So, what are the goodies? Let's start with books for now. Here's three I've read, with some commentary on why I liked them: 1. Jim Collins' Good to Great
I like the idea that you can do a lot of things right... and not be a great company.
You'll still be a good company, but is that what you really want? Not really. We all want to be amazing, so why not apply yourself?
( By the way, Collins has a stash of related articles here)
2. Michael Gerber's The E-Myth Revisited
My very favorite idea from this one is that of franchising your business-- even if it's not a "franchise".
In other words, structure as many processes as you can so that they are simple, effective, and basically brainless. Make your business as easy as possible to run so that it doesn't eat up your energy figuring out unnecessary details.
(Admittedly, that's a difficult task for anyone in startup mode... the chaos of it all and changing directions tends to rule out "process" as a possibility, but do what you can.)
3. Tim Sanders' Love Is The Killer App
This book was more touchy-feely than I like to encounter in business unless I'm working with a non-profit, but it's a refreshing philosophy: don't be cutthroat.
How often has that message been preached at traditionally competitive business schools and conferences?
Well, it's energizing. It's also a really nice thing to do. And if you can manage to be friendly and giving to people without coming off as a schmoozer (or a doormat), it can't help but better your relationships with others.
(Which, since it's all about networking, is bound to increase business. But don't be nice just because of that).
So, those are my books. What about yours? There's a wealth of them out there-- what have you found?
