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118th out of 191 books
—
72 voters
Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
Building upon the concepts introduced in Good to Great, Jim Collins answers the most commonly asked questions raised by his readers in the social sectors. Using information gathered from interviews with over 100 social sector leaders, Jim Collins shows that his "Level 5 Leader" and other good-to-great principles can help social sector organizations make the leap to greatne...more
Paperback, 35 pages
Published
November 22nd 2005
by HarperBusiness
(first published 2001)
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Apr 19, 2008
Stacie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
non profit boards and managers
Shelves:
business-books
To quote a brilliant former colleague, "Jim Collins makes me swoon." I've read and reread this booklet 3 different times, and I pick up something new every time. Its refreshing to look at a different paradigm from someone who gets that the work of non profits is not defined by the financial statement, but by the impact of the work. This is not earth shattering or new by any means, but its a damn good reminder of why we exist and how to start to think so we can go from being mediocre non profits...more
I love this book, and I was not expecting to. Usually, when I read books about how to obtain success I roll my eyes the whole time. I mean really, really, if you learned that other people like to talk about themselves from a business-help-you-book then not only must your business need help but I would suggest picking up a self-help-book too. Yet, I was completely impressed with Good-to-Great and the Social Sectors because the author Jim Collins emphasized the importance of system outline/goal fo...more
A monograph to accompany Collins’ Good To Great (which I haven’t read). The underlying principle of this “missing chapter” is that we don't need to impose the language of business on the social sector, but develop a language of greatness. He does this by focusing on five issues that he used in the book and tweaking them for a different mission and context.
The first is Defining Great (How do we calibrate success without business metrics?). Instead of money being an output, as it is in the busines...more
The first is Defining Great (How do we calibrate success without business metrics?). Instead of money being an output, as it is in the busines...more
Extensive quotes from the book:
Five questions which form the framework of this piece:
1. Defining "Great"--Getting Thing Done without Business Metrics
2. Level 5 Leadership--Getting Things Done within a Diffuse Power Structure
3. First Who--Getting the Right People on the Bus within Social Sector Constraints
4. The Hedgehog Concept--Rethinking the Economic Engine without a Profit Motive
5. Turning the Flywheel--Building Momentum by Building the Brand
pg. 3
A great organization is one that delivers supe...more
Five questions which form the framework of this piece:
1. Defining "Great"--Getting Thing Done without Business Metrics
2. Level 5 Leadership--Getting Things Done within a Diffuse Power Structure
3. First Who--Getting the Right People on the Bus within Social Sector Constraints
4. The Hedgehog Concept--Rethinking the Economic Engine without a Profit Motive
5. Turning the Flywheel--Building Momentum by Building the Brand
pg. 3
A great organization is one that delivers supe...more
Be prepared to shake up your thinking! Defining your hedgehogs, priming the flywheel, and getting the right people on the bus are only part of the success equation for great companies and great social organizations.
In this monograph Collins spells out how to go for greatness by focusing on outcomes not inputs and helps clarify the challenge of defining non-monetary outcomes. What does it mean to empower middle-school girls? how do you know you've succeeded at being a world-class orchestra?
The i...more
In this monograph Collins spells out how to go for greatness by focusing on outcomes not inputs and helps clarify the challenge of defining non-monetary outcomes. What does it mean to empower middle-school girls? how do you know you've succeeded at being a world-class orchestra?
The i...more
Mar 12, 2011
Charlotte Osborn-bensaada
added it
A very slim monograph to be read in conjunction to Collin's main book. It expands your understanding of the flywheel within the social sector by expanding several ideas, executive leadership versus legislative leadership and the the economic circle within a BHAG. Primarily it builds on the idea that input are not just money, but volunteers and brand. The brand issue is an interesting one because he points to the idea that you need to be the only or nearly the only source of that benefit within a...more
I don't even know if you can call this supplement to Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...And Others Don't a "book"-- it's more of an extended pamphlet or stand-alone external appendix. Either way, Collins packs a lot into a mere thirtyfive pages, creating a really useful tool in helping to translate and apply the principles in the original book from a corporate context into the social sector of non-profit organizations.
I read this book because I hoped to learn what it takes to move an organization from being a "good" organization to a "great" organization. Jim Collins focuses on businesses, but I think many of his ideas are applicable to the world of education. Ideas such as level 5 leadership, getting the right people on the bus and the right people off the bus easily translate to schools. But the challenge for me is that I'm in a position of limited influence of my school. I'm not the principal driving the b...more
This book builds on the principles from Good to Great by focusing on five issues that distinguish company in "social sectors" from for-profit companies. I thought the concepts here (calibrating metrics, understanding a diffuse power structure, personnel constraints, redefining resources beyond money, and brand recognition) were relevant and insightful--though I would have liked to see some more exposition on the concepts with specific examples. This book though is valuable and I plan to reread G...more
This was a fabulous little monograph that explains the "Good to Great" principles applied in the social sectors. "Our work is not fundamentally about business; it is about what separates great from good." We need to define "great" and measure it and collect evidence in some way, have good leadership and get things done in a diffuse power structure, get the right people on the bus, rethink the economic engine, and build momentum for the brand. A part of this is considering:
1. What are you deeply...more
1. What are you deeply...more
A lot has happened since the book was written in 2001. While the theory of what makes a good company may be valid, it's interesting to see what has happened to some of the "great" companies since then. With the hindsight of the financial meltdown, it's especially fun to see all the praise for the "financial innovations" put forth by Fannie Mae. There's a company that really turned out to be great! On the other hand, Wells Fargo, also touted in the book, did do better than most through the crisis
Not entirely surprising based on Collins' background, this book is fairly business-oriented in language, theories and concepts. That being said, I appreciate Collins' desire to research the social sector and explore how the social sector is unique from business (duh) and how organizations can strive "from good to great." This monograph does use some excellent concrete examples of various nonprofits which would even make for very interesting case studies if written more in-depth about them.
