The Power of Simplicity: A Management Guide to Cutting Through the Nonsense and Doing Things Right Paperback - 2001

First line

Simple Simon met a pieman going to the fair.

From the rear cover

"Engaging... Trout practices what he preaches."--Publishers Weekly

"Compelling."--Booklist

It's high time for businesses to replace complexity with common sense, argues corporate guru Jack Trout in this impassioned yet practical guide. The best-selling coauthor of the classic Positioning shows managers how to banish jargon, articulate their vision, simplify processes, and refocus on core issues--all without expensive consultants or money-wasting programs. The Power of Simplicity throws a life jacket of reality to readers drowning in management fads and wondering why their business isn't better.

• Fight complexity. Trout and coauthor Steve Rivkin present guidelines for thinking in straightforward terms and cutting through ridiculous jargon.
• Embrace simplicity. Marketing means turning simple ideas into strategy. Such concepts aren't too basic for Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Jack Welch of General Electric, and Andy Grove of Intel, to name a few successful CEOs who share their insights and war stories in these pages.
• Be a contrarian. Information? Too much can confuse you. Growth? It can hurt your business. It's time to look hard at knee-jerk assumptions and adjust your business practices accordingly. You'll examine how GM, Gillette, Volvo, Apple, and Xerox have either done so and been better for it or ignored these truths at their peril.
• Respect your people. Business ultimately lives or dies by people, not money. Trout's four chapters on "People Issues" are worth a library full of human resource tracts.