Shackleton's Way: Leadership lessons from the great Antarctic explorer - Book review

Shackleton has been 'up there' as one of my heroes as long as I can remember and certainly since back in the late 60s/early 70s when I first took up mountaineering and looked forward to a career on the Navy/Marines - bet that surprised a few of you. So I had a reasonable awareness of his leadership ability.

As a result I actually bought this book for my son who was working on an assignment on Leadership last year - he was looking for exemplars and, to me, Shackleton was an obvious choice. Sadly the book's pristine condition told a story of its own.

Anyway, I retrieved the book and embarked on a journey of reliving Shackleton's adventures - at least that was the hope. Unfortunately the book suffers from a lack of flow and therefore becomes a bit of chore.  Basically every chapter has three sub-chapters: the storyline which often feels contrived and constructed around PowerPoint headings; a summary of the key lessons; and then a sub-chapter on how someone has been strongly influenced by Shackleton's style.  To me the book suffers as a result and becomes laboured through trying to do too many things and none of them particularly well.  The book consequently also suffers from the lack of a narrative - at one stage I wondered if I would enjoy reading the book better by just sticking to the first sub-chapters. The biggest disappointment though is the almost deification of Shackleton - I just don't feel that would be Shackleton's Way and although a great leader he was no saint.

I believe every aspiring CFO needs to understand Leadership and demonstration of Leadership separates the 'great' from the merely 'good' CPO.  Although the key points for CPOs will be found in the book, this isn't the book I would recommend.

'The Value Chain Shift: Seven future challenges facing top executives' - Book review

The sub-title of this book is really the important point to consider with this book - it is targeted at 'top executives'. An impressive list of contributors set out to answer the 'seven challenges' against a timeline of 2020.

So what are the seven 'future' challenges identified?

1. Measuring corporations' cost and contribution to society; 
2. Managing resource scarcities; Scale and speed; 
3. Traditional multinationals versus emerging market firms; 
4. Optimising IT-enabled process and systems in the value chain: 
5. The role of governance; The organisation design shift; 
6. How speed affects risks, opportunities and new business models in the value chain; 
7. Corporate social responsibility: Moving from compliance to value creation in value chain relationships. 

Are these really future challenges, and if they are, are they the biggest challenges? Actually I recall some of them being included in Farmer and Taylor's 'Corporate Planning and Procurement' published in 1975, yes, 39 years ago! More recently we could compare New and Westbrook's (2004) 'Understanding Supply Chains', and Brindley's (2004) 'Supply Chain Risk'. So I would have liked to have heard the authors views on what they would put as a compelling argument, to the sceptical top executive on: "if these challenges have been around so long, and a laissez-faire approach has worked so far, what's so different?"

Setting that aside, let's consider some of the chapters. Say the chapter on IT. While I recognise the problems of geographic standardisation of processes and systems, and am currently working on a similar problem, I am really surprised that the whole digital agenda with the imbalance between marketing's adoption and that of the supply chain isn't viewed as a challenge.

I did, however, find the chapter on 'optimal speed' thought provoking and something I hadn't previously considered.

Sadly, I found many of the chapters more like an introduction and lacking in depth - I wanted more.  
You could classify them into three categories: 'A statement of the blindingly obvious', 'We wanted to create a model, so we created a need', and the really valuable, 'Have you thought about this?'.

In fairness, let's remember the book is targeted at top executives. If the book is read by top executives and they progress to addressing the challenges, then it will be really beneficial, but for me, and the average procurement specialist, I doubt it is worth £22.15?

Procurement 20/20: Supply Entrepreneurship in a Changing World - book review

A new book on procurement is always of interest but too often takes on the 'emperor's new clothes. Unfortunately, even though this is a book written by four McKiksey consultants, little is new. 

For example, the authors take Lamming's suggestion of purchasing needing to become External Resource Management (1993) and provide examples that becoming a reality. Sadly Lamming doesn't get an acknowledgement of the rebranded concept. That would be understandable if it were not that McKinsey's father of the Kraljic model is used as a springboard for the book.

