While the fuller context that was presented in the book "Good to Great" is not present, "Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great", provides a quick and thought-provoking read of critical "Good to Great" concepts. Although it does not provide quick fixes to challenges non-profits may be facing (especially in the context of the current economic disruption), it frames important questions a non-profit should consider.
The book acknowledges that non-profits cannot simply be looked upon as "businesses" and describes parallel conventions to the profit and loss measurement that defines success for profit-making ventures.
I have purchased multiple copies of this book for my fellow board members with whom I serve as well as for management of the various non-profits with whom I am involved.
I highly recommend this book -- it is a quick read -- one train or plane ride long.

Good to Great and the Social Sector is Jim Collins' retort to people who ask how he can apply the concepts in his book to public sector organizations. Running a non profit myself, I find this a compelling read. Essentially he interviewed 100 social sector leaders and tried to differentiate the practices that induce success there that may not do the same in the corporate sector. Please realize that it is very, very short, perhaps 5% of the length of Good to Great.

Another book that was recommended to me that we're now using at my organization with great success is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book. It has brought about phenomenal changes in our management and our culture.

We used the Monograph as a precursor to our strategic planning process. It was very helpful in generating a shared vocabulary for the planning process. As a companion for non-profits to the book "Good to Great," it is easy to grasp and answers many questions left open in the book. It is even a good stand-alone read for non-profit leaders, although reading both books is the best way to get the most out of the concepts. As a non-profit theater, this book is a great tool to lead us in journey towards excellence.

The book seemed to have info I need but I had trouble trying to figure out out to implement the ideas of the book into my situation.

As a social entrepreneur and current business school student, I was fascinated by Collins' work in Good To Great, and I am thrilled that he has provided this monograph to answer the questions that many of us the social sector have been wrestling with since his Good To Great publication was first released.

Unlike most publications about this sector, Collins directly provides interesting insight into accountability measures for social sector organizations, as well as the characteristics and the qualities that successful managers exhibit in the social sector. As usual, his Good To Great technique of analysis has yielded him not only important take-aways for organizational management, but an intuitive sense of how organizations, both for-profit and non-profit, can truly achieve sustainability.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed Good To Great and has pondered its applications to the social sector. I would also highly recommend the How-to guide: Business Planning for Enduring Social Impact: A Social-Entrepreneurial Approach to Solving Social Problems by Andrew Wolk and Kelley Kreitz for anyone looking for a very clear and direct approach to putting some of Collins' idea and suggestions to practice.

Jim Collins is the author of "Good to Great," an influential business and leadership book. In the time since the publication of the book, Collins realized that there exist points of disconnect within the book for leaders of not-for-profit agencies (e.g. churches, local charitable organizations, groups that exist for specific causes like disease eradication or the advancement of art). In an effort to apply the concepts of "Good to Great" to the unique needs of social service organizations, this monograph was produced.

This monograph can best be thought of as an appendix or additional chapter for "Good to Great." Indeed, the reader will be lost unless first reading the work upon which this monograph is based. In it, five points/modifications/explanations are provided that address what Collins perceives to be the five biggest "trouble areas" when applying "Good to Great" to not-for-profit agencies.

First, not-for-profits struggle with the definition of "great." In the definition supplied by Collins in "Good to Great," "great" is partly defined in terms of profit margin. Since not-for-profit agencies, by definition, do not seek profits, a modification must be made. Collins suggests using anecdotal evidence and rubrics instead of budgetary numbers to determine if the organization's goals are being met.

Second, power and authority in social sector organizations are not centralized, but contain nearly limitless checks ("a thousand points of no"). Collins advocates a leadership style that emphasizes the good of the organizations. If the organizational leader can effectively communicate (legitimately, not falsely) that his main concern is the health of the organization and realization of the cause, he buys himself a lot of leeway in decision making.

Third, volunteer-based organizations feel great pressure to simply put warm bodies in positions of authority instead of selectively choosing only the best candidates. Collins argues that the pressures of a volunteer-based culture should only make the leader more determined to practice selectivity. Setting high standards, focusing on creating "pockets of excellence" within organizations, and emphasizing the moral importance of the organization can help to attract high-quality employees and volunteers.

Fourth, the concept of profit margin creeps in again. It is important to recognize that organizations--business as well as social-sector--need money to operate. Even though not-for-profit agencies are not about the money, their "hedgehog concept" should certainly include consideration of their economic engine. That is, their social cause should take into consideration the question, "will people actually buy into our cause and support it with donations of volunteer hours, monetary donations, and in-kind support?"

