Aligning the Stars: Organizing Professionals to Win

Citation

Hannan, H. (2002), "Aligning the Stars: Organizing Professionals to Win", The Bottom Line, Vol. 15 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/bl.2002.17015cae.001

Aligning the Stars: Organizing Professionals to Win

Aligning the Stars: Organizing Professionals to Win

Lorsch, J.W. and Tierney, T.J.Harvard Business SchoolBoston, MA2002

Keywords: Professional service firms, Professions, Executives, Professionals

Aligning the Stars: Organizing Professionals to Win, by academic Jay W. Lorsch (Louis Kirstein Professor of Human Relations at the Harvard Business School) and executive Thomas J. Tierney (former Chief Executive of Bain & Company, currently serving as Chairman of The Bridgespan Group), is a roadmap for professional service firms' (PSF) management to follow to help them succeed through the turmoil of business cycles. The solidifying focus of Aligning the Stars is Lorsch and Tierney's conviction that the most successful PSFs are those that can get their "stars" to do three basic tasks:

1. 1.

   drive the company's strategy by building enduring client relationships;

2. 2.

   consistently perform up to their full potential; and

3. 3.

   implement critical strategic elements.

In addition, the authors emphasize that PSFs rely on these highly talented "stars" to develop, mold and motivate junior staff members to ensure the bottom-line growth and long-term future of the firm. Throughout the book, the authors' highlight that all PSFs' bottom-lines are tied to providing brainpower the way corporations have long been accustomed to purchasing raw materials and parts.

A big part of this book's appeal is the authors' self-proclaimed mix of "a doer and a teacher … together around a shared passion". Often times books written by two authors come across as disjointed or unconnected. However, Lorsch and Tierney seem to complement each other very well and the end result is clearly evident. Their unique mix of perspectives is particularly effective in outlining practical and integrated approaches for dealing with "the best of the best". Lorsch and Tierney lay the building blocks with each chapter. Chapter One discusses how competitive advantage will increasingly depend on intangibles. Chapter Two explores the development of an effective strategy and how the firm's strategy shapes its external and internal identity. Chapter Three looks at how PSFs turn "talent" into "stars". From recruitment to deployment to management, PSFs' human resources are the backbone of the company. Chapter Four outlines how companies can influence "stars" to assume leadership roles. Chapter Five discusses the organizational dimensions of structure and governance and their impact on the principals of partnerships. Sustaining alignment through the management of behavior is looked at in Chapter Six. Leadership is the sole topic of Chapter Seven. And finally, Chapter Eight is for the reader. Whether the reader is a seasoned professional or new recruit, the chapter is meant to provoke reflection and self-assessment.

There are a number of texts currently available covering some of the same ground as Aligning the Stars, however, Lorsch and Tierney differentiate themselves by providing unique and exceptional insight into 18 outstanding PSFs. The authors weave relevant illustrations into their text providing the reader with a substantial amount of unique information and wisdom. Books such as Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman et al.; First Among Equals: How to Manage a Group of Professionals by Patrick J. McKenna and David H. Maister; Profit From the Core: Growth Strategy in an Era of Turbulence by Chris Zook et al.; Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High-Achievement Culture by David H. Maister; and Managing the Professional Service Firm by David H. Maister, are all worth reading, however, these texts lack the corporate insight Lorsch and Tierney have included in Aligning the Stars.

Beyond the obvious invaluable roadmap the book provides to any reader, Aligning the Stars would be a useful text for any MBA, human resources, or communications department reading list. Lorsch and Tierney's illustrations of how PSFs differ from other business enterprises, in particular, the examples the authors' provide showing how the business fundamentals that have historically been used to market raw materials and parts are not useful to professional firms, is enlightening for any student studying the workings of the business environment. Aligning the Stars clearly points out that PSFs must provide highly customized services and thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Furthermore, Lorsch and Tierney reinforce the reality that professional services are highly personalized, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must, therefore, compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Students enrolled in management, human relations, or business-related programs will be well served by reading Lorsch and Tierney' text. Aligning the Stars is not filled with theoretical babble but practical, timely information.

Heather HannanHead, Prince William Campus Library, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, USA