I was told to read this book, eventhough I am a squirrel. I thought it was very degrading that the author compares working people to animals-rodents in particular. Let me tell you it just don't work that way! The story was so bad that it has given all of us "squirrels'" quite a bit of laughter at managements expense. I have watched some of Ken Blanchard's seminars on his website and I see that he likes to compare working class (blue collar) employees to animals. Treat people fairly, pay them adequately, and give them your respect is what will get results. I don't want my coworkers to sing happy birthday to me, or charts on the wall. All of the things that my employer has done in the past two years since going "Gung Ho" have only increased Ken Blanchard's income. They have bought posters, books and t-shirts from his business. The man and my employer are clueless!!! If things have gotten that bad in your organization that you would resort to reading this book I would suggest that changes in management personnel are in order. I wonder if Ken knows that a leopard doesn't change it's spots.

Gung Ho! Turn on the People in Any Organization is an interesting mix of management principles and personal narrative (as related to the reader utilizing allegory) with the express purpose of motivating and inspiring the reader to become "turned on" about the work they do...and to, in turn, "infect" others with that same spirit and motivation. The author's talk about three guiding principles (The Spirit of the Squirrel, The Way of the Beaver, and The Gift of the Goose) which are on the surface, quite simple and are, basically, common sense. Digging deeper, if one really thinks about these guiding principles; how they should be applied, what impact they have, or explores them through discussion with co-workers (or peers), one finds that they are indeed profound and can have an incredible impact on both individuals and businesses.

The main drawback to this book, well, the story is so simplified and, well too corny to be fully believable. The characters are all basically caricatures...overly simplified and way too pleasant. This story is either entirely untrue or has been overly distilled, leaving only a syrupy sweet outer shell which gives one a bad aftertaste. I was left with the feeling that the reader was supposed to get to the end and have eyes brimming with tears (HOORAY, they did it) AND a big, cheesy grin on one's face (awwwwwwwww, they did it). All in all, Peggy's narrative had a very "after-school special" feel to it (everything works out just so perfectly that it becomes unbelievable when compared to normal everyday life, there is even a tragically overacted death scene) which was not, in the end, entirely enjoyable or believable.

Overall, Gung Ho! would certainly be an excellent start to any reading an individual might undertake to improve (or learn) management techniques, but it is not a one stop solution to all one's management needs (even discounting the simplicity of the story as it's told). It's lacking in several areas that most other books on management cover...namely, conflict resolution (it's all well and good to infect people with enthusiasm, creativity, and encourage productivity but there is nothing here on how to deal with problem employees over the long haul). This book would (and likely has) make an ideal selection for discussion groups or as a tool for introspection. I give Gung Ho! 4 stars and would readily recommend it for its intended purpose, while it's not without flaws, it is an excellent resource.

Excellent, easy to read book. I really enjoyed it and can't wait to try it out at work!

We went GUNG HO at work. This was easy to read with clear concise examples on how to put this common sense advice to use. Peggy Sinclair and Andy Longclaw attempt to change their organization in order to save the company and town they live in. The story is a simple parable about how to motivate people to be productive, encourage leadership and increase customer service. The Spirit of the Squirrel, The Way of the Beaver and The Gift of the Goose discuss various ways to make employees feel important and provide positive reinforcement for work well done.

I definitely recommend this book for managers/leaders that may be stuck in a rut and looking for motivation. If you are a student of leadership, this will be a 45-minute read and much will be review. Small business owners can use these techniques when dealing with their employees...I did.

I was amazed at how quick we received these books. We ordered 12 of them for the office and received them before we were told we would and the packaging was in perfect condition. I love Amazon.com and how dependable they are in getting your product to you in a timely manner and how they package their products so that they are not damaged during shipment. Thank you Amazon.

