BOOKNEWS "Argues that ingrained habits in organizations, often masquerading as efficient procedures, actually stall growth, and shows how to recognize typical stalls and overcome them. Uses unorthodox examples, ranging from the Titanic to da Vinci's bicycles, to examine common stalls, and gives direction for dealing with these causes of organizational inertia and inefficiency." -- BookNews
COMPUTERWORLD, February 1, 1999 "The authors tackle 'stalled' thinking . . . Tradition, Disbelief, Misconception, Unattractiveness, Bureaucratic, Communication and Procrastination. Any information technology manager is likely to recognize all of these. Chapters 9 through 16 identify 'stallbusters' -- seven steps for overcoming these problems. Chapter 9 is an excellent source for overcoming one's own 'stalls.' The book is enlivened with brief vignettes incorporating historical examples." -- ComputerWorld, February 1, 1999
Donald Frey (former Chairman and CEO of Bell & Howell) in DIRECTORS & BOARDS, Volume 23 #2 Winter 1999 "THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION is a brightly written, well organized, enjoyable and instructive book on how to revive companies that have 'stalled out' (not growing, with shrinking market share and profits). The title refers to the exponential improvement that can be gained by getting companies out of a stall . . . I strongly recommend the book. Any managerial, and many non-managerial, members of large companies will identify with much of the book. Their world will be mirrored in any number of its pages. I hope that reading the book will motivate such people in our too-many stalled companies 'to stop the slow leaks'. . . ." -- Donald Frey
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, March 29, 1999 "Are you procrastinating? . . . The authors . . . have a handle on the issue of complacency . . . [The authors] provide a clear and concise look at the many road blocks that good ideas must overcome in most companies. By identifying and offering other directions, they show how companies can avoid these blocks and find some other roads to travel." -- The Washington Times, March 29, 1999
Thomas Brown (Editor) MANAGEMENT GENERAL, August 1, 1999 "This book is nominated to be one of the 10 best business books of 1999. 'Stretch goals!' How many times have you either heard or spoken those words? The phrase is so often spoken that it has unfortunately become a clich. Along come three authors who obviously not only believe in stretch goals but have built a kind of science around them. They begin their book by suggesting that a great number of us are in "a stall," which is a polite way of saying 'stuck in the status quo.' No argument there, from perhaps just about all readers; few people believe their organizations are driving at 100% throttle, let alone 2000%! So, quickly, the authors assert that you, personally, can do something about this: 'Shoot for the Moon When It Counts' is their advice. Then they go, chapter by chapter, enumerating those myriad places where individuals (just like you) and teams (just like yours) get stuck: in traditions, in disbelief, in misconception, in communications, in bureaucracy, in procrastination. Less kind reviewers might say, "Yawn!" to such a list of basics; yet, taken as a whole, this book is verbal dynamite. The authors' repeated insistence that there isn't even one area of organizational life that can't be turbocharged by upping the gain on the goals' amplifier makes for a great book. Their last paragraph is worthy of framing; it says, in part: 'We must each evolve into self-actualized individuals, who can recognize stalls and the stall mind-set, both personal and corporate, and then guide companies and organizations to overcome specific stalls to become self-actualized. Mitchell, Coles, and Metz are now experts in stretch-goaling (or stall busting); their book is a testament to the fact that, with just a little effort, you can be an expert in this field as well." -- Thomas Brown
COMPUTERWORLD, February 1, 1999 "The authors tackle 'stalled' thinking . . . Tradition, Disbelief, Misconception, Unattractiveness, Bureaucratic, Communication and Procrastination. Any information technology manager is likely to recognize all of these. Chapters 9 through 16 identify 'stallbusters' -- seven steps for overcoming these problems. Chapter 9 is an excellent source for overcoming one's own 'stalls.' The book is enlivened with brief vignettes incorporating historical examples." -- ComputerWorld, February 1, 1999
Donald Frey (former Chairman and CEO of Bell & Howell) in DIRECTORS & BOARDS, Volume 23 #2 Winter 1999 "THE 2,000 PERCENT SOLUTION is a brightly written, well organized, enjoyable and instructive book on how to revive companies that have 'stalled out' (not growing, with shrinking market share and profits). The title refers to the exponential improvement that can be gained by getting companies out of a stall . . . I strongly recommend the book. Any managerial, and many non-managerial, members of large companies will identify with much of the book. Their world will be mirrored in any number of its pages. I hope that reading the book will motivate such people in our too-many stalled companies 'to stop the slow leaks'. . . ." -- Donald Frey
THE WASHINGTON TIMES, March 29, 1999 "Are you procrastinating? . . . The authors . . . have a handle on the issue of complacency . . . [The authors] provide a clear and concise look at the many road blocks that good ideas must overcome in most companies. By identifying and offering other directions, they show how companies can avoid these blocks and find some other roads to travel." -- The Washington Times, March 29, 1999
Thomas Brown (Editor) MANAGEMENT GENERAL, August 1, 1999 "This book is nominated to be one of the 10 best business books of 1999. 'Stretch goals!' How many times have you either heard or spoken those words? The phrase is so often spoken that it has unfortunately become a clich. Along come three authors who obviously not only believe in stretch goals but have built a kind of science around them. They begin their book by suggesting that a great number of us are in "a stall," which is a polite way of saying 'stuck in the status quo.' No argument there, from perhaps just about all readers; few people believe their organizations are driving at 100% throttle, let alone 2000%! So, quickly, the authors assert that you, personally, can do something about this: 'Shoot for the Moon When It Counts' is their advice. Then they go, chapter by chapter, enumerating those myriad places where individuals (just like you) and teams (just like yours) get stuck: in traditions, in disbelief, in misconception, in communications, in bureaucracy, in procrastination. Less kind reviewers might say, "Yawn!" to such a list of basics; yet, taken as a whole, this book is verbal dynamite. The authors' repeated insistence that there isn't even one area of organizational life that can't be turbocharged by upping the gain on the goals' amplifier makes for a great book. Their last paragraph is worthy of framing; it says, in part: 'We must each evolve into self-actualized individuals, who can recognize stalls and the stall mind-set, both personal and corporate, and then guide companies and organizations to overcome specific stalls to become self-actualized. Mitchell, Coles, and Metz are now experts in stretch-goaling (or stall busting); their book is a testament to the fact that, with just a little effort, you can be an expert in this field as well." -- Thomas Brown
