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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Steve Jobs Promises 'Freedom From Porn' In Fiery Email Exchange



"Freedom from porn" or "Freedom of porn" - may be one of the great debates of our time. At least credit Steve Jobs for trying to take a principled stand - unusual for a CEO these days!

David http://wyld-about-technology.blogspot.com/
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Modern Family Ratings Hit Series High

Modern FamilyImage via Wikipedia



I think that "Modern Family" could become the next "Seifeld," a timeless classic. If they can hold the writing staff and the ensemble cast together - and if they can keep the momentum of this first season up - they have the potential to have one of the truly great shows in TV history on their hands. It is about the only "appointment viewing," must see television for our family any more - and the jokes usually work on two levels.



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David http://wyld-about-comedy.blogspot.com/
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SNL Rips BP, Halliburton For Failed Oil Containment (VIDEO)



Dolphins, club soda, duct tape, Aqua Man, and oil whisperers - too bad those funny ideas are so close to reality ("top hats" and "junk shots"!).



From down near New Orleans, we'd just like BP and the boys to follow the sage advice of another Saturday Night Live character, Oscar Rogers, said about the financial crisis, "Just Fix It!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI0zwAYz044&feature=relatedd)



David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/


David
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Summary and Review of The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions by Scott Adams

Announcement of changes in company password po...Image via Wikipedia
This book summary and review of The Dilbert Principle was prepared by Caleb Schlamp while a Business Administration student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Executive Summary

The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage—Management.

The Dilbert Principle was written by Scott Adams in 1996. Scott Adams is the creator of the popular comic stripDilbert.” He spent seventeen years of his life working in cubicles. His experiences inspired him to create the comic strip and later on write multiple books. The Dilbert Principle takes a look at nearly everything that goes on in businesses today. Adams uses sarcasm and witty humor to make fun of many business practices.

The book talks about using humiliation as a tool to keep your employees effective. Adams goes on to say that everything from cubicles to dress clothes is a tool to humiliate your employees just enough to keep their self-esteem low. Also, that low an employee with low self-esteem can make for an effective employee. Later, he talks about marketing and how your main goal is to find the people who can’t tell the difference between high quality products and junk. Those are the people you should be focused on because they will by anything.

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The book goes on to say that best way to raise your sales is to set the quota so high that your employees must be treacherous and sell by any means possible or face a life in a trailer park. Dogbert, the evil genius, also has a chapter in the book entitled, “The Machiavellian Methods.” In this chapter, Dogbert gives you tips and tricks to outwit and walk all over your employees. He suggests things such as providing bad advice, being loud and irrational, and passing your workload onto unsuspecting employees.

Up until the final chapter of the book, all of the chapters involve Adams making fun of the business world and many of its practices. In the final chapter, Adams tells readers about his model for the perfect company. The model is called OA5 or Out At Five. He talks about how employee would be the most fundamental part of the business and that they would be treated that way. Everyone leaves work at 5 o’clock, making them more effective. Managers are more competent in this model and must be helpful not harmful to the employees.

The book includes many “Dilbert” comic strips throughout. It also has many e-mails that have been sent to Adams over the years. The e-mails are very entertaining and give readers real world examples of everything Adams talks about in the book. Overall, an excellent management book that is very entertaining and can show you what not to do as a manager.





The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from The Dilbert Principle

1. The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage…Management.

2. The best balance of morale for employee productivity can be described this way: happy, but with low self-esteem.

3. During the course of your career many people will come to you for advice. This is your chance to steer them off the corporate speedway and—if you’re skillful—help them plow into a crowd of innocent spectators.

4. There are two things every manager needs to know about marketing. First, men want to date bikini models and second, women want to be bikini models.

5. Some where between the hallucinations of senior management and the cold reality of the market lies something called a business plan.

6. You can guarantee that you get your fair share of the budget pie by exaggerating your value and your requirements.

7. If you want to motivate your sales force, all you have to do is raise the sales quotas until they are forced to choose between two lifestyles: A life of deception and treachery or a life in a trailer park.

8. Leadership is an intangible quality with no clear definition.

9. People are idiots. All people are idiots about different things at different times.

10. Keep your employees fresh, happy, and efficient. Set a target and get out of the way. Sometimes idiots can accomplish wonderful things.



Full Summary of The Dilbert Principle

The Dilbert Principle was written by Scott Adams, who is known world-wide for his comic strip “Dilbert”. He first published “Dilbert”, in 1989. He has worked in cubicles for seventeen years between 1979 and 1995 (Wikipedia, 2010, p.1). The comic strip and many of its characters have come from his experiences during those years. In 1996, he decided to take it a step further and write a book, The Dilbert Principle, which takes a look at just about everything involved in the world of business. He delves deep into the trenches of the business world and reveals the secrets to management success, including everything from business plans to trolls in the accounting department.

The central theme of the book focuses on the idea that everyone in the world is an idiot at some point or another. Of course, this theme mainly focuses on managers and management fads. This leads to the creation of The Dilbert Principle: The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage…Management (Adams, 1996, p.14). Scott Adams receives hundreds of e-mails every day, mostly from people complaining about their clueless managers. He talks about the old days when bosses actually knew what was going on in the company. He describes these days as the “Peter Principle”, the concept by which capable workers were promoted until they reached their level of incompetence (Adams, 1996, p.12). Now, incompetent workers are promoted directly to management. Here are some examples from the book of the Dilbert principle:

· “A vice president insists that the company’s new battery-powered product be equipped with a light that comes on to tell you when the power is off (Adams, 1996, p.11).”

· “An employee suggests setting priorities so the company will know how to employ its limited resources. The manager’s response: “Why can’t we concentrate our resources across the board (Adams, 1996, p.12)?”

These stories and many more like them have helped fuel the comic strip and the book. The first topic from the book that we will focus on is “Humiliation”. Humiliation can be one of the best weapons in a manager’s arsenal. Employees who are happy are more productive but, if they get too happy their egos will expand and they will start to complain and want more money. This is bad. The trick is to keep your employees happy but, with low self-esteem. Humiliation can effectively make this happen. Some of the techniques talked about in the book, are the use of cubicles, dress clothes, and making them wait. Cubicles are an effective humiliation tool because they serve as a constant reminder of the employee’s marginal value to the company. Dress clothes are a way for the company to make its employees dress in the same humiliating fashion without the hassle and expense of having a company uniform. Here are some examples, from the book, of what dress clothes symbolize: Necktie- a leash, pantyhose– leg irons; prisoner and suit jacket– Penguin; incapable of flight (Adams, 1996, p.29). One of the most effective humiliation tools used by managers is ignoring employees who are near the manager’s office. This shows the employee that he/she has no human presence. According to Adams, this tool can be fine tined to meet any level of humiliation necessary by changing the activities performed while the employee waits (Adams, 1996, p.34). Some examples from the book:

· Taking phone calls Not so Bad

· Reading other things Bad

· Flossing Very Bad

· Learning a foreign language Very Very Bad

The next chapter we will focus on is “Machiavellian Methods”, this chapter of the book, written by Dogbert, a character from the comic strip, contains many tips for gaining wealth and personal power at the expense of people who are trying to be team players. You should only use these techniques sparingly, at least until you have gained total power over the simpletons around you (Adams, 1996, p.62). The first technique is provide bad advice. Throughout your career many people will come to you for advice. This is your chance to steer them down the wrong path with incorrect and misleading, but plausible information. Next, shade the truth. There are so many ways to avoid the truth without being a liar. This should be taken advantage whenever possible. All you have to do is conveniently, (for you) leave out certain parts of a statement. Always carefully choose who you associate with. Never eat lunch with a person who has a lower rank than you. You will be judged by the company you keep. Always look busy; never walk down the hall without a document in your hands. Employees who carry documents look busy. Also, carry loads of stuff home with you at night. This gives the false impression that you are working longer hours. Take every opportunity to delegate unglamorous and hopeless portions of your workload downward, sideways and upward (Adams, 1996, p.77). Intimidation by loudness is very useful. All you have to do is be loud and act irrational on a consistent basis and others will bend to your will. This method is effective because other employees cannot kill you, thanks to the law. This leaves them with no practical options to stop you. Always try to get assigned to projects with no verifiable results. This way you can exaggerate your impact on quality much more easily. Finally, volunteer to manage the group budget. This work may seem unglamorous but, once you have it, you essentially control the strategy and careers of every person in the department (Adams, 1996, p.89).

