This book helped define the genre of management books told as narrative fiction. It teaches management principles while allowing the reader to see what real management looks like in practice. This particular work even introduces a love story to the mix.
This story tells the common tale of a generic manufacturing plant and a marriage in crisis. It’s in the ilk of a coming-of-age tale in which the main character Alex learns how to take the responsibility of turning around a failing plant. He gets counsel from Jonah who mentors Alex in his growth. Alex’s marriage also bounces back from separation. Alex learns how to think and how to manage. In the end, he succeeds in gaining autonomy and independence.
Books like this are a good way to learn. While they educate, they also entertain. The process of filtering through the conflicting signals allow growth to happen more naturally – more along the lines of real life instead of just memorizing a textbook. In the 1980s (when this book was written), Goldratt pioneered this technique which can now be found across many management books. He borrows this technique from the famed Socratic method of teaching.
Overall, this book succeeds in getting its point across with clarity and effectiveness. For those with business inclinations, it’s worth the time to observe how the genre of business fiction came about.
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
25th Anniversary Edition
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox
Copyright (c) 1985
ISBN13 9780884271789
Page Count: 408
Genre: Fiction, Management/Business
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