Book Summary | In Search of Excellence

Book : In Search of Excellence

Author: Tom Peters & Robert H Waterman

In search of Excellence is a book on research using 7S (Strategy & Structure (hardware), Style, systems, Staff, Skills, and shared Values (software)) framework of McKinsey as the authors were working with McKinsey. The book was first published in 1982 and thought that was striking the mind is after 22 years is it makes relevant to today’s competitive and technology companies.   To identify the rational of the excellence companies the author had chosen over 43 companies out of the Fortune 500 and held them up as defenders of excellence, measured by six financial yardsticks such as Compound asset growth, Compound equity growth, Ratio of market value to book value, Return on capital, Return on equity and Return on sales to validate the secrete behind driving excellence. The best part is even today these companies are doing well and there are case studies shard in the book. However one drawback is the analysis and comparison of these shortlisted companies are not been reported.  My key insights from the book are

·         Quality and Service are invariable hallmarks. The excellent companies require and demand extraordinary performance from average man. Service, Quality, Reliability are the strategies aimed at loyalty and long term revenue stream growth. Three themes in an effective service orientation

1.      Intensive, active involvement on the part of senior Management

2.      A remarkable people orientation

3.      High intensity of measurement and feedback  

·         Excellent companies has the ability to manage ambiguity and paradox. Excellence companies had gotten to be the way they are because of a unique set of cultural attributes that distinguish them from the rest. The excellent companies have developed cultures that incorporated the values and practices of the great leaders.

·         Tools are biased towards measurement and analysis. Paralysis through analysis syndrome. Tools didn’t substitute for thinking. Intellect didn’t overpower wisdom. Analysis didn’t impede action. Rather these companies work hard to keep things simple in a complex world.

·         Eight attributes of excellent, innovative companies are

1.      Bias for action, for getting on with it

2.      Close to customer

3.      Autonomy and entrepreneurship

4.      Productivity through people

5.      Hands-on, value driven.

6.      Stick to the knitting

7.      Simple form, lean Staff

8.      Simultaneous loose tight properties

·         Good mangers make meanings for people, as well as money. Treating people – not money, machine, or minds as the key natural resource. Majority of businessmen are incapable of original thought because they are unable to escape from the tyranny of reason. Gamesmanship replaces pragmatic action. Mangers job is decision making. Make the right calls. Make the touch calls. Managers job is to keep things tidy and under control. Get the incentives right and productivity will follow. Three items – inventories, profits and sales – form a crucible for managers.

·         The exclusively analytic approach run wild leads to an abstract, heartless philosophy. To be narrowly rational is often to be negative. Today’s version of rationality does not value experimentation and abhors mistakes. The excellent company response to complexity is fluidity. The rational model causes us to denigrate the importance of values. Fluidity, chunking and experimenting are interestingly abetted by the character of the excellent companies’ formal system.

·         Managing process is an interactive flow of three variables; Path-finding, decision making and implementation.

·         Our control systems are designed under the apparent assumption that 90 percent of the people are lazy. Association with past personal success apparently leads to more persistence, higher motivation, or something that makes us to do better.

·         Negative reinforcement will produce behavioural change, but often in strange, unpredictable, and undesirable ways. Positive reinforcement causes behavioural changes too, but usually in the intended direction. Two ways to accomplish shift – First we attempt through positive reinforcement to lead people gently over the time to pay attention to new activities.  Secondly the reinforcement should have immediacy. Third system of feedback mechanisms should be account to achievability. Listening carefully, frequently speaking with encouragement and reinforcing words with believable action.

·         Excellent companies tap the inherent worth of the task as a source of intrinsic motivation for their employees.  Excellent companies know to manage Paradox. Excellent companies are learning organisations. Human needs in the organisation are

1.      People need for meaning

2.      People need for modicum of control

3.      People need positive reinforcement to think of themselves as winners in some sense

4.      Degree to which actions and behaviors shape attitudes and beliefs.

·         Small group is the most visible of the chunking devices. Small groups are quite simply the basic organisational building blocks of excellent companies. The true power of the small group lies in the flexibility.

