Liberation Management: Necessary Disorganization for the Nanosecond Nineties by Tom Peters

The revolution in business management aptly termed ‘liberation management’ by its advocate Tom Peters, may at first appear thought-provoking and somewhat disorienting. Yet Peters’ philosophy of ‘necessary disorganization’ presented in his bestselling book ‘Liberation Management: Necessary Disorganization for the Nanosecond Nineties’ looks to liberate organizations from the stagnancy and red-tape of the past, and successfully guide them through the new terrain that is the ninety-second century.

In his book, Peters provides a practically-inspired guide to leading successful businesses in an age of dramatic growth, uncertainty, and advancing technology. With deftness and insight, he identifies the importance of dismantling numerous archaic assumptions of the corporate structure while capturing the enthusiasm and commitment of employees. His book is aimed at anyone interested in taking the corporate approach to a higher level of efficiency- the hedonistic fifties, the conventional sixties and seventies and even revived productivity infused eighties have all been surpassed, according to Peters.

Peters is best known for his direct and no-nonsense writing style and his enthusiasm for business entrepreneurship. Drawing on numerous personal experiences, he outlines the nine primary components that make up the dynamic and liberated organization. These core components range from transforming work tone and attitudes to replacing bureaucracy and standardization. As an underpinning philosophy, Peters encourages liberating creativity and passion in order to fully develop and engage employees as well as to enhance overall performance.

The ‘liberation’ process presented by Tom Peters can be divided into two main sections: the ‘Business Sequence’ and the ‘Work Sequence’. The former includes changing workplace attitudes, developing new processes for problem solving and decision making and maintaining quality improvement by engendering a continuous learning environment. The latter section includes employee autonomy, creativity and empowerment, identification of core competencies and the development of quality resources.

Another key aspect of Peters’ ‘liberation management’ is his focus on instilling a sense of ownership within the organization. Through this, employees are encouraged to take ownership of their responsibilities and therefore become more motivated and focused on achieving the organization’s goals. This shift to a culture of ownership allows Peters to redefine the ‘consumer’ to include not only paying customers but also staff, who become ‘stakeholders’ in their organization.

Perhaps one of the greatest insights that Peters provides is how vital it is for any organization to remain open to change and be ready to take risks. The nineties has brought with it seismic shifts in the way companies operate which makes it so important for corporations to embrace uncertainty and growth. Through his experiences, Peters advises that only by staying abreast of and acting upon the changes will an organization be able to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving environment of the Nanosecond Nineties.

Overall, ‘Liberation Management: Necessary Disorganization for the Nanosecond Nineties’ is a detailed yet concise guide to the competitive success of organizations. Through Tom Peters’ firsthand experiences and advice, companies can use the liberating philosophy highlighted to remove the boundaries in their organization and emerge as a winner in the exciting and testing new world of the 90s.