Leading Change
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Effectively Managing Change
  • Wow - thoughtful AND useful
  • Amazing!!
  • Still the definitive work on Change
  • Envision, introduce, sustain change. or die.
Leading Change
John P Kotter
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
LeadershipLeadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Organizational ChangeOrganizational Change | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
LeadershipLeadership | Harvard Business School Press | By Publisher | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Strategy PlanningStrategy Planning | Harvard Business School Press | By Publisher | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Finance | Accounting & Finance | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations
  2. Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
  3. Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
  4. The Heart of Change Field Guide: Tools and Tactics for Leading Change in Your Organization The Heart of Change Field Guide: Tools and Tactics for Leading Change in Your Organization
  5. Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

ASIN: 0875847471

Book Description

In Leading Change, John Kotter examines the efforts of more than 100 companies to remake themselves into better competitors. He identifies the most common mistakes leaders and managers make in attempting to create change and offers an eight-step process to overcome the obstacles and carry out the firm's agenda: establishing a greater sense of urgency, creating the guiding coalition, developing a vision and strategy, communicating the change vision, empowering others to act, creating short-term wins, consolidating gains and producing even more change, and institutionalizing new approaches in the future. This highly personal book reveals what John Kotter has seen, heard, experienced, and concluded in 25 years of working with companies to create lasting transformation.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Effectively Managing Change.......2007-08-17

In this book, Kotter methodically and carefully explains his eight-step process for creating major change in business organizations. He notes that the rate of organisational change has been increasing in recent years. The rapid and continual innovation in technology is driving changes to organisational systems and processes. There are also increased expectations of employees as they move more freely between organisations.

Kotter highlights the critical importance of leadership in any change programme. Strong, sustained leadership is crucial to changing deeply rooted corporate cultures and successfully implementing the change process.

John Kotter describes a helpful eight step model for understanding and managing change. Each stage acknowledges a key principle identified by Kotter relating to people's response and approach to change, in which people see, feel and then change.

In spite of the importance and permanence of organisational change, most change initiatives fail to deliver the expected organisational benefits. This book should help those involved in the change process to avoid the pitfalls and follow the eight steps that are explained in detail in the book.

Anyone planning or implementing a change programme will find the book useful, helpful and handy. The author presents the subject in a simple, concise, and easy to follow format.

5 out of 5 stars Wow - thoughtful AND useful.......2007-06-28

Kotter's book is a roadmap of how to introduce a culture change effectively into an organization. Similar to "Good to Great" (Jim Collins), the book is much better organized and thorough.

5 out of 5 stars Amazing!!.......2007-06-26

Have no further words to describe how increrable John Kotter brings in a easy way a subject so complex and important now-a-days. Indeed, it is recommend for all leaders who wants to take right decisions during turbulent times.

5 out of 5 stars Still the definitive work on Change.......2007-06-13

I have been working in the change arena for the last 15 years and Kotter's book on Leading Change is still the definitive work. Based on his seminal 1994 HBR article "Leading Change: Why Transformations efforts fail" this is the best down-to-earth guide for both consultants and managers leading change. It has good practical examples and straightforward arguments - no psychological mumbo jumbo.

5 out of 5 stars Envision, introduce, sustain change. or die........2007-05-09

Kotter gives us here a valuable handbook on how to visualize, introduce, and sustain change in an organization. Here are a few quotes:
"Handling new initiatives quickly is not an essential component of success in relatively stable or cartel-like environments. The problem for us today is that stability is no longer the norm. And most experts agree that over the next few decades the business environment will become only more volatile."
"Useful change tends to be associated with a multistep process that creates power and motivation sufficient to overwhelm all the sources of inertia."
The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • This book Is The Best of The Best!
  • Effectiveness, honesty, simplicity
  • Overcoming Inertia - Uniting New Knowledge with Action
  • Packed with Knowledge!
  • Knowledge alone is a watseful Investment
The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action
Jeffrey Pfeffer , and Robert I. Sutton
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ManagementManagement | Harvard Business School Press | By Publisher | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
MISMIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Decision-Making & Problem SolvingDecision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Organizational BehaviorOrganizational Behavior | Business Management | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management
  2. Weird Ideas That Work: How to Build a Creative Company Weird Ideas That Work: How to Build a Creative Company
  3. Thinking for a Living: How to Get Better Performances And Results from Knowledge Workers Thinking for a Living: How to Get Better Performances And Results from Knowledge Workers
  4. What Were They Thinking?: Unconventional Wisdom About Management What Were They Thinking?: Unconventional Wisdom About Management
  5. Human Equation: Builing Profits by Putting People First Human Equation: Builing Profits by Putting People First

ASIN: 1578511240

Amazon.com

Every year, companies spend billions of dollars on training programs and management consultants, searching for ways to improve. But it's mostly all talk and no action, according to Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton, authors of The Knowing-Doing Gap. "Did you ever wonder why so much education and training, management consultation, organizational research and so many books and articles produce so few changes in actual management practice?" ask Stanford University professors Pfeffer and Sutton. "We wondered, too, and so we embarked on a quest to explore one of the great mysteries in organizational management: why knowledge of what needs to be done frequently fails to result in action or behavior consistent with that knowledge." The authors describe the most common obstacles to action---such as fear and inertia---and profile successful companies that overcome them.

Among the companies that Pfeffer and Sutton say do it right: General Electric, the Men's Wearhouse, SAS Institute, Southwest Airlines, Toyota, and British Petroleum. The book, based on four years of research, is broken into chapters with titles such as "When Talk Substitutes for Action," "When Fear Prevents Acting on Knowledge," "When Internal Competition Turns Friends into Enemies," and "Turning Knowledge into Action." Each chapter contains tips on what to do and what to avoid, and provides examples of how a lethargic company culture can be transformed. The Knowing-Doing Gap is a useful how-to guide for managers looking to make changes. Yet, as Pfeffer and Sutton point out, it takes more than reading their book or discussing their recommendations. It takes action. --Dan Ring

Book Description

The market for business knowledge is booming, as companies looking to improve their performance pour billions of dollars into training programs, consultants, and executive education. Why, then, are there so many gaps between what firms know they should do and what they actually do? Why do so many companies fail to implement the experience and insight they've worked so hard to acquire? The Knowing-Doing Gap is the first book to confront the challenge of turning knowledge about how to improve performance into actions that produce measurable results.

Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, well-known authors and teachers, identify the causes of the knowing-doing gap and explain how to close it. The message is clear-firms that turn knowledge into action avoid the "smart talk trap." Executives must use plans, analysis, meetings, and presentations to inspire deeds, not as substitutes for action. Companies that act on their knowledge also eliminate fear, abolish destructive internal competition, measure what matters, and promote leaders who understand the work people do in their firms. The authors use examples from dozens of firms that show how some overcome the knowing-doing gap, why others try but fail, and how still others avoid the gap in the first place.

The Knowing-Doing Gap is sure to resonate with executives everywhere who struggle daily to make their firms both know and do what they know. It is a refreshingly candid, useful, and realistic guide for improving performance in today's business.

Download Description

Why are there so many gaps between what firms know they should do and what they actually do? Why do so many companies fail to implement the experience and insight they've worked so hard to acquire? The Knowing-Doing Gap is the first book to confront the challenge of turning knowledge about how to improve performance into actions that produce measurable results. Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, well-known authors and teachers, identify the causes of the knowing-doing gap and explain how to close it. The message is clear--firms that turn knowledge into action avoid the "smart talk trap." Executives must use plans, analysis, meetings, and presentations to inspire deeds, not as substitutes for action. Companies that act on their knowledge also eliminate fear, abolish destructive internal competition, measure what matters, and promote leaders who understand the work people do in their firms. The authors use examples from dozens of firms that show how some overcome the knowing-doing gap, why others try but fail, and how still others avoid the gap in the first place. The Knowing-Doing Gap is sure to resonate with executives everywhere who struggle daily to make their firms both know and do what they know. It is a refreshingly candid, useful, and realistic guide for improving performance in today's business.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars This book Is The Best of The Best!.......2007-07-26

This book hits the nail on the head. It's straight forward, easy to read format makes it a must read for every business leader who wants to get out from under knowing what to do and move to DOING the things that need to be done to move their organization forward!

5 out of 5 stars Effectiveness, honesty, simplicity.......2006-10-24

Certainly in modern hi-tech work people need to be skilled, and know how to do their work well. But with all that knowledge, and people and systems concerned with knowledge management (and management in general), one may wonder at times why more work doesn't get done sooner. The authors of The Knowing-Doing Gap address this question. If you see parts of yourself or your work environment in these examples, it may be time to discuss it with others so you can get more work done with what you know already.

5 out of 5 stars Overcoming Inertia - Uniting New Knowledge with Action.......2005-11-08

Two stellar professors use their experience and research to address the problem of organizational inertia in spite of our wide-spread and prevailing knowledge.

The premise is that a gap exists between our knowledge and the application of that knowledge in business... and that it can be closed. It cites that every year 1,700 business books are published, 60 billion dollars spent on training, 443 billion dollars spent on consulting and 80,000 new MBAs hit the business landscape... and still businesses are failing to apply the latest well-known and most viable principles and practices.

The authors break down the causes of this gap into five main reasons. After backing-up each reason with facts and examples, direct solutions are given to its remedy. Eight guidelines for action are then presented to fix this problem in your company. Case studies of business that have made huge turn-arounds using this appoach really amplify the authors' message.

This book is a great guide and loaded with ideas to getting the ball rolling in your business, non-profit organization... and dare I stretch to say your personal affairs. Knowing what to do, by itself is not enough... in businesses, churches or homes.

Application of this book's guidelines will make all of your other books, training, consulting, and manpower pay off. The tendency to just 'intellectualize' this information will be offset by your exposure to the real reasons knowledge hasn't lead to action in your experience. At least, that is the goal!

Five Stars

5 out of 5 stars Packed with Knowledge!.......2005-06-20

Comedian Bill Cosby once sang a metaphorical ditty about a man who sat on the railroad tracks each day, only to be hit by a train. He knew when the train was coming, but he just couldn't apply that knowledge to get out of the way. That circumstance will sound hauntingly familiar to corporate consultants. Consider the experience of two consultants conducting deregulation research for a Latin American utility company. They stumbled over an excellent 500-page report completed years previously by a prior consultant. The document had all the information and analysis the company was seeking, but it had never been utilized. Authors Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton expose the alarming gap between what senior managers know and what they actually implement. After four years of intensive research into this issue, they uncover valuable lessons on how to make sure your organization doesn't talk itself to death. Today's companies are struggling to overcome inertia and become more nimble. That's why we strongly recommend this book for managers at every level; if nothing else, you'll know what you ought to be doing.

3 out of 5 stars Knowledge alone is a watseful Investment .......2004-10-10

The only book on the very important subject I know off. The authors share their views on the their a well researched topic.
The key issues in Knowing Doing gap are 1. Top management 2. The culture 3. Aura of being knowledgable 4. Focus on sounding great with less emphasis on performance 5. Faulty Measurements 6. Fear.

They also cite exeample of companies that have less of this gap by focussing on simplicity, communcation that is imlementation oriented, simple plans that work rather than complex issues such as balance score cards. They indirectly bring out the fact that Top management gap in understanding of the ground realities, has a direct bearing on knowing doing gap.

Going by their own emphasis to help readers in reducing the knowing doing gap, they could have reduced the descriptive nature of the book. They could have inserted an overview chart, showing the various symptoms of knowing doing gap in one column, ccauses, remedies, good co examples in another column. Subsequesnt revisions of this book may consider this feedback.
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • great read on the subject of social entrepreneurs
  • A historical and biographical account of social entrepreneurial heros and heroines
  • Feel better about the world
  • A few good people . . .
  • Not a "how to" but "how they did" change the world.
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas
David Bornstein
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Volunteer WorkVolunteer Work | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Philanthropy & CharityPhilanthropy & Charity | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
All DealsAll Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
NonfictionNonfiction | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
NonfictionNonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty
  2. Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs Enterprising Nonprofits: A Toolkit for Social Entrepreneurs
  3. The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks) The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid: Eradicating Poverty Through Profits (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)
  4. Capitalism at the Crossroads: Aligning Business, Earth, and Humanity (2nd Edition) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks) Capitalism at the Crossroads: Aligning Business, Earth, and Humanity (2nd Edition) (Wharton School Publishing Paperbacks)
  5. The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank The Price of a Dream: The Story of the Grameen Bank

