In Search of Excellence was written in 1982, a tumultuous time in America. Managers were looking for advice that was relevant with the times, and the book gave them that. Peters and Waterman were consultants at McKinsey & Co.’s San Francisco office. They were given a project to study Organization in companies, and the rest is history. The book is based on 8 themes that the authors found lead to organizational success.
Peters and Waterman found that great companies cared about customers and employees too. The book dedicates a chapter to each of the eight qualities discovered by the authors – A bias for action, close to the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands-on value driven, stick to the knitting, simple form, lean staff and simultaneous loose tight properties.When I first read the book in business school, I was totally pulled in by the stories and findings the authors presented.
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Are the principles put forth in the book relevant today? I think they are. Bias for action reminds of the ‘analysis-paralysis’ theme of Agile that encourages just enough thought and chooses action over deliberation. Almost every marketing department today struggles to be close to the customer, and wants to get actual and honest customer feedback. Concepts like Future of Work encourage bringing down cubicle walls, open door policies and open communication. Startups work with a nearly flat organization structure. Lean principles urge companies to focus on value addition and ask them to get rid of waste.
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I think In Search of Excellence is the reference book that you should always have on hand. Whether you are a management student or not, and whether you are an employee or a business owner, the lessons here are for life. Even though the case studies here may be old, they can be useful in the limited context. Or in a way, you can look at it from a distance.
Try pondering over whether the 8 qualities apply to any business or not, and therein lies the value you will get from this book.
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