One of my favorite magazines is Fast Company. It’s from this magazine that I heard of this book: Small Giants by Bo Burlingham. I love reading FC because of the stories the write about smart and interesting businesses. To me, it’s interesting to be presented with different ideas and different industries and companies. I started reading it when I was really stagnant in my previous job. I also saw it as a whole magazine of all the other great businesses one might want to work at.
I finished reading Small Giants over the weekend. I love to read about businesses that approach life and business differently from the norm. I love to hear all the stories of how they created something great and never lost their mojo. I find inspiration even in all the stories about where they went wrong but got themselves back on track. After all, if you can learn something from other people’s failures, you’re ahead of the game.
While this is a business book, his story writing presentation and style made for easy reading. It is very antidotal anecdotal and very laid back. While there are lessons; nothing is presented as a lesson. He profiles a number of companies in the book and did not just write profiles for each company about what makes them great. He concentrated on topics and aspects and wrote entertaining essays in each chapter using the companies he selected as examples. In line with the concept that while each business is doing something different they all had certain qualities. There wasn’t one way to show your employees that you cared. He talked about how each business tackle the problem or topic differently, and got it to work.
It also got me thinking more about what type of business I want to be and what types of business I want to own or work in. I always find that books that leads you to thinking more deeply about the topics it covers to be the most effective and the ones you got the most from. I think about what I’ve learned from the book. What is there that might apply in my life. I like that.
If there’s one complaint, it’s that I did not understand why one of the companies was featured when it was discussed so very briefly. Perhaps it’s like a film, the editors had to cut its scenes because it didn’t help with the flow. I’d rather he left it out; because for me, I found it really distracting keeping wondering on what’s missing.
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That books sounds really interesting, and as I saw it in Borders recently, I think I’ll be picking it up!
Another recommendation I have is one published some years ago: In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-6873184-8695043?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=In+Search+of+Excellence&Go.x=11&Go.y=13. It features 3M (because of the Post-It Note), McDonalds, Disney (I think), and Apple among others. A film was also made from it by Channel 13. These companies, their business plans and marketting techniques were revolutionary in their day and are now seen as establishment. Another great read is Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room by Peter Coyote et al. (or, skip the book and watch the excellent Academy Award nominated Documentary based on the book — and coincidentally produced by my clients, Jason Kliot and Joanna Vicente). This tells you everything you should not do to be a successful business! It’s also a must read for anyone in corporate America – there are lessons for the masses to learn about what you should not trust in your bosses.
Terry