B.S.: Business Satire
Business Culture and How We Can Change It
By: Jerry Serra, John Auger
Published: September 2009
ISBN: 9781935557128
Format: Paperback, 114 pages
Publisher: Publishling Works Inc.
"It was astonishing to us that corporate America, founded and grown on the principles of having a good old fashioned work ethic, the courage to be entrepreneurial and the concern of the well being of their people had now been hijacked by narcissistic lemmings", write authors Jerry Serra and John Auger in their hilarious and spot on satire of modern corporations B.S.: Business Satire: Business Culture and How We Can Change It. The authors, with biting wit made all the more sharp by its very accuracy, lampoon the pretentiousness, self-importance, and copycat behavior that infests the modern corporate world.
Jerry Serra (photo left) and John Auger spent many years in the corporate world and witnessed countless absurdities first hand. Not only were the behaviors exhibited by corporate executives at all levels self aggrandizing, but were very often counterproductive to the needs of the company, its employees, and its customers. The authors depict the often outrageous actions of executives with humor, and with an eye to teach other business people to not follow the bad example set my these self important business leaders. As a management teaching tool, Jerry Serra and John Auger mix satire with hilarious illustrations and parody games to underline the bad management style demonstrated by many modern managers. The authors' technique is very effective.
John Auger (photo left) and Jerry Serra ridicule most of the modern corporate trappings, that the authors believe are more for the career aspirations of the manager, than for the overall benefit of the company. The authors parody the absurdity of job titles that bear little relationship to the job description. Indeed, the authors believe most corporate titles are designed to obscure incompetence and give the false impression of importance. The authors pillory the useless nature of most staff meetings, personal technology devices, and conference calls that are more about creating personal promotion than about solving any real problems.
For me, the power of the book is the serious management message underlying the satire and humor. The authors believe in elimination the contagious self aggrandizement behavior, and replacing it with a more human approach to business. Instead of looking out only for oneself and one's own career, John Auger and Jerry Serra suggest a more holistic approach to business and to life. Treating employees and customers with respect, while ending the dependence on useless meetings, conference calls, and team building exercises, will provide more benefit to the organization. A value based company will not only be more profitable and responsive to the needs of customers, but will provide a more balanced and happier life for all employees.
I highly recommend the hilarious and right on target book B.S.: Business Satire: Business Culture and How We Can Change It by John Auger and Jerry Serra, to any manager seeking to cast aside the silly and counterproductive trappings of the supposedly successful executive. The authors, with scalpel sharp wit, cut through the noise and clutter and demonstrate the absurdity of most executive actions. In their place, the authors suggest creating a more balanced work and home life, where managers have time to enjoy what is truly important in life. Instead of another worthless, time wasting meeting, the book points the way to a more rewarding family and business life.
Read the highly entertaining and insightful book B.S.: Business Satire: Business Culture and How We Can Change It by John Auger and Jerry Serra, and cast aside all of the silly and mindless delusions of grandeur that afflict many corporate executives. Instead of following their lead over the cliff, do the right thing by employees and customers. Your personal well being, and the bottom line of the company, will be better for it.
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