The anti-cliche corporate example used as the basis for this book and its powerful message prove again that the best ideas are the simplest ones. The brilliance of the author's writing is its quick and easy-to-read format. An author with a larger ego could have easily mired this message in excessive wordiness to lengthen the page count, but why? The concepts are logical and straight-forward. Blanchard is to be commended for presenting them in a similar format.

As for the message itself, the three basic lessons are gifts that keep giving. They can be applied to nearly any work environment, of any size, in any industry, by any manager. The message is particularly powerful for managers who are either constrained in their abilities to provide powerful financial incentives for employees, OR are surrounded by Gen X and Y employees who may only be marginally motivated by money in the first place. By actively incorporating these philosophies in day-to-day operations, managers are likely to not only see productivity improvements, but to see employee retention and motivation gains as well. The book is a roadmap to creating an environment that will nurture Gen Y's endless craving to work in a team-based atmosphere flush with positive feedback.

Overall, a highly relevant read for anyone in management or aspiring to be so.

Ken Blanchard knocked this one out of the park with Gung HO! This book is a simple read that takes no time to read. The cool thing about this book it is not broken up into chapters. It is just one story from start to finish. This book is well worth the money and will get you pumped up to tackle the world.

I purchased 12 copies of this book to distribute to the administration and school board of my local district. The philosophy and of teamwork, quality work, challenging work and positive affirmations are presented in an easy to understand way which can aid in implementation. A great inspiring look at leadership.

I purchased 12 copies of this book to distribute to the administration and school board of my local district. The philosophy and of teamwork, quality work, challenging work and positive affirmations are presented in an easy to understand way which can aid in implementation. A great inspiring look at leadership.

This book is outstanding. It explains leadership in a way that is very easy to understand. Everyone can relate to this book.

The Spirit of the squirrel, The Way of the Beaver, and The Gift of the Goose are the best gifts you can give to you managers. Blanchard and Bowles nailed the concepts of workplace co-operation and teamwork in a style that will appeal to all readers. Get this book for your managers and make your business an unqualified success. My book, "Always Remember, If it ain't fun, It ain't worth doing!" is a great follow up to this book. It will take your managers to the next level of management excellence... Wayne Kehl

This book was amazing. It taught a very good lesson on being an effective leader in an organization. Highly recommended.

I purchased the audio version of the book. First, the reader, Agnes Herrmann, was terrible. Her reading was at times comicle when it wasn't supposed to be.

The content of the book was below average in my opinion. Again maybe it was just the way it was being read but I could not take it seriously and the content came across as being "Made Up" or "Fake"...just did not seem genuine to me.

I bought Gung Ho becasue of the overwhelming positive reviews about it. I was very dissapointed.

This is a fun, easy book to read, with plenty of concise, common-sense advice. My problem with this book is the same as I had with Raving Fans, which is that the obviously fictional story makes me question the validity of the claims of how well the system works.

The authors claim that it's based on a true story, with names changed to protect the innocent. Okay, but most business books are based on real events at real companies, so this approach doesn't necessarily make sense for this genre of writing.

It's still fun, and the advice still makes sense, but the style makes me wonder about the credibility.

This is an enjoyable team training book that is great for any team that seeks to understand the timeless principles that help any organization stay healthy and grow.

GUNG HO! was assigned to me as part of a leadership course. With its large print and wide margins, the book is really not much more than a pamphlet; you could easily finish it in a sitting. But it's probably best to read this at a slow pace, allowing time to absorb the lessons that it teaches, much as the main character in this book has to wait between lessons. There are useful, practicable measures to improve the performance of one's work force. There's nothing revolutionary here--like many self-help books, the beauty is in presenting commonsense ideas in a creative way (one can get a little distracted, though, in trying to discern in this narrative what's fiction and what's not) to get one to think about them. Finishing this book, I really did get reenergized about leading people, and to look for ways to instill a sense of leadership among my personnel. This book is not the be-all-and-end-all of management books; there are a number of other well written management books that target such critical areas as conflict resolution and time management. But this is a good starting point.

