Stop chasing hot trends and start driving real growthIt's Not Rocket Science blasts through the trends and false promises permeating the business world to help you and your company get back to basics and get things done. Why doggedly pursue the "next big thing" when the most effective drivers of growth are right under your nose? This book asserts that you've already heard, been taught, and know well the key fundamentals that spell business success, and presents a compelling, four strategy blueprint for returning your business culture and strategies to a rock solid foundation of execution excellence. Each chapter opens withThe Challenge, which outlines a current condition that exists due to a departure from common sense behaviors, and tasks you with following the appropriate execution principles to get your business on the right track. After a thorough explanation of "what" and "why," each chapter gives you the actionable "how" so you can implement these valuable steps and master the art of execution in your organization.
Shifting sands do not make for a sustainable structure. If your organization is to be robust and strong enough to weather any storm, the strength must come from the very core; the ability for each member of your team to execute daily and effectively towards your organization's most compelling goals. Frankly, the last things most organizations need is another goal they'll miss because they can't execute well. This book reminds you of the four timeless execution methods and strategies that have proven themselves over centuries, and shows you how they are implemented in today's business environment.Get the leaders rightGet the culture rightGet the people rightGet the process right
Today's flash in the pan may be superficially intriguing, but is it really that much different from yesterday's "hot tip"? Fundamentals are fundamental for a reason, andIt's Not Rocket Science is the common sense guide to putting away flavor-of-the-month toys and getting down to business.
Acknowledgments ix
Foreword xi
Preface xiii
Introduction xvii
Part One : Get The Process Right! 1
Chapter One : Why Your Team Cannot Execute and How to Fix It 3
Chapter Two : Make Each Day a Masterpiece 7
Chapter Three : Get TUF! 11
Chapter Four : The Fray Gets in the Way! 15
Chapter Five : MAX It! 19
Chapter Six : The Power of a Personal Success Profile (PSP) 25
Chapter Seven : MAP It! 29
Chapter Eight : RAM It! 35
Chapter Nine : Prune It! 39
Chapter Ten : Dont Mistake Motion for Progress! 43
Part One Summary 49
Part Two : Get The Leaders Right! 51
Chapter Eleven : Do You Overmanage and Underlead? 53
Chapter Twelve : Stretching, Trenches, and Changing 57
Chapter Thirteen : You Are the Catalyst! 61
Chapter Fourteen : Buy-in Is Earned, Not Commanded! 65
Chapter Fifteen: Get Your Red Belt On! 71
Chapter Sixteen : The Truth about Mediocrity 75
Chapter Seventeen: Beware the Five Seductions of Leadership 79
Chapter Eighteen : Five Ways Conventional Wisdom Destroys Your Potential 85
Chapter Nineteen : The Power of Preparation 93
Chapter Twenty : A Blueprint for Making the Tough Calls 97
Chapter Twenty-One : Four Ways to Measure Your Leadership 103
Part Two : Summary 111
Part Three : Get The Culture Right! 113
Chapter Twenty-Two : RememberIts the Culture, Stupid! 115
Chapter Twenty-Three : The Core Value Pillar 119
Chapter Twenty-Four : The Mission Pillar 123
Chapter Twenty-Five : The Performance Standard Pillar 127
Chapter Twenty-Six : Establish Your Business Facts of Life 131
Chapter Twenty-Seven :The Core Competency Pillar 137
Chapter Twenty-Eight : The People Pillar 141
Chapter Twenty-Nine : The Earn and Deserve Culture 145
Chapter Thirty : The Ideal Cultural PortraitConsistent In, Mediocre Out 149
Chapter Thirty-One : Weave in Catalyst, Responsible, and Lead 157
Chapter Thirty-Two : Entitled Out, Tough-Minded In 161
Chapter Thirty-Three : Sloth Out, Loyal In 165
Part Three : Summary 171
Part Four : Get The Team Right! 173
Chapter Thirty-Four : How to Find the Great People Youre Looking For! 175
Chapter Thirty-Five : Like is Never Enough! 179
Chapter Thirty-Six : You Cant Make People What They Are Not! 183
Chapter Thirty-Seven : Ten Tips to Retain Talent 187
Chapter Thirty-Eight : Fix the Roof While the Sun Is Shining! 191
Chapter Thirty-Nine : Six Ways to Increase Employee Engagement 195
Chapter Forty : The Staggering Cost of Poor Performance 199
Part Four Summary 205
About the Author 207
Glossary of Master the Art of Execution Terms 209
References 211
Index 215