·         Five fundamental attributes of companies close to the customer

1.      Astute technology manipulations

2.      Pricing skill

3.      Better segmenting

4.      A problem solving orientation

5.      Willingness to spend in order to discriminate.

·    Excellent companies have 5 attributes of communication system that seems to foster innovation

1.      Communication systems are informal

2.      Communication intensity is extraordinary

3.      Communication is given physical supports

4.      Forcing devices

5.      The intense, informal communication system act as remarkable tight control system.

• ·         Excellent companies do acquire; but they acquire and diversity in an experimental fashion.

https://www.amazon.in/Search-Excellence-Americas-Companies-Essentials/dp/0060548789

Book Summary | It's Your Ship

Book: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy - It’s Your Ship 

Author: Captain D Michael Abrashoff.

 

The book contains practical lessons from his experience of transforming the USS Benfold, previously one of the worst performing ships in the US Navy.  His management techniques provide a unique collection of best practice, which can be used with as much success in the business world as they have had in the military. Whether it is Armed Forces or the Organisations, all leaders face common challenge of getting the most out of the crews (Employees). This depends upon the three variables – The Leader’s needs, The organisation’s atmosphere, and the crew’s potential competence. This is where the book provides the leadership examples of overcoming through 11 practices of leadership tested at Benfold. Leadership lies in simple things – common-sense actions that ensure high morale and increase the odds of winning.  Leaders must be willing to put the ship’s performance ahead of their egos.

Chapter I – Take Command

Top reasons for people quitting the organisations  | Not being treated with Respect or dignity | Prevented from making an impact on the organisation | Not being listened | Not being rewarded with more responsibility and compensation is the fifth reason for quitting.

• -       The key to being a successful Leader is to see the ship through the eyes of the Employees
• -         Empowering means defining the parameters in which people are allowed to operate and then setting them free. As a leader empower the people to take decision and whenever the consequence of a decision had the potential to kill or injure someone, waste taxpayers money, or damage the ship, make leader to be consulted.

Chapter II – Lead by Example

• -          A leader will never accomplish what he or she wants by ordering it done.
• -          It’s funny how often the problem is Leader.  
• -          Never forget your effect on people: Mediocre leaders don’t even take the trouble to know their people.  Enthusiastic leader, will have enthusiastic workforce.
• -          Leaders know how to be held accountable
• -          Obey even when you disagree.

Chapter III – Listen Aggressively

• -          See the ship through the crew’s eyes
• -          Find round people for round holes
• -          Use the power of word magic –

Chapter IV – Communicate purpose with Meaning

• -          Make your crew think we can do anything
• -          Open up the clogged channels
• -          After creating a great band, Defend It
• -          Freedom creates Discipline

Chapter V – Create a climate of Trust

• -          Never pit dog against dog – Internal bickering and posturing does nothing for the bottom-line.
• -          Even the worst screw-up may be redeemable
• -          Welcome the bad news messenger – Mid level managers should be the one to survery the grey areas and provide directions.
• -          Protect your people from lunatic bosses – Helping your boss when he or she needs you badly is a pretty good investment.
• -          Trust also makes money

Chapter VI – Look for Results not Salutes

• -          Help knock down the barriers
• -          Let your crew feel free to speak up – Facts are facts and deserve attention not retribution.
• -          Free your crew from tip down its
• -          Nurture the freedom for fail
• -          Innovation knows no Ranks
• -          Challenge your crew beyond its reach

Chapter VII – Take Calculated Risks

• -          Bet on the people who think for themselves
• -          Take a chance on a promising sailor
• -          If a rule doesn’t make a sense, Break it

Chapter VIII – Go beyond Standard operating Procedure

• -          Keep your priorities in Focus
• -          Stay ahead of the competition
• -          Push the envelope for Innovation
• -          Go for the obvious, it’s probabaly a winner
• -          Don’t work harder, work smarter

-          Innovation and progress are achieved only by those who venture beyond Standard operating procedure.