Now, we are going to take a look at “Marketing”. According to Scott Adams,” I can speak with some authority on the subject of marketing because I once took a marketing class. Moreover, I have purchased many items (Adams, 1996, p.131).” As you can see, this shows that Mr. Adams is well versed on the topic of marketing. A major part of marketing is market segmentation. The theory behind market segmentation is every customer wants the best product for the lowest price. Fortunately, many customers can’t tell the difference between quality products and junk. So, no matter how bad your product is someone will always be willing to buy. It is the marketing department’s job to find this segment of people. Another good strategy is disguising costs. You can make your product seem more economical than competing products by disguising its true costs. Here are some useful methods, from the book, of disguising costs:

· Give coupons that are redeemable for prizes through an impossibly inconvenient process that combines the worst elements of scavenger hunts, tax prep and recycling (Adams, 1996, p.134).

· Compare your lowest cost plan with the competitor’s highest cost plan (Adams, 1996, p.134).

· Offer lease options to people who are bad at math (Adams, 1996, p.135).

· Assess gigantic penalties for customers who miss payments. Once a year, forget to mail the customer a bill (Adams, 1996, p.135).

Advertising could be considered the most important part of marketing. Good advertising can make people buy your product even if it sucks. An important part of advertising is engineering your campaign to fit a certain audience. According to the book, there is a huge distinction between what message works for men and what message works for women. Successful advertising campaigns that target men will always include one of these two messages: 1.This product will help you get dates with bikini models. 2. This product will save you time and money, which you will need if you want to date bikini models (Adams, 1996, p.136). Next, the proper message for the much more intricate and complex woman should look something like this: 1.If you buy this product you’ll be a bikini model (Adams, 1996, p.136). This should help people to understand the intricate field of business that is marketing.

A business plan can be a very important tool to company. It can help a company and its employees to stay focused on their common goals. The book describes it as something that lies between the hallucinations of senior management and the cold reality of the market (Adams, 1996, p.162). I find this to be a very inspirational statement. The development of a business plan can be a very long and tedious process. The book shows two major steps to building a business plan. First, the company must gather information and then, most importantly, the company must ignore it (Adams, 1996, p.162). Each area of the company will be asked to predict revenues and expenses for the coming years. These predictions will be “padded”, to make them easier to achieve. Senior managers will look at the predictions and adjust them to where they know they should be. Then, two assumptions should be made; first, any positive trends will continue forever and second, any negative trends will turn around soon (Adams, 1996, p.163). Budgets will be thrown in randomly. Finally, a technical writer is hired to throw it all together and presto! You have a business plan.

The next riveting chapter, we will discuss is “Sales”. This topic is pretty important, considering you kind of need sales to keep the company from going bankrupt. In this chapter, Adams talks about the need to motivate your sales force. A motivated sales force can be one of your best assets as a company. Motivation can come from many things but, Adams thinks fear is by far the best motivation. If your sales are low and your sales force does not seem motivated all you need to do is raise the quotas until the sales force has to choose between two options:

· A life of deception and treachery (Adams, 1996, p.213).

· A life in a trailer park (Adams, 1996, p.213).

It is common knowledge that sales people cannot survive long in a trailer park (Adams, 1996, p.213). Therefore, they will choose the first option and you will see a sharp increase in sales. Some other helpful tips given in the chapter include; avoid discussing true costs and confusion is your friend in sales. Finally, always try to find the decision makers in the organization. These people often have the least knowledge and more likely to believe whatever you tell them.