ASIN: 0195138058

Book Description

What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are, writes David Bornstein, the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up--and remake the world for the better. How to Change the World tells the fascinating stories of these remarkable individuals--many in the United States, others in countries from Brazil to Hungary--providing an In Search of Excellence for the nonprofit sector. In America, one man, J.B. Schramm, has helped thousands of low-income high school students get into college. In South Africa, one woman, Veronica Khosa, developed a home-based care model for AIDS patients that changed government health policy. In Brazil, Fabio Rosa helped bring electricity to hundreds of thousands of remote rural residents. Another American, James Grant, is credited with saving 25 million lives by leading and 'marketing' a global campaign for immunization. Yet another, Bill Drayton, created a pioneering foundation, Ashoka, that has funded and supported these social entrepreneurs and over a thousand like them, leveraging the power of their ideas across the globe. These extraordinary stories highlight a massive transformation that is going largely unreported by the media: Around the world, the fastest-growing segment of society is the nonprofit sector, as millions of ordinary people--social entrepreneurs--are increasingly stepping in to solve the problems where governments and bureaucracies have failed. How to Change the World shows, as its title suggests, that with determination and innovation, even a single person can make a surprising difference. For anyone seeking to make a positive mark on the world, this will be both an inspiring read and an invaluable handbook.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars great read on the subject of social entrepreneurs.......2007-02-20

I enjoyed reading this book because it reminded me of chicken soup where every chapter started a new story about someone.

5 out of 5 stars A historical and biographical account of social entrepreneurial heros and heroines.......2006-03-02

I found it inspiring and at the same time intimidating to contemplate the brilliant, hardworking people who inhabit this book. All of them committed their lives, talents, and fortunes to tackle seemingly endemic and chronic social problems, starting small and eventually spreading their good works throughout their nations and even globally. I recommend the book for anyone trying to improve their communities' health and welfare.

3 out of 5 stars Feel better about the world.......2006-02-25

The book has several good stories about good things going on in the world. It's mostly a collection of anectodal items on people in different countries and the challenges they faces. I was surprised on how sometimes such common sense ideas become revolutionary movements. Because the book covers so many countries and problem solvers you don't find out about the people that came before that failed. Its clear that these people are building on others but just now how.

The book is a great study of characteristics that shape a person to become a leader in a national or regional social justice movement. It is quite interestign how people from separate worlds and cultures have such similar traits.

I recommend the book to those that are looking for any broader discussion on leadership and social justice. We used this for our first book in a book club that we started and it was a good lead to other discussions.

5 out of 5 stars A few good people . . ........2005-09-21

This account of one man's efforts to revise the defintion of "entrepreneur" demonstrates the capacity of what can be achieved from small beginnings. Bill Drayton has created a "consulting" firm that girdles the world. Creator and promoter of Ashoka, a foundation dedicated to social change, Drayton uses a highly selective arrangement to locate and encourage people desiring social change. Their efforts, rarely, if ever, depicted in either mainstream media or even specialty publications, are here explained and endorsed. As is Drayton's unorthodox methods. Yet those methods, and the people adapting them to local conditions, have been demonstrably successful. They need further study and application.

Drayton, through Bornstein's depiction, has redefined the term "entrepreneur" from its narrow economic framework into a broader and more flexible environment. Money "profit" is no longer the basis for evaluation. Instead, how widely can a new idea and its promoter[s] affect betterment of the people shunted aside by pure capitalism? Is the multinational the sole or even the major means for offering employment and economic gain? Must the values implied by major infusions of capital, often with restraints tied to the investment, be limited to what firms successful in developed countries decide? Drayton argues that instead of "top-down" economic structures, change for the better should come about by local initiative. How far this idea has spread is exemplified by the map opening the book. From Brazil to Bangladesh, people with drive, patience and talent have made, and are making substantive changes within their communities, regions and entire nations.

The book provides real examples of people who identified a problem, then set about to improve conditions that had come to be accepted by social inertia. His opening example, that of Fabio Ruiz of Palmares, demonstrates how effective one person can be. Ruiz, living in a depressed area in Brazil, discovered how greatly something most of us take for granted, electrical power, could influence a local economy. Ruiz observed the condition of the rice farmers in the state. A steady supply of water would allow growth of successful crops. Erratic natural supplies, often interdicted by highland farmers, meant turning to groundwater supplies. Groundwater means pumps and petrol-driven pumps were expensive. Ruiz instituted an inexpensive method of distributing electricity throughout the area. The farmers provided the minimal investment and performed much of the labour. As electrification spread, farmers produced steady crop returns, reaching a level that led to marketing co-ops and economic independence. The programme meant dealing with banks, bureaucracy and competiton. Ruiz and his associates doggedly promoted their success, finally seeing it adapted to other regions. It's an object lesson for many rural farmers in the developing world.

Drayton's methods require a draconian approach to assessing ideas, programmes and the people behind them. Once an idea is presented, the obstacles and restraints must be planned for. A good suggestion isn't enough. The people seeking Ashoka's support must demonstrate they can follow through and adapt to changing conditions or outright opposition. From Brazil, through Africa, into the Subcontinent of India and its neighbours, back through Europe and North America, his evalution teams are constantly assessing, inquiring, and selecting those individuals and their plans for improvement. Money, of course, must be stretched to the limit. Government funding is a bane to most NGOs, since too many conditions are generally tied to resource allocation. Drayton's entrepreneurs must demonstrate their proposals are good enough to use with local resources. Only that way can they be launched into a project with Ashoka support. These projects aren't limited to developing countries alone. Bornstein shows how these examples may be applied to any community feeling their social advancement is under restraint. The models are clearly spelled out in detail. The only thing lacking in your community is the individual who can clearly identify the problems and find innovative ways of implementing the solutions. Is that you? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

5 out of 5 stars Not a "how to" but "how they did" change the world........2005-09-19

This book has 15 or so case studies on how people, all Ashoka fellows, made significant social impacts on their part of the world. It also spends a significant numbers of pages describing the Ashoka program itself; It is kind of a "cheerleader" for Ashoka which is less interesting than the case studies. The case studies are very detailed and give uninformed readers like me an understanding of how other people have created successful social programs that benefitted their society. If that is what you are looking for, I highly recommend this book.
The Consultant's Quick Start Guide: An Action Plan for Your First Year in Business
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • I can't believe I paid for this "book"
  • Simple - Bordering Simplistic
  • Waste of Time and Money
  • Relatively worthless
  • You could find better...
The Consultant's Quick Start Guide: An Action Plan for Your First Year in Business
Elaine Biech
Manufacturer: Pfeiffer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ConsultingConsulting | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Getting Started in Consulting, Second Edition Getting Started in Consulting, Second Edition
  2. Consulting for Dummies Consulting for Dummies
  3. The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals The Contract and Fee-Setting Guide for Consultants and Professionals
  4. The Consultant's Toolkit: High-Impact Questionnaires, Activities and How-to Guides for Diagnosing and Solving Client Problems The Consultant's Toolkit: High-Impact Questionnaires, Activities and How-to Guides for Diagnosing and Solving Client Problems
  5. Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional's Guide to Growing a Practice

ASIN: 0787956678

Book Description

Your complete blueprint for starting out in the consulting world!

