Sam Carpenter’s book Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Working Less and Making More promises the moon. Everyone wishes to make more money and work fewer hours, and frankly, it sounds too good to be true. Luckily, an interview with Mr. Carpenter gets to the bottom of his incredible claim.
What’s the Premise of the Book?
Carpenter, the owner of a phone answering service business, was working 100-hour weeks and barely making payroll. A sudden middle-of-the-night insight helped him to realize how inefficient his company was. “First,” he says, “I had to look at my business and life from an external standpoint. Second, it--my life, my business, health, etc--is made up of linear systems that can be manipulated and, third, everything in this world works at 99.9% efficiency.”
This compelled Carpenter to break down every process in his company and commit to a specific procedure, meaning employees were certain of their jobs in any situation and managers spent less time supervising. As a business owner, this meant Carpenter’s company could gradually run more and more smoothly without his intervention, which freed up his personal time. And a more efficient company makes more money.
Sounds Simple Enough: Why Aren't More Businesses Doing this?
“Because it’s hard,” Carpenter replies. “No one wants to take the time to do the leg work, yet, it's the secret of moving to a place of freedom and wealth.” He adds that the trial-and-error period while coming up with the most efficient procedures is taxing, as is the subsequent documentation, but both are necessary. “I would still be at 100-hour workweeks, eight years later!” Carpenter boasts. “Now I'm at less than two [hours per week].”
That’s Great for Business-owners. But What about the Workers?
Carpenter admits that the 2-hour workweek doesn’t apply to his employees, which, unfortunately, is the position of most people looking to pick up the book. However, he is quick to stress that everyone can find value in Work the System. ” Imagine a Department Manager taking it upon his or herself to organize and streamline their department, going beyond the daily fire-killing. Up the corporate ladder they go...”
True. But that doesn’t support the claim that working the system means working fewer hours. Someone must be in the office making things go, even if the owner gets time for fishing. The concept of a more efficient business, while constructive, is not going to satisfy most readers. And while one can appreciate Carpenter’s employee-centric corporate policies and aversion to meaningless stock-holder-pleasing mission statements, the fact remains that this book, based on its marketing premise alone, is irrelevant to a large population of working individuals.
Who Should Read this Book?
Business-owners and corporate managers will definitely benefit from Work the System. Anyone interested can purchase Work the System at http://www.workthesystem.com/.
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