Goodbye Profit System: Update

Book Description

SPANISH EDITION. This is an inspirational book for everyone who wants to be successful as a leader.

Book Description

TRANSFORMING STRATEGY INTO SUCCESS: How to Implement a Lean Management System

George Shinkle, Reb Gooding, and Mike Smith

Transforming Strategy into Success: How to Implement a Lean Management System introduces lean principles to the realm of corporate leadership and management. The authors provide a practical and comprehensive approach to implementing strategic intent in organizations through the use of lean management systems, strategic planning, lean enterprise management, leadership, and team building. This book is filled with real-life success stories that illustrate how companies have profited through the use of this lean methodology.

Unique features include a new model for a lean management system, management systems diagramming, and a circular systems model for strategic direction setting. The approach presented is founded upon employee alignment through involvement and building employee buy-in to support implementation.

Simple, comprehensive, and practical, Transforming Strategy into Success is a must read for lean practitioners, lean learners, and organizational leadership.

2004, ISBN 1-56327-299-7, Hardcover, 272 pages, $35.00

Endorsements for TRANSFORMING STRATEGY INTO SUCCESS

"Transforming Strategy into Success contains the basic philosophy of the Toyota Production System applied to management. Everybody can utilize the content as a practical guide." Takehiro Kubo, Group Manager Overseas Customer Service Technical Division

Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan

"Impressive in its breadth, staggering in its implications. If you have been waiting for "Hands On, No Nonsense" material to help you understand the Lean Journey, Transforming Strategy into Success is it. Get started! Buy it! Use it! It works! I am now on my 6th "Lean Journey" and believe this is definitely a must read for my direct reports as this systematic approach will help you accomplish the initial steps on this journey in much less time." Dr. Willie P. Ozbirn Director North American Operations Invensys Climate Controls Invensys Plc

"Economic Security for nations will come from Technology Development and Commercialization of Intellectual Property. This book does an excellent job explaining about the " Lean " Concept to help companies be better, faster, cheaper and different than their competition. It is a must read . . . especially for the governments who want to have freedom, prosperity and High Tech Brain Trust jobs for their people." Ilker "Ike" Bayraktar Vice President AeroVironment Inc.

"The concepts and methodology described in Transforming Strategy into Success enabled us to achieve our growth and profit objectives. It is tremendous!" Matthias M. Rosenbaum Former Managing Director KS Kolbenschmidt, Germany

"Outstanding. A wonderful methodology to apply lean principles to management systems and the total enterprise. It works." Steve Davis Engineering Director Visteon Corporation

Customer Reviews:

Leadership Brackets Practical Steps to Lean Enterprise.......2004-03-17

George Shinkle, Reb Gooding and Mike Smith have captured very practical steps to developing a lean enterprise by leading off with the importance of leadership and concluding with the same. Their very extensive "internship" at General Motors and Delphi show through in the practical process steps and helpful worksheets. A valuable resource for those of us trying to move from where we are to where we want to go.

Leadership Brackets Practical Steps to a Lean Enterprise.......2004-03-17

Book Description

In response to the success of Jodie Bushman's The Big Book of Decorative Borders, this second title comes packed with all-new borders, ornamentations and embellishments. Whether readers want to liven up their scrapbooks, living rooms or craft projects, they'll find the perfect border in 450 Decorative Borders You Can Paint. This book includes:

-Fresh designs for every age, room, season and taste featuring flowers, leaves, lace, vines, ribbons, scrolls, fruit and more! -An easy-to-follow section on painting techniques -More than 30 three-step borders -Hundreds of borders to copy right from the book -10 new step-by-step projects featuring a variety of surfaces and techniques

Book Description

Abraham Lincoln's remarkable emergence from the rural Midwest and his rise to the presidency have been the stuff of romance and legend. But as Douglas L. Wilson shows us in Honor's Voice, Lincoln's transformation was not one long triumphal march, but a process that was more than once seriously derailed. There were times, in his journey from storekeeper and mill operator to lawyer and member of the Illinois state legislature, when Lincoln lost his nerve and self-confidence - on at least two occasions he became so despondent as to appear suicidal - and when his acute emotional vulnerabilities were exposed.

