Turning goals into results : the power of catalytic mechanisms / Jim Collins

SUMMARY

Most executives have a big, hairy, audacious goal. They write vision statements, formalize procedures, and develop complicated incentive programs--all in pursuit of that goal. In other words, with the best of intentions, they install layers of stultifying bureaucracy. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this book, Jim Collins introduces the catalytic mechanism, a simple yet powerful managerial tool that helps translate lofty aspirations into concrete reality. To illustrate how catalytic mechanisms work, the author draws on examples of individuals and organizations that have relied on such mechanisms to achieve their goals. The same catalytic mechanism that works in one organization, however, won't necessarily work in another. Catalytic mechanisms must be tailored to specific goals and situations. To help readers get started, Collins offers some general principles that support the process of building catalytic mechanisms effectively.