Why did you write the book?
As business Professors at the University of Waikato Management School in New Zealand, our life-long fascination has been with organisational performance which can be sustained over long periods of time. If we judge organisations in terms of winning every game, race, tournament or contract, we are bound for life-long disappointment. This simple definition drove us to begin a more rigorous search for an elite theory of organising that might stand a reasonable test of time.
What is the book about?
How to organise for sustained peak performance. We centrally address the problem of measuring organisational success - what is performance. Sustained contention is elusive and in our analysis of the world’s major sporting codes there are precious few who stand up to rigorous examination.
Which organisations did you research?
The organisations in the PPO study are, the NZRFU, Team New Zealand, Australian Cricket Board, Women’s Hockey Australian, Netball Australia, Bayern Munich, Williams Formula 1, The Atlanta Braves, The Chicago Bulls and the San Francisco 49ers. We recognise that our choices are contentious.
So what did you find?
Across different countries, sports codes and cultures we found organising principles which resonated powerfully and consistently. Our theory of peak performance is based on how organisations establish what we call a peak purpose, develop peak practices which enable them to experience peak flow. So these are the three principles which underpin PPO theory. The results of our study explain the generic peak performing organisation (PPO) principles established from the organisational practices we witnessed.
Peak Purpose - provides meaning, direction and clarity for the organisation
Peak Practices - create the organizational context for peak performance
Peak Flow - is a state of mind which leads to continuously surpassing organizational best in the endless pursuit of the greatest imaginable challenge
The book also illustrates PPO theory using Procter & Gamble as an exemplar. Finally, we describe to be become a PPO. We call this PPO progression.
How is this book different from other management guru books?
It’s a story-telling approach which can be read by everyone. The stories are rich illustrations which make for interesting and exciting reading. We have constructed elite theory from research data. And we explain how to go about implementing your own peak performing organization. We have little in common with those who view short-term results as evidence of corporate malaise.
Why did you study sports teams?
We turned to the sports arena in the hope of finding examples of sustained championship contention. Although sport in general remains an important passive pastime for many, it rarely stands out as example for business excellence. We reject current management research which has served up a mixed diet of command and control military metaphors (strategy being the most obvious example) and lessons drawn from an incoherent array of manufacturing, service and new technology-type organisations. By studying the very best sporting organisations we aimed to construct what we call elite theory of organising.
Who are the authors?
The book has four authors
all of whom are associated with the University of Waikato Management
School in Hamilton, New Zealand. They are: Clive Gilson [Professor of
Human Resource Managament] Mike Pratt [Dean], Kevin Roberts [Senior
Fellow] and Ed Weymes [Associate Dean of Executive Education].
Where is the book being sold?
The book is being sold globally. Launches are taking place in:
- Frankfurt, Germany - 23 February 2000
- London, UK - 25 February 2000
- Oxford - 28 February 2000 (World Premiere of Williams F1 film)
- Auckland, New Zealand - 13 March 2000
- Sydney, Australia - 15 March 2000
- Melbourne - 16 March 2000 (World Premiere of Australian Cricket Board film)
A North American edition is currently under negotiation.
Are there any other aspects to the PPO project?
Yes:
- There are two films of the book which illustrate PPOs in action. These feature WilliamsF1 and the Australian Cricket Board. They have
been made as corporate training videos. Executive Producer is the Kel Geddes Management Corporation.
- Kevin Roberts is implementing PPO theory throughout Saatchi & Saatchi, starting with selected offices and eventually extending the
experience to the worldwide network. PPO is a key thinking and language framework for Saatchi & Saatchi as it evolves from being an
advertising agency to a fully fledged ideas company.
Evidence of PPO's effectiveness within Saatchi & Saatchi can be seen in their recent naming by Ad Age as "international new business
champion", capturing a total of US$836m new billings in 1999. This is the first time Saatchi & Saatchi has taken the number one spot in
the Ad Age report, which tracks global and regional account moves for a specified brand or product. Saatchi & Saatchi were 40%
ahead of the next agency in the survey.
The agency was named in 1999 as Top Creative Network in Asia and Agency of the Year in Brazil, Mexico, China, Australia and New
Zealand.
In 1998 Kevin Roberts was named "Outstanding Advertising Agency Executive of the Year" by Frohlinger's Marketing Report in the
USA.
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