Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman--Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman - Including 10 More Years of Business as Usual

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If something is going to be made at all, it better be useful, of the highest quality, and last as long as possible. I would recommend reading this in a physical form if possible - much nicer to flip through the many pages of glossy photos and blurbs on paper than the strangely cutoff ebook version. Today, Patagonia's mission statement is "Make the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

The story Chouinard tells is reminiscent of Ricardo Semler's story in the Seven-Day Weekend but whereas Semler's stories tell of an anecdotal success, Chouinard rolls out a comprehensive philosophy that is the basis for all of Patagonia's action and takes Semler's principles to their logical conclusion. Yvon and his wife Malinda didn't want to run a company where parents had to be away from their children, especially during the early years of childhood so they worked to create on-site childcare services and generous maternity and paternity leaves. Its management philosophy is that people work better in smaller groups and that good leaders instigate change. The new tax plan may provide some opportunities for HR leaders to think creatively about how to attract employees with benefits that could include helping graduate students who can’t afford the new taxes that the government will levy on the value of free educations. In every long-lasting business, the methods of conducting business may constantly change, but the values, the culture and the philosophies remain constant.

We needed philosophical and inspirational guides to make sure we always asked the right questions and found the right answers. With a clear understanding of your core values, principles, and strengths, progress comes with far less resistance. In the final analysis, the best effort we can make toward causing no unnecessary harm is to make the best-quality products, ones that are durable, functional, beautiful, and simple.

Reading the book, you get a sense of how Patagonia has been able to both make a difference and make money.Dean mentioned one of the lawyers on Patagonia’s legal team who brings “baby Jane” in on his arm every day.

Unlike most recruiters,” Dean explained in an article on LinkedIn, “we read bottom up instead of top down .In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon shared the story of his original foray into the world of business and the secrets to his successful transition from the walls of Yosemite to the head of one of the most environmentally and socially responsible companies in the world.