Book Description

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

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

Reviews (101)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (1)

Delivery Time
I purchased this book and paid extra for expedited shipping two weeks prior to when I was meant to use the book. Apparently it was supposed to take 3 - 5 business days to be shipped. I waited and even contacted the post office just to be informed that the book is still enroute and MAY BE arriving the morning when I was supposed to use it. All the seller gave me was a tracking number which did not help much. Now I am not even sure if I will be able to use the textbook based on the fact that I needed to get some pre-assignments done before heading to my seminar. I am so disappointed and feel cheated that I had to pay for expedited shipping and did not receive the service I paid for. Maybe instead of shipping via USPS you ought to think about UPS as I had never experienced a problem with them. Or it may only be this particulat seller. ... Read more

Book Description

Manager's Toolkit: The 13 Skills Managers Need to Succeed

Zeroing in on the specific skills that make great managers stand out from the pack, this comprehensive guide is both an essential primer for new managers and a valuable resource for seasoned executives. From hiring and retaining good people to motivating and developing team members, from understanding key financial statements to delegating work effectively, and from setting goals for others to managing your own career, this actionable guide walks readers through every aspect of managing in a complex business world. Filled with practical tools and tips, this essential toolkit will help managers to stay at the top of their game.

The Harvard Business Essentials series is for managers at all levels but is especially relevant for new managers. It offers on-the-spot guidance, coaching, and tools on the most relevant topics in business. Each book includes the critical information that managers need on a given topic-from budgeting to hiring to communication to strategy-and offers interactive tools and worksheets that translate advice into action. Providing ready answers to day-to-day issues, these guides make sound, trusted mentoring advice available whenever managers need it. ... Read more

Book Description

Over 2 million copies sold!Used by thousands of companies and hundreds of business schools!Required reading for anyone interested in the Theory of Constraints.This book, which introduces the Theory of Constraints, is changing how America does business.The Goal is a gripping, fast-paced business novel about overcoming the barriers to making money.You will learn the fundamentals of identifying and solving the problems created by constraints.From the moment you finish the book you will be able to start successfully addressing chronic productivity and quality problems. ... Read more

Reviews (189)

Informative and Entertaining
Told in first person in the form of an entertaining novel, Goldratt's "The Goal" is a popular book that explores ideas valuable to managing numerous business situations. We are placed into the life of plant manager Alex Rogo as he faces an immediate production crisis and the threat of plant closure. During a business trip, he has a chance encounter with manufacturing guru Jonah.

Rogo's dialogue with this teacher as he wrestles with his own plant and it's manufacturing problems serves up a rich body of material that requires no background in manufacturing or assembly line processes. It remains interesting even as inventory management, assembly throughput, and bottleneck analyses take place in his quest to keep his plant in business. The use of a hiking trip to discuss fluctuations and dependencies as a scout troop progresses through the woods is superb, making "Herbie" a recognized name among many manufacturers. The book also provides a valuable illustration of the importance and impact of "choosing what to measure," that is, which numbers (production data) one should track to determine the effectiveness of an operation.

Reading "The Goal" is well worth the time for anyone managing a business. Its principles are far-reaching and applicable in a wide variety of situations. Given its popularity, you can pretty much bet that your competitors have read it.

The Goal: Book of Plenty or Plenty of Book?
The main objective of the text is to present Goldratt's theory of constraints. The story is meant to present what would otherwise be a boring and dry text in an easy to read, interesting format. As stated in "Here today, wrong tomorrow" by Daniel Butler, many of these types of books are not even opened, much less read. Goldratt actually adds a compelling story, making the book much more palatable, and also better showcasing the natural flow of the theory of constraints. The story is also inspirational, as it details a man who saves his factory and his marriage at once, as well as the moment when he took a six-pack on the hill to overlook his town trying to sort his thoughts. Those real details make Alex much easier to identify with, and make the book a much more interesting read. The inter-office politics and the scout trip are also two really good areas of the book just for the entertainment value. The late night escapades with co-workers are also mildly fun to read, but I especially liked the way that Goldratt hinted at Alex developing feelings for a co-worker before getting back with his wife. A plot twist like that is far more than I expected from the book by simply looking it. I would recommend this book to any students interested in learning about the fundamentals of the theory of constraints or managerial accounting in general. The fluidity of the book (I read it in about 2 days, a shockingly fast rate of page turns for an assigned book) and the general principles behind the book make it a good choice for an introduction to accounting, or at least far better than a textbook. I would also recommend this book to a manager just because knowledge is power. The theories prescribed in this book may or may not work for an individual corporation, but it is at least worth a read because the said manager's company could really benefit from implementing such a system. If the company would not benefit from it, the manager still read a pretty good book.

