Asda Magic- The 7 Principles of Building a High Performance Culture
This book charts the turnaround of the Asda business, from the perspective of culture and people. The author discusses 7 principles which businesses can use as practical tools to generate high performance through engagement. This is a business book which uses the technique of story-telling to stimulate the reader, and uses case study material to back up the learning. The reader will take away a practical agenda, to improve the performance of any business. It is thought provoking, simple and effective. If you want to engage your people and drive higher levels of performance, this book is for you.
The 7 principles are:
Culture trumps Strategy- Achieving High Performance through People
This is my second book, building on the huge success of 'Asda Magic - the 7 principles of building a high performance culture'. Another book based on case study material and practical examples, rather than theory. In the book I tell the stories of many businesses who have proved the link between engaging people, and producing exceptional performance.
This is my third book: this one describing the latest changes to Performance Management. Essential reading if you want an approach to managing performance which works. If you are experiencing problems with your Annual Performance Appraisal process, but don't know how to replace it, this book has the answers for you.
This is my fourth book: This book about bad bosses has been meticulously researched by David Smith with interviews of over 200 CEOs and other leaders. He has discovered the top 10 leadership pitfalls which irritate followers most. These bad habits decrease morale and hinder productivity in the workforce. Such traits need to be removed from a business and replaced by good leadership habits.
It really is Magic! Reading from front to back, it really is rather good! Lots of great stuff for my next chairmanship speech. Thanks.
I'm reading it, and liking it a lot. I'll be recommending clients to buy it.
The book is BRILLIANT! I'm not just saying it, it's seriously outstanding!
Just read your book, and found it thoroughly compelling. The lessons were a timely reminder for me and I will take many of the key learnings with me.
I finished your book, and have to say I found it very useful. I really liked the structure; what went wrong; and your reader action points. I like the realistic;
pragmatic and jovial style of writing. For me it is a practitioner's bible, and leaders will get great tips from it. I liked the fact that you shared your opinions
- it demonstrated honesty to me as a reader.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Thank you for the inspiration.
You have told a wonderful story of profound change in a very clear, engaging way... this should help with any organisational culture changes
I love your book - it's so simple and practical to use.
I have just finished reading your book, it was truly excellent. I have read many business / management books over the years and yours was by far the best I
have ever read. It was hugely motivational for me and completely changed my perspective of retail.
I have just read your book, and wanted to say thank you. I read it cover to cover. I am pretty critical, but it served as an 'epiphany' to some of the situations
I have experienced in my working life. The list of things I got benefit from in the book are too numerous to list individually, it is an excellent read.
Just read your book whilst on holiday and found it thoroughly compelling. Having worked at Asda for a few of those years I guess that I had and added interest.
The lessons were a timely reminder for me, I will take many of the key learning's with me into my new role and try to create our own 'Magic'.
I finished your book and have to say I found it useful. I am just reading the history section now. I really liked the structure; your what went wrong and
(reader) action points. I liked the realist; pragmatic and jovial style of writing. For me it is a practitioner bible and leaders will get great tips from it. I liked
that you shared your opinions, it demonstrated honestly to me as a reader and therefore believability in your text.
An excellent read. It captures the culture in Asda to the letter. The examples you give help the reader understand WAGJLL. I would recommend all new managers to
Asda read the book to give them a head start in understanding how the company works.
I've been privileged to hear David Smith speak to business leaders about building high performance teams; there is no doubt that David walks the walk, and his practical
experience at Asda in particular demonstrates that he is a perfect guide for anyone who wants to create or change workplace culture. There is no shortage of choice in the business
book market but this book stands out for its ease of accessibility; written in a conversational tone and peppered with 'real-life' examples to support the cited research, it is easy
to dip into. Short chapters with a clear summary and questions for the reader enable the motivated leader to assess their business culture and put the material into practice. The
culture of a business drives all aspects of performance: With a focus on authenticity, this book explains why and how each leader can get it right in their business.
It deserves to be read and acted upon.
Thoroughly enjoyed the book. The emphasis on culture was clarion clear, the precis of the first book which this builds on was a great idea and the examples cited were of real
businesses making a difference in our context. Great.
I really enjoyed David Smith's previous book 'Asda Magic' - and this book proved a great follow on. The author takes the 7 principles of a high performing culture and explores
them further illustrating the principles from examples in various organisations. The book is clearly written, which makes it easy to pick up the points made. But given there is much
repetition from his previous book, is this one worth reading? Undoubtedly yes. Given his very sound principle of 'Communicate/communicate/communicate' and my view that 'Repetition is
the mother of implementation,' then if you want to see better workplace cultures, read and implement this book. It will be a great help to you and your organisation.
In a crowded market for 'leadership' books, this one stands out for a number of reasons. First, it has the feel of authenticity - reading it, you know that the author, unlike
so many business professors and consultants has 'been there and done that'. While the book is full of useful examples and quotes from other organisations and leaders, it's also very
clear that the approach David Smith puts forward is one he has used in his own business experience, and he knows that it works. Second, the examples and quotes he uses are genuinely
illuminating, and well-chosen to illustrate the key points, which stick in the mind as a result, and make the book an enjoyable read. As Smith notes, they are 'not the usual suspects',
and they are more convincing because of that. That's not to say that he does not take account of research and evidence on this topic; he's familiar with the management theories and
the survey evidence, and he cites it to support his argument when appropriate, without at any point making the book inaccessible to a broad audience of business practitioners.
Last, and perhaps most importantly, the principles set out in this book, like all real truths, seem obvious once you know them, but the skill of the author is to lead the reader to
that point where they seem obvious, and where they will, hopefully for many readers, become second nature in their day-to-day leadership activities. Certainly, as the CEO of a small
knowledge-based business, there's a lot in here that resonates very strongly for me, and I will refer to this book as a source of reference and inspiration and frequently recommend
it to others.
Fabulous and concise book that will help all leaders carry out an essential part of their job.......regular performance reviews with their people rather than wait to do the
dreaded annual appraisal. I have always been a great believer in regular one to one's and this highlights with some excellent examples all the reasons why these short "holy times"
with team members are so valuable. This is an extremely useful and valuable two hour read. Well done David!
What a terrific book for anyone looking for ideas to develop their talent in a fast changing business world. As David Smith explains in the book, the days of annual appraisals
should be long gone ... and there is a much better alternative that motivates teams and retains talent in a way that annual appraisals never could. Packed full of stories and insights
from various industries, David has a terrific ability to create an easy read that allows the reader to walk away with a number of ideas that are easy to bring to life in the work
environment. Simple, straight-forward and insightful.
A brilliant read, and one that brings back memories of some of the people I personally have worked for in the past! David Smith has a real ability to get useful leadership
insights - and then bring them to life in a powerful narrative. And by sharing these real examples and stories in every chapter, it allows you to clearly see how to avoid these
pitfalls in the workplace yourself.
This book is an excellent review of the behaviours that really do cheese people off! The 10 leadership pitfalls are only too common and so avoidable for most people who aim
to be a decent leader of others. All leaders should be aware of how their own behaviour affects others and David Smith's book sums up ten critically poor behaviours in a very easy
read. Highly recommended.
