The Goal: A Business Graphic Novel

Eliyahu Goldratt’s The Goal is an excellent introduction to the complexities of process improvement and operations management, made accessible through its unique storytelling approach. What stands out is how effectively it simplifies complex concepts, transforming what could have been a dry academic discourse into an engaging narrative about a struggling manufacturing plant.Goldratt’s use of Alex Rogo’s story is brilliant—his challenges, both personal and professional, make the theoretical ideas relatable and easy to follow. By weaving in the Theory of Constraints through the lens of Alex’s journey, Goldratt ensures the concepts are not just explained but demonstrated in action. This approach helps readers immediately understand and apply the principles to their own situations, whether in business or beyond.The book excels in breaking down technical information without oversimplifying it. The Socratic dialogue style prompts readers to think critically and engage actively with the material, reinforcing key lessons like focusing on bottlenecks, prioritizing flow over efficiencies, and aligning actions with overarching goals.Overall, The Goal communicates its insights with clarity and precision, while remaining thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in business improvement, operations management, or simply learning how to think systemically about problem-solving.

Yikes. File this under “Really, Pearson? You’ve never read this top business book? And you call yourself a book reviewer?”This past spring here in the bunker, a colleague emailed me and asked if I had ever reviewed “The Goal” by Eli Goldratt. Reviewed it? I’d never even heard about it. (Yikes). He recommended this bestselling business book—and I immediately ordered it. He said it “reads somewhat like a Lencioni novel and is relevant for every organization and leader.”But…full confession. I cheated and ordered the business graphic novel of “The Goal.” Big print and pictures. Just 130 pages. This “Introduction to the Theory of Constraints” will be immediately applicable to anyone with too many moving parts, too many spinning plates, too much or not enough inventory, and keeping the whole team moving in the right direction—at the right pace.How did I miss this important book? Apparently, others have missed it also. Read the front page story in the Aug. 21, 2020, edition of The Wall Street Journal: “Why Are There Still Not Enough Paper Towels?” (The answer: blame lean manufacturing.) Maybe P&G didn’t make “The Goal” required reading. (Jeff Bezos does.)Verne Harnish, author of my 2018 book-of-the year, “Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t (Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0),” gushes: “The Goal is the #1 business book of all time and the graphic adaptation makes this timeless classic and its powerful ideas even more accessible. If you only read one business book, it should be this one.”The author, Eliyahu M. Goldratt (1947-2011) is known as the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), “a process of ongoing improvement that continuously identifies and leverages a system's constraints in order to achieve its goals.” A bestseller since 1984, the book has sold more than seven million copies worldwide.“The Goal” is one of Time Magazine's “25 Most Influential Business Management Books.” (I’m only half-way through that list. Yikes, again.)The author’s business novel approach is brilliant. The interesting (and often humorous) story makes TOC understandable.Watch for:• 3 measurements• Bottlenecks and non-bottlenecks• Wrong assumptions: “workers must produce 100 percent of the time…”• Maximum stupidity (the difference between utilizing a resource versus activating a resource): “So running a non-bottleneck machine to its maximum is an act of maximum stupidity.”• POOGI (Process of OnGoing Improvement): “There is always room for better results.”• The 5 Focusing Steps of the Theory of ConstraintsTechnical? Yes. You may not manage an industrial plant, but you might lead a Scout or family hike one day with a dozen campers who hike at different speeds. Insightful? Yes—the real life hiking example turns complexity into a manageable process and cleverly explains The Theory of Constraints.Did I mention this? “Jeff Bezos has made “The Goal” required reading for his top executives at Amazon, where it has been called ‘a bible’ for the team behind the company’s fulfillment network.” And “Fortune Magazine” compared “The Goal’s” leading character to “Obi-Wan Kenobi instructing Luke Skywalker on the use of the force.”Hopefully this is enough to inspire you to read the book—or delegate the reading of the book to someone on your team.

The book is a quick read and does well to explain the TOC at a high level.Hard to read on a Kindle.

This graphic novel started as a pre-course assignment. I started reading it and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It illustrated real life constraints and solutions. Great book.

Comical approach kept me engaged. I would have gotten bored otherwise. I am not a fan of long text only books. This was amazing but to be honest, I got an introduction to this in the book "The Phoenix project"

I bought this book for my customers who are in management level. It's more useful.

I applaud the author for what they were trying to do here. Business books can often feel very inaccessible for a reader who is short on time or unaccustomed to long-format learning.However there's probably a reason this hasn't been done before. The content leaves you wondering, "who was the target audience for this?" If you're interested in the topic you're likely a business student, at which point this won't go into enough depth to help you.If you're not a business student, there's not enough content to hold your attention.

The media could not be loaded. This new Graphic Edition of the international best seller is a wonderful addition to the Theory Of Constraints bibliography. The initial "text" version was already a great page turner and continues to delight and influence millions of people throughout the world. This "comic" is even more accessible and manages to get all the key messages of the original edition.Highly recommended both for newcomers to the Theory Of Constraints and experienced practitioners who will be able to use it to seduce and teach this "common sense" (which is not so common) approach to management.