Turning Goals into Results (Harvard Business Review Classics): The Power of Catalytic Mechanisms

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Most executives have a big, hairy, audacious goal. They write vision statements, formalize procedures, and develop complicated incentive programsall in pursuit of that goal. In other words, with the best of intentions, they install layers of stultifying bureaucracy.

But it doesn't have to be that way. In this book, Jim Collins introduces the catalytic mechanism, a simple yet powerful managerial tool that helps translate lofty aspirations into concrete reality. Catalytic mechanisms, the crucial link between objectives and performance, are a galvanizing, nonbureaucractic means to turn one into the other. What's the difference between catalytic mechanisms and most traditional managerial controls Catalytic mechanisms share five characteristics: (1) they produce desired results in unpredictable ways; (2) they distribute power for the benefit of the overall system, often to the discomfort of those who traditionally hold power; (3) catalytic mechanisms have teeth; (4) they eject "viruses"those people who don't share the company's core values; and (5) they produce an ongoing effect.

To illustrate how catalytic mechanisms work, the author draws on examples of individuals and organizations that have relied on such mechanisms to achieve their goals. The same catalytic mechanism that works in one organization, however, won't necessarily work in another. Catalytic mechanisms must be tailored to specific goals and situations. To help readers get started, Collins offers some general principles that support the process of building catalytic mechanisms effectively.

Author Bio

Jim Collins is the bestselling author of "Building Your Company's Vision" (Harvard Business Review article, September--October 1996) and is author or coauthor of six books that have sold in total more than ten million copies worldwide, including the bestsellers Good to Great, Built to Last, and How the Mighty Fall. Jim began his research and teaching career on the faculty at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992. He now operates a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, where he conducts research, teaches, and consults with executives from the corporate and social sectors. Author social media/website info: jimcollins.com