Product Description

In yet another page-turner, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed management expert Patrick Lencioni addresses the costly and maddening issue of silos, the barriers that create organizational politics. Silos devastate organizations, kill productivity, push good people out the door, and jeopardize the achievement of corporate goals.

As with his other books, Lencioni writes Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars as a fictional—but eerily realistic—story. The story is about Jude Cousins, an eager young management consultant struggling to launch his practice by solving one of the more universal and frustrating problems faced by his clients. Through trial and error, he develops a simple yet ground-breaking approach for helping them transform confusion and infighting into clarity and alignment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2515 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-17
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Marketing won't speak to engineering. Sales thinks production hogs the budget. Front desk believes back room's lazy. These sorts of turf wars, which turn outwardly unified companies into groupings of uncommunicative "silos," are the stuff of management lore. According to bestselling author Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), "they waste resources, kill productivity and jeopardize the achievement of goals"—they also drive workers into tizzies of frustration. Like his previous books, Lencioni's latest addresses the management problem through a fictional story; this one revolves around a self-employed consultant named Jude, who has to dismantle silos at an upscale hotel, a technology company and a hospital. Split into two sections, Lencioni's book first shows Jude discovering a solution to silos, then summarizes Jude's lessons into a strategy that readers can apply to any business. Lencioni's proposal is so full of common sense—namely, end turf wars by getting departments to rally around a common goal—that managers will be eager to apply it themselves. Just as refreshing is Lencioni's use of character and plot, which is far above average for the business genre. As sympathetic as Jude is, he makes Lencioni's management lessons memorable. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
This is well-textured success story explains how organizations can use a collective operational vision to overcome pride, greed, and tribalism. The heart of this operational vision--four defining objectives articulated in a series of encounter meetings--is implemented humbly but persistently by the story's consultant hero. The four defining objectives are (1) a three-to-twelve month thematic goal, (2) a set of defining objectives, (3) some standard operating objectives, and (4) a realistic set of metrics. Empathetic connections among departments are reinforced through respectful and honest meetings regularly. Both the storytelling and value of these recommendations make this an exceptional resource for leaders in many types of dysfunctional organizations. T.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Review
Marketing won't speak to engineering. Sales thinks production hogs the budget. Front desk believes back room's lazy. These sorts of turf wars, which turn outwardly unified companies into groupings of uncommunicative "silos," are the stuff of management lore. According to bestselling author Lencioni (The Five Dysfunctions of a Team), "they waste resources, kill productivity and jeopardize the achievement of goals"—they also drive workers into tizzies of frustration. Like his previous books, Lencioni's latest addresses the management problem through a fictional story; this one revolves around a self-employed consultant named Jude, who has to dismantle silos at an upscale hotel, a technology company and a hospital. Split into two sections, Lencioni's book first shows Jude discovering a solution to silos, then summarizes Jude's lessons into a strategy that readers can apply to any business. Lencioni's proposal is so full of common sense—namely, end turf wars by getting departments to rally around a common goal—that managers will be eager to apply it themselves. Just as refreshing is Lencioni's use of character and plot, which is far above average for the business genre. As sympathetic as Jude is, he makes Lencioni's management lessons memorable. (Mar.) (Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006)

"...an excellent book that nearly everyone will identify with and benefit from..." (Personnel Today, May 2006)

"... an engaging, simplistic read, and one that reinforced many impressions about the ‘problems within’ and strategies to solve them.” (The British Journal Of Administrative Management, February/March 07)

"...if your business experiences politics... this book may be for you."  (EN, the magazine for entrepreneurs, January 2008)

Customer Reviews

Simple, Useful and Direct View of a Common Business Issue
In "Silos, Politics and Turf Wars," Patrick Lencioni uses his lesson-as-fable template to address the common, and challenging, issue of organizational silos. Written in an engaging and no-nonsense style, this book highlights the challenges posed by organizational silos...and the politics and turf wars that are often associated with such silos.

Beyond the easy-to-read style of this book, I appreciate Lencioni's section on "The Model," in which the salient managerial points put forth in the book are called out in a specific and tangible manner.

Good book, good strategies
Mr. Lencioni has captured the essense of corporate politics and create a compelling tale to explain strategies to reduce its impact on an organization. This book is definitely worth the few hours it takes to read.

Must Read/Listen
This book was fantastic. Out of all the companies I've worked for, I can't think of one that doesn't deal with Silos as one of their major problems. The book does a great job analyzing the problem across just about any business. With this and his other books, we feel we're well on our way to resolving some very real issues with our company.