Gung Ho!

I just began reading Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles (ISBN 0-688-15428-X). The subtitle says, Turn On the People in Any Organization.

This self-help business book tells the true story of Andy Longclaw and Peggy Sinclair who with their team mates, rebuilt Walton Works #2. It is an interesting story that uses American Indian Philosophy to help people make meaning out of their work.

This philosophy incorporates 3 principles. They are:

• The Spirit of the Squirrel
• The Way of the Beaver
• The Gift of the Goose

Squirrels gather food. Gathering food is important, it determines whether the squirrels survive or not. For the squirrels it is not just important work, but worthwhile work.

Understanding the value of work, what that work means to the community, the customer, society, gives meaning to work and your job. All work is important. It may not seem so to the people doing it, but the work is important to society.

This is the key to The Spirit of the Squirrel. All work has value. The book uses the example of a dishwasher. This work may not seem exciting or important, but it has value. What would restaurants be like with dirty dishes? What would the effect be if people got sick from eating from dirty dishes?

I’m still reading the book and will talk about the other 2 principles, The Way of the Beaver and The Gift of the Goose in later posts.

I’m a person that strongly believes that all work is important. I recommend this book.