Rating: 
Summary: And the gap still exists
Review: In the "Introduction" and the first chapter "The Gap Nobody Knows", the authors did promise their book to be superior to most of the common "leadership", "strategy", "corporate culture" management books with its ability to explain and solve the universal problem of why business outcomes almost always fall short of those predicted under the grand strategic plans laid down by golden parachute protected American top corp CEOs. Though it is fluently written, it just resembles most of its competitors in any book store, except by an author coming from a big enterprise called "Honeywell" carrying an eye catching rare term named "Execution". Before I conclude my review, I would like to give you a brief summary of what this book is about. To understand execution, readers have to keep three key points in their mind: 1) Execution is a discipline, and integral to strategy 2) Execution is the major job of the business leader 3)Execution must be a core element of an organisation's culture. The discipline of execution is based on a set of three building blocks that every leader must use to design, install and operate effectively the three core processes rigorously and consistently. The seven essential behavour of Building block I are: know your people and your business, insist on realism, set clear goals and priorities, follow through, reward the doers, expand people's capabilities and know yourself. Building block II is about creating the framework for cultural change whereas building block III is about having the right people in the right place. Meanwhile, the three core processes are those of making links between people, strategy and operations. Without prejudice, the above ideas are quite fundamental. However, I am not saying that this is a bad management book. After reading tens, if not over a hundred books of the same kind, I really cant agree that this book is exceptionally outstanding. Can be a leisure reading, but definitely not on the priority list.
Rating: 
Summary: Actively manage the culture of execution . . .
Review: This book, Execution, by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan is recommended by my CEO Roundtable, so we're in to it now! According to the dust jacket: "Larry Bossidy is one of the world's most acclaimed CEOs, a man with few peers who has a track record for delivering results. Ram Charan is a legendary advisor to senior executives and boards of directors, a man with unparalleled insight into why some companies are successful and others are not. Together, they've pooled their knowledge and experience into the one book on how to close the gap between results promised and results delivered that people in business need today." We will undoubtedly pull this book apart by the paragraph and page in the CEO Roundtable, but I couldn't wait to finish it between meetings. Bossidy and Charan give us great insight into how we can transform our business culture to be one of continual execution. Practical examples and case studies are provided, along with pithy sayings that will help us get the point across to our peers, managers, and employees. Bossidy states that: "Here is the fundamental problem: people think of execution as the tactical side of the business, something leaders delegate while they focus on the perceived 'bigger' issues. This idea is completely wrong. Execution is not just tactics-it is a discipline and a system." The layout of the book, and its progress is logical and very helpful. The first part is dedicated to why execution is needed, the second to the building blocks of execution and the third part is dedicated to the three core processes of execution. This last and perhaps most practical section of the book defines the three core processes as people, strategy and operations. The integration of these processes into a coherent set of business processes is key to the success of an organization. "The discipline of execution based on the three core processes is the new theory of leadership and organization distilled from practice and abbreviation." Clear and concise writing, a few well placed graphics, and an obvious passion for the subject make this an excellent book for the Management Library. It will be among my reference volumes for some time to come.
Rating: 
Summary: The book that Jack should have written.
Review: This is perhaps one of the best business books I have ever read. Unlike many books which use extensive academia and complex formulas which rarely see the light of day or work well outside of a controlled environment, this book is simple. That said this simplicity can be a bit deceiving. When I worked for GE, as did Bossidy and Jack Welch, the concepts which turned that business into a global leader in industry were remarkably simple. It wasn't the simplicity of the ideas, but rather the ability to get a hundred thousand people executing flawlessly on them that makes the difference. In the book Bossidy describes how he personally would ensure execution occurs within his businesses. Start with the right people. Too many times we assume people are merely interchangeable cogs, but great business leaders who get results know differently. Chapter 5 discusses the responsibility and focus required to ensure the right people are in the right jobs. Even as a CEO he spent up to 40% of his time on developing and hiring the right people. Another interesting aspect is the ability to speak directly and level set expectations and have a firm grasp on reality, regardless of how painful that reality may be at the time. Throughout the book is example after example that illustrates the value of direct conversation and clear feedback and communication. As you read the book, look for not only the content of what is discussed, but how it is discussed. Nearly always the method is to truly listen and engage people in a dialog which will set expectations, and ensure misunderstandings or mixed messages are limited. This allows people to focus on what needs to be done instead of being distracted with politics and other non value added issues. While some may see the content as too simplistic, those same people are usually unable to deliver results in the same manner as Bossidy did at GE, or Honeywell. The value of this book is both in content and style. The book itself is never dry, is easy to read, flows smoothly in conversational format, and is highly engaging. Highly recommended to anyone in a business situation who wants to improve execution and results.
