Bookshelf: Execution Revolution: Solving the One Business Problem that Makes Solving All Other Problems Easier

April 15, 2008

By Gary Harpst, Six Disciplines Corp., 2008, 208 pages, price $22.95

It's no secret that great manufacturing ideas alone do not lead to success. According to the Small Business Administration, more than 50% of new businesses fail within the first five years illustrating that execution is everything.

What's needed, says author Gary Harpst, is not only the discipline to learn how to develop a good plan, but more importantly the proper use of technology in execution. He explains that while it is a standard practice to use technology to plan and measure end results, many small and midsized businesses have yet to realize the value of using available technology to track, measure and manage the execution of the plan. Harpst details simple processes to bring a plan from ideation to completion to keep your project or your business from falling victim to poor execution.

Written for CEOs, managers and business professionals, the book offers a peek into the author's own entrepreneurial mind. Having founded and sold a software company that became a part of Microsoft, he has lived the lessons of his book -- deciding what to do and determining how to get it done. Currently as founder and CEO of Six Disciplines LLC, he offers execution-focused programs to small and midsized companies. He also leads Plumbline Solutions Inc., an engineering services company.

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