Customer Reviews

The 21st Century Organization: Reinventing Through Reengineering (Warren Bennis Executive Briefing Series)

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This book came up repeatedly under various search engines for "leadership." I would say it is probably a far more valuable resource for private-sector business folks. The book misses the mark on "leadership" analysis, but could probably be a McDonald's drive-thru success for the business world. I am not a student of business, but it appeared to wildly over-simplify a complex topic. I noted the author's doomsday-ish tone, particularly in sentences such as: "The choice is clear; Reengineer and flourish, or fail to reengineer and perish." The book was not one of the resources in the "leadership" arena that appealed to me.

There are some very good ideas in this book, but like the other reviewers I found it lacked depth. Also, it is EXCESSIVLY ORAGNIZED. Too many:
* Bulleted Lists
1.1 Number Lists
At least one list on every page! Lists have their place, but the excessive structure got in the way of content.

The first chapter or two were actually quite interesting and seem to contain most, if not all, the main ideas of the book. Unfortunately, the book rapidly digresses into something that looks more like a job aid than a book. (A richly commented listing of the steps involved in reengineering a company) From the organization/content of the material, the bulk of the book appears to either have been written for, or at least from the perspective of consultant/client, rather than author/reader. Unfortunately, while a "roadmap" style may work great in that world, it doesn't translate into a very readable book. (Honestly--I burned out about half way through, but the rest appears to be more of the same.)

Overall, the first few chapters aren't bad and I'm glad I read them. If you are planning on implementing a re-engineering project, then the remainder of the book is definitely a great resource, but as a general book to introduce re-engineering I wouldn't recommend it.