The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work As Much As Play [Paperback]

Charles A. Coonradt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1984

Since its original printing in 1984, The Game of Work helped thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of managers and employees experience increased job enjoyment while producing extraordinary results.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

CHARLES A. COONRADT with Lee Nelson
On a hot summer day when the air conditioning goes off, employees start tugging at their collars and complaining that it's too hot to work. But after work in the parking lot, where it is twenty degrees hotter, they will look at each other say, "Well, what do you think, golf or tennis?" Why will people, in recreation, pay for the privilege of working harder than they will work when they are paid?
In The Game of Work, Charles A. Coonradt, president of The Game of Work, LLC, explains what makes people so dedicated to recreational pursuits, and shows how to use that same motivation to win at business. Using the principles outlined in this book, a major consumer beverage manufacturer reduced costs by 25 cents per case resulting in an annual $30 million savings, a large grocery distribution company reduced their losses from warehouse and truck damage by over $10 million, a communications firm increased profits from $1.7 million to $3.4 million in one year, a multi-store retail chain improved corporate valuation by over 500% prior to being acquired, a manufacturing firm reduced waste metal costs $30,000 a year, an advertising executive increased his sales volume 55 percent in 90 days and a warehouse/distribution operation reduced accidents by 38% saving over $500,000 in one year.
Every person, business, or organization can achieve better results with these proven principles. Company presidents, managers, supervisors, sales personnel, and human resource directors will find ideas for achieving not only personal success but also success for the entire business team.
The Game of Work has been described as "the most original and useful tool for business to come along since Megatrends and In Search of Excellence." It gives fresh, proven management techniques that will help men and women in business become winners. The Game of Work, LLC Park City, Utah
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of The Game of Work, LLC, a corporation founded in 1973 and dedicated to building the success of its individual and corporate clients. Graduate of Michigan State University. Internationally recognized in the fields of goal setting and profit improvement, as an author, consultant, and speaker. Chuck's books The Game of Work, Managing The Obvious, Scorekeeping for Success, and The Four Laws of Debt Free Prosperity have been labeled management "must reads." He is a contributing author to the best selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, as well as a founding member and frequent lecturer at the School of Entrepreneurship, Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management.
The Game of Work's client list includes many Fortune 500, as well as other nationally and internationally recognized firms. Companies that have successfully utilized and implemented these unique concepts include Coca-Cola Consolidated, The Chicago Tribune, Pepsi Cola, Coors, Marker Bindings, Wendy's, Browning Ferris Industries, US Air Force, US Postal Service, Molina Medical, and Boeing. Over one million executives, managers, and supervisors on five continents have been exposed to Chuck's ideas on feedback, scorekeeping, goal setting, coaching, choice and accountability. He, his wife Carla, and his family live in Park City, Utah. Lee Nelson, after receiving his MBA degree from Brigham Young University, worked in corporate public relations at Ford Motor Company. After leaving the automobile industry he focused his career on writing and publishing. He has published hundreds of articles and 31 books. Lee was chosen by the Mark Twain Foundation to complete a story Mark Twain started in 1885 titled Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

How to Be a Winner at Work!
Using the principles outlined in this book, a major consumer beverage manufacturer reduced costs by 25 cents per case resulting in an annual $30 million savings, a large grocery distribution company reduced their losses from warehouse and truck damage by over $10 million, a communications firm increased profits from $1.7 million to$3.4 million in one year, a multi-store retail chain improved corporate valuation by over 500% prior to being acquired, a manufacturing firm reduced waste metal costs $30,000 a year, an advertising executive increased his sales volume 55 percent in 90 days and a warehouse/distribution operation reduced accidents by 38% saving over $500,000 in one year.
How were these people able to produce such dramatic results? They learned what they needed to do toenjoy their work as much as they enjoyed play. In The Game of Work, Charles A. Coonradt, president of The Game of Work, LLC, explains how to win at work and enjoy it by clearly defining goals, keeping score, using frequent feedback, allowing freedom of choice, and setting consistent rules.
"The book is fantastic! It will make a great addition to my library." Michael D. Eisner Chairman Walt Disney Productions
"A powerful resource that is simple to read and understand. We plan to use the book as a supplement to many of the human resource programs we now have in place, and particularly as a tool for improving the goal setting, action, and review processes of our management team. Your book is by far the best source I have reviewed. Enclosed is a check for fifty copies of The Game of Work." Manager of Human Resources Ardmore, Oklahoma
"There's good stuff in there. The point the book makes is a good one." Earl Nightingale
"At last a void has been filled in current professional reading. The Game of Work provided me with a way to enjoy In Search of Excellence while striving to be a One Minute Manager." R. E. Mathis, Eastern Regional Sales Manager General Foods Corporation
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 148 pages
• Publisher: Game of Work; 3rd edition (September 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883004039
• ISBN-13: 978-1883004033
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #241,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not as funny as Dilbert because it's serious, January 2, 2005

By 

M. S. Ramsey (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work As Much As Play (Paperback)

Ten years ago, I worked for a company which was in the midst of a culture crisis. Part of this crisis was due to the owner's insistence on managing from afar and not allowing skilled managers to make decisions based on local needs. This crisis came to a head when the owner met the author of this book on a ski - lift.