One of the final important chapters in the book is “Leadership”. In the book, Adams says that leadership is an intangible quality with no clear definition (Adams, 1996, p.287). He then goes on to talk about the origin of the word “Leader”. The word “leader” is apparently derived from the word “lead,” as in the material that bullets are made of. It became popular around the same time as the invention of firearms. This is because the person in charge of every organization was the person that every employee wanted to fill with hot lead (Adams, 1996, p.288). Adams does not recommend this, though. Later on in the chapter, the age old question comes up. Are leaders born or made? And if they’re made can we return them under them under warranty (Adams, 1996, p.289)? This is followed by the reasoning that normal people, when presented with a problem, will use common sense to choose the most logical solution. This would make leaders basically worthless. So, he concludes that leaders are either so smart that nobody can share the vision or they are nitwits. Through, a series of briefly recounted historical events he reasons that leaders are almost always nitwits.

Finally, the last chapter in the book is titled, “New Company Model: OA5.” This chapter is the only chapter in the book that is not written to make fun of management and its fads with the use of heavy sarcasm. Instead this chapter allows Adams to show readers his conceptual model for the perfect company. In this chapter, he says good management is knowing what is fundamental to success and what is not (Adams, 1996, p.315). He then goes on to explain his model for the perfect company. He recognizes that effective employees usually put out the best product. This makes employee effectiveness the most fundamental part of the model. The name of the model is “OA5” or “Out At Five.” This is because the employee must finish all assigned work by five o’clock in the afternoon. The goal is for employees to be as efficient and effective as possible so that they can leave by five. This gives them incentive to effective and creative. Everyone knows that work is inherently unpleasant compared to other things a person could be doing with their time (Adams, 1996, p.319). OA5 takes advantage of this. As for managers in this model, they are needed but, they have to able to do work and be useful. According to Adams, this includes eliminating assholes, making sure employees are learning something every day, and teaching employees how to be efficient (Adams, 1996, p.321). All the other things that are made fun of in the book are important but, do not need to be continuously changed. He says that things like standards, vision statements, reorganization and policy improvement needed to be consistent. Companies must resist the urge to change theses policies so much. It is more often than not wasted time, energy, and money. Not to mention, employees don’t tend to care for policy changes too much either. It’s important for companies to set policies and then step out of the way. Keep your employees happy and let them be effective and don’t burden them with all the useless information and meetings. Great things can be accomplished when happy, effective employees are at work.

In conclusion, this book has offered insight into the many ridiculous and irrational ideas put out by top management. Adams has offered an entertaining and sarcastic way of looking at some issues that are bothering employees all over the world. As I mentioned earlier in the summary, he shows how we are all idiots on different occasions. By including actual e-mails from fans of the comic strip he has received over the years, he is able to show people who may not know, what is going on every day. He entertains readers by including his comic strip examples of each topic throughout the book. He finishes by offering what he thinks would be the model for the perfect business. This shows readers that you don’t have to be an expert to come up with a logical business model. Sometimes it is just common sense. Keep employees happy and avoid The Dilbert Principle when recruiting managers and great things can be accomplished.





Personal Insights

Why I think:

· The author is one of the most brilliant people around…or is full of $%&#, because:

Scott Adams is one of the most brilliant people around because he uses sarcasm to criticize business fads and management trends. He relies on his own experiences in the world of business, as well as the hundreds of e-mails he receives every day from fans of the comic, to create his characters and situations. The e-mail examples in the book allow readers to see that the things he is talking about in the book are actually happening in the real world. Sometimes these situations involve some extreme exaggeration. The book is very entertaining and shows mangers all the things they should not do.

· If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:

1. I would have had more chapters written by the brilliant and maniacal, Dogbert.

2. I would have also added Catbert to the book.

3. I would have given more solutions to problems at the end of the book.

· Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:

1. It made me realize that a lot of us really are idiots.

2. I used to think all the improvement programs implemented by companies were a good thing and I’m sure that most of them are, but some of them probably cause more damage than improvement.

