Review of Hot Spots
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Adele van Zyl 1
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- Latest Review: Hot Spots by Douglas Brown
Review of Hot Spots
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hot Spots" by Douglas Brown.]
Hot Spots by Dr. Douglas Brown clearly explains in detail why some organizations fail, with specific reference to project management and risk management. There are many case studies which show examples of poor business performance and bad practices which cause companies to close prematurely. Dr. Brown explains many of the problems and challenges associated with traditional risk management and how to reduce risk, as well as the value and benefits of performing a Risk Analysis or employing an Enterprise Risk Manager.
There is a chapter which covers some of the little things that can lead to project failures such as specifying contract dates and not dealing with lessons learned from each project. There are also some interesting quotes, my personal favourite being: "When you're up to your armpits in alligators, it's hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp". Any person reading this book will learn how to avoid, transfer, accept or mitigate risks by creating a risk-aware environment. The “Simmer System” is explained simply as: “Implement what you can, make forward progress, strive to minimize pushback, focus on problem solving activities.”
This book should be an essential guide for all Project Managers and Risk Managers as well as any person wishing to study these subjects as students would also benefit from it. While the book is only 234 pages, it contains more information and lessons than other similar books. There are also numerous useful exercises and easy-to-use activities which can assist anyone with concepts and plans. Included in the book is information that gives the readers free access to the Simmer System community with useful supplementary material and templates. There are also “next steps” and “action plans” to assist managers and their staff with implementation of all the lessons and models. The summary at the end of each chapter helps to reinforce the lessons.
The author, Dr. Douglas Brown, is a former military officer, lectures at the university of Southern California and achieved his doctorate in Policy Analysis. Dr. Brown has written numerous business books, sharing his knowledge and experience in redesigning business processes for both private and government organizations.
I look forward to reading the follow-up book “Global Hot Spots”. This book is well written and well edited. Increased line spacing would make it easier to read however given the detailed index, content and information in this book I rate it four out of four.
Adele van Zyl. 22 September 2021.
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Hot Spots
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Hot Spots by Dr. Douglas Brown clearly explains in detail why some organizations fail, with specific reference to project management and risk management. There are many case studies which show examples of poor business performance and bad practices which cause companies to close prematurely. Dr. Brown explains many of the problems and challenges associated with traditional risk management and how to reduce risk, as well as the value and benefits of performing a Risk Analysis or employing an Enterprise Risk Manager.
There is a chapter which covers some of the little things that can lead to project failures such as specifying contract dates and not dealing with lessons learned from each project. There are also some interesting quotes, my personal favourite being: "When you're up to your armpits in alligators, it's hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp". Any person reading this book will learn how to avoid, transfer, accept or mitigate risks by creating a risk-aware environment. The “Simmer System” is explained simply as: “Implement what you can, make forward progress, strive to minimize pushback, focus on problem solving activities.”
This book should be an essential guide for all Project Managers and Risk Managers as well as any person wishing to study these subjects as students would also benefit from it. While the book is only 234 pages, it contains more information and lessons than other similar books. There are also numerous useful exercises and easy-to-use activities which can assist anyone with concepts and plans. Included in the book is information that gives the readers free access to the Simmer System community with useful supplementary material and templates. There are also “next steps” and “action plans” to assist managers and their staff with implementation of all the lessons and models. The summary at the end of each chapter helps to reinforce the lessons.
The author, Dr. Douglas Brown, is a former military officer, lectures at the university of Southern California and achieved his doctorate in Policy Analysis. Dr. Brown has written numerous business books, sharing his knowledge and experience in redesigning business processes for both private and government organizations.
I look forward to reading the follow-up book “Global Hot Spots”. This book is well written and well edited. Increased line spacing would make it easier to read however given the detailed index, content and information in this book I rate it four out of four.
Adele van Zyl. 22 September 2021.
******
Hot Spots
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Hot Spots by Douglas Brown