I stopped ready after 33 pgs. & found reviews and summaries
The concept is good. But the marriage details that surround it were TOO MUCH. The points could have been given in overview format and much more concisely stated.

I got tired of this fast, because I don't have time to read it all. I read about 2 books a weeks, but not when I have to sit through a bunch of boring details.

Intead, I like the setup of "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits." The first chapter was designed for executives who won't spend the time reading the whole thing, but instead want an overview to quickly grasp the point of the book. These busy readers are then instructed to find the chapters that they are interested in and read up as needed. I recommend reading the whole book, "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits" but I like the option to read or just review!

Unfortunately, I didn't have this option with "The Goal."

Easy read, but tends to drag at end
Straight forward & easy to follow reading. The Theory Of Constraints portion was a bit dumbed down and a the romance thread was a little tiresome, but all in all it was a decent read. The last 50 pages are a complete bore...just kept dragging along so I suggest you close the book once you think the hero has saved the town - you won't miss a thing.

The Best Introduction to Operation Management
"Common sense is not so common." -- Voltaire

The beauty of this work is that it is able to distill complex but dry operational management issues and transform them into easy to follow conceptual framework that is both enlightening and entertaining. The solutions to the problems are stated in plain language that appear almost like common sense, but "common sense is not so common."

This book is a must-read for operation consultants, VCs, and restructuring artists. ... Read more

Book Description

Small Business Management has been the best-selling small business management text for more than three decades, helping to guide generations of readers into the ranks of business owners and entrepreneurs.The authors' diverse academic backgrounds in management, marketing and finance bring a balanced approach to covering all aspects of starting and running a small business.Adopters praise the text edition after edition for its timely coverage, enjoyable and practical presentation, interesting examples, and its wealth of additional resources. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

It's... OK.
The presentation of this book is excellent; It holds the reader's interest quite well. However, despite a recent "update", it shows it's age when the author regularly goes off on dot-com tangents, bringing the internet up in contexts that I believe the last few years have proven are not viable. Good grief, ppl. This isn't freaking 1997! We need a business text, not the wet dreams of a bunch of computer geeks turned businessmen! Anyways, if you are looking for a text with a lot of depth, look elsewhere. This book is to business textbooks what Quickbooks(c)(R)(TM) is to accounting software. In short, don't waste your money, unless you need it for a class. If so, be happy. If your prof teaches out of this, your tests will be very easy.

Very Good book for small businesses
It is good and it has a lot of tips to be succesfull in your business. It is easy to read and understand and it has many web sites addreses.

Good cases, nice layout but slanted towards SBM positively.
The cases are very good & a nice change of pace from the usual dry textbook reading. The color layout helps direct the reader towards points of interest and it is broken up into sections that are extremely readable. There is a definite slant toward the positive side of Small Business entrepreneuralship-not much is mentioned on the negative aspects. ... Read more

Book Description

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

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

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

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

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

Reviews (19)

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

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

Terry Pearce,

Author, Leading Out Loud

Co-author, Clicks and Mortar

President, Leadership Communication

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

Comprehensive Introduction to Manufacturing Management text covering the behavior laws at work in factories. Examines operating policies and strategic objectives. Hopp presents the concepts of manufacturing processes and controls within a "physics" or "laws of nature" analogy--a novel approach.There is enough quantitative material for an engineer's course, as well as narrative that a management major can understand and apply. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Wonderful, in-depth book for Ops Engineers.
This was a required text for my Production and Mgmt course during my undergrad studies as an Industrial and Ops Engineer at the U of Michigan in 2000. Priot to taking the course, I had very little knowledge of how ops research/optiimization tied in with real world settings. Lucky for me, the course was taught by an wonderful, demanding professor who unfortunately had to leave and now is at the U of Cinnatti. Anyway, I was able to gain tremendous understanding of how statistics, queueing theories, game thoeries, and factory mgmt all got tied into one. It was this book that tied all the pieces together and push me forward toward my career path. I continue to use this book as reference and interesting reads in my continued involvement in the Supply Chain areas and optimization areas in the tech industry. This book WILL build a firm foundation for anyone who gives an effort and has an interest in the subject. What you do with the knowledge, is up to you in the future, since many of these concepts take time and experience to apply in the real world.

One of 2 best books for both academia and practitioner
Hopp and Spearman wrote the classic issues, manufacturing system, in elegant format. The fundamental of manufacturing systems is deliberately compiled in a single textbook. If you like Askin and Standridge book (1994), you will love this book as well. One thing that forbids me to put 5 stars is this book doesn't have the "material flow/facilities design" issue, which I believe it is the foundation of manufacturing management too. I thought the facilities planning would be included in 2nd edition- but nope :( May be in 3rd edition... maybe... :(

When science and manufacturing management finally meet !!!
This book is a reference in Manufacturing Management. All the basic and complex tools of manufacturing are explained and the historical context of their creation is introduced. More interesting is the global understanding of manufacturing issues and the explanations to go beyond the principles of "zero defect", "zero inventory", ... I learned a lot.

