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101 Greatest Business Principles of All Time edited by Leslie Pockell with Adrienne Avila

This brief compilation of thoughts is divided into six parts: fundamentals, investment, leadership, management, marketing and success. The thoughts in each category are culled from business gurus, miscellaneous famous people, various proverbs and from holy writ. Let me just list a few examples.  Richard Branson puts into words the philosophy which must guide his many Virgin endeavors.  Vilfredo Pareto teaches a variation of the 20/80 principle. Lawrence Peter reminds readers about the Peter Principle.  Mark Twain presents wise words about advertising.  Other words of wisdom come from such authorities as Sam Walton, Bill Gates, Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball. One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Edison. He said: "Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work."

 

Be the Boss Your Employees Deserve by Ken Lloyd

The old school of business taught that a boss orders his employees around, expects them to obey and doesn't give a you-know-what about their welfare. Well, Ken Lloyd proposes that there is a better way. He says that by "becoming the boss that your employees deserve, you are truly creating a win-win situation [and] your employees will be more productive and satisfied." Then Lloyd tells his readers to respect and trust their employees, to be flexible, to communicate, to accept feedback, to have fun and to find a balance. To the casual readers, these are nice buzzwords but Lloyd follows his opening statement with concise and informative chapters explaining each idea.  All learning builds upon previous knowledge and readers are best served by following the chapters in numerical order. Respect and trust take effort to develop. Many opportunities for failure present themselves in everyday business life. Watch out for them and remember your goal of becoming the boss your employees deserve. Create a positive vision with your employees and be ethical in all your actions. You build the work culture that your employees will value or hate.  You must be credible in your action and you must accept change, encourage it and support it. Lloyd says: "Keep a perpetually upbeat and positive outlook, it is quite contagious." Successful change brings growth and without growth your company will falter and your employees will be seeking new employment. As you develop training programs, tell your employees the benefits of the new training. Also, don't waste your resources and your workers valuable time with needless meetings.  If you've read many business books before, you won't be told anything new in Lloyd's book. However, Lloyd has carefully constructed a succinct course to help you become a better manager or boss. Lloyd's writing is not cumbersome and you will benefit from reading this book. Don't you want to become the boss your employees deserve?

 

The Best Business Stories of the Year 2001 edited by Andrew Leckey and Marshall Loeb

Who has the time to read all the business related stories published during the year in a myriad of magazines? Not I! In fact, even the most efficient manager will miss reading many business related articles. But what if there were a compilation available of the best business stories of the year? Leckey and Loeb provide the busy business person with just such a collection. The Best Business Stories of the Year 2001 is the first volume of what should become a collection of annual anthologies. Have you ever read anything penned by Gerri Willis, Jean Strouse or Betty Holcomb? If not, here is your opportunity to do so. These authors are just a few of the many writers whose articles are featured in Best Business Stories. Each article presents a thoroughly researched and well-written subject, from customer service to adult summer camp to deadly foods and others. I had even read one of these reports previously. Some of my favorites include, but are not limited to: Warren Bergers remarks about the airline industry and the lack of customer service, Andy Serwers story about Saudi Arabias Prince Alwaleed and his love for investing and technology and Chris Byron's triumphant report about Donald Trump and his nearly Machiavellian quest for political office. Best Business Stories... is an accomplished anthology of interesting and informative business articles. This collection is the perfect way for the busy executive to read, and learn from, the best business stories of the year.

 

Certifiable Salesperson by Tom Hopkins & Laura Laaman

Laura Laaman and Tom Hopkins have been sales trainers for years and love to share their success stories and sales techniques with anybody. They admit that some of the information contained in their brief book may sound repetitive to veteran salespeople but advantageous skills are always worth reviewing. And some of the lessons offered in this book may not have been learned by some salespeople. The Certifiable Salesperson is the fictional story of Steve who desires to become a successful salesperson. He has found a new job and is excited for new learning opportunities. While attending his orientation, Steve recognizes that not all participants exhibit the same fervor for their chosen field of employment. Steve decides to mostly ignore the negative examples of his fellow applicants and instead to benefit from the presentation.  The first lesson teaches Steve that his attitude, whether positive or negative, will influence his daily actions tremendously. Steve himself determines the magnitude of his attitude. However, other influences, including co-workers who complain and thereby perform their jobs poorly, may drain the energy from Steve's attitude. Of course, proper physical health also plays an integral part in a person's attitude.  Success in sales is based on discipline. Steve learns to discipline himself and enhance his attitude, understand new skills and recognize customer personality types. He develops a new vocabulary which shuns energy draining terms and also spruces up his physical image, i.e., he looks the part of a certified salesperson. Other lessons follow and eventually Steve reaps the benefits of his hard work. He becomes certified and successful in sales.  As I was reading and studying this book, I was reminded of a sales course I participated in many years ago. The skills taught by Laura and Tom are not particularly new or ground breaking. Rather, these skills are the oft forgotten basics of salesmanship. Selling can be a drudgery if the salesperson hasn't been certified or has failed to remember the basics taught in this book. Therefore, read The Certifiable Salesperson and harvest the prosperity of your chosen profession.

 

Cluetrain Manifesto by R. Levine, C. Locke, D. Searls and D. Weinberger
This quasi-business book proclaims that "business as usual" no longer works in the current Internet-driven economy. Customers everywhere are tired of companies which hide either behind documents full of legalese or sterilized web sites. Customers want to interact with the human aspect, the every day workers, of companies. Instead of having one PR department in each company, Levine et al recommend that every employee can speak for a company. For example, if a tech support employee knows a way to fix a customer's problem, even if this "fix" doesn't quite fit into company policy, the employee should aid the customer without fear of being reprimanded. The same goes for any mistakes the company may have made in their product. Let the company accept immediate responsibility for the faulty product. Also, let the company, or individual employees, offer a solution for the problem. Overall, Levine et al recommend that companies return to the "open air market" type of interaction. Remember the farmers' markets? Customers spoke to, or haggled with, the sellers. Everybody was involved. That is the message of Cluetrain Manifesto.
I was baffled and confused at first about the message of this book. Eventually, Cluetrain Manifesto started making sense. The idea of a less formal, but more personal, interaction between customers and companies is appealing. "The customer rules", "listen to your customers" and "the personal touch" are cliches often expressed in business. How often are they actually used effectively? According to the Cluetrain Manifesto, not often enough.
L