Focusing on the crucial years between 1831 and 1842, Wilson's skillful analysis of the testimonies and writings of Lincoln's contemporaries reveals the individual behind the legends. We see Lincoln as a boy: not the dutiful son studying by firelight, but the stubborn rebel determined to make something of himself. We see him as a young man: not the ascendant statesman, but the canny local politician who was renowned for his talents in wrestling and storytelling (as well as for his extensive store of off-color jokes). Wilson also reconstructs Lincoln's frequently anguished personal life: his religious skepticism, recurrent bouts of depression, and difficult relationships with women - from Ann Rutledge to Mary Owens to Mary Todd.

Meticulously researched and well written, this is a fascinating book that makes us reexamine our ideas about one of the icons of American history.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best books on rhetoric and on Lincoln.......2007-08-23

Honor's Voice is terrific in two respects: both for its insights into Lincoln and for its insights into effective communication. I recommend it to anyone who uses words for a living, and for anyone who wants a fascinating, insightful look into how Lincoln crafted some of the most important speeches in our nation's history.

A brilliant examination of Lincoln's pre-presidential years........2007-08-05

This book staggered me. Its careful research is combined with acute observations by author Wilson, on topics ranging from a fateful wrestling match that made Lincoln's reputation in a frontier village to Lincoln's bewilderment when courting Mary Todd. Wilson here produced one of the finest volumes ever to appear in the crowded field of Lincoln books. For anyone interested in how Lincoln's pre-presidential years shaped his conduct in the White House, Honor's Voice will be rewarding. It is one of the most significant Lincoln biographies I have ever read.

When Honors Rules - Everyone Is A Winner.......2006-01-22

This is one of the most astonishing books I have ever read. I love history and yet this portrait of Abraham Lincoln is so much more. Had he been a Blacksmith, he would have been a hero. This was a man, a real man - no the greatest of men...who could not dissemble, lie, cheat, even when it came to marrying a woman that he knew (after they became engaged) would risk ruining his very life. He entered into a promise...and he would not go back on it. Of course, in those times, Breach of Promise (please read Anne Perry's book on this), was a serious offense against a woman's honor. But Lincoln carried this same integrity into everything he did no matter how difficult or huge - like the Civil War. I would hope that any student of American history would not miss out on this very important Masterpiece. As the cliche goes, if we do not learn from our own history, we are doomed (you know the rest....).

Not the first Lincoln book to read, but unique, and one of the best.......2005-12-26

The reason this shouldn't be the first Lincoln book you read is that the author presupposes that the reader already has a basic command of Lincoln's life story. This book really speaks to those who are familiar with the various bits of Lincoln lore that permeate our culture: his wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, his courtship of Ann Rutledge, his off-and-on-again relationship with Mary Todd, and various accounts of his bookishness, his depression, and his early flirtations with agonisticism, among others.

Having said that, I like this book more than any of the standard Lincoln biographies I own (I have the Thomas, Donald, and Sandburg bios.) The very best thing to read, of course, is Lincoln himself (his collected speeches and writings), but of the biographies written by others, this may be my favorite.

The author dissects several of Lincoln's often-told formative experiences. In one example, he will explore the story of the wrestling match with Jack Armstrong, and ask:

-- When is the earliest surviving account of the story, and what is the source?
-- How has the story evolved over the years?
-- How true is it? What does the evidence show?
-- What is the significance of the story?

For those who don't know the Jack Armstrong story, it is basically as follows: Lincoln was getting harassed by a gang of toughs in his town, and to deal with it, he challenged their leader, Jack Armstrong, to a wrestling match. The match was widely anticipated and witnessed, and Lincoln had the better of Armstrong. Afterwards, Armstrong restrained his allies, saying that Lincoln had won fair and square, and afterwards, he was a loyal friend to Lincoln, as were his associates.

Like so many stories in the Lincoln canon, it's become a parable. It is a lesson about courage and forthrightness and insisting on fair play. In Lincoln's case, it also fills out the legend about his own physical strength, and how he became popular in his home town.

