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Pathetic Small Business (?) Consultant

This is not a particularly nice title, I know, but enough is enough. I generally like Small Business Trends , sometimes even quote their material, but I can’t help but wonder what Jack Yoest is doing there.  

The first weird post I picked on was 10 Reminders for Effective Management, which technically was advice to small business owners, but it reminded me of the 80’s corporate mid-manager’s survival guides, as in “how to BS your way through your career, looking busy while doing nothing“.  No kidding.

In his next piece he recommended that small businesses be run like a military unit. That shocked me again; I for one tend to believe (small) businesses are better off with a team of partners and collaborators than a military organization.

Today he writes about Small Business Business Structure.  A few selec quotes:

“Companies should be designed on the ol’ fashioned hierarchical organizational chart so that praise can easily flow up. And the heart-burn can flow down”

“The best structure is a pyramid with the small business owner at the tippy top with a few direct reports. The employee wanting to bother and waste the time of the boss will have to crawl over layers of managers before getting to you, the owner.”

“Put each business function in a box. Every action and process in to a discrete description. … Put employees in a box and a label.”

“And finally, close your door.”

I’ve been long wondering  if these posts are meant to be satirical, but I’m afraid they are real. He really means it.  Read his posts – if for nothing else,  the entertainment value.

  

Comments

  1. LOL, this has to be a satire man!

    Praise flow up, heart burn down hehe.. I have been running a very small company and Im pretty sure we are going to try to keep it well small and flat

  2. Anonymous says

    Oh My God. I haven’t read such bull a long time now. How can he post anymore. Somebody should stop him. Militarizing a small business? That’s what got me. It’s OK if you want to go bankrupt or at least have half of your employees walk out.

    Arizona Employee Handbook. For successful businesses.

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