Creating and Delivering Totally Awesome Customer Experiences by Gary & Blaine Millet

Many books about customer service have been written in the past but have you really learned something from them? Well, Gary and Blaine Millet decided that the right book had not been written yet and so they wrote it. Creating . . . is that book! This book isn't filled with clichés and platitudes but instead presents an action plan with decisive direction to carry out change in your business regarding your customer service. Satisfying customers is no longer enough! Businesses must delight customers; satisfied customers feel no obligation to any particular establishment. How do you delight your customers? By delivering awesome customer experiences. And the Millets will teach you how. Your customers decide what delights them and you have to figure this out. How? By first deciding if your company is customer-focused or customer-manipulative. Then you need to build the trust that your customers expect. This will not be easy and the Millets often remind you that only consistency in all aspects of your business will build this trust. You will develop Customer Experience Maps to guide you in this quest to delight your customers. This unique tool will "protect your organization from those random acts of excellence and chaos that cause customer confusion." You will also face the "So What?" test and likely fail it a few times. Your customers have physical and emotional needs and when you fulfill these needs, you delight your customers. Gary and Blaine Millet provide charts, graphs, exercises and real-life examples to aid their readers in understanding this book. Creating . . could easily become a textbook to be used in management classes. If you follow the guidelines in Creating . . . , you will learn how to delight your customers. But everything takes time, practice and patience. Your satisfied customers will not become delighted customers immediately. However, keep asking your customers what they want and expect. Then fulfill their expectations, using all the new skills that you have learned, and watch them become delighted customers.

 

Customer Mania! by Ken Blanchard, Jim Ballard & Fred Finch

What do the following restaurant chains have in common: KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A&W All American Food Restaurants and Long John Silver’s? They are all integral parts of Yum! Brands. Wouldn’t it be fun to work for a company called Yum! Brands? In 2002, Yum! Brands employed "840,000 people at nearly 33,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories." With such cultural and personnel diversity, Yum! needed help to become one united company. To accomplish this goal, David Novak and his team decided to employ a humongous do-over and create a culture of Customer Mania.  Blanchard proposes four steps to creating a customer focused company. They are: 1-set your sights on the right target, 2-treat your customers the right way, 3-treat your people the right way and 4-have the right kind of leadership. Since this book is a report card for Yum!, Blanchard provides his dream of each step, then tells readers what Yum! is doing, and then grades Yum!  Finding the right target involves becoming the "provider of choice, employers of choice, investment of choice and to have a compelling vision." But how do you produce your desired changes? You produce change by influencing your organization’s culture. Blanchard says that culture is a "shared system of what’s meaningful. It’s what people pay attention to, how they act and what they value." And of course, to create a unified culture is the massive challenge Yum! faces.  Treating your customers right involves moments of truth, both good and bad, accepting all feedback, and giving your employees the power to use common sense in pleasing customers, even if some solutions may clash with the ironclad rule book. Blanchard defines Customer Mania as listening and responding to the customer’s voice and being obsessed to go the extra mile to make the customer happy.   Treating your people right involves careful recruiting, hiring and development of your employees. Positive reenforcements, coaching and "catching people doing something right" - see Blanchard’s One Minute Manager - are also aspects of treating your people right.  Having the right kind of leadership depends on the variances between driven leaders and called or servant leaders. You can read Customer Mania! to learn the differences.  I’ve always liked Blanchard’s books. If you have no direction yet for your company, but you have a generic plan in mind, read Customer Mania! and apply what you learn.

 

Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastination and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

Do you or anybody you know ever have a problem with procrastination? Then this is the book you must read. Motivational speaker Brian Tracy reminds his readers that "There is never enough time to do everything you have to do."  Every day, all of us are bombarded by e-mails, messages, phone calls and a myriad collection of other time sappers. All of these distractions keep us from working on the significant home or work projects. Yet, what do most of us do? We squander our limited time on the aforementioned time sappers before we ever start on the meaningful projects. We neglect to set priorities and delegate. Then we wonder where the time went.  Tracy tells his readers that there are three learnable key qualities to developing concentration and focus. "They are decision, discipline and determination." Tracy then dissects the causes of procrastination and helps his readers learn new skills to overcome their faults. Readers must be willing to change and should discover that they can motivate themselves. Brian Tracy says: "Fully 95% of your emotions, positive or negative, are determined by how you talk to yourself on a minute-to-minute basis." Throughout his book, Tracy suggests to his readers to be optimistic and always learn from previous experiences, other people and other books. "Optimists always seek the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty."  Eat That Frog! was great. I found a new desire to organize and prioritize my responsibilities. Tracy doesn't promise any miracles, but his points will help anybody overcome procrastination. Of course, you must be willing to accept his counsel and put forth the effort to change your bad habits. The information found in Eat That Frog! will benefit every reader.

 

Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute by Kevin Blanchard, John Carlos & Alan Randolph
Business men and managers are always looking for new solutions and programs to aid their companies. Empowerment appears easy, you just tell your employees that they are now in charge. From then on, your company should run like a charm. Right? Wrong! Empowerment takes time and practice. The three keys to empowerment are 1.sharing information with everybody in the company, 2.creating autonomy through boundaries and 3.replacing the hierarchy with teams. As you implement these steps and follow through, your employees will actually enjoy the benefits of empowerment.
Empowerment... says it all in a small package. Short and well written business books appeal to me. Blanchard, Carlos and Randolph have succeeded in their quest to make the art of empowerment more understandable and palatable.


