RECOMMENDED READING LIST OFF THE SHELF
A
rmy leaders have always encouraged their Soldiers to read. Even—and especially—in this age of information overload, the pursuit of knowledge through books is essential to develop a fuller
understanding of acquisition, logistics and technology. In the words of Chief of Staff of the Army GEN Raymond T. Odierno, “We can never spend too much time reading and
thinking about the Army profession and its interaction with the world at large. … Tere is simply no better way to prepare for the future than a disciplined, focused commitment to a personal course of reading, study,
thought and reflection.”
On that note, we publish “Off the Shelf” as a regular feature to bring you recommended reading from Army AL&T professionals.
THE CATERPILLAR WAY: LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP, GROWTH, AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE by Craig T. Bouchard and James V. Koch (New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2013, 368 pages)
In the early 1980s, Caterpillar Inc. lost $1 million per day for three consecutive years. Its continuing existence came into question. Today, “CAT” is the world’s most profitable manufacturer of construction and mining equipment and large engines. Among Caterpillar’s accomplishments was its rapid adoption of the Six Sigma manufacturing approach. Senior management at CAT helped Bouchard, an investor and businessman, and Koch, board of visitors professor of economics and president emeritus at Old Dominion University, to arrange a yearlong odyssey through the hallways and history of the construction industry giant. Teir book takes you behind the scenes with the CEOs, executive vice presidents, managers, dealers, customers, union bosses and Wall Street analysts who were players in Caterpillar’s drive to global dominance. “Te Caterpillar Way” shows how the company’s emphasis on core values edged up its margins even through difficult times.
THE ART OF NEGOTIATION: HOW TO IMPROVISE AGREEMENT IN A CHAOTIC WORLD by Michael Wheeler (New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 2013, 320 pages)
“Te Art of Negotiation” offers a new and powerful way to analyze and manage the process of negotiation. For many years, two approaches have prevailed: the “win-win” method exemplified in “Getting to Yes” by Roger Fisher, William Ury and Bruce Patton; and the hard-bargaining style of Herb Cohen’s “You Can Negotiate Anything.” Wheeler, an award-winning Harvard Business School professor, provides a dynamic alternative to one-size-fits-all strategies that don’t match real-world realities. His book shows how master negotiators thrive in the face of chaos and uncertainty. Tey don’t trap themselves with rigid plans; instead they understand negotiation as a process of exploration that demands ongoing learning, adapting and influencing. Tis agility enables them to reach agreement when others would be stuck in a stalemate.
SOLVING PROBLEMS WITH DESIGN THINKING: TEN STORIES OF WHAT WORKS by Jeanne Liedtka, Andrew King and Kevin Bennett (New York, NY: Columbia Business School Publishing, 2013, 232 pages)
Tere’s more than one way to look at a problem. “Design thinking” aims to do it from the perspective of the problem’s context, creativity in the solution, and realism or rationality in fitting the solution to real-world conditions; a solu- tion that works in the Sahara might not work in the Amazon. Design-oriented firms such as Apple Inc. and Ideo have demonstrated how design thinking can affect business results. However, most managers lack a sense of how to use this new approach for issues other than product development and sales growth. “Solving Problems” gives 10 detailed examples of managers who successfully produced innovative solutions to such problems as implementing strat- egy, supporting a sales force, redesigning internal processes, feeding the elderly and engaging citizens. Companies
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Army AL&T Magazine
January–March 2014
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