The Cure

This collaborative effort bv Paul, a former strategic planner for CEO Jack Welch at General Electric, and business writer Cox (Zapp!) is described in the promotional copy as "a novel for managers," a fictional story that illustrates the business principle of the "boundaryless" company pioneered by Welch. It's a stodgy but effective effort in which an inefficient, disorganized widget-producing outfit called Essential resolves a dire companywide communication problem just in time to avoid corporate disaster. Paul and Cox's approach is to create a series of high-level managerial characters with stereotypical business personalities. The huge cast includes Rick Riggins, the authoritarian "get it done now" company president; Frank Harlan, the egotistical, turf-protecting genius engineer; and Jake Foster, a slow-but-steady operations manager new to the company. Essential is about to lose its biggest client because the company can't deliver its widgets on time. The desperate Riggins hires a wise consultant named George Tracey, who guides the company through the revitalization process, starting with candid employee interviews followed by a weekend brainstorming session and a retreat. Paul and Cox do a solid job of creating believable business problems and interpersonal conflicts, though the story is broken up by having too many employees take a turn narrating in short, choppy sections. General readers will steer clear, but the novel does offer a pleasant spoonful of literary sugar for business types who want to absorb the latest management trends. (Feb.) (Publishers Weekly, February 10, 2003) '...contains much sound advice and, apart from being a good story, is very informative and instructive...'(Professional Manager, July 2003)

DAN PAUL is CEO of General Management Technologies, a consulting practice that focuses on the alignment of clients' top-level strategies, work processes, and culture across all functions and activities of the business. Prior to founding GMT, he worked under Jack Welch at General Electric. JEFF COX is a creative writer known for weaving progressive business concepts into works of fiction. He is the author or coauthor of seven fictional business books, including such bestsellers as Zapp! and The Goal, which have sold millions of copies.

Introduction. Management Organization Roster. The Cure, a Novel for Managers. Symptoms. Diagnosis. Treatment. Cure.