The Art of Action

Executing strategy is an enduring management problem. There is often a significant gap between what managers plan, what they do and the outcome they achieve. Stephen Bungay finds a fresh approach from an unexpected source - the nineteenth-century Prussian Army. His solution is based not on theory, but on sets of practices that have evolved over many years in the fast-moving, unpredictable environment of the battlefield. The Art of Action uses engaging narrative to demonstrate how to set direction, how to agree what people need to do to realise their objectives, and how to enable them to be successful in the complex, dynamic arena of modern business. It offers a fresh, practical approach to strategy, communication and leadership, encouraging people to practice the few simple things that really make a difference.

ISBN 1857885597   Pages 308 ISBN13 9781857885590 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 581 Publisher Nicholas Brealey Publishing   Published in London Imprint Nicholas Brealey Publishing   Height (mm) 234 Format Hardback   Width (mm) 156 Publication date 04 Nov 2010   Spine width (mm) 27 DEWEY 658.4092   Academic level Professional / Scholarly DEWEY edition DC22

		Preface
1		The Problem
		What Do You Want Me to Do?		1
		An unanswered question		1
		An undiagnosed disease		6
		Getting things done		13
		Legacy thinking		15
		The discipline of execution		19
		A route map		24
2		The Cause
		The Three Gaps		26
		Clausewitz and friction		26
		Friction and nonlinearity		33
		The three gaps		42
		Quick recap		52
3		Elements of a Solution
		Directed Opportunism		54
		Culture change		54
		Helmuth von Moltke and Auftragstaktik		57
		From Auftragstaktik to mission command		76
		From mission command to directed opportunism		83
		Quick recap		88
4		The Knowledge Gap
		What and Why		90
		Von Moltke on strategy		90
		Strategy, planning, and preparing		98
		Intent and main effort		110
		Quick recap		121
5		The Alignment Gap
		Briefing and Backbriefing		123
		Von Moltke writes a directive		123
		More...

"Stephen Bungay has something genuinely interesting to tell us. His book is not one of those vacuous essays in "leadership qualities" of the "how would Napoleon/MacArthur/Alexander the Great have turned around General Motors" variety ... What makes this book worth reading is the way in which Mr. Bungay calls time on an entire culture of gobbledygook. You don't succeed in warfare by having vague objectives and issuing ambiguous orders. And you shouldn't expect to succeed in business that way, either." - Laurence Eyton, Wall Street Journal What do you get if you cross a military historian with a management consultant? You get this fascinating book by Stephen Bungay - Bungay is a comfortable with management as he is with history and here cleverly draws on his knowledge of the latter to influence his thinking - A must-read for any would-be strategist.A" - Director Magazine "We live in an age of strategic failure across the board - in international relations and economic affairs, on the battlefield as well as in the marketplace. Inventively and incisively, Stephen Bungay draws on Clausewitz's wisdom, military history, business literature, and common sense to develop the notion of 'directed opportunism' for breaking the ominous cycle of frustration." - Jonathan Stevenson, Professor of Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College "Leadership is an intangible value. What sets Stephen Bungay apart is that he draws upon his deep knowledge of historical military campaigns to highlight key leadership principles and then sets them in the context of modern business with an understanding of the particular challenges faced by each company he works for. The first part greatly entertains and captivates the audience and the second part really brings home the teachings we wish to impart. The results have been very good." - Tom Glocer, CEO, Thomson Reuters "The Art of Action is a must for anyone in business who takes their leadership responsibilities seriously. Stephen Bungay draws upon his deep understanding of business strategy and military history and describes principles in his book that will have a real impact for those who adopt them. The Art of Action is the strategic handbook for today built on the insights of yesterday. This will be compulsory reading for all of my unit heads." - Eliot Forster, CEO, Solace Pharmaceuticals "All too often, strategies fail to be implemented because they do not make tough choices between priorities and therefore leave people confused. The eminently pragmatic techniques described in this book are a great way of sharpening up the thinking, the communication and the sense of accountability needed to get an organisation moving. The ideas sound simple, but they are very powerful." - Martin Bean, Vice Chancellor, The Open University "Stephen Bungay's career as CEO, management consultant and historian enable him to bring a unique clarity to leadership and the art of making strategy happen. His study of the chastened Prussian military machine analysing why it was defeated by Napoleon's peasant army is illuminated with anecdotes from his career in business. It is this blend of evidence from the military to the business environment which makes this book so useful to the modern day practitioner!" - David Roblin, Senior Vice President, Pfizer Global R&D "This is not just another book about strategy. The Art of Action does not only present a radical, counter-cultural solution to the impasse business is facing today but it is grounded in real strategic execution in a fascinating organisation. It is the 're-engineering the corporation' of the 21st century. I intend to send a copy to all my clients." - Aidan Walsh, Partner, Ernst & Young "Bungay takes a very surgical knife to some of today's sacred cows, contrasting organisational activity as opposed to action and deftly eviscerating the idea of slavish adherence to the Balanced Scorecard concept. If ever you needed a case against the idea that ticked boxes must inevita

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