Customer Reviews

Seven Day Weekend

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Semco, Ricardo Semler's privately held Brazilian company is hard to describe, mostly because it looks and acts so different from what we expect a company to be. That's why Semler devotes the first chapter of Seven Day Weekend to telling us what Semco is and does and what makes it a different place to work. At the end of the chapter, he says this:

"Although I still can't definitely answer the question about what Semco does do, I can say we've changed the way work works and improved the quality of our lives - and so can you."

After reading Seven Day Weekend, I still can't tell you exactly what it's about. But I can say that it will change the way you think about work and open up new possibilities for you.

There's a lot of talk these days about changing the workplace and making it more democratic and self-organizing and participative. We've seen pieces of this at places like WL Gore and, more recently at Best Buy. We've read the business press articles and pundit opinions.

But the fact is that if we are going to see significant workplace change on a large scale, there will need to be more companies that act like Semco. The owners of those companies will have to try things out and show us. That's what Ricardo Semler has done.

If you want to see how the wisdom of crowds works out in a company, it's in here. If you want to see how democratic principles work out in management, that's here, too. And if you want to see things about self-organizing and self-managing work groups and chaos theory, that's here too.

But Seven Day Weekend is not a how-to manual. You won't come out of it with a bunch of checklists or bulleted lists of sure-fire techniques. You will improve your understanding of a few key points

* People can be trusted to make decisions that are not only in their best interests, but in the company's best interest.

* In most cases, following the natural law of things works at least as well and often better than trying to control and direct.

* Strategy Semco-style is about building on talents and following ideas and not about master plans.

You will want to know if Semco has been successful in a traditional business way. It has been extravagantly successful, growing revenue and profits at 40 percent per year for two decades. Not only that, the company survived the convulsions in the Brazilian economy in the 1980s and 1990s.

And you'll want to ask Ricardo Semler about how he works as CEO and how he controls things. Here's his answer.

"I don't. I let the system work for itself."

The bottom line is that you should read this book because it will give you a window into a very different way of working and organizing a business. It's a system that's uncommon as well as uncommonly successful. And it's a system we can learn from.

Seven-Day weekend is the second (English) book by Richardo Semler, the CEO of Semco. Semco is a weird Brazilian company known for it's modern HR practices. The history of Semco and Ricardo Semler was explained well in his first English book: Maverick.

The author makes a point that the workweek has invaded the weekend via internet and email. Now it's time to abandon the standard week/weekend thinking and have weekend whenever we want and have week whenever we want. So we'll have a seven day workweek AND a seven day weekend.

The book is a collection of stories and opinions by Richardo which are organized according to the days of the week. Every day a couple of stories, mostly about Semco but also about other activities in which Richardo was involved in.

Some of the more interesting points and stories are, for example, where the author is questioning the need to always grow. In business it seems to be the purpose of the business to grow bigger. Richardo questions this purpose and asks why this is. Cannot companies stay small and then still be successful?

Seven-day weekend is certainly worth reading. It's a small book it takes maybe a day to read it. Its well written, it keeps you awake and the stories are interesting. Though, I personally found it less interesting than Maverick (which I had read first). If you need to chose between the seven day weekend or Maverick, I'd go for Maverick. If, after Maverick, you still do not have enough of Semler, then the seven-day weekend is for you.

Written with engaging enthusiasm and frankness, the 14 essays in this book have titles like 'Let the Followers Lead', 'Do it your Way - See if I Care', 'Too Much Talent is as Bad as Too Little'.

Collectively they demonstrate the enormous business success - over 20 years - of a philosophy, culture and practices that are totally radical in comparison with 'conventional' business.

Yet they are based on the commonsense principles of democracy, trust, transparency, a shared search for new opportunities and better ways of doing things, and guardianship by the community of a shared set of values, beliefs and principles.

In the process of explaining how these principles work in practice, Semler blows apart just about every piece of conventional wisdom underpinning the behaviour of large public companies - Semler's Semco remains privately owned. It is reasonable to question to what extent it could operate as it does if it were a public company - and whether it could be as successful as it is. Is the classic joint stock form becoming a 'dead hand', rather than a driver of progress?

Semler has downloaded from the brains of so many successful entrepeneurs the key to balancing life and work. People live and people work. People do not need to loathe work or be treated like idiots to operate in the work place. Treat people like adults and afford them adult decision oportunities and they will shine and make you money.

Corporate America has alot to learn and Semler is ready and eager to teach. Start down the road to learning who you are as a successful business person and person by reading "The Seven -Day Weekend." People in control of their lives will self-create, self-improve and self-manage.

