John Shaw has written a hands-on management book that will be of use for managers at all levels – from the “C Suite” to the production supervisors. He provides clear definitions and an excellent model of Corporate Governance and operations. He then uses that model as an outline for his book. The result is a logical and easily understood flow of information that is practical, not just theoretical. I do agree with his suggestion that you read chapter 10 first, then go back and read from the beginning. By doing so, you will develop an overview of what you will want and need to know from the rest of the book.
We learn from this book that organizations don’t make change, people do, and we learn how to initiate and facilitate the necessary change. We learn why we need transformational change and when we need only transitional change. Shaw uses clear examples (case studies) from real live companies with which he is familiar. Best of all, we develop a clear understanding of “Systems Thinking” when it comes to governance and risk.
Shaw breaks the book into three sections: Establishing Perspective, Establishing a new Perspective, and Implementing the Perspective. Each chapter follows a pattern, outlined by the governance model, of an introduction to the governance model element (Strategy, Execution, Operations, Organization), then moves to Big Decisions, Process and how it really works, and conclusions.
This book and it’s models will definitely find its way into my toolkit for Corporate Governance to better serve my clients in “Shaping the Corporate Culture.”
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