No Magic Bullet

Preface

In doing consulting work for several decades, I've had the opportunity to work with a wide range of diverse clients and the good fortune to cross paths with many people smarter than I. This has given me the chance to learn valuable lessons—from both smart practitioners and wise clients.

This book is my effort to share some of the lessons I've learned, but mostly the wisdom I've experienced in working with executives and consultants in the field of performance improvement. And just as many individuals and organizations have provided powerful lessons through their mistakes and ineptitude. Nor have I been immune to missteps—I've had to learn some lessons the hard way. A big chunk of the information in these pages is about errors. That's ...