Freedom from Command and Control: Rethinking Management for Lean Service [Hardcover]

"John Seddon describes the real world. In the real world people make the work work - if managers know how to let them."
--Alan Hughes, Chief Executive,, First Direct, June 2005

"John Seddon has spent a lifetime developing ways of improving service organizations and service centers in particular. Anyone in the service business would learn a lot from reading this book."
--Daniel T Jones, Lean Enterprise Academy,, co-author, "The Machine that Changed the World", June 2005

"Successive governments have sought improvements to public services through a mixture of Whitehall designed carrots and sticks. The approach isn't working. There is a better way. John Seddon's description is clear and practical. Essential reading for public service managers who are willing to change the way they think."
--Peter Stott, Managing Director, Home Housing Association, June 2005

"As a public sector practitioner I found John Seddon's book a beacon of sanity in the increasingly insane world of targets, Best Value Performance Indicators, league [i.e., ranking] tables and inspection regimes. Not only is his approach intellectually stimulating - it works! Improved performance across my organization is a testament to its effectiveness."
--David Weatherley, Chief Executive,, Tamworth Borough Council, June 2005

"Command and Control is clearly becoming a redundant way of working for many enterprises. It is no longer a satisfactory method of continually driving performance and making an impact as a modern manager in the longer term. People should be the drivers, adaptive to change in order to improve performance, building quality in and around delivery of service. It is a clear question of adding value to an organization and delivery to lƒ"