Looks like book is coming to an end as this is the second last chapter titled “Teamwork Is Vastly Overrated.†It’s kind of similar to the other points I read in the other chapters where Cloutier emphasizes that employees and your business structure should be follow a military type of setup. Basically, you are like the leader and they are just soldiers.
He essentially focuses specifically in this chapter on those issues. He is going for the polar opposite advice as opposed to what most people would give you about establishing a happy and productive work environment through a teamwork mentality. I’m sure everyone has heard the phrases such as there is no “I†in teamwork and that everyone should be treated as if they are the same.
Throughout this chapter he gives so many examples on how relying on a “team†to get things done can be disastrous where it’s like there is no leader and everyone is doing their own thing. He also notes that he feels employees actually want to be delegated as they want to know what is expected from them while following a strong structure. So you as the small business owner should always have a full hands on approach in controlling everyone. People shouldn’t be answering to you and not amongst themselves.
Another fallback of a team, especially in a small business, is he mentions how a team is only as strong as its weakest link. With that in mind, Cloutier goes back to how you have to have a system that rewards and punishes people individually based on results. He even goes as far as implying if an employee wants personal growth he/she should just go to a seminar on their own time.
Cloutier’s advice really is on the far side compared to others I must say. One more chapter to go.