REVIEW: It's My Company Too! by Thompson, Benedetto, Walter and Meyer

Date:                 12/15/12

Title:                  It’s My Company Too!: How Entangled Companies Move                                                                        Beyond Employee Engagement for Remarkable Results

Author:               Thompson, Kenneth; Benedetto, Ramon; Walter, Thomas; Meyer Molly

ISBN 13:             978-1608323968

Pages:                280

Publisher:           Greenleaf Book Group

Cover:                Electronic Galley

Rating:               4 Stars

I found this book to be refreshing especially since we seem to live in a world where corporate employees are nothing more than scripted robots. I currently own my own business, but can remember the days before corporate greed had come out of the shadows and into the forefront of successful business. I worked for businesses like Charles Schwab, West Capital and Household Financial. In the beginning, all were large companies that put employees first. I have not worked for Schwab since the late 90s, but West Capital was eventually bought out by Midland and now another company, and Household Finance was bought out by HSBC Finance, who as of late has received bad exposure in the press. In the case of both Household and West Capital, the companies made drastic changes after their acquisitions.  Companies who made their employees feel “at home’ and had once awarded and showed their employees appreciation were now replaced by “one-size-fits-all” scripts and bottom line ultimatums.

It’s admirable that John Stack knew the value of engaging and “entangling’ employees. I believe that one of the many reasons companies fail today is because they seem to forget about the happiness of their employees. They fail to remember that without employees, their companies would not exist. If employees do not feel that they have anything vested in the company or if their company devalues them, they are not going to put their best foot forward. Companies will find more unhappy employees, which will, in the long run, kill their bottom line. Unhappy employees may steal from their unappreciative company, or they may call in with more sick days, or give terrible customer service.  When a company invests in an employee’s best interest by providing skill and developmental training and implements trust and values, what they are doing in essence is creating a better, more successful company.

I recommend this book especially for small business owners and entrepreneurs, but I also challenge large corporations to implement the advice given in this book. I think once we start producing happy employees, we will do what it takes to produce happy customers, which in turn, will help a company’s bottom line. This book is an excellent blueprint for business success.