Customer reviews

Engaging read, actionable advice By J. Granton, June 16, 2017
5 out of 5 stars
"Gordon Vala-Webb has written a smart and engaging little book that is full of practical and powerful advice for leaders in any industry. Equally useful for reinvigorating organizations that may have lost some of their youthful energy and for new enterprises looking to bake-in successful practices from day one, Building Smarter Organizations brings the right combination of straight talk, humor, and the kind of wisdom that only comes from real-world experience in a multitude of situations.

Vala-Webb makes a compelling case for--and shows you how to get started with--refreshing your organizational mindset, establishing visual systems and fast-flow communications, and adopting tools for accelerated decision making. He then provides concrete, actionable steps that leaders in any part of an organization can take to enliven their teams without sacrificing (indeed, by focusing on) those things that made you successful in the first place."

Avoid becoming a zombie organization! By Ella Kaazon, June 16, 2017
"A great book that focuses on some of the main issues afflicting large organizations. What I loved about the book was that Gordon's experience in multiple organizations was clear. It wasn't the five things I learned working at company X but rather the lessons gained from a broad set of experience at companies A,B,C,D, etc. and how these lessons could by synthesized to avoid the lack of agility affecting so many companies.

A great read"

Heidi K. Gardner, PhD.
Author of Smart Collaboration
Distinguished Scholar, Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession

"In this highly engaging book, Vala-Webb packages existing research with novel insights to produce a clear diagnosis of what ails today’s “zombie” organizations. This foundation produces some practical guidance for what leaders can realistically do to awaken their organization’s potential for adaptation and survival. Analogies abound and not only entertain, but truly provoke deeper thought (quiz: how is Blackberry like the person who drove her car into a lake?). But don’t be fooled: amidst the humor and catchy graphics, this book tackles some serious issues such as worker disengagement, unproductive and even dangerous biases, and the misuse of power in organizations. This impressive piece of work has the potential to unleash some fresh thinking and spark action where it’s needed."

Ted Graham
Head of Open Innovation at GM.

"Don't reach for the shotgun just yet - your zombie organization can be saved and this book is part of the 'smartened-up' cure." ​

Euan Semple
Author of Organizations Don't Tweet, People Do

"If you suspect that you work for a zombie organisation this book is for you. Crammed full of practical, concrete, suggestions from Gordon's many years of experience, it just might bring your business back to life."

Dr. Evan Shellshear
Author of the bestselling Innovation Tools

"Gordon Vala-Webb has written an exceptionally well researched and informative book. It delves to the core of the plight affect the 21st century economies of the world – zombie organisations. These are organisations poorly adapted to the changes facing the world and ones with little chances of survival. In Building Smarter Organizations the reader will learn the path to avoiding become a stumbling, bloated organization paralyzed by attempts to emulate 20th century best practices which are little use for 21st century problems. Through deep and erudite one is able to walk away from this book well equipped to face the disruptive forces shaking global markets and keep their company alive for the next century – becoming a “smart” company. ​

Prof. David Snowden
Founder, Cognitive Edge and Director, The Cynefin Centre for Applied Complexity, Bangor University

A delightfully cynical takedown of management fads, Building Smarter Organizations pulls no punches, takes no prisoners and tears down the shibboleths of management consultants. It does all of that while being well researched and easy to read. It offers no magic formula for success, but read it for the good advice it provides on what needs to change and to learn how to start the change.

Katrina Pugh
Academic Director, Columbia University Information and Knowledge Strategy Program

Gordon Vala-Webb brilliantly draws from best of management thought to teach us how to awaken our “Zombie organizations” and give them a readiness to sense, reflect, and respond to the technology, competitive, and demographic changes around them."

Brett Trusko
President and CEO, International Association of Innovation Professionals

"Gordon Vala-Webb has written a really fun, imaginative and informative book in Building Smarter Organizations: How to Lead Your Zombie Back to Life. The book has lessons to learn that will help your organization be less like a zombie and more like a living, modern organization. Many, like me, will read  the entire book in one sitting because it is easy to read and will make you think of all sorts of ways your organization is rooted in rotting autopilot, devoid of all the processes necessary for a modern, dynamic, information driven organization."

Dr. Jonathan Reichental
Chief Information Officer, City of Palo Alto, California

Gordon Vala-Webb reminds us that what has worked for organizations in the past can no longer guarantee success in our connected-digital future. In fact, he makes the case that failure to change in our complex, networked, unpredictable global environment will result in significant organizational inefficiencies and detached employees, and in the worst case, the complete failure of the enterprise. Gordon offers alternative and pragmatic approaches to delivering the future of the organization."

Dan Hauck
CEO, ThreadKM

"Vala-Webb offers new insight behind the forces driving many companies to failure in today's info-accelerated business environment...and shares invaluable advice to those determined not to be left behind."

Andrew Maxwell, PhD.
Chief Innovation Officer, Canadian Innovation Centre

"Building Smarter Organization offers business leaders a unique insight into how their existing processes and resources limit their ability to rapidly respond to competitive business threats and new market opportunities. Checklists and content in the early chapters help the reader recognize that their organization was designed to compete in a marketplace that no longer exists, and that changing this is tough when current management practices have been developed to ensure efficiency not innovation. Unfortunately, as the author notes, such practices (around how organizations make decisions, allocate resources or establish priorities) are of limited value when trying to change the business to address today's challenges. In fact, as Gordon Vala-Webb notes, they can constrain your ability to respond and remain competitive, or even to survive. If you recognize the need to innovate, but are struggling to become innovative I recommend that you read Building Smarter Organizations, which  offers an innovation roadmap to help you identify where you are, the challenges you face and a way forward."