Joel P. Henning
The Future of Staff Groups
Daring to Distribute Power and Capacity
Berrett-Koehler, 1997
What's inside?
If your job does not directly add to customer value, you should be afraid. Very afraid.
Recommendation
Joel P. Henning’s diagnosis of the growing irrelevancy of business staff groups is right on the money. Simply put, staff members have for too long cozied up to management, ignoring the critical line units that they are supposed to serve. As a result, it’s the staff gets laid off first when times get tough. Likewise, Henning’s prescriptions for revamping staff groups into effective support units merit careful study. Although sections of this book are thin in substance, getAbstract.com recommends this insightful analysis of corporate structure to all business leaders.
Summary
About the Author
Joel P. Henning has a doctorate in the areas of learning theory and the philosophy of education. He is a partner in the consulting firm, Designed Learning. For more than 30 years he has been consulting on long-change efforts. He has worked with staff groups at many companies including Ford Motor Co., Levi Strauss, Met Life, Knight Ridder and Johnson & Johnson.
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