Fish! by S. Lundin, H. Paul and J. Christensen
This is a short novel about Mary Jane Ramirez who moved with her family to Seattle. Her husband, now deceased, had accepted a new position and so the family moved. Mary Jane found work with First Guarantee Financial and was successful at her job. However, her latest responsibility will be a challenge. She has been asked to become the
manager of the dreaded third floor. All of her employees are bored and unmotivated in their jobs. All other departments of First Guarantee Financial have to deal with the third floor because this particular department handles the general processing of the company. However, every third floor employee handles his/her job in a shoddy manner and doesn't care. Mary Jane has no clue on how to energize her employees.
Her department has even been called a Toxic Energy Dump. What can Mary Jane do? One day, Mary Jane wanders into the Pike Place Fish market. She is quite surprised to notice the vibrant energy permeating this job site. All the fish vendors appear to relish their jobs even though they are dealing with smelly and slippery fish. What is their secret for their apparent job satisfaction and even happiness? Mary Jane talks with one of the workers and learns several valuable lessons which she can apply to her department and her blase employees. She learns that happy employees 1. choose their attitude, 2. learn how to make work be more like play, 3. make their customer's day and 4. are fully present and not daydreaming or ignoring their customers.
Mary Jane presents her newly found wisdom to all of her employees and encourages and teaches them how to change. It takes time but the third floor personnel change their ways and become a productive division of their company.
Lundin, Paul and Christensen present oft forgotten business advice in a dandy package. It didn't take me very long to read Fish! but I gained information which I can use in my job immediately. "Catch the energy and release the potential" may sound like a trite phrase but it is at the core of what Fish! teaches.


 

Fish! Sticks by S. Lundin, J. Christensen & H. Paul

"Sustaining changes is the true test of leadership."  The sixth floor of Good Samaritan Hospital successfully implemented changes to increase employee morale and improve patient and hospital relations. All employees learned the Fish! Philosophy, earned their fish and were happy to work on the sixth floor. But eventually, the excitement and energy created through Fish! abated and Rhonda, the new floor manager, recognizes that her employees are reverting to their old habits.  "In the beginning, novelty can be an adequate source of energy.  Over time, a deeper and more sustainable source must be found." Talking to one of her nurses, Rhonda says: "...everything needs a little maintenance to keep its value." But what kind of maintenance will keep the value of Fish! on the sixth floor?  Rhonda seeks help from her friend Margo and Margo suggests that the two of them visit a sushi bar where the service and food are so excellent that customers willingly wait in a long line to get in. The owners of the restaurant teach Rhonda about "vision moments" and about finding the "IT" that will keep the momentum of positive changes growing in the workplace. Every workplace has a vision of success and employees will discover the "IT" when they learn their personal piece of the vision.  "The only way to find our IT inside the vision is to talk about work with coworkers." Rhonda accepts the challenge of finding the all-important "IT" and helping her employees retrieve the joy of Fish!. She has learned that finding IT, living IT and coaching IT are the principles required to sustain positive change.  Fish! Sticks increases the value of the lessons taught in Fish! and nicely complements the Fish! Philosophy. The authors acknowledge that any changes to break old habits, or changes to sustain good habits, will take time and prolonged efforts. But anybody willing to do the work, will benefit from the Fish! Philosophy and Fish! Sticks.

 

Fish! Tales by Stephen Lundin, John Christensen and Harry Paul

In the authors' previous work, Fish!, you learned about the Pike Place Fish market in Seattle and the amazing fishmongers that have so much fun with their work. Lundin, et al, gave you four guidelines to increase your job satisfaction, enjoyment and performance. These were: "Play," "Make Their Day," "Be There," and "Choose Your Attitude." Says Lundin: "Living this [FISH!] philosophy results in a workplace where the quality of life is satisfying and meaningful, and the experience for customers, internal and external, is compelling." Now comes Fish! Tales, in which the real experiences of several companies who have put FISH! to the test, are told.  Can your workplace be fun? Yes! But first you will need to discover all the superfluous rules and the unbending attitudes which have poisoned your work atmosphere. Do you have a senselessly restrictive dress code or statistical requirements that stifle workers enthusiasm? If yes, discard these hindrances. Allow playfulness to enter your hallowed and stuffy offices. "[T]o have a livable work environment, one in which human beings thrive, a certain amount of playfulness or lightheartedness is required."  The Sprint Global Connection Service call center in Lenexa, Kansas, was one of these disheartening fiefdoms of office drudgery. Employee satisfaction was low and turnover was high. For most phone agents, their jobs were black holes sucking them dry of all of their ambitions and energy. Sprints answer to this dilemma was to create more rules. Wrong answer!! Then Lori Lockhardt, director, discovered FISH! and decided to accept the challenge of improving her call center. Change doesn't come without growing pains but Lori persisted and the happy results soon became apparent. Today the call center is a fun workplace!  "Make Their Day" is the next point and the authors tell you about a car dealership. Remember your worst experiences with a car dealer. Now read how Rochester Ford Toyota, under the FISH! enthused leadership of owner Rob, grew to respect customers and learned to "make their day."  Nurses and other medical personnel are notoriously overworked and understaffed. Caring for patients often is supplemented with incessant monitoring of medical devices. Technology is great but the personal touch associated with patient care is becoming diminished. Shari Bommarito, R.N., faced this perplexity when she started working on the neuro-renal floor at Missouri Baptist Medical Center. When Shari learned about FISH!, she knew that this was the answer. Her story will inspire you.  The Tile Technology Roofing Company of Tacoma teaches you about choosing your attitude. Again, change wasn't easy but the roofers accepted the challenge to choose their attitude. And their customers satisfaction improved.  Fish!Tales is an excellent companion volume to Fish! I enjoyed reading about the actual applications of the FISH! philosophy. Every workplace will benefit from FISH! And I was reminded about making work fun, making my customers day, being there for my customers and choosing my attitude.

