Heads Up: How to Anticipate Business Surprises and Seize Opportunities First

(Hardback)

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Managers have a wealth of information at their fingertips today - yet managers and their companies consistently make bad decisions about everything from new product launches to earnings projections. While most executives blame the uncertainty of a volatile business environment for disasters big and small - Kenneth W. McGee argues that even the worst business surprises rarely happen without warning. In fact, his research revealed that just a few vital pieces of information can make all the difference in whether an event spells disaster, or opportunity - if a manager knows which ones to focus on. Based on exclusive research into recent business catastrophes - and drawing parallels to a range of nonbusiness disasters from 9/11 to the Challenger disaster - Heads Up outlines a four-step approach managers can use to identify which pieces of information merit real-time delivery, and as importantly, which do not. McGee then provides a practical methodology - real time opportunity detection - for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to that critical information in time to ward off negative surprises and jump on potential opportunities ahead of competitors. Driving uncertainty out of the decision-making process, Heads Up will help managers make truly informed, real-time decisions that improve productivity, performance, and profitability.

Author Bio

Kenneth W. McGee is a group vice president and Research Fellow in Gartner Research, where he serves as the director of research in the business management and e-business sector.