The Go Point
posted in Management |
The Go Point is a book about decision-making. It is about knowing what to do and when to do it when it’s time to decide. In this book, Michael Useem, the Wiliam and Jacalyn Egan Professor of Management at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the director of its Center for Leadership and Change Management, has explained and illustrated how to make the right decisions at the right time.
The ‘Go Point’ is the moment of truth; it is the moment when you have to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; it’s the time to get off the fence. The history of mankind is full of stories where people have faced the ‘Go Points’ and their decisions have had dramatic consequences—both good and bad. Professor Useem uses a select set of historical events to demonstrate the decision making process, how the decisions were made, why some decisions were right and some were wrong. The beauty of the book is the author’s ability to transport the readers to the scene of action and make them feel part of the decision making process.
The book contains 7 chapters, a preface, an introduction, notes, references, acknowledgments, credits and an index. The preface explains why this book is written and how it was written; but most part of the preface is devoted to creating credibility for the book and contains an impressive list of decision-makers who were interviewed and another equally impressive list of organizations studied. The introduction serves as a curtain raiser for the rest of the book and introduces the readers to the art and science of decision making. Why leaders have to make decision that will have impact on other, the significance of ‘go point,’ urgent decisions, deliberative calls, learning by witnessing, importance of experience, and an introduction to the decision templates. The author has classified decision into different types and has come up with decision templates for each decision type that will help a decision-maker in making the right decision.
Urgent decisions are decisions that must be made right away. Useem covers those in the first chapter called “In the Heat of the Moment.” The second chapter—Getting into the Decision Game—addresses a common problem: how do you know when it’s time to act? You will pick up tips on when to quit gathering information and plunge ahead with a decision and when to hold off making a decision until you understand the situation better. Using the Net (Chapter 3) is about using advisers to gather both information and perspective. There is some especially insightful material on using an “outer network” of advisers to avoid group-think. The fourth chapter, Seeing Ahead, discusses issues of prediction. Useem uses decisions made at the battle of Gettysburg to show how each decision affects the possible range and importance of future decisions. The fifth chapter (Making Decisions) offers an opportunity for you to try your hand at applying the lessons presented in earlier chapters. Useem stresses the importance of making a decision and moving ahead when the time is right. This chapter is heart of the book and one of the things increases its practical value. The final two chapters deal with special situations. Chapter 6 (Transcending Personal Profit) is about ethics. The final chapter— Avoiding Unforced Errors—is about the dumb things that smart decision makers often do.
The notes section clarifies specific points in each chapter. But if these notes were on the pages where it occurred (footnotes), then it would have improved the readability. The reference section is very comprehensive and is a valuable source of information for anyone who wants to research further.
This book is a must read for all decision-makers. If you are interested in how leaders make decisions, good and bad, you must read this book. It will dramatically improve your decision-making style and will help you in making better decisions. It is also an enjoyable read.
Book Details:
- Author: Michael Useem
- Publisher: Crown Business
- Year: 2006
- ISBN: 1400082986
- Cover & Page Count: Hardcover, 198 Pages
You can order online at Amazon.