Sign-In
Cart
The Broken Machine: 46 Problems. Real Causes. Practical Solutions That Fix Them for Good.
Paperback
Currently unavailable to order
Please enter your email and a message will be sent to you when this product becomes available on our website.
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 326
Weight: 0.96
Height: 0.73 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Most companies don't fail all at once. They break slowly.
Processes drift. Accountability disappears. Sales promises what Operations cannot deliver. Customer Service becomes the cleanup crew. Inventory grows while shortages continue. Production schedules become suggestions. Quality problems recur. SOPs multiply without improving the work. Meetings replace decisions. And leaders spend more and more of their time keeping the machine running.
The Broken Machine is a field manual for fixing that company.
John L. Duquette takes executives, owners, operators, and functional leaders inside 46 specific organizational breakpoints-then shows exactly how to diagnose the real cause, redesign the system, assign ownership, establish the right metrics, implement the change, and verify that the problem stays fixed.
This is not a book about transformation theater. It is about rebuilding the operating system of a company from the inside out.
Inside, you'll learn how to:
- Audit and rewrite SOPs so they reflect how work should actually be performed
- Eliminate unnecessary approvals, handoffs, workarounds, and bureaucracy
- Rebuild Sales around pipeline quality, customer fit, forecast accuracy, and profitable growth-not outdated quota pressure
- Redesign Customer Service so it solves root causes instead of repeatedly absorbing organizational failures
- Connect demand, purchasing, raw materials, inventory, capacity, production, quality release, shipment, and customer commitments into one operating system
- Build production plans around real material, labor, equipment, and constraint capacity
- Strengthen Quality and Regulatory systems without using compliance as an excuse for unnecessary complexity
- Fix CAPA, complaint handling, supplier quality, and recurring defects
- Replace dashboard theater with executive KPIs that trigger decisions
- Clarify decision rights, accountability, operating cadence, and leadership ownership
- Use technology, AI, and automation only after the underlying process deserves to survive
- Execute a practical 100-day company rebuild and leave behind a system that can run without permanent executive heroics
Throughout the book, real operating situations connect Sales, Service, Planning, Production, Quality, Finance, and leadership instead of treating them as isolated departments. One customer order can reveal failures across the entire enterprise-from the original commercial promise through material availability, production, quality release, shipment, service, cash, and repeat business.
The goal is not another initiative.
The goal is a company that knows how work moves, who owns the outcome, what evidence matters, which metric should trigger action, and whether an improvement actually stayed fixed.
If your company is profitable but unnecessarily difficult to operate-or if growth has exposed systems that no longer work-The Broken Machine gives you the blueprint to rebuild it.
Also in
Management
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Patterson, Kerry
Switzler, Al
Grenny, Joseph
Paperback
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the "Alpha" in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
The Art of Communication: How to Be Authentic, Lead Others, and Create Strong Connections
Apps, Judy
Hardcover
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Gallo, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Paperback
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Kriegel, Jessica
Terry, Joe
Hardcover
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Ibarra, Herminia
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Paperback
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Wickman, Gino
Bouwer, Tom
Hardcover
The Year in Tech, 2026: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Webb, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Anthony, Scott D.
Paperback
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2026: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by
Flyvbjerg, Bent
Review, Harvard Business
Meyer, Erin
Paperback
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Raz, Tahl
Voss, Chris
Hardcover
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
Bookkeeping - Accounting for Small Business: A Quickstudy Laminated Reference Guide
Epstein, Lita
Other
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Cialdini, Robert B.
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Paperback
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
Watkins, Michael D.
Hardcover
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Porter, Michael E.
Kim, W. Chan
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Grant, Heidi
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Hill, Linda A.
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away
Gelles, David
Hardcover
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Paperback
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation
Tedards, Emily
Wild, Jason
Hill, Linda A.
Hardcover
Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work
Bethea, Aiko
Hardcover
Getting You Ready for Power: A Woman's Guide to Building Confidence, Community, and Career Success
Meruelo, Alexis
Paperback
Generative Ai: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Cremer, David De
Review, Harvard Business
Mollick, Ethan
Paperback
The 360 Degree Leader Workbook: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World
Lakhani, Karim R.