Consulting can be a most rewarding career--but being good at consulting is not always enough to keep your business profitable. The Consultant's Quick Start Guide offers a practical approach to setting up a consulting business. Throughout the guide, Elaine Biech--author of the best-selling The Business of Consulting--shares both her own secrets as well as those of numerous other successful consultants. With a focus on the business side of consulting, Biech takes you through a painless, fill-in-the-blanks, step-by-step process for setting up your consulting firm.

The book includes information on how to:

  • Develop a dynamic business plan
  • Market consulting services
  • Establish a professional office
  • Meet critical legal requirements
  • Change for services
  • Build client relationships
  • Grow the business
  • Ensure continued professional growth
  • Make money in the business

    Learn the skills you need to be a successful consultant with this indispensable guide!

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars I can't believe I paid for this "book".......2007-10-22

    This is my first review of any Amazon purchase.

    This book is pre-basic. If you have no working knowledge of how even fundamental business is operated (such as opening up a checking account for business expenses), then you have no basis skill set to become a consultant...at least, not one that anyone will take seriously. This book could be wrapped up into one small magazine article in the back section of Glamour magazine.

    2 out of 5 stars Simple - Bordering Simplistic.......2005-11-07

    Too simple, bordering simplistic. I would have hoped for some deeper advice addressed to people who are assumed to be more sophisticated and lettered than the average person.



    1 out of 5 stars Waste of Time and Money.......2004-09-23

    This book is awful...a complete waste of time for anyone with half a brain...if you only have half a brain, feel free to buy it. It's overly simplistic, obvious, insultingly simple and unlikely to help a budding consultant make a dime. If you want REAL advise, pick up any of Alan Weiss's books.

    2 out of 5 stars Relatively worthless.......2004-06-25

    Although Biech makes a number of good points in her text here, the vast majority of it can be chocked up to common sense. The workbook fill-in forms are nice if you're the sort of person that is so unorganized that you need your hand held at every step, but in all honesty if you fall into that category you probably shouldn't be thinking about a consulting career in the first place. Unfortunately I feel like their primary purpose is just to take up space, and make the book feel longer and more useful than it really is. If you boil this "quick start guide" down to the few pages that are actually worthwhile, you wouldn't even have enough pages to fill a pamphlet. Look elsewhere.

    2 out of 5 stars You could find better..........2003-07-02

    Ok, so I wasn't impressed...

    This book is definately good at one thing: it makes you think about some important issues of starting your own practice, and it has lots of assignments that I think may be useful. That earns it two stars.

    However, what makes this book less useful than, say, "getting started in consulting" (A. Weiss), is the fact that there is no emphasis on creating value for your customer(and setting your fees based upon that value). What Biech is saying is actually that you should divide what you think you should earn in a year by the days you expect to work etc. So whether you help a client gain $50000 or $500000 added value should make no difference on your paycheck... Being value- oriented would help you wether we're talking about gaining clients, getting your fair pay or establishing business relationships. This book hardly touches the issue, even though it's important in so many areas of the business.

    What I'm saying boils down to this: There being so many better books on the subject, I see no reason to buy this one. I did, and I'd rather have spent my money on something else.
    Make Success Measurable!: A Mindbook-Workbook for Setting Goals and Taking Action
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The Bottom Line of Success
    • Learn How to be SMART
    • Ten Management Principles for Leading Change
    • A useful and practical book.
    • Read this book and apply its lessons
    Make Success Measurable!: A Mindbook-Workbook for Setting Goals and Taking Action
    Douglas K. Smith
    Manufacturer: Wiley
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Human Resources & Personnel ManagementHuman Resources & Personnel Management | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Systems AnalysisSystems Analysis | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Goal Setting 101 : How to Set and Achieve a Goal! Goal Setting 101 : How to Set and Achieve a Goal!
    2. Goal Setting Forms : Tools to Help You Get Ready, Get Set, & Go for Your Goals! Goal Setting Forms : Tools to Help You Get Ready, Get Set, & Go for Your Goals!
    3. On Value and Values: Thinking Differently About We in an Age of Me On Value and Values: Thinking Differently About We in an Age of Me
    4. The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals The Magic Lamp: Goal Setting for People Who Hate Setting Goals
    5. What Are Your Goals: Powerful Questions to Discover What You Want Out of Life What Are Your Goals: Powerful Questions to Discover What You Want Out of Life

    ASIN: 0471295590

    Book Description

    "Performance begins with focusing on outcomes instead of activities. In my experience, most people in most organizations most of the time do the reverse. They concentrate their efforts on the pursuit of activities instead of outcomes. As a result, they rarely set or achieve performance results that matter."

    Today's performance challenges demand outcomes-both financial and nonfinancial-that must simultaneously benefit customers, shareholders, employees, and management. Therein lies a cycle of sustainable performance that functions as a framework to ensure your organization's goals are set, met, and balanced for today's business world.

    Make Success Measurable! enables you to avoid activity-based goals that can go on indefinitely, and articulate aggressive outcome-based goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

    This is a how-to book, emphasizing outcomes as opposed to actions in setting goals. You'll learn how to: Set goals that matter to customers, shareholders, and funders. Set nonfinancial as well as financial goals and link them together. Understand and use outcome-based goals that support success while avoiding activity-based goals that produce failure. Select and use management disciplines needed to achieve your goals. Smith provides the what's and why's behind today's performance challenges and shows how to convert them into measurable concrete achievements.

    Using an innovative approach, Smith divides each chapter into an explanatory Mindbook section and a practice Workbook section. The Mindbook sections provide descriptions and explain key concepts, frameworks, tools, and techniques. They seek to build your intellectual understanding of how to set and achieve the performance goals that matter.