Great examples are trotted out, but yet a blindspot exists by not recognising the problems Apple and others encountered through using Foxconn. Instead Apple's outsourcing to Foxconn is viewed as exemplar! So, for example, "Apple maintains control over nearly every step along the value chain. ... The orchestration is so tight and extensive that Apple places electronic monitors into some parts boxes at supplier sights to allow remote monitoring of production speed and discourage product theft". Then think of the problems I've highlighted in this blog previously encounered by Apple and Foxconn!

The Undercover Economist Strikes Back (Book review)

I'm a great far of Tim Hartford and his skill for making economics real and relevant to the man-in-the-street. I also thought Adapt, his previous book, was a 'must read'.

So I purchased this book as soon as it was published and looked forward to an excellent read. Unlike his other books this one is concerned with macroeconomics, something which I think virtually every foundation business studies course must cover in some way. Perhaps the book is targeted at that readership, and if that is the case, it is an excellent introductory text. It would also be ideal for anyone trying to get behind the jargon of current news stories.

However, the book just didn't work for me. It is comprehensive and Hartford, as usual, manages to demystify some big issues. But I found the style of writing irritating - it takes the form of an imaginary character conversing with Hartford and posing questions which he answers. That may appeal to some but I hope Hartford drops that approach.

'Adapt' was an excellent book and I could visualise myself reading it again. That's not an accolade I think 'The Undercover Economist Strikes Back' shares. Nevertheless, given Hartford's previous excellent track record as an author, I still expect to buy his next book.

PS I noticed that it's available as an airport edition at a significantly reduced price - so if you're travelling soon you could pick up lower price version on your travels.

'The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World' - Book Review

This was truly a first for me - a novel written on procurement transformation. Yet, as a novel it also crosses the boundary of a text book with most of the chapters cleverly summarising the key 'CPO Best Practices'. It is written by four A.T. Kearney consultants - a very clever marketing ploy.

As a novel it's not going to win the Man Booker but it is an easy read and does have a reasonable narrative. Sometimes contrived, yet I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what happened next.

It is certainly a case study in procurement transformation and a good catch-up/revision for practitioners. It would be a useful 'book club' discussion topic for any procurement team. Ideal as a introductory text for a Strategic Procurement degree. With some useful tools in performance management and category management  outlined. I can't see me recommending it to a CX though.

It's a bit misleading to say the book has 226 pages. Deletion of the many blank pages and excessive 'comic strip abstracts' to each of the 39 very short chapters, you may really only have somewhere around 175 pages! That raises another point: what purpose do the abstract/comic strip sections serve? I felt they broke the rhythm of the book and after the first few chapters opted not to read them - that provided a better read.

I will not remotely share any of the plot as the book is worth reading and with the benefit of online purchasing you can pick it up for less than £10 including postage and receive within a week. Yes, it is worth a tenner.

Bad Pharma - procurement book review

I suspect that Ben Goldacre's 'Bad Pharma' would not immediately come to mind as a recommended procurement read. Let me correct that misconception. While the book is primarily about the pharmaceutical industry, it has a sub-plot of market manipulation of buyers. It highlights how sales-forces, conferences, professional bodies, advertisements, magazine articles, and even academic journals are used to manipulate, within strategic marketing plans, to deliver sales. It is a book which should be read by every procurement manager, regardless of industry - all those who touch the edge of procurement decision making need a healthy level of scepticism, if we are to deliver the best deal. If you are in doubt about its relevance, then I would ask you: 'how have you have formed opinions about the percentage savings anticipated, the basis for selecting some procurement solutions, and the judgements on perceived 'best practice?'

However, the book, like Goldacre's earlier 'Bad Science', should also be on the reading list of anyone undertaking research or involved in the peer review process. I have no doubt that rigour, reliability and validity in research would be improved. A good thing all round.

