In Search of Excellence to Reinventing Government to Managing in the 21st Century
This month I introduce you to two classic management books that still have relevance to today's public and nonprofit managers. The best companies put customer service in the forefront according to Peters and Waterman. The way to be the best public service is to provide customer service according to Osborne and Gaebler.
Unfortunately, there is no comparable classic for the nonprofit sector. Certainly, providing excellent service will make you a stand-out. In Search for Excellence has at least one other message that applies to modern nonprofits, "Stick to Your Knitting." Many nonprofits while running for the grants are pulled away from their true missions.
Peters, Thomas and Robert Waterman (1982). In Search of Excellence. New York: Harper and Row.
Osborne, David and Ted Gaebler (1992). Reinventing Government. >Reading, Mass. : Addison-Wesley Pub. Co.
