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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
His Latest and Most Important Contribution, July 21, 2001
In The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies and The ROI of Human Capital, Fitz-enz initiated a rigorous inquiry which continues as he explains in this book "how to map and measure your company's course in the new economy." It is not necessary to read the earlier works first but I strongly suggest it because, together, the three books create a cohesive understanding of three interdependent forces in the contemporary business world: organizational excellence, individual peak performance, and (for lack of a better term) appropriate navigation during constant change. "The good news is that the connectivity of the World Wide Web links everyone at light speed. The other news is that it has imposed a pace of life that is almost intolerable." The material is organized within five Parts. * Enfolding the World Fitz-enz explains how and why today's marketplace is changing from the old, industrial world (i-world) to the new, electronic world (e-world). * Leadership Imperatives in E-World According to Fitz-enz, there are "ten imperatives of e-world leadership": provide a clear vision, and strategy for people to follow, communication is the first priority as well as the best tool, use stories to implant the message, champion information sharing and learning, commit to building an exciting culture, reward innovation and punish unreasonable resistance, focus on measurable results rather than processes, invest heavily in developing associates, develop a "can-do" attitude in the organization, and finally, listen to associates. * Strategy Drivers: Connectivity, Innovation, Customers In Chapter 7, Figure 7-2 enables the reader to assess her or his readiness for e-world; at one point in Chapter 8, Fitz-enz examines Davenport's "Seven Rules of Innovation"; and in Chapter 9, Figure 9-2 poses a series of questions which, once answered, enable the reader to learn how customers view his nor her brand. * Human Capital: The E-World Lever This is one of the most important sections in the book. Fitz-enz suggests differences between and similarities of i-world and e-world associates; identifies what he considers to be, for supervisors, employees' most important needs and expectations; he lists (in Figure 11-1) those factors which affect employee productivity; he then identifies and discusses those factors which drive successful programs; and then in Chapter 13, Fitz-enz suggests how to integrate knowledge management and learning organization-wide. The Human Capital Scorecard (Figure 14-1) provided in Chapter 14 consists of ten attributes to be rated on a 1-5 scale * Aligning Your Enterprise for E-World I was surprised to learn in Chapter 15 that the results of a General Management Technologies research study (which asked executives about their general approach to e-business and the factors behind their e-business performance) reveals that "both the highest and lowest performers named the same factors as keys to success." Fitz-enz lists them. In the same chapter, Figure 15-3 illustrates the connections and pathways among people, knowledge, and performance. For those in need of a "game plan", this illustration offers an appropriate framework. In the final chapter, Fitz-enz focus on what he calls an "E-Alignment Scorecard" based on qualitative metrics which enable an organization's decision-makers to measure progress in the e-economy. Note the logical progression from the analysis of E-World in Part I to an explanation of how to achieve organizational alignment with it in Part V. Fitz-enz then provides an Epilogue ("Over the Horizon") followed by Appendix A ("Three Levels of ROI Measurement") and Appendix B ("Bibliography"). In this book, Fitz-enz functions both as an anthropologist and as a tour guide. He shares his understanding of E-World as he accompanies his reader during a journey through it. In the final chapter, Fitz-enz suggests that the greatest challenge for any executive "is to grow an organization that is balanced in all respects. It must meet the imperative of making an acceptable return on all participants' investments. Stockholders, lenders, suppliers, employees, and customers must all benefit from the executive's decision...[then in italics] Every value system has natural outputs. We must choose our value system wisely. It is a death or life matter." This is one of only a few books which I think should be the basis of a one- or two-day workshop (preferably offsite) for key executives of an organization. The book's table of contents would serve as the workshop's agenda. All participants are required to read the book in advance and complete various self-audits and organizational assessments, then come together (a) to share their responses and (b) to suggest correlations between the book's contents and the given organization's specific needs and interests. By the workshop's conclusion, all participants will have collaborated on a "game plan" to design, launch, and then implement a program which will enable their organization "to map and measure [its] course in the new economy." How important is the success of such a program? I wholly agree with Fitz-enz: "It is a death or life matter."
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