The main premise of the author's "philosophy" is this: people play(read: work) harder during their time off than they do at their jobs. [I'm alright with this part.] The reason being, according to the author, is that nobody keeps score at work. This, of course, is patently ridiculous. Almost every company keeps score on their employees in some way and most of us enjoy 'sports' in our off-time that don't keep score.

The author was brought in to train us in his "method'. Keep in mind that we already had complex yearly reviews and most managers were selected after they had met certain criteria in personality tests. Some people may be intrigued by the author's writing but his personal style is boorish. He typically ate while he lectured and his constant reliance on record - breaking sports events as an example of what people at work should do every day not only alienated non - sports minded people but showed the second major weakness in his philosophy. Guys get paid millions of dollars for getting a hit 30% of the time - not grand slams every time they come up to bat. But that was the author's next premise - that we had to perform these types of record feats everyday. (This strategy is not restricted merely to the author, sadly, but seems to be a major strategy of most US companies.)

The author had a difficult time with me especially as most of my hobbies involve physical activities in which one does not keep score - surfing, hiking, gardening, etc. I actually argued the contrary to the author's philosophy - that people actually played harder than they worked precisely because no one was keeping score when they played, as I stated above. However, discussing this with the author was like the narrator of "This Is Spinal Tap" questioning the notion of 'this one goes to 11' with Nigel. The author just kept repeating his litany about needing to keep score.

We started measuring anything that could be measured - this was keeping score. Then, because they could be measured they had to be reduced. Things that were vital to the integrity of the product were cut back on in order 'to win'. The product (and product reputation)was damaged and some of the better people soon left the company. Eventually, we careened into other changes in company philosophy and left this "Game" behind. Sadly, none of these philosophies helped- but that is another matter.

This author's work is dreck. You would do better to read Scott Adams and do exactly the opposite of Catbert, Ratbert, and the Pointy - Haired Boss. Make it interesting, make it fun, treat people with respect and people will work hard. They may still work harder at play but that is probably human nature. After all, there are words for "work" and "play" - they are not one. Keeping score doesn't really play into it.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Totally simplistic and unconvincing, April 20, 2008

By 

H. Reid (Boston MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Game of Work, The: How to Enjoy Work as Much as Play (Hardcover)

Mr Coonradt's premise is that people are motivated to work well when they can keep score against very straightforwardly measurable goals. To bolster this argument, Conraadt points to what people do in their leisure time, claiming that people like and are motivated to do their leisure activities more than their work because score keeping and measurement in these leisure activities is very simple. He also claims that people who don't concentrate on their scores -- and in particular how they measure up against other people -- are "losers".

One clear problem with this argument is that the book totally and absolutely ignores the fact that many people the world over spend their precious leisure time engaged in activities where "scoring" and objective measurement doesn't even enter into the equation. think of artistic endeavors -- surely a very important area of human activity! In many aspects of arts (most?) scoring and measurement don't have a place at all -- is Van Gogh measurably better than Cezanne? Indeed, that very kind of thinking is anathema to artistic creation. Or think of the hobbies of reading, playing music, listening to music, watching plays, watching dance, painting, photography, etc. etc. etc. Why do people engage in these activities with such dedication when there is no measuring or scoring of any sort going on? Even if you grant the author his sports-myopic-vision, there are many sporting activities where scoring isn't important to the majority of participants, or isn't present at all -- fishing, sailing, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, etc etc etc. Granted some people do these "non-scoring" sports in scoring settings.... but I would argue the vast majority of participants do not. There are far more recreational trail riders than there are grand prix show jumpers or racing jockeys: there are far more people who just "putter" in their boats than people who race competitively.

So, really the author's argument largely applyies only if you limit your thinking to a subset of sporting activity (itself a subset of what he should in fact be looking at and examining) and ignore the characteristics of a broad swath of the activities that humans in fact find deeply satisfying. He's focused on a very, very limited slice of life and basically writes-off people who are motivated by things other than simple scores.

Meanwhile, many companies provide their employees with very clear score-keeping parameters and the jobs involved are miserable (I've had experience of that myself in spades!!). Bottom line: when I applied this book's arguments to myself and what I have seen in my 20 year career -- what I find rewarding, what jobs I've found most satisfying, the environments and practices that make people thrive -- the arguments just didn't ring true to me. It certainly would be very comforting to think that constructing a rewarding, highly productive and humane work environment could be this simple -- that there's a magic bullet like this -- but I think how humans approach jobs and how we respond to work environments are just like everything else in human life -- complex and, at times, bewildering. And it also seems to me that American business in these times needs more of the kind of complex, nuanced analysis and judgment that belong in the sphere of the arts rather than the simple score-keeping of football or baseball. There are many good business books out there that acknowledge that and give better advice on how to navigate this area.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly Surprised, April 10, 2007

By 

G. DeLong (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work As Much As Play (Paperback)

This was required reading by my manager. I'm always skeptical in those situations, but it came highly recommended. And now that we've all read it and tried to implement the suggestions, I can say there has been a noticeable difference in the way each employee approaches work. People seem more motivated and excited about their jobs than before. I think every business could benefit from Coonradt's ideas which inspire and inject fun into the often-mundane job experiences.