Stop Paddling & Start Rocking the Boat: Business Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks

Rating:
Summary: Partnering and being a change agent in the new corp.
Review: How do you criticize someone who developed partnering between two large corporations. Lou developed a good relationship between Proctor and Gamble and Wal Mart. He made a stormy relationship into one which benefited both these large corporations. Lou also managed in an economy dominated by dictator Marcos in the Philippines. Both of these relationships helped develop Lou into a successful manager. These stories and Lou's early business life selling soap constitute much of the book.
I think this book has some common sense ideas on how to approach customers. Some of those listed include treating everybody fairly and equally, developing partnerships, treating employees as you would want to be treated and being a change agent. For the last item, this will involve rocking the boat, and might get people upset with you. But being a change agent is never easy.
This is an easy book to read. There are no radical solutions here, just a common sense approach to business. This is why I rated it only as an average read.

Rating:
Summary: Partnering and being a change agent in the new corp.
Review: How do you criticize someone who developed partnering between two large corporations. Lou developed a good relationship between Proctor and Gamble and Wal Mart. He made a stormy relationship into one which benefited both these large corporations. Lou also managed in an economy dominated by dictator Marcos in the Philippines. Both of these relationships helped develop Lou into a successful manager. These stories and Lou's early business life selling soap constitute much of the book.
I think this book has some common sense ideas on how to approach customers. Some of those listed include treating everybody fairly and equally, developing partnerships, treating employees as you would want to be treated and being a change agent. For the last item, this will involve rocking the boat, and might get people upset with you. But being a change agent is never easy.
This is an easy book to read. There are no radical solutions here, just a common sense approach to business. This is why I rated it only as an average read.

Rating:
Summary: Take it from the "old soap salesman"
Review: Lou offers great insight and wisdom in the art of "human engineering" - training managers to become true leaders. Being part of the greatest generation, Lou captures a slice of American salesmanship that makes this country great today. While some of the stories may seem dated, anyone that has customers or business associates can learn from the pages of this book regardless of industry, timeframe or position. I have ordered copies of this book for employees from entry-level to CEO. All have come back to say thanks and have forwarded it on for someone else to read!

Rating:
Summary: Take it from the "old soap salesman"
Review: Lou offers great insight and wisdom in the art of "human engineering" - training managers to become true leaders. Being part of the greatest generation, Lou captures a slice of American salesmanship that makes this country great today. While some of the stories may seem dated, anyone that has customers or business associates can learn from the pages of this book regardless of industry, timeframe or position. I have ordered copies of this book for employees from entry-level to CEO. All have come back to say thanks and have forwarded it on for someone else to read!

Rating:
Summary: Practical advice from the guy who invented partnering
Review: Today, everyone in business throws around the term "partnering" when discussing business relationships. Lou Pritchett was one of the first to break the traditional, often adversarial approach of selling to the customer...This book is filled with insight and anecdotes that will help any business person seeking to drive costs out of the business and work more closely with customers and suppliers. Any student of modern supply chain management knows that building trust between all parties in the chain is the key element to success and the one that many companies find the most difficult implement. Lou will tell you that this is not rocket science. However it does take courage and hard work to keep rocking the boat and change the old way of doing business.

Rating:
Summary: Practical advice from the guy who invented partnering
Review: Today, everyone in business throws around the term "partnering" when discussing business relationships. Lou Pritchett was one of the first to break the traditional, often adversarial approach of selling to the customer...This book is filled with insight and anecdotes that will help any business person seeking to drive costs out of the business and work more closely with customers and suppliers. Any student of modern supply chain management knows that building trust between all parties in the chain is the key element to success and the one that many companies find the most difficult implement. Lou will tell you that this is not rocket science. However it does take courage and hard work to keep rocking the boat and change the old way of doing business.