Rating: 
Summary: What a joke
Review: It just amazes me that "Chainsaw Al" could write such a piece of self-promotion. As his recent debacle at Sunbeam proves this guy doesn't know anything but how to slash head count. It's disturbing that he takes such joy in this also. The one thing we can all be happy about was when Chainsaw Al got the chainsaw taken to him. Al do us all a favor and just go away.
Rating:
Summary: What a joke
Review: It just amazes me that "Chainsaw Al" could write such a piece of self-promotion. As his recent debacle at Sunbeam proves this guy doesn't know anything but how to slash head count. It's disturbing that he takes such joy in this also. The one thing we can all be happy about was when Chainsaw Al got the chainsaw taken to him. Al do us all a favor and just go away.
Rating: 
Summary: This book gets better the more I read it
Review: Its amazing to me, that there are people who still disagree with his methods. Pardon me, but what ever happened to putting the shareholder first in a company?, I mean, isn't it THEIR money on the line? And since when is a business suppossed to be a leader of social change? Last time I knew, businesses were suppossed to be lean, efficient and profitable, not some over blown behemouth that was suppossed to play nice with its competitors. This book is lean, its mean and its suppossed to be painful to those who disagree, because turn-around artists would not be needed if companies would think more of their shareholders first and foremost. This book is not for the weak at heart, but rather for those who understand the sense of urgency that is missing from most companies today. Business is all about survival and Al Dunlap shows you how to be able to be in a position to change with the times, by being lean and efficient and remembering that its not your money at risk, its the shareholders.
Rating:
Summary: Bank managers at the gate
Review: Like prehistoric tribesmen, businessmen tend to communicate values through stories and legends; and few themes generate more legend than corporate turnarounds. Turnaround stories are fun; they paint big pictures with broad brushstrokes; they feature dramatic episodes and larger than life characters. As `Chainsaw' Dunlop writes, "You are not in business to be liked. ... If you want a friend, get a dog. I'm not taking chances; I have two dogs." Turnaround experts are a stark reminder that Al Capone also wore dark suites and would probably be trading today, if only he had paid his taxes. Clearing aside the hype, rescuing a company requires a combination of long and short-term thinking, empowerment and control, leadership and good management. First, a turnaround requires a good team; building and directing that team is the prime task of the leader. Much is written about teams but in reality most business teams are committees, where people write minutes, attend to protect their interests, and argue their point of view. A real team is a small group of people with complementary skills and a common, overriding goal. Successful turnarounds are case studies in teamwork; turnaround team members learn to trust and anticipate, and often look back at this period as the only real team experience of their working lives. The team is critical as a turnaround is too much for an one person to handle, particularly given the time the leader spends on stage re-assuring stakeholders, employees, creditors, financial institutions and suppliers. Part of the mythos around corporate turnarounds comes about because the leader acts as lightning rod to the outside world. The other part is the critical short-term activity, the need to cut fat, to re-negotiate contracts, to focus and to eliminate the non-core. Successful turnarounds are associated with `cutting once and deeply', with dramatic cash flow injections and with brinkmanship negotiation practices. This is not to ignore the long term. `Neutron Jack' Welsh of General Electric, despite his name, articulated the `number one or number two strategy' that took General electric to a decade of spectacular results. And Dunlap himself says: "If you don't have a vision of the future you are going no-where. .... (Y)ou can't inspire ... the remaining people ... if you don't combine the cutback with a vision of the future." This, he says, is the real art of leadership and management. Corporate turnaround is about good management, albeit sharpened by the spectre of the bank manager at the door. But if you don't like superheroes, this is not your book. I enjoyed this book, but as a kid I always had a fascination with superheroes. I still have a subscription to KTV, and I'm not taking chances - I have a subscription to Cartoon network too.
Rating:
Summary: Give it a miss
Review: Self-serving, self promotional pulp fiction. It should have its name changed to "My Resume". For a more balanced view read "Chainsaw" by John A Byrne.
Rating:
Summary: Give it a miss
Review: Self-serving, self promotional pulp fiction. It should have its name changed to "My Resume". For a more balanced view read "Chainsaw" by John A Byrne.
Rating: 
Summary: Good advice from a shamed author
Review: The jury is no longer out on the author or the advice. The author's exploits are well documented:
- He turned around numerous companies by cutting headcount & product lines. Sold the companies for huge profit to himself and the shareholders.
- Much of his success came from the ideas of external consultants.
- He destroyed Sunbeam in a massive explosion of layoffs, fraud and corporate mismanagement. So should one listen to his advice? If you're willing to separate the message from the author, there is quite a bit of good advice to be had:
1 - If a business is dying, you have to put the needs of the shareholders first. If there's no company, there are no jobs either.
2 - Cutting costs is a hard business. Unless you cut enough fat with confidence the first time around, you'll spend forever in a downward cycle of repeat layoffs and dwindling morale.
3 - Product complexity equals cost, and if you want to simplify your marketing and manufacturing, reduce the variations in your products.
4 - More factories mean more costs. Aggresive consolidation of manufacturing is required in a shrinking business. Hard to argue with these, and they are indeed worth knowing. Is the book worth reading? Yes, but.... Take it with a grain of salt. As well as the examples. Realize that perhaps it was just a bit too much of self-congratulations from a dishonest man. And know that turning around a troubled company is indeed a mean business.
Rating:
Summary: Good advice from a shamed author
Review: The jury is no longer out on the author or the advice. The author's exploits are well documented:
- He turned around numerous companies by cutting headcount & product lines. Sold the companies for huge profit to himself and the shareholders.
- Much of his success came from the ideas of external consultants.
- He destroyed Sunbeam in a massive explosion of layoffs, fraud and corporate mismanagement. So should one listen to his advice? If you're willing to separate the message from the author, there is quite a bit of good advice to be had:
1 - If a business is dying, you have to put the needs of the shareholders first. If there's no company, there are no jobs either.
2 - Cutting costs is a hard business. Unless you cut enough fat with confidence the first time around, you'll spend forever in a downward cycle of repeat layoffs and dwindling morale.
3 - Product complexity equals cost, and if you want to simplify your marketing and manufacturing, reduce the variations in your products.
4 - More factories mean more costs. Aggresive consolidation of manufacturing is required in a shrinking business. Hard to argue with these, and they are indeed worth knowing. Is the book worth reading? Yes, but.... Take it with a grain of salt. As well as the examples. Realize that perhaps it was just a bit too much of self-congratulations from a dishonest man. And know that turning around a troubled company is indeed a mean business.
Rating:
Summary: ABC of management
Review: This book addresses in a very autobiographical way, the basics of management, not just for companies in problems, but for business in general: surround yourself with best possible people, focus on cost control, increase shareholder value, etc. In general it's worth reading. However, once you reach the second half of the book it starts to become repetitive. Overall: it's very good.
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