Reviews (4)

A practical and inspirational guide to the Future
I really found this book to be a superb combination of practically and vision. It is a great read, precise and thought provoking. It makes you really want to jump out of your seat and participate in the creation of the future. One really important point among many is that we cannot move forward, adapt and be innovative by relaying on the past as a point of reference. The only way to really be successful and prosperous is by dropping our old parameters, learning from future and applying it to the present. I have read this book twice. I highly recommend it to those who do not want some else eating their cheese. I look forward to Mr. Grulke next book.

A great practical and inspirational guide for the Future
I really found this book to be a superb combination of practically and vision. It is a great read, precise and thought provoking. It makes you really want to jump out of your seat and participate in the creation of the future. One really important point among many is that we cannot move forward, adapt and be innovative by relaying on the past as a point of reference. The only way to really be successful and prosperous is by dropping our old parameters, learning from future and applying it to the present. I have read this book twice. I highly recommend it to those who do not want some else eating their cheese. I look forward to Mr. Grulke next book.

The future is not what it used to be
'Ten Lessons from the Future' is the ideal books to help MBA students conceptualize the challenges of the future and to break open the prison of contemporary thinking. Grulke's first hand knowledge of trends that will shape the next decade, as well as his keen synthesis on how disruptive technology will shape the future makes this book one of the best business books on the shelf. Any predication of the future is precarious at best, but Grulke paradoxically paints a believable picture of an increasingly fractal environment. This book needs to be compulsory reading at any Business School who wishes to prepare their students for the challenges of the future.

Do yo want to succeed tomorrow?
As the rules for personal and business success change it is increasingly tough and indeed risky to take lessons from the past. I have yet to read anything so clear, simple and yet impactful on the future. Anyone serious about living and succeeding in the future needs to invest in this book. It challenges, excites, scares and motivates one into really looking forward to tomorrow. It synthesizes traditionally complex issues. It enables individual and corporate action. A must for anyone who intends to be around in the future! ... Read more

Book Description

"In Reworking Authority, Larry Hirschhorn incisively describes the changing dynamics and difficulties of contemporary organizations. His approach to consulting with troubled groups, addressing the needs and fears of personnel at all levels in the hierarchy, is sensitive and sophisticated. This book will fascinate and inform anyone with an interest in the way organizations, or the people who work in them, function in our post-modern age." -- Jay Greenberg, Editor, Contemporary Psychoanalysis

For many companies, the past decade has been marked by a sense of turbulence and redefinition. The growing role of information technologies and service businesses has prompted companies to reconsider how they are structured and even what business they are in. These changes have also affected how people work, what skills they need, and what kind of careers they expect. One critical change in how people work, argues Larry Hirschhorn, is that they are expected to bring more of themselves psychologically to the job. To facilitate this change, it is necessary to create a new culture of authority--one in which superiors acknowledge their dependence on subordinates, subordinates can challenge superiors, and both are able to show their vulnerability. In the old culture of authority, people suppressed disruptive feelings such as envy, resentment, and fear of dependency. But by depersonalizing themselves, they became "alienated"; in the process, the work of the organization suffered. In building a new culture of authority, we are challenged to express these feelings without disrupting our work. We learn how to bring our feelings to our tasks. The first chapters of the book examine the covert processes by which people caught between the old and new culture of authority neither suppress nor express their feelings. Feelings are activated but not directed toward useful work. The case studies of this process are instructive and moving. The book then explores how organizations can create a culture of openness in which people become more psychologically present. In part, the process entails an understanding of the changes taking place in how we experience our own identity at work and that of "others" in society at large. To do this, the book suggests, we need a social policy of forgiveness and second chances. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A thoughtful and important work.
If people are going to bring more of themselves psychologically to work, a new culture of authority characterized by openness must be created. Hirschhorn explores how organizations transition from traditional power hierarchy to this new culture, involving a social policy of forgiveness and second chances. A thoughtful and important work. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, hrconsultant.com and Stern & Associates. ... Read more

Book Description

Change is inevitable in any organization. Master Change, Maximize Success is a guide to understanding it and learning to make the most of the opportunities that it provides. This latest addition to the Positive Business series inspires with bold illustrations and a series of Work Solutions - practical exercises designed to teach success. Master Change, Maximize Success gives readers the tools to assess when change is necessary - to stay competitive, to innovate, to grow - and then how to create new strategies to energize managers, teams, and individuals. Authors Rebecca Potts and Jeanenne LaMarsh speak from their experience as consultants to address resistance to change, overcome common obstacles, and evaluate results - leading people and process with positive results. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great Read, Even Better Reference...
As a Change Master, trained to implement change with Jeannene LaMarsh's techniques, I find this book essential to remind me of ideas, concepts, techniques, definitions, tools.It is a good read, but an even better reference book.I love the index and the pages where tools are laid side by side with the reading material showing where they should be used.

A valuable reference
Engaging read, with interesting and inviting language.For novices a plain English starters guide. For experienced change agents a painless, even pleasant, way to continuously remind your self of the high spots

A comprehensive primer in change management
As a professional practitioner of change management, I feel certain that this book will further enhance my understanding of the human side of change, and make me a better consultant.From identifying the factors that drive change, to understanding the roles we play in change, to identifying and mitigating resistance to change, (and so much more) this book is a comprehensive primer in change management."Master Change, Maximize Success" is an engaging read, and a visually stimulating book that offers powerful philosophies and techniques for surviving in a world that is changing at an unprecedented pace.

Easy read, great graphics, profound messages!
This book takes the mystery out of managing change. The ideas are very practical and intuitive, and presented in an easy to read, fun fashion. I got through it very quickly. The colorful graphics made it even more interesting. This material can be used to manage organizational or personal change. Very helpful!

Master Change, Maximize Success
Finnaly, a "how to" book written in common sense style.The message of this book is clear, concise, and cogent.Change without proper planning, clear vision, and direct sponsorship is the formula for chaos, at best.This is a work that belongs on the shelf - no, desktop of anyone who is charged with managing people, processes, or the business culture within any corporation.The examples clearly indicate the generic nature of the change elements, regardless of level on a chart or position on the management cascade.I highly recommend this work at both the theoretical level and as a guideline for any business process improvement department. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Heavy Hitters of Systems Dynamics
"Modeling for Learning Organizations" builds off of the extensive experience of top professors and consultants using the SD tools to test strategies and build an understanding of firm and industry dynamics.

"Modeling" also includes a section overviewing the various simulation software packages available to modelers. Though developers like High-Performance Systems, Vensim, Pugh-Roberts, and PowerSim have made product enhancements to date, the sections from each company provide a great introduction to what is out there how each package can be applied.