Finally, the organization must not neglect promoting itself as a "brand." Although the natural inclination of social sector institutions is to keep the focus on the cause, they must also make sure people understand that the organization is meeting the cause effectively...indeed, they are "the best" at what they do. A reputation for excellence tends to attract loyalty and donations. Consider Harvard University, which attracts millions of dollars it doesn't necessarily need because people believe that a Harvard education is "the best" in the world.

In all, as a pastor in a not-for-profit church, this book addressed all the concerns I had in applying Collins' "Good to Great" concepts in my situation. Truth be told, it even addressed problems I had not yet identified. I highly recommend this brief monograph to compliment "Good to Great."

This book by Jim Collins results of a study of several companies which made a sustained quantitative and qualitative jump over a period of at least 15 years. The framework it describes covers six core common principles of these companies: Level 5 Leadership; First Who... Then What; Confront The Brutal Facts; The Hedgehog Concept; A Culture of Discipline; and Technology Accelerators. It's interesting to notice how some the referred companies have developed since the time the book was written, such as : Gillete (bought by Procter & Gamble); Fannie Mae (hit by the subprime) and Circuit City (underperforming). Nevertheless, while I don't believe that companies can be forever great, I do believe that the principles outline in this book are timeless. Highly recommended - together with Built to Last from the same author.

20% of the upper corner of the book was bent - may have been due to the packing type used

I usually gag at these sort of trendy management books (I still bear scars from the Who Moved My Cheese era), but this is smart, down to earth wisdom. Light on jargon, and long on concrete examples and advice, this short read is well worth it. If non profit leaders read this, understood it, and adopted this approach, we could change the world!

I am currently doing my Masters in Organizational Leadership. It is extremely difficult to find literature that explains a non-profit organizational structure. Bravo for Jim Collins in attempting to bridge the gap between theory and the non-profit organization!

The book is an excellent read that captures the uniqueness of social sector organizations. It is a must read and must own for anyone researching organizational design in that it captures the unique view of organizations that do not exists to meet a bottom line.

Alexandra B. Kealey

These are essential underpinnings for effective transformation in non-profit organizational management and leadership. Collin's concepts elucidate meaningful conversations about organizational capacity building.

The high praise by many of the reviewers of this book makes me feel that Jim Collins had his whole staff send in reviews. He defines no terms including non-business entities, business thinking, and social sector; states there are valid ways to assess greatness without metrics but gives no examples or gives examples that ARE metrics; claims the use of business language is naive and then analyzes "non-businesses" (whatever they are, he never says) using the language of business (budgets, financial statements, annual reports, executive compensation, etc); talks about motivation as though he just discovered that money isn't all there is (think Maslow's hierarchy of needs); and talks about building momentum as though he never heard of successful companies whose success destroyed them because they FAILED to follow the rules of business (growing too fast, or expanding into activities too far removed from the core activity, for example). I have not read any of Mr. Collins' other works but this one is just befuddled. The only concrete statement he makes towards greatness is "hire the best people." Duh. Other than that, I did not find anything that made sense in this work. It is filled with the illusion of ideas, that when looked at closely evaporate.

Collins does a great job of contrasting and offering adaptations of the Good to Great for non-profit and government. Conpanion to good to great, must read the original first to make sense of this one. Recommended.

I agree that there is a need for greatness, but stating that business thinking is not the answer??? Yes in the non-profit and government sectors there is no profit. But to go from Good To Great you still need to follow business practices. This book is is really talking about the organization behavior. With the US having an economy that is based in a monetary system you can't ignore the fact that in any organization there will be a need to take business process and money into consideration. I would have given this a high review if the author stated that there is another side to the story.

The item was received in excellent condition. The contents are certainly not Great, and rating it Good is generous. If it isn't mandatory reading, don't buy it.

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants a clear definition and a roadmap that takes a public/non-profit from good to great. This book clearly defines differences between the public/non-profit agency versus private/for profitas in terms of their goals and achievements that makes them great. From a marketing perspective this book prepares the public/non-profit marketing department understand how to market their products to insure they achieve their goals, which is unlike the marketing in the private sector.

In my own research on high performance I have found that there is indeed such a thing as a Superperforming nonprofit. The pattern is the same here as well - robust process wed to robust culture. The volunteer and fundraising nature of nonprofits seems to render culture and process a special case, but it does not seem so different to me then the PXC phenomenon in a profit-seeking enterprise. In fact, I have run across incredibly enlightened and spiritual for-profits, and astonishingly evil (yes that's right, and you know who you are) and destructive nonprofits, some even faith-based! The simple truth is still the simple truth - - - look to the tip top of the organization and there you will learn what kind of organization you are dealing with. BTW, this is a great 'monograph' Jim Collins is most definitely a "level 5" thought leader.

also read Superperformance

A friend mentioned Good to Great in a sermon and I thought it might be a worthwhile read for me as the executive director of a non-profit association facing the challenge of how take the organization to the next level.

