Busted: Debunking Management Myths with Logic, Experience and Curiosity-Ashok Soota, Peter De Jager and Sandhya Mendonca

Book: Busted: Debunking Management Myths with Logic, Experience and Curiosity
Author: Ashok Soota, Peter De Jager and Sandhya Mendonca
Publisher: HarperCollins India

Have you heard various jargons and statements being talked around as if they are cast in stone?

Management gurus like Michael Porter, Peter Drucker and other worthy practitioners have attained cult status. Their pithy phrases are repeated across the globe from Business Schools to board rooms as universal truths. But do these management truisms always hold good everywhere? Or are they myths that need to be examined for relevance in today's rapidly changing world? In Busted, industry leader Ashok Soota and management consultant Peter de Jager cast fresh light and prompt a rethinking of received wisdom. They focus on seventeen commonly accepted management principles and crisply examine the reasons why these can't be accepted as universal truths. Backed by the authors' wealth of experience in building, scaling, and consulting with organisations across sectors, cultures, and continents, Busted incorporates real-life examples and first-person interviews with industry leaders and practitioners, inspiring readers to question, test, and validate all advice regardless of the source.

The book is an interesting read as they authors explore seventeen commonly used phrases that are being used in today’s corporate world and discuss the reasons why these cannot be accepted as universally applicable. Divided into 3 sections-strategy, process and people & organisations, various phrases are deeply analysed and then a view is presented why the specific jargon might not hold water in the present times. What I liked about the book was that it is not preachy and does not present a polarizing opinion without reasoning and discussions. Another thing that stands out is that the authors have presented specific examples that lead to these reasonings and as a reader you can then make your own inferences about these “myths”. The key takeaways section at the end of each chapter is a nice way to help the reader keep stock and manage the learnings, which is a key part of reading a non-fiction book.

The authors have also incorporated the inputs from the industry leaders in various sections to reinforce the point they are putting forth and that adds interest as well as perspectives to the concept being discussed. The tone of the writing is conversational and keeps you engaged as you move ahead in the book. The detailed analysis that the authors have done helps you understand and assess the statements so that when required, you are able to make a better and much informed decision.

Overall, Busted is an interesting book that I would recommend for everyone who is either into management or aspires to become a part of one. The book scores a 4.63/5 for me.

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