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Read this a LONG time ago, but I was recently reminded of it while reading After Virtue.
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In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies
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The "Greatest Business Book of All Time" (Bloomsbury UK), In Search of Excellence has long been a must-have for the boardroom, business school, and bedside table.
Based on a study of forty-three of America's best-run companies from a diverse array of business sectors, In Search of Excellence describes eight basic principles of management -- action-stimulating, people-oriented, profit-maximizing practices -- that made these organizations successful.
This phenomenal bestseller features a new Authors' Note, and reintroduces these vital principles in an accessible and practical way for today's management reader.
Based on a study of forty-three of America's best-run companies from a diverse array of business sectors, In Search of Excellence describes eight basic principles of management -- action-stimulating, people-oriented, profit-maximizing practices -- that made these organizations successful.
This phenomenal bestseller features a new Authors' Note, and reintroduces these vital principles in an accessible and practical way for today's management reader.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1,1982
This edition
- Format
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384 pages, Paperback
- Published
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January 1, 2004 by Profile Books
- ISBN
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9781861977168
- ASIN
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1861977166
- Language
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English
About the author
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See also works published as Tom Peters
Born in Baltimore in 1942 "with a lacrosse stick in one hand and oars over my shoulder," Peters resided in California, mainly Silicon Valley (where he was on a list of "100 most powerful people in Silicon Valley"), from 1965–2000. Today, Peters and his wife Susan Sargent live on a 1,600-acre working farm, "always under construction," in Vermont. His two stepsons, Max and Ben Cooper, are "busy changing the world" in Telluride and Brooklyn respectively.
Peters is a civil engineering graduate of Cornell (B.C.E., M.C.E.), where he is included in the book The 100 Most Notable Cornellians and earned an MBA and Ph.D. in business at Stanford; he holds honorary doctorates from institutions that range from the University of San Francisco to the State University of Management in Moscow—and has been honored by dozens of associations in content areas such as management, leadership, quality, human resources, customer service, innovation, marketing, and design. In the U.S. Navy from 1966–1970, he made two deployments to Vietnam (as a combat engineer in the fabled Navy Seabees) and "survived a tour in the Pentagon." He was a White House drug-abuse advisor in 1973–74 and then worked at McKinsey & Co. from 1974–1981, becoming a Partner in 1979; he also co-founded McKinsey's now gargantuan Organization Effectiveness practice. Peters' chief avocations are "brushcutting in the summer, hiking in New Zealand in the winter, reading history books by the hundredweight, collecting weird friends, talking to cab drivers, visiting Venice and racing George Clooney in accumulating frequent flyer miles."
Born in Baltimore in 1942 "with a lacrosse stick in one hand and oars over my shoulder," Peters resided in California, mainly Silicon Valley (where he was on a list of "100 most powerful people in Silicon Valley"), from 1965–2000. Today, Peters and his wife Susan Sargent live on a 1,600-acre working farm, "always under construction," in Vermont. His two stepsons, Max and Ben Cooper, are "busy changing the world" in Telluride and Brooklyn respectively.
Peters is a civil engineering graduate of Cornell (B.C.E., M.C.E.), where he is included in the book The 100 Most Notable Cornellians and earned an MBA and Ph.D. in business at Stanford; he holds honorary doctorates from institutions that range from the University of San Francisco to the State University of Management in Moscow—and has been honored by dozens of associations in content areas such as management, leadership, quality, human resources, customer service, innovation, marketing, and design. In the U.S. Navy from 1966–1970, he made two deployments to Vietnam (as a combat engineer in the fabled Navy Seabees) and "survived a tour in the Pentagon." He was a White House drug-abuse advisor in 1973–74 and then worked at McKinsey & Co. from 1974–1981, becoming a Partner in 1979; he also co-founded McKinsey's now gargantuan Organization Effectiveness practice. Peters' chief avocations are "brushcutting in the summer, hiking in New Zealand in the winter, reading history books by the hundredweight, collecting weird friends, talking to cab drivers, visiting Venice and racing George Clooney in accumulating frequent flyer miles."
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I read this book 25 years ago--Well thought out and seminal--Reads like Sun Tzu and the art of war applied to business--I totally agree with some of Peters and Waterman's conclusions - Close to the customer--the feedback loop, shared vision statements of 3 core values or less--Innovation, agile organization shape--informal feedback, and celebrating wins, and celebrating attempts, even failures-Many organizations pay broad lip service to these values--As Peters states in the 80's American Leadership and ingenuity made American Corporations the most productive and the envy of the world. They owe a broad debt to Col John Boyd's Maneuver Warfare--Being more agile, supple, and flexible than archaic organizations with no creativity
"Know Yourself, and know the opposition completely you will be victorious in 100 Battles " Sun Tzu
"Know Yourself, and know the opposition completely you will be victorious in 100 Battles " Sun Tzu
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In Search of Excellence was one of the 1980's best-selling books.
The authors analyzed some successful companies attempting to identify the eight attributes they had in common.
Since then, more than half of those "excellent" companies disappeared, got acquired and disassembled, or went through extreme difficulties, indicating that the eight attributes were just simply things the companies did well at the time, but were not the answer to long term success.
However, this book is still a good read for those wishing to track the evolution of management to present days.
The authors analyzed some successful companies attempting to identify the eight attributes they had in common.
Since then, more than half of those "excellent" companies disappeared, got acquired and disassembled, or went through extreme difficulties, indicating that the eight attributes were just simply things the companies did well at the time, but were not the answer to long term success.
However, this book is still a good read for those wishing to track the evolution of management to present days.
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Ideas muy interesantes, pero demasiado prolijo y extenso.
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Once upon a time, corps searched for excellence too, not just maximum quarterly profits.
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Super recomendado para quienes quieren encontrar el camino de la excelencia en la empresa y en la vida
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Boring.
I listened to the audio version of the book and it was slow and painful. Their ideas are good, but the prolong examples were more matter than meat. This is a book that is better skimmed than read.
I read the book in Dec 2008 and some of the companies mentioned either don't exist or have been bought up by others. I would really like to see a follow up to the book and see how the companies are doing and if the priciples Peters extols have worked.
I listened to the audio version of the book and it was slow and painful. Their ideas are good, but the prolong examples were more matter than meat. This is a book that is better skimmed than read.
I read the book in Dec 2008 and some of the companies mentioned either don't exist or have been bought up by others. I would really like to see a follow up to the book and see how the companies are doing and if the priciples Peters extols have worked.
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I was convinced at the time. Now I'm not so sure that it wasn't a trick. The apparent message is great but not so sure whether it was just a ruse. Sad. One of those seminal books along the way I guess.
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