I found the book fascinating and will share it with my Board of Directors as a roadmap for how we will move our organization from good to great.

The monograph provides a great overview of the concepts developed in the book and is of a very manageable length.

I would strongly recommend it to leaders of non-profits as a basis for a conversation about their organization making the great leap forward.

This is a great companion for Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't for anyone that works in the social sector. As an assistant principal in a large, suburban high school, this book helped to bring into focus the principles reviewed in Good to Great.

The social sector does not need to be more business like; it needs to implement more great business principles tailored for the social entities economic engine - so says Collins in this 35 page, add-on for a future "Good to Great" update. In addition to tailoring some of the Great principles
* Define Great by calibrating success without business (monetary) metrics
* Lead thru a blend of personal humility and professional will to get things done within a diffuse power structure
* Get high quality people with a personal commitment to the cause on-board the bus
* Find the intersection of the social entity's Passion, Best at, and its Resource Engine
* Build brand recognition
to the specifics of the social entity, Collins suggests that the leadership principle of managing within a diffuse power structure is something for the business sector to learn; as business executives do not have the same concentration of pure executive power they once enjoyed.

All in, a useful bit of thinking for those in a not-for-profit enterprise, as well as for business leaders who like to look at organizational effectiveness from different perspectives. Dennis DeWilde, author of The Performance Connection

Jim Collins is always spot on. The insights he presents are presented with such clarity and ease of reading that I look forward to anything he does. I use it as a key part of the extensive Strategic Visioning work I do. While I enjoy all of his work, being in the social service sector, I can personally and professionally validate this offering with enthusiasm.

I thought the book was awesome. The concepts of how to become a Great Leader was quite helpful. These are concepts that I'll use to try and move my organization "From Good to Great.

The monograph is valuable only when the 5 key business concepts are well understood before trying to extrapolate them to the non-profit world. I gave just the mono to my staff and they wound up asking all kinds of questions that the Good to Great book addresses well, albeit with for profit examples.

I used the hardback Good to Great as a text for a class I taught. Then used the monograph for a staff retreat discussion (we are a university department). They both work well as a basis for discussion, analysis of your own organization, and personal challenge to explore organizational change. You don't have to totally agree with everything presented, but it makes for excellent reading and discussion. I used it for class in combination with "First Break All the Rules." Both are great discussion starters.

This book is a cultural phenom. So many companies have adopted it as a way of trying to grow and become and stay great.

I have read it and sat through numerous retreats and discussions. After a few times you can see who you are on the bus with even before they open their mouths.

A great book to keep in your library.

I was a fan of Jim Collins and have given away a number of copies of Good to Great to clients and friends where I thought his insights would be of value. His monograph on how the Good to Great framework can be applied in the social sector is even more unique. As a retired corporate executive who now provides help to a number of not-for-profit organizations, I have found his monograph to be superb way to encourage more discipline in a sector where it is truly needed.

This is the first book that I have been able to put my hands on that deals directly with helping non-profits and churches step up in their organizational approach to excellence. It helps guide directors and pastors from being "fire fighters" to reaching the goals and visions that they set out to do.

This is probably a bit over the top, but Jim Collins book Good to Great changed our entire business concept. We had been using Michael Gerbers E-Myth course to systemise our business model (in an industry that is notoriously 'ad hoc', ie housebuilding) and our E-Myth coach suggested we read Good to Great. All the Directors and staff immediately got the message. Since then we have remodelled ourselves to become 'The Ethical Homebuilders'. Jim Collins new book covers all the issues that we have encountered, particularly in regard to identifying what appear to be intangible metrics. As with Good to Great the new book is a really easy read but with lots of really great insights. I would say that all company directors should read this book because even if you don't think you are in the social sector, your customers probably think you should be!

A must read for those of us in the social sectors. A "should" read for those in business. This 10 year research project provides the kind of data needed to move forward. Read this as a final chapter to the Good to Great Book. Also check out the Jim Collins web site.

Everybody involved in the nonprofit world should read this book. I read it without having read Good to Great and still got a lot of practical, useful ideas out of it. It's a quick read, which is good because we are busy people!

Having read (and enthusiastically enjoyed) Jim Collins' "Good to Great" several months ago and working on a church staff, I was pleased to discover that he wrote this monograph to draw together the conclusions of that wonderful business book and the non-business world. I found this addition to be most helpful.

