A common cartoon posted in offices depicts a group of employees laughing hysterically, asking the question, "You want it when?" Although most employees know laughing off a deadline is no way to get a promotion, they may not know the best way to go about meeting closing dates. Carrison (Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way) has gathered six powerful tales of workers meeting deadlines that may ignite even the most sluggish employees to kick their deadline-meeting skills up a notch. In a sort of adventure/business hybrid, Carrison offers stories ranging from Turner Construction's ahead-of-schedule delivery of Denver's Broncos Stadium to Boeing's incredibly quick development of the world's most technically advanced airliner, making this an unusually readable business book. The author interviewed more than 50 employees and observed on-site to present a full picture of each scenario. In each case, he explains what the deadline was and the various elements that contributed to meeting it. The chapter subheadings offer a glimpse into what the lesson is (e.g., "Don't wait for the expected conditions"; "beware of 'letdown' after a major success"), and each section ends with a useful checklist of deadline management techniques, such as "protect your own people from having to choose between priorities." Although some situations are more riveting than others—the FBI's management of a kidnapping is the most exciting by far—they all provide valuable lessons. Carrison draws parallels between some of the situations and finds common principles, which will help project managers in any situation, be it the science lab or the mailroom. (Oct.)
Forecast:This book's combination of two highly popular male subjects (business and adventure), along with a national print and radio campaign, may help it become a strong seller for niche-oriented Amacom.
