Customer Reviews

Building the Awesome Organization: Six Essential Components that Drive Entrepreneurial Growth

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Building the Awesome Organization is the second in a series from Katherine Catlin and Jana Matthews. The authors understand that finding the right people and treating them right is the key to business success. This book isn't full of theory and platitudes - it has concrete steps to grow a healthy company.

So you've survived the start-up phase and now you find yourself in the position of "leader". Ever wonder if you're cut out for it? Ever wonder if you know what you're supposed to do? Page 220 has the answer.

The book has an interesting format. Lessons are built around stories from real entrepreneurs and leaders. Most chapters have surveys that can be used to gauge your organization's health and your progress as a leader. This won't be a book that you read and then put away - it is more of a guide that you'll refer to as you grow your company.

This book contains some very useful information. For example, I found the chapter on developing processes (Chapter 8) very insightful. However, the book includes over a dozen suggested actions per page, over 5,000 in the book. This book is not a program in any meaningful sense, because there is just too much of it.

To illustrate this point, here are the verbs from a single page chosen at random (page 91):

develop a mentoring program...,
encourage employees...,
hold mentors accountable...
enable people...
encourage everyone...
discuss questions...
provide opportunities...
develop ways to...
hold coaching sessions...
provide feedback...
help them set goals...
encourage them to...
understand the goals...
provide coaching to...
learn new skills,...
eliminate bad habits...
change their roles...
stay balanced...
etc...

It's the same with all the other pages, all 245 of them. Bear in mind this book only deals with organization building, and doesn't even touch on marketing, operations, finance, etc. The essence of leading a business is setting priorities, and that is entirely missing from this book.

We are now working our way out of a recession brought on in part by new economy companies who strayed as far as possible away from the fundamentals needed to create a profitable business. This is perfect timing for a book that should serve as the bible for anyone who wants to build a truly great organization that will stand the test of time...and of profitability. A simple and quick read, this book covers the stuff that entrepreneurs ignore at their own peril, such as the vital importance of culture, the value of making planning more than just an exercise in numbers, and how focusing on your infrastructure can make it easier to get the real work done. Catlin and Matthews have done entrepreneurs everywhere a huge service with this book.

In the endless sea of business/management books, this one got my attention. Its simple, clear approach to taking care of business at all levels is appealing, realistic and easy to read. All of our company managers will be receiving a copy in anticipation of our yearly planning. It's a winner for any entrepreneuerial company on a growth path. If you want to take a new look at the same path, try this one.