This book made me question how I run my business and what its future will be. Semler's writing style was very enjoyable and easy to read. (I finished the entire book in about 24 hours, a testament to both the content and the pace of the writing.) Even if one chose to not implement a single suggestion that Semler offers, I think that the book would still be worthwhile, if for nothing else to see how dramatically different a business can be run.

The seven day weekend was such a great read. Ricardo Semler set something in motion with the company Semco, that has worked. A multi facaded, and diverse, slightly chaotic management system. The word democracy is thrown about these days, usually by governments trying to gain some justification in their mismanagement of the masses. But as the masses become more and more autonomous, and self reliant - democracy takes on new paradigms. Democracy in the work place has rarely been touched upon. As western society boosted it's economic wealth, and power, this was inevitably done by conformity, uniformity and general slave mentality working in the job. Almost a masochistic expectation, that you hate your job, but you still go, work pay your bills - but suffer stress, palpated heart rhythms, and high blood pressure. This isn't normal.

The seven day weekend, is more on an insight into Semco, a once Brazilian ship building supply company started by Ricardo Semler's father, Antonio Semler; but as the first chapter of the book explains, once Ricardo was ready to inherit the company; he immediately rearranged the rigid middle upper management (in other words sacked them) and commenced on democratizing, or allowing freedom in the work place, which allowed Semco to grow. Which it did. Semco now expands it's business infrastructure to IT management, corporate real estate management through partnership with Cushman and Wakefield SEMCO, and human resource management. Semco seems almost organic in it's approach in creating start up companies, all done with staff participation input and critique.

But it doesn't end there, all staff are allowed to check audit reports, look at internal accounts, and adjust their pay accordingly within their work input. Hierarchy and secrecy in the work place have been removed, rather an open source management line - where staff hold as much power in decision making as management. Great concept. As Semler points out, it creates just enough chaos, a little unsettledness to push a new idea out. And this can be only done, with all participants, not the management 'rulers'.

I love the idea of chopping up hierarchy, moving ideas, and decisions around - and in some cases looking at errors as possible achievements. Why didn't they teach us that at school? Ideas, imagination and the trial and error that occurs is the initial background mechanics to business, management and social economics in the workplace.

As (imposed externally) new work place rules are put in place and unions become less and less visible in the modern workplace. Businesses now offer 'incentives' and 'rewards' to it's workers. Semco and Semler would rather not treat workers as children. Issuing punishment and rewards. It creates morale problems, and staff end up behaving like spoiled or agitated children; useless in a growing, profitable company.

The mixing of cultural integration is crucial, and such a good anthropological experiment in the work place. Having young guns,. Mix it with old established workers. As the population ages, the new and the old can learn from each other. They fuse with one and other over time, as Semler says, "They form they flavors slowly, like a good strew".

Non territorial offices, rest areas for staff (to go to sleep!), staff can go home after they finish there job (anytime). Collective work units, that all work to make profits within the company. Opportunity for workers to reinvest back into the Semlco (private companies), and hold shares. As Ricardo Semler says, "A capitalist in mind, socialist at heart". And it appears at Semco it works.

I recommend this book to anyone in business, starting a business, or working for a business. Or also, anyone interested in the fusion of historical philosophy, cultural agitation and dissent - and how that can increase profitability and gratification in the work place, business and life.

On other note. Does anyone remember the 1996 Simpson's Hank Scorpio Globex Corporation episode? The dream boss, and hammock in the workspace? Although Hank Scorpio turned out to be a super villain. Similarities to Semco are coincidental.

I really enjoyed this book because it seems to be the antithesis of so many standard biz books out there. No ex-consultant in-depth research of "best of breed" or new "growth paradigm" dreamed up by a college professor - just musings from a man who has created just what might be the best case scenario for the future of work.

The book is based upon is Semco, a diversified Brazilian company where Semler is the CEO and whose revenue has grown from $4 million in 1982 to $212 million in 2003. His basic theme is that in order harness the full power and talents of your workers they have to be truly engaged and this means they have the power to pretty much do what they want when the want - as long as it focuses on generating results for the company.

While many of the practices he implements might not work so well in your workplace, they will get you thinking of what might be possible and what we may hopefully be heading towards. Overall his approach is similar to Industrial Democracy whereby workers are involved in making decisions, sharing responsibility, and have equal authority in the company.

Below are just a few of my favorite quips from the book...

- Once you define the business you're in you create boundaries for your employees, you restrict their thinking, and you give them a reason to pass up on opportunities.

