Getting Results: Five Absolutes for High Performance

Business is about getting results. And "Getting results" gets down to business in a very direct fashion, using research and the authors' work with senior executives to construct basic guidelines for enabling and empowering managers and organizations. The survey results on the top twenty things a leader needs to do to be effective is probably worth the cost of the book. Some of the ideas and data went straight into my classroom. This might even work for many business faculty as a text for a basic graduate course in management or leadership.The book lacked a little bit of the 'Tom Peters verve' that wins over large numbers of readers and gets books recognized by business magazines. But serious, thoughtful students of the science (and art) of business will not be disappointed.

This is one of the volumes which comprise the University of Michigan Business School Management Series. According to Longenecker and Simonetti, there are "five absolutes for high performance" and they examine each with both precision and eloquence. Few (if any) are original. The most effective managers probably practice them (and others) to achieve superior results. Whichever "absolutes" are embraced, they are obviously worthless without effective implementation in combination with both a determination and an ability to adjust to circumstances which can change quickly at any time. Here are the five absolutes:#1 Get Everyone on the Same Page: Focus on the Purpose of Your Organization#2 Prepare for Battle: Equip Your Operation with Tools, Talent, and Technology#3 Stoke the Fire of Performance: Create a Climate for Results#4 Build the Bridge on the Road to Results: Nurture Relationships with People#5 Keep the Piano in Tune: Practice Continuous RenewalNo doubt each reader can easily rephrase each of the five or at least cluster several synonyms which suggest each absolute's key point. For example, #1 suggests the importance of agreement (or consensus) on which teamwork always depends whereas #5 suggests the importance of constant attention to the progress of any initiatives so that appropriate modifications can be made. The Japanese word "kaizen" means more than continuous renewal; those involved in such efforts must always be aware of maintaining proper balance (or proportion), especially when responding to a crisis of some kind.For whom will this book be most valuable? The authors wrote it for "managers at all levels who are looking for ways to improve the performance not only of themselves but also of the people they are directly responsible for." I presume to suggest that this book would also be valuable to recent graduates who have only recently begun a business career. Every organization (including non-profits and family-owned businesses) needs to have an easily understood system (as well as sound strategies) by which to achieve the desired results. Longenecker and Simonetti provide such a system in this book. It remains for decision-makers, especially, "at all levels" to modify the system to their organization's specific needs and objectives. In the Afterword, Longenecker and Simonetti suggest how to "get the ball rolling" toward getting results: Always start with the end in mind, build a model of the absolutes to your organization to be effective as a leader, identify the practices that are most critical to your success, and develop the talents needed to implement and sustain the absolutes for high-performance. Heard all this before? Probably. Are you satisfied with the results you and your organization are now achieving? If not, here is a source to help clarify and assist your initiatives in weeks and months to come. Longenecker and Simonetti conclude their book and I conclude this review with an especially appropriate observation by Henry

Gettings Results is an insightful and easy to read book that shows managers how to attain high performance by improving their personal performance and having a positive effect on both their people and processes. It is a cumulation of advice from over 2000 high-performing managers that simplifies a hands-on approach to getting results that all managers can find useful. The book made me ask myself the question: "Am I a result-oriented manager?" and I quickly realized that the answer to this question is "Yes" and "No." I found that I am currently doing many of the key practices mentioned in this book. But, I am not doing them as systematically as I need to and some of the practices simply need a lot of work on my part for me to get better results. The biggest benefit of the book is that it's interactive and makes you compare yourself to the practices of results-oriented leaders, which is an excellent exercise for personal improvement. I found the book easy to read and repletet with lots of examples that I could relate to on both a professional and personal level. This book is a must-read for anyone who must do more with less and get better results to keep their career on track. I strongly recommend it to my friends.

Getting Results is a step-by-step guide for effective leadership. Busy corporate executives and entrepreneurs alike look for quick, easy, and most importantly effective means of developing and continually refreshing the skills necessary for achieving their organizational goals. Getting Results clearly delivers on this need.The authors did an excellent job of organizing salient points that clearly articulate the formula for effective results-centered management. The use of absolutes, critical practices, and irrefutable performance principles provide the framework results (and consequently people) oriented managers need to be effective.Getting Results balances discussion of theory and practice and most importantly provides techniques and models that can be immediately introduced in the workplace to increase a manager's ability to get results. It is a must read!David DobrzykowskiRegional CEOTMI - BIDON Companies