I thoroughly enjoyed this easy-to-read motivational book. The format and style of writing were most enjoyable. I would highly recommend it to others.

It is not my intent to write an unhelpful, "bashing" review. I have a decade of management experience, and this simply is not a good book. Why? Well, the great religions of the world use short parables to teach lessons, and this book also operates in parable form (the people and situations in the book are made up). Instead of delivering the message of the book in one or two paragraphs in order to teach the lesson, which is entirely possible for the lesson being taught, the lesson is drug out for about 180 pages with the express purpose of selling books and delivering a feel good message. Many of the other reviewers here who also did not like the book point to many worthwhile references that I will not repeat here. Overall, the lessons in this book are equivilant to those learned in a a high school Introduction to Business class.

I found it an excellent take on everyone finding their meaning in a workplace and having meaningful work. However, it sounds like it would take years for a department to be able to implement all of the principals.

I enjoyed this book. Like all the Blanchard books, this one is an easy read but packed with solid information.

This book takes an excessive amount of time to maybe identify a dozen very fundamental, basic HR/Supervisory/Management concepts. It is one of many "feel good, have fun" books trying to distill complex issues to a unique theme to try to make up for its lack of substance. Nothing is new other than the story line, which is trite. There are over 26 books of similar nature on Amazon alone, that carry the same basic message and ideas. Recent feedback on the "best companies" to work for indicate that the common theme among them, regardless of extra "morale building" activities, is that of staff development and on-going training. Superficial approaches to morale lead to superficial morale. Its emphasis on external/extrinsic rewards to motivate and build a team ignores the lessons of the Hawthorne Affect and Maslow's seminal work and development of the concept of Hierarchy of needs and the self-actualizing person, as well as Frederick Herzberg's HBR management classic on how to motivate employees (you don't!). Indeed, try the approaches in this book on a self-actualizing person and prepare to be viewed as trite and superficial. Better to spend your time and money on HBR's "Best of HBR on Motivation" if you want to really understand how to "motivate" your employees or if you want some truly useful information.

I thought this book was insultingly stupid. It took much too long for the authors to spell out the parables and the lessons learned. All the useful knowledge could have been summed up in a few pages. Instead, the authors drag out this idiotic storyline to demonstrate the points they attempt to make.

I enjoyed The One Minute Manager. I just want to know why the authors couldn't get their point across in one minute in this book.

This book is simple. It's also very short - you can read it in a couple of hours, it's printed in big font with lots of blank space. It does, however, outline the basic principles of managing people - setting goals and values, empowering and encouraging people. If you're new to management or if you're an experienced manager, but get confused every now and then about what goes wrong - this could be a good beginning. The book is in no way comprehensive or innovative, but it does give you a very clear focus of the fundamental principles. As easy and simple as they may seem, I discovered, to my awe, that in my job I'm not following them, and most people in our organization are not following them. In that sense, this book is great in describing the basics that you absolutely must have in place before you go any further.

This book is a bit weak on the story, though - I found it to be simplistic and a bit cheezy. I know I will not go back to re-reading the book itself, but will definitely use the summary, nicely given by the authors on the last two pages.

I've read other One Minute Manager books and listened to the CDS, but this one is my favorite. You do feel a bit, as if you're 5 or 6 being read a bed time story for adults, but it's easily relatable to today's work environment and its a cute little story to boot!

This book was a fast and easy read. It gives great tips on how to keep a company interested and in a happy workplace. The three concepts of the squirrel, beaver, and goose, give great insight into how the authtor's use their unique technique to produce a happy working community.

Managers may not be able to enact all of the principles of Gung Ho, but they will be able to walk away with some valuable insight in the world of motivation and performance. If your not sure if you really want this book or not I would recommend that you go for it. There is truly nothing to lose and the reading is entertaining and informative. Every person will be able able to take something from this book and be able to apply it to their work environment.