Great reference book for the manufacturing professional
As a supply chain consultant, oftentimes the quality of my work is directly impacted by the reference aids in my own personal library. "Factory Physics" is such a reference aid that has my work has benefitted from several times.

The book covers all of the traditional manufacturing topics you would expect in sufficient detail: inventory control, JIT, production scheduling, capacity planning, shop floor control, etc. But given that you can buy any number of other suitable, standard P&IC textbooks on these topics, that's not where the value is.

The value in "Factory Physics" lies in the unique content which presents manufacturing management in a "scientific" context. For example, there are chapters on 'Basic Factory Dynamics,' 'Variability Basics,' and 'The Corrupting Influence on Variability.' These chapters demonstrate how manufacturing managers and engineers can move away from the rule-of-thumb, heuristics-based approach to operations planning and control (which is so often is either a guessing game or not based on empirical data) to a more formal, rule- and data-driven approach.

For example, I have been in many factories where management had only a SWAG approach to modeling equipment reliabilities, cycle times and throughput volumes, which drive queues and thus impact shop floor inventory. This book gives you the tools to properly understand these dynamics, if these are important issues to you.

The content in the book on the corrupting influence of variability is a welcome harkening back to the ideas of Edward Deming, who consistently preached about the damage that variation can do when introduced into stable production environments. In my opinion, this is another example of the unique and rare content offered by "Factory Physics."

Other value-adding content includes discussions sprinkled throughout the book on the fallacies and disadvantages of age-old planning and control methodologies, such as MRP or EOQ. In a world where 99% of textbooks believe their only duty to the reader is to simply present laundry lists of all the planning techniques known to humankind, these critical commentaries are a breath of fresh air.

I don't recommend this book lightly, or to individuals who are only loosely associated with operations planning and control positions. Rather, I highly, highly recommend it to serious, mature manufacturing professionals who are not timid of higher level mathematics, statistics and probability theory. If not, the reader would probably not be able to realize the true value of the book and it would go unused.

A former client of mine, who was nice guy but a novice when it came to manufacturing issues, asked me if he should buy "Factory Physics" for his own use. My response to him was this: "If you wanted to learn more about physics you probably wouldn't order reprints of papers by Einstein, Hawking, Bohr, etc. You would go and buy something like 'Physics for Dummies' and start there. I suggest you do the same for manufacturing content."

It depends on what are you expecting to learn
This definetely is a good book, the language and the examples used are very illustrative and the content shows that the authors are very experienced and know what they are talking about. However, I believe that this book should not be used as an introduction to production planning and control, this is more something to read after some introduction to those techniques has been acquired, and you are seeking to sharpen your ability to use them. They offer good buy few, very few examples, and the questions and proposed exercises in the back do not have answers. Not good for an introductory class on the subject, a must for those who have already some knowledge about the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume reflects the dynamic environment inhabited by today's marketers, helping readers understand the marketplace and the impact of technology on making strategic marketing decisions. Its modern, integrated presentation and strategy-based approach covers critical, fundamental topics required to succeed in professional work.Subjects include marketing philosophy and strategy such as market research, customer behavior and market structure, and marketing decision-making and analysis, including product decisions, advertising strategy, pricing and customer relationship management.For marketing professionals, product and brand managers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent book from an excellent practitioner/professor
This book was one of the readings in the core marketing class I took 2 years ago (the author was the professor). The class was excellent, and the book is too, especially its integration of a strategic perspective throughout the entire book.

I have referred to it many, many times over the past couple years. Of course, if you're already a marketing expert, this book may be too basic for you. For anyone else, I'd definitely say it's worth the price.

Marketing Management, 1/e, Winer
This book gives the overview of integrate of the market and how it works in our business. It reflects the dynamic and changing market, which is impacting and changed by the technology. Today, market participants is also inhabiting the market. Through this book, I can understand the changing marketplace and know how to make strategic marketing decisions. This text is a good guideline to the professionals and its analysis is modern and arrurate, which sparks me much. ... Read more

Book Description

From the former F-15 fighter pilot and CEO of one of
Inc.'s 500 fastest-growing companies: a
hard-hitting primer on performance excellence
in the workplace -- military style

According to former U.S. Air Force pilot-turned-management guru James D. Murphy, businesses need to take a lesson from the American military's fighter pilots. While F-15s, F-16s, and F/A-18s are the ultimate aerial combat machines, they are entirely dependent on the men and women who fly and maintain them. At Mach 2, the instrument panel is screaming out information, the horizon is a blur, the wingman is occupied, the pilot's busy, the jet is hanging on the edge -- and yet fighter pilots routinely handle the stress. It's not much different in today's fast-paced, unforgiving world of business. One slipup and the company is bankrupt before the employees know what hit them.