 

The Game of LIFE: How to Succeed in Real Life No Matter Where You Land by Lou Harry

Do you remember playing the Game of LIFE? How many children did you have and how did you finish the game financially? Most likely, you don’t remember the last time you played this game. However, Lou Harry and his family still play the Game of LIFE. Lou realized that the game isn’t just a friendly diversion, without the Schadenfreude of squashing your opponent. Instead, the game provides an invitation for introspection and evaluation of one’s endeavors. Lou reminds his readers that some areas of the game board have been changed over the years. Well, let’s see what Lou has to say about the Game of LIFE.  Just like the post highschool real life, the Game of LIFE offers players, yes we all are players in this life, the choice between additional education and starting a vocation. Of course, heavy educational debts may limit future career choices. And yet, working a part time job while going to school may lessen the debt load but decrease your test scores. Already players in the real life face a dilemma.  In Utopia, obtaining further education is followed by choosing the perfect career path. Somewhere along the line, many players will also get married. The Game of LIFE caused all players to enter marriage; real life, albeit, provides more leeway. And since Utopia is an unattainable concept anyway, we might as well accept the reality of our lives.  While playing the game, as well as experiencing the real life, you will most likely lose your job at some time, perhaps buy a house, adjust to financial pitfalls and boons and have children. Other expenses and surprises will also test your fiscal stability. And remember that your leisure time can easily be negatively influenced by the omnipresent television, which allows you to be "amusing yourself to death" as Neil Postman says. By the way, I highly recommend Postman’s books.  Lou’s interpretation and comparison of the Game of LIFE and real life is entertaining, even stimulating. I particularly enjoyed his musings about Valentine’s Day. As part of his narrative, Lou provides "life quotes" from various notables including this one from one of my favorite humorists, Erma Bombeck: "If life is a bowel of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?"

 

Generosity Factor by K. Blanchard and S.T. Cathy

Generosity Factor is the story of three individuals, the Broker, the Driver and the Executive. The broker enjoys the good life. He worked hard to achieve his worldly success and loves his toys. He firmly believes that all of his success stems from his own efforts. The Driver patiently chauffeurs the Broker to meetings and accepts the Broker's insensibility without murmuring. Money is tight and chauffeuring isn't the Driver's only job. The Driver loves his wife and children and is active in his church. The Executive finds great pleasure in his work. In fact, his work is actually a calling for him to help his employees improve their own lives and also gain spiritual insight from their work. How does the Executive do this? That is the question the Broker wants answered, so he visits the Executive.  The Executive seems like an ordinary man, albeit wildly successful in his business. He truly cares for all of his employees and he loves to surprise them with unscheduled personal visits. The Executive finds great joy in sharing his wealth. He feels that he has a spiritual obligation to give to others. He sponsors foster homes and scholarships. And he teaches that a trust in God, combined with four things every person can give-time, talent, treasure and touch-accounts for his success. His generosity blesses his life and he says: "Generosity is about balance about making all of one's resources available." The Broker of course is quite skeptical but eventually he tries out his new knowledge and learns the truth about the Generosity Factor.   In the preface, the authors propose that following the scriptural advice, "It is more blessed to give than to receive," has many rewards. These rewards can be emotional, relational, financial and "even spiritual." Generosity Factor teaches the reader how to gain these rewards, how to understand that cheerful giving of resources, be they money or time, actually is more beneficial than hoarding these resources selfishly.

 

Glorious Accidents by Michael J. Glauser
You want to become an entrepreneur, your own boss, but are you ready? There are certain keys you must follow to be successful. Do you know them? Michael Glauser encourages future entrepreneurs to know the terrain of their business before plunging forward. He tells the reader to find a mentor who will listen to them without judging them. Additionally, Glauser also talks about working with tenacity and zeal. He teaches the new entrepreneurs about the responsibilities of running a business. He reminds the new entrepreneurs to give something back to their communities. Overall, Glauser presents a perfect blueprint to starting a business.
I liked Glorious Accidents. Michael Glauser did a ton of research for his book. He interviewed numerous successful business people and organized the information into ten specific chapters. Glauser also was an entrepreneur and brings this knowledge to his book. I would definitely want to read Glorious Accidents before I ever started my own business.


High Five! by Ken Blanchard, Sheldon Bowles, Don Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew

"None of Us Is As Smart As All of Us!"  Fired! Alan Foster was fired! Why? Because he couldn't work with others. Alan was a superb producer but a lousy team player. His boss told him: "I need good producers...good producers who are team players, too." This was Alan's downfall. He just couldn't endure being a team player. He received an excellent severance package and decided to watch his son's hockey team.   The Riverbend Warriors, Alan's son's fifth grade hockey team, had good coaches. Yet, the team was at the bottom of the league. Why? Because the Riverbend Warriors didn't play as a team. Rather, each boy played for his own goals without considering the team's goals.  Alan is invited to help coach the team, especially, to help teach the boys how to be team players. Alan knows that a person often can teach best what he himself needs to learn. He acknowledges his plight and accepts the challenge. But how can he teach team work? Alan enlists the help of another successful coach, Weatherby.  Weatherby kindles a team spirit in the Riverbend Warriors. The young hockey players learn about individual responsibility and how this corresponds with the teams goal. Weatherby helps the team set an astounding goal, to win the division cup for one of their team mates who was hurt during a previous game. To help garner this goal, Weatherby tutors the Riverbend Warriors, and their coaches, in four key points: 1. Have a sense of purpose; 2. Develop high skills; 3. None of us is as smart as all of us; 4. Repeated rewards and recognition.  High Five! is the best book about team work that I have read. I savored the story and the direct approach the authors took in delivering their message. If you have a team at work that isn't successful, or if you are starting a team, you must read this book.

 

How to Become a Rainmaker by Jeffrey J. Fox
"The rainmaker is the sales person everyone else wants to be! What is a rainmaker? He is the employee who brings in the most revenue for the company. Not all rainmakers are sales personnel. Rainmakers can also be managers or owners. Again, the rainmaker is the employee who harvests the most earnings for his company. The rainmakers credo includes, among other things, treating customers as you would treat your best friend and listening to customers and deciphering their needs. Jeffrey Fox teaches that rainmakers ask themselves "Why should this customer do business with our company, with me?" Then Fox tells the reader that the rainmaker determines how the customer is benefitted directly and personally.
I could continue quoting from Fox's book but that isn't necessary. Fox teaches the reader all the steps to becoming a rainmaker. Of course, Fox can't force any reader to actually apply the lessons in his career. I have already benefitted from reading this book in that Jeffrey Fox reminded me of several skills I had learned previously. Fox also taught me a few rules that I had not considered regarding customers and customer service. How to Become a Rainmaker is a good addition to anybody's library.


