If It Ain't Broke...Break It! and Other Unconventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World - Hardcover

"Rapid, unpredictable, never-shattering" changes will mark the 1990s in the view of Kriegel (coauthor of Inner Skiing ) and Patler ( An American Ensemble ). With "fire in the heart," vision and purpose, rather than pre-ordained goals, they declare, we must anticipate changes by discarding the beliefs and practices of conventional wisdom in favor of new ways of thinking. They buttress their advice with countless quotes, colorful analogies and examples-- many of these drawn from sports. Among their unorthodox recommendations, the authors warn equally against complacency and panic- or stress-induced speed, and they advocate decisions based on instinct vs. consensus, eschewing competition in favor of innovation. Despite the good sense of some of their assertions, orthodox thinkers may well object to their call for "change for change's sake" and "throwing out the baby with the bath water." Author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

As big business in the United States has replaced small business, the entrepreneurial spirit has also disappeared. Kriegel, a well-known speaker and expert on human resources, believes that this is the major problem in American business and that it can be remedied by changing the underlying ideas. He uses a vehicle that he calls "unconventional wisdom" to help break old thought patterns and substitute new, more productive ones. In each chapter he takes one old truism such as "don't mess with success" or "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and shows how and why this way of thinking is unproductive in today's fast-paced business world. While not a significant contribution to business research or study, this is refreshing to read and will probably be in demand. Recommended for popular business collections.
- Judith M. Nixon, Purdue Univ. Lib., West Lafay ette, Ind.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.