Making the Impossible Possible: Leading Extraordinary Performance: The Rocky Flats Story [Paperback]

Kim Cameron (Author), Marc Lavine (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1576753905 | ISBN-13: 978-1576753903 | Publication Date: August 1, 2006

The most contaminated nuclear plant in the country, Rocky Flats was an environmental disaster and the site of rampant worker unrest. Although it was estimated that it would take 70 years and $36 billion to clean up and close the facility, something stunning happened. Now on its way to becoming a wildlife refuge, the project is running 60 years ahead of schedule and $30 billion under budget. In "Making the Impossible Possible," Kim Cameron explains how this remarkable performance was achieved -- and how it can be replicated. Using numerous first-hand accounts and public records, Cameron draws a number of leadership guidelines that can be applied to any business. This fascinating and thoroughly researched case study concludes by revealing the ten leadership principles responsible for the Rocky Flats turnaround -- and in doing so, provides a means for other organizations to harness the lessons of this astonishing success.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kim S. Cameron is Professor of management and organizations at Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business and Professor of Higher Education in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. Dr. Cameron's past research on organizational downsizing, effectiveness, quality culture, and the development of management leadership skills has been published in more than 80 articles and eight books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576753905
• ISBN-13: 978-1576753903
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book. How to succeed from Abundance rather than trapping yourself in error avoidance, January 19, 2007

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Making the Impossible Possible: Leading Extraordinary Performance: The Rocky Flats Story (Paperback)

This is an exceptional and, I think, an important book. The authors are trying to get at the things that enable the kind of exceptional performance that we all say we want and that some of us have been fortunate to experience at some point in our careers, if only briefly. We all know the kind of things that go into exceptional performance in sports whether for individual performance or as one of those "great" teams. While visualization was a revolutionary idea decades ago, nowadays we all know that athletes work with "pretty pictures". They focus on mental images of what they want to do rather than focusing on the mistakes they might make. It is the positive imagery that frees them to do the exceptional things they do and reach greater success than even similarly talented people who tie themselves in knots trying to avoid failure.

This book uses the fabulous performance and success of cleaning up the Rocky Flats plutonium processing facilities as a real life example of Positive Deviance - of performing from Abundance rather than trying to manage performance by monitoring mistakes and poor performance. With the end of the Cold War and changes in America's nuclear program, several facilities that had been deemed vital (despite the intense environmental issues surrounding the processing of radioactive materials and building them into weapons) were now closed and had to be cleaned up. The original projections for Rocky Flats planned for 70 years and $36 billion.

Instead, the team at Rocky Flats went through an internal process that took hold of Abundance and Positive Deviance. They dismantled the 800 buildings and cleaned the site in 10 years and for $6 billion. No other DOE facility cleanup has approached this performance.

In telling this story the authors did several things right. First, they give us an overview of what the issues are - so you can begin to develop your own questions and challenges to the incredible story they are tell us. They then give us an overview of what Positive Organizational Scholarship and Abundance are about and what the literature shows us. And in telling the story of Rock Flats they use the words of the participants. This adds a great deal to the richness and depth of perspective into the way work happened and how it changed over time.

Another way the authors help us understand the complex story of Rocky Flats is using the Competing Values model that was developed by Cameron and Quinn. It provides a means for analyzing the various cultural styles in the work place and how the level of success shown in Rocky Flats requires a paradoxical style. That is, it requires creativity and a free enough structure to innovate while at the same time requiring careful monitoring and measurement. There are many paradoxes that have to be managed in something as large and as complex as this cleanup.

Along the way they raise several alternative views that could explain away the success of this mammoth project. With careful examination, it becomes very hard to give them much weight. Other views are also presented in Appendix 1. That the authors are so open about other possibilities for the success or that it is all an illusion I think strengthens their case.
For me, the biggest reward came in chapter 9 when everything discussed previously is brought together in a very practical way. The reader is given a very practical explanation of the principles learned from this project and how to apply them in one's own work.

So, do yourself a favor and open your mind to approaching work from the Abundance model rather than trying to find success by avoiding mistakes. It is not only a more successful way to work, it is a lot more fun and better for everyone around you.

3.0 out of 5 stars Bit Disappointed, June 14, 2010

By 

James J. Glasmann - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Making the Impossible Possible: Leading Extraordinary Performance: The Rocky Flats Story (Paperback)

As a former Rocky Flats worker (prior to closure) I found this book a bit disjointed and it tended to be redundant. I was disappointed that it lacked the details describing the plans and execution for the decommissioning and demolition of the many key production buildings. I was looking forward to reading more detail about the acutal closure of building 771. The book continually praised the contractor and the loving relationships which developed between communiry groups, local, state, and federal agencies. I found myself skipping over much of this material. If you're looking more for the actual plans and work that went on closure, you won't find it in this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars good strategic structure and a cool story to back it up, January 5, 2007

By 

A. Stone "quirky reader" (Vancouver BC Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Making the Impossible Possible: Leading Extraordinary Performance: The Rocky Flats Story (Paperback)

this is a good book in that it provides a management model for consideration, explains it thoroughly, and then applies that model directly to a very interesting and challenging business situation. The idea that abundance - or driving for the ultimate activity - is doable is a new approach, and one that flies in the face of the "stretch goal" failure currently in management thinking. this books takes "beyond" and gives it texture - and real examples