The Breakthrough Strategy: Using Short-Term Successes to Build the High Performance Organization

In sharp contrast to those who criticize today's businesses for sacrificing long-term planning to short-term profits, Schaffer, who heads his own management-consultancy firm, contends that companies may improve productivity through short-term, ``breakthrough'' projects. He demonstrates how top cor porations can call upon hidden reserves and untapped or misused capacities to achieve limited but almost miraculously rapid results in pursuing carefully selected short-term goals. Adopting a how-to approach, he gives detailed examples of the innovative strategies used in these projects, often inspired by emergencies or introduced by staff specialists. These projects, he says, frequently serve as first steps toward long-term gains and corporate progress, given the confidence, skills, management disciplines and momentum developed over the short run. Illustrations. (Nov.)