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Gary Hamel has been described as the "No. 1 most influential business thinker" by the Wall Street Journal and the "world's reigning strategy guru" by the Economist. He has worked for some of the largest global organisations, including GE, Time Warner, Nokia, Nestle, Shell, Proctor & Gamble, IBM and Microsoft, and his pioneering concepts of "strategic intent", "core competence", "industry revolution" and "management innovation" has changed the practice of management in companies around the world.
The Future of Management
Gary Hamel
What is the future of management? What is the secret to business success? These difficult questions are the central themes of The Future of Management. Taking apart the traditional notions of success in business, Hamel highlights some misleading paradigms in management and helpful steps towards developing new and successful methodologies. The book focuses on examples of successful practitioners using a new and innovative management style developed for the changing landscape of global business. Alongside these guidelines are steps towards implementation so that theory is mixed with practice.
Hamel argues strongly that what presently and in the near future is most required in management is innovation, not control and efficiency, which brought success to a different century. This critique aims to move beyond mere management by attacking the standard structures and leaderships of all large organisations, and underlining the need for radical new ways to conduct day-to-day business.
To make this point, the author looks to some big names. Featuring examples from Google, W.L. Gore, WholeFoods, IBM and many others, he demonstrates central challenges in management and how to best apply innovative techniques of our time to counter problem areas. The book's central themes teach on the following areas:
- Challenges that will determine competitive success, in an age of relentless change
- Toxic effects of industrial age management beliefs, still predominating in most companies
- Unconventional management practices giving breakthrough results in "modern pioneers"
- Radical management principles must become part of every company's "management DNA"
- Ways which the Internet will turn traditional management roles upside down and inside out
- Practical steps your company can take now to build a 21st century "management advantage"
This book is aimed at central strategists and leaders in companies looking beyond the myopic business view. It can also be applied to individuals wanting to implement innovative ideas into their business situations. Dealing with the strategic inertia experienced by companies for a variety of reasons, The Future of Management is for people who want to invent "tomorrow's best practices today".
