Isn’t ‘soul’ what companies capture in their ‘values statement’? Alas, often times, such statements don’t truly reflect the organisation’s values, rues Binder. “Some are written by the CEO, and others are concocted by the public relations or human resource department… It’s either a wish list of what the company aspires to be or a PR tool for impressing customers, suppliers, and investors.”

Interestingly, it was only when Amgen was approaching its fifteenth anniversary that it began the exercise of putting into words the qualities that made it special. For years, people had contended that much of Amgen’s success could be attributed to its culture, the author reminisces. “Because a company’s culture emerges from its values, we interviewed hundreds of staff members in all areas of Amgen to learn which values they believed constituted the core of that culture.” The first of the eight values that Amgen distilled in the process reads, ‘Be science based.’ Our success depends on superior scientific innovation, integrity, and continuous improvement in all aspects of our business through the application of the scientific method, it explains. “We see the scientific method as a multi-step process that includes designing the right experiment, collecting and analysing data, and rational decision making.”

Binder speaks at length on the scientific method in a chapter titled ‘The business of science meets the science of business.’ Designing an experiment to help resolve a business problem is simple, at least compared with structuring a clinical trial for testing a new drug’s safety and effectiveness, he notes, before listing three steps that should help. The first step is to define the question you hope to answer. For, “That’s what an experiment is: the creation of a controlled environment in which to evaluate a hypothesis.” Next, determine the particulars of conducting the experiment. The trickiest part of designing any study is to minimise factors that could cloud the issue, the author cautions. And step three is to determine how you will measure the results; for example, a simple survey rating the sales staff’s satisfaction can be ‘on a scale of 1 to 5.’

After you’ve compiled and analysed the evidence, heed what it tells you, advises Binder in a section named ‘listen to your data’. That might be difficult, he empathises, if you consider yourself an intuitive business executive who prefers to go with your gut. “Maybe all this reliance on data for making decisions sounds duller than sitting next to boss at the annual managers’ weekend retreat. Maybe you think it would stunt creativity and the open exchange of ideas.”

On the contrary, scientific approach fosters free thinking, he avers. “When you allow the results of a quality study to guide decision making, it depersonalises the issue, taking it out of the realm of ‘good idea,’ ‘bad idea,’ and, most poisonously, ‘his idea’ or ‘her idea.’”

When ideas become too closely associated with individuals, people start digging in their heels, rues Binder. “In reality, they’re no longer defending their idea; they’re defending themselves and perhaps defending or attacking others.”

Using the scientific method makes it easier to decouple what’s best for the organisation from what’s best for the individual.

Valuable lessons.

Software tools that assist in the analysis of qualitative data are now available, but marketing researchers must decide if it is worth the money to purchase such software, advises Bonita Kolb in Marketing Research ( www.sagepublications.com). If a research process has only involved one or two focus groups or interviews, the time saved in using software may not justify its cost and the time it will take for researchers to learn to use it, she reasons. “In this case, researchers may decide to rely on hand coding and analysis.”

On the contrary, if researchers conduct qualitative research on an ongoing basis or have a large qualitative research study planned, then it may be worth their while to purchase and use coding software, suggests Kolb. She hastens to add that, though software packages can save researchers the tedium of coding, it is necessary to appreciate that they do not replace the analytical process of determining the concepts and analysis of the concepts and categories that result in recommendations.

A ‘practical’ approach, as the subtitle states.

One of the hardest skills to develop as a project manager is the Zen-like quality that magically transforms disasters into opportunities, says Elizabeth Harrin in Project Management in the Real World ( www.vivagroupindia.com). “Staying calm in the face of a crisis doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but panic is not a good look for a leader,” she explains. “In your project-management career, there will be times when you make mistakes. Whether you lose £50,000 in the workings of a spreadsheet or double-book a training room, the crucial aspect is how you handle it.” If it has to be solved instantly, apply some creative thinking, counsels Harrin.

“Stay calm and professional and, if you think it would help, admit your error. Then get on and put it right with the minimum fuss possible.” If you handle the crisis smoothly, what will be remembered later will be your level-headedness, rather than the predicament per se. When the crisis is not an instant one, you have a longer time to handle it. You might be able to get away with never admitting the mistake at all if it can be corrected quickly, the author proposes. “If you plan to own up, make sure you have all the facts and, if possible, an action plan to get things back on track.”

Relevant takeaways for projects, big and small.

The sad truth is that almost as soon as there were networks, there was a need to secure them, bemoan Jim Doherty, Neil Anderson, and Paul Della Maggiora in Cisco Networking Simplified, second edition ( www.ciscopress.com). “It would be great if firewalls addressed all our security concerns, but the aggressive nature and sophistication of some network attacks require more sophisticated protection methods.”

To those who wonder if it is necessary to care about network security, the authors’ answer is that, as a valuable corporate asset, the network must be protected. “Estimates of costs of true hacking/security breaches are difficult to come by because of the many instances in which losses are not reported. In many cases, data theft is never even detected.”

The most troubling trend, according to the book, is the entry of organised crime into the market, displacing poorly funded and unorganised lone hackers. “This new breed is well funded, has highly skilled IT departments of their own, and can execute highly sophisticated attacks that take place over months or even years.”

Vital addition to the professionals’ shelf.

Tailpiece

“The hacker left telltale signs…”

“His visiting card? Or a voice mail?”

“No, the muddy footprints led us to the cabin of the accounts clerk, who later confessed to the crime!”

dmurali@thehindu.co.in

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