What works on the squadron level for F-15 pilots will also work for your marketing team, sales force, or research and development group. By analyzing the work environment and attacking its centers of gravity in parallel, you'll begin to utilize the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief-Win cycle that makes up Flawless Execution. The result will make a rapid impact on your business's future success. Developed over the course of nearly fifty years, the rigorous practice of Flawless Execution has helped U.S. fighter squadrons reduce their mistake rate, cut casualties and losses of equipment, and rack up an envious victory record. Through Afterburner's multimedia seminars conducted by "Murph" and his fellow pilots-turned-businesspeople, businesses have benefited by adopting the techniques, systems and strategies of America's Top Guns. Now, with Flawless Execution, you can too.

Reviews (2)

Pray this guy is never your competitor
Frank, practical advice with a no nonsense approach...just like you'd expect from guys that operate in a space where coming in second isn't an option.

This is a no BS look at how to improve any organization's ability to kick the competition's butt. You won't find "theoretical" discussions from a group of "academics." No charts and graphs. No fancy formulas. Just dozens of ideas that anyone with a desire to improve can implement. The "debrief" section and advice Murph provides has literally changed the way we operate in our company.

Read it...and you'll understand why the USAF is the best in the world. More importantly, you'll see how their training methods can make you better.I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Best Business Book I've Read!!!!
Just finished Business School and I think Flawless Execution should have been required reading! It gave me a clear path to connect my big picture strategy (both professional and personal) to things I can work on everyday. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and will make sure it is a part of every organization I work with in the future. ... Read more

Book Description

In this revolutionary bestseller, Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen says outstanding companies can do everything right and still lose their market leadership, or worse, disappear completely. And he not only proves what he says, he tells others how to avoid a similar fate.

Focusing on "disruptive technology" of the Honda Supercub, Intel's 8088 processor, and the hydraulic excavator, Christensen shows why most companies miss "the next great wave." Whether in electronics or retailing, a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know when to abandon traditional business practices. Using the lessons of successes and failures from leading companies, The Innovator's Dilemma presents a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation.

Reviews (125)

Great Book About Business Strategies, Must Read for Managers
Comment: This review is done as a class project for the San Jose State University MBA e-commerce course by Ji Luo.

Dr. Christensen's book offered me a fresh perspective into looking at how large established business failed. As the author explained it, the standard process that governs sound management could be the same one that destroys the company. I found his use of graphics and quantities data sufficient as well as very useful in understand concepts such as the S-curve and the value networks. The detailed analysis shows that the author has done quite a bit of research into the topic and that makes the data more credible to me. His writing style is very easy to understand and organized. First few chapters go into how disruptive technology can destroy a company if not harnessed. His later chapters list guidelines on how to avoid the pitfalls. These guidelines are followed thoroughly by many case studies and quotes from industry leaders. While company's policies shouldn't be based on a few guidelines and the situations in a person's particular industry may find the guidelines hard to follow, the author's particular views are irrefutable and should at least be considered by the managers. It's really exciting to see him link the same principles to so many varying industries from high tech to low tech. The overarching principle of sustaining technology and disruptive technology and how a company should embrace it could be applied to any large established industry.

People who are interested in the business world should read this book and should especially be read by top managers in large corporation because many of them are ultimately responsible for success or failure of implementing disruptive technology. However, this is not a perfect book. I am a bit skeptical as to whether these rules apply to medium sized companies or companies with low margins. Therefore, my opinion is that the guidelines listed here really only applies to large organization with a lot of resources to divide. Also, The author sometimes repeat his points more than he should. He tends to concentrate so much on the hard disk drive industry that he left less room to get into deeper analysis into other industries.

Overall, I think this is a great read for anyone interested in business and wondered about how large companies such as Montgomery Wards could go belly-up or why Digital Corporation disappeared from our vocabulary.

A "must own" for managers and business executives
This is the best book on strategy I have ever read (and I've read a few in my time). In his book, "The Innovator's Dilemma", Clayton M. Christensen, business professor at Harvard, explains why established firms fail, more often than none, when confronted with disruptive technologies.

Disruptive technology is different from radical innovation. Such technology initially proposes attributes that are not valued by current, mainstream customers. The technology is initially attractive to a small market segment -- making it unattractive for larger firms. Therefore lies the innovator's dillema: how to allocate resources to developing a technology that will target a smaller market and at lower margins.

Thoughout his book, Mr. Christensen develops a framework for managers and executives (also valid and valuable for consultants and analysts) to be able to resolve this dillema.

