Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1987. Peters proposes 45 prescriptions for managers in a world turned upside down. Those who enjoyed In Search of Excellence and A Passion for Excellence , co-authored by Peters, will find the same topic addressed with the same direct and engaging style. However, according to the author, conditions have changed. The world of the two previous books no longer exists.
Predictability is a thing of the past.
An accelerating rate of innovation has produced a chaotic new world requiring a revolution in management if organizations are to survive. Extension workers can empathize. Peters advocates the elimination of bureaucratic rules and humiliating conditions, the support of fast failures, an obsession with listening, and the decentralization of authority and strategic planning. He advises managers to defer to the front line people, delegate whenever possible, manage by example, provide incentive pay for everyone, and evaluate everyone on his or her love of change. Otherwise, the fast-changing competitive scene will leave us behind.