    The Workbook sections include detailed examples and exercises that you and your colleagues can use to practice the concepts, tools, and techniques put forth in the Mindbook section. Workbook exercises allow you to convert understanding into action-and action into results! "Doug Smith's work on performance and measurement has been an invaluable management resource for us. We believe that if you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Thanks to Doug, we can focus on the right measures to drive performance against today's many new and different challenges throughout our enterprise."-Leon Gorman, President, L.L. Bean, Inc.

    "Make Success Measurable! is a practical and powerful step-by-step guide to setting and achieving the goals we all need to accomplish in a constantly changing and challenging world."-Charles Dolan, Chairman, Cablevision Systems Corporation.

    "No one writes as clearly about today's key management issues as Doug Smith. Whether you're in a small eCommerce startup or a large, already established organization, the frameworks, tools, techniques, and exercises contained in this book are the only things you'll need to manage the performance that matters to your customers, your people, and your shareholders."-Steve Goldstein, CEO, eChores and former CEO, American Express Bank.

    "Achieving results that matter-to donors and clients-is the true measure of success for any nonprofit organization. This book provides a thoughtful and extremely practical guide for setting goals and effectively meeting them. It is an absolutely indispensable tool for leaders and a model for good management."-Jenna Dorn, President, National Museum of Health.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The Bottom Line of Success.......2002-08-12

    Make Success Measurable! is definitely becoming the Bible at work. Very well written, and Smith's ideas are well-supported. We've received positive feedback from clients, and we've expanded our client base because of this good word-of-mouth. I strongly recommend Make Success Measurable! It's as good as Guerilla PR: Wired, which focuses on techniques to getting solid public relations coverage, especially nowadays.

    5 out of 5 stars Learn How to be SMART.......2000-10-05

    You can rarely pick up a job description in the public or private sector that does not include a statement seeking "demonstrated experience and success working with the principles of quality management and a commitment to customer service." One of the cornerstones to quality management is the ability to focus on outcomes instead of activities.

    Make Success Measurable is filled with practical techniques. Even more, it is a workbook, providing opportunities to apply new concepts to real work. Whether you want to be able to create more focus within your own work unit, be able to demonstrate tangible results to your manager, prioritize your own work by aligning your day to day activities with the most important initiatives, or coach customers who are seeking your expertise in developing performance measures, this book can help.

    As a result of reading this book and trying the exercises, you should be able to:

    1) Convert new visions, strategies, and directions into achievable outcome-based goals that can better yourself and others in your organization.

    2) Set goals that are specific, measurable, aggressive, achievable, relevant, and time bound. (SMART Goals)

    3) Set goals that matter to those expecting a return on their funding dollars.

    4) Set goals that matter to you personally in terms of opportunities, rewards, and skills.

    5) Choose from a variety of management disciplines to achieve your goals.

    6) Set goals that matter to customers who want speed, quality, and prompt service.

    5 out of 5 stars Ten Management Principles for Leading Change.......2000-06-05

    "I believe you will benefit from this book because the challenge of setting and achieving performance goals has become very confusing". Douglas K. Smith writes, "It has been more than 30 years since Peter Drucker wrote about the importance of managing for results. His work led to the widespread practice of management by objective. But an awful lot has happened in the past 30 years. The world of business and organizations has changed dramatically, turning many of Drucker's specifics (though not his wisdom) upside down. In the aftermath of total quality, customer service, time-based competition, strategic alliances, globalization, reengineering, core competencies, continuous improvement, innovation, teams, horizontal organization, benchmarking, best place to work, information technology, diversity, environmentalism, deregulation and reregulation, eCommerce, and privatization, those of us left standing in today's organizations are unsure about what performance goals and outcomes make the most difference and why. We know that setting performance goals is key to managing ourselves and others, but we no longer know how".

    Douglas K. Smith organizes his book in four parts. In the first part (Chapters 1-4), he provides the background, concepts, tools, techniques, and frameworks you need to set specific outcome-based goals that matter to successfully navigate today's most pressing performance challenges. In the second part (Chapters 5-7), he focuses on helping you align and coordinate goals throughout your organization. In the third part (Chapters 8-10), he describes the management disciplines you need to achieve your goals and how to make choices among them. In the fourth part (Chapter 11), he concludes the book with a step-by-step design for building an outcomes management system in your organization.

    In this context, in Chapter 10, he reviews the management disciplines you must understand in order to succeed in the face of change, and introduces the critical distinction between decision-diven change and behavior-driven change, and describes how to manage each successfully. Hence, he argues that most change efforts fall far short of their potential. Usually that's because leaders fail to address the deep behavioral changes they are seeking. And thus, he lists the following ten management principles as the heart of any successful change effort:

    1. Keep performance results the primary objective of behavior and skill change.

    2. Continually increase the number of individuals taking responsibility for their own change.

    3. Make sure that each person always knows why his or her performance and change matters to the purpose and results of the whole organization.

    4. Put people in a position to learn by doing and provide them with the information and support they need just in time to perform.

    5. Embrace improvisation as the best path to both performance and change.

    6. Use team performance to drive change whenever demanded.

    7. Concentrate organizational designs on the work that people do, not on the decision-making authority they have.

    8. Create and focus energy and meaningful language because these are the scarcest resources during periods of change.

    9. Stimulate and sustain behavior-driven change by harmonizing initiatives throughout the organization.

    10. Practice leadership based on the courage to live the change you wish to bring about.

    Finally, he argues that if you expect others to change their behavior, you have to change yours. It's as simple and as hard as that.

    I strongly recommend.

    5 out of 5 stars A useful and practical book........1999-11-27

    This is one of those rare books that makes it points clearly and then guides your through exercises that reinforce its key messages.

    I found the book incredibly helpful in preparing realistic plans that set you up for success. I have used it extensively to help me design major projects and I am well on my way toward measurable success on those goals.

    5 out of 5 stars Read this book and apply its lessons.......1999-03-04

    Make Success Measurable tells you how to set business goals that matter for shareholders, customers, and employees. That is good advice, and it is backed up by "workbook" exercises that help you focus on what is really important. The "mindbook-workbook" format makes room for exercises that you can work on with your colleagues at the office. I found that the "mindbook" portion held my interest as an individual reader. I started getting REALLY interested about halfway through the book when Smith introduced the concept of "working arenas" - the different groupings of people (sometimes in multiple companies) that are necessary to achieve these goals. Smith explains that you need to shape your goals and methods to fit the appropriate working arena, rather than a pre-set corporate structure. If you work in a complex organization, you should read this book and apply its lessons.