Chapter IX – Build up your people

• -          Little things make big successes
• -          Trust people., they usually prove you’re right
• -          Expect the best form your crew. You will get it
• -          Build a strong, deep bench
• -          Counsel continuously and Honestly

Chapter X – Generate Unity

• -          Forget diversity. Train for unity
• -          Deal out punishment strictly but fairly  - First take background and circumstances into consideration before passing judgement. Second help wrongdoers become better citizens.

Chapter XI – Improve your people’s Quality of Life

• -          Fun with your friends makes a happy ship
• -          In heavy times, lighten up
• 
  

 https://www.amazon.in/Its-Your-Ship-Michael-Abrashoff/dp/145552302X

Book Summary | Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World

Book Name :  Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World 

Author: Zig Ziglar 


Today we live in a smart world where kids are more smarter, faster and technologically advanced than parents. Today the kids are more sensitive. Today although technology has advanced, this also had lead to growing negativity in the world and kids are victims of the same. Therefore raising them in a positive way becomes necessary.  This book was first published in 1985 and still the content is relevant to todays digital world.

# To raise positive kids we’ve got to use many essential ingredients – Love, Discipline, Forgiveness and many other qualities all wrapped in any abundance of care and commitment for our children’s eventually well-being. 
# Attitude building is highly important and the author suggests the three gems for building attitude: Faith, Hope & Love:
Faith: Faithfulness is an attitude; It speaks of the qualities of trust, reliability and loyalty. Faith is the unifying principle of life, its gives life meaning and definition and direction. Faith is the attitude of man that results in his ability to believe in the future and to work towards tomorrow. Faith is the first step and in s unifying principle that gives us a sense of confidence. Faith is your response to Gods ability. 
Hope: Hopefulness is a attitude; expectations, confidence, inspiration and enthusiasm. Hope is the fruit of faith. Hope with believably is one of the greatest gift you can give your child. Hope through spiritual relationship with god, produces an attitude of enthusiasm. Faith opens the door to inspiration and hope powers the forward trust of aspiration. 
Love: Love describes the most lasting, most precious and valuable spiritual attitude that bears the slid gold fruit of commitment, sacrifice and honesty.

# The way you think is the way your perform

# When we positive input, we have positive output and when we have negative input, we have negative output

# Those who can make you believe absurdities can make your commit atrocities

# Great music can lift a person to heights of accomplishment and inspire marvelous contribution to society

# Honesty is a marketable commodity

# We fail our children if we say Don’t do as I do, but do as I say

# When you find something good tell your child specifically what you found that you like. Applaud your child.

# Applause is the best motivator, we’ve found to make children feel good about performing and about themselves. Motivation is something you do on a regular basis

# To raise your children as positive winners, you need to frequently assure them that they are winners. Tips for positiveness: 
1. Make mealtime, when humanly possible the most casual, relaxing experience of the day
2. Limit your child intake of junk food
3. Provide a healthy breakfast
4. Use common sense principles
5. Be patient
6. Be a good example
7. Encourage healthy snacking
8. Parents must forgo the temptation to constantly repeat to their children what they accomplished when they were in school
9. We need to teach our children and remind them often that nobody can make them feel inferior without their permission and they need to be taught not to give that permission to any one
10. Since your personality is judged by the way others perceive you, the way you teach your child to communicate and come across is extremely important for every phase of his life
11. Select your children jobs or choose the house coarse that have definite starting and stopping points
12. Encourage your children to carefully choose their friends
13. Encourage your child’s character
14. Learning how to read is most important
15. To build your child’s self-image, teach him manners
16. Emphasize the development of a craters, imagination, teach your child to “see”
17. Develop a healthy self-image and to establish a positive loving environment
18. Help your child develop pride in being an important part of something worthy and noble that is bigger than any one individual
19. Build your self image by starting the day looking yourself in the eyes and making the commitment to do and be your best that day.
20. If your child has a physical problem that contribute to a negative self-image, explore your options.