The most valuable aspect of the book is probably in the case studies and methodological explorations of several authors. A number of key insights are offered as authors reflect upon the successes and shortcoming of the methods each chose to use to explore and develop models in a variety of business and public environments.

This is definitely a must have for any SD library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the Eartha Kitt of change-management gurus. Just when you think the grand dame has taken her final bow, she comes bounding back onto the scene with a new act that's as shrewd and insightful as anything any young kitten has to offer--but benefiting from decades of wisdom and experience that puts the whole litter to shame. Take, for instance, Evolve!, Kanter's latest in a string of highly influential books on organizational management (including Innovation, World Class, When Giants Learn to Dance, and The Change Masters). Yes, the ubiquitous dot (as in "com") after the E in "Evolve" on the book's cover may suggest to the cynical that this is another old-school change guru weighing in with the obligatory guide to making it on the Net--and months after e-commerce mania has subsided, to boot! And granted, the thumbnail keys to successful I-preneuring that form the book's structure--namely, a willingness to improvise, a desire to network aggressively with other sites, a readiness to create "integrated communities," and a commitment to creating a workplace culture that attracts and retains the best talent--aren't necessarily breakthrough insights, however cogently presented.

But Evolve! stands out among the vast spate of e-commerce how-tos of the past few years because of the meticulous, rigorous research on the part of Kanter and her legion of Harvard Business associates. Here, coupled with Kanter's always-keen prose, that research translates into perhaps the most vivid, probing, and instructive anthology of e-commerce success (and failure) stories yet to appear in one book. Kanter & Co. conducted over 300 interviews, plus surveys with nearly three times as many companies worldwide, to tease out their conclusions on what works and what doesn't when doing business online--with brash start-ups as well as brick-and-mortar giants. That serious-minded, Harvard-quality sleuthing is reflected in the long narratives that make up the meat of the book, detailing the complete online journeys of some of the world's most high-profile companies, from venerable offliners venturing online (among them, Arrow Electronics, Barnes & Noble, NBC, Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell, IBM, Williams-Sonoma, and Sun) to the Net-born (Amazon, eBay, Razorfish, EarthWeb, iXL, Renren.com, and Abuzz, which clearly emerges here as Kanter's pet model of how to do it right in entrepreneurial cyberspace).If you've followed the start-up scene with eagle eyes every day for the past five years, you might already be familiar with these companies' twisting, turning story lines. If, more likely, you haven't, you're in for some illuminating object lessons on what works (and what doesn't) on the precarious, often uncharted terrain of e-commerce--not to mention some really good reading.

Shortly before Evolve! went to press, Kanter added two new chapters to address the latest changes in the e-commerce market. That's a valuable update, but even if she'd skipped the postscript, Evolve! is blessedly free of reckless cybermania. And, unlike many such dot-com how-tos, it's wise enough to know that, far from having completely rewritten the rules of good business, the callow world of e-commerce has much to learn from the offline forbears it often scoffs at. For these reasons, the observations and advisories in Evolve! should transcend the inevitable fluctuations of the e-commerce market in the years to come.In other words, this is the real thing: smart, deeply researched advice from a pro whose talents are evident on every page. Well, except for the rap lyrics she's penned for "Evolve!--The Song," which kick off the book, and run along such lines: "You're not alone, so start placing your bet/On finding lots of partners throughout the Net!" Cole Porter she's not. Then again, maybe they wouldn't sound so lame if only we could get that other old pro, Eartha Kitt, to slip into her catsuit and purr her way through them. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (38)

The History of Today's Internet
In the genre of e-commerce handbooks Evolve! does not give all the answers. There is no blueprint step by step process to Internet success that is outlined in her writings. Rather, the book presents a view of the correct culture, and outlook of a successful e-business. Social interactions are modified, and conflict is encouraged. In the end the focus is then shifter to the individual who is reading the book. Attention is given to the qualities of an effective leader in a fast changing internet environment where one must be a salesman and visionary while keeping track of concrete deadlines. Evolve! also has a large collection of research to back its claims. The Author, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is a Harvard professor with a multitude of graduate students at her disposal. This gives her book a large amount of data and research into the various companies that have shaped the Internet and the world of e-business. It divides the players into the categories of Dotcoms, Dotcom Enablers, and Wannadots. It also shows the mistakes, and changes that occurred when the market leaders were first developing their focuses and strategies. To me the greatest aspect of the book is the in-depth historical perspective on the last four years in Silicon Valley. Big players, and company insiders give valuable information on their struggles to become the market leaders. The information is current, the background information is informative, and its message is useful.

Kaleidoscopic View of Successfully Connected e-Cultures!
Rosabeth Moss Kanter is one of our finest thinkers about organizational change. In Evolve!, she has taken on a very large challenge. She attempts to help the young and the old, the e-hip and the offline, the techies and the nontechies, and those in new economy and old economy companies understand one another better so they can cooperate for greater results through using the Internet as an enabling medium. She also takes a look at beneficial cultures separately from the perspectives of pure dot com companies, dotcom-enablers (like Sun Microsystems), and wannadots (already-established companies seeking to add the Internet to their businesses). In the process, she provides lots of helpful examples of what NOT TO DO, as well as what TO DO both in terms of what kind of organization to create and how to get there. I found that the book added a great deal to my storehouse of case histories about what has been working and what has not as companies have sought to develop and improve Internet-based business models. Unlike most books about the Internet, this one was primarily based on lots of research with people at companies rather than lots of experience in using cool Web sites.

The book is divided into three parts. The first section looks at how the Internet affects every business and person, the role of young people to date in advancing the changes, and why companies have to do more than just open a web site to be effective. Basically, the Internet means a fundamental change in at least part of every company's business model. For some companies, this is a complete change. For others, it is a partial, but significant change. Cisco Systems provides a good example. You can be a major provider of high technology products while having very little manufacturing youself. Dell Computer is another helpful example. You can have negative receivables and no inventory while manufacturing products to order in minutes. Anyone would like to be able to move profitably in these directions.

The second section identifies the qualities that allow a company's culture to work well in e-commerce. Professor Kanter focuses here on the need to create generations of rapid change each of which is well received by the beneficiaries, how to create truly supportive and effective networks of partners, reconfiguring the business and organizational structure to improve the business model, and attracting and retaining the top talent needed to make these improvements.

The third section looks at initiating and enabling the change process towards the model of e-effectiveness. The roles of leaders, organizations, and of individuals are identified . . . as well as the sources of friction and resistance.

I thought that the book was exceptionally well done. It's weaknesses come from having taken on such a large topic and challenge. But Professor Kanter succeeds in most areas quite well.