3. After reading the book, I do feel that the Dilbert principle is true to an extent. Although, I think more and more managers are more knowledgeable about what’s going on in a company today.

· I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:

1. When I do become a manager of some sort, I will always try my best to understand the processes of the company and to respect my employees.

2. I think I might use some of the “Machiavellian Methods,” those sounded pretty interesting and fun.

3. I will definitely make sure to avoid the accounting department at all costs. I don’t want to end up being a troll forever.

· Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:

“Subject says it all- just get it and you will laugh your hiney off. Plently of Dilbert cartoon panels disbursed throughout. Published in 1996 but absolutely timeless and just as applicable today as ever; probably always will be.”

- Matt Tinaglia

“I bow to the man (Scott Adams). This book is frighteningly accurate in the way it profiles modern software-related companies. For me it acts as a bible of every-day pitfalls to watch out for. When things are rotten don’t expect any big warning signs saying “ROTTEN-ROTTEN BEWARE”.
No, it’s in the everyday working life that you see the signs of decay, and this book has them all.”

- Dimitrios Staikos

“According to Adams we are all idiots, we are just idiots about different things at different times. Big corporations encourage idiocy to thrive. Adams is at his best when using humor to show up these weaknesses.”

- Michael Gering

“Anyone who has worked for a large, bureaucratic corporation will love this and other Dilbert books. My cubicle at work is plastered with Dilbert comics. If they make me take them down, it’s quitting time! Funny from beginning to end.”

- J. Davis

Out of all the reviews I have read for this book, every one of the reviewers has agreed that this book is one of the best management books they have ever read. The reviewers agree that the book is timeless and will probably always be applicable. Also, the reviews have all said that Adams entertains readers, but also has tips that managers should listen to. This is a must-read book for managers and non-managers alike.



Bibliography

Adams, S. (1997). The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions. London: Collins. (Original work published 1997)

Scott Adams. (2010, April 12). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved April 25, 2010, from http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Adams

. (n.d.). Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions. Amazon.com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. Retrieved April 25, 2010, from http://www.amazon.com/Dilbert-Principle-Cubicles-Eye-Management-Afflictions/product-reviews/0887308589/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1



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To contact the author of this “Summary and Review of The Dilbert Principle,” please email Caleb.schlamp@selu.edu.

David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.


Originally published
Summary and Review of The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle’s Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions by Scott Adams

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Summary and Review of IN-N-OUT Burger: A Behind The Counter Look at The Fast Chain That Breaks All The Rules

A pair of In-N-Out cheeseburgers.Image via Wikipedia

This summary and review of the book, IN-N-OUT Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast Chain That Breaks All the Rules, was prepared by Phillip Freeman while a Business Administration student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Executive Summary of In-N-Out Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
In-N-Out Burger was started in 1948 by a man named Harry Snyder and his wife Esther. The original location was a small corner shack located In Baldwin Park, California. The company’s mission statement was the same in 1948 as it is today. “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” This simple yet affective attitude of Harry Snyder has proven very successful in business and life. In 1948 there was no such thing as a fast food restaurant. Harry Snyder’s vision of having a quality eating experience would soon explode to a much larger and valuable Company.


With the average American family at the time averaging about 2 cars, life in Los Angeles quickly became life on the move. Harry and other like him soon realized and discovered the need of fast food restaurants. This was the birthplace of the drive through meal. Harry, and advocate electronics expert, came up with something called the two way speaker. This simple invention is known today as how people place their orders in drive through. Although Harry Snyder was the true inventor of this new technology, he lacked a patent on his invention which soon let others in on what he had discovered. The expansion on In-N-Out Burger in the 1950s was a major turning point in Harry’s area of business. This was a point in time where other fast food restaurants were looking to franchise their name in order to make a larger profit. Harry believed that this was the best way to lose control of his burger joint. The book also goes into great detail about the Snyder’s family problems. Harry had two sons, the younger one who would eventually go on to become the president of the In-N-out company we know today. This shift in control would lead to many things including the hiring professional managers and also a marketing department to really take In-n-Out to the next step. Tragedy does strike the Snyder family when several family members died in a plane crash and left the controlling reigns to the only granddaughter, Lynsi Martinez.
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The INO menu is also a popular topic for discussion in Stacey Perman’s book. In 60 years there have been no additions to the drive through and in store Menu with the exception of certain fountain drinks. The menu only consists of 4 items. My favorite part of this whole book is the explanation of the “Secret Menu”. These items are all available for order at every location. Just another great example of how INO separates itself from the competition in unique ways.
The styling of every INO location remains constant. Twin palm trees can be found at every location along with single drive through lines. The palms trees were said to be a tribute to the founder Harry Snyder who was a California man at heart. Today, In-N-Out Burger has 420 locations that generate an estimated profit of $420 million dollars.