As with all of Collins' writing, this monograph is extremely accessible. He writes at a very intellectual level without getting overly technical. He presents the basic premise that not everything in "Good to Great" is broadly applicable outside the business world.

For instance, the difference between the executive authority that business leaders have is starkly contrasted with the legislative authority that leaders have in the social sector. Because I work almost exclusively with volunteers within the church, this distinction is important and obvious to me.

He also mentions that issues related to resources are more complicated than the relatively simplistic economic factors that exist in business. Instead, social organizations need to consider all of the available resources, which includes people and time in addition to money.

Despite these and other distinctions that Collins draws between the business world and the social sector, it is interesting to note that the overall principles of "Good to Great" remain valid. For instance, the concept of Level 5 leadership remains prescriptive for high-performing leaders outside of business.

His concluding thoughts are very insightful and instructive. In short, he suggests that the transition from good to great happens in business and outside of business. For my context, though the church may bring to bear particular difficulties and constraints, so does each and every institution. The principles of greatness are common across all organizations, even if they might look slightly different. In his words, "greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline." There is valuable wisdom in those words for those of us who work outside the business community. My one and only complaint about this resource is its price for a mere 30 pages. Nonetheless, just as I recommended the book, I would encourage anyone interested in being part of a great institution, regardless of the setting, to read this monograph.

If you work in a social sector BUY both of his books on good to great...get the foundation by buying the original and then read this to found out how to apply good to great to your non-profit...

A MUST READ!

This monograph outlines practical information and ideas for my non profit work. It's clear that Collins and his team have done a tremendous amount of research and assimilated their findings in very useful ways. I've shared it with other co-workers and have found it very worthwhile.

This is another chapter of good thoughts from Jim Collins. He demonstrated a good understanding of the non-profit sector and offers valuable insights consistent with the rest of "Good to Great."

This book has helped me determine areas within my business that could be improved upon by utilizing specific situations that I examined within our areas social sectors.

Too brief. Lacking in detail. Mr. Collins has written great books, but seems to lack the experience needed in the nonprofit world to write an authoritative book on the subject. That said - I'd still recommend nonprofit executives read it! - Jay Craig

This is a very good companion to the Good to Great book. However, you really need to read the first book to truly understand this one. As someone working in the public sector for a not-for-profit, this book made more sense than G2G alone. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone in the nonprofit sector. Stay focused. Remember your hedgehog.

I thought this was a wonderful book and shared copies with my senior staff as well as officers of the Faculty Senate at the College.

If you loved "Good to Great", you'll love this small monograph that refocuses your thinking to have to apply this to not for profits.

This chapter turned book, provides some nice insights into the intersection of Collins's business practices and the nonprofit sector. A helpful read for those interested in social enterprise.

I have direct experience in the social sector with over twenty-five years as an advisor or board member of several, varied non-profits. "Good to Great and the Social Sectors" resonated with me as it fills a very deep void in social sector leadership guidance.

Recently, one executive newcomer to a non-profit called to tell me she was being told to back off by other executives. She was being perceived as "too businesslike"; she did not understand the non-profit world. I asked her to have these people define "businesslike." She learned that "businesslike" meant expecting people to complete assignments on time and be accountable!!

This attitude, which permeates many non-profits, is one of several targets in "Good to Great and the Social Sectors." In fact, due to the diffuse power structure that exists for most social sector organizations, non-profits need even greater discipline - disciplined planning, disciplined people, disciplined governance, disciplined allocation of resources.
And the culture of discipline is not a principle of business; it is a principle of greatness.

Non-business leaders in the social sector must operate differently as they do not have the concentrated power of a business CEO. They have a thousand points of no. It is Collins' observation that they require two skill sets - leadership skills and legislative skills - to be successful. And, he believes you will find more true leadership in the social sector as a result.

The book is organized around five issues that need to be addressed for greatness. These are:
Issue One - How do you define great without business metrics?
Issue Two - What is "Level 5 Leadership" in the social sector?
Issue Three - How can you get the right people on the bus?
Issue Four - How do you apply the Hedgehog Concept (attaining piercing clarity about how to produce the best long-term results) without a profit motive?
Issue Five - How do you use brand to build momentum?

Great societies have both great business sectors and great social sectors. With this in mind, Collins was motivated to write this book. He realized that it was not simply good enough for him to focus on a great business sector but also on a great social sector. He has done us a service. We will gain as a society if all who work with or for non-profits read and apply the lessons of this excellent monograph.