Those who work in dot com companies that are facing bankruptcy will not find enough here to help them sort through their issues. Those who want to establish a new dot com from scratch also will find this book to be useful, but not a complete resource for that purpose (as Professor Kanter warns in the book). The book was primarily researched while the dot com companies were flush with cash and valuations on the stock market were still quite high. So, although there are references to stocks falling after March 2000, the book reflects in many ways a world that doesn't exactly exist right now for dot com companies.

For dotcom-enablers, they will get a few ideas about how to satisfy the need to keep revitalizing their business model. But most of this will not seem new to them, if they have been at all successful.

For wannadots, this book will help lift the veil of how to get from here to there. The main benefit will be to help avoid problems that others have experienced. You can save tens of millions of dollars and start delivering benefits to your customers much sooner if you follow the change lessons here. The senior executives in these companies should be the prime beneficiaries of this book . . . the Harvard B-School grads of a few years ago, or more.

Metaphors are very helpful for understanding new subjects. The metaphors here, although apt, are ones that many readers will not find to be very much within their experience. For that reason, the points will be a bit lost. For example, the idea of continuing innovating and creating rapid improvements is linked to what improvisational actors do. I have had some improvisational training, so this made sense to me (see Robert Lowe's book, Improvisation, Inc.). I do not know many corporate executives in large companies however who do have this experience. I suspect this metaphor will be lost on them. Some of the other metaphors also lack an experience base for most readers, as well.

A potential weakness of this book for some readers is that they will not get enough information for how to identify ways to create more profitable and sustainable business models. To date, most Internet innovations have led to lower profits . . . not higher ones -- whether they came from dot coms, dotcom-enablers, or dotcome wannabes. If more skill is not applied in this important area of conceptualizing what the new structure of the business should become, you may evolve . . . but not into any place where you want to be.

Reading this book today, you'd have to say that if you are not going to be a dotcom enabler, you'd better watch out.

About the author...
This review is not so much about the book but rather about the author. I had the chance to have Rosabeth Moss Kanter as a Professor for a semester last year while doing an MBA at Harvard. She has an extraordinary personality, full of passion, full of colors and surprises. A fresh, insightful and pragmatic perspective of the world. A Grand lady who constantly evolves with her time. In my opinion, that's why her books, and Evolve! in particular, are so well written and so inspirational for all of us. Grand books are the reflect of Grand personalities. I cannot wait to get her new book "Confidence".

One sided observation rather than an Analysis
I thought the naration was terible on this CD, author was not to the point. More of a one sided observation presented as a story rather than a complete analysis.

Tomorrow Is Here, Albeit Briefly
Throughout human history, most revolutions share a common cause, a shared commitment, courage, passion, sacrifice, determination, and varying degrees of impact. Darwinists believe that all organisms participate in a process of natural selection. In the 21st century, organizations (like organisms) must therefore initiate or respond effectively to revolutions inorder to survive. That is, they must recognize major developments (what Kuhn calls "paradigm shifts," what Grove calls "inflection points," and what Gladwell calls "tipping points"), preferably before they begin. Meanwhile, prudence dictates that these organizations carefully select their terms of engagement with their competition, allocating their resources with great care.

I recently re-read e•Volve, curious to learn how relevant it remains in light of what has (and has not) happened since it was first published early last year. My conclusion is that it is even more relevant now than it was then. The material is based on more than 300 interviews, a survey of more than 700 companies, and various case studies developed at the Harvard Business School. Kanter and her research associates analyzed a combination of traditional companies (e,g, Arrow, Barnes & Noble, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Sun Microsystems) and what are generally referred to as "dot coms" (e.g. Amazon, EarthWeb, eBay, and Razorfish) to determine how these companies attempted to achieve success in "the digital culture of tomorrow."

It would be a disservice to Kanter as well as to those who read this review to summarize the tentative conclusions which Kanter shares. (Read the book and you'll understand why such conclusions are necessarily tentative.) For me, the greater value of this book (and of all others she has written, notably When Giants Learn to Dance and Innovation) is derived from the questions she asks rather than from the answers she offers. No one else asks more probing questions than does Kanter. Why do some "revolutions" in business succeed and others fail? Which organizations (non-profits as well as for-profits) have either launched and then sustained successful "revolutions" or responded effectively to them? How and why? Within any organization, what must be allowed to "evolve," especially in today's competitive marketplace?

If you are a decision-maker now struggling to answer questions such as these, I highly recommend this book. With Kanter's expert assistance, you can determine which are the most important questions your own organization must ask. She will also assist the immensely difficult process of obtaining answers to those questions. That said, I presume to offer one final word of caution, one with which I hope Kanter agrees: At all times keep in mind that both questions and answers are transient. Whether circumstances e•volve or re•volve, they change and often do so at the most inconvenient time. ... Read more

Book Description

In the world's harshest environments, the key to survival is adaptation. It's a simple tenet of biological life, but when you apply it to the business realm, it can yield fresh insights and innovative ideas for companies struggling to survive.

In this intriguing new book, Harvard Business School Fellow William Fulmer does just that. Drawing on ideas and concepts of biology, he provides a broad, sweeping look at the business environment today--one characterized by unprecedented volatility and constant uncertainty.

And the book supplies concrete advice on how to build an adaptive organization that's able to embrace constant change and thrive in today's highly competitive business landscape. Readers learn how to:

* Pinpoint which landscape they operate in, recognize how rugged it is, and gauge their own fitness for survival * Cultivate learning, the root of adaptive organizations, through strategic planning and organizational design* Emulate the leadership skills needed for creating adaptive organizations, both start-ups and established companies * Discover why "the edge of chaos" is the best place to be.

SHAPING THE ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATION is packed with powerful examples of how adaptive companies are coping in an unpredictable, ever-changing environment--as well as eye-opening stories of how successful businesses can quickly find themselves in serious trouble. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Insightful!
Author William E. Fulmer uses a biological analogy to discuss how organizations form and evolve in an environment that changes through co-evolution with other organizations. Organizations must be ready to learn, and need leaders who can help participants understand change and adapt to it. Though strategic planning can help, Fulmer emphasizes preparing for continual adaptation. His thoughtful, in-depth discussion draws on research from biologists, philosophers and various academic and business writers to create a biological model. He weaves in examples of businesses that have thrived or failed based on their ability or inability to adapt. When Fulmer veers away from his biological analogy, he starts to sound much like many of the other adapt-or-die prophets out there today, but nevertheless, we [...] recommend this solid presentation of a complex subject to executives, top managers and academics.