Full Summary of In-N-Out Burger: A Behind the Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules

In-N-Out Burger was written by Stacey Perman, a staff writer for Business week located in New York City. Stacey Perman covers mostly small business practices and entrepreneurship. With a degree from UCLA and a masters from Columbia, saying that she knows what she is talking about is a serious understatement. IIn-N-Out Burger was started in 1948 by a man named Harry Snyder and his wife Esther. The original location was a small corner shack located In Baldwin Park, California. The company’s mission statement was the same in 1948 as it is today. “Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment.” This simple yet affective attitude of Harry Snyder has proven very successful in business and life. In 1948 there was no such thing as a fast food restaurant. Harry Snyder’s vision of having a quality eating experience would soon explode to a much larger and valuable Company.
Harry Snyder, the product of Dutch immigrants was a hard worker. One who prided himself on his street smarts. Coming to America at such a young age, Harry is described as a street smart man who worked hard to provide for his family. His wife Esther was no exception, both being Dutch immigrants, they were forced into a rapidly changing American culture and forced to adapt. Growing up in the Great depression, In-N-out burger has grown to be what it is today from the morals of its founders, who had no other choice but to roll their sleeves up and work for what they wanted. A Street smart Harry Snyder one day realized that families in America were constantly on the move.
With the average American family at the time averaging about 2 cars, life in Los Angeles quickly became life on the move. Harry and other like him soon realized and discovered the need of fast food restaurants. This was the birthplace of the drive through meal. Harry, and advocate electronics expert, came up with something called the two way speaker. This simple invention is known today as how people place their orders in drive through. Although Harry Snyder was the true inventor of this new technology, he lacked a patent on his invention which soon let others in on what he had discovered.
This simple concept of people driving in and out for meals is how the company received its name. Harry Snyder can be described as a man concerned with all the little things. The book gives account of him sweeping the parking lots after a day’s work. He believed that nothing should go over looked. His obsession about minor details is the underlying cause of his success. Examples of this include providing a clean eating environment, never waiting on your food, and also paying his employees well above minimum wage to ensure he got the best quality work for his money.
The expansion on In-N-Out Burger in the 1950s was a major turning point in Harry’s area of business. This was a point in time where other fast food restaurants were looking to franchise their name in order to make a larger profit. Harry believed that this was the best way to lose control of his burger joint. Franchising also brought along the introduction to frozen beef patties and other multiple ways of making the food cheaper. In-n-Out burger believes that the in order to achieve the best quality food, that the ingredients should also be top shelf. In-n-Out burger still remains as one of very few who hire their own butchers to select the finest meat available. The company has stayed true to these beliefs, not one location will anyone find a microwave or freezer. The expansion of the number of locations was slow compared to others. The main reason for this is Harry would never open a new location without having the money out right to pay for it. Expansion also was dependent on the fact that new managers of these locations were up to par in Harry’s eyes.
Some might ask why take the limited expansion route when there is so much money to be made franchising and spreading locations across the country. The book gives many reasons for this but emphasizes that it is because of their ingredients. Since no INO locations have freezers, meat and potatoes have to be delivered fresh daily. All locations are within a 500 mile radius of each other insuring that each location is up to par with the INO requirements. Another main reason for locations to be confined to only 4 states in the east is management. Every single manager is required to go through a vigorous training program.
The book also goes into great detail about the Snyder’s family problems. Harry had two sons, the younger one who would eventually go on to become the president of the In-N-out company we know today. This shift in control would lead to many things including the hiring professional managers and also a marketing department to really take In-n-Out to the next step. Tragedy does strike the Snyder family when several family members died in a plane crash and left the controlling reigns to the only granddaughter, Lynsi Martinez. Lynsi is the current CEO of the company and still resides there today. The book goes to great lengths to make sure you know this complete history of the In-N-Out business and family structure.