Wilson's book analyzes many such stories. The anecdotes have varying degrees of truth, though on balance, most of the standard Lincoln tales do appear to be based in fact, even if they have become embellished over the years.

You will like this book if you already enjoy the history of Lincoln, and if you like a little skeptical scientific inquiry thrown into your reading material. The reader is asked to travel along with the author as he gets to the bottom of the various issues surrounding Lincoln, and it's an enjoyable journey.

I personally feel that this book is much more pleasant than as a mere exercise in critical history. I found that the dissection of these stories brought Lincoln much more fully to life for me. You get a much more multi-faceted view of the man because you aren't really relying on one author's perspective, as tends to be the case in other Lincoln biographies.

It's an unusual work of history, and not the first Lincoln book to read, but it truly is outstanding. Highly recommended.

A Good Guide to Conflicting Evidence.......2003-03-11

Teachers in criminal justice classes, I am told, often stage mock crimes in their classrooms. In the middle of a lecture, for example, a bandit will barge in, threaten the students, and make off with the professor's wallet. The students, at first shocked but then relieved when told that it was a staged event, are then asked to describe the event. What did the suspect look like? How tall was he? What color hair did he have? What was he wearing? What did he say? Invariably, there are multiple answers to those questions. People saw different things. No one version of what occurred is totally accurate.

Wilson's book confronts that perennial problem of human perception. Though his 'transformation of Lincoln' plows familiar ground - how one solitary, unschooled backwoods man transformed himself into a national, albeit polarizing figure, through willpower, endurance, ambition, guts, and brains - his careful forensic method, as judge and jury of a multitude of competing facts and interpretations, makes this book a compelling tale, as much about how history is written as it is about how Lincoln evolved.

And this is why I disagree with the reviews that describe this book as long-winded, tough-sledding and over-detailed. In Honor's Voice, Wilson provides a valuable glimpse into the historian's bag of tricks. Wilson takes each of the iconic moments of Lincoln's life - his storied wresting match with Jack Armstrong, his self-education, his disastrous romance with Ann Rutledge - and peels apart the layers, examining the historical record as closely as possible, evaluating the claims of eyewitnesses and second-hand sources, and holding each up to scrutiny before making any assertions; and even then, he is admirably cautious. Wilson presents a lot of quotes, exactly as written, from contemporaries who witnessed, or claimed to have witnessed, crucial events in Lincoln's life, and asks: Is this the truth? Who could have benefit from enhancing the truth? Who was really there? What about the quote lends it authenticity, or falsity? Yes, the narrative covers the same event numerous times, but this is the price one pays of exactness. Like the criminal justice students who have competing recollections of a recent event, not one of Lincoln's contemporaries knows the whole truth. But taken together, one gets a more clear picture of what might have happened.

The risk, of course, is boredom and the frustration of dealing with multiple sources of the same event; but the reward is a new appreciation of Lincoln the man, as well as the historian's challenge of teasing out the facts in an era long since vanished.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

A witty and heartfelt depiction of small town life.

No - Account Angels
Eva Lou O'Malley
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Midwest | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0738832960

Book Description

Small-town Southern Illinois was not as boring as it sounds. Every day brought a new challenge, and usually, something to cry over or laugh at. I didn't always see the funny side then, but I do now.

When I was a small child, I believed I had a guardian angel watching over me, protecting me from trouble. Later, after many near-disasters, I began to doubt. her devotion, even her existence. How it all worked out and what I learned along the way is what this book is about.

As I was writing this memoir, I sometimes laughed and sometimes cried. But that's what a life is made of, after all.

Customer Reviews:

A witty and heartfelt depiction of small town life........2001-04-13

No-Account Angels is a soulful account of small town life, one surprisingly filled with extraordinary events.

This book not only journeyed with me on many an airplane ride, in which I found myself most reluctant to put it away, but also captivated my interest into the wee hours of the morning on more than one occasion.

Never before have I felt so connected with an author. It was as if I was reading about myself...not so much in the events of her life, but in her thoughts and feelings throughout these events. Like the author, I laughed and cried when reading this earnest portrayal of life in a small Illinois town. We possess the power to change our own lives...perhaps with a little help and protection of a guardian angel.

