Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad: A Business Fable Taken from Real Life

Elegantly simple! I usually loathe fables, preferring gritty text in business writing. It was recommended by a friend and I found it to be entertaining, engaging, and beautifully written. Its unique way of conveying the reassuring message that "the basics mean as much as ever in this chaotic world" is one we all need to be reminded of. This is a cautionary tale for consulting types (like yours truly) who tend to turn business problems into nuclear physics.Even your most reading avoidant client or friend will love this. Buy a supply, I keep handing them out to people. Apparently there is another book in the works . . . I've pre-ordered it.You will never look at another cup of coffee again in quite the same way . . . likewise, you will never approach a business challenge again in quite the same way.

I started reading this book over the shoulder of a woman sitting next to me on a plane. She began telling me about hearing the author at some event and how she was planning to use it with her staff. She said there was a message in it that really spoke to her.I didn't think much more about it until I saw it sitting on my boss's desk the next week. I mentioned that I had been meaning to read it and he went off on this tirade about how everyone in our department should read it because they were concentrating too much on their own problems and not on the patients (I work in a managed-care facility.) I asked him if I could borrow it and he almost thrust it into my hand.I read it and have now been talking throughout the office about the basic principles that are at the core of this book: be passionate about what you do, remember that it's about people, make every interaction personal, and serve a great product (which is health-care, in our case). A lot of people look at me like I'm nuts, but my boss is right - many people on the staff have forgotten that it's not about their problems but about serving our patients/customers. I think this was one of the best reminders ever about the power of getting back to basics. I am hoping we all get a chance to read it.

Who can argue with the four P's: Passion (experience and sustained passion about work), People (enduring staff relationships), Personal (a community of regulars), and Product (product excellence)? It is obvious that the P's make a business successful. I also recommend Optimal Thinking-How to Be Your Best Self by Rosalene Glickman Ph.D. to integrate the thinking necessary for every employee to become an optimizer -- doing their best, optimizing profits and making the most of every situation.

I like books that tell a story, use examples and create benefits that is I can use. "Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad" is that kind of book!The authors choose the "Ps" of Passion, People, Personnel and Product. They lead us through the success of Jack and Diane's coffee shop. It is an easy read. It will urge you to understand your workplace journey. It doesn't matter if you are an employer or the employee."Beans" is a journey from employment for a major airline (working for money), the unfulfilled entrepreneur step of self-employment selling martinis, and arriving at a passion for selling a cup of coffee. The realization that the "Ps" of Passion, People or Personnel will not make up for a quality Product leads Jack to develop the "best" cup of coffee! It takes all 4!If you liked "Fish!" - you will like "Beans." You might like to buy extra copies and give them to your personnel!