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Business Novels & Parables

Radical Focus by Christina Wodtke

The full title of this book by Christina Wodtke is

Radical Focus: Achieving Your Most Important Goals with Objectives and Key Results

In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book 4 Stars. This means Good and Well Worth Reading.

Here is my book review.

A business start-up novel about using OKR to drive the business forward.

This tells the story of two young entrepreneurs who are struggling to build a speciality tea business. Their investor introduced them to the idea of setting objectives and key results (OKR) and then to a new chief technical officer with more extensive knowledge of how to apply them. [continue reading…]

in Best Business Books

Isn’t It Obvious? By Eliyahu Goldratt

The full title of the book written by Eliyahu Goldratt and with Ilan Eshkoli and Joe Brownleer is

Isn’t It Obvious?: A Business Novel on Retailing Using the Theory of Constraints“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I rated the book at the FOUR Stars level which means I think it is good to very good.

Here is what I wrote.

TOC in a retail setting with wider lessons

This is another business novel explaining the ideas behind the Theory Of Constraints. To make it a snappier read, Eli Goldratt worked with screenwriters who were well used to regularly revising their work.

It is based on a retail business in home textiles in the US. I can’t remember the exact numbers but there are about 100 stores organised into about 10 regions. [continue reading…]

in Best Business Books

The full title of this book by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken Jr and Hal Burrows is

The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey: Free Up Your Time And Deal With Priorities“.

In my review on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a FIVE STARS rating. This means I think the book is excellent.

Here is my book review.

If you’re rushed off your feet, this book might be the answer

When I first read read this book in the early 1990s, it was a huge wake-up call.

No wonder there weren’t enough working hours in the day as I allowed my staff’s monkeys to jump onto my shoulders. [continue reading…]

in 2 – Your Inner Game, 7 – Employees And Suppliers, Best Business Books

The full title of this book by Kenneth Blanchard, Patricia Zigarmi and Drea Zigarmi is

Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book the book a FIVE STARS rating. This means I think it is excellent.

Here is my book review.

The third excellent One Minute Manager book

This is the third One Minute Manager book I recommend without hesitation. The others are the update of the original book The New One Minute Manager (The One Minute Manager) and The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey (The One Minute Manager).

The original book introduced a simple model based on management by goals/objectives. The Monkey book stops delegation going badly wrong as you try to e supportive in the wrong way. This book introduces situational leadership although it’s probably more accurate to call it situational management. [continue reading…]

in 7 – Employees And Suppliers, Best Business Books

The full title of this book by Matías Birrell and Javier Arévalo is

Forget the Urgent!: Rather focus on the important: A business dialogue based on the best seller ‘The Goal’ by Eliyahu M Goldratt“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of FIVE Stars. That means I think it is excellent.

Who Should Read This Book?

  • Anyone interested in the Theory of Constraints.
  • Small business owners who want to improve.

The Big Idea

Every business faces constraints unless it is able to generate an infinite amount of money. [continue reading…]

in 2 – Your Inner Game, Best Business Books

Absolute Certainty by John Haylock

The full title of this book by John Haylock is

Absolute Certainty: How to give your clients exactly what they want“.

In my review at Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book a rating of Four Stars. This means I think it is good.

Here is my book review.

Ideas for improving service businesses contained within a novel

This is a book about improving service businesses with the ideas dressed up in a novel.

The main character in the story is an accounting partner from a local three partner firm. It’s doing OK but everybody is very busy. He meets with a client who has a design business that has made some fundamental changes in the way it works after getting feedback from customers that they were not happy but the firm was getting the work because the other designers were just as bad. [continue reading…]

in Best Business Books