The Excellence Dividend

Starred review from January 29, 2018
Peters (The Little Big Things), a veteran business writer, delivers a superb business tome intended to capture his “thinking over the past five decades” and show its applicability to the 21st century. Peters does a commendable job of parsing an impressive amount of material into easily digestible bites, beginning with simple and elegant definitions of what excellence looks like at work—a tucked-in shower curtain in a hotel bathroom, for example—
proceeding to such varied topics as the importance of lunch in the workplace and why women are crucial to any corporation’s success. Peters includes a bounty of reading lists throughout and repeatedly exhorts his audience to “read!” and “study!” Addressing the move toward automation, Peters urges businesses to put their workforces first. Notable stories from Peters’s career begin each chapter, though some of the more dated material, such as a 1978 anecdote about dealing with a computer crash at McKinsey & Co., can feel far removed from today’s business environment. Those who persevere, however, will find Peters a font of management wisdom germane to “surviving and thriving in the unruly times ahead.”

April 1, 2018

Since the 1982 release of the best-selling In Search of Excellence, which Peters coauthored with Robert H. Waterman, he has maintained his position as a thought leader on organization greatness. His new book attempts to translate his theories onto the latest threats to business: automation, globalization, and the pace of technological innovation. The overarching message is that companies that concentrate on developing employees with a focus toward service will weather the risks posed by artificial intelligence and automation. The book's six sections careen from innovation, leadership skills, and the pursuit of excellence to design and human relationships. Each chapter starts with a personal memory before morphing back into Peters's infectious boosterism for workplace success. While managers will find dozens of maxims and suggestions--basically value your employees and promote more female leaders--the chapters often lead to confusing or contradictory advice. VERDICT While emphasizing the importance of diversity in the workplace and care of employees, Peters tends to ignore work-life balance. Still, overall this book is recommended.--John Rodzvilla, Emerson Coll., Boston

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