Heroz: Empower Yourself, Your Coworkers, Your Company (Paperback)

by William Byham (Author), Jeff Cox (Author) "Once upon a time, in a magic land near you, there was a castle..." (more)
Key Phrases: shaft stock, castle workers, finished arrows, Tower Two, Magic Arrows, Sir Fred (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Written as a tale from a mythical time when dragons roamed and knights slew them with magic arrows, this book takes us behind the scenes to those poor assembly-line workers who made the magic arrows. Unfortunately, not only are the dragons multiplying faster than the knights can kill them and rival villages are springing up promising fewer dragons, but the arrow makers are unhappy and unfulfilled in their work. Three of them decide to improve their work life. Not only do they succeed, but with the help of a wizard they end up diversifying into producing magic cleaning wands. Byham and Cox (Zapp: The Lightning of Empowerment, Crown, 1990) have written a fable intended to motivate employees. To succeed in that task they will need more substance than this book offers. Not recommended.
--Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. System, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
One of the burgeoning business fields of the 1990s seems to be human resources--that is, keeping your employees not only happy but productive and ambitious to do more. In their previous book, Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment (1989), leading human resource expert Byham teamed with Cox to teach employers and managers how to persuade employees to increase production on their own. HeroZ targets the workers themselves, demonstrating that they can be content in their jobs if they take charge of their own careers, identify areas of improvement, and work with one another to make things better for everyone. Sounds like a tall order and a potentially a deadly dull book, but the authors juice up the action with a fantasy tale of knights and castles serving as a metaphor for any large modern-day firm. Seems the folks in "Tower Two" of the castle need to increase arrow production to fight dragons, and Dave the Wizard teaches the workers the use of empowerment, which he calls "zapp!" HeroZ is loaded with little inspirational catchphrases ("Quality is only one aspect of being productive," "Offer help without taking responsibility for action," etc.) as reminders of the common goals of the workers and is infinitely preferable to ponderous business tomes. Expect this to fly off the business-section shelves. Joe Collins --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449909581
• ISBN-13: 978-0449909584
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #442,970 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best book ever on empowerment, December 2, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a must for every small business owner. It takes the blinders off and lets you see the big picture of your compnay. I am ordering this book for my entire management staff. I can't wait to see the results after they read this wonderful, eye-opening book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Managers Spell Book, September 8, 2000

By	Adam F. Jewell (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Facing the constant threat of Dragons attacking the village, and encountering a mysterious gloomy fog each and every workday, was the reality for the people of Lamron. In order to preserve the village, and bring some meaning to the everyday work experience, change had to happen.

Heroz is a tale of a fictional village, of fictional characters facing problems common to the daily grind of work. Throughout the book, the people working in the arrow factory strive to determine and achieve the goal of the business, to make money and provide the knights charged with slaying the dragons, the quality arrows they need. Throughout the book, the factory workers and management personnel learn to work together, to enhance teamwork and motivation, and experience the enhanced ZAPP! gained by working together.

Heroz is a breeze to read, easy to identify with, especially if you experience the fog that rolls in the workplace at the beginning of the day, and lifts completely only after the last person has gone home. It's entertaining and humorous. You'll learn spells to use in all different situations, and upon completion of the book, will have them all compiled in the "Zapp! Wizard's Spell Book", conveniently tucked in at the conclusion of the novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Good Book From Byham and Cox, February 26, 2003

By	"scbryanw" (Fort Campbell, Kentucky United States) - See all my reviews

For those of you that read Zapp! this book continues on the same idea. It's in parable form, which makes it easy to read and the points made are on target.