The book then shifts to telling the real story of the In-N-Out we all know of today. The beliefs and the many rule breaking policies that are in place as of now, that seem to go against all logic and ways of other fast food brands. The family of the Snyder’s being Christian, many people find and discuss why it is that bible verses are printed on every burger wrapper and cup that In-N-Out currently serves. Debate to whether this was a good idea is still up to the air. Being a California company, the idea of printing Christian bible verses was and still is an oxymoron when looking at the culture of California. The following passage is the most popular and appears on every burger wrapper, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me.” These passages started printing in 1987 as a tribute to its founder Harry.

Another quality of INO is something that’s has been there since the begging, polite employees play a major role in the companies identity and also the beliefs of Harry Snyder. Being from Louisiana, I think the best comparison is the employees at raising canes. The employees now days at every location are paid well above minimum wage. Every starting employee will make nothing under $10 per hour. Also worthy of mention is the lucrative bonuses managers receive for meeting goals. The book describes trips to Europe and Australia as some of the many rewards given to managers who meet their goals.
The INO menu is also a popular topic for discussion in Stacey Perman’s book. In 60 years there have been no additions to the drive through and in store Menu with the exception of certain fountain drinks. The menu only consists of 4 items. My favorite part of this whole book is the explanation of the “Secret Menu”. These items are all available for order at every location. Just another great example of how INO separates itself from the competition in unique ways.
The secret menu also has another secret to it. You can order “Fries well done”, or “Fries Light”. These menu items and the fact that every burger is not made until you order it really give the customer the feeling that they are getting a custom experience.
Price comparison is also another topic of INO. A standard Double Double with cheese only runs the consumer about $2.75. A modest price compared to the quality of food you receive. Also having visited the state of California, where prices are considerably higher than Louisiana, A whole meal ran me less than 6 dollars. This hasn’t changed much since the first Double Double was sold for $.25. Every item ordered at INO can be considered part of the Dollar Menu most fast food customers are use to.
The styling of every INO location remains constant. Twin palm trees can be found at every location along with single drive through lines. The palms trees were said to be a tribute to the founder Harry Snyder who was a California man at heart. The color schemes remain constant with the use of white, red, and yellow. The layout of restaurants remains constant with a few exceptions. The food and supplies are kept in a separate building. The book describes as it not being an uncommon thing for the customer having to wait longer for their order due to employees having to restock on supplies. The interiors are one thing that remains constant no matter where you visit. Each location has a standard multiple register layout and waiting area with the addition of table, booth, and even bar seating.

Today, In-N-Out Burger has 420 locations that generate an estimated profit of $420 million dollars. This seems large but when compare to such competitors as McDonald’s, INO profit stream gets crushed. To give some comparison McDonald’s has around 31,000 locations worldwide and has sees profits close to $21 billion dollars per year. Even though McDonald’s is the number one burger producer in the world, In-N-out Burger is estimated to be in a close second with burger king. This is a pretty impressive feet looking at the number of location and their geographical area they operate in, and also INO limited menu. In-N-Out Burger recently was called the best burger in the nation according to Zagat survey.