Successful parents raising positive kids need to see, their kid as finished, competent, positive adults 

https://www.amazon.in/Raising-Positive-Kids-Negative-World/dp/0785264787

Book Summary | The Magic of Thinking Big

Title : The Magic of Thinking Big

-    Author : David J Schwartz

The book was first published in 1959, the book appears on many "must read" lists, and is sometimes quoted by modern authors. I enjoyed reading the book. Inspirational to really push yourself past your comfort zone to be successful. The 3 areas of focus are career, family, and social.  I have developed the crux of the book as ready reckoner. Although at the end of the each chapter, the author has summarized. I think this book is worth refreshing and relooking at times.  The author also provides some framework on how to avoid excuses, build confidence, build enthusiasm and lastly the magic of thinking big.  

A person is a product of his own thoughts. When you believe in yourself, then good things start happening. Mind is a ‘thought factory’. It is the busiest factory producing countless thoughts in a day. Developing the power of belief.  The author classify People into 3 groups; First Group: Those who surrender completely; second Group: those who surrender partially; Third Group: Those who never surrender.  People who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people are strictly average or mediocre at least in terms of accomplishment.  And there are always excuse for not being successful. Every failure is the diseases in its advanced form though Excuse. Thoughts, positive or negative grow stronger, when fertilized with constant repetition. Thinking yourself to success must be to vaccinate yourself against excuseitis.   The author has analysed the reason for excuse and they are commonly due to the 4 reasons and provides remedy to overcome the excuses.  

Excuse 1: But My health isn’t good | remedy: Refuse to talk about health; refuse worry

Excuse 2: But you’ve got to have brains to succeed | remedy: Never underestimate your confidence; remind yourself several times and put your intelligence to creative positive

Excuse3: It’s no use; I am too old or too young | Remedy: invest in future; compute how much productive; look present age positively

Excuse4: But my case is different; I attract bad luck |Remedy: Accept the law of cause and effect; don’t be a wishful thinkers.

Success means winning. Belief in greatest driving force, the power behind all the great books, plays and scientific discoveries. Disbelief is negative power. Doubt disbelief, the subconscious will fail, the not really wanting to succeed is responsible for most failures. Belief is the thermostat that regulates what we accomplish in life.  The magic of thinking big is about, Think Success, Remind yourself regularly your better than you think so and Believe Big. Big ideas and big plans were often easier. The magic of thinking big is through 3 step framework

1. Provide the content – What to do
2. Supply a method – How to do
3. Meet the acid test – Get results.

Magic of thinking Big comes through Confidence. Confidence has a common meaning of a certainty about handling something, such as work, family, social events, or relationships. The book provides key insights to building Confidence and practise that needs to be followed to think and act confidently:

•        Deposit only positive thoughts in your memory bank
•       Withdraw only positive thoughts from your memory bank
• .      Get balanced view to other fellows
• .      Develop an understanding attitude.

To "think confidently, act confidently" practice the following needs to be practiced         

•  Be a front seater 
• Practice making eye contact 
•  Walk 25 percent faster 
• Practice speaking up     
• Smile Big

To build confidence we need to be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm can make things 1000% better, three steps to create enthusiasm are

• 1. Dig into it deep
• 2. In everything you do, life it up
• 3  Broadcast good news

To think big use words and phrases that produce big, positive mental images.4 ways to think big vocabulary

1.       Use big positive, cheerful words and phrases to describe how you feel

2.      Use bright cheerful, favourable words and phrases to describe other people

3.      Use positive language to encourage others. Complement people personally at every opportunity

4.      Use positive words to outline plan to others

Believe it can be done: When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and help you find the ways to do it. Become receptive to ideas. Be an experimental person. Be progressive, not regressive 

Bottom-line 
A must read book that touches many aspects.  

