Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers: Developing Change-Driving People and Organizations

It was the title of this book that initially drew my attention, in fact I purchased it without ever opening its cover. The book deals with change and though originally published in 1996 remains a valuable read today. Real world examples support reasoning and are most interesting. Systems, rules, tradition and simple laziness lead many to misapprehend the need for change. It seems that these persons actually find comfort in their efforts to avoid the chaos of change. Certainly, it is true that change will happen whether or not we embrace it. This book offers a message designed to put leaders in charge of change and, from my way of thinking, offers reminders of traits necessary for all workers in our economy who must have the skills to cope with what seems to be an increasing rate of change.

Robert J. Kriegel is rapidly becoming one of my favorite business authors . . . I've previously enjoyed two ofhis other books, HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT WORKING SO HARD and IF IT AIN'T BROKE, BREAK IT . . . so I figured it was time to get hold ofone of his earlier efforts, SACRED COWS MAKE THE BESTBURGERS--written with David Brandt.I was definitely not disappointed!Kriegel and Brandt examine why people cling to outmoded beliefs, practices and processes as if their lives dependedon them . . . but more importantly, they present ways to inspire a desire to bring in the new.I particularly liked the use of real-life examples . . . although the book was written in 1996, it is still amazingly current; i.e., most of the ideas the authors present still make sense today . . . also, they can be applied to virtually any size or type of organization.There were many memorable passages; among them:* But you'll actually do more and better by learning to slow down when everything around you is speeding up. John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach who won an unprecedented 10 national championships, offers this advice: "Be quick, but don't hurry. If you hurry you make mistakes."* You may not be a beginner, but you can learn how to think like one. Take real estate agent Michael Young, for instance. He was his company's most successful agent in northern California but he couldn't make the leap fromselling houses in [one price range] range to those[in a higher price range]and up."I don't get it, " he said. "I'm using the same prospecting strategies, making calls in the evening to people at home, giving them advice and telling them about the market, and I'm in the same marketplace. But it's not working.""Think like a beginner, forget your old strategies, start fresh," we advised him. "Look at the business like you're a novice. What can you do to break into this market?"Instead of competing with other brokers, Young spotted an untapped opportunity in the high-end market. He discovered that many listings expire before the house is sold. So he developed a strategy for buying old listings and sharing commissions. The technique brought in so much business that he formed the Michael Young Company in San Francisco. Now brokerscall him unsolicited.Want to know something? We're all in the same position as Young. You may think your market is the same as it was last year. But it's not. Everything is changing: people's life and work styles, their jobs, their expectations, their attitudes, their family situations-everything. And technologicaladvances have only accelerated the situation.With business in a perpetual state of flux, we need to keep reinventing our game plan every six months. To do that we have to look at things through fresh eyes.* [Sam] Walton had 10 rules of success, most of which revolve around giving great service, top-quality products, and treating you people right. But it's his 10th rule that sets him apart from his competitors. Walton called it the

Don't let this book's title through you off. Give it a chance, because it does a great job of detailing how an organization can change and make business processes work better. Kriegel and Brandt show ways in which remaining caught up in a given mode of thinking about one's business can often lead to missed opportunities for growth and success. It offers an interesting array of anecdotes that can assist in expanding one's thinking about the everyday processes we take for granted. An excellent resource for managers and others who feel their organization is caught in a rut and going nowhere. This book can guide managers in the steps needed to eliminate outdated business practices and routines that drain time and money. It offers ways to redesign the rules of an organization and instill a capacity for change in their management teams and employees. A good resource that shouldn't be overlooked by anyone involved in change control or project management.

The authors illustrate ways in which remaining "stuck" in a given mode of thinking about your business, your mission, and your customers can lead to missed opportunities for growth and success. The book won't tell you where to find "stuck thinking" in your organization, but it gives an interesting array of anecdotes which are helpful in expaning one's thinking about the normal, everyday processes we take for granted. An excellent resource for managers and others who feel their organization is "stuck."

This book is a must-have book for every person in todays changing world. Most books on change tell you how to lead change but this is the only book that tells you how to handle change in your professional and personal life whether you are in charge or not. It doesn't just spout off trendy terms, like "team management" and "reengineering". It shows you when and how to apply these processes. I believe in this book so much that I bought one for every member of my staff.