The customers play the biggest role in the success of In-N-Out Burger. With unbelievable customer loyalty, the customers love and loyalty for the burgers are compared to rock bands groupies. Although INO is limited on its advertising and marketing efforts, the main factor in INO’s success is word of mouth. Although INO has used television commercials and billboards in their marketing strategy, it is extremely modest when compared to what lengths it competitors go through to advertise their burgers. The chain has never hired spokesman or celebrity figures to promote it product mainly because it has never needed to. This has not stopped some of Hollywood’s most famous residents on record raving about this once small town burger joint.
The book also identifies many imitators who have tried to copy INO whole production process. The book refers to a man who hired 8 moles to actually train and work at In-N-Out Burger. These moles did everything from stealing the training manuals to taking pictures of actual INO locations. Needless to say this person try to open his copy line of burger joints called “Lightning Burger”. In-N-Out quickly caught on to his scheme and took him to court for copyright infringement. The judge ruled in their favored and fined the man $250,000 and also stipulated that he could never open another burger restaurant for as long as he lived.

Personal Insights
In my research, I have found and read other reviews on Stacey Perman’s book. Most of what I have found is nothing but good. Many people think the story she told at the depth she told it was remarkable. I did find several reviews that people said there was more than just Harry and Esther Snyder that worked in the beginning to make in and out what it is today. This quote by Helen Rosner sums up my reviews, “the author of a book about one of the most beloved and lauded burger restaurants in quite possibly the entire world doesn’t, herself, like burgers.”
Rosner, Helen. “Doing Business Animal-Style.” Web log post. EAT ME DAILY. 12 Feb. 2009. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. .
I think the author is accurate in her writings. There will always be underlying sources to anything you decide to investigate in the business world. The amount of detail she goes into is unbelievable. The book will remain relevant since it’s a story about how a business came about. There are something’s though that are subject to change. The simplest example is that in the future it can almost be certain that In-N-Out Burger will be in more than 4 states nationwide.
Ten concrete thing that’s managers can take away from this book are as follows: The quality and cleanliness of your establishment, treating your employees with respect, making sure the customers is always happy, the downside of franchising your business, better ingredients make a better product, copy right and patent and new breakthrough, family owned operations can lead down the wrong path, customizable products for customers, making sure your managers reflect your personal views, and opportunities are always around the corner. If I were the author I would have spent a lot more time explaining how In-N-out burger came to be instead of all the boring family history that got it to where it is now. I would have also included pictures; almost 300 pages of descriptions get boring. I would also have done the title different, people won’t know if you’re talking about the name of the restaurant chain or the book that has been written and named the same thing. Reading this book made me think differently about this topic in the ways of how we eat as a nation and how we pay and treat our customers and employees. I will apply what I have learned in this book in my career by following the beliefs that harry Snyder had, the customers should always be treated with respect, employee satisfaction boosts productivity and to not overlook the tiny details.

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David C. Wyld (dwyld@selu.edu) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/.


Summary and Review of In-n-out Burger: A Behind The Counter Look at The Fast Chain That Breaks All The Rules

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Letterman's Suggestions For Ways BP Can Improve Image (VIDEO)

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David Letterman nailed the company again! All classic lines (change the name from British Petroleum to "Bunnies and Puppies"). You know, but his Number 2 suggestion ("fix the damn leak") is the one they really need to be concentrating on!



David http://wyld-about-comedy.blogspot.com/
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See How Far We Have Come by Watching Old Tech Commercials

This is a great compilation of vintage tech commercials to remind all of us - especially today's "yutes" - just how far we have come. In this clip, see the ads for IBM's first personal computer (at $20,000), Radio Shack's first cell phone ($1400 with 60 cent a minute calls), and a Mircosoft ad for what came before Windows (MS-DOS). Classic stuff from Kim Komando - watch the clip below:



David

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The End Of The Free Market: Why America Must Defend The Free Market Economy (VIDEO)

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Kudos again to Jon Stewart and "The Daily Show" crew for putting on an author interview that presents a far-better, far more serious and important analysis of our present economic and political situation than the "serious" news that dominates cable and broadcast news programs. Ian Bremmer appears to have great insights on the global context of not just the crisis for the U.S., but for all democratic states based on free-market economies. Ironic (and somewhat scary) how "fake news" is better than "real news," eh? Will look for his book - and would urge all to - great interview!
The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Ian Bremmer
www.thedailyshow.com
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David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/
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