If you are to read only one book on business this year, the Innovator's Dillema should be it.

The reviewer is a certified management consultant and earned his MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and completed the Wharton School Multinational Marketing and Management Program. He is also a Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering from the University of Toronto.

Good introduction to a nice Theory
Not quite as easy to read as I would have liked. Christensen describes some very interesting & plausible theories, but is somewhat confined into employing the computer disk industry as the rapidly changing example which both demonstrates & proves his theories, and its not necessarily the most exciting case material. Other products only get a minor look-in.

What I did like is how he covers the footnotes at the end of each Chapter - so if they don't interest you, you can skip over them, but if they do interest you, then you don't have to struggle to the back of the book. I wish more authors & publishers would use that technique.

One quibble - given his Economics background - of course there are plenty of graphs, and 99% of them are straight lines - there are no time dependent variances in his world.

Read this before you read the Innovators Solution.

Driven by disks
Clay Christensen combines the science of empirical research with the art of organizational behavior in his best-selling "The Innovator's Dilemma." The book provides tangible advice on how to foster innovation within a corporate environment. His case studies draw from the successes and failures of American companies within numerous industries (disk drives, excavators, motorcycles, software). Christensen's strong points include a creative presentation of data, lucid writing and frank admission that the advice in his book is not a one-size-fits-all panacea for management challenges. But a heads-up to readers: perhaps 50% of the book centers on the disk-drive manufacturing industry. Although the lessons learned in hard drives are interesting, a more balanced approach would have been welcome. "The Innovators Dilemma" is a well written management how-to, in the same league as classics by Peters or Hammer. The book seems to be written for managers in large organizations, but entrepreneurs will probably find the material just as beneficial.

Fantastic book for anyone . . . especially business students
This was a fantastic book. I began reading it less than half way through the MBA program I am in and I was amazed at how many of the arguments others were making in class fell apart. This book helped me better analyze several aspects of many of my classes and I only wish I would have read it sooner.

I continued on and read the Innovator's Solution, and while I thought it was also a good book, I got much more out of the Innovator's Dilemma, though I still recommend both of them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I don't understand why not a review for this book here...
Now I am working for a financing related field where I am handling "capital budgeting", "corporate or project valuation" and "project finance". When I went to college, the Brigham
was the famous and reputable textbook but I didn't know why.
But while working in the real world, I have recognized that the book is very very helpful for reconfirming my finance knowledge as well as understanding any areas I didn't grasp in the past.
For beginners, I would like to strongly recommend "abridged edition" which is very brief but covering almost all significant financial topics, NEVERTHELESS, it is very understandable. I think it's the first MUST-READ for finance-major students. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Worth the time
This book is an excellenct introduction for those who just need to 'catch up' with eveyone else talking Six Sigma. It is an easy-read, well-written synopsis of Six Sigma and Six Sigma implementation. It is not an indepth look at statisitcs, SPC or implementation--there are plenty of books out there for that, several by the same author, but it is a very helpful book that I will keep in my library and have already worn the cover by lending it to colleagues.

Six Sigma Overview
If you are looking for a book to take you from no knowledge of Six Sigma to a very elementary level of knowledge, this could be useful. I found myself feeling like I was reading a company brochure for Six Sigma that was too long. The book falls into a middle ground of not having enough information to be useful in implementing Six Sigma yet might have too much for the average person.
I originally thought this would be a great book to give to people that congratulate me on being a Six Sigma Black Belt, that they once took Karate but never got that far, to understand Six Sigma. After thinking about the level of knowledge of many people regarding basic statistics I think as simple as this book is it may be over the general person's comfort level. I'm afraid it might cause people to shut down from feeling overwhelmed. If they have basic statistical skills, they should have no problem understanding this though.
Maybe the book is perfect for people being asked to participate in Six Sigma initiatives or working with a company that is implementing Six Sigma. I would be uncomfortable giving this to somebody with no Six Sigma knowledge and not being available to discuss it with them, hold their hand through it. If you have a real interest in Six Sigma, pick up one of the "heavier" books, including The Six Sigma Way by the same author. You can skim through it and get this same information. If you want more information it will be there, no need to buy another book.

Interesting, But Apparently Not Sufficiently Persuasive
This book circulated at my company while decisions were being made as to what management consultant vehicle to pursue. I thought it was quite interesting, and was ready to seek the training, become a black belt and so forth -- but our firm decided to go with Three Rho, because it's twice as efficient for half the price. Such is life. Rho Rho Rho.

All The 6 Sigma Basics and Just the Basics
Of the Six Sigma books I've read, this is the one I'd recommend most highly. It will give you the basic "tools" of Six Sigma in a compact, useable form. I feel that this would be an excellent text for corporate training on Six Sigma, certainly for an introductory course.

