Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Slack
 
See larger image
 

Slack [Abridged] [Audiobook] [Box set] [Illustrated] [Large Print] (Paperback)

by Tom DeMarco (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


10 used from £5.01
12 Days of Christmas Sale in Books
Get up to 65% off some of our top titles. Shop now

Special Offers and Product Promotions


Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Women's Ladies Trousers opens new browser window
www.simplybe.co.uk  -  New In Ladies Trousers Feel Fabulous This Christmas 
   Cheap Books opens new browser window
www.AbeBooks.co.uk  -  Find all your books cheap & second hand at AbeBooks. 
  
 

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior

Adrenaline Junkies and Template Zombies: Understanding Patterns of Project Behavior

by Tom DeMarco
Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects

Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects

by Tom DeMarco
4.1 out of 5 stars (8)  £14.62
Death March (Yourdon Press Series)

Death March (Yourdon Press Series)

by Edward Yourdon
4.4 out of 5 stars (7)  £14.49
The Mythical Man Month and Other Essays on Software Engineering

The Mythical Man Month and Other Essays on Software Engineering

by Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
4.3 out of 5 stars (26)  £13.79
Agile Estimating and Planning (Robert C. Martin)

Agile Estimating and Planning (Robert C. Martin)

by Mike Cohn
4.6 out of 5 stars (5)  £14.49
Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Broadway Books (A Division of Bantam Doubleday Del; Reprint edition (5 Jul 2002)
  • Language English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Welsh
  • ISBN-10: 0767907698
  • ISBN-13: 978-0767907699
  • Product Dimensions: 20.5 x 13 x 1.5 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 365,282 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Product Description

Synopsis

In an era of expense-slashing and 24-7 work schedules, the notion of corporations cutting themselves a little slack may seem far-fetched. But as the old ideal of the lean and mean staff proves to have negative consequences, "slack" is becoming the critical factor in a company's ability to grow, maintain profitability and adjust to marketplace changes. SLACK is the cutting edge guide to capitalising on these revolutionary principles. Acclaimed management consultant Tom De Marco whose clients include such giants as Hewlett Packard and IBM has spent years studying this critical but neglected corporate strategy. Without time built in for managers and workers to spend thinking about new ideas, he's shown, companies can't effectively respond to sudden events and they won't have enough flexibility to change when necessary, or to take needed risks. And forget about fostering creativity. As companies have become slaves to head counts, overloading workers with multiple job descriptions, the result is not necessarily soaring: revenues, turnover, stagnation, disloyalty and slowdown are the most likely outcomes.

A counterintuitive approach that works for new and old economy companies alike, SLACK debunks commonly held assumptions about personnel management and replaces them with an innovative model for true effectiveness - and a healthier bottom line.


Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
project management
management
business
software development
personal development
org development
efficiency
computers
top choice
software sociology
software management

Your tags: Add your first tag
 


 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A merciless exposure of self-indulgent management, 13 Jan 2003
By T. D. Welsh (Basingstoke, Hampshire UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
It's about 100 years since Frederick Winslow Taylor introduced the philosophy of "scientific management", with its offspring such as the time-and-motion study and the mythical man-month. That's about how long it takes for a big idea to soak into the awareness of managers everywhere - especially those who are more committed to looking good than to managing well.

Tom DeMarco, co-author (with Tim Lister) of the magnificent "Peopleware", has done it again. Although "Slack" runs a little over 200 pages, you will probably read it in less than four hours because it is actually quite hard to put down. You will keep on thinking, "Yes, I've seen that!" and "Those words ring a bell".

In the course of his consultancy practice, which has taken him into many organizations including Apple, HP, Lucent and IBM, DeMarco has noticed a lot of counterproductive management behaviour. Many acts and policies that look good in the short term lead to corporate death in the longer term. More specifically, it is always possible to squeeze out a few more percentage points of "efficiency" - but only at the cost of damaging morale, precipitating burnout and losing the flexibility without which sensible decisions cannot be made.

Faster isn't always better. Effectiveness matters more than efficiency. People are not interchangeable "resources". Without challenge and growth, the best employees soon leave. Overheads are not necessarily bad. Consciously or subconsciously, we already know these things. DeMarco just hammers them home so we will never forget them again.

I really have only one quibble with "Slack". DeMarco has no business criticising Dilbert and his fellow engineers for "giving up" on their pointy-haired bosses. Sure, employees have a responsibility to make allowances and go the extra mile - but the PHBs systematically abuse every extra bit of slack that anyone cuts them. That's part of the joke, of course.

This is not just a book that will confirm your suspicions, and reassure you that you are not the one who is going mad. It's a simple, easily-understood message that everyone in business needs to hear. Most of all those right at the top - DeMarco says that many employees have told him, "I wish my boss could be here now to hear you say that".

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A true 5 star management book, 12 Oct 2001
By RP (Luxembourg) - See all my reviews
Tom Demarco debunks much of the macho management practiced in many organsiations and encourages us to take a more considered people orientated approach. Slack is about using the time that naturally exists in ana organisation and using it to encourage change, or, to put it another way, do things better.
We have probably all tried to meet aggresive schedules and failed, well I have. DeMarco shows us why this is, why it will always be and how to take the pressure of ourselves and others and have altogether a more successful company.
He looks at practices such as management methodologies and recruitment methodolgies. I cringed at the latter. yes, i too recruited the perfect candidate but ignored the fact that he could n't do the job. One of the big messages in this is that it is people that count and that it is better to work together rather than against each other.
Heresy for the hell raising managers but Demarco makes so much common sense I would now like to face some of those past hell raisers and give them a dose of DeMarco.
Well Mr DeMarco you have given me a lot of ideas.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Perceptive Insight into Management Culture, 9 Jul 2002
By MR P A GRIMSTER (Hook, Hampshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
The ideas contained in this book are simple but revolutionary. Popular notions such as "busy is good" and "management equals total control" are examined in turn and dismantled. But there are also many positive suggestions to help those people with the responsibility of managing intelligent workers.
I was particularly drawn to the arguments relating to efficiency vs. effectiveness, and exposing the idea that "working long hours is the only way to get ahead" for what it is - a myth.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Review
I had expected more out of this. Not very scientific in its approach, and I find the text is largely based on the authors mere opinions.
Published 6 months ago by Persson Erik

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice airport read
Very elegant case against 'performance management gone mad' type of management. Something that most of us know already but are unable to sell it in quantifiable way.
Published on 29 Mar 2006 by Jarek

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to give to your manager...
Excellent read!

Very easy material to read and understand. Its obviously a pet topic for the author as you feel the points he makes are coming from a personal perspective. Read more

Published on 31 Jul 2005 by johnwares

5.0 out of 5 stars demystifies overhyped management fads
"Slack" is the first book by T. DeMarco I've read. I had great expectations after a management consultant recommended it, and after having read it I must say this book is a... Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2004 by more2563

5.0 out of 5 stars Credo to have time for creativity and open minded thinking
What means Cultural Management in the business context? Tom DeMarco shows in his new book, that Cultural Management become more and more important in the industry or the business... Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2003 by Dirk Heinze

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums


Listmania!


Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject


Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.