You can learn a lot through experience. But you can learn a lot more a lot faster through other people’s experience – which may explain the popularity of so many books on business management.
With the overabundance of information and the immediacy of Internet access to newsfeeds, instant alerts, business blogs, etc., it’s sometimes tempting to overlook the importance of BOOKS:
- Built-In
- Orderly
- Organized
- Knowledge
- Sharing
But most of the business books I’ve read over the decades contain some nuggets of insight. And while a few unfortunately have been almost unfathomably academic or blindingly superficial, there are many that I have found to be profoundly helpful.
One of those I think destined to become a classic is Verne Harnish’s best-selling book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits. It was published more than a decade ago, but the ideas are even more relevant today in a world suffering from the distraction of information overload. His most recent book, Scaling Up, expands on the theme; but I think you can savor the original.
Harnish’s book is full of ideas about pragmatic, tangible ways business managers get their organizations moving in sync to create something significant. He recognizes that success requires the right preparation, execution and follow-through and brings clarity to the ways businesses must organize themselves for growth.
One of the core notions he advances is the critical importance of making everyone in your organization maintain focus, even in the midst of market chaos and operational distractions.
It’s a compelling book – definitely worth reading.
“The important thing is to make sure the important thing remains the important thing.” – Verne Harnish