Seeing the Big Picture: Business Acumen to Build Your Credibility, Career, and Company [Hardcover]

Kevin Cope (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2012

An MBA in 180 pages, Seeing the Big Picture simplifies the complexities of businesses large and small and shows you how a deep understanding of your company can help build the credibility and career you want. And it can make your work more fulfilling and purpose-driven by highlighting how you influence the success of your team, department, or organization.

All companies are driven to success or failure by the same five simple drivers: cash, profit, assets, growth, and people. Kevin Cope, founder of Acumen Learning, will help you appreciate how your day-to-day decisions can balance these drivers and contribute to the big picture of your organization s success. You'll discover the acumen you need to bring real value and passion to your work.

Whether you re on the manufacturing floor or sitting in the corner office, you can learn how to follow the drivers through to measurable results conquering your fear of numbers. Using Kevin's simple explanations of the most important metrics presented in the income statement, the balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows, you ll be able to quickly review financial reports for signs of success or impending doom.

Convincingly communicate your ideas to leaders, improve your team's performance, even launch a successful business of your own. No matter your goal, give yourself the foundational knowledge every businessperson needs, and discover new strategies for proving your value.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kevin Cope is not only a successful executive, he is also a trusted resource and confidant to top business leaders from around the world. For over 25 years, Kevin has promoted the idea that the brightest minds in business see the big picture without losing sight of the details, thrive despite uncertainties and complexities, and consistently make game-changing decisions that deliver results. In short, Kevin has promoted the idea that business acumen is an essential characteristic of a business leader. In 2002, Kevin Cope founded Acumen Learning, a boutique training company that has introduced their 5 Drivers business model to sixteen of the FORTUNE 50, helping them develop employees that drive and are driven by the business. Kevin is a sought after keynote speaker and author of Seeing the Big Picture, which has been praised by business leaders as a smart, insightful, and straightforward approach to understanding the business of business.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press; 1 edition (March 6, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1608322467
• ISBN-13: 978-1608322466
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent foundation on business fundamentals! March 4, 2012

By Charlotte Richards M.S.W.

Format:Hardcover

I really like how "Seeing the Big Picture" makes challenging and intimidating financial concepts seem so basic and fundamental. I do not have a background in business or finance, and this book helps anyone to establish a foundation that helps them see how all businesses fundamentally operate. I say it's a must read from anyone just starting their career path, to the most seasoned of leader or managers that may need help simplifying how they communicate business performance to their teams; or who may need a refresher themselves.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than my MBA March 5, 2012

By D. Lance Richards

Format:Hardcover

If I had to pick one book to replace my MBA (that cost me ten's of thousands of dollars) it would be Kevin's new book. It's so simple. I avoided all the finance classes in college because I thought they were too hard. Kevin takes that myth and busts it down with an easy to read, simple format that's amazing. Bottom line: My business acumen has improved. Read Kevin's book!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Want to Increase Your Value as an Employee? February 19, 2012

By John Chancellor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Unfortunately there is a large percentage of new hires for large companies who do not really understand what makes the company successful. Large corporations hire thousands of new employees each and every year and far too many of these employees are assigned to positions that do not allow the employee to see the big picture. Failing to really understand the big picture, how the different departments work/fit together often dooms an employee to a specialized role in the middle ranks of the company. If you want upward mobility in a company, you must understand the big picture - what drives the success of a company.

Kevin Cope, the author of Seeing the Big Picture has written an easy to read but sufficiently detailed guide for anyone to develop a much better understanding of any company.

According to Mr. Cope, there are five drivers that will allow you to see the big picture of any company. These drivers are: Assets, Profits, Growth, People and Cash. They are inter-connected, each driver influences all the others. If you understand these drivers, you will have a much better understanding of how the company works, how each employee/department contributes toward the overall goal of the company. By understanding the drivers, you can know when one is lagging and have a good idea about where to start looking for solutions.

The book is divided into two parts. Part one focuses on a detail discussion of each of the key drivers of any business. Part two focuses on explaining what goes into the financial statements of any business and how to read and understand the financial statements.

Mr. Cope explains the concepts and then uses a fictional company, Austin's Cycle Shop to illustrate the concepts. Austin's grows from a start-up company to a publicly traded company. He walks the reader through the various decision points, how and why each decision is made. This should help the average reader see more clearly the big picture, what data is necessary to make decisions and where that data comes from.

Part two - the explanation of the financial statements - is intended for those not trained in the preparation and/or reading of financial statements. If you have a good working knowledge of financial statements, you can probably skip this.

The book is intended for those readers who have never been exposed to or trained in looking at the big picture. For those readers, this is a highly valuable resource.