Let My People Go Surfing

4 Replies

I just finished one of the best un-business business books by Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman. The book is described as the “long-awaited memoir/manifesto from [the] legendary climber, businessman, and environmentalist…” and the book encompasses one man’s three interrelated world views.

Devin decided you need to read this book. Whether you’re looking for a case study on: a successful business with happy employees, how to create a business from your passion, or what businesses need to do to help the environment.

From management tips, to HR lessons learned, Yvon brings in all his Patagonia experience (good and bad):

“…If you just ask people for help–if you just admit that you don’t know something–they will fall all over themselves trying to help. So, from there I began building the company.” -Kristine McDivitt, general manager and CEO of Patagonia for 13 years

Many people like to reference the Pareto principle and Yvon is not an exception. When talking about Patagonia’s diverse product lines:

“I like to throw myself passionately into a sport or activity until I reach about an 80 percent proficiency level. To go beyond that requires an obsession and degree of specialization that doesn’t appeal to me. Once I reach that 80 percent level I like to go off and do something totally different…” -Yvon Chouinard, founder and owner of Patagonia

As one of the first environmentally-conscious companies in the world, Yvon has a lot to say about the world and what needs to happen:

“The Zen master would say if you want to change government, you have to aim at changing corporations, and if you want to change corporations, you first have to change the consumers.” -Yvon Chouinard

This is a book you can’t ignore. Especially since Yvon pioneered the ‘green business’ movement…. back in the 80’s.

What other environmental business books do you recommend?

Creating a daily agenda

7 Replies

One of the most useful habits I’ve begun is very simple. It’s helped me accomplish more each day. It’s helped me feel accomplished before I go to bed. The best part about this technique? There are only three steps!

1. Create your daily list

I use my BlackBerry Tasks application to dump every single task I think of. You can do the same with a piece of paper, whiteboard, etc. Just jot down every thing that comes up.

If it needs to be done in a week, put it down. If it needs to be done in a few hours, put it down. Now we have a list!

2. Pick today’s tasks

At this point I know what I need to do. I can simply pick out the tasks I want to get done tomorrow. If the day is looking slow I’d better come up with some things that will make me feel effective. I want to look at my accomplishments and know the day was well spent.

Once I have my major tasks planned out I simply head to bed. I have tomorrows quasi-agenda laid out on my phone/sticky note/whiteboard.

3. Wake up, get moving, skip email

Email will throw a wrench in whatever best laid plans you’ve put together. Sure, you can get your Daily Dilbert fix but don’t address anything else. By mid-day (lunch-ish) I do a status check. I see where I am with my list and by then, everyone else has woken up and filled my inbox. So, take a break, check your emails and see if there’s anything else that needs to be done by end-of-day (be sure to add it to the list!).

This really helps

The last few days I’ve started doing this have been productive. People will admit that email commonly controls their lives and daily agenda. Breaking away from it will let you do what you want to do for the day.

Just try it out. Skipping email in the morning keeps you focused and, I promise, you won’t miss much.

Did you like this tip? Check out The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

Leave a reply

The full title of the book is: The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, How the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction. Here it is on Amazon.

Devin determined… this book is a must-read. Some parts get a little complicated for just a quick read. But, at 240 pages this is a a fun look at the societal and psychological issues we face.

The areas explored are summed up with the following:

…our experience of choice as a burden rather than a privilege is not a simple phenomenon. Rather it is the result of a complex interaction among many psychological processes that permeate our culture, including rising expectations, awareness of opportunity costs, aversion to trade-offs, adaptation, regret, self-blame, the tendency to engage in social comparisons, and maximizing.

The last chapter goes on to highlight and explain how we can try to avoid these issues (regret leading to depression, leading to suicide; comparing to neighbors and having regret; post-decision regret). A lot of it has to do with accepting “good enough” which Scott Adams recently talked about on his blog.

Again, I recommend the book because it may help you see your decisions a little differently. At the same time, it helps understand the psychology behind others’ decisions.

Parents raise Spelling Bee Chumps

4 Replies

I took a class at CU called “School and Society.” We discussed home schooling and how the largest argument against the kids being anti-social is the fact they spend time with others in the community.. ie: Spelling Bees. This interesting video encompasses a lot of what I’ve thought about home schooled children: 1) they don’t know how to be social, 2) they believe they are better than other kids, and 3) they think competing with peers is suitable interaction. The best part? It’s not really their fault. I think a lot of parents are doing their children a huge disservice. When you raise kids they believe what you say; they see what you show them and learn what you teach them. Education, religion, values… wow. It’s not until many many years later you get to decide this stuff for yourself. That was a fun realization.

Can I get part-time benefits?

3 Replies

This article also appears on Employee Evolution: The Voice of Millenials at Work.

One of the more annoying traits of being a part-timer (or hourly worker) is the lack of benefits. Now, in most cases you’re not entitled to these benefits because you don’t work hard enough. Economically speaking, I don’t contribute to the company enough to have my health care covered. Heck, most workers these days don’t even get that.

But, I had worked as an intern for a big company over a year. I had worked there longer and put in more hours than a number of new hires. Yet, they immediately get retirement benefits, paid sick days, vacation time and profit-sharing.

Why? I’ve contributed far more than they have. I worked 40 hours each week this summer! I was the one who contributed to that profit! How am I rewarded? I get to leave early the Friday before Memorial Day. Nice! Wait, no. That means less hours and therefore, less pay.

Sure, I’d rather be home but why do I get the sense I’m being cheated just a little? What about offering some part-time benefits for interns and seasonal employees?

  • Telecommute time: Allow me to work from home on Friday. Heck, as long as I answer emails I can be anywhere, right?
  • Discounts: You’re a big company, can you give me some other (B2B) perk like a cheaper wireless plan or maybe some food from the cafeteria?
  • Paid-vacation: If you let me take a week off in the summer (and kept the paycheck coming) might I be more willing to come back to work refreshed and relaxed thanks to you?
  • Monthly training: The worst feeling is knowing you haven’t learned anything new at your job. Send me to the courses that interest me. It’s better than an afternoon spent browsing YouTube.
  • Intern trading: Let me explore another part of the company for a week or two. Put me in another group for a bit and see what happens.

Sure, some ideas may cost more than anyone is willing to put up. But, when you merely assign me as an hourly worker with a time-sheet don’t you think I have an incentive to maximize my time spent rather than utility generated? Keep me motivated, excited and interested and I’ll love to work for you.