Business Allegories Offer Life-Changing Potential

With tales of mystical scrolls, one minute management, cheese that moves, and identical cousins, business management allegories are changing for the better both the way we work and the way we live.

It all began in 1968 with a tale set in the pre-Christian era. Og Mandino’s classic The Greatest Salesman in the World tells of Hafid, a young camel boy who, inspired by the wisdom of ten ancient leather scrolls, finds material and personal fulfillment. Mandino’s short book combines philosophy with spirituality to provide advice on attaining success by paying attention to how we "sell" ourselves to others.

The Greatest Salesman was met with immediate acclaim. Even the book’s publisher, Frederick V. Fell, felt compelled to list his own endorsement on the dust jacket flap: "Og Mandino’s powerful message found a place in my innermost being. I am proud to be the publisher of this book." Today the book boasts millions of copies in print.

Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson entered the arena 13 years later with what is perhaps the best-selling business book ever, The One Minute Manager. Again it was an overnight sensation. People soon began applying the book’s business principles to their everyday lives as this quote on Amazon.com from a young father testifies: "This isn’t just big business either—I’m seeing improvements with my four and five year old boys as well. The look of accomplishment on their faces tells me that these ideas can work anywhere!"

In 1998, Spencer Johnson stepped up to the plate again with what, at first glance, appears to be a whimsical story about two "Littlepeople" and two mice who run about in a maze looking for their cheese. Somewhat whimsical it might be, but the substance of Who Moved My Cheese? is apparent in the reality that the book has helped countless readers to adapt to life’s many changes.

While originally aimed at the workplace, Cheese too has moved onto the home front. In fact, Southwest Airlines purchased 27,000 copies and had one delivered to each of its employee’s homes. After all, an employee who is happy and content with life off the job is more likely to be a happy and content employee on the job.

According to Donna M. Genett, a psychologist who has spent the last 15 years coaching executives of major corporations, the reverse is also true. "Many of the problems one encounters at home," Genett says, "have their origin in the workplace. It is the rare individual who doesn’t take job-related stress home to one degree or another."

Genett’s new book, If You Want It Done Right, You Don’t Have to Do It Yourself!: The Power of Effective Delegation, a short story about two "identical" cousins learning to delegate, is aimed at creating efficiency and relieving stress in the workplace and, by doing so, improving the quality of one’s off-the-job life.

These four thin books may not be printed on leather as Hafid’s scrolls were, but the simple wisdom they contain is as ancient as the sandy hills he led his camels over.