The book gung Ho by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles is a great book for managment. It is excellent in the way it simply defines a way to significantly improve your management skills by focusing in the 3 principles. the principles could be used in personal life as well as your profesional life. It is so great that it helps create organization and to use practice using techniques on a daily basis. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in improving their work style. This book is also easy to read and understand.

Gung Ho! is a book related to management. Although the concepts in the book are simple, it is important to everyone, especially those are in the management field. The three underlying principles are The Spirit of the Squirrel, The Way of the Beaver and The Gift of the Goose. They are parables of the importance of making employees understand their roles, the conflict between directing the tasks to employees and empowerment by management, and the importance of appreciation to employees respectively.

In my view of point, I think Gung Ho! is a revolutionary technique to boost enthusiasm and performance and usher in astonishing results for any organization. The principles are the tips to increase productivity by fostering excellent morale in the workplace. For example, employees will be loyal to the company if they gain job satisfaction from their worthwhile work. Positive reinforcements such as appreciation (i.e. say ¡§well done¡¨ when those have good performance) and empowerment can motivate employees to improve and have a better performance.

To conclude, Gung Ho! is easy to read but useful for everyone. The writers convey the important management strategies to the readers by using simple story and parables. I think it is a good time for the company, the management team and the employees to refresh and understand their roles so that they can have a good relationship which can benefit as a whole.

Gung Ho! is another typical Ken Blanchard book. It is a quick read and contains some very useful information, but falls short in giving managers the full picture. Some readers will find the format cheesy, but I didn't take it that way.

The book is broken down into three areas:

1. The Spirit of the Squirrel (which discusses the importance of making employees feel that their work is important)
2. The Way of the Beaver (which talks about how managers should tell employees what they want and define the boundaries, but within those boundaries allow employees to figure out solutions in their own way)
3. The Gift of the Goose (which goes over the importance of using positive reinforcement when employees do a good job)

These are three very powerful ideas that every manager should embrace. However, there are numerous issues that the book doesn't cover. To give just one example, what should a manager do is one of her employees comes to work every day late and is totally unproductive while he is there? Obviously, The Gift of the Goose (i.e. praising employees) isn't the answer since that will just reinforce the negative behavior.

Despite the book's shortcomings, I think it's worth reading if you like management books since it does contain some useful information. But if you want one book that going to cover the subject more dynamically from many more angles, then you should probably look elsewhere.

Greg Blencoe
Author, The Ten Commandments for Managers

First of all I feel sorry for the people who did not get anything out of this book. The things taught are pretty much the way I try to run my organization and hopefully my life. The book was one of many I have read in my thirty five years of managerial experience but absolutely the easiest to read because it was put into a novel form. I have ordered copies for all of my supervisors and also for my daughter who is in a managerial position. For Peggy I have only one thing to say...Gung Ho, and I would like to meet you someday.

the last 2 pages - because everything in the book can be summarized in 2 pages. Actually one page. In fact, I can tell you right now: people like to work for a worthwhile cause, not just for money, and they like to know what's expected of them, and they like to have the tools to achieve those goals. Oh, and they like to be acknowledged for their work.

OK, you've just read the book.

I love business books on management and leadership. This book is excellent in the way it simply defines a way to significantly improve your management skills by focusing in 3 areas. I recommend this book to everyone.

the book Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowels its a very good story about a business in crisis. I like the fact that the authors use animals to represent trends that workers should follow to be more efficient. Very good to pass time and read some fiction about economics. :)

This book is easy to read and offers wholesome useful advice to those who want to motivate others. Having read all the best-selling business and self help books, I believe we have to incorporate Optimal Thinking into corporate culture, and hire and retain people who can make the commitment to be their best regardless of the circumstances. So I recommend Optimal Thinking--How To Be Your Best Self along with this book.

