Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The stories featured in A. P. Martin's Harnessing the Power of Intelligence are fun to read and talk about, at work and at home. I have used some of them to alert my customer-service team about hidden risks and untapped opportunities. We have been applying the ideas of the first six chapters (Part I) for about three months. Our interactions with customers are yielding better results. We are now moving aggressively to prevent tampering with our information assets as noted in the section titled "How Good Organizations Lose Intelligence".
Four of my high-school educated supervisors, who read the book, found Part I a down-to-earth eye-opener, and right on target, for making wiser choices and avoiding costly errors. They, however, thought Part II would be more applicable to middle and senior management. A drawback: the cases in the chapter on Psychographics lack the detail necessary to be useful.
I have also read C. S. Fleisher's Strategic and Competitive Intelligence. Both books represent, in my opinion, two different, credible and complementary approaches to intelligence-based decision-making. Except for some references, there is virtually no duplication of content. A big bonus!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Harnessing the Power of Intelligence, Counterintelligence & Surprise Events
This book covers the organization, leadership, tools,practices and culture of intelligence. It reveals a powerful frameworkcomprising new instruments, platforms and breakthrough concepts toaddress intelligence issues facing professionals and decision-makers,at the national and corporate levels, post September 11. Armed with awide variety of real-life examples and road maps from business,government and the military, the author demonstrates how the frameworkcan be applied to win customers and allies, seize opportunities,anticipate threats, shield assets from adversaries, and gain insightsinto the mindset of stakeholders, by legal and ethical means. Thecontent is based on Harvard University Global System™ managementroad maps pioneered by the author Alain Paul Martin.The failure to act on valuable intelligence is legion. About half ofthe book addresses this issue with new instruments for intelligenceanalysis and interpretation. A full chapter focuses on anticipatingand managing surprise events, and another covers the application ofthe issue-incubation cycle, as an early warning system. Neglectingthis cycle can result in undue risk exposure and flawed decisions. Inaddition, acting on valuable intelligence requires the commitment of ateam, with members playing complementary roles. Otherwise, too manyimportant ideas, intelligent trails and even great goals and missionsare abandoned. The book examines the power, status and role of thecatalysts of intelligence-led change. It also introduces newintelligence tools used to analyze the perceptions and behavior ofconsumers and other stakeholders.The book is suitable for general audiences. Learning aboutintelligence can help each of us make wiser choices, work better andbe a more informed and accountable citizen. Technical terms areexplained thoroughly. Real-life examples about people and importantissues will be fun to read, talk about, both at work and to stimulatediscussions and give your staff or students a primer onintelligence.All in all, this is an excellent, timely and easy to read book withentertaining, vivid examples and breakthrough instruments, most ofwhich are not available elsewhere. As illustrated by the followingtestimonies, this book is highly recommended for managers,professionals, educators and students in business, government and themilitary.
