The Surprising Solution: Creating Possibility in a Swift and Severe World

by Bruce Piasecki

Book Overview

"Bruce Piasecki's underlying theme in The Surprising Solution--that business can and will lead our society into this new and better world--is right on target. In this new frontier, sustainability and innovation are inextricably linked and are the only two guarantors of long-term corporate success and profitability."-- Vance D. Bell ] Chairman and CEO, Shaw Industries Group, Inc. The world today is more swift, more severe...and has never been more...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402214502
• ISBN13: 9781402214509
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: Sourcebooks
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Practical Advice on How to Turn Today's Problems into Tomorrow's Profits

Bruce Piesecki's latest book, the Surprising Solution, should be a must read for all business managers. The book provides a useful framework to help managers understand the importance of aligning their products and services with today's, and tomorrow's, societal needs. The principles and examples of socially responsible product development which Dr. Piesecki outlines remind us of an old truth--businesses that understand their customers, the environment they are working in, and how that environment is likely to change have an unbeatable competitive advantage.

A functionally valuable book

What is most striking in Bruce Piasecki's "The Surprising Solution" is the combination of presenting the human vulnerability in the explored key topics, such as Social and Corporate Responsibility, Management Governance and Environmental Sensitivities, along with providing Essential Strategic Solutions, continuously articulated in such a manner that proves their current viability. A functionally valuable book to all involved in related businesses. George Kofinakos CEO Enolia Premium Capital Luxemburg

The Sustainable Solution: Creating Responsibility in a Swift and Severe World

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...[]...it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair..." Crises of any kind, financial or environmental, political or other, are always reminding me of Dickens. They are much like a coin with a flip side that we usually disregard. The gravity of present does not allow us to view what is going next, actually to envision sometimes what is coming next, to enable the hope. In the case of Piasecki's "Surprising Solution" seems that, surprisingly enough, we have an exception to what it seems to be a rule. Some may say: "Yes, we have another book on change, innovation and sustainability. So what?". I will not argue on any of these terms. Yes, the book is about innovation and sustainability. It is also about change. But I think that its strong point lies somewhere else. Lies on the exact definition of the crises and thus can provide exact response. Though this seems to be a common sense product, we must not forget that the management literary legacy of the last 10-20 years is abounding with books that provide vague solutions to a not at all defined problem. Piasecki seems to have a profound understanding of capitalism's crises. He defines the problem well enough to propose efficient solutions. You easily understand by reaching the end of the book that the quest of 21st century economy is not "fast growth or slow growth". The quest is "growth or crisis". But this is not going to be the kind of growth of the past. This is a conditional growth. To cut the long story short, Piasecki sees capitalism destined to respond in a socially responsible manner. This is not a "fashion", this is not another trend-of-the-decade. This is a solution deeply founded on the need of the market to respond effectively to external challenges, the need to adapt in a sustainable manner. This is an absolute necessity under today's unprecedented environmental threat. The more corporations grow bigger than governments (based on Piasecki's conclusion), the more corporate responsibility will gain significance. But of course, the so called invisible hand which regulates market matters does not exist. It is leadership that makes things happen. And thanks to the author's notion of leadership, we discover that leadership is not about being a subject matter expert. It is a matter of trust and boldness. It is about having the courage to find the surprising solution and implement it, no matter what the Gordian knot will be. We need trailblazing leaders because it's them who create possibilities is a swift and severe world. Piasecki's new effort is clearly worth reading and I honestly hope to see additional efforts towards his example.

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If you don't know what Social Response Product Development is, then this is a must read for you. The author does a great job of explaining why social responsiveness needs to be a top priority for corporations and how being socially responsible will not sacrifice the bottom line. You can visit his website at [...]