Getting Results

You have the vision. Now you have the means to achieve it. Written by two experts from the University of Michigan Business School, this book outlines a proven five-step process for achieving the organizational imperatives you want in a systematic fashion you can follow. The authors offer field-tested guidance on how to focus company-wide efforts on desired outcomes, create a positive working environment that encourages achievement, and practice continuous improvement to sustain and improve operating results. Based on extensive research that includes data gathered from more than 2,000 managers, the book includes a wealth of illustrative case studies, vignettes, and self-assessments that will help you see your way to success."Getting Results" ist ein praktischer und innovativer Leitfaden für das Erzielen besserer Ergebnisse. Schritt für Schritt wird hier gezeigt, wie das Betriebsergebnis weiter gesteigert werden kann, indem man Aktivitäten unternehmensweit auf die anvisierten Ziele ausrichtet, eine positive und leistungsfördernde Arbeitsumgebung schafft und ständig Verbesserungen durchführt. Die Autoren stützen ihre Ausführungen auf umfangreiche Forschungsergebnisse und Informationen aus Gesprächen mit über 1.200 Managern. Mit einer Fülle anschaulicher Fallstudien. Dieser Band ist Teil der angesehenen Reihe 'University of Michigan Business School'.

Series Foreword xi

Preface xiii

1 The Call for Results 1

2 Absolute #1: Get Everyone on the Same Page: Focus on the Purpose of Your Organization 13

3 Absolute #2: Prepare for Battle: Equip Your Operation with Tools, Talent, and Technology 43

4 Absolute #3: Stoke the Fire of Performance: Create a Climate for Results 77

5 Absolute #4: Build Bridges on the Road to Results: Nurture Relationships with People 107

6 Absolute #5: Keep the Piano in Tune: Practice Continuous Renewal 139

Afterword: The Call for Action 171

Notes 181

The Authors 185

Index 189

CLINT O. LONGENECKER is the Stranahan Distinguished Professor of Management in the College of Business Administration at the University of Toledo. He has extensive business experience in both the United States and abroad specializing in performance improvement. He also teaches in the Executive Education Program at the University of Michigan Business School.

JACK L. SIMONETTI is an adjunct professor of executive education at the University of Michigan Business School and professor emeritus of management at the University of Toledo. Prior to his academic career, he had extensive experience in HR and employee relations with the BF Goodrich Company.

Learn How High-Performing Managers Get High-Performance Results

What's the difference between organizations and managers that fail and those that succeed? It's simple: successful managers and organizations do a better job of implementing those basic management practices that get results. In this book, Clinton Longenecker and Jack Simonetti draw on the wisdom of over two thousand high-performing managers to show you how to improve not only your own performance but also the performance of the people for whom you are directly responsible. They show how, by building a model of key practices—what the authors call the five absolutes—any manager can elicit high performance and improve results in all areas.

With practical tools and step-by-step advice, the authors show how to develop the practices and habits of high-performing managers, including how to

• Discover the keys to managerial career success and survival
• Create a focus on results that aligns actions with desired outcomes
• Equip your operation with the tools, talent, and technology for high performance
• Learn the practices that create a climate for results
• Create "people performance power" by nurturing relationships among people
• Develop specific practices for improving employee, personal, and operational performance