Army of Entrepreneurs: Create an Engaged and Empowered Workforce for Exceptional Business Growth

Small-business owners will find much of value in public relations consultant Prosek's claim that employers should harness the energy and initiative of their workforce to drive new business rather than being strapped with sole responsibility. Prosek recounts how she successfully transformed her company into an environment that empowered, motivated, and rewarded employees to pitch business and pursue clients themselves. Using case studies from such companies as Edward Jones and Harley Davidson/Buell, she maintains that in both large and small businesses, employees can be empowered to become an "army of entrepreneurs." The theory, and even application, of employee-based growth is credible when applied to small businesses, but may be less feasible in larger organizations. While the opening chapters advance her argument by concentrating on the potential of employees as rainmakers and use her business as a template, she drops the thread in subsequent chapters, which drift to broad cultural and structural issues faced by larger companies, including how to create a formal training program and recruit and retain talent. (Feb.)