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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Goldratt attacks sales, marketing, and segmentation, August 19, 2000
This review is from: It's Not Luck (Paperback)
It's Not Luck is the follow up to the Goal. Written in the form of a Novel, it examines different value perceptions of the market. You'll learn about ultra variable costing, utilizing excess capacity to serve seemingly unprofitable market segments, and how to break down barriers to achieve new avenues to profitability. Priceline is a perfect example of an entire company built on exploiting constraints in the marketplace, and wringing every last bit of revenue (maybe one day profitably) out of previously unused capacity. The book provides a brief introduction to the Thinking Processes, which are used to examine conflicting logical arguments, and develop a workable solution, satisfactory to both sides. Within the book, the methodology of the Thinking Processes is applied to both business dilemmas, and to that of parent/teenager relationships. It's all about building understanding between people with differing perspectives, and the variety of situations to which it is applied clearly illustrates the versatility of Goldratt's methods. If you found "The Goal" valuable, you'll like this one, though w/o Jeff Cox, the writing isn't quite as good as the Goal. To continue your journey into the world of TOC and the TP (Theory of Constraints and Thinking Processes) look for books by H. William Dettmer. No novel formats in Dettmer's books, that I've read, but much more thorough explanation of TOC. For TOC on project management, check out Goldratt's "Critical Chain"!
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49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Luck Is for Rabbits, March 28, 2002
This review is from: It's Not Luck (Paperback)
Goldratt has been an especially prolific author in recent years. This is the second of three books; the others are The Goal (1992) and Critical Chain (1997). In The Goal, Goldratt's primary focus is on the a-pplications of what he calls a Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the manufacturing process. In that book and in this one, he presents his ideas in the form of fiction (as a novel), complete with a cast of characters, a multi-dimensional narrative (or plot), a variety of settings, and perhaps most important of all, a series of conflicts. Few other authors with sufficient business acumen would attempt, much less succeed (as Goldratt does) in combining the two genres. Long ago, someone suggested that luck is the residue of preparation. Goldratt seems to agree. In this volume, he devotes much of his attention to demonstrating the relevance of TOC to marketing, sales, inventory control, distribution channels, strategic alliances, and conflict resolution. I believe it was Carl Rogers who suggested that one of the most effective strategies for conflict resolution is to set aside all points on which both parties agree, each party then makes whatever concessions are appropriate (i.e. terms and conditions of lesser importance); thereby, the parties involved can then concentrate on what are, for both sides, the most important differences. And do so with mutual respect and with goodwill. Goldratt applies the "Rogerian Model" to countless situations in this book, suggesting that conflict resolution is the result of sustained effort and patience, not luck. It is occasionally said of an especially well-written business book that "it reads like a novel." What we have here IS a novel. Never before have executives had more to read and less time for reading. One of this book's most appealing qualities is that it is so easy to read. (The challenge is to make effective applications of TOC in an increasingly more competitive marketplace.) Goldratt is an authority on the business subjects he discusses as well as an excellent teller of tales. That's a rare combination. For whom will this book have greatest value? Obviously, decision-makers who now have one or more of the following needs: to set or re-set the direction of their organization; to formulate appropriate marketing and sales strategies; to improve production, logistics, and distribution; to launch or improve project management initiatives; and/or to strengthen the skills of line managers. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read Goldratt's other books, The Goal and Critical Chain; also, to check out David Maister's Practice What You Preach and David Whyte's The Heart Aroused. With all due respect to the core concepts Goldratt examines in this volume, they are worthless unless and until embraced by everyone involved. Master and Whyte can help managers to achieve that "buy in."
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52 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great human relations techniques!, February 25, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: It's Not Luck (Paperback)
While I enjoyed "The Goal", Goldratt's latest, "It's Not Luck" was hard to put down! Alex Rogo saved the day again, or more specifically saved his companies again, and once again Goldratt told his story in a manner that mixed fiction with solid business and human-relations principles. I am a marketing and business consultant, and after reading this book, I immediately declared it required reading for the executives and key-man employees of each company I am working with. Without exception it met with rave reviews. One of the managers, wife and half-owner of a manufacturing facility, made some major changes in company policies and used the techniques in this book to present these changes to the employees of the company. The rationale behind every single change was easily understood by even the most under-educated employee, and met with virtually no resistance! Revenues the following month increased by 150% and everyone employed by this company felt more rewarded, and more prideful, by their own contribution to the production process than ever before. Needless to say, this company rewarded me with a liberal bonus just for introducing them to this book! On the homefront, I have found several opportunities to use Alex Rogo's techniques to negotiate conflicts with my children, to the mutual satisfaction of all: a rarity indeed
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