Cambridge Business Association
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times
Book

Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times

How to Win in Any Environment

Stephen R. Covey, Bob Whitman and Breck England
FranklinCovey Publishing, 2009
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8

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Recommendation

When the going gets tough...well, most people freak out! Faced with immediate threats and an uncertain future, they react tentatively and unpredictably, which only makes bad matters worse. Stephen R. Covey, who wrote the blockbuster The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and co-author Bob Whitman, CEO of the FranklinCovey consultancy (writing with Breck England, the firm’s top consultant), offer a clear, doable strategy for maintaining and even improving your business during tough economic times. Their four-part formula is compact, encouraging, straightforward and actionable: “Execute priorities with excellence. Move with the speed of trust. Achieve more with less. Reduce fear.” The only mild caveat is that the book is so elemental it may leave the reader – particularly the less-experienced manager – wanting more. When hard economic times threaten to rock your boat, getAbstract suggests reaching for this book to help steady your craft in the storm-tossed seas.

Summary

Managing in the Mountains

Managing your firm during tough times requires a special kind of focus. Consider the Tour de France, a grueling multiday, multilevel bike race through daunting terrain. The truly great teams take the lead during the most difficult mountainous parts of the race through the Alps. In the same way, great leaders stay strong during challenging economic times by guiding their organizations through four frightening threats.

They are:

  1. “Failure to execute” – Can your employees carry out your strategy?
  2. “Crisis of trust” – Will your staff continue to trust management’s decisions?
  3. “Loss of focus” – Will people stay on task?
  4. “Pervasive fear” – Will they perform well in the face of risky unknowns?

Respond to each of these threats by using four keystone principles:

Principle One: “Execute Priorities with Excellence”

Make sure every member of your team knows his or her role in reaching clear, achievable goals. That is how world-renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong and his teams won the Tour de...

About the Authors

Dr. Stephen R. Covey wrote the landmark bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and founded FranklinCovey Co., where Bob Whitman, an experienced executive (and champion triathlete), is president and CEO. Dr. Breck England is the firm’s top international consultant.

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