Book Summary | SWITCH : How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

Book Name: Switch: How to change Things when Change is Hard

Author: Clip and Dan Heath

Change is constant and managing the change is challenging. Every day we embrace change, some are simple and some are difficult. The big changes may be from marriages, new homes, new technologies and new job duties. But change is hard, to manage the change the several frameworks exists. An interesting anecdote that the author brings in the book, that probably never taken seriously is about the tamed elephant. The elephant is large, strong, intelligent and often sometimes dangerous animal.  The rider or the manhout rides on the elephant, motivates it to ensure the task is completed.  The rider is characterize the rational, the elephant characterizes the emotions. When there is clash between the rational and emotions leads to change. 

The rider Provide clear understanding of the goal and the benefits. What looks like resistance is often lack of clarity. Motivating the elephant is Create emotional engagement to provide inherent motivation. What looks like laziness is often willpower exhaustion. And shape the path Change the environment to create the behaviour you want. What looks like a people problem is often an environment problem.

The book Switch: How to change things when change is hard provides a three point framework to lead the change

I. Direct the Rider: 

- Find the bright spots
- Script the critical moves
- Point to the destination

II. Motivate the Elephant:
- Find the feeling
- Shrink the Change;
- Grow your people

III. Shape the Path:
- Tweak the environment
- Build habits
- Rally the herd

The book consists of good case studies on driving change management. Change can only be brought when behavior is changed through feelings. To change someone's behavior, you've got to change that person's situation. 

The author narrates research examples such as Popcorn studies, food perception, companies poor purchase habits, milk experiment, Health care improvement, fighting malnutrition,etc. 

Book Summary | Just Listen

Book Title: Just Listen

Author – Mark Goulston

Many a times, we make an opinion based on the title of the book. I also thought that Just Listen would be another book on self-help on improving the listening skills. After reading the book once and glancing across the notes on the four large sessions of the book, I conclude this book is not about just listening but its more about building teams, working with different people and overall framework for individual and organisation development. Communication, Collaboration and clarity is required while interaction with teams, framework is required to listen, understand and motivate to handle different people. Just listen is an book, which provides an comprehensive toolkit with examples and introspections for reaching anyone, getting through anyone, building buy in and channelizing for putting things across.  The key summaries on the each of the sessions and the takeaways are as below;

Section – I : The secret of reaching anyone

The secrete of reaching anyone is the magic of using words who resist to listen to willing to do anything. The core of communication is the persuasion cycle: To take the people from the beginning to the end of the persuasion cycle, one need to speak with them in a manner that convinces them. All encouragement involves moving people through the steps called "Persuasion Cycle:

• -          From Resisting to listening
• -          From Listening to consideration
• -          From Consideration to willing to do
• -          From willing to do to doing
• -          From doing to glad they did and continuing to do

Words has power to encourage and discourage to motivate and like. Use of the right words and right tone develop comfortability to continue what needs to be achieved.  

Section – II : The Nine core rules for getting through to anyone

The Nine core rules for getting though anyone

• 1.      Move yourself from “OF F#@& to OK :  Releasing yourself from the stress to get emotions under control. The technique is to release of anger or stress from The reaction phase to Release phase to recentre phase to refocus phase to reengage phase.
• 2.      Rewire yourself to listen :  Perceiving is believing, Misperceiving is deceiving. Based on the first impression or perception on what we hear and see we make fictitious creation about the person which may be prejudice. To understand the person, we need to rewire the open communication with open mind to access the real person’s needs.
• 3.      Make the other person Feel “Felt”: Putting yourself into the other persons shoes to understand the feeling.
• 4.      Be more interested than interesting : Using positive affirmation while listening to mark open-up for communication
• 5.      Make people feel Valuable : use of body language and human needs for respect, recognition and belonging. It helps in improve engagement, cooperation, collaboration and communication
• 6.      Help people to exhale emotionally and mentally: use emotions and positive affirmation as key to listen. Allow people to vent and get as much off of their chest as they feel is possible, without you interrupting or being judgmental.
• 7.      Check your dissonance at the door: When you have disagreement don’t hesitate to take feedback from the co-workers, friends and relatives.
• 8.      When all seems lost – Bare your neck: Don’t give-up
• 9.      Steer clear of toxic people : There are different type of people – Needy People, Bullies, Takers, Narcissists, Psychopaths.

