The Cure: Enterprise Medicine for Business: A Novel for Managers

by Dan Paul and Jeff Cox

Book Overview

"The Cure" ist ein spannender und unterhaltsamer Business-Roman voller Dramatik und ?u erst lehrreich. Hier lesen Sie, wie ein eher tr?ges Unternehmen sich relativ schnell in ein rasch reagierendes... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471268305
• Release Date: February 2003
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.4" x 1.0" x 6.2"

Customer Reviews

Good for what ails?your company

Not at all your typical business book, but every bit the truth about the corporate world that I have experienced. As I became drawn in by the story, as told through the eyes and thoughts of the characters, I relived my own personal nightmares of ineffective management. But their outcome was much more pleasant, and entirely plausible. Judging by the many positive comments of some very highly placed executives, it appears that Enterprise Medicine is for real. By joining together and focusing on the possibilities, they made their vision a reality through teamwork, mutual support and encouragement - along with a good dose of flexibility. I honestly dream of working at a place like that! The employees were empowered and took ownership of their future - and the future of their company. I can think of quite a few companies who are ailing right now. They have the potential to become great again, but I think they could use a good dose of "The Cure" to get them back on their feet!

Great Read

"The Cure" arrived on Friday afternoon, and I couldn't put it down. I am glad I had a free weekend to read it because it is a page-turner. I never thought a business book could be so entertaining and informative at the same time. This is really a business novel, so there is a story (a compelling one) with characters (many you will recognize from your own business). It tells the story of company that faces many challenges - the biggest of which is its own culture. What's different about this book is it tells you how to change that troubled culture into positive energy that will drive the business towards success. This is a must read for those struggling with the cultural issues facing so many businesses.

Living in the novel

I haven't read a business book this interesting in years. What I found most compelling is the dysfunction Paul and Cox describe in their composite organization, problems that seem almost laughable at a distance but, unfortunately, are very recognizable at my company. It's all there: denial, passive-aggressive behavior, silos, group-think, sacrificial beheadings--just about every nightmare you can think of. What's so sad is that the authors describe a relatively simple way to overcome "organizational inertia," but the medicine takes courage, which seems to be in short supply. I think The Cure could have a lasting impact on American business, and my CEO will get a copy from me as I head out the door to retirement in a few weeks.

The book you'll want to get for all managers in your company

Forget all those boring management books that are high on theory but low on applicability (not to mention readability!). The Cure rocks! It's a page-turner of a business novel about the hypothetical Essential Corporation, populated with people you'll swear you know--from operations, marketing, sales, finance, R & D, HR, etc. Each character in the book has a different perception of what ails the company. In spite of an abundance of business improvement initiatives, heavy capital investments, new technologies, and strategic plans, Essential is floundering--and the senior management team doesn't have a clue what to do about it. Until they discover the common-sensical "secrets" of Enterprise Medicine. In cinematic fashion, The Cure portrays the ever-so-real journey of the nearly dysfunctional management team, from diagnosis of symptoms, to eventual treatment and cure.What made the book work for me is that, in following the story, which is told from the different points of view of more than a dozen characters, you LIVE the transformational journey with them. So many management books just bandy about academic theory. The Cure shows you how a large company can actually get from point A to point B--in one year or less. But it doesn't sugar-coat the path. It deals head-on with politics, headquarter pressures, sacred cows, hallway muggings, and turf protection--the stuff many executives prefer to ignore.The Cure explains why a company such as GE has been so successful for so many years (it's actually based upon Jack Welch's principles of management), and hints at why companies like Enron and the dot.coms exploded. But The Cure is not just for companies in trouble. Whether you work for a megacorporation, or a midsize firm, have serious competitive problems, or merely a few "aches and pains," The Cure outlines what you need to do to achieve the next plateau of performance.If you liked The Goal and Zapp! (also written by Jeff Cox), you love The Cure!

Great Read as a Novel!

I've read other books by co-author Jeff Cox- "Zapp!" and "The Goal" and once again he weaves an intriguing story.Using co-author Dan Paul's Enterprise Medicine methodology, Cox tells the story of a successful company on the brink of disaster - how apropos in today's environment. I won't give away the story here, if you're tired of the over-simplified quick fixes or ex-CEO love fests, you have to read "The Cure" to see how real business works.