The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done (Harperbusiness Essentials) Paperback – January 3, 2006

There are a number of other reviews that summarize the contents of the book, so I won't attempt to do that here.The big picture knowledge that the book imparts, are really the key aspects to being effective in any line of knowledge work (which is most jobs today).These include:1) Time management2) Focusing on contributing value3) Building on strengths as opposed to shoring up weakness4) Focus on the priorities, don't let the pressures / inertia drive work output5) Effective decision-makingSome of the few negative reviews seem to think this book is outdated. While occasionally it does feel this way (when it references how much better educated Americans are than everyone else - a throwback to the 60s), the big picture information is still 100% relevant I think.While there are many books that may go into each topic specifically (such as time management or decision-making) I have not seen many other books that present as strong of a big picture snapshot of ALL of the key activities needed to be effective and how these might play together.There were also some tidbits here and there that I found to be very true.For example, the concept that a decision is not made until it has been effectively communicated to everyone in an organization that needs the information in order to carry it out and sustain it. Although this seems obvious, there are people who may be "boundary conditions" as Drucker calls it - that do not execute the decision but still need to be aware of the decision so that they are not acting against the overall objective. In my own line of work, directing my first project, this was actually something I had to consciously learn and reading this book put words to a concept I was aware of, but never could verbalize.Also the idea to create appropriate yardsticks and measure the results of decisions and hold them against the intended result is very reminiscent of six sigma practices that came up much later. Good to see that this general practice is timeless.There was a lot of key thinking - especially as related to an organization - that I haven't seen in other places, especially regarding decision making.Some people may be put off by how general Drucker keeps the topic of discussion, but I think this does serve a purpose on keeping the concepts of the book at a big picture level which is good.I do feel that the book was lacking in specific practices related to time management. This book would have received 5 stars if Drucker more clearly explained specific methods for managing time, as I think this is an especially difficult topic. Instead he shrugs this off and encourages you to figure it out for yourself. Well, I for one would have been curious as to the particular methods that some of the most effective executives that he interviewed in his consulting practice used to manage their time.One other word of warning - this is really a book for someone who has at some point worked in a somewhat large organization (i.e. at least 100 people). If you have, much of what Drucker says will immediately 'click'. If you haven't yet accumulated serious work experience, or have only worked in very small companies (10 people or less), you may not appreciate the full value of this book.A great read for anyone interested in increasing their personal and organization's effectiveness.

“Executives are not paid for doing things they like to do. They are paid for getting the right things done.”If you have read anything on leadership or management in the past few decades, you are probably already familiar with Peter Drucker. I first heard about Drucker a few years back while reading a book by a college president and over time Drucker’s name kept popping up everywhere.It was difficult to determine which book to read first. He has written dozens of books, and all of them have been universally praised. I chose The Effective Executive because it seemed to have a simple, straightforward message and it was under 200 pages. However, I was a bit weary because the book was first published in 1967.First, this book is amazing. It packed with great, applicable information. I actually think this book is more relevant today that it was when it was first written.Second, the message is amazing. The overall message is simple, “effectiveness can be learned and must be earned.” There may be some individuals better suited for leadership roles, but to be an effective manager you need to develop the skill of effectiveness.I will definitely be picking up more Drucker books in the future.Here are some gems:“Organizations are held together by information rather than by ownership or command.”“Working on the right things is what makes knowledge work effective.”“All in all, the effective executive tries to be himself.”

Trigger warning: blatant, ugly sexism and heaps of unexamined privilege.Dated: Points are made using anecdotes referring to products and companies that may not be familiar to modern readers.If you can get past the above, there's a lot of value in the ideas themselves. The last chapter, on the role of computers, is positively prescient.Some notes from early in the book (I ended up skimming much of the rest):0 – PrefaceDefining "executive" as knowledge worker in an org.Asks: "What needs to be done?" "What's best for the org?"; Thinks and says "we".Develops action plans, sticks to the top of it, then re-evaluates.Take responsibility for decisions and communicating those decisions appropriately.Name accountable participants (to do), those affected (to consult), and followers (to inform).Set a deadline.Focus on opportunities, rather than problems, even in people-management.Run effective meetings.To prepare a document: make draft before, appoint a finalizer.To announce: just announce and discuss the announcement.To report in depth: discuss nothing else.To gather all reports: timebox each report; either pre-report in writing or allow clarifications only, leaving questions to post-report in writing.To inform an executive: executive should listen, ask questions, and sum up.Aura of the executive: cannot be effective, but may yield opportunities.Always set agenda and meeting type, and always follow up in summary and next steps.1 – Effectiveness can be LearnedFor skilled/routine work, need efficiency, responsiveness. Not enough for executive."Executive" is anyone who "is responsible for a contribution that materially affects the capacity of the organization to perform and obtain results" (5)."Realities":Time belongs to everyone else, always in meetingsStrong temptation to react, to "operate", rather than envision and direct.Effective only when others use their contributions; must communicate.Org-goggles skew the realities of the outside world that the org operates in."The danger is that executives will become contemptuous of information and stimulus that cannot be reduced to computer logic … may become blind to everything that is perception (event), rather than fact (after the event). The tremendous amount of computer information [in 1967!] may thus shut out access to reality. Eventually the computer should make executives aware of their insulation and free them for more time on the outside. In the short run, however, there is a danger of acute 'computeritis'." (17)Promise: you don't have to become smarter or learn more specialties or get a different personality, just acquire the habits of effectiveness:Know where their time goes and manage it.Focus on outward contribution, rather than work to be done.Prioritize! First things first and second things not at all.Strategic decisions, not tactics; judgment based on "dissenting opinions", not "consensus on the facts".2 – Know Thy TimeDo not start with tasks and plans. Instead:Measure where your time goes. (Profiling before optimization, in cs terms)Manage it to reduce unproductive efforts.Consolidate discretionary time into larger chunks.Time is extremely scarce, inelastic (no price/marginal utility curve), perishable.Interaction necessitates human trust and contact, which takes time; Interaction is the basis for much of knowledge and executive work; Interaction is slow and very human, at the basis with sitting down with everyone, having lunch/tea, answering questions, talking about other things, asking their view of the organization, its interactions with the world, what needs to be done; .: In ever larger organizations, ever more time is needed for such interactions. One can try to isolate with "spans of control" so it's not quite quadratic, but it's still bad.Managing:Eliminate activities without impact. "What would happen if this didn't?"Delegate Shun not one's own work, but whatever doesn't *have to be* one's work.[I might add: shed responsibilities for which one does not have authority and vv.]Ask: "What do I do that wastes your time, without contributing to your effectiveness?"Pruning too much is a mistake that squeaks, and so is easily corrected.Fix "crises" that require "heroism": after the second time, it should be planned.Fix "drama" into routine "boring" by crystallizing lessons learned into practice."Interaction" as above, can waste time in overstaffed situations. Symptom: manager spends time on feuds, interpersonal problems.Excess of meetings — due to ineffective meetings? Better organize offline.Fix poor flows of information: those in charge of resources should be aware of their availability, get the tools to profile performance for each need, etc.Consolidating:Spend long enough, not too long, and during that time, focus attention ruthlessly.Example: [1.5h mtg w/o interruptions, 0.5h reactive/messages/etc.] repeat.Many try to consolidate secondary matters and leave the rest of the time for primary ones. Instead, estimate time for primaries, allocate it, stick to it, and care less about the secondary ones. Urgent/unpleasant matters should encroach on those, not on primary.Deadlines serve as indicators when time is getting away from you, that you need to better track yourself, and better prune and consolidate.