The changing face of business strategy
While the coverage of some topics is slightly more cursory than I might consider appropriate, I have found this book useful in prompting new thinking about how we fashion strategy in the new business environment. This is an excellent book for anyone who has interests in the new understandings we are gaining in the sciences, and is wondering about how to apply the new thinking to shaping organizations, old or new. While one may question some of the corporations selected as exemplars, among the real benefits of this book is that the author steps far out onto the limb to suggest practices in current organizations that illustrate key points in the development of an organization that can thrive in the tumult of our times. I believe that this book is a must read for people interested in the evolution of business strategy. ... Read more

Book Description

"Rob Lebow and William Simon are on the money. Lasting Change is the only way to go and it can only happen through shared values. Lasting Change is just great-a must read!"- Ken Blanchard, Chairman and CEO, Blanchard Training & Development, Inc. and coauthor of The One Minute Manager.

"Don't miss this book! You'll come away with some extraordinary insights into how great companies make the Shared Values Process an essential principle of their strategy."- John Sculley, principal, Sculley Brothers and former CEO, Apple Computer.

"The concepts and examples are extraordinary. Lebow's Shared Values Process will prove to you that the tired old prescription of 'fixing people' is flawed. To improve performance, you must change the 'context.' This formula will work for any organization that wants lasting change!" -Paul Horgen, President and CEO, IBM Mid-America Employees Federal Credit Union.

"Today's leaders will need shared values simply to meet the challenges ahead. The next generation will demand those shared values. Lasting Change offers inspired yet practical advice for those who seek to build organizations guided by a moral compass." - Dick Capen, author of Finishing Strong/Living the Values That Take You the Distance, former U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Publisher of the Miami Herald.

"The book is well written, straightforward, and no-nonsense. It holds your attention. It is a book I will certainly require in the MBA courses I teach." - Four-star general Warren D. Johnson, USAF (Ret.), Adjunct Professor, Wake Forest University.

"Lasting Change is packed full of the stuff that makes great people and great companies-a well-packaged postgraduate education that is sure to have a lasting impact on those who have the good fortune to read it. It's a must read for entry-level neophytes and seasoned CEOs."- Harold Burson, Chairman, Burson-Marsteller.

"A great collection of anecdotes and experiences that will help a manager develop into a leader.

The book has a lot of information and is well written." -Philip Crosby, CEO of Philip Crosby Associates II, Inc., author of Quality Is Free and The Absolutes of Leadership. ... Read more

Book Description

He's been dubbed "Chainsaw Al" and "Rambo in Pinstripes." He has also been hailed by Barrons as "America's premier turnaround artist." Now, Al Dunlap, who transformed the once-ailing Scott Paper into a Wall Street success story, shares his battle-tested strategies for revitalizing sluggish companies in Mean Business. Here is the inside story of Dunlap's quest to make Scott once again a world-class competitor. Along the way, Dunlap provides invaluable, must-read lessons for everyone struggling to meet the tough, competitive challenges of today's business world. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Leadership combined with Common Sense
Coporate America is filled with non-leaders who can't make decisions. Al Dunlap's common sense direct approach to solving problems is refreshing. If you look at many new successful companies today (i.e Mindspring, Amazon) you will find that they are practicing "Mean Business". They keep costs low, tie employee compensation to company stock, make lightning fast decisions and keep their operations streamlined. They attach less value to a college degree than to ability and work ethic. They don't lay-off people because they don't bloat themselves up to begin with. They also don't build unnecessary opulent corporate headquarters. By following "Mean Business", they kick the crap out of the competition. If you want to succeed, read this book. These principles can be applied at any level.

A worthwhile tale of corporate reform, swaggeringly told.
The only reason this book doesn't merit a full five stars is its relentless tone of braggadocio and self-promotion. Yes, Al Dunlap did a good thing. He turned around a company and channeled the money to the shareholders, but let's not go overboard. He didn't win a war, or find a cure for a disease, or create a beautiful work of art. He just did the job he was paid to do, and he did it well. When he plasters his face four times on the cover of his book and talks about his work with words like "revolution" and "conquest", it's too much. It makes me think he's got a publicist telling him what to do. Hubris, overweening pride, has from ancient times been a trait that wise men and women were taught to avoid. Dunlap is probably a wise man, so he should dump whoever's urging him to, like a rooster, take credit for the sunrise.

That said, I can go on to the ideas in the book, which are very good and long overdue. First, simplicity. Dunlap says it several times: business is simple. Contrary to what the gurus and B-school touts would have you believe, business is not rocket science. Business is the part that comes after rocket science, when you try to make rockets as cheap as you can and sell as many as you can at the highest possible price. In Dunlap's case, paper had already been invented. It just needed to be marketed and sold at a profit. An opulent headquarters and an elitist bureaucracy did nothing to attain that goal. So Dunlap fired most of the managerial class and sold the headquarters. Simple. He then sold all of the companies in the Scott conglomerate that didn't have any relation to tissue paper. Then he dumped most of the consultants because, he reasoned, why would a high-priced so-and-so know more about running a paper company than a person who'd spent years working in a paper company?

One of Dunlap's greatest strengths is his common sense. He was able to see, and had the nerve to say, that Scott's consultants were too brainy and pricey for the tissue paper business, and that Scott executives could work in less luxurious offices. He was able to see that a power plant was not a sensible part of a paper products company. Most important, he was able to see that Scott was not serving the people who owned it. None of these things are profound insights, they're just common sense.

It is the core of Dunlap's philosophy that I find most agreeable. The job of the employee, whether great or small, is to enhance the value of the shares of the company. Dunlap blasts away at the fashionable notions that one by one have replaced the idea that the goal of a company is to make a buck for the people who invest in it. Many of his critics believe the object of a company is to provide a steady income and benefits package to its employees. Not so, says Dunlap. Those things are secondary to a company's mission. They only make their income and benefits because the owners put up their money in the first place. The owners deserve priority. Others believe a company is a vehicle for social change, something akin to a legislature or philanthropic foundation. In this view, an executive is a mere conduit for the money which must flow from consumers to company and eventually to the institutionalized panhandlers known as fund-raisers. This class, which includes everything from college presidents and grant "writers" to fundamentalist preachers and social activists, has come to believe that they are the proper beneficiaries of corporate profit. Incredible to relate, so do some CEOs! Dunlap went into Scott with his chainsaw, and severed the link between them and his company. It's not that greed is good and charity is for suckers, as Hollywood would have us believe is the credo of business. It's that charity is the responsibility of the individual.

Dunlap doesn't mind executives doling out largesse to charity, as long as it happens after shareholders have been served.

