B.I. Book Club

Hard times aren’t just tough on your bottom line. They can wear down your employees’ spirits, translating into even fewer sales, lower levels of customer service and dissatisfaction at work — all of which can hit you where it hurts.

That’s why “The Energy Bus” can be such a great business tool. It’s a simple and relatively short book that uses a parable to illustrate how damaging a negative outlook can be and how incredibly powerful a positive outlook can be at work and in everything we do. The story is one anyone who has had a bad day can relate to and any business that values its employees can benefit from.

It may seem a little warm and fuzzy if you’re used to reading cut and dry how-to guides from the business section. But with Gallup polls indicating that negativity in the workplace costs companies as much as $300 billion per year, it’s worth
your consideration.

In the book, author Jon Gordon outlines 10 rules, which remind the reader that they’re in charge of their own life, they can turn it into one they want to live, and they can often influence those around them to share that vision, if it has purpose and is conveyed with enthusiasm. When it comes down to it, don’t we all want employees with a passion for making a positive contribution to our organizations and with the ability to share that energy with those around them?

I stumbled upon this book at Grady-White Boats, where “The Energy Bus” is among those it pays its employees to read. “It reinforces many of the other books we have on our reading list that promote the ‘owner’ mentality vs. the ‘victim’ mentality,” explains Grady-White President Kris Carroll.