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Book Description & Structure
Harnessing the Power of Intelligence,
Counterintelligence and Surprise Events
By: Alain Paul Martin
Special Collaboration
Dr. Brian Morrissey
ISBN: 0-86502-924-5
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“This is an extraordinarily thoughtful and well written book on a topic of great contemporary importance.
Its advice is detailed, practical and completely on target.”
Professor F. Warren McFarlan
Albert H. Gordon Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
Book Description
Full of practical illustrations and insights from business, government and the military, this seminal
book covers the offensive and defensive functions of intelligence, their organization, leadership, tools
and culture. It reveals new human intelligence instruments, platforms and breakthrough concepts to
address the issues facing intelligence analysts, both at national and corporate levels. It can help
companies use smart intelligence to win customers, team-up with selected allies, and shield their
assets from competitors and other adversaries. Its focus is on detecting threats and opportunities,
by legal and ethical means, and earlier than can be learned through reliable media and other
intelligence sources. Readers will learn how to orchestrate and hitchhike on surprise events to
create value.
The book is based on Harvard University Global System™ management road maps pioneered by the author
Alain Paul Martin. It bring Martin’s intelligence framework to life and goes further by sharing hard-won
lessons from experience in business and defense. For those who want to dig further, there are extensive
endnotes, a multilingual bibliography, a series of recommended Web sites, a handy book index and two
colorful Harvard road maps on strategy and risk. The book is designed to permit readers to refer to
the intelligence framework and practical tips, time and time again.
The book is suitable for general audiences. Learning about intelligence can help each of us make wiser
choices, work better and be a more informed citizen. New ideas are clearly presented and technical
terms are explained thoroughly. Without being simplistic, the language is within the reach of corporate
staff of all levels and functions. Some stories could be used to stimulate discussions and give college
students a primer on intelligence. Numerous real-life examples about people, events, current affairs and
important issues will be fun to read, talk about, both at work and at home. As Harvard Emeritus Professor
William J. Bruns said: “Martin has created a framework and processes that anyone or any organization
can adapt and use to create information and intelligence that will prevent or reduce unpleasant surprises
in their lives or work.”
All in all, this is an excellent, timely and easy to read book with entertaining, vivid examples and
breakthrough instruments, most of which are not available elsewhere. Highly recommended for managers,
professionals and educators.
Book Structure
The book centers on human intelligence or HUMINT in the parlance of the intelligence community.
Contextual HUMINT is the organization, tools and culture of gaining insights into the mindset
of stakeholders by legal and ethical means from all sources including classified and open-source
intelligence. This book consists of two parts with six chapters each.
Part I covers both the offensive and defensive functions of intelligence. It addresses the
missions of intelligence and counterintelligence, their organization and leadership as well
as intelligence collection sources, platforms, tools and practical road maps.
Part II covers intelligence analysis and interpretation, including acting on valuable
intelligence, orchestrating and hitchhiking surprise events. It focuses on the knowledge of clients,
staff, influential actors and other constituencies, as well as on the incubation of value, threats
and opportunities. It demonstrates how the genesis of major missions, goals, policies and capital
projects follows a path driven by surprise events that is similar to the biological process of
pregnancy and childbirth. This issue incubation reality is frequently unforeseen, and thus, neglected
by most organizations. Without understanding the intricate reality of value incubation, the intelligence
exercise suffers. Real-life illustrations are used to show how to identify value, seize opportunities
and anticipate threats before they appear on the intelligence radars of others.
In human intelligence (HUMINT), the commitment of a nucleus of actors playing complementary roles
and scripts is vital. Without it, too many important ideas, intelligent trails and even great goals
and missions either languish on the drawing board or crumble in the face of resistance. The book
examines the power, status and role of the catalysts of intelligence-led change. The book introduces
the Factional Scale™, an important intelligence tool used to analyze the stakeholders. It also
features VALS™, a product of SRI Consulting Business Intelligence and a unique system for shedding
insights into the forces that drive behavior of consumers and other stakeholders.
“Executives that are just becoming aware of the untapped intelligence potential within their organizations
need to absorb this book. Martin’s prescription for enhancing traditional market research information with
intelligence activities will provide managers with the key to strategic advantage. Martin shows how to
exploit the untapped competitive power in day-to-day intelligence. He presents ethical methods of collection
and usage of intelligence and shows how all types of organizations can identify, monitor, and exploit early
detection signals. If anticipating your competitors’ next move is what keeps you up at night- start here.”
Dr. Paul Dishman, President
Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals
Associate Professor, Brigham Young University, Marriott School
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More Reviews and Praise from Executives, Business School Professors,
and Military and Government Leaders
Book Home Page
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