Deadline!: How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time [Hardcover]

Dan Carrison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2002

"In the world of business, every second counts...and some seconds count more than others. Executives never know when a critical time challenge is going to rear its ugly head, and knowing exactly how to handle it is the only thing that stands between success and failure. Here, based on the author's personal on-site interviews and observations, are the stories of prestigious organizations in a wide variety of industries successfully facing seemingly impossible deadlines. * Broncos Stadium looked like a time management nightmare...until Turner Construction brought it in below budget and ahead of schedule * Every shipping company turned down a unique challenge from Technicolor except for Airborne Express...which now "owns" the film distribution market * Tropical storm Allison devastated the area around Conoco's Houston headquarters, overwhelming the local authorities...but not Conoco employees * Boeing's 777, an FBI kidnapping case, the 2001 Odyssey Orbiter on a mission to Mars -- how their teams made the impossible happen Revealing (and quantifying) indispensable lessons in managing projects, the book shows how readers can overcome their own extraordinary challenges to beat the clock and achieve exhilarating success. "

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A common cartoon posted in offices depicts a group of employees laughing hysterically, asking the question, "You want it when?" Although most employees know laughing off a deadline is no way to get a promotion, they may not know the best way to go about meeting closing dates. Carrison (Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way) has gathered six powerful tales of workers meeting deadlines that may ignite even the most sluggish employees to kick their deadline-meeting skills up a notch. In a sort of adventure/business hybrid, Carrison offers stories ranging from Turner Construction's ahead-of-schedule delivery of Denver's Broncos Stadium to Boeing's incredibly quick development of the world's most technically advanced airliner, making this an unusually readable business book. The author interviewed more than 50 employees and observed on-site to present a full picture of each scenario. In each case, he explains what the deadline was and the various elements that contributed to meeting it. The chapter subheadings offer a glimpse into what the lesson is (e.g., "Don't wait for the expected conditions"; "beware of `letdown' after a major success"), and each section ends with a useful checklist of deadline management techniques, such as "protect your own people from having to choose between priorities." Although some situations are more riveting than others the FBI's management of a kidnapping is the most exciting by far they all provide valuable lessons. Carrison draws parallels between some of the situations and finds common principles, which will help project managers in any situation, be it the science lab or the mailroom.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Six powerful tales of workers meeting deadlines that may ignite even the most sluggish employees to kick their deadline-meeting skills up a notch… adventure/business hybrid…an unusually readable business book.”

--Publishers Weekly

“Despite the book’s 2003 copyright, it’s clear the author made his manuscript deadlines well in advance… a must-check-out if your job entails being suddenly saddled with time-consuming challenges without sufficient time to rise to them… extremely visual writer who can show everything he talks about to the satisfaction of even a sophisticated reader’s eye ”

--Journal of Business Strategy

“Dan Carrison’s Deadline! How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time (Amacom) is fascinating stuff, full of practical yet visionary information on how to meet time commitments and still maintain your sanity. This isn’t just fluffy garbage like ‘develop good time management skills.’ Carrison offers very specific advice, all drawn from case studies that he has intricately researched.”

---New Architect

“This book should be read by anyone who wants to make things happen vs. let things happen.”

--Jim Pawlak, syndicated business book reviewer

“While recounting each tense, thrilling story, Carrison… draws practical business lessons for executives and managers and all others determined to overcome a time-crunch… This is the kind of book that can be both instructional and inspiring.”

--MWorld

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1st edition (October 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814407269
• ISBN-13: 978-0814407264
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,045,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Construction/ Industry Professional, November 27, 2002

By 

Donald Sealock (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadline!: How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time (Hardcover)

Deadline is a very interesting read especially to those of you that work in the Construction and Commerical/ Manufacturing Industries. The author gives us (6) stories, several of which give the reader an excellant overview of what it takes to get a project finished within a time frame (in those respective industries). They are suspenseful stories. I would say that I wish there were more story lines in this regard on how the individuals involved solved the problems and got their projects completed within the deadlines imposed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your average business book., November 23, 2002

By 

Mark (sylmar, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadline!: How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time (Hardcover)

Deadline is a well written, enjoyable read. And you don't even have to be an executive, or in management, to benefit from the experience of the successful business and law enforcement teams on which these case studies focus.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Educational and Interesting Read, November 9, 2002

By 

Marsha (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deadline!: How Premier Organizations Win the Race Against Time (Hardcover)

Dan Carrison knows how to tell a good story but, perhaps more importantly, he knows how to take that story and turn it into something more: a valuable learning experience. I took away key lessons from every chapter in this book. The techniques that especially resonated for me were partnering (even with an adversary) and accepting risk. The principles that he reviews will help me out in the future as I "race against time" to meet deadlines in my own workplace.