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: A great book. A must read for every leader and manager desiring to execute better.
Rating: 
Summary: Caution - This is a poorly executed book/CDROM.
Review: This review is for the unabridged CDROM. I was very disappointed that the 2 executives who speak of execution failed to produce a product worthy of an executive's time. Many of the case studies didn't have a conclusion. The writing is way off the mark and nearly to the point of not making sense. I found the narration of executive letters to be flat out painful to listen to because names, companies, and projects were changed to the point it didn't make sense. Overall, this project was so poorly executed, that I found little value or wisdom. Your time is best spent listening/reading another book/CDROM.
Rating:
Summary: An Antidote to Strategy Books
Review: Everybody knows about companies with brilliant strategies that don't deliver. They don't execute. The fact is that the greatest strategy in the world is useless if the company or other organization can't make it work. Strategy without execution is impotent.
So, this is a book about execution. Well, not exactly. Actually, it's a book about the structural processes that lead to executing strategy effectively. The three processes, as identified by the authors, are the people process, the strategy process, and the operations process.
They're all important and you have to get them all to work and to work together. The authors should know how to do this. Larry Bossidy is one of the world's most successful and effective executives. He was effective at General Electric, at Allied Signal, and at Honeywell. Ram Charan is a consultant who has worked with lots of companies for a number of years and been successful there.
Not only do they know what they're talking about, they convey their knowledge well. The organization of the book helps them get the message across. The contents are divided into three parts: Why Execution is Needed; The Building Blocks of Execution; and the Three Core Processes of Execution. Each of those sections includes chapters which are well laid out and thoughtfully developed.
Also, throughout the book, the two authors, Bossidy and Charan, put in short pieces in the first person. I found these particularly helpful, because they gave me insight into the basic text, and they also gave me the flavor and style of the way these men think.
A big plus for the book - and something that makes it easy reading - is the selection of Charles Burke as writer and editor. Burke was an excellent editor and writer when he was at Fortune, and he brings those skills to the book.
If this book has a weakness, it's the way examples are presented. Since both Bossidy and Charan don't necessarily want to name names, we get a lot of descriptions of people without knowing exactly who they are. That means that you have to put up with a lot of "X's" and "Y's" and descriptions of people as, "A marketing executive for a mid-size chemical company."
Personally, I found that very irritating, but not irritating enough to get me to stop reading. This is a book that will help you get your culture, your strategy, your people processes, and your operations in order. You can read it in a couple of different ways.
You can read this book straight through from front to back. This will give you the material as a logically developed argument.
If you're a working manager you may not want to take the time to read that way, but you can get lots of value from this book by finding a section of interest and then scanning the subtopics to help you decide where to start reading.
For example, in the chapter on getting the right folks in the right jobs you'll find a major subhead called "What kind of people are you looking for?" Scan the subheads under that and you'll find "They energize people," "They're decisive on tough issues," "They get things done through others," and "They follow through." None of these subheads show up in the table of contents, so you've got to start your browsing in the text itself.
Don't worry if you aren't running a business as big as Honeywell. This is a good book for managers in far smaller organizations. The advice is solid, practical and easy to understand and adapt.
This book gets a solid buy recommendation. Read it to help both you and your organization become more effective.
Rating:
Summary: While stating the obvious - it sometimes needs repetition
Review: I got a bit tired of Larry while reading this book. Having said this I think it is fair that he tries to cash in on the success he has obviously had with his management mantra "following through". It seems that he got very impressed with the results of digitisation and Six Sigma - but anyway, those mantras were probably very new and very impressive back when he sharpened his pencil and started to write the book. Nowadays it is hardly such a big revolution.
Well - I grew fond of the book anyway. Because even though his conclusions seem to be stating the obvious - it is sometimes hard to "walk the talk" in real life management.