A quick read of the reviews on Amazon will give you a feel for why people are skeptical of 6 Sigma: the feel-good tone of most writing on 6 Sigma and the insistence that it "is not a flavor-of-the-month management trend" make many of us suspect that 6 Sigma is not much more than hollow jargon and acronyms.

Lets accept that these criticisms are valid and further that many "practitioners" are just self-aggrandizing or worse. But that still leaves us with the essential difficulties of positive change in any organization: you need to overcome assumptions that your organization's subculture may not even realize it has. What a corporation does by accepting Six Sigma is that it empowers people to gather data to challenge what "everybody knows". Most importantly, it sets a very high quality standard, which reinforces the sanctioning of data-driven change.

The authors of "What is Six Sigma" put it very well early on: "proactive management means making habits out of what are, too often, neglected business practices: defining ambitious goals and reviewing them frequently, setting clear priorities, focusing on problem prevention rather than firefighting, and questioning why we do things instead of blindly defending them."

I feel that the greatest flaw in Six Sigma is that many practitioners and even the books permit the basics to be lost in the shuffle. If one listens to people talk about Six Sigma, its easy to forget that a critical part of Six Sigma is that the data comes first, not the solution. I often hear co-workers say "we need to finish this project to improve our six sigmas" or "if we could get rid of this server we'll all get our green belts".

The term Six Sigma is derived from statistics and many books gloss over the statistics and move right on to basic project management techniques or how to overcome objections to Six Sigma. This book gives a clear and brief explanation of how to calculate standard deviations and includes a handy table to help with determine "sigma levels". Every Six Sigma book should respond to the challenge raised by this book and also include this information in the first 10 pages.

Finally, I recommend this book because it is concise and to-the-point. I feel that the fluff and/or Machiavellian advice in many of the other books just feed into people's healthy skepticism and distract people from the beauty of Six Sigma: the challenge to strive for near-perfect quality and the sanction to use statistics to cut through the inertia in our work lives.

I would also recommend Michael Lewis' "Moneyball" (ISBN 0393057658) as a companion book. Lewis (author of "Liar's Poker") uses Wall Street trading as an analogy to explain why the Oakland As baseball team is one of the successful teams with much less money than most. But I also see an analogy relevant to the topic of Six Sigma. "Moneyball" shows how one can achieve superior results by testing what everyone thinks they know with fact gathering and rigorous analyses. Moneyball and "What is Six Sigma" may prove to be an inspiring combination.

Perfect Company Primer
This short but insightful guide is the perfect reading assignment prior to a Six Sigma implementation. The book provides a brief overview of what Six Sigma is, who does what and how the most successful companies have implemented Six Sigma using the DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyze, Input, and Control)
If you are thinking of implementing Six Sigma. Keep this little book on your desk or in your back pocket for immediate reference. We use a copy at my office to gain an organizational understanding of Six Sigma. In the future we will implement Six Sigma, using some of the basic principles outlined here. ... Read more

Book Description

* An updated edition of the bestselling book on managing IT projects
* New topics introduced in this edition include Adaptive and eXtreme management methods, team selection and management, and risk analysis
* Immerses readers in a simulated real-world situation where they must perform as seasoned project managers to move example projects through their lifecycles
* Walks readers through a series of projects that they are most likely to encounter on the job
* Authors adhere to the Project Management Institute's (PMI) curriculum outline
* The fully-interactive CD-ROM has been updated for MS Project 2002 ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Practical book
I find this book very practical. Project Management is a field where there are many concepts with dependencies on one another. The authors have managed to explain these concepts in a flow that is smooth and easy to understand, and yet with not too many words, i.e. clear and concise words. It surely gives a good foundation to someone who is learning Project Management.

Excellent, yet succinct
An excellent book on management of IT projects. The author discusses three different kinds of project management: Traditional, Adaptive and Extreme. The book is worth the purchase price for just the discussion on the Traditional project management method. The material about "Adaptive" and "Extreme" variations are icing on the cake.

What I like about this book is that the author effectively acknowledges the shortcomings of traditional project management and does not harp on its dogma. The material on adaptive project management offers a way out for those projects where the method of implementation is so unknown that traditional full-court project management practices will only hurt and not help. Much of the information on adaptive and extreme project management is similar to the "extreme programming" methodology, but specifically targeted towards a project manager.

I think this book is an excellent purchase. It is well written and succinct (unlike the 1000 pages of bullet-points from a competing author). Other reasons to purchase the book are its reasonable price and the fact that you get a trial version of Microsoft Project 2002 with it.

I wish the author had gone into greater depth about earned value. I have found earned value difficult to do without good support from the project management tool (calculating BCWS for example is tedious to do by hand); every time I tried to do earned value for a real project using MP98 or MP2000 the tool has crashed on me.