An Innovators Tale by Craig Hickman

There is trouble brewing at Carter-Crisp Foods. Sales are down and their last few new ideas for snack food innovations were brought to market by Nibblers Corporation before CCF could make it to the consumer market. How can this happen? CCF is a smaller company still family owned but NC is rapidly expanding its market share. And NC has made a bid for CCF. Taylor Zobrist has just received a well-earned promotion; she is the new President of Product Development. But with this promotion comes a colossal challenge. Taylor and her crew must develop and bring to market several new snack food products within the next ninety days or else. If they fail, CCF will be sold to NC. Taylor defines four perspectives to accomplish her nearly impossible task. These perspectives are: 1-Improve core businesses, 2-Exploit strategic advantages, 3-Develop new capabilities and 4-Create revolutionary change. Taylor believes that there may be a spy from NC in CCF and she shrouds her team and their work in secrecy. But NC plays hardball and employs scare tactics to discourage Taylor from finishing her immense and important task. Will CCF become part of the NC empire or will this story have a happy ending?  I enjoyed Innovators Tale more as a novel about industrial espionage than as a business book. Hickman's characters are a bit bland but the story keeps moving. This book is not a must read. However, it does have some merit for business applications.

 

Instant Millionaire by Mark Fisher
"You Will Succed! Never Give Up! Never!"
Mark Fisher presents his Life Lessons in Wisdom and Wealth in novel form. The story concerns John Blake who works for an advertising firm and hates his job. John is divorced, has no personal life and spends far too much time at work. His boss often takes advantage of John by sending work home with John. Then one day John is introduced to an eccentric millionaire who shares personal and financial advice with John. Most of this wisdom takes the form of personal enrichment cliches, but Fisher doesnt just regurgitate old information. He adds to his advice and writes an entertaining novel in the process. The old millionaire also tells John to forget about the melancholy and disappointment his previous failures caused. But the millionaire counsels John to learn from his mistakes. In the end, John does succeed and attributes this success to the life changes he made because of his millionaire friend. 
Instant Millionaire is fun to read. I often prefer business books which present their information in novel form. Mark Fisher does leave the ending open; perhaps he has a sequel planed.
L


Invisible Touch by Harry Beckwith
The service industry is a huge business. Each of us as customers deals with some type of service organization every day. What do service businesses offer that can't be immediately seen? They offer an experience. How do you as the customer feel about your service experience? Most every customer has experienced service industry horror stories. Harry Beckwith explains with wit and experience how the service industries can make the customers service experiences outstanding. Beckwith focuses on price, brand, packaging and relationships as concepts in teaching this branch of marketing. Invisible Touch is written in short chapters but with personal insight. Beckwith keeps the information flowing quickly and concisely.
My favorite section of Invisible Touch was the section on customer and service industry relationships. Harry Beckwith follows his own advice. He presents his information succinctly and without unnecessary rhetoric. Beckwith teaches that the service industry needs to improve its invisible touch.


Jump Start Your Business Brain by Doug Hall

When you start reading this great book, dont skip the foreword by Tom Peters. Humor is apparent in every chapter and Doug Hall doesn't bore the reader with archaic or extremely scholarly terminology. Hall measures out his information in well-packaged parcels and even suggest three options of how to read his book.  Hall reminds his readers that "True shopkeepers are driven with a passion to fulfill their customers' needs, dreams and aspirations." As I was reading this book, ideas presented themselves to help me in my business. I was even reminded of the extended definition of "customer."  Now Doug Hall makes no guarantees that his book will solve all of your problems. He does, however, present step-by-step instructions to guide you in your business success. Uncertainty will plague you but Hall says: "Your ability to accept and manage this uncertainty is what will determine your success." Each of your business ideas will need to be investigated against four key elements that Hall presents to the reader.   One of my favorite ideas in this book is the "mind dump." With plenty of stimuli, and diversity in your work group, the "mind dump" will generate a plethora of ideas. Where do you find your stimuli? From your surroundings and observations, from the notes you take every day as you enjoy quiet times and hectic times, from life as a whole! Hall often reminds his readers to be active physically and mentally, to create a balance in their lives.   I want to add my kudos to the many praises already given to this book. Doug Hall quotes Benjamin Franklin often and admits that he, Doug, is still learning and improving. Eureka!Ranch, Doug's business and think-tank, sounds like a superb place to acquire new business ideas and knowledge. Jump Start Your Business Brain is a terrific business resource and tool.

 

Leadership Pill by Ken Blanchard & Marc Muchnick

"We can compress all of the attributes of effective leadership into a single pill!" That is the monumental announcement made by Leadership Pill Industries and corporate America may never be the same. A dearth of talented leaders, who are filled with integrity and know how to motivate and lead their employees, has plagued American businesses for years. The Leadership Pill, this awesome wonder drug, is touted to be the solution to the leadership crisis. But is it really possible to create the pharmaceutical equivalent of years of hard earned leadership skills?   The Effective Leader doesn't think so. He says that the ingredients of the LP are flawed, that "people who use the Leadership Pill are concerned only about getting results." Winning the trust and respect of their employees are skills that effective leaders have gained through years of experience, not by taking some Leadership Pill. Therefore, the Effective Leader challenges the results of the Leadership Pill. He proposes a year long contest in which he will lead a team of poorly performing employees, transform them into a successful cohesive team and meet production goals all without taking the Leadership Pill.  This short story is a good primer for new leaders and an easily read review for seasoned leaders. Readers will learn that effective leaders practice integrity in all that they do, form a partnership with their employees, offer responsibly chosen affirmations and eventually let their employees think for themselves. Effective leaders know that "leadership is not something you do to people, it's something you do with them.

