Corporate Canaries: Avoid Business Disasters with a Coal Miner's Secrets (Hardcover)

Sutton's turn around credentials and war stories underpin the five rules which can be written in less than half a page and will not be unknown to most readers. Where the pinch comes is that Sutton's real theme seems to be acceptance his book will not be
immediately of use but once read should be kept in a bottom drawer for reference to when things start to go wrong and application of one of the lessons will he argues apply.

I would class it as an easy two hour maximum read - food for thought but not going to get you fired up as to what you might do new unless you are in the unfortunate position of being in a company that is actually going into tailspin.

Whether or not Sutton was ever a coal miner is irrelevant. The focus should be on the five so-called "secrets" which he reveals in this book. (None is a head-snapper.) It would be a disservice, however, both to Sutton and to those who read this brief commentary to list the five out of context. They are best revealed within the book's narrative. The same is true of the "Big Secret" which Sutton shares in his final chapter. My advice is to go with the extended "canary" metaphor and allow Sutton to explain which of various business disasters are (key word) avoidable or whose impact can at least be reduced by rigorous preparation. Think of "canaries" as comprising a squadron of early-warning signs. It is imperative to know what they are, and, what each indicates. Those who ignore them do so at great peril.

Here are what I consider to be the key points which Sutton stresses, either by explication or implication:

1. Unlike their feathered counterparts, human canaries must be properly trained so that they will recognize and then report potential problems, dangers, etc. and do so in a timely manner.

2. Of equal importance, senior management must ensure that these "messengers" (a.k.a. whistle blowers) are encouraged and rewarded rather than punished.

3. All organizations have points of vulnerability. Everyone involved must be constantly alert to potential threats. Once one is identified, the appropriate person(s) must immediately be informed.

4. All organizations (regardless of size or nature) should have zero tolerance of criminal behavior, of course, but also of inappropriate behavior when in violation of what should be a clearly stated policy or procedure.

5. An organization's human canaries need not, indeed should not be limited to its employees. Customers, vendors, service providers, and "alumni" can also participate in an early-warning system.

Sutton makes clever and effective use of the extended "canary" metaphor and also of his grandfather who immigrated (at age 14) from Ballybunion, Ireland, to Harlan, Kentucky, and went to work in a coal mine. It is Grandpa Sutton who serves as the source of the five "secrets," each of which is revealed and then discussed within its own dedicated chapter. This use of what I call "Grandpa fables" may seem a gimmick but it's not. Sutton is too clever for that. Each of the "secrets" suggests lessons which can guide and inform sound business decisions.

In each of the first five chapters, Sutton identifies a common problem such as what usually happens when a company's profits sag and its management decides to cure this by adding revenue, any revenue. He lists five probable consequences. (Please see page 17.) Later in the same chapter, he responds to a separate but related question: What's the cure for a growing company with shrinking profits? He cites real-world examples. Offers specific suggestions. (Please see pages 23-26.) He concludes the chapter with a boxed summary of key points, "Your business is in trouble when..." Sutton follows a similar format in each of the other chapters: first a "Grandpa fable," then lesson(s) it reveals, relevant examples, probable consequences if the problem is not solved, a solution suggested, and then an appropriate variation on "Your business is in trouble when..." Given its length of only 126 pages, this is more a booklet than a book. Sutton's purpose is to focus his reader's attention on a limited number of "business disasters," and covers each with brevity and clarity.

I lament the fact that more often than not, those who sound an "alarm" of one kind or another are discouraged and even punished. Oh sure, some people are merely trouble-makers whose hidden agenda which may be unclear even to them. Fair enough. However, it is in the best interests of every organization (regardless of size or nature) to realize where its areas of vulnerability are most serious, to establish and support an "early warning system," and then require everyone involved to be alert to potential crises. Sutton offers some informative examples and some excellent suggestions as to how to do this.