This book is an account of bob lutzs stint at general motors from 2001 t0 2010. The pitfalls of the financialization of american business. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business by bob lutz author norman dietz narrator. Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs.
And in the view of the foroohar and former gm vice chairman bob lutz, author of car guys vs. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. It is a derogatory term for accountants, bankers, and anyone who holds a financial interest in an endeavor. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book. But the most interesting revelation from anderssons interview was a direct repudiation of bob lutzs entire car guys vs bean counters narrative. Its that the bean counters need to rethink the way they. Its time to stop the dominance of the numbercrunchers. He gleefully documents the astonishing dysfunctions operating within gm at the time a cadre of professional yesmen, a product development process wholly subjugated to spreadsheet jockeys with no interest in. Have american businesses been stranded by the mbas. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading car guys vs. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance.
Bean counter definition of bean counter by merriamwebster. The battle for the soul of american business, legendary carguy bob lutz says. Bob lutz i nearly stopped reading this book after about the first thirty pages where lutz presents a diatribe about well virtually everything including scheming japanese, global warming, politicians, thomas friedman, japanese good luck rather than good marketing, health care costs etc. The financial scandal no one is talking about news the guardian. His frequent criticism of the press is sometimes churlish, as when he alleges that unnecessarily harsh and illinformed lefty. The former vice chairman of general motors and author of car guys vs.
The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Now in his late seventies, bob lutz knows his auto industry history, and his latest book, car guys vs. Determined to eliminate the waste and personality worship of the bygone creative leaders, and maximize profitability, management got too smart for its own good. The battle for the soul of american business lutz, bob on. Lutz wrote every word in longhand and every sentence bears his distinctive voice. At some point even engineers that run companies have to become acutely aware of costs. He blames corporate bean counters for causing thousands of workers to lose their jobs. Bean counters, putting finance in charge leads inexorably to corporate silos. Pdf car guys vs bean counters download full pdf book. Bring on the bean counters by involving a tax specialist in a project early in the process, the owner can benefit from tax incentives that reduce the higher first costs of better, more efficient systems. He even takes on northwest airlines, detroits hub carrier now merged with delta dal, fortune 500, for canceling halffull flights so they could. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers, and much of american industry, lost their singleminded focus on product excellence and their competitive advantage. Car guys vs bean counters is an enormously entertaining account of how lutz returned to gm to help turn the company around.
If montpelier uses the same manage to the money approach its been following so far, however, vermonters will be out of luck. Bean counter definition is a person involved in corporate or government financial decisions and especially one reluctant to spend money. Publication date 2011 topics automobile industry and trade, new products. Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. Still, the books basic problem was alltoo familiar in the world of auto executive coverage. Balancing the 2012 budget will be tougher than anything the administration has had to deal with during this recession. Bean counters succeeds in the moments that are focused on the dichotomy between the two main characters in this story. Bean counters is really supposed to be about is the ignominious descent of one of americas great corporations into chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and status as a ward of the.
The battle for the soul of american business reprint by bob lutz isbn. Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. The battle for the soul of american business free online. If anyone wants to know exactly how the us auto industry got into trouble, here is your guide. Bean counters profiles the positive and negative leaders who made the strongest impression on him throughout his extensive career, sharing illuminating anecdotes that provide todays managers with leadership examples to emulate or avoid. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred p. The authors talent, equally rare, was recognizing a good design, or a bad one drawn to beancounter specs. In his 47 year career he held senior leadership positions at gm, bmw, and chrysler, then at nearly age 70, rejoined gm as vice chairman where he served for nearly ten years. I cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutzs new book car guys vs bean counters, i caught a sideswipe at myself and the truth about cars, which the retired vicechairman of gm describes as a web. The battle for the soul of american business by xxxx there is no question, especially in the light of the rear view mirror of the car industry in the last decade, that any book written by an exexecutive the industry will have some revisionist history. We will provide you with our financial advisory firm chart of accounts and will offer ongoing training with you on navigating efficiently through quickbooks online. Thse companies are not in the business of building cars, they exist to.
He has lived in the most inner circles at ford, bmw. As vice chairman, he launched a war against the pennypinching numbercrunchers who. The battle for the soul of american business, and talk quickly turned to his role as it related to product development and highlevel decision making at gm. Spanning a fortysevenyear career with the big three and bmw, and after retiring from chrysler in 1998, he was asked back into gm, serving as vice chairman from 2001 to 2010, during which time it had filed for bankruptcy. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers and much of american industry lost their singleminded focus on product excellence. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Bean counters vs diamonds please take moment to readremember our purpose.
He neglects to mention that chryslers merger with daimlerbenz was a fraud. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. With an overdrive account, you can save your favorite libraries for ataglance information about availability. Car guys versus bean counters general discussion car. The monthly bookkeeping service provides business owners with accurate monthend reconciled financials for management use and decisions. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business by bob lutz.
In his book, car guys versus bean counters, he chronicles the very wary gm of 2001 through its first stillborn turnaround, its acquisition by the american and canadian governments and its new born success since 2009. It might seem that a book written by a businessman about how to turn around a business would have little to say about design. Shoemakers should be run by shoe guys, and software firms by software guys, and supermarkets by supermarket guys. While an accountant might be asked to perform a thorough inventory of his or her companys assets, only a bean counter would literally count the number of beans contained in the company kitchens pantry. Things started auspiciously on my first day of work, september 1, 2001. Bean counters contains all the pearls of wisdom i would expect to see from bob lutz. For centuries, accounting itself was a fairly rudimentary process of enabling.
The battle for the soul of american business full colection. Beans are a cheap commodity, so to count them is a rather silly thing to do. A bean counter is one who nitpicks over small things in order to save costs. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk av. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984 and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred pl sloans management classic, my years with general motors. Once we recognize that large differences in achievement among races, nations, and civilizations have been the rule, not the exception, throughout recorded history, there is at least some hope of. Robert a lutz in 2001, general motors hired litz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again.
But the bean counters now had more commercial priorities and with limited. The term bean counter is often used negatively to describe an overly zealous or fastidious accountant, although other financial comptrollers may also fit the description. Lutzs commonsense lessons with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes will inspire readers at any company facing the bean counter analysisparalysis menace. The bean counters, with their metricsbased costcutting corporate culture approach, are left scratching their heads as customers run screaming from the shoddy gm cars theyve produced.
With the advice and support of their bean counters, absolutely, but with the final word going to those who live and breathe the customer experience. Consulting specifying engineer bring on the bean counters. In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genre car guys vs.
Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. It was, in reality, an acquisition, and the lies that sold the takeover to shareholders. Morrissey goodale top 5 consultingspecifying engineer articles. The battle for the soul of american business free books. On car guys vs bean counters the timesheet chronicles. Autoline detroit recently played host to bob lutz, and, as is always the case, the former general motors vice chairman dished out some great commentary. Read more about car guys vs bean counters in this features article from the automotive experts at automobile magazine. Robert a lutz when bob lutz got into the auto business in the early 1960s, ceos knew that if you captured the publics imagination with innovative car design and top quality craftsmanship, the money would follow.
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