Average customer rating:

A collection of management examples in a compact package

A Solid Effort!

A Multi-perspective Structured Decision Process

Not as scintillating as the title portays...

A bad decision

The 75 Greatest Management Decisions Ever Made: ...And 21 of the Worst
Stuart Crainer
Manufacturer: AMACOM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Forbes Greatest Business Stories of All Time (Forbes)

ASIN: 081440491X

Book Description

What is the common thread tying together such diverse and seemingly unrelated figures as Mickey Mouse, the Marlboro Man, Julius Caesar, and P. T. Barnum? Find out in THE 75 GREATEST MANAGEMENT DECISIONS EVER MADE, a pithy compendium celebrating pinnacles of decision-making that have shaped management through the ages--and left their indelible impressions on business and society.

Sometimes controversial, sometimes irreverent, but always witty and informative, this book represents managerial genius across all (not just business-related) spectrums. Each entry describes a feat of management brilliance, extracts the invaluable lessons it contains, and explores its ultimate impact.

Readers will learn about the history-making decisions (some of them from highly surprising sources) that gave rise to: the assembly line, the first reliable system of weights and measures, the credit card, the discovery of America, print and television advertising, the Walkman, Microsoft, CNN, the mainframe computer, the PC, the weight-loss industry, market research, mass production, brand management, and more. And, as icing on the cake, as well as for balance, objectivity, or maybe even a few laughs (or moans and groans), THE 75 GREATEST MANAGEMENT DECISIONS EVER MADE also exposes 21 of the worst management decisions ever made.

Customer Reviews:

A collection of management examples in a compact package.......2002-03-11

Anyone coming into this book looking for a deep case study of decisions will be disappointed. This book is more of an introductory survey course into business decisions made - the decision is cited, given a page of explination and the lessons to be derived are bulleted to end the section. Some of the decisions are a stretch - noting the posting of a reward for a runaway slave as the first example of advertising. It's as if he took a number of management textbooks, distilled them into one cliff notes version and presented it in themed chapters. Yet that is why the book is so informative - you are exposed to a wide variety of decisions with the meat extracted for quick digestions. Decisions are stripped from a lot of their extraneous outcomes, and focus is put on what makes them great (or worst in the appendix). It is a launching point - giving you examples and letting you think beyond the story. The reader is left to ponder many of the points brought up. It is to show you how seemingly little things (Microsoft retaining the right to license DOS to other companies) can build empires. Sit down, read and absorb the examples, and then try to apply them to your decisions.

A Solid Effort!.......2001-05-09

Great authors, historians, musicians, and sports stars are usually included in end of the year "best" lists. Managers rarely show up on such lists. This book highlights 75 history-making management decisions that changed the way we think, live, and work. The decisions profiled remind executives that great management requires experience, vision, the ability to take risks, and good luck. This entertaining volume also covers 21 truly mistaken management decisions, a valuable contrast. We [...] recommend this book to executives and managers who would like to be able to recount colorful war stories about some ups and downs in the evolution of management.

A Multi-perspective Structured Decision Process.......2001-02-19

Stuart Crainer describes good management decisions made throughout history based on the ideas and insights of "executives, consultants, academics, commentators, and opinionated people from the business would and elsewhere"(p.xvi). The 75 greatest decisions are arranged under ten headings. They are Industry Inventors, The Name Game, Getting on, Marketing Magic, Lucky foresight, Leading by Example, Competitive Advantages, Bright Ideas, and People Power. Under each heading Crainer provides specific examples of decisions made and offers lessons learned. Although Crainer recognizes management as a scientific process and that management science has a place in decision making, he, also, contends that reality is often more complex than analytical models allow for. Crainer states that decision making does not always allow for consistent, systematized, or rational thinking. On human-side of decision making process, the author holds that emotion or prejudice also play a large part in the decision making process. He, also, contends that managerial decision making is based on intuition, experience, and analysis. While he believes analysis is a crucial part of decision making, he states that intuition and experience cannot be measured. He calls these components the "mysterious art" of management.