This is the finest and most practical book I have read on leadership to date. Gung Ho is a book that will get you headed on the right track. As with all of Blanchard's books, Gung Ho takes you on a fun adventure into real leadership and management issues. Blanchard entertains you and teaches you a lesson at the same time. Being a management major at Webster University in St.Louis, Mo., I strongly recommend Gung Ho to both college students and business leaders.

As always, a Ken Blanchard book takes less than an hour to read. Gung Ho! offers up basic management principles in a unique format, but its sentimentality wears thin.

This book can definitely boost enthusiasm and performance for those who are committed to success. The story was simple yet powerful. The book contains alot of common sense and great ideas to use personally and in business. I will utilize what I have learned in this book because I want to continue to be successful. I enjoy where I work and the people I work with, reading this book will make me more enthusiastic, committed and setting goals for myself.

I would like to thank my leader for the opportunity to have read this book.

I cannot be alone in thinking that a book called "Turn on the people in any organization" would give some useful tips on how to come across as an engaging and attractive fellow whom people would like to seduce. At the very least, it should suggest how to do "turn on" people in the sense of backstabbing - I mean, I am quite prepared to turn on my staff when cornered by senior management about why I haven't done something I said I would. (Needless to say, there are a few people reading these reviews who will know who I'm talking about.) But no. It means "to switch on" or "engage". It's fine so far as it goes, but it is going in the wrong direction for many.

The concepts presented in this book aren't new or innovative, but the way they are presented is. I like the simplicity of the animal analogies: they're a great way to get the message across to our employees, who do not have a high level of education. I just wish there were a Spanish version. I'm having some trouble translating the title! "Extremely Enthusiastic" just doesn't have the same impact.

I just recently re-read Gung Ho! and found it just as refreshing and motivating as when it first came out. Without giving the plot away, let's just say it's an easy-to-remember system that builds the foundation of an enthusiastic team geared to achieve more than they ever thought they could. Since I was the business leader and development manager on a memorable and exciting project, where everything just clicked, and our team was able to deliver a product that is outselling others of its class in record time, and against the disbelief of the other units, I have to say that it is a once-in-a-lifetime confluence of the stars (or the squirrels, beavers, and geese), that makes all of it happen. We will savor the 6 months when we started from scratch with guts and energy to deliver a product that others in our company called "We'll See...". What they saw was Gung Ho!

Very sappy, manipulative management book that starts out with a death scene to soften you up, then takes you on a short trip from a plant facing closure to winning a national award in about 150 5"x8" pages about 1/2 full of 24 point type. Very lightweight. Your suspension of disbelief will last about 5 pages, unless you have been put under its corny spell like many reviewers seem to have been. If there is an "Andy" or "Peggy" I'll eat my hat. Here's a sample: "I love you, Andy" I choked out. "I know," he said. Then added, "I love you too. Always have."

Here's some more: "Oh, no, Andy. No," I protested. "It is you who have blessed me and everyone in the company."

Here's one more: "Peggy, I'm your father!" "Oh, Andy! I knew it! I loooove you!"
Oh wait, they didn't go quite that far. But damn close.

Save yourself from two hours of this soap opera and read "The Goal" instead.

I am glad to have had the opportunity to be introduced to this book. It shows how different people work together and even though there are different people...you can all achieve the same common goal. It really puts your position into perspective and how you fit in as a whole to the "common goal". After everyone read this, we as a team sat and watched the movie. Definitely a must have in a business environment, especially when people are starting to feel what they do is unimportant to the end result.

Gung Ho! is a great example of the power of motivation. Attitude is what gets people into what they're doing. It seems like an easy concept to grasp..."if people like what they're doing, more will get done." The hard part is getting everyone to like what they're doing. Gung Ho! is a great book to read just to know how to get motivation into any walk of life. Motivation is the key to getting a job done well, and efficiently.

Read this book, learn the rules of Gung Ho, and be happy! This book preaches ideas that are incredibly simple, yet profound. Anyone that can read should pick up a copy, especially if you hate going to the same boring, mundane officeplace day after day where work is long, tedious, and monotonous and the amount of enthusiasm present is so low that it goes into the negatives. Good luck on your soon-to-end quest for happiness at work!

