BUSINESS BULLSEYE

A guide offers advice on how to succeed in business.

Spurlino begins his wide-ranging manual with its central analogy: equating the methodology of business success with the tactics used on the archery range. This includes surveying the challenges, sizing up the target, analyzing the nature of the competition, and hitting a bull’s-eye. For the author, the key to the analogy is “absolute focus on the optimal outcome”: “Aiming for the target and hoping for the bullseye can breed loss of focus and effort. I never want to stop focusing on the bullseye.” Spurlino takes readers through several basics of being in business and in each case illustrates the concept with a story from his own long experience. He examines such things as corporate culture and customer service, and his personal anecdotes always supply pointed examples that enhance these explorations. He continually reminded himself, for instance, to refer to any business he was running as “our” company, recognizing his employees’ valuable contributions. “I wanted everyone to know I considered the company ‘ours’ and its success was based on everyone’s involvement,” he writes. “We succeeded or failed together.” The author discusses a variety of business-related issues, from dealing with suppliers and competitors to handling unions, unionized employees, and hired professionals, such as lawyers and accountants. In all cases, Spurlino’s prose maintains a very effective balance between friendly conversation and the kind of no-euphemism straight talk that the best bosses typically use. His willingness to dig into the nuts and bolts of daily business concerns will make his lucid book of interest not only to company managers at all levels of expertise, but also to a large assortment of entrepreneurs.

An example-heavy, spirited, and clearheaded coaching manual for business executives.