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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A STRAIGHT-FORWARD BOOK ABOUT STRENGTHENING ORGANIZATION., July 25, 2002
This review is from: How Organizations Work: Taking a Holistic Approach to Enterprise Health (Hardcover)
Using a model of an enterprise, this book is a guide for exploring key aspects of organization, revealing how they are interrelated, and assessing them. The work focuses on: the external environment; leadership; strategy; business processes; goals and measurement; human capabilities; knowledge management; organizational structure; and culture. There are self-assessment questions throughout the book and numerous guidelines for diagnosing and designing a healthy organizational. Illustrations are used to flesh-out the diagnostic process. The work is a how-to guide; it is well organized, comprehensive, and highly useful. As a management consultant in organization analysis and design, as well as editor of Stern's Management Review, I seldom have encountered a book on this subject that is as straight-forward in its delivery of value as this work. Highly recommended.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book provides insight on both the What and the HOW., February 5, 2002
This review is from: How Organizations Work: Taking a Holistic Approach to Enterprise Health (Hardcover)
Reading "How Organizations Work" was not only an "easy read" [as was promised in the foreward] - but provided far more meaty content than one might expect. In the game of golf there is an expression called "sneaky long". This is often used in reference to a golfer who seems to effortlessly swing at the ball and drives it much further than one might expect. I would call Brache's book "sneaky profound". It makes a series of key points in such an easy way that if the reader is not careful - one might miss the nuggets of intellectual gold. The book is full of valuable self assessment questions - which are easy to tailor to any given organization - given the investment of a little thought. The repeated references to the central role of business processes have substance and meaning in the context of the "Enterprise Model". This book is really worthwhile reading not just once - but two and maybe threee times to get full value.
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10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, a book true to the words of the jacket..., June 2, 2002
This review is from: How Organizations Work: Taking a Holistic Approach to Enterprise Health (Hardcover)
How many times have we been disappointed in the content of a book after having been impressed by the slick words on the jacket? Well, prepare yourself! Sometimes things really are the way they are stated. No illusions. And this is just such the case with Alan Brache's new book "How Organizations Work." From his opening quotation of holistic unity from Chief Seattle on the jacket to his final inspiring words at the conclusion of the book, Brache ties all the elements of improving organization performance together in a scholarly, yet easy to read creation. His "Enterprise Model" for organizations, provides an impressive blueprint or x-ray for understanding the "complex network of interlocking factors" which contribute to How Organizations Work. Using a model analogous to human biology, Brache has provided a framework within which we might better understand our organizations and the various factors that influence performance. It is a great, easy read -- just in time for our serious summer reading list. Enjoy!
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