On the downside

The Collaborative Organization (Book review)

An excellent, pragmatic book for anyone concerned with Digital Strategy and particularly Social Media (Web.2/E2.0) Strategy. While presented as focusing on intra-organisational collaboration, I feel that doesn't do the book justice, since it also addresses customer-facing dimensions.

I particularly liked the maturity model and could see that being of great use for baselining and also developing an incremental route-map.  My only word of caution relates to the Framework for Feature Adoption - while it is useful, it is just one route-map and my experience suggests there is no 'one-size-fits all'; what is important is to work with the culture of the organisation and the primary business outcome you're aiming to achieve.

The book was an easy read, well structured and something I could see being dipped into time and again.

Thoughts on reshaping the procurement paradigm and 'The Elastic Enterprise' (Book review)

It's not often I come across a book which really makes me wonder are we looking at the early signs of a new procurement paradigm - well The Elastic Enterprise does.  However, before I get to the procurement implications ...

The book would sit comfortably beside Porter's 'Competitive Strategy',  Lamming's 'Beyond Partnership' and Sandel's 'Justice' as saying something worth dipping into and mulling over, time and time again.

Strangely, I can't remember how I came to receive this book but I'm fairly sure it was through responding to a social media invitation. I'm not going to name the organisation, but thanks RA and LM for the book, yes, it was excellent.  As a one sentence summary, The Elastic Enterprise is a descriptive account of how organisations such as Apple and Amazon have been successful based on five dynamics, namely, Sapient Leadership, Business Ecosystems, The Cloud, Universal Connectors, and Business Platforms.

I actually read the book out of sequence, starting with Chapter 3, 'Creating the elastic enterprise'.  I thought this was one of the clearest explanations of digital strategy I have come across - the section on Cloud was particularly good but perhaps more could have been said about the implications of BYOD and social media.

Having said that, it was Chapter 4, 'People Unlimited' stirred my imagination.  Yes, I recognise and have long argued for supplier integration and co-production to deliver innovations through procurement.  I have also been advocating social media and recognised the role of ecosystems for some time - indeed spent two years working on a social media as a tool for efficiency improvement. However, prior to reading the book I hadn't made the connection between the two or how firms, like Apple and Amazon, lead an ecosystem in which suppliers provide, at a cost to themselves.  To me the ecosystem represents a new procurement paradigm: many small innovative providers working individually within a structure orchestrated by a leader. SCM thinking needs refreshed. The traditional idea of competing for contracts needs refreshed. The traditional model of contracting needs refreshed. Procurement's approach to M&A needs refreshed. That's quite a shift.

The Fifth Witness (Book review)

Straying from my usual territory with this book from the Fiction shelves as I’m on holiday.  A big book which I found difficult to set down and sped through.  I was quickly drawn into the plot based on the impact of the financial crash on individuals.  The whole book is on the ‘Lincoln Lawyer’s’ defence of a murder case. Along the way Facebook is weaved in with an implied warning of how sharing may be high-risk.   Although early on I was convinced the plot was a bit too obvious, it wasn’t long before I realised how wrong I was, indeed I was completely wrong.  Even the twists of the final chapters threw me and I actually re-read a few pages to be sure.  Great holiday reading, and although contracts are mentioned you can safely escape procurement for a few days.  

End This Depression Now! (Book review)

I suspect some of my regular readers may wonder what sort of person takes a book on holiday with this title and then recommends it.

This book, by Paul Krugman, is not about a psychological condition but about the current economic condition – Paul Krugman being a heavyweight economist who is able to clearly explain the current euro crisis and the financial woes facing most western economies.

Krugman’s core argument is that there is plenty of evidence that current economic policies are hostage to a political philosophy as opposed to being shaped economic ‘know how’.  Current economic policies are not working, even though a shift could bring a speedy end to the misery being experienced by so many. The shift advocated is a U-turn on austerity and speedy public spending.

