Thomas H. Davenport & Brook Manville
Published 2012 by Harvard Business Review Press
Judgment Calls is
primarily a book about "organizational judgment," looking at the ability of
companies or teams to make good decisions collectively. The authors declare that this book is an "antidote to the great man theory of
decision making and organizational performance" - the theory that one
individual at the top is needed to drive successful companies forward. Businesses are currently functioning in tough
economic times with lots of competition and uncertainty. This makes it very challenging for one
individual to safely steer organizations on a path to success.
This book follows twelve organizations that made tough
decisions collectively. Their stories
are told as a way to inspire others with positive stories and examples of
workplace idea sharing and culture-building.
They show that these environments conducive to good decision-making can
be managed and developed within organizations.
The twelve stories within this book are organized into four
categories - four themes of organizational judgment: 1. Stories about the
participative problem solving process (drawing on the expertise of others
within the organization). 2. Stories about the opportunities of technology and
analytics (collecting data upon which sound decisions can be based). 3. Stories about the power of (organizational)
culture. 4. Stories about leaders
setting the right context.
This is a fascinating book telling positive stories of
companies who did things right. This
book is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to foster a workplace culture
that draws upon the skills and knowledge of its team members, and incorporates
sound data collection into its decision-making processes, without relying on
one person to magically get things right every time. This book would make for an interesting book
club discussion, especially if the members have any interest in running
businesses or teams, or if they are interested in group dynamics and culture.
Discussion Questions:
- Is a "great man" (or woman) still needed to make businesses succeed and thrive, and is their high pay justified?
- How important is the team leader amidst all this collaboration?
- Have you ever worked or participated as part of a team that "got things right?"
- Does this book provide any insight about how to change a dysfunctional workplace/team culture?
- How much stock do you put into the value of data and statistics to base decisions upon?
- How did the twelve stories read as a narrative?
- Did you enjoy the positive tone, or would you rather have seen more horror stories?
- Can any of the decision-making methods talked about here be applied elsewhere in life?
- Can you think of any other stories that could have been included in this book?
- Have you read any other books on business management, leadership or social dynamics? If so, how does it compare, and would you now want to read more (or less)?
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