- Semco has no official structure, no CFO, no HR, no mission statement, no job descriptions, etc. it is a place where people are just considered adults and get their job done.

- Semco cares about the core of what an employee does for the company, not the boarding school behaviors like what time they came in. But it is sooo hard to give up control. People should be involved to the point they shout "yes"!

- You need to be willing to give up control. Like an entrepreneur who is flexible, intuitive, non-dogmatic, take risks, make money, and have fun.

- You must tap into your workers true talents. The best way for people to feel job satisfaction, to feel passion, is to get them doing their calling so that work is more like fun.

- If an employee has no interest in a product or project then it will never succeed.

- For a company to excel it must put the employees self interest first. An employee who puts his interests first will be motivated to perform.

- Without formal job descriptions people can wander into neighboring work activities without being chased away for trespassing.

- Workplace stress reflects the difference between expectations and reality.

- Unless we click with a worker, unless he latches onto something he is passionate about, our productivity won't be high. Few organizations make an effort to find out whether a person has a calling.

- A mission statement can be a beautiful document, and mostly useless if it is not driven from the bottom up. Mission and vision are just the first step and they mean nothing on their own. You are judged by what you do, not what you say.

- Privileged information is a dangerous source of power in any organization.

- Limit your plans to 6 months. 5 year plans are ridiculous and every 1 year plan has the stuff happening at the end of the year.

- If a discussion on salaries is taboo then what else is off limits? The only source of power in an organization is information, and withholding, filtering, or retaining it only serves those who want to accumulate power.

- It's easy to talk about diversity, tribes, and dissent; but it can be frustrating, slow, and cumbersome. So much easer just to take control and tell people what to do but then you don't get an employee who is inspired to do their best.

- Productivity stagnates when workers are waiting for someone to tell them what to do or following a formal plan.

- In most conventional organizations decisions are made at the top and the rank and file is asked to check their brain at the door which leads to hostile and extremist views among the workers.

- By giving up or sharing control of small nettlesome issues like dress codes, and of graver matters like factory closings and security, management creates a culture of self-government that has more resilience then my way or the highway.

- No one is required to attend any meeting at Semco. Everyone is invited and they can come and go as they wish. If someone isn't interested in a meeting, then their engaged time is spent better somewhere else. This way management knows which projects are worth pursuing.

- A full time employee only needs one requisite, to have a material connection with the heart of the biz. Their job had to be central part of the differentiation between the biz and their competitors. The connection between the biz and the job had to be intrinsic and obvious.

- In a group environment, the only way to get your idea off the ground is to lobby ferociously in favor of it. If no one buys into it, then leave it on the back burner and return to it later.

- The more informed people are, the better they are able to develop and follow their gut instincts.

- Harnessing the wisdom of people, the reservoir of talent. This only comes from freedom, from democracy, from asking why...

Last but not least, Wiki on Ricardo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Semler

This book may be an eye-opener for someone who has been living under a rock, but my guess is that for most people who actually read this book all the talk about loosening control and trusting people will be preaching to the converted. My main interest was to learn about how to make such a setup work. But following the tradition of management literature, the advice is offered through stories and anecdotes. While this makes the book very readable, it does leave some gaps... So until an anthropologist manages to infiltrate the company and produce something more systematic and objective, I guess we'll either have to make do with this book -- or apply for a job at Semco to see for ourselves :-)

Ricardo Semler became quite popular more then twenty years ago when he tragically and unexpectedly inherited Semco, the family company located in Brazil (originally operating in the naval technology field) from his father. Young and inexperienced he ended up making many mistakes until he realized that the entire traditional `military, command and control' way to manage a company had to be totally and radically changed. He implemented the changes swiftly and Semco has been a successful, unusual, `radical' company since then.

This is Semler's second book, filled with ideas, practices and tools to implement meaningful changes within organizations; changes aiming to reorganize companies both physically and culturally "by constantly questioning the way that we do things". What are these changes all about? Here is a quote that sets to tone of Semler's ideas that have become common practice at Semco (a company with over 200 million dollars in revenues and with a double digit growth during the last 10 years): "Semco has no official structure. It has no organizational chart. There is no business plan or company strategy, no two-year of five-year plan, no goal or mission statement, no long term budget. The company often does not have a fixed CEO. There are no vice presidents or chief officers for information technology or operations. There are no standards nor practices. There's no human resources department. There are no career plans, no job descriptions or employee contracts. No one approves reports or expense accounts. Supervision or monitoring of workers is rare indeed. Most important, success is not measured only in profit and growth."

