Judgment calls : 12 stories of big decisions and the teams that got them right /
12 stories of big decisions and the teams that got them right Twelve stories of big decisions and the teams that got them right
Thomas H. Davenport and Brook Manville.
- Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business Review Press, (c)2012.
- 1 online resource (xii, 266 pages) : illustrations.
Includes bibliographies and index.
Introduction : great men, not so great decisions -- part 1. Stories about the participative problem-solving process. NASA STS-119 : should we launch? -- WGB Homes : how can we sell this house? -- McKinsey and Company : should we recruit from a different pool of talent? -- part 2. Stories about the opportunities of technology and analytics. Partners HealthCare System : how should we treat this patient? -- Cognizant : how will all these daily decisions get made? -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools : how can we improve student performance? -- part 3. Stories about the power of culture. Ancient Athenians : how can we defend against life-or-death invasion? -- Mabel Yu and The Vanguard Group : should we recommend this bond to investors? -- EMC : how can we cut our costs in tough times? -- part 4. Stories about leaders setting the right context. Media General : should we restructure for a new strategy? -- The Wallace Foundation : how can we focus a strategy for more mission impact? -- Tweezerman : should we take the business to the next level of growth? -- Conclusion : final reflections and some implications for tomorrow's leaders.
Great decisions depend on judgment calls, but in a complicated and fast-changing situation (like a modern business), no one leader's knowledge and perspective is sufficient to make them wisely. Some decision-makers have found ways to tap the collective judgment of their people - and leaders of other groups can profit from them. What's the story behind great decisions? Is decision-making the responsibility of one leader or should it rest on the shoulders of the collective team? In Judgment Calls, authors Tom Davenport and Brooke Manville share twelve stories of organizations that have successfully tapped the diverse perspectives and deep knowledge of their people to build an organizational decision-making capability - a competence they say can make the difference between success and failure.