Posts by year: 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
Posts by month in 2006: Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Posted Dec. 15, 2006 8:43 a.m. by jack
Andy Grove was the first employee hired by Moore and Noyce when they started Intel. He, along with Gates and Jobs, has been one of the front men in computers. Also a prolific writer, Grove has penned a world class textbook and over forty technical articles, a memoir that was called a "major literary achievement" and two best selling books on business in '86 and '93. It seems Grove has the midas touch, even indirectly, becuase this book, a biography of Grove by Richard Tedlow, is one of the best biographies I have ever read.
A great biography is made up of three critical ingredients. First, the subject must be an interesting person with an interesting life. Check. But if the writer can't convey the story in an engaging manner, well, an interesting life only goes so far. Tedlow's book, Giants of Enterprise was one of my best books of 2001. Great writer? Check. And a great biography must be well-documented. There are 100 pages of notes, bibliography and index here.
Check.
This paragraph, I believe, is a perfect reflection of success in all the above categories:
Noyce and Moore did not have to find the first of the "good employees" they hired. He found them. That, of course, was Andy. Just as Noyce could not have been Noyce without Moore, Moore could not have been Moore without Grove. No one could have known this in July of 1968, but Grove was both able and willing to make the transition from technologist alone to technologist and business manager. Moreover, he became not only a manager, but a strategist second to none. He became as good at business as he was at technology. What would have happened to Intel without Andy? In all probability the company would have failed.
Andy Grove is an amazing man who continues to shape our world, and Tedlow's well- written account of his life is a terrific read from start to finish.
Posted Dec. 15, 2006 6:52 a.m. by jack
by Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba, Kaplan Business, 224 Pages, $25.00 Hardcover, December 2006, ISBN 1419596063
My business philosophy has always been simple: provide great customer service.I sell books, the same product innumerable companies all over the country sell. To differentiate our company, we focus on service--just ask folks around here how I feel about the phone ringing more than two times. It has always been my belief that people treated well will tell others about their experience.Whether you call it word-of-mouth or customer evangelism, I am a big believer.
Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba wrote the book on customer evangelism in 2003. This month, their new book, Citizen Marketers, goes a step further.What happens when your customers, those same fans youve been working to engage, start producing commercials that are as good as the ones you are paying to have made?What happens when your employees are gathering in online forums to critique your latest products?
The world is changing and marketers are losing control of their message. Here is one story the authors tell of how the relationship is changing between companies and their customers.
In Albany NY lives an independent PR consultant who has a passion for the retailer, Target. She (aka Red Cart Romance) started a blog called Slave to Target which chronicles her addiction to the store's products. Red Cart shares both praise and criticism in her writings and this distinctive commentary gained the notice of readers (100,000 visitors per month), the media (Forbes named it "Best Shopping Blog") and Target itself. Red Cart became the talk of the company. The relationship between Red Cart and Target quickly changed, however, from idol/fan to company/sales tool. Or at least Target tried. The blogger started to receive press kits and email from employees about new products. But, Red Cart says, irritated by the attempts to sway her posting, "They don't care what I have to say....They're just a bunch of suits."
For a company unprepared to navigate this new world of marketing, losing control of its message can be disasterous. So, let me suggest something to you. Turn on your computer and google your company's name.See what people are saying about you.And when you find those not-so-flattering blog entries (oh yes, they are there if you look hard enough), it might be a strong signal to go buy Citizen Marketers.
Posted Dec. 14, 2006 7:32 a.m. by jack
By James Kynge, Houghton Mifflin Publisher, 280 Pages, $25.00 Hardcover, October 2006, ISBN 0618705643
Confession time: I really wanted to dislike this book. When I saw China Shakes the World on the short list for the 2006 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year award, I had never heard of it, though I loved the other four titles mentioned. I saw it as the list's ugly stepsister. Was it because there are so many other books about China on the market currently? I'm not sure, but I ordered a copy despite my lesser inclinations (I actually had to BUY the book because the publisher didn't even send me a copy!).
I soon learned that the book is utterly brilliant, head and shoulders above any other available on the subject. (Previously I had recommended Tim Clissold's Mr. China.) The author lives in China, was the bureau chief in Beijing for many years, and, as such, he gives us a distinctive look at what is really going on in that country. This particular paragraph shows a new way to look at China as a market.
