Change: Strategy and The Fat Smoker

Every so often a book comes out that makes you say, "Wow. I wish I had written this one!"

David Maister gave me that feeling with his new book, Strategy and The Fat Smoker. The title grabs your attention, but it's the sub-title that makes you start turning the pages: Doing What's Obvious But Not Easy.

This is a book for everyone, not just business types. Let's face it: Who hasn't had the experience of knowing what to do, but then not doing it?

Readers of all ilks and age groups will benefit from David's years of hands-on experience as an advisor to professional service organizations. His own depth of learning is evident in his ability to synthesize complex experiences and present them in common-sense, understandable ways.

Here are just five of a book filled with nuggets:

• If you can't afford to say 'no' until you are successful and distinguished, then you'll never be successful and distinguished.

• Creating and sustaining ambition is management's primary task. It's obvious, but it's still scarce.

• Few business strategies are tested or chosen based on how motivating individuals and groups in the firm will find them. Choices are still made on detached, analytical grounds.

On relationships:

• People may say that they want the benefits of romance, yet they still act in ways that suggest they are really interested in a one-night stand.

• Managers are always trying to get more from that amorphous group of them (the subordinates) without having to build personal relationships.

Who Should Read This?

Managers of anything, because it's about strategy, relationships, and change.

Consultants, because it's about strategy, relationships, and change.

Individuals, because the principles apply to personal strategies, relationships, and change.

If you aren't already a reader of David's Passion, People, and Principles blog, have a look. You'll see that his engaging style prompts an ongoing conversation and a lot of learning as a result. His book is a compilation of blog posts over a two year period and hangs together in a way that makes its reading easy, digestible, and filled with impact. It should be a desk reference for managers everywhere.

Yes, I liked it a lot.

I hope you will, too.

(BTW: The full text is also available as an e-book at David's site.)

Comments

[Joe Raasch]

Hi Steve,

Would this book work for a middleweight who only smokes one cigar a year, and always while fishing in Canada? HA!

"Creating and sustaining ambition is management's primary task. It's obvious, but it's still scarce."

I couldn't agree more with this observation - from the author and from you. Maintaining that edge, avoiding complacency, celebrating success, and moving towards the next goal is what a manager is supposed to be doing. So few do this, to the detriment of their employees, organizations, and themselves.

One of the best lyrics in "Eye of the Tiger": "hanging tough, staying hungry."

Here's to everyone "staying hungry" in business in 2008 and not becoming a "fat smoker."

Joe, you know I'm a pushover for any musical reference!

David's line about "creating and sustaining ambition" is, to me, much more succinct and accurate than the textbook paragraphs that really aren't helpful when it comes to real action.

As for the one cigar a year thing, my question is : Does it attract any fish? If so, what brand are you smoking?