Helpful to read about the "Good to Great" framework in terms of the social sector. Helped me understand more about what success looks like, and that greatness isn't just about making $ (of course!).
Quotes that resonated:
Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice & discipline.
You'll never fix the system; be great now.
Top level (best) leaders are ambitious 1st & foremost for the mission.
Leadership equals personal humility combined w/ professional will.
Quotes that resonated:
Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice & discipline.
You'll never fix the system; be great now.
Top level (best) leaders are ambitious 1st & foremost for the mission.
Leadership equals personal humility combined w/ professional will.
Collins wrote this outstanding monograph as an addendum to his book, "Good to Great" helping organizations that work in the social sectors translate and apply the principles he previously highlighted. He acknowledges the importance of language and how meaning can sometimes get lost or confused when trying to take something from a commercial context and applying to a not-for-profit situation.
A must read for anyone who works in the NFP sector or church-based ministry context.
A must read for anyone who works in the NFP sector or church-based ministry context.
I should note that I haven't read Good to Great, so I was lost on some of the more concepts introduced in the original volume. I heard of a lot of "discipline" , "hedgehog model" , and "bus", but didn't understand it well. I have to go back and read Good to Great maybe. That said, the parts in normal English, the insights Collins had on the social sector, was worth noting and filing away. The real-life examples were inspiring as well.
Insightful and very interesting! In this monograph he provides a framework for the social sector to use in achieving greatness. I love how he breaks down why being great has nothing to do with being more like a business because greatness isn't a business concept (otherwise all businesses would be great, which they are not).
I haven't read "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" but I will definitely pick it up now.
I haven't read "Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" but I will definitely pick it up now.
After reading Good to Great, I thought, along with many of my colleagues, "But how do we define our economic engine as a non-profit?" Collins adjusts his original material making it more helpful for those of us in the non-profit sector. I appreciate the effort. His insights are always clever and substantiated by research, but it's really Collins' sheer passion for good things becoming great that fuels his work.
This "monograph' hardly qualifies as a book - its a mere 42 pages. It is imperative that the reader read Good to Great first, because this just applies some of the ideas from the first book to the social service sector. Collins makes good points and distinctions between good organizations and great ones, as well as the similarities and differences between social service organizations and business.
A great book for any nonprofit or public sector employees. Collins talks about how to identify the right people for your organization, recruiting them and getting them in the right place "on the bus". He discusses hard truths about hiring and firing in the public and nonprofit sector that must be followed in order to make your organization as good as it can be.
I read Good to Great last year - this companion piece is like an extra chapter for that book, specifically focusing on nonprofits/social sector. It should hardly count as a separate book, as it isn't very good as a stand alone. My favorite quote: "What can you do today to create a pocket of greatness, despite the brutal facts of your environment?"
What is in essence a "bonus chapter" of Collin's first book it applies the framework of "Good to Great" to non-profits and other organziations whose primary function is not necessarily to increase profitability. It's a good addition to the book for those working in the public sector, but really needs to be read after you read the original.
I wish there was more in this book. It is an addition to Good to Great and I appreciate the author's comments about not just adding it to the book and making people buy the new one but I think this could have had more examples. I hope the author is planning something bigger in the future just for Social Sectors.
Although I'm as green as green can be when it comes to business, I really enjoyed Collins' application of characteristics of great businesses to the social sectors. It was inspiring as well as empowering, and I feel really broadened my horizons as to the basics of how to succeed in the "real world".
30 some pages of pure brilliance and the real secrets, simple as they are, to success. Paraphrasing Jim -- It's not a difference between private business or social / public organizations and their leadership styles but a difference between good business / social sectors and GREAT business / social sectors
Jul 22, 2012
Phil Muthersbaugh
added it
Jim Collins has teased out some important differences between a typical corporate model and the non-profit organization. Because of these unique differences, non-profits must be grown using a modified model based on his solid work in "Good to Great." Excellent, short but important read for non-profits.
I really liked this book because it talks about what makes a company Great as opposed to good. It uses concepts in the private sector that translate to the social sector. "Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and disciple."
First off, kudos to me for finally finishing a book (never mind the fact that this particular book is only 35 pages long, including lots of charts and graphs). Regardless, there were several nuggets of wisdom that I will likely reference and use in the near and distant future.
A compliment to Good to Great for non-profits and social organizations. This is not a replacement but rather a supliment for Good to Great. Read that first to understand the concepts and then read how Collins applies them to social sectors.
good addition of greatness lessons for social sector. especially useful is the reinterpretation and adaptation of hedgehog concept and matrix of economic engines.
definetely that would be better to have more examples in the monograph.
definetely that would be better to have more examples in the monograph.
A fascinating book for anyone working is the social sectors, including education and non-profit organizations. I learned a lot about ways to lead more effectively in their type of organizations and would highly recommend this book.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| good reminder for public servants | 1 | 8 | Dec 28, 2008 07:59am |
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“If we only have great companies, we will merely have a prosperous society, not a great one. Economic growth and power are the means, not the definition, of a great nation.”
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Feb 13, 2013 01:51pm