Detonate: Why – And How – Corporations Must Blow Up Best Practices (and bring a beginners mind) To Survive

Praise for Detonate

"Detonate will open your eyes to see the processes, policies, and organizational practices that have outlived their usefulness to customers, employees, and investors. Steve and Geoff give us new ways of operating logically that better align with the fast changing requirements of our future ′everything is digital′ world."
LOWELL MCADAM, Chairman and CEO, Verizon Communications

"Tuff and Goldbach build a compelling case for why conventional wisdom and ′best practices′ are the surest way to get average results. If you truly aspire for outstanding leadership results, the words you never want to hear are ′that′s the way we′ve always done it.′ The authors of this book explain how to ′blow up′ practices that companies adopt to reduce risk and, in doing so, renew your business and your organization. A must–read for any business leader!"
CHIP BERGH, President and CEO, Levi Strauss & Co.

"Detonate is rooted in the real world of human behavior, unlike so many of the practices that organizations adopt out of risk avoidance and maintain out of shear bureaucratic entropy. Tired of text–book thinking? This book challenges conventional wisdom and provides paradigm–shifting solutions."
TONY CIEPIEL, Chief Operating Officer, Vita–Mix Corporation

"In a fast changing, disruptive world, Detonate provides great insight to how you need to transform the behavior of your organization to innovate and stay competitive. Most organizations are trapped in the pursuit of best practices and risk avoidance. This is a book for leaders."
MARK COSTA, Chairman and CEO, Eastman Chemical Company

"The authors have been helping organizations ′blow up′ some of their best practices for a long time. They know what they′re talking about because they′ve seen it. They have been able to boil down successfully what they know into a readable and useful volume."
OFRA STRAUSS, Chairperson of the Board, Strauss Group

Preface

Part I: Light the Fuse

1. Tinderbox: Hazardous Unwritten Rules

2. Spark: Acceleration of the Vicious Cycle

3. Coordinates: Targeting the Blast

Part II: Blow Up Your Playbooks

4. Dismantle Your P&L: Revenue Should Be the Last Thing You Worry About

5. Trash the Calendar: A Strategic Planning Schedule Is Largely a Waste of Time

6. Defy Expertise: Syndicated Data Creates Zero Advantage

7. Upend Insight: Customers Can t Tell You What They Believe

8. Lose Control: Discard Opportunity Management Systems

9. Stomp Out Platitudes: Celebrating Failure Is an Excuse for Mediocrity

10. Embrace Impermanence: Org Charts and Career Paths Are Past their Sell–By Date

Part III: Build Something Better

11. Where to Start: Pick Your Site to Apply the Detonate Mindset

12. Implications for Leadership: Accelerate by Asking Better Questions

13. Minimally Viable Thoughts

Notes

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Index

GEOFF TUFF is a Principal with Deloitte. He is a senior leader of the firm′s Innovation and Applied Design practices.

STEVEN GOLDBACH is a Principal with Deloitte. He is the Chief Strategy Officer of Deloitte US and a member of the firm′s Executive Leadership Team.