Management Tools: Cycling through the concepts

Everybody wants to be the author of a popular management tool. But at the end of the day, it’s useful to realize that many have a lot in common — what makes the difference, as with any tool — is the skill of the person using it and the consistency with which you stick with it.

For some time now, I’ve enjoyed regular conversations and spirited exchanges between a group of thought leaders convened by Steve Denning and named, by him, as the “Fortnight Group.” Among them is Bain & Co’s own Darrell Rigby, who for many years was a co-author on Bain’s regular surveys on how executives use management tools. It’s fascinating to see tools come and go, which they do, a lot. Four have remained in the ranking since Bain first started collecting information on tool usage in 1993. These are Mission and Vision statements, customer satisfaction, total quality management and benchmarking. Others proved far less durable — I mean, who talks much about quality circles these days?

Everybody wants to claim center stage for their tool

Waterman and Peters’ book In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run…