Lead to Success by Rick Pitino with Bill Reynolds
Rick Pitino has faced many difficult challenges of leadership during his coaching career. Now with his latest book, Pitino shares ten traits of leadership which he has developed and fostered. He often calls on examples from his profession to illustrate his points. A leader must create a vision of results and rewards for the people working under him. Additionally, leaders "must constantly reinforce the goals of the group." Are all leaders perfect? Hardly! Being a dictator is not desirable because the employees will resent their leader. Being a friend to all employees also is not desirable because no pure leadership hierarchy will exist. "Poor leaders lack vision. They are too locked into the present tense, either bogged down in daily problems or simply reacting to past failures." An excellent leader will not compete with those he leads. He will admit his faults and keep his team's vison on their future. Most of all, an excellent leader will be adaptable and willing to learn from past experiences.  Rick Pitino filled Lead to Success with personal sports anecdotes to illustrate his ten leadership traits. I was reminded of leadership skills I've already learned as I read his book. But as Pitino says in his book, leaders and employees must be reminded of the fundamentals.


Managing With Carrots by A. Gostick & C. Elton

You may think that your well-paid employees are loyal to your company. Unfortunately, this isn't true. As the authors say: "Money doesn't buy commitment." Yes, good pay is nice but employees want more. They want to feel satisfaction in their jobs. Without feeling satisfied, employees lack commitment enforcement. What are the "carrots" employees need to feel satisfied? The authors list several.  Sincere recognition given in a public manner is one of the carrots employees seek for job commitment. Often, managers make a poorly prepared attempt at recognizing an employee's good job. And often these blundered attempts affect the employee negatively. Managers must learn to favorably appreciate their employees. The presentation, the presenter and the award should all have legitimate value for the recipient. Also remember that cash awards make poor carrots.  Employees also want to know what is expected of them, they want the tools to do their job well and they want to do the best job they can, using their individual unique skills. As a manager or business owner, it becomes your responsibility to provide your employees with these carrots. If you don't, your employees will easily change jobs and companies when the opportunity becomes available because they are not committed to your company.  Godstick and Elton cite real life examples, including Avis and BellSouth, of successful carrot application. This book is short and the information is concise. Managers will learn how to "manage with carrots."

 

Many Miles to Go by Brian Tracy

The siren song of adventure enticed Brian and his friends to attempt a grand road trip. Brian and his friends traveled from Canada to Africa in the mid 1960's with limited planning and foresight. And Many Miles to Go is the coverage of this trip. Brian tells readers that this book can be read on three different levels. Firstly, this book is an entertaining travel adventure. Secondly, Brian proposes that his book can be interpreted as a search for truth. Thirdly, Brian's book serves as a biographical journey through the emotional and physical stages of life.   Throughout his years as a motivational and business speaker, Brian has learned a new way to look at life and what it offers. He says: "Life is a journey, and every part of this life is a small journey, complete in itself. Your experiences along the way, and how you react to them, are what make you who you are and determine who you will become."   Once on the road, Brian and his buddies quickly discover that successful plans can still be derailed by unexpected events. That is the time when you learn to improvise. Unfortunately, important lessons don't come cheaply and they usually require some form of emotional or monetary payment, or both. Flexibility in achieving your goals is a key of your success.  Perseverance was one of the more important lessons Brian learned on this trip. "I found that if you make a total commitment to a goal and hang on long enough, something always happens." Even when mechanical difficulties and governmental red tape threatened the trip, Brian and his friends endured until something happened. Obstacles are to be expected in any worthwhile undertaking but as Brian says: "They [obstacles] are sent to teach you something vital that will help you in the future." And during their self-chosen ordeal, Brian and his buddies not only learned to rely on team work but to also offer help to fellow travelers and to graciously accept help when they needed it. Many Miles to Go succeeds in all three aspects of its reading mission. This book offers vivid descriptions of arduous desert travel, allows readers to contemplate their own character and provides a personal tale of trial and triumph. Most of the lessons which Brian learned also have application in everyday and business life.

 

The Mormon Way of Doing Business by Jeff Benedict

A simple conversation with an old friend in publishing led Benedict to an unexpected book deal. Benedict’s friend was intrigued by the fact that several major nationally known companies had Mormon CEOs or top executives. While researching his assignment, Benedict interviewed and interacted with these Mormon business men. In fact, his time with David Neeleman of JetBlue was quite entertaining. Ending his author’s note, Benedict mentions that each of the eight LDS executives featured in this book follows "countercultural" business rules and that "they form the basis for The Mormon Way of Doing Business."  Several of these business men served full-time missions for the LDS church. Two years of voluntary and uncompensated service taught invaluable lessons. For example, Neeleman joins his crews in serving customers, hauling luggage, cleaning up, etc. Says he: "The mission taught me discipline and gave me the opportunity to serve and really appreciate people." And Gary Crittenden of American Express adds: "The thing a mission does is teach you persistency."  As Mormons, these men might be presumed to be timid in difficult situations, but such is not the case. Dave Checketts’ experience in 1991 is a great example of the competitive streak each of these men possesses.  While climbing the proverbial corporate ladder, each man also fulfilled various church responsibilities, kept his marriage intact and his family together. How do you perform that juggling act successfully? You set rules and follow them. But each executive admitted that his rules also incorporate flexibility. What else sets these Mormon business men apart from other men with similar jobs? They don’t drink or smoke, they live strict lives of integrity and fidelity, they tithe, they regularly study their scriptures, they are devoted to their families, they keep Sunday as a religious day as free from worldly work as possible, and they pray. Each man also gains strength from his supportive wife.   Latter-day Saints, Mormons, tend to be held to higher standards by the general public. Each of the executives featured in Benedict’s book presents a shining example of success in family life, religious devotion and in business.

 

Moving Mountains: Lessons on Life and Leadership by Reinhold Messner

Who is Reinhold Messner? He is regarded as the world's greatest alpinists. Messner has climbed all fourteen of the world's 8,000 meter peaks without the aid of supplementary bottled oxygen. His ascents even include a solo climb of Mount Everest. During his adventurous years of climbing, Messner developed a personal ideology which carried him through his triumphs and failures. Actually, what other people consider failures, Messner considers learning experiences.   Messner teaches that every quest requires "an inner process of spiritual creation." While climbing, Messner asked himself what his life and motives for self-discovery should be. He found validity and morality in the beauty and challenges of nature.  Moving Mountains is a compilation of Messner's thoughts taken from his previous writings. Every one of his expeditions taught Messner about leadership and accomplishing his goals. These trips became journeys of self-discovery; Messner says that adventure is his life's calling. He tells the reader that "...motivation is momentum from the inside" and that "[t]here is no greater stimulation for one's own enthusiasm than self-determination."  The chapter on personal qualities, with corresponding examples from Messner's life, serves as a primer for all future leaders. Anybody setting out on any enterprise will benefit from Messner's definition of the acronym A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.  Moving Mountains is best read a section at a time instead of in one sitting. It can be read as a reference work or as an inspirational account of one man's mastery of his life. I agree with Messner that "people without vision are not innovators" and I will keep his advice handy.

