Work the System Relié – 1 octobre 2011

I am a small business coach and have been working with owner/managers of micro businesses (mostly 500K - 4 Mill revenue) for nearly four years, full time. I have listened to the audio book twice and have bought the hard copy as a reference.

I read a few of the other reviews on this book and saw a few comments like, "only talks about one business as an example", and "not enough about life managment/personal system work", and "is too repetitive".

In my opinion, here is why the author has been repetitive (on purpose). He "get's it" and wants to actually change people and businesses through his book (to the point where "readability" takes second place to "utility"). It is obvious that he has gone to great lengths to 1) describe the process of learning the systems mindset & cover some how-to's of implimentation, but more important 2) is dead set on doing everything in his power to create the change in the reader that needs to occur in order to go about using this book long term, and changing their life and business. This is the reason for the repitition (lot's of examples, from a whole bunch of different angles - east vs. west norms, peace/love and the 60's, bands, businesses, life styles etc) . The book is written for the business owner who needs to change behaviour of him/herself and their team, not to the savvy educated reader that wants to understand concepts and then write a review and move on.

In my opinion, using one business in particular as an example, one that the author has actually grown, improved and began to run under management, is much better than using a bunch of businesses in a study (even if the study is rigorous and controlled). This "been there and done that" confidence, from a very private enterprise perspective is clear, and the insights and perspective are refreshing and empowering. For example, "it is going to take time, but you can make great progress in 18 months", "hundred fold returns as you put in the effort of drafting the Strategic objective and other related docs..." [quoting from memory]. This is the kind of truth that gets busy owners to break inertia and actually get down to working on this stuff.

I like the business focus because this is the main case study - the company. The added health & lifestyle stuff is great because it is the life that most owners can relate with...I chatted with the owner of a company this morning and as we toured his facility I could just see how the stress was taking its toll on him. In my opinion, the author give just enough on health and lifestyle systems, keeping the main focus on changing the business.

When starting to work on systems and/or just increasing a business owners maturity around leadership and her/his company, I tell them to download the audio and listen to it all the way through. Required reading. This is the kind of book that I'll strongly encourage my kids to read, before the age of 18, to add to their entrepreneurial and leadership perspective.

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Russell Smith

Actionable and Essential

Commenté au Royaume-Uni le 24 septembre 2014

I have gone back to this book again and again to create my working documents in my business and further outsource and automate the day to day tasks that need doing. I strongly recommend anyone working with staff and systems to buy this book and improve their business (and life).

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DancingMeg

Life Changer!

Commenté aux États-Unis le 23 novembre 2012

I've owned a small business for over 10 years, and have struggled since day 1. I'm even a graduate from a top business school and have read well over 200 business books on my own(I'm a bit of a marketing junkie). While I've learned a lot from reading other books, I'm actually become quite proficient at gaining new customers and driving the top line...over the years growth has only seemed to amplify my problems with cash flow, managing staff, and all the other constant headaches that many small business owners suffer from. This book single handedly changed EVERYTHING for me. It's truely been the missing puzzle piece that I've been looking for all these years.

If you're into reading about marketing or small business you've probably come across the book The E-Myth. While that is also a wonderful read, "Work the System" is the E-Myth on crack! (In a good way). While the E-Myth may inspire you to build you business around systems and working "ON your business, not just IN your business", for me it stopped short of teaching me HOW to accomplish that exactly. "Work the System" will guide you step-by-step in learning how to systemize and document LITERALLY every single task, job, or activity that goes on in your business. Initially, that may sound like a really un-natural and unrealistic way to run a business...too robotic right? That's what I thought too, until I started doing it and it's not that way at all. Instead, systemization of your business will yeild you (and your staff if you have one) more peace of mind, better results, more consitant results and best of all MORE MONEY because you'll be operating at maximum efficiency at all times.

While "Work the System" will very clearly paint a picture of how amazing your business will be once run by systems, and exactly step-by-step HOW to create those systems....the downside is that it will require some time time and effort to actually create those systems. It can be done for ZERO dollars though and the return on investment (of time) will be EXPONENTIAL to say the least.

My results:
I read this book exactly 1 year ago. It took me about 3 months to systemize the major "tasks" in my business and another 3 months to fine-tune and create many smaller systems BUT I went from working 60 hours a week working on location at my business, making less than 100K per year to 100% being freed from day-to-day hassles at my business. Now, I only work about 2 hours a day from my home office, take weekends off completely, and only go in to my actual business for a 1-hour weekly staff meeting. My profits have also doubled, the craziest part of brining systemization to my life is that it has allowed me to actually apply all the different strategies I've been learning about (remember those 200 busiess/marketing books I've read in the past). I will be making over $200K this year and I have plenty of room for growth in the future.

