Running the Corporate Rapids

PROJECT SYNOPSIS "Running The Corporate Rapids" My intention was to create a book on the organizational and psychological ramifications of transforming traditional corporate cultures into flexible, dynamic, agile business enterprises. This is not a new theme, in fact, much has been written on the subject by several authors. What differentiates this work from that of previous publications is that it is written from the perspective of someone that has been "in the trenches" as both an operational CEO and a Business Consultant. Previous attempts at "how to" books on this subject have dealt largely with the structural/organizational aspects of this transformation and have not effectively addressed the human behavioral component. In fact, in an article in the Wall Street Journal, an interview was conducted with the authors of Re-engineering the Corporation, Michael Hammer and James Champy in which The Journal stated "But the book, for all of its theoretical elegance, glossed over the massive career disruptions caused by the process. Re-engineering work usually required fewer workers and far fewer managers. Managers resisted, stymieing many re-engineering efforts." Both Hammer and Champy have agreed that they missed the significant component --- the people. This is the exact area that my book addresses. The book is a combination of theory, tools and practical application formulas punctuated with anecdotal stories from both operating and consulting experiences. This is a "shirt sleeve", pragmatic guide to dealing with the problems, challenges and opportunities facing managers and executives in every day business situations. The message behind the book will be "Creating a New Common Sense in Business." In the past American business has, at best, given lip service to the concept of putting people first. We have been resource based enterprises (money, bricks & sticks, equipment, etc.) Today we have left the Industrial (resource based) Era, have transition