The E-Myth Revisited ch. 16-18

There is a wonderful start to this reading when he says "If you want it done you're going to have to create an environment in which doing it is more important to your people than not doing it."(p. 197) The problem is how to go about it. You could choose to fire those who don't, give better wages to those who do, and more. People respond better to rewards than punishment. Another strategy to help employees work harder is to simply be a respectable employer. "...I have so much respect for this place. It's because I have so much respect for the boss." The man's boss took him aside the first day of work and explained to him his work ethic. He told him his expectations and treated the new employee with respect. Not as a greeny who didn't know anything, but as an adult who understands. I hope that one day I could be such a boss, but to start I think I would need to take the boss's top 3 principles (on page 201) to heart. 1. "the customer is not always right, but whether he is or not, it is our job to make him feel that way." 2. "Everyone who works here is expected to work toward being the best he can possibly be at the tasks he's accountable for." 3. The business is a place where everything we know how to do is tested by what we don't know how to do, and the conflict between the two is what creates growth, what creates meaning. If I could I would frame this and post in in a place where every employee could be reminded of it daily...maybe right above the employee bathroom mirrors or something. The Final thought was page 204. Invent a game that every one in the business can play. One that is continuous, but still has little victories here and there. Establish the rules of the game and give everyone their position. And since games can get boring over time, it is important to change a few things to make it still interesting, but don't change the strategy. My brother works at RC Willys furniture ware house in Utah and every week or so they have a drawing for the employes to have a change to win something. An I-Pod, X-Box, TV's, etc. This "game" they have invented allows all to play, and has rewards for those who work harder than others. There are two pillars of a successful marketing strategy. 1. Demographics 2. Phychographics These allow/help you to know what your customer wants, even when they don't. (p. 222) -"After all, the purpose of any system is to free you to do the things you want to do." Organization creates order and once I can get everybody doing their specific jobs with rewards for their efforts, show them respect, and create a place that gives the employee a vested interest in the company. These will help me to have a successful business.