hen you've got a problem that just won't go away, you call in the Hit Man. He's cold-eyed and calculating; he doesn't mess around, takes care of matters and gets the job done.

Philip W. Hurst, Ph.D. has written an entertaining "business novel" with a serious message. He constructs his story with examples of human behavior woven in with lessons on different aspects of business theory. The characters face challenges in both areas, and in order to save their livelihoods, they must create solutions for some big organizational problems.

This book might be more aptly titled, though. While the story does involve a senior manager with tough methods, brought in to improve performance and profits at a factory that makes 55-gallon drums, it's really about teamwork and using positive reinforcement to improve the bottom line.

The Hit Man arrives on the scene and starts to implement some unwelcome procedures. What happens in the story gives insight into both human nature and tactics for running a business. The characters learn through a series of events that taking care of the people who do the work is just as important as watching expenditures; each has a place in any successful organization.

Through the course of the story, the Hit Man moves well past filling the role of hatchet man to become an inspiring leader who comes to learn that a company's success is based on much more than big pay-outs to executives and shareholders.

The plant's employees have a few things to learn about him, too. The Hit Man earned his nickname from his reputation and it sounds to be well-deserved, at least in the beginning of the story.

Scott Johnson has been the manager of Plant Georgia for 10 years, has a real affinity for his employees. He is strong in heart, but weak in some areas of business. Corporate sales were down across the board, due to changes in the market and in the industry itself, and following one round of staff cut-backs, it looks as if Plant Georgia might be targeted for closure.

Mr. Watkins from New York, a director of operations known for his no-nonsense, hard-ball intimidation tactics, brings in senior vice president Billy Pounds, a.k.a. the "Hit Man," to review the operation. Billy has intellect and vision, but no heart.

The story is told from Scott's perspective; readers learn about his fears for the future of his plant and its employees and of his serious misgivings about having to work with the Hit Man.

"Now I have to deal with Watkins and his pencil-whipper friend," Scott says. "Billy was named the 'Hit Man' by the Vermont plant manager because Billy loves to nail people for any kind of infraction. Knowing that the two of them were on their way to my office made me feel like a cat in a room with hungry German Shepherds. And there were no trees to climb." Hurst uses several characters and situations to illustrate his points in each chapter, touching on issues such as safety, performance measurement, financials and employee recognition. Plant employees Scott, Red, Pops, Sally and Tattoo Man initially view Billy's strategies with mistrust and outright resistance.

The characters, including Billy, go through the process of learning from their mistakes and incorporating those lessons so they are better able to see things from another's perspective. They end up with a clearer picture of the overall structure of the organization.

Although the book reads quickly, it includes important information and can serve as an inspiring reference to keep on hand. A Focus Factors section at the end of each chapter encapsulates the business points highlighted in that part of the story.

A Focus Tool Kit at the end of the book is a guide for seeking answers to problems your own company may be experiencing; Hurst recommends forming small focus groups and having a facilitator lead a discussion of the questions outlined in the Focus Tool Kit.

Even the most cold-blooded hit man has a human side, and a company's accomplishments are the result of the efforts of many people. In the end, the characters learn from one another, to think more creatively and to see the value in others' skills to create a synergy in the workplace.

Those are lessons any business can take to heart.

"The Hit Man" One Man's Strategy for Growth, Change and Profit

By Philip W. Hurst, Ph.D.

Longstreet Press, Inc. Atlanta, 2003

ISBN: 1-56352-717-0

149 pages