The logical thing to do is to make sure your executives are shareholders. In this, Dunlap put his money where his mouth was. Upon becoming CEO of Scott, he invested $4 million of his own money in Scott stock. Then he summoned all the executives who hadn't been fired, and ordered them to invest heavily in Scott. By making sure his executives were shareholders, he assured himself that they would keep the shareholders interests foremost.

After these drastic steps were taken, the rest appears to have been easy. Whether it really was easy, and whether the drastic steps were easy, we may never know. Mean Business makes it sound like going into a corporation and changing deeply-rooted habits is like George Patton going in and whipping the US Army into shape. The book makes no mention of any opposition to Chainsaw Al that lasted any longer than a few minutes. Employees and directors were dismissed by the hundred, assets were sold, habits were changed, and never once did Dunlap receive a setback of any kind. It is marvelous if true. But I suspect some has gone untold in the interest of creating a legend.

It may be that the story of Sunbeam and Dunlap, if ever told, will be more interesting than Scott and Dunlap. For as Bill Clinton illustrates, an egomaniac is far more interesting when squirming than when trumpeting.

Good advice from a shamed author
The jury is no longer out on the author or the advice.

The author's exploits are well documented:
- He turned around numerous companies by cutting headcount & product lines. Sold the companies for huge profit to himself and the shareholders.
- Much of his success came from the ideas of external consultants.
- He destroyed Sunbeam in a massive explosion of layoffs, fraud and corporate mismanagement.

So should one listen to his advice? If you're willing to separate the message from the author, there is quite a bit of good advice to be had:
1 - If a business is dying, you have to put the needs of the shareholders first. If there's no company, there are no jobs either.
2 - Cutting costs is a hard business. Unless you cut enough fat with confidence the first time around, you'll spend forever in a downward cycle of repeat layoffs and dwindling morale.
3 - Product complexity equals cost, and if you want to simplify your marketing and manufacturing, reduce the variations in your products.
4 - More factories mean more costs. Aggresive consolidation of manufacturing is required in a shrinking business.

Hard to argue with these, and they are indeed worth knowing.

Is the book worth reading? Yes, but.... Take it with a grain of salt. As well as the examples. Realize that perhaps it was just a bit too much of self-congratulations from a dishonest man. And know that turning around a troubled company is indeed a mean business.

What a Joke
I was told to read this book for a business class on what not to do and I think that Al Dunlap is in no place to be dishing out any advice. If you study the companies that Dunlap took over you realize that all of his improvements were nothing more then accounting wizardry. Besides he destroys the company's employees just to give him self and his wife first class plane tickets to Philadelphia. Just think before you buy a book about management style that you pick a manager that you want to be like.

Amazed this is still in print...
Dunlap (or his ghostwriter) may state some good, no-nonsense business ideas here. But given Dunlap's disastrous stint at the helm of Sunbeam, and more recently being the focus of shareholder lawsuits and SEC investigations, it's impossible for any informed, intelligent person to take this book seriously. According to "Chainsaw," John Byrne's expose of Dunlap and the Sunbeam fiasco, Dunlap violated virtually every tenet of "Mean Business." It's one thing to be a tough leader, but Dunlap crossed the line into sheer sadism and cruelty... all driven by personal greed.

There are plenty of better corporate role models out there, and plenty of better business books. In fact, I can't imagine why "Mean Business" is still in print other than as an historical curiosity... ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Change is good" is the new mantra of organizational culture--but thatdoesn't mean that change is easy to take, especially if it's your responsibilityto initiate and manage it. This snappy 72-page guide to weathering the winds ofworkplace change equips you with a quick-and-dirty plan for finessing change inthree crucial phases: planning change (deciding what to change and what not tochange, involving others, making an action plan, anticipating its effects andresistance to it, and testing and checking your plans), implementing change(communicating it, assigning responsibility, developing commitment to it, andlimiting resistance), and consolidating change (monitoring progress, maintainingmomentum, and building on it for future growth). On every page of thishard-working little handbook, boxed tips, mini case studies, handy to-dochecklists, and easy-to-follow and adaptable flow charts demystify the process,and bring it to life. Granted, if you're looking for very specific or in-depthguidance, you might find this book too cursory and general in its approach. But,if you're looking for a thumbnail guide to the basics, it'll do just fine.

It's worth mentioning that the book is part of the "Essential Managers" seriesby reference publisher Dorling-Kindersley--a series comprising 20 itty-bittybooks on business and career topics that range from communication, leadership,and decision-making to the management of time, budgets, change, meetings,people, projects, and teams. Combining the talent of the "For Dummies" bookseries for breaking down a lot of information into bite-sized bits and sidebarswith Dorling-Kindersley's signature design style of crisp, classy graphics on agleaming white backdrop, the books don't represent the cutting edge of businessthinking or reflect necessarily any unique individual perspective. Instead, it'sas if someone had collated the best general thinking on these 20 topics, androlled them out into 72 brightly designed and easy-to-read pages--studded alongthe way with boxed tips, color shots of a multiracial cast of "coworkers"animatedly hashing through the workplace issues of the day, and, on the last fewpages of each volume, a self-test of one's skills in the topic at hand. Again,they're not for anyone who's looking for more in-depth or focused help on any ofthe covered subjects, but they're perfect as a quick general-interest reference;and, let's face it, they're so damn cute, and look so smart in a neat littlestack or row, that probably you'll want to buy a whole bunch to give as gifts toyour entire staff or department. --Timothy Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Useful Reference Guide for various aspects of change
This little booklet is full of small "sound bites" on the various aspects of change management and an ideal primer for people who want answers/ solutions "now." Has managed to capture major concepts and, through diagrams, pictures and charts, delivered them in an easy to understand and apply manner. ... Read more

Book Description

A guide to combining two powerful management techniques to transform any business organization into a masterpiece of business efficiency. Lester Dean Thurow, Dean of MIT’s Sloan School of Management, recently stated that benchmarking combined with process engineering will be the most important management technique of the 1990s. Now, in this groundbreaking book, Gregory Watson describes how top corporations worldwide have already successfully implemented that powerful cutting-edge technique—which he calls "business systems engineering"—to promote continuous improvement. More importantly, he clearly demonstrates how you can do the same in your organization.