In the section titled "Industry Inventors," Crainer recognizes those who created a new industry. Examples range from a posting of an advertisement by a slave owner to locate slaves in 100 BC to Bill Gates decision to license MS-DOS to IBM in 1981. Most notables are the example of Henry Ford's decision to start his own company in 1903. Crainer argues that this decision led to the first industrial mass production line, created a market for automobiles, and provided and outlines for industrial production. Ford, also, saw the potential for international operations and established his first sales branch abroad in France in 1908. The lessons stated by Crainer were to create your vision and that flexibility is a must. He holds that Ford saw the potential for a mass market for automobiles and created a means to provide it. He, also, feels that Ford's inflexibility in production and limiting of choices caused him to lose ground. Ford failed to focus on the need for marketing.

"The Name Game" section focuses on the importance of a name. While this section offers only three examples, the discussion of Thomas Watson, Sr. deciding to change the name of Computing Tabulating Recording Company to International Business Machines was cited. IBM had no international operations at the time, but Crainer describes this as a "bold statement of ambitions"(p.28). The lessons cited for this example include thinking big and thinking internationally.

In "Marketing Magic" Crainer holds that marketing is the essence of business. He, also, describes that great marketing decisions are noted for their simplicity, opportunism, and success. Crainer quotes Philip Kotler as saying, "Good companies will meet needs; great companies will create markets." (p.37) Richard Sears' decision to put his products in a catalog, thus opening a new rural market and the decision by Mattel to extend its Barbie brand by introducing Ken in 1961 are examples presented in this section. However, the lessons learned in the example of Harley-Davidson are invaluable. The example states the decision of Harley executives to start the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G) as a strategy that worked to get customers more involved with the brand. The lessons from this example include loving the product, connecting with customers, and making quality and issue. Crainer states that the executives' decision to form the group demonstrated a deep commitment to a product. At the time of publication, the H.O.G. had 325,000 members, demonstrating a true connection with customers. By using branding and name recognition for its products, Harley-Davidson also insisted on a high quality regime. Crainer describes that some decisions are based on luck, foresight, and gut reactions in the "Lucky Foresight" section. The most notable example in this sections that of the creation of the Walkman radio by Sony. Sony's chief Akito Morita is quoted as saying that "the public does not know what is possible, we do"(p.77) when faced with the need for market research. Morita envisioned the Walkman when he noticed that young people liked listening to music wherever they went. The lessons described by Crainer include starting with a philosophy, trusting your nose, and forgetting market research. Morita's philosophy help spawn Japan into an industrial power as opposed to the belief that Japanese products were substandard.

The author illustrates the ethical elements to decision making in "Leading by Example." He describes the decision of Aaron Feuerstein of Malden Mills to keep his business open and 2400 people on the payroll after a fire destroyed his factory. Crainer depicts Malden Mills as unusual for a business in 1995. In an environment of downsizing, Malden Mills held onto traditional corporate values of loyalty and trust. Feuerstein used his personal savings account to maintain the payroll for the 2400 employees displaced due to the fire. In return for his loyalty, the factory was back at almost full capacity in 90 days and the employees' productivity and quality increased dramatically. The lessons learned from this example are clear, ethics pay and businesses are a large part of the community and the community is a large part of the business.

In the next section Crainer portrays examples of good organizational designs. Of note in this section is the description of Michael Dell's decision to bypass dealers and sell direct to consumers. The demonstration of supplying superior customer service, decreasing costs, and improving product design are just some of the lessons learned from this example. "Getting On" describes the need for managing your own career. Crainer states, The route to outstanding performance is to identify and improve your unique skills, and then find jobs or assignments that match your skills, values, and so on." (p.123). An interesting example used to illustrate this concept was the decision by Napoleon to promote people based on merit. In a time when inherited nobility determined promotion, Napoleon recruited based on talent, irrespective of nobility. The lessons from this are that talent rules and understanding motivation are crucial.

