The Upside of Turbulence: Seizing Opportunity in an Uncertain World
Sull (Why Good Companies Go Bad), professor at the London Business School, inveighs against the business world's terror of change and habitual response of accelerating activities that have worked in the past, a dynamic he terms active inertia. Sull demonstrates how turbulence—his term for rapid and unpredictable changes that influence a firm's ability to create value—provides opportunity for growth (his odd analogy describes how Italians originally thought tomatoes were poisonous; only when they were willing to experiment did they discover the root of their distinctive cuisine). Noting the exceptionally turbulent times we live in, Sull offers practical suggestions (and work sheets) to enhance a company's agility and ability to improvise. Our theories about the future, he reminds us, remain subject to revision or rejection in light of new knowledge that might arise in the future. All our theories will let us down; we just don't yet know how or when. With success stories from such companies as Microsoft and Carnival Cruise Lines, much of the information within is sound, but the lofty tone might make this a tough sell in an already shell-shocked marketplace.(Oct.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.