The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

My wife introduced me to this book when we met. She was a Vice President, running the manufacturing operation for a firm I’d recently joined, and passionate about her work. The Goal was one of the first business-focused books I ever read, and not at all what I had expected. Instead of some formal, scholarly book, it’s gripping novel with characters you can relate to, building an increased mastery of the Theory of Constraints as they work through a series of challenges.

This is actually one of the definitive lean manufacturing textbooks, but has broad applicability across industries. Working in technology, I was able to apply many "Theory of Constraints" principles to my day-to-day work, and I consider this almost a precursor of The Phoenix Project - another critical fiction-based business book, but focused on technology.

This is actually book one of a series, which includes Critical Chain, and It’s Not Luck - all of which, I highly recommend. This is also available in graphical novel format