It may be difficult for politicians to make yet another U-turn but I think it is a debate worth having and, if that switch takes place, it could have a big impact on procurement policy.  Of course public spending options go beyond procurement and could be through increased spending on benefits, etc.

'The Geek Manifesto : Why science matters' (Book review)

Excellent book.  Very easily read. it argues very clearly the need for a greater application of the scientific method in all aspects of life. Its strength I'm afraid one of its strengths is also its weakness in that sometimes there's a little too much emotion and passion in the narrative; then again it is well titled a 'manifesto'.

For those who follow news stories closely few of the chapters will yield anything particularly new.  But it is useful to have all this evidence in one book.  I think the book would be really useful for those about to attend university - so perhaps a good birthday present, going away present or even for a holiday read.

One good example of why we need better science, which hadn't occurred to me in the past, is the pitfall of the media's passion to present a two sides of most scientific stories - the weakness, which Mark Henderson highlights, is that this greats the false impression that researchers are equally split on a subject while in reality there can be a sizeable majority holding only one view.

Strangely I think the book is relevant to all those involved in procurement decision-making.  For example, we weigh up evidence presented by bidders, and we also take a leader on bid evaluation method.  Those are just two reasons why the lessons from the book on the need for better application of the scientific method would be beneficial and is required.

'What money can't buy' (Book review)

If you have spent most of your life, like me, working in procurement you are also likely to see most things as something which can be bought.  In fact one of the most satisfying challenges is demonstrating to others that what they need can be bought more effectively.  So Michael Sandel's latest book, 'What money can't buy',  sits a bit uncomfortably.

I first came across Mike Sandel a few years ago when I listened to him speak at the LSE on his book 'Justice'. A fantastic book which really made you think and see things differently. His latest book 'What money can't buy' is every bit as challenging and does not disappoint. It is not about what money can't buy; more about what money shouldn't buy; the procurement manager's dilemma, making the decision about what should not be sold. For example,

Adapt (book review)

Tim Harford has written a number of excellent, easy read, economics books; possibly the most famous being The Undercover Economist.  I have a preference to Harford's style than the Freakonomics school.  It was against that background I ordered Adapt. I wouldn't describe it as an economics book, but I was not disappointed and would certainly recommend it. I would catalogue the book under 'business improvement philosophy' - is there such a library section?

I don't plan to provide a summary of the book as the sub-title provides as reasonable enough steer. However, an alternative precis could well be the misquote of Mao Zedong's, 'Let a thousand flowers bloom'. 

The key message to me is the need to encourage risk managed experimentation. I would like to see that practiced more within the procurement world. Accept that some experiments just won't work.  But some experiments will work and some will even delivery beyond our wildest expectations.  Equally some experiments may not deliver in the way we expected but may nevertheless yield desirable outcomes.  Nevertheless failure provides useful lessons to be learned. That's how we can deliver stepped change in cost reduction, quality improvement and social value. That's how we can deliver innovation in procurement. It's also how we can see improvement in strategic commissioning and public services delivery. The trick is to think of managed risk and the use of 'decoupling'.

A review isn't the place for more of Harford"s ideas, suffice to say that I think if you want to make improvements, you could do a lot worse than dip into your pocket and get a copy.

The Hubris Syndrome

I was really impressed with the idea that Dickens' 200th birthday was being celebrated by the Culture Secretary distributing selected copies of Dickens' books to each of the Cabinet members.  I wonder if they will read and learn from them?

However, I would like to build on that notion and have a national vote for 'must read' books which all potential MPs should read.  If elected, they could then give an assurance, when taking their seat, that they have read the 'nations recommended book' and, as part of their maiden speech, explain the lessons they have learn from the book which they will carry with them.  

I'd expect most have already read Machiavelli's  'The Prince' but how many have picked up on the need to surround themselves with good advice, which isn't the same as 'reinforcing advice'.  My recommendation would be David Owen's 'The Hubris Syndrome'.  I constantly find myself suggesting to others that they read it but I have yet to meet anyone who tells me they have.  So why would that be my recommendation?