This book has allowed me to turn my business into what feels like my own "printing press" for cash. I'm only 30 years old, have a businss that nets over $200K per year while I work from home less than 10 hours per week. I feel like I have found ultimate freedom and joy in my business and my life...and I owe it all to "Work The System".

Oh, and you might be wondering about the sort of business I own. I own a dance school in a small town with a population less than 80,000 people. Dance studio's are historically known as poorly run, money-pit "hobby" businesses. So if "Work the System" can yeild such amazing results for a small town dance studio...what could it do for your business?

Do yourself a favor and "Work the System"!
Cheers,
Megan

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Timothy

4.999 stars (of 5)... Got My Head Spinning - I an Good Way - I started Implementing Before I Finished the Book

Commenté au Canada le 10 mai 2013

Outstanding eye-opener. I had read "The eMyth", "Built to Sell", and "Checklist Manifesto" and had learned all about the concept of systemizing and checklists.

I can't put my finger on it, but "Work the System" seemed to tie it all together in a way I could instantly take action on. The sample documents included in the back of the book were incredibly helpful. And the way Sam Carpenter (author) addresses a lot of the objections and challenges you'll likely face during implementation was also very encouraging.

And - unexpectedly - I love the fact he just says it out loud (and I'm paraphrasing) "This is a lot of work, and some of your employees will push back." Isn't it refreshing to have a book be honest about the time, work, and struggle involved in making a change? I was concerned when I picked up the book it would be a little on the "Get Rich Tomorrow" kool-aid train... it *does* say on the cover "The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less".... I've heard that a zillion times now. But it's rare for an author to so explicitly acknowledge that it's a ton of work - 3 to 6 months - to get his method in place. But he also makes it obvious that that 3-6 month investment is life-changing, and I believe it.

Why I'm giving this book only 4 stars instead of 5....

1. the first 60% of the book is VERY repetitive. Wish he would cut the fat out and make it more direct. But despite that, the payoff of this book is so substantial I can (mostly) forgive the filler.

2. you *can* get this book for free, legally, from the author's website. That being said, I am glad I bought the hardcover on Amazon. That tiny $20 investment was enough for me to feel invested in the book, thus getting the tremendous value this book has to offer. When things are free it's too easy to push them off until tomorrow.... and we all know that tomorrow never comes.

So if I could give this book a 4.999 rating, I would. It's an outstanding buy, where the message and value far, far, far outshadow the few foibles.

Enjoy,

Tim
- - - -
TimFrancisMarketing.com

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Perry Marshall

It's all about the questions you ask yourself

Commenté aux États-Unis le 24 avril 2013

I think everybody who's read a few business books has heard about "working ON your business instead of just working IN your business." However Sam Carpenter drives the point home in a way I've not seen done before. Most importantly, he shifted the questions I ask myself.

Because of this book, now every time I find myself putting out a fire or reacting to a painful situation... being confronted by an unhappy customer about a ball that's been dropped... I ask, "What broken or non-existent system allowed this to happen?"

The most persuasive part of this book is the contrast between Carpenter's frenetic life before vs. the serenity after. And the efficiency.

Temperamentally, I'm not the type of person who is going to spend hours and hours perfecting logistical details and documenting things. I am a creative person, a visionary and an alchemist. But it still must be done. What that means for me is that *I* of all people need to craft the core manifestos, the guiding documents that comprise Sam Carpenter's system. Then I can see to it that the more methodical people on my team are in fact working the system.

Most business owners don't fully appreciate how many of their employees will, so to speak, mount the toilet paper roll with the front side facing back until the very end of time. Stupidly and unthinkingly. UNLESS AND UNTIL SOMEONE MAKES THEM DO IT RIGHT. Most employees will stumble and bumble through broken systems and it will never, ever occur to them to stop and fix them, let alone create new ones.

Only an enlightened owner will ever see to it that that happens. Carpenter does what so few other books had ever done, which was SELL ME on the benefits of giving this my attention.

Carpenter also expresses the proper philosophy of an engineer, which is that everything in the world is operating exactly as it was designed to operate, with 100% efficiency... so if you don't like how it's operating, change the design. What a rare attitude.

Now the question I'm asking myself is:

"What broken or non-existent system, once repaired and fully in place, will relieve me from having to suffer with my other broken and non-existent systems?"

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