About those fad management books

A manager friend of mine said last week…

“I stick with the tried and true. None of those fad management books for me.”

He went on to say that his company was too busy to experiment with new ideas.

“If it isn't broke, don’t fix it. Right?”

Of course, my response was: just because it’s not broken, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. That’s why my team is always focused on improving processes, asking: how can we be better, faster?

Our conversation started with a discussion of “consumer evangelism”—the belief that customers are filtering out advertising and are more willing to trust word-of-mouth recommendations.

The “fad management books” he referenced were those touting the virtues of building online communities to make it easier for clients to exchange data—and fast track those word-of-mouth recommendations.

Here’s an example from Creating Customer Evangelists: How Happy Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force:

Shouldice Hospital in the city of Thornhill encourages patients to meet and discuss the care they receive. Patients compare notes long after treatment ends, and their feedback has been used to improve hospital care and service since the customer evangelist program began.

The program is an amazing success. Patients meet for an annual ball and banquet that includes dining, dancing, and a free medical check-up.

Today, potential patients are actually on waiting lists to get into this hospital!

As I mentioned, their story is covered in detail in a brand spanking new “fad management book”, but Shouldice Hospital started their successful program in 1947.