But if foreign businessmen arrive in China transfixed by size and scale, many of them depart haunted by the concept of share. They envisage being able to sell their products to a multitude of Chinese and then watch as the hoped-for multitude is sliced and diced into morsels. Only certain sections of society are willing buyers of most products, and reaching them is made difficult by layers of local protectionism. When a market is finally found, aggressive domestic competitors have usually got there first. The fabled billion-person market is frequently reduced to a fraction in the figment of a dream.
Even with the economy growing at 10%+, the China is several million jobs short of the required 25 million new job applicants. That is a significant reason why China needs to grow at such extraordinary rates. The author explains that if the growth rates were to drop dramatically, the convulsions that would happen would intensify. As economists in Beijing are fond of saying, China is like an elephant riding a bicycle. If it slows down, it could fall off, and then the earth might quake.
This book tells the real story of the giant that is China. China Shakes the World is my must read for the fall of 2006. And should be that last minute addition to your Christmas list.
Posted Nov. 15, 2006 2:32 a.m. by jack
By Nikos Mourkogiannis, Palgrave Macmillan, 272 Pages, $27.95, Hardcover, October 2006, ISBN 1403975817
I have a confession to make: I don't select all of the Jack Covert Selects. Ive got a lot of smart people on my staff, and they often help out. It is impossible to keep up with the ten to fifteen books that come in each week, so there are three of us who go through the inventory. Of course, we each have our likes and dislikes, but this process insures that I don't miss any good ones.
My second-in-command, Todd, walked into my office a couple weeks ago and started talking non-stop about Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies. His enthusiasm convinced me to move the book to the top of my stack and I am grateful for his prompting. Author Nikos Mourkogiannis makes the case that all great companies need a purpose. He defines purpose as "the reason for doing something that appeals to our ideas about what is right and what is worthwhile. Pretty heady stuff.
Nikos says there are four possible sources of energy for purpose. First is "the new" companies like Sony and 3M who exist to discover. Second is "the excellent"companies like The Economist and Berkshire Hathaway that believe that excellence in their field is the highest pursuit. Third is "the helpful"Disney's and Marriot's missions are to increase happiness. The final is "the effective"ambition and daring fuel goals like Bill Gates' obsession with getting the Microsoft operating system into every desktop computer. The author relates each of these energy sources back to a branch of human philosophy (Kierkegaard, Aristotle, Hume, and Nietzsche). Challenging? Sure. Fascinating? Absolutely.
Mourkogiannis then applies various aspects of business back to the idea of purpose. There are profiles of business leaders, like Henry Ford and Sam Walton, and descriptions of their respective sense of purpose. He also addresses issues like morale, innovation, competitive advantage, and leadership, and how purpose reinforces or expands the possibilities within these issues.
So much good stuff, but truly the powerful message for me was the idea of purpose. I have always felt 800-CEO-READ's purpose was to serve (i.e., be helpful). That conviction influences our hiring, how we treat our customers, and the time we take choosing the books we review. Pick this one up. You won't be disappointed.
Posted Nov. 14, 2006 8:16 a.m. by jack
In case you havent noticed, I like fables. I seem to learn better when lessons are in context and presented in story form. I think that I am not unusual in that. The popularity of fables lately supports my assumption. The stories usually involve a troubled business person and a sage/guru/seer who will lead the businessperson to see how to fix a problem. The journey to that realization is the story. The key to a successful fable is great writing. Your involvement in the story drives the book. This book accomplishes all these things.
Follow the Other Hand is the story of Jonathan West who runs a family business selling olive oil. He is being hammered by big box retailers and the disappearance of his core customers, the mom and pop stores. A successful friend tells him to meet a guy that helped him turn around his business. What makes this story unique is that the guru is a magician (hence the name of the book) aptly named Merlin. Merlin explains that Misdirection is essential in magic.
Mis-di-rec-tion exclaimed Merlin, is not only a method for achieving magic. It is a reminder of a simple question that we must constantly ask ourselves, or else be willing to accept the consequences if we dont. Which hand do we choose to follow? Do we follow what everyone else is thinking or do we challenge their assumptions and look in the other hand for new ideas?
This is a surprisingly simple metaphor for thinking outside the box or looking at a problem differently.
The author is a consultant and an expert magician. He explains the process that a magic trick needs to go through to bewellmagic. It starts with the effect which is what you want to domake an elephant disappear, for example. Followed by the method which is how you do it. Then finally the performance which is how you present the trick. It doesnt take much to see how all these various parts can be introduced in a business environment to begin a conversation about new product development, a new strategic plan or any business problem.
Follow the Other Hand is readable and illustrated with diagrams of magic tricks; the perfect book to use to begin change within your organization.