Iansiti, Marco
Hardcover
Indispensable: How to Become the Company That Your Customers Can't Live Without
Calloway, Joe
Hardcover
The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt
Sutton, Robert I.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (Featuring What Makes a Leader by Daniel Goleman)
Ibarra, Hermina
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Hickman, Craig
Connors, Roger
Smith, Tom
Paperback
The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
Pentak, William
Leman, Kevin
Hardcover
The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders
Grossman, David
Paperback
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth about Extraordinary Results
Keller, Gary
Papasan, Jay
Hardcover
Playing to Win, Expanded with Bonus HBR Articles: How Strategy Really Works
Lafley, A. G.
Martin, Roger L.
Hardcover
Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress
Engle, Greg
Moesta, Bob
Hardcover
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life
Murphy, Jim
Paperback
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People
Chapman, Gary
White, Paul
Paperback
The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Horowitz, Ben
Hardcover
The Things We Hide: A Guide to Identifying Hidden Barriers and Leading with Authenticity
Dickerhoof, Tyler
Hardcover
Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential
Wilkins, Muriel M.
Hardcover
The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation
Werner, Jana
Le-Brun, Phil
Hardcover
Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want
Qureshi, Attia
Richardson, John
Hardcover
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
Patton, Bruce
Stone, Douglas
Heen, Sheila
Paperback
Say This, Not That: How to Master 7 Dreaded Conversations As a Leader in the Modern Workplace
Flickinger, Chris
Paperback
How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated for the Next Generation of Leaders
Carnegie, Dale
Hardcover
You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference
Sanborn, Mark
Hardcover
The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth
Allen, James
Zook, Chris
Hardcover
Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
Chamine, Shirzad
Hardcover
The Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People
Willett, Alan
Paperback
Team Topologies, 2nd Edition: Organizing Business and Technology for Fast Flow of Value
Skelton, Matthew
Pais, Manuel
Paperback
The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition
Galford, Robert
Green, Charles
Maister, David H.
Paperback
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
Thorndike, William N.
Hardcover
Biblia del Vendedor: Tecnicas Efectivas Para El Vendedor Competitivo
Dey, Alejandro
Dey, Alex
Paperback
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Maxwell, John C.
Hardcover
What Could Possibly Go Right?: The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture
Meyer, Danny
Hardcover
The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Michelli, Joseph A.
Hardcover
Rewired: McKinsey's Playbook on How Leading Companies Win with Technology and AI
Levin, Robert
Lamarre, Eric
Smaje, Kate
Hardcover
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
Linsky, Marty
Heifetz, Ronald A.
Grashow, Alexander
Hardcover
The Lean Six SIGMA Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to Nearly 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed
Rowlands, David T.
Price, Mark
George, Michael L.
Paperback
Human + Machine, Updated and Expanded: Reimagining Work in the Age of AI
Wilson, H. James
Daugherty, Paul R.
Hardcover
Harvard Business Review Entrepreneur's Handbook: Everything You Need to Launch and Grow Your New Business
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Nolo's Guide to Single-Member Llcs: How to Form & Run Your Single-Member Limited Liability Company
Steingold, David M.
Paperback
The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation
Dixon, Matthew
Adamson, Brent
Hardcover
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
Fight Less, Win More: How Master Negotiators Influence Hearts, Minds, and Deals
Gaunt, Derek
Smith, Jonathan B.
Hardcover
Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)
Harnish, Verne
Paperback
Dare to Think Differently: How Open-Mindedness Creates Exceptional Decision-Making
Zaltman, Gerald
Hardcover
The Next Conversation Workbook: Practical Exercises for Arguing Less and Talking More
Fisher, Jefferson
Paperback
Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes
Wheelwright, Tom
Paperback
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
Sullivan, Dan
Hardy, Benjamin
Hardcover
The Black Swan: Second Edition: The Impact of the Highly Improbable: With a New Section: On Robustness and Fragility
Taleb, Nassim Nicholas
Paperback