Good Morning! « 800 CEO Read

September 13, 2006

Good Morning!

Filed under: General Management — Michael Nick @ 10:13 am

I’m so thrilled to be here among such leading minds and want to thank those at 800-CEO-Read for letting me host the blog today. Ive heard so many wonderful comments since the release of my book , Kiss Theory Good-bye and Im doubly thankful that so many in the marketing and business communities have featured my book.

Over the 25 years I spent helping companies achieve their financial and operating objectives, I noticed a lack of practical information to help business leaders execute their plans.

My whole goal of writing the book was to really give actionable steps that anyone could take to meet their real business challenges and achieve extraordinary results in leadership, sales effectiveness, operational excellence, financial management, and customer loyalty. People are tired of theory and want the how-to details that actually produce results. The results Im talking about are performance, productivity and profit.

The first question I ask anyone about their company is – What are your top three objectives and how do you know you are achieving them? Is everyone focused on achieving the organization’s top objectives? I would love to hear your comments on both questions.

PS There is alot more at my website.

Comments Off

Andrew

Hi Bob,
I’m in the field of education and I’ve got to say that I finished your book last week and it is one of the best I’ve read in years. In particular, your Actions to Take Now at the end of each chapter provide an immediate way to hone in on what needs to be addressed and improved. In addition, applying and utilizing the Early-warning Business tool was extremely insightful as well.
Keep up the great work!
Lambert Mathieu

Bob: What do you think is the reason (or reasons) that so many companies don’t embody the types of things you recommend in your book (accountability, shared/articulated goals,etc)? I’ll bet readers of “Kiss Theory Goodbye” will say, “sure,…yes that’s right” but few companies deploy all 5 strategies well. What do you think prevents this from being so?
Eric H Feige

I fought Kiss Theory Goodbye to be an excellent field book that I am actively utilizing in my own organization. I just started as a General Manager of a small software and professional services business. Just asking my direct reports what their top three objectives has been a very effective engagement tool that has immediately led to trust and dialog. I am sure that I could have pushed my objectives down to them as their new company leader, but the end result would not have been as good – and likely not where they want to take the business. Kiss Theory Goodbye is clearly about results, but my application of the Key Actions outlined at the end of each chapter have reminded me that sustainable organizational results can only be obtained by engaging the team and other key stakeholders.
http://www.kisstheorygoodbye.com Bob Prosen

Andrew- Many thanks for your comment. My greatest pleasure is receiving feedback from people who benefit directly from Kiss Theory Good Bye. It’s extra special when the feedback comes from an educator inside an institution that traditionally holds “theory” in such high regard. Best wishes and continued success. I admire your courage! – Bob
http://www.kisstheorygoodbye.com Bob Prosen

Eric- Thank you for your comment. I agree that getting input from your team is very wise. It’s a fantastic way to create ownership. At the same time, after considering the input, you still have to decide where to take the business. One of the essential aspects of leadership is knowing the difference between delegation and abdication. You are on the right path. Implement the action steps at the end of each chapter and I promise you’ll get results you never thought possible. Stay the course. Bob