NEW BOOK
“Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal? Avoiding the Chain of Mistakes That Can Destroy Your Organization,” by Robert Mittelstaedt Jr., Wharton School Publishing, $25.95
A problem rarely has a singular cause. A problem results from ignoring little mistakes until they “hit the fan” together. While companies are good at fixing problems, they could save time and money if they were better at problem avoidance. Early-warning sign recognition is the theme of this book.
A cautionary word as you read the book: “Failing to take risks for fear of making mistakes may be the most dangerous type of mistake a business can make.” Identifying mistakes early on allows for tweaking the process and makes the desired outcome more likely.
How do you stop mistakes? Here are a couple of suggestions:
Customer complaints about products and service should have quick executive-level exposure to see if there are patterns.
And companies without standard operating procedures make mistakes frequently. When processes can be standardized, do so.
–Jim Pawlak, BizBooks
NEW BOOK
“Fit In Stand Out: The Key to Leadership Effectiveness in Business and Life,” by Blythe McGarvie, McGraw-Hill, $21.95
“Organized chaos” describes every business because research, sales, purchasing, production, accounting, finance, IT and human resources all do what they do while focusing on the corporate goal.
McGarvie’s “Fit In Stand Out” method of making a difference starts with building a personal platform for growth built around organizing chaos. Before you can stand out, you have to fit in. Fitting in means you have to find out how things get done across the company, not just in your area. You must learn the perspectives of other departments to appreciate how their roles and issues intersect. Establish yourself as one who plays for the organization’s team, not just your departmental team. Work within the system to find solutions.
Chapter 6, “Linkages: The Lever of Alliances,” discusses how internal networking and knowledge sharing opens the door to opportunity.
–Jim Pawlak, BizBooks
