Book Recommendation
From: Dan Beaulieu
6/12/18
The Age of Agile: How Smart Companies are Transforming the Way the Work
By Stephen Denning
Copyright 2018 Amacon
Price $ 28.00
Pages: 314 with index
Meeting he future involves embracing change
The future is all about speed and yes of course agility. Companies who don’t adapt to, heck embrace change will not survive very long in this new age of doing business at super speeds.
This new book by Stephen Denning addresses the issue of change and adaptability like no other book I have read thus far…and I read a lot of business books!
This book is focused on meeting the challenges of new and often changing business environments and how to meet them. The author’s focus on agility runs from the power of small teams, smaller teams that are focused on solving problems quickly while eschewing the normal bureaucratic road blocks that have been in place for decades.
By using real examples of large companies Ericsson and Microsoft, companies that are adapting small company flexibilities. To new world companies like Airbnb and Lyft, and Etsy who have moved at lightning speed, becoming world leaders in record time, the author takes pains to illustrate just how new companies are using agility to move forward completely unencumbered by traditional systems and business mores.
I was especially impressed with the focus on the customer by every single person in every department in the company. Everyone is fully aware of who the customer is…exactly, what her needs are and the best way to meet those needs. In real time using date these companies are adapting on the run to best meet their customers’ ever-changing needs and requirements.
The best thing about this book is the step-by-step implementation process of how to transform a company from traditional organization focus to strategic agility by highlighting the problems companies re going to have shedding their more traditional habits and strategies to become a more agile company.
If you find yourself lost in the quagmire of old time thinking. Or are watching your company fail as the world flashes past your window at such speeds that you can’t get a firm handle of not only what is happening but also what you can do about it. Then run out and get this book right now. It will change the way you look at business, your market and best of all your company. This is important stuff.
