Chris Reimer is a communications strategist who
started his business life thinking he might like to be an accountant (CPA).
Chris is a pragmatist with a sensitive side. His book, HAPPYWORK, is a business parable launched earlier this year (2015).
Reimer’s book is written in the spirit of The
Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann (2008). Burg and Mann use their
parable to suggest that shifting our business focus from getting to giving
might be a better path to success. Like Burg and Mann, Reimer shows us how much
better things can be if we can agree to behave differently.
I met Chris about the same time I met John Morgan,
the author of Brand Against the Machine.
Morgan, in his book, John wanted his readers to know that the model of marketing by bombarding a
mass audience is flawed. At a conference in St. Louis hosted by the American
Marketing Association – St. Louis Chapter, he reminded us that too often “messages
are unwelcome and unwanted.”
Chris is
familiar with and credits Seth Godin who says in his book. Purple Cow, (2009) you are either remarkable or invisible in
business. Chris Reimer also credits Chris Brogan, who co-authored with Julien
Smith Trust Agents (2010). Brogan is
huge in new media. On the speaker circuit he often encourages people to face their
fears and counter the status quo.
So, in
this crowd of non-conformists you will find Reimer. His parable is very
readable and thought provoking. His story introduces us to a turn-around
specialist who is desperately trying to understand Vunorri Inc. and get the bank off their case. In the process we listen
in and witness despicable behavior in and around his protagonist, Sam Maslow.
(I’m thinking it is an inside joke to call him Maslow. That is, if you are at
all familiar with the management science theories of what motivates people -- A
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which
dates back to published research in 1943 and widely read book in 1954).
Read the
book and you might want to compose a HAPPYWORK agreement for your company. You
will laugh as you meet people behaving badly. At the same time you might come
to the realization that the world can be a better place. Little things are big
things. Make the coffee in the morning. Say thank you. Smile. Have a nice day.