    I would compare Make Success Measurable very favorably to the Kaplan and Norton book on The Balanced Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard tends to be vague and anecdotal on the subject of how to set measurable goals, and it is hard to finish. In contrast, Smith packs his book with original analysis and specific recommendations on topics like "Vertical versus Horizontal Management Disciplines" and "Injecting Creative and Personal Tension into Goals". The Balanced Scorecard presents a four way cause and effect chain from employees through process improvements, customers, and shareholders. Make Success Measurable presents a three way performance cycle as including employees who provide value to customers who provide rewards to shareholders...who provide rewards to employees and so on. The "process" piece doesn't appear in Smith's analysis, because focusing on process measures doesn't necessarily help anyone. In fact, it is a trap that can lead to meaningless work. Smith encourages us to focus on "outcomes" - measures that matter directly to employees, customers, and shareholders. This brings us quickly to reality and hopefully to consensus with our colleagues. Get real. Get this book.
    Knowledge for Action
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Another attempt for racionality behind human behavior
    • The one book to read on ending office politices
    Knowledge for Action
    Chris Argyris
    Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Organizational ChangeOrganizational Change | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    MotivationalMotivational | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
    All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Health, Mind & BodyHealth, Mind & Body | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice Organizational Learning II: Theory, Method, and Practice
    2. Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series) Theory in Practice: Increasing Professional Effectiveness (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series)
    3. Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning Overcoming Organizational Defenses: Facilitating Organizational Learning
    4. Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action
    5. Reasons and Rationalizations: The Limits to Organizational Knowledge Reasons and Rationalizations: The Limits to Organizational Knowledge

    ASIN: 1555425194

    Book Description

    Must reading for academics and executives alike. Leading business scholar Chris Argyris helps readers understand why individuals and organizations are unable to learn from their action, then presents the steps that must be taken to change.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Another attempt for racionality behind human behavior.......2000-12-11

    I must confess I do not have psychological background. From my humble point of view, all books like this, look at "the good and rational background" of people. They have the premise that all the staff is doing their best but "strange forces" makes them not to get the optimum for the organization. So, the goal is overcoming those refraining forces. I do believe that behavior of people is headed for their own rational interest which is not always the best for the company. In adition, we are looking for rationality in behavior which is only part of the truth. Is not envy, jealousy, narrow-minded, stuborness and so on, part of human being behavior?. without them, we only have part of the great picture and so, remedies will not work properly. Apart from that, the book is well organized and explains clearly the models the author is working with and the methodology used. Premises are strong and goals interested which lead to good results (provided human being were not as they are).

    5 out of 5 stars The one book to read on ending office politices.......1997-07-01

    Argyris cuts to the heart of why organizations go wrong with a combination of passion and precision. Several authors who have written about effective teams and organizations such as Peter Senge and Gerald (Jerry) Weinberg regard Argyris's work quite highly, and rightly so. While other authors talk about and round the problems and issues, Argyris creates models which show not just what people do, but how they think. Other books in the field of Organizational Design that I have looked at appear dry as dust next to Argris. Readers should be cautioned, however, that Argyris is a academic and researcher -- reading his books requires work, but work well worth the effort. - Cortlandt Wilson, Software Consultan
    Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • 250 pages of wisdom
    Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed
    Frances Westley , Brenda Zimmerman , and Michael Patton
    Manufacturer: Random House Canada
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    TerrorismTerrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Reframing Evaluation Through Appreciative Inquiry Reframing Evaluation Through Appreciative Inquiry
    2. Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World
    3. Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges
    4. Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science
    5. Edgeware: insights from complexity science for health care leaders Edgeware: insights from complexity science for health care leaders

    ASIN: 0679314431
    Release Date: 2006-09-05

    Book Description

    A practical, inspirational, revolutionary guide to social innovation

    Many of us have a deep desire to make the world around us a better place. But often our good intentions are undermined by the fear that we are so insignificant in the big scheme of things that nothing we can do will actually help feed the world’s hungry, fix the damage of a Hurricane Katrina or even get a healthy lunch program up and running in the local school. We tend to think that great social change is the province of heroes – an intimidating view of reality that keeps ordinary people on the couch. But extraordinary leaders such as Gandhi and even unlikely social activists such as Bob Geldof most often see themselves as harnessing the forces around them, rather than singlehandedly setting those forces in motion. The trick in any great social project – from the global fight against AIDS to working to eradicate poverty in a single Canadian city – is to stop looking at the discrete elements and start trying to understand the complex relationships between them. By studying fascinating real-life examples of social change through this systems-and-relationships lens, the authors of Getting to Maybe tease out the rules of engagement between volunteers, leaders, organizations and circumstance – between individuals and what Shakespeare called “the tide in the affairs of men.”

    Getting to Maybe applies the insights of complexity theory and harvests the experiences of a wide range of people and organizations – including the ministers behind the Boston Miracle (and its aftermath); the Grameen Bank, in which one man’s dream of micro-credit sparked a financial revolution for the world’s poor; the efforts of a Canadian clothing designer to help transform the lives of aboriginal women and children; and many more – to lay out a brand new way of thinking about making change in communities, in business, and in the world.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars 250 pages of wisdom.......2007-09-02

    This is an extraordinary book that changed my view of the world in the first 25 pages. While the main focus of the book is a set of principles and approaches to adopt if one is trying to make the world a better place, the principles can be applied more broadly to everyday life. The authors show how small interactions with complex systems can produce disproportionately significant results if one first understands the system, using examples such as Yunus's micro-lending in bangladesh.
    Everyone should read this book.
    Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan That Really Works
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Excellent Strategic Planning Book
    • I had to buy this book for a class
    • Applied Strategic Planning by Leonard D Goodstein, Timothy M
    • Very good, plus...
    • A sea of knowledge, one centimeter deep
    Applied Strategic Planning: How to Develop a Plan That Really Works
    Leonard Goodstein , Timothy Nolan , and J. William Pfeiffer
    Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Systems & PlanningSystems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Human Resources & Personnel ManagementHuman Resources & Personnel Management | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Natural ResourcesNatural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    All Amazon UpgradeAll Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast! Simplified Strategic Planning: A No-Nonsense Guide for Busy People Who Want Results Fast!
    2. Strategic Thinking: A Step-By-Step Approach to Strategy, Second Edition Strategic Thinking: A Step-By-Step Approach to Strategy, Second Edition
    3. High Impact Tools and Activities for Strategic Planning: Creative Techniques for Facilitating Your Organization's Planning Process High Impact Tools and Activities for Strategic Planning: Creative Techniques for Facilitating Your Organization's Planning Process
    4. Team-Based Strategic Planning: A Complete Guide to Structuring, Facilitating and Implementing the Process Team-Based Strategic Planning: A Complete Guide to Structuring, Facilitating and Implementing the Process
    5. Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd Edition Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd Edition

    ASIN: 0070240205

    Book Description

    Written by three top consultants and trainers, Applied Strategic Planning shows managers and CEOs a clear, totally effective way to identify and implement strategic objectives.

