Rather than writing a review summary for the book I felt it will be probably more important to go further in explaining the book. This is an excellent book but can be interpreted wrongly by some people who may want to use it to get some personal gains and not create a true good to great company. Some people, particularly managers or executives who may use this book to brainwash subordinates in trying to gain some mere small benefits may not agree with me. I am sorry this explanation is not meant for them. They are most welcome in showing people what they think is right as long as no one is interested in believing those dreams.
Here is something that typically is told about good to great companies and hence one should be very careful with the popular misinterpretation of the book.
It's about right people not right work
Most people say flexibility is key to a person's growth. Well it's a fact. But, if your role changes every fortnight and if you are not aware of the roles and responsibility of a particular position you are bound to get to a doom cycle. When right people are hired it's their job to create the right responsibilities and right directions. But, if they do not get that freedom to create then probably the company is telling only false stories to hire people and later to discover the organization is in an unplanned mess.
Good to Great Companies do not explicitly plan
Well completely wrong. Most of the companies mentioned are very clear of their core strengths and they keep focused to that and deliver that. They improvise in nitty gritty of details or the product and services they provide. Look for the defects in your product if it's clear that there is too many of them and the product development teams is not accepting them with a spirit of urgency or willingness or all the features of the products are decided without you knowing what is going on definitely that is a clear indicator your company is probably not designed to move from good to great.
It's all about hard work silly
Well very simple statement made at most companies who never come out of a start up cycle. Smart work is about doing it once and doing it right. If you are putting more effort than is required take a look if you are actually doing it right the first time. If you don't work smart you only have to put in more effort. Good to great is about developing core skills and focused knowledge management, hard work is not the solution for good to great. If you can work smart that is the key for success ahead.
Developing culture
An organization culture is an important activity that needs to be built up for every good to great company. Should that organization culture challenge the establishment or location culture or culture of the people? Very simple management principle in any industry in the Key Success Factors (KSF). In IT industry it is clearly the people and HR practices. Ask yourself the following questions. Can I talk to someone in the HR department regarding the people's problem? If the answer is no then I guess the organization has shown no interest in developing the KSF the industry needs most. Secondly, has the organization been sensitive to people's needs or local needs. If it has taken any of your holidays from you has it compensated it back in some sense. Did you enjoy going to office on a holiday. If the answer is no then then again this is a company that's using you and not giving you enough to be with it. Last but not the least if a company says working longer hours is a culture then this should be the last place to work as they are surely not interested in the employee developing his/her skills and interests.
Level 5 Managers
This is the key factor for Good to Great companies. Ask yourself what did the CEO last talked you the recent football match or the great golf game he played with "Bill Gates". How many times he has shown interest in having lunch with you all? Did he ask you if you had a good sleep when he knew that you were working late. Sense of humility is to do with empathy. And if that's lacking then I guess you are missing a Level 5 manager right there. Without a level 5 manager the whole of good to great is a big farce. Do you want to be part of it and be laughed at or sit outside and watch is a choice that you should make for yourself.
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