• Introduces business systems engineering, a dynamic new approach to rethinking and redesigning business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in quality, cost, service, speed, and more
• Offers clear guidelines for using business systems engineering techniques to make your organization more dynamic, productive, and able to adapt to change in today’s global marketplace
• Incorporates key aspects of TQM, business process improvement, policy deployment, industrial engineering, teamwork, problem solving, and information technology into one holistic system
• Includes business systems engineering success stories, including those at Compaq, United Services Automobile Association and Motorola, as well as a survey of the effect of systems change across the global automobile industry

Reviews (1)

Mandatory reading for every raising star!
"Business Systems Engineering" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in creating a world class organization. The tools of business systems engineering allows you to transform a company into a learning organization capable of strategic change and excellence. The emphasis on "adult learning theory" and its role in reengineering the work process is particularly refreshing. Because strategic change and leadership begins with learning, the emphasis on the work performed by cross-functional teams of employees is essential to creating a learning organization that can successfully respond to challenges in the marketplace. Case studies emphasize organizational learning and looking outside the box, and demonstrate the use of benchmarking to identify the best business practices and applying them to creating a competetive advantage. Watson's holistic view of business systems as open systems that are capable of improvement, easily promotes the integration of TQM principles and the use of information technology. The result of this synthesis is the business system engineering model. The model allows you to transform your organization without sacrificing your focus on quality or the customer, and is adaptable to any business. It also helps you to realize the value of employee training to support change initiatives for profit. If a change in your organization's culture is the prescription, then Business Systems Engineering is the treatment. ... Read more

Book Description

Executives in all industries prize innovation as a key ingredient in market relevance, brand awareness, and bottom-line growth. Toooften, though, innovation is relegated to traditional cradles of creativity like R & D and marketing. Now this important new book shows how innovationcan be a boon not just to a company's product line, but to every facet of its business.

"Doing innovation" company-wide requires not only an attitude of innovation from every individual, but a corporate commitment to a new organizationalmodel, in which every department is expected to innovate. Empowering companies toward that end, the author discusses:

* idea generation, creating new models, and breaking rules* the roles of individuals, groups, and corporate culture in innovation* assessing the organization's infrastructure and resources* overcoming resistance and identifying what makes innovations fail* and every other component of creating economic value through innovation. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent text on innovation
This text is a great treatment of the topic of innovation. Innovation often seems as a random event or personal characteristic. Mr. Gaynor's book describes a more structured framework by which innovation can be approached, encouraged, and fostered. It describes how organizations can be formally, although possibly unconsciously, resistant to innovation in products and processes. The first chapter is required reading and the chapter on the Innovation Prevention Department would be funny if it did not ring so true. A keeper.

Excellent text on innovation
This book is an excellent treatment of the topic of innovation. Innovation is a difficult subject to address because it is believed that innovation is a characteristic that either exists or does not. Mr. Gaynor's book put structure to it and describes ways that organizations are formally, even if unconsciously, opposed to innovation and how it can be remedied. The first chaper should be required reading and the chapter on the "Innovation Prevention Department" would be funny if it did not point out painful realities. A keeper. ... Read more

Book Description

Explores the practical lessons learned frominternationally renowned companies to bring about lasting and fundamental organizational transformation, providing a useful set of field-tested
concepts and techniques for anyone seeking to promote change. In-depth interviews with such key corporate change leaders as Bob Allen of AT&T and Jamie Houghton of Corning, Inc., provide valuable insight and firsthand advice on the role CEOs and leadership teams can play in organizational transformation.

... Read more

Reviews (4)

Inspirational
Introduction In the book Discontinuous Change the authors use anecdotes of prestigious organizations to enhance the understanding of the theoretical and practical ideology concerning organizational change. The authors begin the text by identifying the precursors of organizational change. The precursors are shifts in industry structure, technological innovation, macroeconomic trends and crises, regulatory or legal changes, market and competitive forces and growth. The authors introduce the concept of sustained success as arrogant, insular, and complacent. By remaining in the sustained success idealism, the authors state that the organization will fall into the trap of success which tends to lead to an internal focus; the perception that knowledge, insight, and ideas are found inside the organization rather than outside. Throughout the text, the authors create a clear distinction between incremental and discontinuous change. The authors define incremental change as a continuous pattern of large and small changes that may impact the functioning enterprise in small or large increments. In contrast, discontinuous change is defined as a shocking impact that creates radical departure from the past. Using a variety of models, the authors give the reader a visual picture of the types of change that could occur in an organization. Portrayed in one of the models, the reader will identify the leadership as the "champions and gatekeepers" of the change. By setting the pace, the leaders identify the new corporate identity, the degree to which change needs to happen, the design and organization of the change plan and the interventions needed to keep the plan on course. The authors conclude with discussions concerning the different types of leaders that have been involved with organizational change throughout the years. The authors identified three types of leaders, heroic, instrumental and institutionalized. The authors concluded that the institutionalized leader would be more effective in directing the discontinuous change. Gut Reactions The authors believe that the organizational change should begin with the senior management, by analyzing their "point of view" relative to organizational strategy and policy level. In addition, they also focus on the behavioral dynamics of the organization, believing that the organization is a complex yet active system of human behavior. As practitioners, the authors give valuable insight for contemporary use in organizational change. Citing large organizations, such as, AT&T, Chrysler, and GE as examples, the authors state that the need for change in these organizations came from life-threatening business issues not just questions of organizational work life or corporate climate. In addition, the authors state that the issues that arose in the organizations were generated from external sources, such as, competition, new technology, deregulation, maturation of product sets, changes in ownership, shifts in fundamental market structure, or rapid growth opportunities. Further, the authors state that these changes altered the core of what the organizations represents to its customers and members, not just individual parts or subsystems. Based on the authors insights it has become clear that the days of effortless dominance of large organizations are history. Every organization needs to continue to develop and focus if they are to survive. The authors make it clear that change is inevitable, however, how that change is managed is the key to success. As individuals are resistant to change, so are organizations, however, the risk of an organization resisting change is much greater. The new environments demand that organizations develop speed, innovation, and flexibility, the very opposite of stability. Discontinuous change is a defined analysis of Schein's frame-breaking change in that it is more traumatic, painful and demanding on the organization than incremental change. Big Ideas The changed techniques used in the past are no longer sufficient to manage the complex transitions that are taking place in organizations today. Hence, the authors have determined that there is a need for further development of the old techniques, in order to manage the new types of transitions. Change has out grown the perception of being the exception it has now become the rule. With this perspective in mind, the authors' goal is to transform those things that are practice into theory. The authors are focused on proactive strategic responses to change, rather than, reactive. They offer propositions based on trial-and-error approaches. These propositions create the foundation for diagnoses of the readers current situation. With the understanding that not all leaders are capable of changing, the authors provide a framework to assist in assessing the ability of the current leadership. There are times when it becomes necessary for an organization to invoke change in an effort to avoid complacency. Implications In this era of intense organizational transitions, there is a need for every individual in the organization to adapt to change, beginning with the executives and management. This text speaks of long-term change that will continuously impact an organization over the period of its existence. The types of change needed in organizations are progressing towards frame-breaking, as opposed to historical cosmetic restructuring. Past techniques do not create the immediate turnaround needed to effect change. Therefore, just-in-time interventions are needed to create new behaviors immediately. However, the authors have conceded that often times tried-and-true techniques from decades ago are the most effective, but are often denounced because of the time sensitivity. The authors suggest that there are only two types of change, incremental and discontinuous. Those organizations that will be successful must create core capabilities that are not easily replicated by others. In order for discontinuous change to be effective, organizations must unlearn their old habits, orientations, assumptions, and routines.

