Gray Matters — No JELLO® Attack
November 23rd, 2003 by Hal
Before I get back to the variation as an enabler topic, I want to tell you about a book I just finished. Fast Company has a new book club. Each month they offer readers the opportunity to vote for their favorite one of five books. The first reader selection announced in the December issue is Gray Matters, by Bob Rosner, Allan Halcrow, and John Lavin. This is a business book pretending to be a comic book.
The reviews at Fast Company and Amazon are universally positive.
When I saw the Fast Company selection I got myself a copy. It took just a few hours to read it cover-to-cover. I was somewhat skeptical of the comic book format for the first three chapters, but before I knew it I had read almost 200 pages. Each chapter has three sections. It starts with a casual presentation of theory. From there it moves into the story of Gray Blanderson, product designer at Global Gadget, taking on the challenge of saving the small appliance division told through a continuing comic strip. The third section is a reflection and commentary on what works and why.
The authors are quite well-known writing for the Wall Street Journal and as best-selling authors. Rosner's Working Wounded column at the WSJ is not to be missed. Their business insight shows through in the no fluff presentation of everyday business issues. In chapter 22 they tackle the spirit of innovation. Using the example of adopting a just-in-time approach in manufacturing they illustrate the issues of a continuous improvement strategy.
The reviews at Fast Company and Amazon are universally positive. This one sums up the enthusiasm readers have for the book:
Not your typical business read. It's changing my life.
While I wouldn't go that far, I do recommend the book. Here are 46 more reasons to get Gray Matters. At the end of all 23 chapters the authors recommend their favorite books on the topic of the chapter.
So, are you wondering what is a JELLO® Attack? Barbie's Brainy Glossary defines it as
A soft response to a crisis (such as having a meeting or forming a task force) that conveys the appearance of taking action without really accomplishing much.
No JELLO Attack here. Enjoy!
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November 24th, 2003 at 3:35 pm
I just found the Gray Matters site. Very clever! A whole community for readers of the book. Wish I thought of it. :+: