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TO CONFIRM my inkling that management gurus may often be in their own imaginary lands, I have to go no further than the blurb of Confronting Reality, a new book by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan, from Crown Business (www.CrownBusiness.com). It claims this as "the first book that shows how to connect the big picture of the new era of business with the nitty-gritty of what to do about it." If you're already trying to suppress your laughter, I can add to your difficulty: "A completely new way... a breakthrough that will become the management innovation of this decade." Wait: "You'll know sooner than later whether your fundamental business premise is under assault... what you should change and what you should leave alone." To know sooner than later if my fears are justified, I decide not to leave Larry and Ram alone, and so flip the pages to confront reality, for it is about `doing what matters to get things right'.

The intro is a thorough ramble with generalisations and platitudes strewn all over. Such as: "People don't fully understand the game they're playing because they don't look at it hard enough... The fact remains that any good times from now on won't look like the good times of years past... Plenty of savvy businesspeople around the world are willing to try something different."

Well, I am willing to try something different; and so, let me move on to `why' in part 1. `First Law of Holes' is that you stop digging when you're in one, and don't violate this. If it looks like a law that needs a bit of digging to understand, the authors clarity that it is unrealistic to redouble your current efforts and simply do what you know best when the game has changed and realities are different.

If you think you're facing reality that bites, Larry and Ram can chide you for imagining things. You may be suffering from six bad habits, namely, info is filtered, hearing is selective, thinking tends to be wishful, fear prevails, you've over-invested in emotion, and there are unrealistic expectations of capital markets. Don't be despondent, however, because you're not alone. "Avoiding reality is a basic and ubiquitous human tendency." You can be different, and be a leader; else "look for other work."

Before thinking of a job change, find out `why the world is changing'. Three structural changes are happening: Business activity is integrated more, capacity is excessive, and it's now a buyer's market. If these changes are crippling your industry, it is `structurally defective', as for example, auto, airlines, telecom and so on. "Companies in these industries are chronically unable to earn enough to be economically successful, no matter how brilliant their strategies may be or how meticulously they execute."

I know you're already nodding in agreement, which means we have to redefine the `basics of management', and also stage a coup in the company to anoint `a new breed of no-nonsense leader' called `the complete businessperson' in the throne. Previously, it was enough to have `communication skills, forcefulness, and the ability to motivate', but the new chap requires "business savvy and an unquenchable thirst to know, including the willingness to seek out diverse viewpoints and unorthodox ideas." Most important, this new crop would have mastered the `business model' that the book describes in part II.

The `model' has `external realities', such as business environment and customer base, `internal activities', like people and operations, and `financial targets', such as cash flow and ROI. Below these is `iteration' to produce `tested, actionable models'. The same diagram haunts the pages, irritatingly iterating, apparently to fill up pages.

"It takes good judgment and intellectual honesty to bring these iterations to a realistic conclusion," announce the authors. "It also takes emotional tenacity." Tenaciously, therefore, I make a sentimental dash to take head on the conclusion: "A mentor or coach can be very helpful in providing candid appraisals."

So, here's my candid advice: Be real rather than confronting reality!

ManageMentor@TheHindu.co.in

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