    Applied Strategic Planning surpasses other strategic planning models in many key areas, including:

    Goodstein, Nolan, and Pfeiffer take managers through all phases of the strategic planning process, including:

    Containing charts, diagrams, and checklists along with illuminating examples from the authors, extensive consulting experience, and even cartoons that convey important points, Applied Strategic Planning lets managers at the helm navigate expertly through today's unpredictable business climate.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Excellent Strategic Planning Book.......2006-08-01

    While browsing through the strategy books, I saw it by chance. I went through the table of contents, hoping it might turn out to be the right one for me as a startup strategy manager. It indeed turned out to be an excellent book on strategic planning in respects of coverage, sequencing of chapters and examples given. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to make progress in strategic planning in a relatively short time.

    3 out of 5 stars I had to buy this book for a class.......2006-03-02

    So, it wasn't exactly an "optional" purchase. It's a little dry, like a text book usually is. But information is overall good.

    5 out of 5 stars Applied Strategic Planning by Leonard D Goodstein, Timothy M.......2005-05-19

    In Applied Strategic Planning, the authors give a comprehensive step-by-step guide to conducting applied strategic planning. They clearly demonstrate organisations' need for strategic planning. The book is different from other strategic planning models in some significant ways. The major differences are in the values scan, organisational culture, strategic business modelling and integrating business and functional plans. The authors emphasise the importance of application considerations and environmental monitoring as on-going processes throughout the planning period. The authors produced a high quality book that is an important reference source whenever I need to undertake strategic planning.

    The book provides the reader with an overall understanding of the process of applied strategic planning and the required steps and technology for using the model in a strategic planning process. The strategic planning model covers application and implementation from the inception of the plan to the post-implementation phase, making it very practical.

    The model involves nine sequential steps as well as two continuous functions, namely environmental monitoring and application considerations, that are involved at each of the sequential phases. The sequential steps are planning to plan, followed by values scan, then mission formulation followed by strategic business modelling. Performance audit and gap analysis follow, these two being different aspects of a single phase. The last three phases are integrating action plans, contingency planning and implementation.

    I read the book because I would like to increase my proficiency in and knowledge of practical strategic planning and to sharpen my consultancy skills. The book is very practical and easy to follow. As a consultant, I should be able to use the methodology in the course to manage the planning process.

    Applied strategic planning provides an appealing model for transforming organisations. The model is future focused and leadership driven. It involves all people in an organisation. It produces a plan that is detailed, comprehensive, understood and accepted, and has the potential to generate energising force to drive the transformation of an organisation.
    After going through the book, I feel confident that I could act as a consultant for any organisation.

    5 out of 5 stars Very good, plus..........2003-06-24

    This is a very good book. In addition to this, I recommend "Strategic Organizational Change" by Michael Beitler.

    4 out of 5 stars A sea of knowledge, one centimeter deep.......2000-08-25

    This book widely specifies WHAT to do in strategic planning but it hardly explains HOW to do it. What I expect when reading this kind of topics is not the concept but rather the application procedures and practical techniques for implementing those concepts in an effective and innovative way. In consequence, I found this book repetitive and non productive for planning specialists. However it may serve a lot to beginners and students.
    From Business Strategy to IT Action: Right Decisions for a Better Bottom Line
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Great book!
    • From Business Stratey to IT Action
    • Bottom Line --> Results
    • One of the best books on the subject!
    From Business Strategy to IT Action: Right Decisions for a Better Bottom Line
    Robert J. Benson , Tom Bugnitz , and Bill Walton
    Manufacturer: Wiley
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Decision-Making & Problem SolvingDecision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Systems & PlanningSystems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    MISMIS | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
    Manager's Guides to ComputingManager's Guides to Computing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
    Information SystemsInformation Systems | Software Engineering | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
    All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Business & InvestingBusiness & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Computers & InternetComputers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Managing IT as a Business: A Survival Guide for CEOs Managing IT as a Business: A Survival Guide for CEOs
    2. IT Portfolio Management: Unlocking the Business Value of Technology IT Portfolio Management: Unlocking the Business Value of Technology
    3. IT Governance: How Top Performers Manage IT Decision Rights for Superior Results IT Governance: How Top Performers Manage IT Decision Rights for Superior Results
    4. Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution Enterprise Architecture As Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution
    5. Strategic IT Portfolio Management Strategic IT Portfolio Management

    ASIN: 0471491918

    Book Description

    From Business Strategy to IT Action gives companies of all sizes the tools to effectively link IT to business strategy and produce effective, actionable strategies for bottom-line results. The authors present CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and IT managers with a powerful and accessible resource packed with such useful material as:
    * The Strategy-to-Bottom-Line Value Chain, which integrates the management practices relating to planning, prioritization, alignment, and assessing a company's entire IT budget
    * Methods for using IT Impact Management to establish IT culture and performance models for the business/IT connection
    * The IT Improvement Zone, which quickly identifies where a company can focus its energies for maximum results
    * And much more

    Download Description

    From Business Strategy to IT Action gives companies of all sizes the tools to effectively link IT to business strategy and produce effective, actionable strategies for bottom-line results. The authors present CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, and IT managers with a powerful and accessible resource packed with such useful material as:
    * The Strategy-to-Bottom-Line Value Chain, which integrates the management practices relating to planning, prioritization, alignment, and assessing a company's entire IT budget
    * Methods for using IT Impact Management to establish IT culture and performance models for the business/IT connection
    * The IT Improvement Zone, which quickly identifies where a company can focus its energies for maximum results
    * And much more

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Great book!.......2005-09-30

    Only few words to say that this book was very useful to let me introduce a clear project portfolio framework in the enterprise in which I work (bank, IT department).
    "Concrete", "Best practices" are the most "plus" of this book.

