More than ever, YOU need to recognize and accept total (if previously unseen) responsibility for yourself and your organization. It is neither easy, nor automatic.
Reliance on outsiders, to the exclusion of self-auditing and internal controls, inevitably leads to disaster. YOU can do the job better: audit yourself, fix what you find, follow up on the fixes, and don’t confuse activity with accomplishment.
In recent years, even the most overconfident CEOs have acknowledged the importance of disciplined management practices such as Auditing, Feedback, Follow-up, and (above all) Accountability.
In those same recent years, monumental company failures have underscored the need and created the requirement for CEOs and CFOs to satisfy themselves and attest in writing regarding the veracity of their documentation.
Leaders don’t always have time to do their own research, so I’ve done it for YOU. It’s all in these books, ready to implement. Check them out.
BOOK 1 (2nd. Ed.): CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY MANAGEMENT
My first book will help YOU succeed across a spectrum of challenges that include, in addition to building a business:
Community responsibility
Community responsibilityEmployee health, safety and quality of life
Employee health, safety and quality of lifeEnvironmental compliance.
Environmental compliance.It will give you everything you need to build (by yourself) a robust Corporate Responsibility Management (CRM) Program for your organization, including:
An auditable CRM Standard, plus implementation guidance
An auditable CRM Standard, plus implementation guidanceA template CRM personnel manual
A template CRM personnel manualA Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct
A Code of Ethics and Standards of ConductSelf-audit checklists (including Sarbanes-Oxley).
Self-audit checklists (including Sarbanes-Oxley).BOOK 2 (2nd. Ed.): “FIX IT OR LOSE IT” MANAGEMENT
My second book will give YOU hands on help right away with:
Benchmarking & Auditing (w/ checklists)
Benchmarking & Auditing (w/ checklists)Risk Management, Gap and Break-even Analyses
Risk Management, Gap and Break-even AnalysesStrategic Planning and meaningful goals and objectives
Strategic Planning and meaningful goals and objectivesDue Diligence (w/checklist)
Due Diligence (w/checklist)Accountability
AccountabilityCorporate Responsibility and Company Character
Corporate Responsibility and Company CharacterQuality and Environmental Management
Quality and Environmental Management Material and non-material solutions
Material and non-material solutionsContract Management
Contract ManagementBusiness plans and Business Continuity Management
Business plans and Business Continuity ManagementBuilding buy-in and commitment
Building buy-in and commitment Resource allocation
Resource allocationMany more proven management tools and healthy choices.
Many more proven management tools and healthy choices. Lead the right way, by building up your people. Teach them how to think; don’t tell them what to think, and then watch as the things get better.
As a decision maker, YOU will need to apply metrics and measures of effectiveness. This book shows you how to successfully handle:
Information collection and dissemination
Information collection and disseminationRisk (threat, criticality, and vulnerability), and the proper allocation of limited resources
Risk (threat, criticality, and vulnerability), and the proper allocation of limited resourcesOptimal data collection and reporting procedures
Optimal data collection and reporting proceduresMonitoring the status of organizational goals and objectives
Monitoring the status of organizational goals and objectivesAlternative courses of action, material and non-material solutions
Alternative courses of action, material and non-material solutionsSituational awareness (internal and external).
Situational awareness (internal and external).Book 3: THE EXECUTIVE'S GUIDE TO INTERNAL AUDITING
The premise of this book and my reason for creating it is simple:
Organizations, large and small, public or private, can audit themselves more credibly and effectively than outside auditors, registrars, or consultants
Reaching a state of profitability is not enough - organizations need a corporate character, that identifies it as god neighbor and responsible member of society
Our organizations, in fact our very lives, are in danger today from both physical and cyber attacks.
Book 4: HARDENING BY AUDITNG
1. Our organizations (large and small – public and private) and, in fact, our lives are in danger from both physical and cyber-attacks, because we remain incredibly uneducated, unstructured, and vulnerable, when it comes to threats to their security.
2. Organizational Security can be upgraded profoundly through a well-developed program of internal and outside audits.
3. Similar or co-located organizations can combine resources synergistically. That is, the whole of the effort will be greater than the sum of its parts.
I have kept this work as compact as possible, so as to minimize reading time and maximize productivity. I write for no-nonsense managers with big responsibilities and limited resources. I refer often to four excellent ISO International Standards. They offer guidance for structuring effective management programs rapidly, regardless of whether or not organizations desire certification by accreditation bodies. I invite you to use my approach to Risk Management. You will find it an effective and uncomplicated method for developing and monitoring your strategic plans.
Developing a security “mindset”, using the checklists provided, and taking action on your findings will improve your security posture – immediately and continuously.
Book 5
THE EXECUTIVE'S GUIDE TO CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The premise of this book and my reason for creating it is simple:
1. Many ISO-certified organizations do not maximize the benefits of their (now) institutionalized focus on Management Review, Internal Auditing, Continual Improvement, and Customer Feedback;
2. ISO-generated records and reports (although getting better) should either be self-justifying, useful, management tools, or they should be dropped.
3. Achieving a “conforming product” is just the beginning. In fact, “conformance with specification” is antithetical to “continuous improvement”.
4. Profitability is no longer the only metric. Organizations have many other responsibilities – to themselves, employees, stakeholders, regulatory bodies in particular and the community in general.
5. Management (regardless of the scenario) contains an “Ethical Imperative”. There is no longer justification (or even possibility) of a CEO or a Board NOT knowing of the existence of either a shortcoming or a short cut.
6. I want to help all of you to “harden” your organizations against the clear and present danger of cyber-warfare in all its forms.
Book 6
MAKE IT WORK OR MAKE IT GO AWAY - A HANDBOOK FOR DOD PROGRAM MANAGERS
DoD programs are, at once, the most challenging and the most critical endeavors that will take place in the United States – now and for years to come.
The success of DoD programs depends on the thoroughness and professionalism of the contracts which direct their creation and operation.
DoD contracts must reflect, in the scope of work to be done, the measuring criteria, the governing management structure, robust strategies of risk management, due diligence, synergy, innovation, feedback, follow-up, and accountability.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) Family of management and auditing standards are a tremendous “Value-add” to developing and managing a DoD program.
The same measuring criteria used to keep a program going can tell the program manager when it should be cancelled.
DoD programs need input and guidance from warfighters, whose lives depend on program success.
“Politics” makes for bad programs and bad results; and the selection of contractors based essentially on affiliations with members of Congress can lead to mission failure; maybe even loss of life.
All six books are available in hard copy or ebook at
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND TAKE CONTROL
Internally and externally
Providing professional management consulting services since 1993.