I actually also bought the audio book and now I have it in my car. Every now and then I take out a chapter or two to get my "windscreen washed". Like the chapter - set clear goals and follow through. One can't say this too often in today's business climate. This is not an academic study but more a practical view of how things can get done - get executed. I was - if not inspired by theory - thrilled with the practical approach to execution described in the book. Great for sitting on a highway trying to get to work having heard the news already three times.
Rating:
Summary: A truly excellent book
Review: I have read many books over the years about becomming a leader but none have made such an impact as this book. Having read this book in just a few sittings, I realized that these leaders truly have shown us that execution is a fundamental trait to the true leaders of the business world. Each of us has it in us to excel, but it is a matter of executing when it matters most. Many of us talk about making things happen, but most of us never do anything about it. I believe that these 2 gentleman have given us a tremedous book about the steps necessary to execute and make things happen in any organization.
I believe this is a very valuable book for anyone that would choose to play an intricate role in the business world.
Rating:
Summary: Larry Bossidy deserves credit
Review: Bossidy is an exceptional leader who implemented six sigma in Allied Signal, prompting Jack Welch to do so in G.E. Six Sigma is an excellent step forward in process management, and Bossidy's recommendations are well taken. The book is fairly elementary, but good reading for the middle manager. It is light reading for the senior executive. I recommend Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self to gain the mental software for individual and organizational optimization.
Rating:
Summary: Content Light
Review: This book is absolutely painful to read. Execution is an elementary managerial guidebook - basically Management 101.
The book is light on real, substantive content. Experienced managers (like those so often used as examples in the book) will fall asleep reading this book. The crux of the book is that good leaders should know their people, insist on realism, set clear goals, follow through, reward the doers, expand people's capabilities, know yourself, and be personally involved in hiring your managers. Duh!
There are several letters used as examples of in-depth analysis, careful evaluation, meticulous due diligence, and deep personal involvement in the operating plan development. I personally felt that the letters (like the letter used on pages 255 to 257) demonstrated that only a superficial and cursory analysis of the operating plan had been performed.
The only possible addition to the world of leadership science is the repeated recommendation (throughout the entire 265 pages) for implementing Six Sigma and digitization into organizations. Six Sigma is an excellent quality management program. I highly recommend using Six Sigma, but this is not necessarily new to the world of management.
I personally felt that the authors wrote this book not so much for the purposes of adding something truly relevant to the business world, but for self gratification and personal agrandizement. They share personal example after personal example of wins and successes leaving one to wonder, "why have I never heard about these guys? They must walk on water!" I have heard about Jack Welch, their mentor, - perhaps because he also suffers from a healthy self-promoting ego structure.
I believe success also usually masks the personal failures - something almost completely absent from the book except in the examples of others. I think sharing a few of their personal failures would have given the book a level of authenticity. Moreover, the personal trials and failures would be meaningful for learning purposes.
The writing style used in Execution alternates between third person, first person (Larry), first person (Ram), and even an interviewing style. I went crazy with the style issues. Most of the time I was just trying to remember or figure out who was writing/talking/speaking. I am surprised that this book made it through editing.
Execution is filled with redundancy and repetitive comments driving the reader crazy. I read the entire 265 pages thinking maybe the gem or nugget of information is saved for later in the book. Unfortunately, all that is contained in the latter pages is repetitive content and more personal agrandizement.
I would never compare this book to Good to Great - as many reviewers have done. Good to Great is quite honestly good - it relies on data, facts, and research. In fact, General Electric (their oft cited example of a role model company) missed being included in the Good to Great companies list. GE stock outperformed the market by about 2.8 times during the period between 1985 and 2000 while the average Good to Great company outperformed the market by 6.9 times (more than double the performance of GE). General Electric was good, but not great.
This book is half baked, poorly written, and content light. There are a number of half finished stories and examples to demonstrate various points throughout the book. For example, Larry Bossidy shares an example of advice given to his son in preparation for his first planning session as a Vice President at GE Capital on page 208 (making me wonder about nepotism policies at GE). The story shares the fatherly advice, but never conveys the resolution of the story or how things turned out. This happens repeatedly throughout the book. It leaves the reader wondering "what happened?"
I can only give this book 1 star. I sincerely hope someone else will write on this subject. Execution is invaluable in today's business climate.
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