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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you want to improve performance - buy this now,
By Nick Wood (Heckmondwike, Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Freedom from Command and Control: A Better Way to Make the Work Work (Paperback)
You have got to read this book. I have always been cynical about any improvement method (BPR etc.) and management fads that espouse miracle cures and yet offer very little in practical terms, i.e. what do I do tomorrow and how ? I got introduced to John and the work of Vanguard by a friend a few years back. Through studying the method all of a sudden my angst about the teachings I had at university and the management approach in industry that just didn't feel right connected- there is a better way. It connected into a method that actually does work and does not undermine the purpose of a business, to keep customers and make money. The method exemplified in this book is down to earth, practical and grounded in a proven theory. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give it, is that it teaches you how to 'see' from a perspective that will shock you yet motivate you to improve your work design. By improving your work design you please your customers, your staff morale goes up because they feel that they are making a difference and guess what you will please yourself because your profits will go up as you eradicate waste out of your work design The book sets out this method in a readable, accessible style and is littered with genuine examples that enable you to 'see' how it can work for you. You will not get all the answers from the book, this is not what is about - a good method does not give you the answers (how could it, without application to your system ?) it invites you to study your own system and make improvements on the back of your findings If you want a book that will motivate you to get reconnected with your customers, create value for them and improve your staff morale and profits - BUY THIS NOW ! Another tip - find out more about John's inspiring work and if you feel you have a commitment from your organisation to go down this path they will deliver a three day course on the principles of lean service, with a money back guarantee if you feel you have got no value out of it....now you can't ask for more than that ! p.s. I have no formal connection with John and Vanguard - even if this does sound like an advertisement (!) I am just a fan of their work and confident that this can help industry and the public sector deliver real improvement in performance
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring - if a little heavy in places,
By
This review is from: Freedom from Command and Control: A Better Way to Make the Work Work (Paperback)
In "Freedom from Command and Control" John Sneddon provides an excellent analysis of the error of target-driven business management. His main proposition is that "targets" drive bureaucracy and sub-optimal behaviours. His argument being that we should measure and manage the capability of work processes and work together to improve those processes, rather than judge people on results - which are often simply the result of variations in the process and lead to a decline in morale. Essentially Mr Sneddon is talking about applying the "lean" philosophy to processes - particularly service processes - though he hardly mentions the word "lean" in the book (possibly to avoid bamboozling readers; and certainly to avoid accusations is he jumping on a bandwagon: he uses the book to give other "buzzwords" - ISO9000, IIP Chartermark, TQM etc - short shrift). He makes his point very well, though he does labour it somewhat; and I feel he doesn't really offer many alternative measures (of process performance) to counteract the tendency to focus on results. He also uses one of the final chapters in the book to sell his own consultancy somewhat annoyingly. In addition, I feel his criticism of ISO9000, IIP and other approaches is a little harsh. His comments about them not explicitly focussing on processes that create customer value is true enough, but the examples he gives are extreme cases. Most organisations enter these schemes with an honest desire to improve (rather than cheat the system); they just lack awareness of how best to identify value adding processes. Nevertheless, I recommend this book to anyone considering how to establish performance measures in their business; or wondering why results based measures are actually causing problems of conflict, poor morale, and declining service.
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll understand why brainless targets are killing the NHS,
This review is from: Freedom from Command and Control: A Better Way to Make the Work Work (Paperback)
Excellent, clear thinking stuff that you can actually use to do things differently and better at work. I really think this isn't just another forgettable tool. It has changed my thinking in a radical way about the whole way we organise work. It has also made me able to explain why Tony Blair's obsession with targets has been so destructive...and I voted for him.
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