Six-Month Fix

GARY SUTTON has been a "turnaround CEO" for various firms, including printing, software, retail advertising, aerospace manufacturing, satellite communications, and online data storage. Currently, Sutton sits on two public and several private boards. Sutton also writes a column for a local business magazine, the T-Sector, and has authored several books.

• Introduction. First Stop the Bleeding. Turnaround Scams and Screwups. Over and Over and Over Again, the Same Mistakes. Make What Sells. Raise a Flag, Any Flag. Specialize Or Die. Scorn Break-Even. Slash Costs. Jump-Start New Products. Manage More than Lead. Crawl into Your Customer's Skin. Cheap Is Such a Pretty Word. Nudge Value Up. Human Resources Is Neither. Hustle the Hustlers. Interview Smarter. Cinderellas. Second Opinions. Contracts Are Sales Literature. Downgrade Education. Reverse Discriminate. Walk the Floor. Raise Pay, Cut Benefits. Incentivize Everyone. Tighten the Ship. Publish a Firing Policy. Beat the Union. Fight Politics. Dance with That Debt Devil, Arm's Length. Duck Computer Traps. Kill Meetings. Kick Down the Walls. What's Your Business? Turnarounds Yes, Startups No, and Why. One Bubble Off Plumb. Eliminate Sex. Attack Drugs and Alcohol. Stop Gambling. Oh, Yes You Are. Send God Back to Church. Slash Consulting. Use Lawyers Less. Romance the Bankers. Use the CPA as More than an Accountant. Insurance Stupidity. Challenge the Do-Gooders. Break Laws Carefully. The Turnaround Never Ends. How It Feels. Dressing Up the Stiff. Promote Offbeat Thinking. Cash Makes You Stupid. Demand Straight Talk. Create Real Plans. Get Advertising Results. Cut Costs By Raising Quality. Manage from One Piece of Paper. Invest Simply. Negotiate Faster. Flatten That Pyramid. Watch for Trouble Signs. Sell Harder. Raise Ethics, Boost Profits. Ride the Big Wave. Seed You Culture with the Employee Manual. Elephant Hunting. Boards Suck: Here's How to Cope. Shareholders Only. Author's Track Record. The 31 Steps That Convert Bleeders into Winners. Index.

"...it is full of firecrackers that make some valuable points.." (Financial Times, 13 February 2002) "...but this book is not typical and is well worth reading." (Eurobusiness, April 2002)"...better than almost any fiction novel I have read...could keep even non-management glued to it for hours..." (M2 Best Books, 30 July 2002)