The following book review was written by Joe Aberger, President of Pritchett LP.

If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win almost every time.
─Rummler and Brache

Improving Performance: How to Manage the White Space on the Organization Chart was first book written on the mechanics of process improvement, the nuts and bolts on how you actually do it.

The methodology in the book was so embraced by readers that Rummler and Brache became the godfathers of the process improvement movement. They helped spawn a cottage industry of BPM analysts, software vendors, consultants, authors, and conferences.

Today, there are dizzying number of process improvement methodologies and technologies competing with one another. But in the light of day, practically all of them owe their origin to their predecessor, the Rummler-Brache methodology.

The Rummler-Brache approach to process improvement is the gold standard. It’s a systematic, disciplined framework that does more than just isolate process performance. The methodology addresses all three level of performance: organization, process and job performer. And it’s all linked to support the strategy and goals of the organization.

Over the years, I’ve been amazed by the cult-like devotion to the methodology that many of its practitioners have demonstrated. Initially, I thought they were all a little too enthusiastic, sort of like Trekkies at a Star Trek convention. However, since I’ve seen Rummler-Braches principles applied, I get it. The passion out there for the methodology is really a passion for what it delivers. Hard results.

The authors provide a clear blueprint on how to achieve sustainable, tangible improvements. The third edition of this book reveals the latest enhancements to that blueprint─tools to create project deliverables for an accelerated project.
The book is a classic, worth revisiting, especially in the current competitive climate when organizations must make the right systemic changes in tighter time frames.

This entry was posted in Book Club, Career and Networking. Bookmark the permalink.