If you are in need of learning how to make people work more productively than then this is probably a good book for you. It has interesting ideas, and isn't too boring. It tells the story well, and is probably very helpful for people who need this information. All in all it is a good book. It's not necessarily the classic afternoon read, but even if you're not in charge of productivity for an entire factory, this book can give lessons that can be applied to life.

The book is good. Great for anyone interested in business, economics and/or management. I had to read it for an economics class. Thanks to its simplicity and clear message I was able to get through the book in no time flat.

There are already reviews here which outline the messages conveyed within and I don't intend to. The main character Peggy is put in charge of a plant and has to figure out ways to bring back revenue as well as employee confidence. In the end she is able to alter the way in which her factory workers or "team members", as the book reinforces, do their work and more importantly their effeciency and happiness. She did so with a system which is more human and less sterile than those of the old business practices. To sum up the system gave greater respect and knowledge to the employees concerning their purpose, goals and attainable aspirations.

Well let my tell you something I've been a "team member" of a large entertainment company. I was a drone though they made me feel like I was vital to the place. They babbled on about values and goals, well you know what I was still parking goddamn cars. However through knowing exactly my purpose, and the possible effects I could have on the company and therefore myself I was motivated. This system which Peggy invented is very worthwhile and should be applied to modern day business practice. Let me tell you something though, I would never go back to that job. I will never work a routine job like that again. It takes no brain power and drains all your energy for measley wages. I'd rather sit homeless on the streets then be sucked into thinking I was working for the greater good in exchange for minimum wage. Only you can decide what a greater good is and for me it's not working in a parking lot or working in a factory. Honestly I don't believe these jobs are suitable for semi-intelligent human beings and that's my biggest outrage over the message.

Gung Ho! is a simple book that outlines three basic techniques that are very levelheaded. They're almost common sense in a way. If people participate in deciding goals they'll be much more likely to work towards them. If people are given more control over what they need to do, people will feel like they're accomplishing their own challenges. If people are verbally congratulated about their work, they will feel better about themselves and have higher moral.

Overall, it was an easy read and provides sound advice. I recommend it to those who want quick management tips.

This book is a simple parable about what it takes to get people motivated to be productive. This quick read is a story about Peggy Sinclair and Andy Longclaw, two managers at a company ready to go out of business. They attempt to bring about change that will save the company and the town they live in.

They follow three steps:

1) The Spirit of the Squirrel. This principle says that people need to know they are making a difference in the world. We have to see how our work relates to making the world a better place. Secondly we all need to work toward a shared goal. Our goals must be made together and must be driven by shared values. Leaders bring essential organizational goals to the table, but allow all to participate in goal making.

2)The Way of the Beaver. This principle gives managers the responcibility of creating an environment where workers can succeed, but then letting the workers work in their own way. Managers define the boundaries, but workers have control within those boundaries. The book's examples show how powerful this principle can be.

3) The Gift of the Goose. This principle states that people do better when they are congratulated for success. It talks about active and passive congratulations. Active is saying "good job." Passive is relaxing when a worker is doing a difficult task. It is trusting them to do it right.

The context Gung Ho is written in is a large manufacturing business. These principles would be even more potent for small businesses. I recommend this book to leaders of businesses and organizations of all types.

Gung Ho! Are the type books that can really affect the progress of a business. By the power of Gung Ho! You can actually increase the development of your company. This book teaches the reader how a single business can't succeed with a group of people; you must share your goals with your fellow workers, in order to accomplish a single dream. The down side about this book is it's a little short, and its not really fun reading. But hey this book really helps to understand how to run a successful business.

Gung Ho! Shows many different aspects in the busines. How you can be at the bottom, and change your attitude and head straight up to the top to reach success. This book will change your feelings about work itself. Its a great book.