In each of these interviews, luck was cited as the primary factor of success. But pushing these people further, Meylan and Teays were able to uncover a number of practices that kept the whole team focused on the success of the mission. Some of them were as simple as plain old hard work. Others were as simple as doing what you knew you should do anyway. Some practices, however, bucked the trend of common business techniques. Meylan and Teays have made use of these same techniques in a wide range of knowledge-based industries with exceptional results.

Optimizing Luck in the Press		Early Praise for Optimizing Luck		Optimizing Luck Table of Contents
"Disasters happen and the key to business success often lies in being flexible enough to respond to emergencies. Optimizing Luck provides the tools and techniques for creating a corporate culture that nurtures customer satisfaction and peak performance regardless of emergencies and changes. The authors...combine their science knowledge with business management techniques to provide an analysis of business success." James A. Cox, Diane C. Donovan, The Bookwatch: April 2008, Midwest Book Review. "Drawing on the success they enjoyed as scientists working on the International Ultraviolet Explorer Project, the authors applied their knowledge in a variety of situations they later encountered as managers. Their book is highlighted with many luck-optimizing lessions such as, "...We screened for people who found challenges invigorating rather than daunting." Office Pro. "Honing in on a specific topic within a broad category like Business provides for nearly limitless range. Here are some outstanding recent examples...[Optimizing Luck] presents lessons gleaned from a NASA satellite project that uses luck-optimizing habits to make the best of opportunities...Included are sidebars of Lessons, such as human adaptability is always derived from experimentation." Alex More, Fore Word. "...Everyone and every project has to face the great unknown and a random onslaught of luck, but how people utilize split decisions can mean the difference between getting the job done right, or not getting there at all. Using luck optimizing and fault-tolerant strategies within the 'do it right' work ethic will skyrocket any goal." Executive Book Summaries. "Luck, it has been said, results when opportunity meets preparation. Optimizing Luck makes the case that luck also happens when preparation meets challenges, disasters and setbacks. The authors present analytical, first-person prescriptions for succeeding in business despite unpredictable changes, process snafus and human errors. They emphasize sound hiring practices, delegation of responsibilities, and credible and fair rewards." Cecil Johnson, Forth Worth Star-Telegram.		One of the most outstanding books on people, leadership, management and making things happen in an uncertain, global and competitive environment. This is not one of those umpteen "me too" management books which you read, promptly forget and throw into the trashcan. A book which has to be underlined, highlighted, dog-eared and made part of day-to-day living. Sanjeev N. Kulkarni, CEO & Principal Architect, Advent Software Ltd. Meylan and Teays present excellent strategies to nurture women and men as creative leaders, so that the workplace of the future does not mirror that of the past. Donna J. Dean, National President, Association for Women in Science Meylan and Teays provide an inspirational lesson on how to establish a culture of working together to optimize luck and mitigate risk. Optimizing Luck is a must read for anyone truly trying to establish a successful business culture. Gene Allen, Co-author of Collaborative R & D: Manufacturing's New Tool, and President and CEO of Decision Incite, Inc. Optimizing Luck offers a wide range of guidance to companies from hiring the best employees to effectively delegating, and from leadership values to establishing a corporate culture linked to success. I really enjoyed the book and I look forward to putting these tips into practice for my organization. Julia Loughran, President, ThoughtLink, Inc. Meylan and Teays show how the reader cannot only nurture his or her business environment to enhance the possibility of luck, but take full advantage of it when it occurs. I was very impressed and highly recommend the book to business managers and owners. Dr. James Kalshoven, NASA Emeritus, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Technology Manager Optimizing Luck covers the basics of people management, systems management, and leadership in an easy-to-read style. There's something here for everyone, from the first-time manager to the experienced entrepreneur/leader. I highly recommend it. John L. Eckenrode, President and Founder, Corporate Professional Services, a Baltimore Fast 50 Company.		Preface Introduction (Download Introduction) Part One The Groundwork Chapter 1 The IUE Project's Success Chapter 2 Luck-optimizing Systems Chapter 3 Fault-tolerant Systems Chapter 4 Leadership Part Two The Practices Chapter 5 Hiring Chapter 6 Delegation (Download Excerpt) Chapter 7 Adaptability Chapter 8 Running Lean Chapter 9 Communication Chapter 10 Rewards and Success (Download Excerpt) Part Three The Culture Chapter 11 Theory of the Luck-optimizing Corporate Culture Chapter 12 Creation of the Luck-optimizing Corporate Culture John Hrastar, President of InterSource, interviewed Tom Meylan about Optimizing Luck in early April, 2008 on Clear Channel Talk Radio 570AM WTNT's "Business Destiny" live radio show. You can listen to the interview archived on the Business Destiny® Radio web site. Courtesy of John Hrastar of InterSource
Buy Optimizing Luck by Thomas Meylan, PhD Terry Teays, PhD NOW from Amazon.com		The techniques described by Meylan and Teays work. I had the good fortune to see them in practice first hand when Tom Meylan was on my team helping to build a consulting practice from initiation to a successful international service. Frank Vezzi, Senior Management Consultant to Fortune 100 Companies Optimizing Luck provides a strong foundation for building an adaptable culture that can foster the open mindedness necessary to embrace change, allowing companies to fully realize the opportunities that are presented to them. Cynthia Gilmer, President and Founder, Opus Plus, Inc. I am a strong believer in luck! Read the whole book, and you'll get your money's worth. Trenton Hightower, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Virginia Community College Systems