 

One Minute Apology by Ken Blanchard & Margaret McBride

Can old dogs learn new tricks? Can new dogs learn better tricks? Have you ever screwed up and needed to apologize? If yes, then this book is for you! Many everyday apologies may sound sincere but prove to be inadequate and insincere in the long run. However, as Spencer Johnson writes in his introduction, "the One Minute Apology is more than a technique . . . [i]t is a useful way to think and live more successfully."  In this story, the president of this fictional company has lost control. His actions are in question and the company is in financial trouble. But the president denies that he has made mistakes and yells at his board members instead. His assistant, the Young Man, yearns to help save the company and the president's job. The Young Man has the weekend to discover a solution. He calls his friend, the One Minute Manager, and arranges a visit to the Manager's vacation hideaway. For years, the One Minute Manager has been teaching about "One Minute Goal-Setting, Praisings and Reprimands." Now he will teach the Young Man about the One Minute Apology. He says that "the power of the One Minute Apology (OMA) is deeper than words." And so the Young Man learns that the OMA consists of several parts, one of which is realizing and admitting that a person needs to apologize. "In a One Minute Apology you admit you are wrong and you deal with the cause of the damage instead of the symptoms." A successful OMA takes commitment, action and a visible change in behavior. "An OMA is incomplete without a sincere attempt to make things right." The Young Man also learns about N.A.T.O., a principle governing the OMA. Instead of torturously wading through 100's of pages of psycho-babble to understand the minutia of human reactions to apologies, read the One Minute Apology and apply the simple advice. This small volume will easily join the One Minute Manager in becoming a staple of business reading.

 

Power of 2 by Anthony Sciré

None of us will ever forget the dastardly acts of 9-11-2001 that killed thousands and destroyed an American landmark. "The horrific events of that fateful day served as a giant wake-up call that life is all too short and precious. [W]e need to spread more love and be nice, kind, and good to everyone we know or meet, in everything we think, say, and do, as we fully live and contribute each day."  Every negative action eventually also has a positive reaction and this terrorist attack started a wave of goodwill and patriotism in America. Power of 2 is Tony's dream "to expand the wonderful wave of kindness" which started that dreadful day. But how do you ride this "wave of kindness?" By fostering what Tony calls a high-touch relationship. "A high-touch relationship is a strong, mutually beneficial association of two people who are nice, kind, and good to each other as they do things together."  Tony reminds his readers to become friends and touch hearts to help each other. You cannot accomplish the Power of 2 by yourself. You will need to build relationships. Remember your attitude and how you treat others even when life's experiences beat you up. As with all growth, success only comes when you expand or redefine your comfort zones and take risks.  Tony provides three key components for starting relationships. These are: 1-releasing your people power through your eyes, 2-making verbal contact and 3-developing harmony. It is amazing how smiling, showing interest and having a positive attitude can influence your relationships. "Always think about other people. Relate to them with a positive attitude and show you honestly care." Other advice in Tony's book includes, but is not limited to, increasing and sustaining your passion for your goals, getting the most benefit from formal and informal meetings with clients and the lessons in networking. Of course, there is also Tony's knack with business cards.  Power of 2 is an entertaining and informative course in getting back to basics, becoming attentive and positive in your relationships and learning to "roll with the punches." Tony's book could easily become a business classic. Read Power of 2 and decide for yourself.

 

QBQ!: The Question Behind the Question by John G. Miller

Quoting from a billboard in Houston, Miller asks his readers "whatever happened to personal responsibility?" It seems to Miller that more and more people are quite contend to point fingers, shrug off their responsibility, and blame somebody else for anything and everything. "Who will take personal responsibility?" is the question! Who will be personally accountable? Miller clearly states that personal responsibility is actually personal accountability.  How does this apply to you as a reader? By learning to accept and act upon personal accountability, you can aid in repairing problems in your life and in your job. Don’t blame others for your fixable difficulties. Miller tells fun stories of positive and negative accountability. And his readers glean the information to ask themselves how they can make a situation better instead of finding scape goats.   How do you erase your negative responses and learn positive responses and accountability? By asking better questions! Instead of saying "Why did this happen?", "Who is to blame?", Who screwed up?", ask "How can I make this better?", "What can I do to help with the project?", etc. This may sound simplistic but it works once tried. Of course, there are additional points to QBQ!. Miller mentions that most people think of creativity as working "outside of the box." Well, that proverbial box oft times isn’t flexible. Therefore, Miller defines true creativity as "succeeding within the box." In other words, learn to be personally accountable with the resources you have been given instead of fruitlessly searching for the magical balm which will heal all your ailments. Also, embrace Miller’s definition of ownership as a "commitment . . . to fix the problem and never again affix the blame!" Miller encourages his readers to be true to their word, to become leaders in their personal realm.   QBQ! is a short, and yet quite insightful, book. Miller shares humorous stories of negative personal accountability and also employs humor to teach his lessons. His breezy writing style allows readers to quickly read QBQ! once. Then readers can follow Miller’s advice and read the book again.

Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
"Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better." Does this statement apply to your company or business? If yes, what are you going to do about it? Read Raving Fans. A new area manager is deciding how to improve customer service when he is approached by a stranger who says: "I'm here to show you the three magic secrets of creating Raving Fans, the ultimate in customer service." As the story continues, this stranger shows the new area manager multiple examples of superb customer service. In the process, the area manager not only gains a new understanding of what customer service actually means, but he also learns how to excel at giving customer service.   Raving Fans is one of my favorite business books. I've successfully applied the advice of Raving Fans to my job. Blanchard and Bowels have written a concise volume about customer service. Their book provides all its information by way of a delightful and simple to understand story. I earnestly recommend Raving Fans to anybody dealing with customers.


