Rules to Break and Laws to Follow: How Your Business Can Beat the Crisis of Short-Termism (Microsoft Executive Leadership Series) (Hardcover)

by Don Peppers (Author), Martha Rogers (Author)
Key Phrases: earning customer trust, most possible value, customer equity, Six Sigma, Crisis of Short-Termism, Verizon Wireless (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Harnessing the power of connected customers and networked employees is now the key to success and that's what this book is all about." (Bookviews.com, April 2008)

Product Description
Praise for Rules to Break & Laws to Follow: How Your Business Can Beat the Crisis of Short-Termism

"A fascinating, highly readable synthesis of business principles, technology, sociology and common sense, Rules to Break and Laws to Follow persuasively shows the connection between customer trust and business profits, and then explains how to make it happen. As a bonus, you'll learn how to make your company more innovative, how to ensure your employees actually enjoy what they're doing, and how to deal with the kinds of service and quality breakdowns that occasionally plague any company, even a well-managed one. This book should be on your required reading list."
-Stephen M. R. Covey, bestselling author of The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything

"Over the years, Peppers and Rogers have given me valuable advice about navigating the changing business landscape. This book is a must-read for managers who want to empower their employees and customers to?make change their ally."
-Jim McCann, founder and CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM

"Highly readable and entertaining. Make sure everybody in your firm reads this book by last Friday."
- Dror Pockard, CEO of eglue

"In a time when most companies are built to flip, Peppers and Rogers have planted a stake in the ground to help you survive past the next round of financing or consumer fad. Knowing what rules to break is arguably even more important than what?laws to follow, and this book imparts?knowledge for both."
- Guy Kawasaki, cofounder of Truemors and author of The Art of the Start

"Peppers and Rogers have created the unthinkable: an enjoyable wake-up call! Their book serves up one compelling and provocative idea after another, and the authors enjoy debunking some of our most deeply ingrained business beliefs. Read this book and your customers will thank you."
- Dan Heath, coauthor of Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (February 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470227540
• ISBN-13: 978-0470227541
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #394,009 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The Microsoft Executive Leadership Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short-Termism vs Soustainability, February 6, 2008

By	René F. Lisi (Zurich, Switzerland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read all books from Don and Martha. "one to one future" was the first and the best book I've ever read related to CRM. "return on customers" was a first attempt to demonstrate that company value isn't necessarely equal to EBITDA and value of shares. Don and Martha introduced here the concept of long-term view vs short-termism.
With this latest book "rules to break & laws to follow" - I've read it in one day! - they follow their concept of demonstrating what real value to a company means.
I do like especially the introduction of an "employee/empowerment"-dimension which was a little bit missing until now.
Real great book. A must for all leaders and managers.
René F. Lisi

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The hits keep coming, April 3, 2008

By	Elizabeth Rech (Hingham, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Don and Martha have done it again! They have identified and exposed one of the most difficult challenges in business today -that of short term-ism - or the obsession with making quarterly numbers at the expense of long-term and lifetime customer value.
They've dared to question some of the most fundamental business tenants and then provided evidence that new ones have emerged, such as the critical need to build and maintain trust, the necessity of employee empowerment, and the power of social networking, just to name a few.

Yes, this book is enjoyable to read; but more importantly, it has real-life examples, practical advice, and executable strategies for those who dare to build great companies for the future, not just the next quarter.

Elizabeth Rech
Hingham, MA

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like being there, July 6, 2008

By	Fernando Pierry (Latin America) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Reading this book is just like being in a business presentation by Don and Martha. The text flows very fluently, pouring real life examples drawn from their extensive experience with marketing and customer management.
It is also like being in a meeting in our own business. If you are an executive with marketing and sales responsibilities and you already do your job 'out of the box', you'll want to read this book to inspire your actions. If you still have to prove your point inside your company, the book will give you tons of reasons to show your boss why the company needs to start doing things differently right now.
Concepts like "customers are the scarcest resource", "the experience you give your customers is more important than the message" come to life with abundant examples. Customer equity management applications get a lot more tangible, even if you haven't read Return on Customer: Creating Maximum Value From Your Scarcest Resource, the authors' previous book.
Highly recommended, easy read, but don't be fooled. This is high-impact matter, which may seem deceptively easy to execute. The final chapters about diversity and dissent, corporate culture and leadership bring forth the organizational efforts needed to push these concepts forward in the real world.
Extensive reference notes can help you further research the subjects covered, which is great in an environment of ever-accelerating change.