Section – III : 12 Quick and easy ways to achieve buy-in and get through

• 1.      The impossibility questions: About asking the right question to move from listening to consideration.
• 2.      The magic paradox : shifting from nobody understand to you understand for gaining the trust to cooperate for solutions.
• 3.      The empathy jolt : application of empathy and willingness to work towards solutions using relationship.
• 4.      The reverse play empathy jolt: using empathy to change the behaviour to avoid problems.
• 5.      Do you really believe that : building confidence
• 6.      The power of Hmmm : making feel comfortable and active listening
• 7.      The stipulation gambit : Neutralizing the weak points.
• 8.      From transaction to transformation:  Use right words and affirmations for sales pitch to build ideas and interest for future success either negotiating or relating to the scenarios. Transactional communications don't create traction in a relationship because they're impersonal and shallow. 
• 9.      Side by Side: shared and communication by asking open questions.
• 10.  What would you say: putting the right question to open up
• 11.  Fill in the blanks
• 12. The power thank you and power apology:  Power of thank you is for something specific, Acknowledging the efforts and difference that has made. Apology  consists of the 4 R's: Remorse, Restitution, Rehabilitation, and Requesting forgiveness.

Sector – IV: Putting it all together: Fast fixes for seven challenging situations

·         The team from Hell

o   Make feel happy – Make feel needed – Make feel important – Secret out in the open

·         Climbing the ladder   

·         The narcissist at the table

·         Stranger in the town

o   Visibility | Credibility | profitability stages

·         The human explosion

·         Getting through to yourself

·         Six degrees of separation

o   Create one to one situations , Make virtual allies, reach the gatekeepers,

Book Summary | The Innovation Zone : How Great Companies Re-Innovate for Amazing Success

The Innovation Zone : How Great Companies Re-Innovate for Amazing Success

Author : Thomas M Koulpoulos

Innovation is one of the most searched word today and widely used word in day to day activity in corporates. From the top to the bottom, everyone is asked to innovate to add value.  The book touches about the innovation zone for business model innovations to crowd sourcing for innovations as there is no single approach to innovation and innovation approaches depends upon the organizations priority, cultures, and people.  Innovation at the organisation level needs systems and solutions as Innovation and creativity are processes and one can learn and improve them.

The thought provoking paragraph in the book is: From Steve Jobs to Bill Ford, innovation has become a mantra for organizations that are thriving as well as those that are striving. But it is questionable if most of us can really define innovation or describe how to create it. Can innovation actually be taught? Can innovation become a core competency? Are there rules you can follow to emulate the leading innovators and to create your own Innovation Zone?.

Summarizing the thoughts:

• Innovation cannot exist in the absence of value that is recognized and rewarded

•            The Obstacles for innovations are : Believing that Innovation will Just Happen | Telling everyone to ‘think outside the box’ and call it a day | Laying the responsibility on the shoulders of Innovation team or Technologist | Criticizing the ideas | Viewing Different and new as Bad | Analyzing ideas into Financial and legal mind-set | Afraid to fail | Innovating only when you need to | Leaving it up to the innovators | Encouraging everyone to drop any and all ideas in suggestion box
• 
  
•     Building Innovative culture: Dedicated function | Incentives for inventors.| Internal exit | Metrics |Leadership

•     The companies that sustain growth and margin best are the companies that focus on innovations that build on their core competency by innovating their business model.

•    Leadership plays a crucial role in building an Innovation Zone. The role operates chiefly in four areas: ■ Separating core competencies from the core business model ■ Building and reinforcing a culture of innovation ■ Counterbalancing entrenchment in past success ■ Creating an organizational structure that facilitates innovation

•     Leaders need to put in place five elements for a culture of innovation to thrive: ■ Visibly committed leadership ■ Defined area of responsibility ■ Rewards ■ Customer involvement ■ Mentoring and training

•  The velocity of innovation is measured and improved by using a model called the innovation chain. Four stages determine the velocity of an innovation chain: ■ Internal awareness ■ Internal responsiveness ■ External responsiveness ■ External awareness

The book has examples of Innovation zones and success stories of few companies, makes it interesting read.

