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Six Disciplines for Excellence | 
 enlarge | Author: Gary Harpst
Publisher: Six Disciplines Corporation
Category: Book
Buy New: $29.76
New (4) Used (9) from $15.19
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 806406
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 287
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.7
ISBN: 0974858706
EAN: 9780974858708
ASIN: 0974858706
Publication Date: May 1, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
For twenty years, as founder of Solomon Software, the author worked with thousands of small businesses. The sale of his company opened the door for the author and his team of experts to pursue their growing passion --helping small businesses achieve and sustain excellence. Building on their many years of experience, this team invested $10 million and fifty man-years to combine the practical parts of strategic planning, quality management, integrated learning, business process automation, people performance management and measure-driven improvement into a single business-building methodology. This synthesis resulted in six fundamental business disciplines that are specifically designed to help small businesses move beyond momentary success to enduring excellence. This book is NOT for those who are looking for a quick fix. Six Disciplines is a "long-term fitness program, not a fad diet". If you hunger to move beyond 'widget building' to 'business building' then this book is for you!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 LIFE CHANGING! .. no exaggeration July 8, 2008
Incredibly useful book. Every page is filled with a lot of good information and best practices.
One of the greatest business books ever written. I have implemented the Six Disciplines into both of my companies and achieved great results.
[...]
Excellent Book, Buy it! May 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you are a small business or work with small businesses, buy this book. The author brings a wealth of real life experience to the table, distilling concepts from several leading business gurus into a format that works for a small business.
Straight to the point, well-organized, and extremely practical. May 14, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Before I comment on the book, I should say that I've been consulting on management and leadership issues for more than 18 years, working with the entire spectrum of business--from small regional concerns to companies in the Fortune 500. Much of my work during this time has been with leadership and management teams, enhancing and refining their thinking processes and tools to move them from surviving to thriving. Over the years I kept honing my programs to provide the best and most essential components. After working with hundreds of businesses, I've seen, heard, and read a lot.
So with that background, I have to give Six Disciplines for Excellence a full and complete endorsement. Too many books on management and leadership talk about theory and principles. I agree with one of the other reviewers that this book is 20% principles and 80% "how-to." This book just screams practical.
In my opinion, anyone in business would do well to make Six Disciplines mandatory reading throughout their leadership team--and then add the "how-to" sections as action items on their meeting agendas. Even better: locate a top-notch consultant/facilitator to help stay on track re: following through on the action-items.
Reason: Like other reviewers have mentioned, reading this book and then following through on the action steps are two different things.
Perhaps it's best to consider Six Disciplines a workbook--and it's probably the best business-building workbook I've seen. In my opinion, many larger organizations would benefit from reading it, too. It's easy to read and it outlines of the key steps for success. No fluff. Just straight to the point, well-organized, and extremely practical.
Read it and you'll be enlightened.
Do what it says and you'll be moving your business from "surviving" to "thriving."
- Dan Bobinski
CEO / Director - The Center for Workplace Excellence
PS. Despite the similarities between the name of my business and the title of Gary Harpst's book, I've not met the man (as of this writing) and we have no affiliation. --But after reading his book it seems like he's certainly someone one would want to meet!
 Good Insight, Quick/Easy Read April 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I primarily purchased this book to gain insight into the corporate planning of my employer and in the interest of possibly starting my own business some day. This book provide a quick, easy read and a great companion to "Fire Someone Today (And Other Surprising Tactics for Making Your Business A Success)".
While "Fire Someone Today" provided some examples of harsh lessons and the values of good planning, this book provided the "how to" side of that approach. 6D4E did not provide many powerful, real-world examples/stories, but took the time to explain how to avoid the bad side. I recommend both of these books as a pair.
I would not recommend reading this book on its own (unlike "Fire Someone Today"). Without an understanding of "lessons learned" and what others are thinking (such as looking at the "Inside the Minds" series from Aspatore Books), this book merely provides you with a "hey, you should do this" without showing the negative side or how your particular role fits into the plan.
Without an understanding of your position (Inside the Minds) and how things have failed (Fire Someone Today), this book will be ineffective and merely tossed to the side until you learn those harsh lessons yourself.
Excellent January 11, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The book describes excellent facts that most if not all other books do not describe. Therefore the information is fairly unique and valuable and will definetely add to your repatoire of knowledge and skills.
If you can afford the book then purchase it., the cover design is terrible and they could have done a much better job marketing the book, but this is one of those books with excellent insight and information and crappy marketing. The book has more potential that what it appears from the cover. I give it 8/10, or probably in the top 10% of business books.
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