    A very good book!

    5 out of 5 stars From Business Stratey to IT Action.......2004-04-10

    Drawing from a wealth of success in balancing business requirements with IT solutions, the authors of "From Business Strategy to IT Action" have identified the elements required to keep IT budgets in-line with the overall goals of the business. As many IT managers know it is easy to get caught up in the swirl surrounding keeping the "lights on" and lose focus about using technology to bring value to the organization in ways that help achieve the goals necessary to move the organization forward. I particularly liked the chapter devoted to discussing the culture of an organization. As they point out, losing sight of the bottom-line is easy when organizations get hung up on the culture of the institution and continue to do things the old way rather than routinely evaluating the goals of the organization with an eye toward improvement. To quote them, "New Information Economics (NIE) is a set of practices and principles for moving from business strategy to IT action to bottom-line impact". To me this means staying focused on the business of the organization and not getting caught up in thinking that IT is in business for itself.

    5 out of 5 stars Bottom Line --> Results.......2004-03-17

    This book provides solid, rational, and most importantly, actionable guidance for managers and executives faced with the challenge of identifying, evaluating, and prioritizing their IT spend. The authors provide a concise, structured framework which leads the reader through a step-by-step process to make reasoned decisions about both steady state ("lights on") expenditures and new project investments. The writing style is clear, fluid, and easily digestible. Each chapter includes fact-filled charts and diagrams to make the concepts come alive, along with a chapter summary, targeted questions, plus additional reading references. From defining goals, asking the penetrating "right questions," through charting a path to implementation, this truly is a guidebook to learning how to control spending while concurrently maximizing the impact on your bottom line. This book should be required reading before the beginning of your next planning cycle. Whether you've been in the IT business for a year, a decade or longer, you will undoubtedly benefit from the multiple layers of insight contained within this book. Note: I also recommend sales personnel absorb the concepts in this book -- if you understand how your customers are evaluating IT investment decisions, you can communicate the value your offerings will deliver in a manner which will better resonate with the decision maker.

    5 out of 5 stars One of the best books on the subject!.......2004-03-17

    I've read a stack of books related to this subject, and this is one of two books that I think hit the bullseye and that I recommend to peers and clients (the other is Value-Driven IT Management, ISBN 0750659254).

    What I most like about this book is the highly focused, clearly defined approach to transforming strategy into action. In fact, 'action' is the main characteristic of this book, both in writing pace and in the results you can achieve if you follow the map the authors provide. Chapter 1 leads you through defining your goals that links the strategy to your bottom line. This establishes the methodology that you'll follow through the rest of the book.

    Each subsequent chapter is a milestone in the process of transforming strategy into action. What I like is the consistent format, which starts with "Ask the Right Questions", then listing steps, ending with a summary. More importantly, the bottom line remains the focus of this book from start to finish. This keeps the reader's attention on the goals, business issues and costs.

    The topics covered in each step represent best practices that should be present in any organization that is mature enough to undertake a business-IT alignment. For example, portfolio management, prioritization techniques, and aligning to a value chain are addressed, In addition, the challenges faced by both business and IT are uncovered, with advice on how to meet them during the process. Finally, the book sets forth the transformation process in a well ordered sequence that will get you from inception to meeting all objectives if followed. The chapters on scoring and measurement are invaluable.

    One topic that makes this book exceptionally valuable is the introduction of the Business Value Maturity Model™. This model, in my opinion, is the missing link in the quest for Business-IT alignment initiatives, and one that I hope gets wider dissemination than in this book. Other aspects of the book that I especially like include the excellent use of graphs and diagrams, and the absence of empty claims and theory. The material is clear, actionable and realistic. Think of this book as both a compass and blueprint. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough, particularly to organizations that are struggling with business-IT alignment.
    Leading in a Culture of Change Personal Action Guide and Workbook
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Leading in a Culture of Change Personal Action Guide and Workbook
      Michael Fullan
      Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      LeadershipLeadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      ManagementManagement | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. Leading in a Culture of Change Leading in a Culture of Change
      2. Leadership & Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action Leadership & Sustainability: System Thinkers in Action
      3. The Moral Imperative of School Leadership The Moral Imperative of School Leadership
      4. Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement, Second Edition Results: The Key to Continuous School Improvement, Second Edition
      5. Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership (Jossey-Bass Education) Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership (Jossey-Bass Education)

      ASIN: 0787969699

      Book Description

      Leading in a Culture of Change: Personal Action Guide and Workbook is an essential companion to Michael Fullan's bestselling book, Leading in a Culture of Change. This practical guide is designed to help leaders in all sectors (corporate, education, public, and nonprofit) manage and drive productive change within their organizations. 

      The workbook is filled with illustrative case examples, exercises, and resources that you can use with individuals or groups. It will help you (and any change agent) integrate the five core competencies—attending to a broader moral purpose, keeping on top of the change process, cultivating relationships, sharing knowledge, and setting a vision and context for creating coherence in organizations—and empower you to deal with the issues of complex change. 

      Books:

      1. Love 'Em or Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (3rd Edition)
      2. Manufacturing the Future: A History of Western Electric
      3. Marketing Management (12th Edition) (Marketing Management)
      4. Mentor Manager, Mentor Parent: How to Develop Responsible People and Build Successful Relationships at Work and at Home
      5. Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen
      6. Napoleon Hill's A Year of Growing Rich: 52 Steps to Achieving Life's Rewards
      7. New Business Ventures And The Entrepreneur
      8. Norman Vincent Peale: Three Complete Books: The Power of Positive Thinking; The Positive Principle Today; Enthusiasm Makes the Difference
      9. Opening a Restaurant or Other Food Business Starter Kit: How to Prepare a Restaurant Business Plan and Feasibility Study
      10. Organizing from the Inside Out, second edition: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life

      Books Index

      Books Home

      Recommended Books

      1. Beyond the Bubble: How to Keep the Real Estate Market in Perspective--and Profit No Matter What Happ
      2. Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude
      3. Emerging Markets: A Practical Guide for Corporations, Lenders, and Investors
      4. History: Fiction or Science
      5. Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means
      6. Rio for Partiers: The visual travel guide to Rio de Janeiro
      7. Mostly on the Edge: An Autobiography
      8. Atomic Energy Costing
      9. Ending Poverty As We Know It: Guaranteeing a Right to a Job at a Living Wage
      10. Handbook of Edible Wild Plants and Weeds, Vol 1, Handbook