information can be customized. This has all changed with the computer. This change is melting the informational glue, as we know it. It "deconstructs" value chains, supply chains, franchises and organizations. The definition of deconstruction is the reformulation of traditional business structures. The newspaper industry and retail banking is just a couple of businesses that have been deconstructed. You used to have to go to the bank to do your banking and newspapers were either delivered or you had to go get them. Now both can be done via the personal computer at nearly no cost and in a fraction of the time. Deconstruction does a lot of damage at first and hits where a company can least afford it and if a company is willing to accept the change it can make it through tough times.
Intermediaries exist because of the trade off between richness and reach. The deconstruction of the old intermediaries is known as disinter mediation and the creation of the new intermediaries is known as navigation. Disinter mediation used to be about substituting reach for richness but now it is about transforming them both. This will happen where a company can least afford it. The new navigators compete against each other on richness, reach and affiliation. The key is reach but reach is clutter without navigation. We need navigation to find what we want. Navigators are not consumer oriented even though consumers use them. They are supplier oriented because the supplier needs to get their product to the consumer. Reach has developed faster than navigation but we are slowly catching up.
Navigators affiliate mostly with suppliers but are starting to lean toward affiliating themselves with the consumer. This is surprising that this is only happening now and hasn't happened in the past. Navigation is worth more than the supplier business due to the need for navigation because without navigation the products and services would not get to the consumer.
Adding richness is the most powerful way to put off deconstruction due to the fact that if your giving people what they want you will stay in business. You need to be giving them something they don't already have which makes the consumer your biggest competitor. Richness goes up as reach increases. As richness and reach escalate so does the competitive advantage and intensity at all levels of the supply chain.
In closing I would like to say one thing and that is business has changed forever with the desktop workstations and microcomputers and the Internet. People are touching out to one another unlike they have ever done before. Networks are connected to networks all over the world. A message can get across the globe with the touch of a keyboard. Business is ever changing and will continue to change for a long time to come. We will either keep up and make the changes necessary or we will be left behind and fail. As it said in the book "The winner is not the player who understands the endgame. There is no endgame. The winner is the player who sees just one or two moves further ahead than the competitors".

How information economy is going to blow your business?
It is common sense to say that industrial age businesses will have to change to enter in the new Information economy, but the reasons to change are not often clearly explained. Philip Evans and Thomas S. Wurster are giving some sound answers in their book: "Blown to Bits".

In fact industrial age businesses are historically built on two compromises: Information bound with things and a trade-off between richness and reach. Information is embedded in things to reach through physical channels the final consumer, who have some difficulties to get complete unbiased information on things he buys. On the other hand, physical constraints and costs are creating a need to find balance between richness (depth and detail of information) and reach (access and connection). A salesman is able to bring richness to chosen customers when advertising is reaching more people with less richness in information. The management of Information non-transparency and asymmetry is often the base for a competitive advantage.

What is happening if Information can travel separately from things and if it is possible to offer richness and reach at a same time? In that case the industrial age compromises are blowing up and competitive advantages based on asymmetric Information are disappearing putting many businesses in danger. This is what is happening with the development of computers networks using common standards to communicate in the Internet world where geography and time constraints are disappearing. Information can be unbundled from things and richness, at zero marginal cost, can be supplied with extended reach. The competition battlefield is moving from profitable cross-linked activities constituting a typical industrial age organization to individual profitable activities: "blown to bits." To compete there is no need to attack on all fronts for destabilizing a traditional company. Just concentrate on the more profitable activities-classified ads for newspapers, best customers for banks-makes it possible to "deconstruct" a business. Offering richness and reach together-deeper information on a larger range of products than retailers-makes it is possible to "desintermediate".

It's real hard time for traditional organizations, which have no other alternative than to "deconstruct" and "desintermediate" themselves their own business, before somebody else is doing it. But this task is not easy against the "navigators" as Yahoo!, Intuit, but also Amazon. These one are helping consumers to find their way in the Internet marketspace. They supply reach, richness and create a link with consumers by affiliation. They concentrate more on consumers' needs than on suppliers' one and have the objective to gain a critical mass giving them an added value. Traditional companies, often too closed to their physical offer, have lower reach than "navigators" and have difficulties to gain affiliation from customers who are suspecting them to promote their own products before liberating an impartial Information. However, they can build on a slight advantage in product richness, when products are changing rapidly.

To really compete, traditional companies need to go out from their own boundaries, and collaborate with their suppliers, but also with their competitors when needed. Supply chains and organizations are "deconstructed" as value chains are. Hierarchically leadership becomes obsolete to give place to a new leade