Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People

by Charles A. O'Reilly, Jeffrey Pfeffer

Discover how the best companies win not by acquiring the right people - but by building the right organization. The 'war for talent' is one battle every company believes it should be waging. But while competitors are busy chasing after the same 'hot' individuals, smart companies are doing something infinitely more useful and far more difficult to copy - they're building organizations that make it possible for ordinary people at every desk and cubicle in their companies to perform as if they were stars. Blowing up the prevailing wisdom that companies must chase and acquire top talent in order to remain successful, "Hidden Value" argues instead that the source of sustained competitive advantage already exists within every organization. O'Reilly and Pfeffer, leading experts on organizational behavior and human resources, argue that how a firm creates and uses talent is far more important than how the firm attracts talent. The authors provide vivid, detailed case studies of several organizations in widely disparate industries - including Southwest Airlines, Cisco Systems, The Men's Wearhouse, and NUMMI - to illustrate how long-term success comes from value-driven, interrelated systems that align good people management with corporate strategy. In a refreshing break from management tomes that force-feed superficial frameworks and trite 'rules', the authors instead allow the company stories to take center stage. They guide readers in discovering for themselves how seven different firms maximize talent, why one firm hasn't fully released the hidden value in its work force, and, most importantly, how the winning companies have made it tough for competitors to imitate them. Collectively, the stories reveal a common path to success that places values before strategy, emphasizes implementation over planning, and focuses on getting the best out of all employees, not just individual stars. The authors also explore concerns or questions managers might have about how each company's experience parallels or conflicts with their own. Providing a rare opportunity for managers to actively participate in an invaluable learning process, "Hidden Value" offers a customizable template for building high-performance, people-centered organizations.

Genres: Business, Management, Leadership, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published July 27, 2000

About the author

Charles O’Reilly’s is an American professor, author, and business consultant. Charles' research includes studies of organizational culture, the management of human resources, and the impact of change and innovation on firms. His current research includes studies of leadership, organizational culture, the impact of senior management on innovation and change, and the management of human resources.

Charles is a much sought after adviser and speaker to major corporations. He is the co-founder of Change Logic (changelogic.com), a strategic innovation advisory firm focused on helping CEOs and senior teams lead disruption in their industries by ideating, incubating, and scaling new businesses inside existing organizations.

Charles is the author, with Mike Tushman, of Lead and Disrupt: How to Solve the Innovator’s Dilemma, published by Stanford University Press in 2016 (2nd edition to be published September 7, 2021). His previous books include Winning Through Innovation: A Practical Guide to Leading Organizational Change and Renewal with Mike Tushman (Harvard Business School Press, 2000) and Hidden Value: How Great Companies Achieve Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People with J. Pfeffer (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). He is the author of many articles, including award within papers, such as Three Disciplines of Innovation in the California Management Review, named Best Article 2020.

Charles O’Reilly is the Frank E. Buck Professor of Management and Hank McKinnell – Pfizer Inc. Director of the Center for Leadership Development and Research at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title has an unfortunate name because it is a hidden gem. I hadn't heard of the book until I had the great fortune of meeting one of the authors, Charles O"Reilly. It deserves much wider recognition for prescient insights on how vital HR systems and cultures are, and how to run them better.

[Tony Canas]

Got me started on a huge business book binge that's still going 8 years later.

[Marby · Rating 1 out of 5]

best thing about this book was that the previous owner left ¥2000 in chapter 10

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book details companies whose values are a strategic part of business. They live their values, whether it be allowing employees to grow by taking risks, allowing a normal home-life through a 35-hour workweek or fostering an environment where the team supports each others' growth (no superstars). The last company profiled hasn't reached their goal by the 2000 print date of the book, and the reader is encouraged to evaluate reasons companies succeed.

This is a ten-year old book, and very easily read. For someone who wants to take a break from technical reading, but still keep their mind on how to create a sane working environment, it's a decent read. I would rate this 2 1/2 stars if I could. I expected more from the authors, who may have farmed out the writing of the book.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

It boils down to a few good lessons--your people are your business, they have "hidden value" that can be tapped to achieve incredible results, you can discover, build, and execute your business practices to find this value, and all of the "soft" practices yield measurable, significant business gains.

[Andrzej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and easy to read. Some redundancy, but acceptable for me. After 17 years still valid and still unbelievably not applied. But... actually, the difficulty with following those companies is the major theme of this book. Usually "following" becomes hasty "imitating" and cannot work. Real following would take years of perseverance.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why are companies successful by not chasing the same "hot" talent? The challenge facing businesses today is recruiting and retaining their human capital. Money alone is a hygiene factor. Organizations are better served by creating an environment where ordinary people lead to success.

[Marc]

See article: http://venturehacks.com/articles/ordi...