Book Summary | 10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea

Title :  10-10-10 : A life Transforming Idea
Author : Suzy Welch

Ten Ten Ten !! has different connotation based on the situation.
Ten Ten Ten - A Life Transforming Idea, after reading this book, my thoughts is that this book teaches an new method or process that could be practiced for decision making. This method of decision making considers short term, medium term and long term perceptive of the decision.

Decision making is an art. The decision taken at that time based on that situation probably would be the right decision. However any analysis post taking decision may be wrong. But life or work continuous and problem needs never solutions. There are many decision making techniques such as cost analysis, decision tree, Pareto analysis etc. But this book propose a new idea of decision making process - 10 - 10 - 10.

The book has nine chapters - 
1. 10-10-10  in the light of the day
2. The science behind the sytem
3.  Value equation of 10-10-10
4.  Happily Every after
5. In work, dignity
6. You can get there from here
7. Teach your children well
8. Lean on me
9. The mistleto Dart


10-10-10 is taking decision differently, proactively by delebrately considering the consequence in the immediate present, near team and distant future. In Ten Minutes.... Ten Months .... and Ten Years with a road map of clarity and courage.  Every 10-10-10 process starts with a question or dilemma, or crisis or problem. The first 10 basically stands for "Right Now"  as in one minute, one hour or one week. The second 10 represents that point in the foreseeable future when the initial reaction to your decision has passed but its consequence continues to play out in ways you can reasonably predict. And the third 10 stands for a time in future that is so far off that its particulars are entirely vague.

Bottom-line:
This idea of 10-10-10 is for lifting people up, not breaking them more. May be another way to look at things before concluding. I found the first chapter is all about the idea, and rest of the chapters are about dragging with some examples which are not interesting.

A one time read !!

Give it a thought | Measure for Measurement - Performance Measurement

For many traveling in air is fun and few it is nightmare as they have to pass through cumbersome process with last minute frisking. Last week, After I completed my engagement earlier than the schedule. I reached airport early, thinking, if lucky  I could catch an earlier flight to my destination. Before clearing the security authorisation, I just checked the customer care for possibility for earlier flight. The customer care executive in all politeness informed that could be done, but at the boarding counter. I found that there were 3 flights available for my destination. I enquired for availability accommodating  in the earlier flights and are there seats available.  The executive checked and informed me that there are seats available, however I need to pay extra as they have to reschedule.  The cost of rescheduling to earlier flight was higher than my scheduled and I thought it is better to fly as per the scheduled time rather than catch an early flight. Inside the airport one can always access laptop and work..

This incident reminded me the Goldratts thought on process improvements using three measurements throughput, inventory and operational expenses. And the famous quote “Tell me how you measure me, and I will tell you how I will behave”. Today many of the airlines are measured on the basis of ‘ON TIME’. Thats the measurement.  We measure many things at many places. So measurement becomes very important. 

I just thought ‘occupancy rate’ was the measurement parameter, then they would have accommodated me in their earlier flight. Occupancy rate and on time performance was the monitored for every flight, then it would have been Performance Measurement. This performance measure has an direct link to THROUGHPUT, INVENTORY AND OPERATIONAL EXPENSES. 
If this was the performance measure, There would have special announcement in the airports to occupy the earlier available flights who have already cleared check-in and waiting for their flights.

I was the last to enter the flight. I saw the sign of relief on the face of cabin crew. Before closing the doors, the cabin crew checked her watch and announced that the flight will be departure at the X standard time. I casually enquired how do they know on which standard is the watch calibrated Indian Standard Time (IST) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), EST, etc. There was no response.…
Operational definition of Measure is important for clarity and uniform deployment across the levels.    

Bottom-line:

Measurement aligned to performance  measurement is vital.