The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies: How Great Organizations Make the Most of Their Human Assets

High-performance companies don't get the extraordinary performers they need by tossing another fad management program on their people. Instead, they adhere to fundamental beliefs and operating strategies that pay off in the long run--both in higher profits and more productive employees. Now Jac Fitz-enz, the founder and president of the prestigious Saratoga Institute, identifies best practices in human asset management. Fitz-enz is the author of numerous other titles including Human Value Management and The ROI of Human Capital, both of which were SHRM "Book of the Year" winners. Based on four years of research involving more than 1,000 companies worldwide and filled with illuminating case studies, The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies documents how the best organizations practice: ? balanced value fixation ? commitment to a core strategy ? culture-system linkage ? massive two-way communication ? partnering with stakeholders ? functional collaboration ? innovation and risk ? never being satisfied. The book shows managers and executives how to shift their primary focus away from short-term process improvement (reengineering, benchmarking, quality) and toward the enduring human asset management practices that can make these efforts long-term successes.

What makes an organization great? After a four-year study of more than 1,000 companies worldwide, management consultant Jac Fitz-Enz says it is people--and the way they are developed and nurtured. In The 8 Practices of Exceptional Companies, he presents the top "human asset management" practices uncovered during his search and shows how other organizations can adopt them as their own. The result, he contends, will be higher profits along with more committed employees.