How can a company be run this way and endure, actually achieving growth and profits within today's extremely competitive market's dynamics? The book articulates ideas and practices that make all of this possible; ideas and practices that spring, according to me, from two pivotal concepts: Driven by Discovery vs Driven by Control; "Nothing but Intuitive Values in Place!". Let's explore them briefly.

Driven by Discovery vs Driven by Control

The key concept is to create a productive environment in which the people clearly perceive that are treated and brought to act as responsible and well informed adults. People should be brought to act driven by a sense of discovery tied to the self-interest (pay attention, Semler points out that the key is the self-interest, not the organizational one) to discover and express their talents (mostly the hidden ones!). Semler points out the concept: "We can't train people to turn them into what we want. Mostly, we want nothing. We don't like training manuals, nor do we ask people where they want to be in five years. We want them to amble and ramble. If they happen to be on a fixed path, we'll gladly help them train for that, but instead of formal training, we encourage people to ask a colleague for explanations, demonstrations, and guidance. Information in any organization should be information on demand". There are no big plans `from the top' that manage strategically and operationally the organization, for this there is no need of control but simply the need of willingness and determination in making sure that a spirit of discovery spreads itself and it is constantly fueled within the company. "Treat them as responsible and well informed adults" is the powerful and controversial principle at the basis of Semco unique reality. A principle that is controversial because goes against many of the practices in place in most organizations. Semler is quite aware of this and traces back the problem to what he considers its root: the need to `de-program' people from the habits created by society and culture, habits that often make of any job a meaningless chore, "Avoid routine and steer clear of habit". At Semco self discovery and expression of the own talents at work is an essential part of working. Semler observes that many people know how to manage well their time and work on many task during their off time during the weekend, then when on Monday show up at work somehow they lose this sense of vitality. The title of the book `The seven-day weekend' becomes the goal: make of the workplace an environment in which people are brought to express their passions, talents and skills just as they do during their weekends! Here are simple roots of discovery vs control!

"Nothing but Intuitive Values in Place!"

Semler defines intuition as "the fuel of choice for rambling through the seven-day weekend" adding "people have to be encouraged to act on instinct , because by-the-book management leaves companies vulnerable, or otherwise its potency as a tool will be lost". Here it is the strong connection between today's challenging market, societal and economic dynamics and the `discovery vs control' mindset. This is why Semler asserts openly that "Semco's most precious asset is the wisdom of its workforce, and our success grows out of our employees' success". It is important to point out that this not a rhetorical statement empty of its meaning in the day to day work within the company. The ideas and practices of the book are bound to shock many of us and fully demonstrate what it means to truly believe in empowering people and having owners and top managers give up control. Many managers and entrepreneurs from all over the world go to visit Semco trying to understand what the company is all about. They understand the concepts and practices quite well, yet few of them have the courage and the vision to actually implement them! When you make of intuition a key driving force at any level or your organization you truly make every single person to lever its decision making and work upon experience and knowledge. This process truly depends upon the development and utilization of people's passions and talents driven by their own interest, the interest of the company comes second and it is a by product of the first. As Semler says this practice "is messy, inefficient, and hugely rewarding". The `Semco approach' cannot be implemented to bits and pieces, it is fully integrated with several key aspects, for example: the way that retributions are set (by the people!); time is managed (at Semco it is possible to `retire' at 40 and go back to work at 60!); trust is nurtured on a daily basis in so many ways that are a joy to read about! All of this based upon the "treat them as responsible and well informed" adults concept.

When I learned about Semler (about 10 years ago) I was really intrigued by what they were able to do at Semco. I admired those practices and ideas and I enjoyed the spontaneous, open, straightforward, trial-and-error way they came about. I also though that Semco was some sort of `world apart' and I felt that their practices were way too radical to become some sort of `model' for other companies. Nowadays I believe that market, economic and societal trends are leading all of us to pay closer attention to the `quirky ways' of that Brazilian company. May be this is why Ricardo Semler himself is at present a visiting scholar at Harvard... The key starting challenge (and too often the `show stopper') is to have business owners and top managers understand and apply on a daily basis the `discovery vs control' principle. Who is willing to take on the challenge? We are ready to help! Focusing on the relevance of INTUITION in today's organizations would be already a good start...

It's almost unbelievable - an experiment in culture change that worked wonders. This is an inspiring tale of Ricardo Semler's successful 'quest' to run his company in the interest of all it's stakeholders. It may well be easier to influence the direction of a business when you're the owner but this book will help you look at and adapt your own management style. I guarantee that you will only put it down when you have finished or are too dog tired to continue.