University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Mobilizing Minds
Book

Mobilizing Minds

Creating Wealth From Talent in the 21st Century Organization

Lowell L. Bryan and Claudia L. Joyce
McGraw-Hill, 2007
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Well Structured

Recommendation

No territory remains uncharted in the competitive global marketplace. Companies of all sizes can compete for market share everywhere in the world. Victory can be fleeting, though. Even the most dominant businesses find challengers clawing at their pant legs. In these dynamic times, truly progressive organizations are becoming more nimble by making the most of their employees’ talents. Authors Lowell L. Bryan and Claudia I. Joyce believe the vertical, hierarchical corporate structure is no longer practical. Employees will not perform just because they are told to do so. Executives increasingly realize that they must engage their employees and challenge them to achieve their potential. While the authors’ textbook writing style may not suit everyone, getAbstract believes readers will find plenty of useful ideas about designing and restructuring organizations, especially large companies. The book is a good reference that shares common intellectual ground with others devoted to the art of management.

Summary

Blending Hierarchy with Flexibility

No company can expect to dominate a geographic area or customer segment unchallenged. Business competition around the world is growing fiercer as the Internet obliterates the distance between remote buyers and sellers, making markets more global. So companies must periodically restructure as their competitive environment changes – or risk falling so far behind that complete recovery is unlikely. Most CEOs prefer not to contemplate the massive effort necessary to redesign their firms. They are more comfortable with mergers and acquisitions that require other businesses to fit into theirs. But a thorough redesign of your company’s organization, though it may take years to fully integrate, could be the only way to ensure a bright competitive future.

In years past, discussions and debates over what constitutes the best organizational structure typically showcased two distinct philosophies. One promoted a strong hierarchical system with stringent controls and rigid management. The other focused on a more flexible system that encouraged individual growth and rewarded creativity and innovation. However, the distinction between the two approaches...

About the Authors

Lowell L. Bryan is a Harvard M.B.A. and a senior partner at McKinsey & Company. Claudia I. Joyce is a principal at McKinsey & Company and a core member of the Financial Services and Strategy Practices.

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