The familiar cliché "stick to your knitting" is
one of the oldest business bromides around, but it's never been
explored as Bain & Co. consultants Chris Zook and James Allen
do in Profit From the Core (Harvard Business School Press, $27.50),
a concise, compelling report on why and how to figure out exactly
what your company does best—and then do it. The two boil down
the findings of a 10-year, 2,000-company study into three key
traits that differentiate companies that grow from those that
stagnate. First, they say, growth companies reach full potential in
their core businesses before trying anything new. Second, when they
expand, growth companies look toward adjacent businesses rather
than hot industries that are far afield. Third, growth companies
can, and do, radically redefine their core operations when dealing
with quickly changing markets.
These simple and yet powerful ideas emerge smoothly and
convincingly from the mass of data and techniques Zook and Allen
have compiled, but there are paradoxes. For instance, companies
consistently found the greatest untapped potential in divisions
that were already performing well. Sound surprising? Well, there
are many such profound revelations to be discovered here.
Be
Quick—But Don't Hurry!
Simon and Schuster
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Andrew Hill didn't like John Wooden when Hill played for the
legendary UCLA basketball coach 30 years ago. But after Hill
graduated and became a successful TV executive, he realized several
of the traits that helped him in Hollywood were the ones Wooden had
inculcated while coaching the Bruins to its matchless string of
championships.
Here, with his ex-coach's help, Hill translates for business
users 21 vintage Wooden insights into leadership and success,
including "The team with the best players almost always
wins" and "Seek consistency—avoid peaks and
valleys."
Using such axioms, Hill provides intriguing anecdotes from his
days of playing with the likes of Bill Walton as well as usable
explanations of how each saying relates to business. For instance,
the title dictum advises you not only to avoid rushed decisions,
but also to act once you have enough facts. One part bittersweet
memoir and one part practical business text, Be Quick—But
Don't Hurry! is an unusually well-told tale of friendship,
competition and wisdom that any entrepreneur can profit from and
enjoy.
Techno-Ready
Marketing
The Free Press
Not
everybody loves the latest new thing. Up-to-the-minute technology
can be absolutely repellent to some intended
customers—including yours. That may not be good news, but
this book is. In it, two experts on measuring customer service and
marketing introduce a new technique for calculating market
receptiveness to state-of-the-art products and services. The basic
idea is to see whether anybody wants it before you invent it.
Four principles explain how. First, you must understand that
people adopt new technology differently than other products. So,
their second principle states, innovators need new marketing
strategies. Third, customer satisfaction is harder for technology
companies. Fourth, innovators that achieve critical mass in tech
markets often dominate them overwhelmingly à la Microsoft.
Recognizing these important realities provides marketers with a
good viewpoint in their push to be first (and best) to market.
Organize Your
Business Travel!
Hyperion
Organizational experts Ronni Eisenberg and Kate Kelly have helped
millions straighten their homes, offices and agendas with their
Organize Yourself! series of books. This one tackles the daunting
world of travel, showing dozens of ways to stay organized and keep
in touch, whether you're away from the office for a day, a week
or a month.
One of the most useful tips is the advice to create files of
maps, meeting places, restaurants and other resources for cities
you visit regularly. This will allow you to quickly snag the
appropriate folder as you head toward the airport, arriving with an
arsenal of options for entertaining clients or simply nourishing
yourself. The other recommendations range from the obvious (get a
briefcase with a detachable shoulder strap) to the unexpected
(stash a dryer sheet in your suitcase to fight static cling.)
Well-organized and light enough to pack for international travel,
this book is sized for any traveler's suitcase.