As the summer nights roll on and that hedge continues its need for a weekly trim, the unlucky soul revving up the chainsaw and balancing on a ladder can vouch for the random, hap-hazard nature in which those beasts grow. Things intertwine and stick together in ways unimaginable, some areas grow like wildfire while some just die and, no matter how much you sweep up, it’s impossible to get that driveway totally clean.
It’s a calamity that, according to leading business author Paul Williams, perfectly mimics most modern companies.
In his new book, ‘The Hedge Organisation – A story to show how people can become lost in the corporate hedge’, Williams continues the hedge analogy to demonstrate how any company can achieve world-class performance without their own random growth.
Synopsis:
This simple story illustrates how companies can get out of control, and lose focus as they grow.
Told in the form of a parable, it draws parallels between a hedge and a company – the hedge becoming out of control with intertwined branches, and the company’s efficiency and profits stifled by out of control people, processes, procedures and non value-adding activities.
It deals simply, yet profoundly, with a whole range of issues that companies need to address if they are to reach their full potential, and how inspirational leadership is the key to achieving world class standards of performance and excellence.
“I can’t think of any other business book out there that’s written in the form of a parable,” explains Williams. “My goal with every book is to break down complicated concepts and explain them through analogies anyone can understand, and this volume is no different.”
Continuing, “A company may have an advantage with its large number of personnel and resources but, if things and people are not properly organized, they can quickly become that tangled hedge that annoys us all. I show people how to unravel their business, get their branches in order and thrive.”
Initial reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. For example, one Amazon customer comments, “This story is written in an entertaining style, and imaginatively raises many key issues around inspirational leadership, behaviour and team working. It shows how people working in large organisations can easily lose focus, and is not only highly thought provoking, but is also certain to make you smile!”
Another reader adds, “This is an engaging, entertaining and thought provoking parable that – from experience – adeptly captures the essence of why many organisations become ineffective & inefficient. This is a must read if your looking for inspiration to overcome some of the challenges associated with being an employee at a large organisation.”
‘The Hedge Organisation – A story to show how people can become lost in the corporate hedge’, from Grosvenor House Publishing Limited, is available now: http://amzn.to/2aONqBw.