This book is written for small business owners, not-so-small business owners, and all levels of management and supervisory personnel. It is not intended to be an expert's "how to fix it" manual, or a detail-oriented, technically-learned textbook. Rather, it is presented as a series of short, down-to-earth articles discussing various sometimes-overlooked aspects of management problems faced in day-to-day business operations out there in the real world where every unsolved problem, no matter how small, has a negative effect on bottom line figures. Unfortunately, playing ostrich and hoping some of these small "business bugs" will simply wander away without biting you in the nether portions of your anatomy simply doesn't work. They don't go away, they just hang around and grow until they're big enough to forcibly yank your head out of the sand and demand attention.
Oh! If you have never heard of a 'mare's nest', take a moment to visualize what a 'nest' built by a large, pregnant female horse might look like.
Excerpt
Its Party Time
THE OFFICE PARTY - or how to enjoy a relaxed, friendly gathering of fellow workers, exchange small gifts, eat something appropriate to the occasion, and have a convivial social drink or two before departing gracefully- -alone and sober- -in a homeward direction.
This description is, of course, the idealized, cleaned-up-for-public-and-family-consumption version. It frequently happens that, in spite of the best intentions of everyone concerned, the office party turns into something else entirely, something not quite so tasteful and gracious...at least from an impartial observer's point of view. Family members who are not a part of such 'festivities' are prone to take an even dimmer view of the whole thing.
Why does this happen? In a word or two, THOUGHT-LESS, UNCONTROLLED BEHAVIOR BY OTHERWISE RESPONSIBLE ADULTS.
