In a Nutshell:
In this practical read, Harnish discusses three overarching concepts that he refers to as the “Rockefeller Habits.” The first is establishing clear organizational priorities throughout the  entire company, next collecting the right data to know if you’re winning, and finally establishing effective planning and meeting rhythms throughout the organization.

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits is a practical “how to” book, heavy in actionable steps that you can put to work right away as well as worksheets including the One Page Strategic Plan.

Golden Nugget:
There are lots of nuggets to choose from but in Chapter 8, Harnish outlines a winning meeting rhythm. He insists upon brief daily stand-up meetings along with more extensive weekly updates. The suggestions are complete with meeting agenda templates and other tips. I have used the daily model especially during critical points in a project (planning stage and launch stage) to ensure all stakeholders are on the same page and that the project is coming along on time. It is amazing how much more productive people are when they know they have to report progress to their boss (or even their peers) every 24 hours. The faster the rate of growth, the more frequent the meeting rhythm.

About the Author:
Dubbed the “Growth Guru”, Verne Harnish is a regular columnist for Fortune.com and is founder and CEO of Gazelles, an executive education and coaching company. His blog is always practical and insightful.

Recommended for:
Mastering the Rockefeller Habits is a great read for entrepreneurs seeking to grow a startup into an organization and managers looking to establish better structure and provide their team clear objectives.

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits is on my recommended reading list, for the full list, click here.