Discontinuous Change
Introduction In the book Discontinuous Change the authors use anecdotes of prestigious organizations to enhance the understanding of the theoretical and practical ideology concerning organizational change. The authors begin the text by identifying the precursors of organizational change. The precursors are shifts in industry structure, technological innovation, macroeconomic trends and crises, regulatory or legal changes, market and competitive forces and growth. The authors introduce the concept of sustained success as arrogant, insular, and complacent. By remaining in the sustained success idealism, the authors state that the organization will fall into the trap of success which tends to lead to an internal focus; the perception that knowledge, insight, and ideas are found inside the organization rather than outside. Throughout the text, the authors create a clear distinction between incremental and discontinuous change. The authors define incremental change as a continuous pattern of large and small changes that may impact the functioning enterprise in small or large increments. In contrast, discontinuous change is defined as a shocking impact that creates radical departure from the past. Using a variety of models, the authors give the reader a visual picture of the types of change that could occur in an organization. Portrayed in one of the models, the reader will identify the leadership as the "champions and gatekeepers" of the change. By setting the pace, the leaders identify the new corporate identity, the degree to which change needs to happen, the design and organization of the change plan and the interventions needed to keep the plan on course. The authors conclude with discussions concerning the different types of leaders that have been involved with organizational change throughout the years. The authors identified three types of leaders, heroic, instrumental and institutionalized. The authors concluded that the institutionalized leader would be more effective in directing the discontinuous change. Gut Reactions The authors believe that the organizational change should begin with the senior management, by analyzing their "point of view" relative to organizational strategy and policy level. In addition, they also focus on the behavioral dynamics of the organization, believing that the organization is a complex yet active system of human behavior. As practitioners, the authors give valuable insight for contemporary use in organizational change. Citing large organizations, such as, AT&T, Chrysler, and GE as examples, the authors state that the need for change in these organizations came from life-threatening business issues not just questions of organizational work life or corporate climate. In addition, the authors state that the issues that arose in the organizations were generated from external sources, such as, competition, new technology, deregulation, maturation of product sets, changes in ownership, shifts in fundamental market structure, or rapid growth opportunities. Further, the authors state that these changes altered the core of what the organizations represents to its customers and members, not just individual parts or subsystems. Based on the authors insights it has become clear that the days of effortless dominance of large organizations are history. Every organization needs to continue to develop and focus if they are to survive. The authors make it clear that change is inevitable, however, how that change is managed is the key to success. As individuals are resistant to change, so are organizations, however, the risk of an organization resisting change is much greater. The new environments demand that organizations develop speed, innovation, and flexibility, the very opposite of stability. Discontinuous change is a defined analysis of Schein's frame-breaking change in that it is more traumatic, painful and demanding on the organization than incremental change. Big Ideas The changed techniques used in the past are no longer sufficient to manage the complex transitions that are taking place in organizations today. Hence, the authors have determined that there is a need for further development of the old techniques, in order to manage the new types of transitions. Change has out grown the perception of being the exception it has now become the rule. With this perspective in mind, the authors' goal is to transform those things that are practice into theory. The authors are focused on proactive strategic responses to change, rather than, reactive. They offer propositions based on trial-and-error approaches. These propositions create the foundation for diagnoses of the readers current situation. With the understanding that not all leaders are capable of changing, the authors provide a framework to assist in assessing the ability of the current leadership. There are times when it becomes necessary for an organization to invoke change in an effort to avoid complacency. Implications In this era of intense organizational transitions, there is a need for every individual in the organization to adapt to change, beginning with the executives and management. This text speaks of long-term change that will continuously impact an organization over the period of its existence. The types of change needed in organizations are progressing towards frame-breaking, as opposed to historical cosmetic restructuring. Past techniques do not create the immediate turnaround needed to effect change. Therefore, just-in-time interventions are needed to create new behaviors immediately. However, the authors have conceded that often times tried-and-true techniques from decades ago are the most effective, but are often denounced because of the time sensitivity. The authors suggest that there are only two types of change, incremental and discontinuous. Those organizations that will be successful must create core capabilities that are not easily replicated by others. In order for discontinuous change to be effective, organizations must unlearn their old habits, orientations, assumptions, and routines.

"Change 101"
One of the very best books read for my graduate degree. Nadler and Shaw point out that only those companies able to respond quickly and effectively to changing environmental conditions will survive in the coming decades. Successful firms must learn and act at a faster rate than their competition. Many leaders can affect some change in an organization-but it is normally short lived. But, to make change more long term and make that change take place at a faster rate-you must create destabilizing events in significant scope to get attention-and keep it! There are many take-aways in this book. If you want an outstanding "Leadership 101" book in 276 short pages-this is the one you want.

Enlightening, sometimes dry...
Have you ever closed a book after finishing the last page and wondered how you might apply all that you've learned from its contents? By the same token, have you ever struggled through a book which you knew had great information and yet its presentation left a dry, chalky feeling in your head?

If not, then this book is for you. I found it to be very enlightening and the book gave clear examples of organizations which either failed to anticipate change or proactively sought to position itself for change. Nadler, et al, break down the stages of change management into readable bites and provide stepping stones of the thought processes that should be involved in change management.

Even better, the authors discuss how the corporate culture is directed by leadership's attitude towards change and covers how to bring about change in spite of internal resistance.

That said, this is tough stuff to dig into for any length of time. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

WOW!!
This is an incredible--and credible--fact based view of what's really going on in the economy. Mr. Osenton has clearly done his homework, and presents this fresh material in a very insightful and enjoyable read.
The best business book I have read since Peter's "In Search of Excellence" two deacdes ago.
Bravo!

