Customer Reviews

Performance Management: Integrating Strategy Execution, Methodologies, Risk, and Analytics (Wiley and SAS Business Series)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of the quotes Gary uses in this book is Leonardo da Vinci's observation that "There are three classes of people: Those who see. Those who see when they are shown. Those who do not see." We are fortunate that one of "those who can see" can also cut through the software and consulting marketing hype and effectively communicate to those of us "who only know when they are shown" what performance management really is, its purpose, its benefits, and how it fits into the grand scheme of business leadership. Gary's discussion of business intelligence hierarchy and its parallel with human brain activity is, by itself, worth the cost of the book. This book is a must for anyone who wants to truly understand business performance management before putting its principles into practice.

Gary Cokins' book "Performance Management" is the best collection of thinking on the subject that I have seen. Gary doesn't waste time with abstract ideas -- he provides practical insights into today's (and tomorrow's) managerial problems, along with solutions that work. I know they work because my firm's performance has improved significantly as a result of applying what Gary teaches.

The content of the book is divided into many short chapters written in an informal, sometimes irreverent, but always engaging style. You may be tempted to read multiple chapters in one sitting. I wouldn't advise it. Rather, read a chapter and then give yourself time to think about it. The more you do, the more you'll understand just how profound the wisdom is that Gary shares with his readers.

Incredibly relevant read - Gary ties together the elements that really matter to enable decision making - all in an interesting read. I found immediate, useful value to utilize.

Gary Cokins asked me to endorse this book. And I didn't hesitate, for the value of Chapters 33 and 34 alone!

Chapter 33 is a short collection of "Dear Diary" excerpts from the future, about what people have learned from performance management. I love "Dear Diary of Spray-and-Pray Marketing" and "Dear Diary of Employee Turnover". And Chapter 34 is "A Dear-CEO Advice Column You Might Want to Read". And you do. It's got some questions to ask to get people thinking about the importance of performance.

It's not a how-to book, but a thought-provoker, and great to give your managers and executives just a chapter or two, to provoke their thoughts. It will be another opportunity for them to come around to the value of measuring and managing organisational performance. Gary has a style that speaks sense to everyone.

Gary Cokins new book is a well organized, human scale approach to putting analytics to work in practical terms. Rather than focus on just theory, Cokins lays out the intellectual underpinnings of Performance Management and then demonstrates how this affects the true and real life challenges faced by increasingly complex organizations. Cokins makes clear that there are no magic bullets to improve performance but that consistently applied logic and disciplined objectivty are achievable and will bring the results. I recommend "Performance Management: Integrating Strategy" to anyone faced with creating sustained value in any enterprise. Cokins might not make it easy but he makes you smarter.

Must read for any professional, this is a clearly written road-map for measuring company performance. Practical discussion of the issues faced in planning and measuring performance improvement. Wake-up call to install predictive metrics. The analogies are wonderful tools to sell ideas to non-analytic senior executives. Great book for all consultants to have in their back pockets.

The length and depth of Cokins' experience with Performance Management and measurement comes through. A practitioner's view.

At 240 pages and 35 chapters, Performance Management is a quick and enjoyable read. Combining great graphics and broad practical experience makes this a must read for all managers who make decsions. The ability to integrate strategy, execution, methodologies, risk and analytics is critical to success in today's complex world.

Unfortunately, it is not at all what I was expecting/looking for. I am trying to design a performance review program (employee evaluation) tying company goals and objectives to individual goals and ultimately performance against/toward those goals. This book was not helpful at all.

Sorry, but this is not a book. It is a collection of articles - with high level content - written by the author and collated together in book format. All articles are about the benefits of business intelligence. It's more poetry than methodology.