THRIVE

A strategic business consultant discusses how to shift corporate culture, with an emphasis on improving performance.

Early in this excellent debut guide, Freedman cites research showing that “70 percent of the American workforce is disengaged at work” and that “70 percent of business transformation and change initiatives fail to deliver the intended results.” These two rather extraordinary conditions compellingly demonstrate why it is so tough for businesses to achieve high performance. In response, the author has neatly turned lessons learned from his consulting practice into a “blueprint” for dramatic improvement. As with many business books, this one has the requisite attributes: a systematized approach, appropriate case studies (“Case in Action”), specific tools (“THRIVE Accelerators”), and interactive exercises (“THRIVE Reflection”). The manual is packed with actionable strategic advice in two sections comprised of seven compact chapters. The first part of this well-constructed book is more general, covering what it takes for leaders to move their organizations into high-performance modes, while the second part lays out specific steps for building such a company. Anchoring the content is the “Exemplary Performance System,” a nifty framework the author’s firm uses to guide its clients in understanding six “influences” that underpin high-performance cultures. Several of the concepts in the guide are refreshing and perhaps even unconventional. One striking example is the notion of working “right to left.” Here, Freedman observes that high-performing leaders first strategically define organizational outcomes that employee roles need to produce. This is the reverse of the typical approach, in which leaders design a role and define its tasks in isolation. If there is a downside, it is the harsh truth that sweeping change is not easy for a leader to implement and manage across an entire organization. The case studies woven throughout the chapters are particularly apropos in this regard because they focus on specific challenges and present real solutions. In one instance, an organization instituted a simple yet powerful set of routines to enhance high performance. Freedman’s firm facilitated the process, so this and other case studies in the book (written with Elliott) cleverly act to promote the practice’s consulting services.

Valuable high-level thinking about high performance in business.