A Remarkable Piece of Work
This book is not only a wonderful read and an impressive history of business during the second half of the 20th century, but it presents the most logical understanding as to why corporations, industries - the entire economy - is having such a difficult time growing. The irony that Osenton points out is that we are victims of our own success - pushing for more and more consumption - and getting it! - only to begin to approach levels of saturation. He points out that there are currently more than 32 million more registered vehicles in the United States than there are licensed drivers! Talk about surplus. For the first time ever, someone has explained WHY - beyond the simple explanation of greed - that corporations are cooking their books in order to make the numbers. It's because their respective top lines are lifeless, and they have squeezed every penny, every productivity gain they could out of the corporation. Death of Demand helped me completely understand why employees are paying for earnings growth with their jobs - jobs that are either being cut altogether or sent overseas. What a spectacular analysis of our current economic condition. Bravo! ... Read more

Book Description

In the 1980s and early 1990s, a substantial number of U.S. companies announced major restructuring and downsizing. But we don’t know exactly what changes in the U.S. and global economy triggered this phenomenon.Little research has been done on the underlying causes of downsizing.Did companies actually reduce the size of their workforces, or did they simply change the composition of their workforces by firing some kinds of workers and hiring others? Downsizing in America, one of the most comprehensive analyses of the subject to date, confronts all these questions, exploring three main issues:the extent to which firms actually downsized, the factors that triggered changes in firm size, and the consequences of downsizing.

The authors show that much of the conventional wisdom regarding the spate of downsizing in the 1980s and 1990s is inaccurate.Nearly half of the large firms that announced major layoffs subsequently increased their workforce by more than 10 percent within 2 or 3 years.The only arena in which downsizing predominated appears to be the manufacturing sector—less than 20 percent of the U.S. workforce.

Downsizing in America offers a range of compelling hypotheses to account for the adoption of downsizing as an accepted business practice. In the short run, many companies experiencing difficulties due to decreased sales, cash flow problems, or declining securities prices reduced their workforces temporarily, expanding them again when business conditions improved.The most significant trigger leading to long-term downsizing was the rapid change in technology.Companies rid themselves of their least skilled workers and subsequently hired employees who were better prepared to work with new technology, which in some sectors reduced the size of firm at which production is most efficient.

Baumol, Blinder, and Wolff also reveal what they call the dirty little secret of downsizing:it is profitable in part because it holds down wages. Downsizing in America shows that reducing employee rolls increased profits, since downsizing firms spent less money on wages relative to output, but it did not increase productivity.Nor did unions impede downsizing.The authors show that unionized industries were actually more likely to downsize in order to eliminate expensive union labor.In sum, downsizing transferred income from labor to capital—from workers to owners.

Downsizing in America combines an investigation of the underlying realities and causes of workforce reduction with an insightful analysis of the consequent shift in the balance of power between management and labor, to provide us with a deeper understanding of one of the major economic shifts of recent times—one with far-reaching implications for all American workers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Corporate downsizing: public perception versus reality
Headlines in the last decade of the twentieth century contained a steady drumbeat of corporate downsizing announcements. Now three professors of economics have used money from the Russell Sage Foundation to examine the record to see what actually happened to American firms during those stressful years. They wanted to know whether public perceptions matched reality.

The limited funds placed significant constraints on the resources available to the researchers. The value of their work depends heavily on their skill and judgement in using publicly available statistics and discrete private data bases to reveal more than at first sight evident. The result is a model of econometric technique.

The first conclusion is that newspaper media tended to favor the dramatic figures from large, well-known manufacturers. Manufacturing in America has been in long-term decline since 1967 and manufacturers have steadily shed jobs. So far, perception matches reality. However, agriculture and manufacturing only provide employment for 15% of the population, so this segment is not a good proxy for the entire economy.

What happened in the Service Sector that employed the other 85% of the population? Unfortunately, we can only see gross trends, because the government doesn't collect steady, detailed statistics on this segment. The researchers were forced to use some indirect techniques to tease out meaning from what was available.

"Downsizing", it turns out, is corporate-speak for upsizing. Firms laid off one set of workers - disproportionately less-educated, older, female or parents of young children - and hired on another set, by implication younger, male and single. Was the resulting workforce more productive? No, there was no change in employee productivity. Moreover, non-managerial employees bore the brunt of the layoffs, so that claims to be ridding the company of "fat" actually increased the management-to-staff ratio.

Did investors reward companies for their action? Perception says that downsizing is followed by an increase in the stock price. The reality is that stock prices remain steady or decline after downsizing announcements.

So what were the benefits of downsizing? The authors come to a surprising, but authoritative conclusion. Downsizing announcements force down staff wages so that the firm retains more profit. Simple really, isn't it?

"Downsizing in America" contains numerous graphs, tables, and economic formulae. Professors Baumol, Blinder and Wolff have spent the Sage Foundation funds wisely to "foster the development and dissemination of knowledge about the economy's political, social, and economic problems." ... Read more

Book Description

A management expert demonstrates a strategy for performance improvement. Schaffer applies "the simple and direct approach of the successful entrepreneur" (D. A. Noble) to corporate America. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Useful and practical methods for a turnaround
This book lays out some good, basic, and sound methods for turning around a problem organization. It should be called "The Breakthrough Tactics," because it is not written at a strategic level at all.

I work for an engineering/construction company. After reading the book, I have employed the author's method of identifying small areas for improvement to get momentum and build the confidence of a defeated organization. I have employed Schaffer's method to turn around a problem project, then restore a money-losing office to profitability.

I heartily endorse this book. I am told by a friend who works at Siemens that the book is required reading for management there.

Powerful Pinciples, execution a bit dated, still very usable
The key of the successful change is that the new systems get support from everyone in the organization. If you can do that, the results will be way beyond expectations. The question then is: "How does one energy people to get behind goals?"

This is a book about tapping an organization's "hidden reserve": the miracles people can perform if they are empowered to do so and if they understand the urgency of doing it. As the author indicates, the way companies are structured often discourage people to share their knowledge and to get this kind of performance.

The book presents guidelines for moving in the right direction, quite obvious messages such as making people accountable, giving them measurable goals (linked to the bottom line and having short-term first step) and assuring that people can really do things they like to do (by having people share their solutions).

In short, the message is simple, it has been told several times and still it seems difficult for people to really put it into practice. What is alarming to me is that I bought this book in 1992 and it didn't help me much, even if I recognize the values of the principles explained here. In fact, these principles surface is concepts such as "SMART goals" and in the "Balanced Scorecard.

To really make this work, I discovered one needs to complemented by principles such as systemic thinking, participative management and visionary leadership. You'll find some further clues about these subjects in my own book (see below) and in "Flawless Consulting" and in "Appreciative Inquiry".

Patrick Merlevede is the author of "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence"

There is real meat on the bone here...
Just as background, we have an organization with over 1,000 employees in multiple operating units, spread across many states. We needed some answers to some basic operating issues and went through dozens of books, seminars, consultants, etc., trying to glean a few good answers to current challenges.

This book by Shaffer has made a meaningful impact on my organization. It is mandatory reading for our senior management team. The book was written in 1988, so some of the stories are a bit dat