The Six-Month Fix

Lessons on how to save a sick company from a top turnaround CEO

One of the business world's most sought-after "trauma specialists," Gary Sutton has salvaged nearly a dozen failing businesses, including everything from printing, garbage hauling, and burglar alarm companies to aerospace, satellite communications, and software firms. In The Six-Month Fix, Sutton takes readers behind the PR curtain to give them an intimate look at the situations he faced coming into several sick companies and how he fixed what ailed them. Writing in his trademark frank, funny, no-holds-barred style, he shares his war stories and the lessons he learned about what it takes to save a faltering business. Not for the faint of heart, The Six-Month Fix offers honest, straight-from-the-hip advice for managers in training for the business fight of their lives. Gary Sutton (La Jolla, CA) sits on several private boards, is a Director of WebSense (WSBN-Nasdaq), and is the author of several books.

Contents

Introduction.

1. First, Stop the Bleeding.
2. Turnaround Scams and Screw-Ups.
3. Over and Over and Over Again, the Same Mistakes.
4. Make What Sells.
5. Raise a Flag, Any Flag.
6. Specialize Or Die.
7. Scorn Breakeven.
8. Slash Costs.
9. Jumpstart New Products.
10. Manage More than Lead.
11. Crawl Into the Customer's Skin.
12. Cheap is Such a Pretty Word.
13. Nudge Value Up.
14. Human Resources is Neither.
15. Hustle the Hustlers.
16. Interview Smarter.
17. Cinderellas.
18. Second Opinions.
19. Contracts Are Sales Literature.
20. Downgrade Education.
21. Reverse Discriminate.
22. Raise Pay, Cut Benefits.
23. Walk the Floor.
24. Incentivize, Everyone.
25. Tighten the Ship.
26. Publish A Firing Policy.
27. Beat the Union.
28. Fight Politics.
29. Dance With That Debt Devil.
30. Duck Computer Traps.
31. Kill Meetings.
32. Kick Down the Walls.
33. What's Your Business?
34. Turnarounds Yes, Startups No and Why.
35. One Bubble Off Plumb.
36. Eliminate Sex.
37. Attack Drugs and Booze.
38. Quit Gambling. Oh, Yes You Are.
39. Send God Back to Church.
40. Slash Consulting.
41. Use Lawyers Less.
42. Romance the Bankers.
43. Use the CPA's As More Than An Accountant.
44. Insurance Stupidity.
45. Challenge the Do-Gooders.
46. Break Laws Carefully.
47. The Turnaround Never Ends.
48. How it Feels.
49. Dressing Up the Stiff.
50. Cash Makes You Stupid.
51. Demand Straight Talk.
52. Create Real Plans.
53. Get Advertising Results.
54. Cut Costs By Raising Quality.
55. Manage from One Piece of Paper.
56. Invest Simply.
57. Negotiate Faster.
58. Flatten that Pyramid.
59. Watch for Trouble Signs.
60. Sell Harder.
61. Raise Ethics, Boost Profits.
62. Ride the Big Wave.
63. Seed You Culture with the Employee Manual.
64. Elephant Hunting.
65. Boards Suck: Here's Howto Cope.
66. Shareholders Only.
67. Author's Track Record.
68. Turning these Ideas Into Habits.