The Seven-Day Weekend [Apr 01, 2003] Semler, Ricardo - Hardcover

Ricardo Semler

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0712677909 ISBN 13: 9780712677905

Publisher: Century Hutchinson, 2003

Synopsis

Email and paperwork have invaded homes. Most people know how to work on Sunday evening, but no one yet knows how to go to the cinema on Monday afternoon. A new way of work is needed. A new way of working has emerged at Semco of which the tell-tale signs are: hammocks where people rest during the day; Retire-a-Little plans; the end of the head office; and the abolition of control and boarding school mentality. The results have been inordinate success for 20 years; practically non-existent turnover; and an organization that covers an enormous range of business activity, from machinery to environmental consulting, and from real estate advisoy services to new business start-ups, smoothly and coherently. It's time for a new way of work to be created. This book shows how this can be achieved.

About this title

About the Author

Ricardo Semler, president of Semco S/A, the Brazilian machinery manufacturer, service provider and software company is internationally famous for creating the world's most unusual workplace. At Semco, workers choose their bosses. Financial information is shared with everyone. A high percentage of the employees determine their own salaries. And self-managed teams replace hierarchy and procedure

From Publishers Weekly

Semler, the Brazil-based CEO of Semco, believes corporations and employees can become successful by bucking tradition and thinking wildly outside the box. He attempts to explain Semco’s success (a company with $212 million in annual revenue and "no official structure... no organizational chart... no business plan or company strategy") and how its principles can be applied in other companies to make working environments more appealing and opportunities for growth and achievement limitless. Nine chapters (one for each day of the week, as well as one for "Any Day" and one for "Every Day") explore the ways in which the traditional workweek stifles creativity and fosters distaste for working days. But Semler also looks at how to shake things up. The Wednesday chapter leads off with the following to-do list: attend a board of director’s meeting; dump a deal rather than pay a bribe; tell the company it sucks. While Semler’s ideas often seem counter-intuitive, the idea is not to provide specific guidelines but rather to encourage readers to view their organization and professional lives in a new way. The book’s premise is promising, but the actual steps to achieving a seven-day weekend still seem unattainable.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Century Hutchinson
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0712677909
• ISBN 13: 9780712677905
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288