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"THREE PRINCIPLES SHOULD INFORM YOUR THINKING: MOVEMENT, BALANCE, LEVERAGE." —Judo Strategy right answers, you'll be surprised by some of the models offered in Tom DeMarco's Slack: Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency (Broadway Books, hardcover, 226 pages, $23). His primary premise is that com- panies that are 100 percent effi- cient—that is, companies whose employees are busy every minute of the day, and even into the day's over- time—are at risk of self-destruction. They have no flexibility, so they can- not respond to change, and they can- not reinvent themselves when neces- sary. Since he also argues that change is essential for growth and survival, it's clear he believes that these com- panies are in trouble. To some extent, the book reads like the treatise every disgruntled employee hopes his boss will some- day see. DeMarco rails against per- sonnel cuts, the elimination of sup- port staff, and codified processes and standards. His simple "rules of bad management" will make almost any reader laugh in recognition. And his descriptions of poor management decisions and working within a "cul- ture of fear" will sound familiar to anyone with any real-world work experience. Yet there's more here than a list of how company man- agers make mistakes. The book also sug- gests ways to set real- istic schedules, man- age risk, and create the right environment for learning. DeMarco also makes a point of distributing the blame. In one inter- esting chapter, he notes the popularity of the "Dilbert" cartoon, but points out that Dilbert himself is somewhat at fault for what goes wrong in his company because he, too, has the power to effect change. It's an intriguing viewpoint and one that, like many of the others in this book, will make the reader pause, think— and perhaps change. Corporate Judo Everyone wants to beat the big guys, but few people really know how. That's where Judo Strategy comes in. Subtitled "Turning Your Competitors' Strength to Your Advantage," the book shows how it's done. Authors David B. Yoffie and Mary Kwak explain that "three principles should inform your thinking: move- ment, balance, leverage." Naturally, they relate these theo- ries to the judo strategy of mar- tial arts, where a small, fast fighter can bring down a strong opponent; but it is in the dissec- tion of powerful corporate giants and their strategic weaknesses that the book really shines. Each of the principles of move- ment, balance, and leverage is bro- ken down into under- standable and some- times humorous com- ponents. For instance, movement also trans- lates into "don't invite attack." The authors routinely refer to this as "the puppy dog ploy"—i.e., making yourself seem so harm- less and friendly that your rivals don't feel the need to swat you down. In explaining how to "define the competitive space," another compo- nent of movement, the authors quote former Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale: "In the fight between the bear and the alligator, the outcome is determined by the terrain." The book is filled with example after example of upstart companies that sized up fearsome rivals, turned their strengths into weaknesses, and successfully brought a new product to market. Longer chapters in the second half of the book examine the strategies of judo masters at three different companies: Jeff Hawkins and Donna Dubinksy of Palm Com - puting; Rob Glaser of RealNetworks; and Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie of CNET Networks. Lest upstarts get too uppi- ty, the authors also include a chapter on "How to Beat a Judo Master" with his own techniques. "When your competitor grips you, get a bet- ter grip; when your competitor finds a source of leverage, look for lever- age of your own," they advise. It's a fun read, but it's also instructive. The case studies alone would make the book useful, as com- panies from Ireland's Ryanair to online retailer eToys are put under the microscope. The underlying judo metaphor just helps the reader make sense of all the complicated maneu- vering that leads to success or failure on the corporate battlefield. (Harvard Business Press, hardcover, 239 pages, $29.95) ■ z BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002 59