In summary I believe that this is an excellent book, and should be read by every project manager.

The third edition is excellent
There is a complete PM education in this fairly compact book. The third edition touches upon non-traditional project management. In other words, project management in real life as opposed to what is in most every textbook.

To me the value of the third edition lies in Robert Wysocki's recognition of projects where either the goal is clear but the methods aren't, or where even the goal is unclear. These types of projects seem to predominate in IT. This book is worth purchasing for the insight that the authors bring into the non-traditional non-textbook real-life projects.

The prose is clearly written and reads very tightly. Contrast this to the random collection of thoughts in Kerzner's book. This book is written for the practitioner, though someone taking a college course in project management would also benefit.

Excellent book, at an excellent price. You can't go wrong.

Good introductory book
I purchased this book because I was looking for material to prepare the PMP certification exam. The book is easy to read and the concepts and key terms are clean and well explained. However, from my point of view, is too shallow to be fully "effective". I've been managing software projects for the last 6 years and, after reading the book, I felt that it didn't cover all my expectations, for example, treatment of Critical Chain Project Management is little more than a quote of its existence.

Anyway, if you are looking for an introductory book on PM I think is a pretty good book, but remember, to gain more in depth knowledge on particular subject matters you'll have to look at the references.

One of best works for overviewing project management
I find this book superior to Harold Kerzner's respectable text on project management with the definitions, examples, and overall layout of the book being clearer and more easily understandable. The principle obstacle to engineering management (and project management in general) is the precarious "balancing act" managers have to maintain proper technical quality within a reasonable budget and timeline. This book is succinct in presenting this and comes with an informative CD-ROM for further studies. It is a highly recommended addition to any manager's library. ... Read more

Book Description

It’s a fact! Leadership is the single most important organizational factor separating the winners and the "also rans?" It’s the key to your business success. And who better to identify what makes a good leader than the people being led. That’s what this handbook is all about!

Unique in both content and format, Listen UP, Leader! provides powerful insights into what employees want and need from their managers, supervisors, and team leaders. It pinpoints the behaviors and attributes necessary to be the kind of leader that employees will follow ... to new levels of performance ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Good things come in small packages
This is the most effective leadership book I have ever read.It is straightforward and real.It contains all of the information that leaders know, but don't want to hear.What is significant, is the title.It's not titled, "Listen Up, Manager."It's "Listen Up, Leader."Leaders must influence, engage, and enroll employees.Managers complete tasks and oversee.This book provides all of the employee thoughts and whispers that you may not hear.The content is invaluable and timeless.Everyone in leadership needs to read it.Ten times better than "Who Moved My Cheese?"

Good Read
Every manager needs to read this book.It is powerful!

Excellent leadership tool
Mr. Cottrell leads us on a stimulating journey through our team members world.This book has had a profound impact on our organization!

Liten Up, Leader - Review
This short book is powerful.If you are in management, and take things personally, you may believe Mr. Cottrell is writing about you.Written from the perspective of "your" employees, he has compiled severalmanagerial issues along with solutions. I recommend this book to ALLmanagers, Presidents, V.P.s, COO's, CEO's,CFO's, (the list goes on).Ifyou have people working for you, read this book.If you want to be thebest manager you can possibly be, APPLY this book as a management tool.Ifyou have managers working for you, make sure you GIVE them Listen Up,Leader.IT'S THAT GOOD.

Listen Up
Make sure your boss reads this book.It is true to today's work place. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Extremely Useful and Practical Guide to Effective Management
This book has been widely adopted and is now in its sixth edition because it has proven to be a valuable and effective text for people who want to think about what skills go into being an effective manager, how to develop them, and what are the practical means of application. The book is divided into four parts:

Part 1 - Personal Skills
Part 2 - Interpersonal Skills
Part 3 - Group Skills
Part 4 - Specific Communication Skills

Part 1 starts with developing self-awareness, then discusses managing personal stress, and concludes with approaches to solving problems analytically and creatively.

Part 2 starts with coaching, counseling, and supportive communication, then discusses gaining power and influence, motivating others, and concludes with managing conflict.

Part 3 starts with empowering and delegating, then building effective teams and teamwork, and concludes with leading positive change.

Part 4 is a series of helpful supplements and appendices on making oral and written presentations, conducting interviews, and an extremely useful section on conducting meetings based upon material by John Tropman from the University of Michigan. I had Prof. Tropman for my required class on Organizational Behavior and it was a highlight in my program. He covered some of this material in that class and it makes wonderful sense. He often says that you can use this material to cover as little as you do now, but in half the time.

