Authors’ Comments
We were pleased to have "Partnering for Performance" published by AMACOM, a leading supplier of business books, but have tried to keep things in perspective. Some 50,000 new books come out every year in the United States alone, and most of them enjoy modest sales. Our goal is to beat the odds by persuading some "lead steers" to buy and read our book, and then, if they like it, to recommend it to their families, friends and associates.
In the preface, we identified many potential readers for "Partnering for Performance." Our list ranged from organizational leaders (present and future), entrepreneurs, consultants and bankers to students, professors, and "anyone with an interest in where prosperity comes from and the future welfare of the global village." Easy to say, but how do we know?
FIRST, our book offers an approach by which many organizations could significantly upgrade their performance, and thereby enhance or at least maintain their competitive positions. Driving for functional excellence is important, but it can take an organization just so far. Whether in businesses, nonprofit agencies, or governmental units, the operating and Finance people can achieve far more by working together as equal partners than by "doing their thing" separately. What’s more, a "Partnering for Performance" (PFP) initiative is low cost and low risk.
SECOND, our book offers concrete benefits for readers. Here are some examples, as seen from two key perspectives.
® For CEOs, group vice-presidents, and other operating people, who might be wondering why they should read a book written by two Finance practitioners:
- A "big picture" review of megatrends in the organizational world.
- Highlights of the many and diverse activities of Finance, which are often not fully appreciated.
- The results to be anticipated from partnering with Finance.
- A clear explanation - no Greek letter formulae or obscure technical jargon - of some key financial techniques, e.g., options theory, that operating people need to understand and apply in their own activities.
® For CFOs, treasurers, chief accounting officers, and other Finance people, who may believe they are already partnering with the operating people:
- A "big picture" review of megatrends in the organizational world.
- Evidence that operating people have continuing reservations about the role of Finance.
- Specific ideas about how Finance needs to change, not as a one-time event but on a sustained basis.
- Some nonfinancial models and techniques that can help Finance people do their jobs better and be better partners.
THIRD, our book is "user friendly." Readers listen in on a dialogue between the CEO and the CFO of a hypothetical company, which doubles as an outline of the discussion and a continuing reminder that PFP must be "sold" to the operating and Finance people who will put it into practice. There are sixty real life examples (the companies and people are pinpointed in the index) and summaries of key points at the end of each chapter. Accordingly, busy readers with limited time can quickly grasp the messages of the book and locate areas into which they would like to delve more deeply.
FOURTH, our book is down to earth. We crammed it with practical ideas and tools (from illustrative appendices and checklists to an organizational troubleshooting guide).
FIFTH, ask yourself a question. Are you satisfied with how your organization makes and implements decisions, allocates resources, measures performance, and rewards its employees? If there is room for improvement in any of these areas, then our book should provide valuable insights for both you and your organization.
Let us close with a thought from the preface. "We hope that after reading this book, you will use our strategies, experiences, and observations to add value to your organization and to your personal life. If so, we will have accomplished our purpose."
Marty Mand & Bill Whipple