This is an excellent, fast primer to give board members and leaders of non-profits before (or after) startegic planning sessions. Many leaders and board volunteers of social sector organizations have not read nor heard Collins' other references. So, this is an inexpensive and fast tuitorial that can bring them up to speed prior to a strategic planning program that is based on Collins' "Good to Great" principles. Several people I've given this monograph to have been so impressed with his approach that they've gone back and read "Built to Last" and "Good to
Great". s/Lawrence Connor, Leadership Consultant, St. Louis, MO

"Good To Great" remains my favorite leadership book, for a variety of reasons. The only shortfall has been in applying some of its tenets to our nonprofit organization. This monograph is very useful in making the book work for an organization that is driven by a different kind of results. The monograph also allows you to get this info without having to buy another copy of Good to Great,so it is well worth the cost for its small size.

Provocative and timely dicussions on the improvement of social sectors. Discussions are done through examples, which is easy to read. Its point of view is business oriented, which should be greatly expanded. This is true especially in many emerging nations where public and state sectors are a total mess. Instead, bureaucratic abuses are more than common in places like China and India. Read: China's global reach, which explains how government sector serves its own interest at the expense of the nation, which is more a political issue other than business issue.

The material quickly goes astray claiming that "the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is not to be become more like a business." Collins manages that conclusion through a non-sequitor - stating that basics such as personnel selection, demanding results, etc. don't count "because poor companies don't do those either."

Regardless, while Collins does identify the NYPD as an example of a well-run social-sector organization, his coverage is less than superficial. Similarly, while Collins admits that social sectors often have a problem getting rid of unsatisfactory performers, he doesn't seem to appreciate how important that is.

American public education and healthcare are the two biggest social sectors, and both perform poorly while costing more/client than that of any other nation. Public education costs have escalated far faster than the CPI in general (while pupil achievement and dropout rates have stagnated), and healthcare costs rise faster than most anything else - despite repeated evidence that basic treatment steps are frequently omitted or performed poorly, millions lack healthcare access, and Americans' outcomes lag those of a number of nations.

Part of the problem is that both sectors are heavily funded by third-parties (thus appearing "free" to users); another is the lack of good outcome measures; a third is that neither sector strongly links provider success with pupil/patient outcomes - in fact, both sectors generally achieve more income the worse their clients' outcomes.

My "Bottom-Line:" The two largest American social sector components need enormous improvement; this is best accomplished through providing incentives for them to act more like businesses - Collins' point of view notwithstanding.

In general, social and public sectors are loaded with problems that are inherited with government bureaucracy. This book offers some challenging ideas to do improvement. Great read. But will these ideas to emerging nations like India, Mexico and China? Perhaps not directly. There, bureaucratic abuses are widespread. Learn these things from a new book: China's global reach: markets, multinationals, and globalization, which offers huge insights about current Chinese politics and business.

This book is a rather pricey, 37-page paperback that attempts to apply the principles of Good to Great to non-profit ("Social Sector") organizations. This booklet is valuable and raises interesting questions. But the data are incomplete, as Collins readily acknowledges. Much is vague and general, as a result. The shift from an economics engine to a "resource engine" remains unclear and confusing. Also, he needs to look at the particular problems non-profits face, including a difficult environment, perhaps even one that no longer needs its services at all. More is needed, then, but the author is a first-rate investigator who will embrace this challenge and, I'm sure, give us a more fully fleshed-out study later.

Jim Collins has hit the nail squarely on the head. This monograph should be mandatory reading for all nonprofit staff and volunteers who want to by truly great.

Inspiring and wonderful read. I would like to know if some of his ideas on nonprofit organizations can be extended to other things. These ideas should have universal meanings. For example, many governmental entities in emerging nations have tremendous problems to do good for their societies. Some of the tough problems in China and Asia are presented in a straightforward manner in a new book: China's Global Reach, which offers sweeping views on the current Chinese political and business affairs by a Chinese journalist. Jim Collins, as brilliant as he is, should really study some of the international problems and come up with some great ideas.

I was so encouraged to see this new monograph. I work in a nonprofit and have struggled in applying some of the concepts from the Good to Great book to the nonprofit context. But this simple addition provides clarity and focus.

I really appreciated the balanced view that Jim took regarding how "busines-like" a nonprofit should be. It is so freeing to not have to be like a business but instead shoot for being a disciplined organization. I go back to his comment "Disciplined People - Disciplined Thought - Disciplined Action" constantly and am working to make that a reality in our organization.

Jim Collins impressed me for another reason as well. Instead of coming out with another edition of the book to add this chapter - which would have been much more lucrative - he decided to be a generous mind and share this in the form of a much less expensive monograph. What a help to nonprofits!

A must read if you work with or for nonprofits.