What I particularly like is that each chapter opens with one or more assessments to help the student / reader think in a personal way about his or her thoughts, beliefs, and skills focusing on the key issues that will be discussed in the chapter. The approach of the book is always practical and the language uplifting and positive. I think this book shows the way to being a positive manager who can be successful in any situation without having to resort to negative human interactions to get things done. It really is a healthy approach to management.

Also, with this new edition, Prentice-Hall and the authors are offering an ONLINE version of the 30 plus assessments so that students (and general readers) can instantly receive automated feedback without having to use pencil and paper and then figure out how to score each assessment. It is all done for you. And for professors, they will be able to drill down on their class data by student or the overall class. It really is a step forward.

There are also name, subject, and combined indexes.

Most Comprehensive Book On Management Skills Available
While some may find this book simplistic it is quite interesting to note that many of the skills discussed by Cameron and Whetten go unused in failing organizations (I say failing because successful organizations use the techniques found in this book). Having spent 5 years as a blue collar worker and 15 years as a white collar worker I cannot emphasize enough the applicable teachings in this book.

The authors provide "how to's" for many managerial situations that one might find themselves in and outline specific processes to use that are time tested. There is obviously a lot of thought given to both the subordinate and the supervisor as all examples are thought through with mutual respect.

I own over 200 management books and if there were a fire (God forbid) where I could take only one book with me, this one would be it.

unhappy
this book i felt was more practical in what i can do rather than why management skills and styles are needed which i felt was going t give me that answer

A classic, with much to apply for anyone who wants to grow
This is a spectacular book. I was first introduced to it in a managerial skills class in graduate school. It is a very well-written text, and is full of practical knowledge that anyone can apply. You don't have to be a manager to appreciate what this book can help you do. Anyone can benefit from the book's teachings.

Each chapter (most of them, at least) begins with one or more self-quizzes to determine your abilities or knowledge of each subject. The chapter then helps you to improve your deficiencies. If you repeat the quizzes after you've studied and applied the material, you'll see improvements, as well as additional areas in which to work.

To use this book to the greatest benefit, you should develop solid plans to:

1. Assess your needs (through quizzes)
2. Learn the material (reading the chapters, or the sections in which are lacking)
3. Apply the material (in your life, at work, etc.)
4. Reflect on what happened, what worked, what didn't, etc.
5. Re-assess your abilities (with the quizzes)

As for the topics this covers, it includes nearly every situation you could run into at work. However, a lot of the material is applicable to life in general.

This book is a must read if you want to grow. Before you rush out and buy cheaper, less complete books, add this one to your library. That way you'll have a much better framework from which to purchase other books (if you even need them!).

Useful book, with a lot of practical exercices
Here's one of the best management book available. Not only it will give you practical management techniques, but this book is also full of good exercices. I will definitely but the next edition as soon as it will become available. If you are a manager or want to become one, do not hesitate to invest your money in this book. It might look expensive, but when you consider all the techniques shown in this book, it is cheaper than a ...no-more-than-average management book. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Book Description

Coaching as a profession is experiencing dramatic growth. From senior executives at Fortune 100 companies to the self-employed, people at the point of change are looking more and more to coaches for guidance and support.

For professional coaches who want to increase their proficiency as well as for those interested in integrating coaching skills into their consulting practice, CO-ACTIVE COACHING presents a revolutionary new collaborative approach. Developed by three pioneers and leading authorities in the coaching field, this approach allows the client and coach to work together to identify both work-related and personal areas of development. Whitworth, Kimsey-House, and Sandahl, cofounders of the Coaches Training Institute, the largest nonprofit educational instiution devoted exclusively to the training of coaches, espouse a unique new model of coaching--co-active coaching. This model encompasses five specific skill sets and three key principles of coaching: fulfillment, balance, and process.

CO-ACTIVE COACHING offers a comprehensive view of the practice of coaching and features instructive coaching examples, skill-building exerciss for practitioners to use with clients, and coaching tips and traps. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A great "how-to" for aspiring professional coaches
Personal and Professional Coaching is THE service job of the 90s. Now the authors have created a terrific text that will help people who want to become personal and business coaches (life coaches)have the proven techniques and strategies that work. Well written with usable tools, this book will give aspiring coaches a jump start into the field of coaching and inspire them to hire their own coach and get further training as part of their own advanced personal and professional development. Highly recommended

Whole-person coaching...a powerful approach.
Co-coaching is distinctive in that it involves both the coach and the client; it is also referred to as personal/professional coaching because it addresses the whole person (the whole of their life).

Many books we have reviewed on this subject, while of value within the workplace, do not strive to address the multidimensional nature of the individual. In contrast, the approach presented here is distinctly holistic.

The authors' offer a model plus a set of skills and techniques. The book is filled with specifics and excellent insights, and give