The Great Game of Business, Expanded and Updated

The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company

By: Jack Stack, Bo Burlingham

Narrated by: Jack Stack, Stephen Baker

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the early 1980s, Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation (SRC) in Springfield, Missouri, was a near bankrupt division of International Harvester. That's when a green young manager, Jack Stack, took over and turned it around. He didn't know how to "manage" a company, but he did know about the principal, of athletic competition and democracy: keeping score, having fun, playing fair, providing choice, and having a voice.

With these principles he created his own style of management - open-book management. The key is to let everyone in on financial decisions. At SRC, everyone learns how to read a P&L - even those without a high school education know how much the toilet paper they use cuts into profits. SRC people have a piece of the action and a vote in company matters. Imagine having a vote on your bonus and on what businesses the company should be in. SRC restored the dignity of economic freedom to its people. Stack's "open-book management" is the key - a system which, as he describes it here, is literally a game, and one so simple anyone can use it.

The Great Game of Business started a business revolution by introducing the world to open-book management, a new way of running a business that created unprecedented profit and employee engagement.

The revised and updated edition of The Great Game of Business lays out an entirely different way of running a company. It wasn't dreamed up in an executive think tank or an Ivy League business school or around the conference table by big-time consultants. It was forged on the factory floors of the heartland by ordinary folks hoping to figure out how to save their jobs.

What Stack and his people created was a revolutionary approach to management that has proven itself in every industry around the world for the past 30 years - an approach that is perhaps the last, best hope for reviving the American Dream.

©1992, 2013 The Great Game of Business, Inc. (P)2015 The Great Game of Business, Inc.

An update on a clap

Building a profitable business with a great company culture is incredibly hard...Jack Stack provides a blueprint in this book. He's not an academic and this isn't theoretical - it's based on more than 30 years of real world experience.

Great Advice for Small Business

Listen to the book at x1.2 speed. You won't regret it. It's a great book about motivating your employees and creating buy in.

The case study at the end was probably the most helpful piece.

Inspiring Story

I can't believe that I had overlooked this book for so long. It was a god quick read but filled with practical advice for building a culture of ownership in a business. I found a lot of similarities between the system that Stack built at SRC and the Toyota Production System philosophy. He lays out a simple way to determine KPI's at all levels of a business then clearly visualize them and align the organization to go after them. There were very few examples of how the problems were solved, but it is still worth reading just to understand their method of visualizing them. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to understand how to build intrinsic motivation and autonomy in their workforce.

Fantastic!

As part of an ESOP company, this book covered all the basic principles I want to share with my colleagues and leaders at work. Jack did a great job narrating this book and explaining the Great Game. I would recommend this to all businesses who want each employee to not only understand the goals and financial goals of the company, but to also be working towards those goals each and every day within their specific role.

The idea overall is very nice

The idea overall is very nice, I have read much better books on operating systems like Traction and Scalling Up
- But I like how they mentioned the bonus % they provide, so we can set as a bench mark

As good as it gets

Been 20 years since I read the book. The info is as relevant as it was 20 years ago. Plenty of usable information on how to get your people involved.

What a great way to run business!

Running your book a business as open book seems respectful and kind to your employees. It's flies in the face of fear. I think many business owners are afraid to be that transparent for fear of employee reactions. But buy-in seems to outweigh the negative consequences. Thanks for bringing new concepts and ideas to the business world.

Great Method & Tool for Simplify Business for Your Team

If you struggle with employee engagement levels, high turnover, or inconsistent results, The Great Game of Business might be the tool and method you need. I’d also suggest investigating servant-leadership books and concepts. The two pair very well!

Well Said!

Such a great business book for any entrepreneur‼️

This was a fun and interesting read that forever changed my businesses.

intriguing ideas

I manage a non profit consulting business so the application isn't as h obvious but worth considering how I can at it. Well done.

Thoroughly enjoyed this Book

Great to hear from someone like Jack Stack who's poured his heart and head out into this Book.