"Competitive Advantage" heading begins with a description of Porter's five competitive forces. Crainer relates that competitive advantage changes and can be bought. Interestingly, Crainer depicts Harvard Business School in this section. Crainer proffers that "no other school can match this potent combo of branding, finance, and ivy." (p.149). Crainer states that with the development of the Harvard Business Review and the HBS fund that Harvard created a place for itself. The major lesson learned from this example is customer loyalty. The Business School relies on alumni and donations to maintain its HBS fund for financial aid to its students.

In "Bright Ideas" Crainer describes that you make your own luck. He states, "luck may come your way, but you still have to convert it into business reality." (p.175). Crainer depicts the creation of McDonald's in this section. He describes how McDonald's began as the idea of two brothers and was developed by Ray Kroc. The lessons learned include seeing the opportunity, maintaining control, and insisting on quality.

In his final section, "People Power," Crainer recites the establishment of a center for executive development by GE in 1956. Ahead of its time, GE recognized the need to develop its managers and incorporate the organizational culture. Many companies such as. Ford, Intel, Apple, and Sun Microsystems, have since followed suit. The lessons here are in developing people for the future and that leaders must teach. Unfortunately, Crainer did not take as much care in describing bad decisions as he did with great ones. The 21 worst decisions may be placed for humor rather than true learning. Examples include the selling of the bottling rights for Coca-Cola, Apple's refusal of cloning its operating system, Xerox's turning down the first PC, and the failure of Matsushita to license Betamax resulting in the commonplace VHS video. Crainer does not delve into the reasoning behind these poor decisions to offer any true lessons from the results.

Crainer, while acknowledging the existence of analysis in decision making, seemed to place a much greater focus on gut feelings as a basis. I am sure that all of the great decisions involved much more analysis than described in this book, however, it was refreshing to note that relying on your gut is still acceptable, when it works. I am assured that since one can justify, and communicate his decision that any means necessary to reach it are reasonable and defendable. However, de

Not as scintillating as the title portays..........2000-05-22

I give this book 3 starts - not because of all the lessons I learned but because I enjoyed getting some of the history behind the decisions and about some of the companies. I think other than enjoying this history in some of the stories (which because of the way it is written it is easy to pick up and put down - and skip to the next if not interested) I would have given it two stars.

I found that while in some cases Mr. Crainer would bring up new companies and share some interesting insight, in many others he focused on the same companies (HP, IBM, Ford). I would have like to have had good decisions made by one company in 'One' of the decisions instead of in a number of them.

Frankly, I was also disappointed by the "21 Worst" as well. #17 for example read: "American Express's travails deserve mention. An almost dysfunctional management team led by CEO James Robinson III damaged the Amex brand. Robinson's grand strategy to turn the company into a financial supermarket collapsed. In 1993, Robinson was replaced as CEO by Harvey Golub, but not before the company's Shearson Lehman brokerage subsidiary had eaten up about $4 billion in capital before being sold off."

That's it. There is nothing to describe what it is that happened to creat the $4B capital loss or the decision that went into making it the worst. I struggle to see what learning or benefit I, as a reader, can gain from this "worst decision". Other sited decisions, in my opinion, were similar.

Unless you are interested in some history about some of the companies/decisions, I would recommend spend your reading time on another book.

A bad decision.......2000-02-07

If you buy this book, you will make the 22nd worst decision.

The examples included in the book are not based in actual business decisions, irrespective of what the title says,althuough in the discussion of the examples chosen, the author tries to link the example chosen with daily business situations,with irregular success.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Chief Executive (U.S.), published by Chief Executive Publishing on May 1, 2000. The length of the article is 718 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The 75 Greatest Management Decisions Ever Made[ldots] and 21 of the Worst.(Review) (book review)
Publication: Chief Executive (U.S.) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2000
Publisher: Chief Executive Publishing
Page: 71

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Great Management Decisions.(Brief Article): An article from: The Futurist

Average customer rating:

Great Management Decisions.(Brief Article): An article from: The Futurist

Manufacturer: World Future Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on March 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1165 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Great Management Decisions.(Brief Article)
Publication: The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2000
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: 34 Issue: 2 Page: 7

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books