Sandbox Wisdom by Tom Asacker

This is a fable about Bill and his company which is close to going under. Employee morale is low and the company's finances are bleak. Bill is nearly at the end of his rope when a good friend calls and recommends a business "guru" to help Bill with his problems. Bill meets Falcon and is amazed at what Falcon and his granddaughter teach him. Bill learns that his customers want to deal with truthful salespeople who have empathy for the customer's needs. Falcon also teaches that every employee-customer contact must be filled with genuine interest in the customer. All customers want to feel valued and all customers appreciate sincere praise and compliments. This means that Bill must reeducate his employees about truly focusing on their customer's needs and not to be distracted by the day-to-day worries of company life.  Falcon also teaches Bill that we respond to people who are like us. This also is true of our customers who rather deal with salespeople who appear to be like the customer. Do you alter your handshake to fit the customer's handshake? Do you tailor your interactions to your individual customers?  Bill also learns that customers will forgive mistakes if the mistakes are resolved quickly and resolved with the customer's interest in mind. Bill's customers may also have different expectations and perspectives than Bill has. Therefore, Bill must be adaptive and intuitive.  Sandbox Wisdom is a fun way to relearn some simple, but oft forgotten, business lessons. Asacker's book is short and the story is entertaining. Yet, the reader is taught and receives business insight. Guidance in business can come in a small package and Sandbox Wisdom is that package.

 

Thinking for a Change by John C. Maxwell

How does your thinking affect your daily life? Can you personally influence your success in life by thinking differently? Of course you can! In fact, Maxwell affirms to his readers that "successful people think differently than unsuccessful people."   In this book, Maxwell endeavors to teach readers how to change their thinking and thereby change their lives. There is a distinct relationship between your thinking and your progress and this relationship involves a positive way of thinking. Maxwell says: "Your life tomorrow will be determined by what you think today." Therefore, banish your negative thoughts and cease to associate with perpetually negative people. Your thinking caps your potential. Just as positive efforts bring positive results, so does excellent thinking bring excellent potential.  But how do you change your thinking? By following Maxwell's step-by-step instructions found in this book. And keep in mind that changed thinking doesn't happen automatically. In fact, "Thinking is hard work; that's why so few people do it," as Albert Einstein says. However, your changed-for-the-positive thinking will have a lasting impact on your life. Just remember to ask yourself "Is my desire for success and to improve my life strong enough to prompt me to change my thinking?"  Maxwell presents eleven thinking skills that every successful person needs. Here are a few: discover the joy of creative thinking, feel the energy of possibility thinking, recognize the impact of realistic thinking and experience the satisfaction of unselfish thinking. While you follow Maxwell's advice, remember this comment by former German chancellor Konrad Adenauer: "We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon."   I quite enjoyed Thinking for a Change. Maxwell brings his past experiences to his writing and gives readers a glimpse of trials and a vision of triumphs. If you want to learn how to become successful, read this book. Of course, if you prefer to not be successful and not accomplish much with your precious resource called life, then don't read this book.

 

What Would Machiavelli Do? by Stanley Bing
The subtitle of this book, The Ends Justify the Meanness, presents the whole theme of What...? Stanley Bing asserts that any successful business man must step on and squash most subordinate employees. Chapter headings such as "He would move forward like a great shark, eating as he goes" and "He would have no conscience to speak of" confirm this assertion. In Stanley's opinion, most modern managers and bosses aren't as successful as they could be because they are too nice. These managers haven't embraced the teachings of Machiavelli. This is their downfall. 
What...? is listed as a business book but I found it to be more of a humor book. Perhaps Stanley Bing intended to use reverse psychology in making his point. If that is true, then he succeeded. If that wasn't his point, then Stanley failed. L


Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson
Everybody experiences career changes or setbacks. Who Moved My Cheese? is a story about two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two little people,Hem and Haw. Hem and Haw are mouse-sized humans. These four characters live in a maze. Every day, they search for cheese. When the cheese is moved, they have to adjust. Hem and Haw don't just consider the cheese to be their substance, but also their self-image. As the reader understands the story, the cheese becomes an aspect in the reader's life. The cheese represents something related to the reader's livelihood. Jobs change, careers change, industries change and we need to be willing to adjust. Just like the mice, every reader must be willing to search for new sources of cheese as needed.
I really liked the message of Who Moved My Cheese?.  Spencer Johnson takes just a few pages to remind the readers of the importance of being flexible in their jobs and other endeavors. If you dont change, you can become extinct.


ZAPP!: The Lightning of Empowerment How to Improve Quality, Productivity and Employee Satisfaction by W.C. Byham and J. Cox
This business book written in the style of a fable presents the reader with a close-up look at the inner workings of the Normal Company in Normalburg, USA. Everything at this company is normal. Managers do the thinking, supervisors do the talking and employees do the doing. Joe Mode is one of the supervisors in the Normal Company. He keeps a faithful notebook of all the things that aren't going well. Hardly anybody gets excited about anything that has to do with work. The general attitude is this: "Dont do anything you dont have to. Then do as little as possible." One of Joe's employees, Ralph Rosco, has an idea which will change the status quo at Normal Company. Joe doesn't pay much attention to Ralph's idea but Ralph isn't discouraged. Ralph continues working on his idea, a new contraption, and finds himself happy and energized. Ralph's machine works. He and Joe are transported to the 12th dimension where they can observe the Normal Company and all the normal employees. As Joe and Ralph watch, they sometimes witness lightning bolts passing from one employee to another. Every time an employee is zapped, his energy and work satisfaction increase. Ralph and Joe also gain a better understanding of the problems plaguing the Normal Company. Joe learns the difference between zapping and sapping. He also learns how to zapp his employees. Joe writes in his notebook: "For Zapp to work, people need direction, knowledge, resources and support." Joe accepts the challenge of Zapp and empowers his employees.   ZAPP! does more than just spout business cliches. It gives sound advice applicable to any company or business. All manager, as well as all employees, should read ZAPP! This book will teach you how to improve your job and your performance. None of us ever again need to work for a Normal Company.