A Re-look at "In Search of Excellence"

After my last post, it was interesting to see the core principles of In Search of Excellence again by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman. At this point the book is old, but the values are enduring. They are:

1. A bias for action, active decision making - 'getting on with it'.
2. Close to the customer - learning from the people served by the business.
3. Autonomy and entrepreneurship - fostering innovation and nurturing 'champions'.
4. Productivity through people - treating rank and file employees as a source of quality.
5. Hands-on, value-driven - management philosophy that guides everyday practice - management showing its commitment.
6. Stick to the knitting - stay with the business that you know.
7. Simple form, lean staff - some of the best companies have minimal HQ staff.
8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties - autonomy in shop-floor activities plus centralised values.

Too many companies are lacking the "Bias for Action". It's especially a problem here in Europe.

Comments

[Greg Link]

Great reminder John keep making a difference. Tom is a rock star!