Bakke’s exciting and provocative approach may be the answer. Getting extraordinary performance from ‘ordinary’ people has the potential to change organizations and even, perhaps, our society. It is worth pondering.”
—Walter Scott, professor of management, Kellogg School of Business
“I have espoused for many years that you should ‘love your job,’ but Joy at Work takes this concept much deeper. This book challenges the traditional organizational structure and the purpose of the organization. It’s a must-read and will also challenge your thinking about better ways to run a business.”
—Roger Eigsti, former CEO and chairman, Safeco Corporation
“Not surprisingly, Dennis Bakke vaporizes the wall between ‘secular’ and sacred. His vision of leadership, hammered on the anvil of the highest level of corporate experience, is radically right for the church and the nonprofit world as well.”
—John Yates, rector, The Falls Church
“The beauty of Dennis Bakke’s philosophy and approach is its humane simplicity. Dennis’s fun and practical insights into creating and sustaining a joy-filled workplace come from his personal and shared journey of more than 20 years of hard-fought incubation and nurturing, trial and error, frustration and exhilaration, and ultimately failure and success at AES—in short, life. By sharing some of that journey, I felt the power and excitement of Joy at Work.”
—Barry Sharp, chief financial officer, AES
“In Joy at Work, Dennis Bakke walks us through the tough, real-time dilemmas of a large, complex international business. It should be required reading for younger executives striving to balance success and significance.”
—J. McDonald Williams, chairman emeritus, Trammell Crow Company
“Dennis Bakke’s Joy at Work presents us the high vision of our daily work as a joyous, sacred calling. You will find his remarkable story inspiring and fascinating.”
—Howard E. Butt, Jr., vice chairman, HE Butt Grocery Company
“Dennis Bakke has written a totally helpful book, and not only for business types. As a pastor, I was deeply challenged by the holy realism and enduring hope in spite of human setbacks. The principles approach is as wise as it is concrete. I recommend this book.”
—Earl F. Palmer, senior pastor, University Presbyterian Church
“Dennis Bakke reminds us that no matter the role, whether it be manager or employee, coach, star, or backup, it is getting to make decisions that makes work fun! Out of all the books I’ve read on leadership, few have been as powerful as Joy at Work.”
—Trent Dilfer, Super Bowl champion quarterback
To my mother, Ruth Hawkinson Bakke, who taught me how to work
To Eileen Harvey Bakke, who walked with me every step of the journey
To Dave McMillen, who used my theories to help build a workplace filled with joy
A NOTE ABOUT THE COVER
“THIS IS JUST LIKE AES!” exclaimed my then-12-year-old son, Peter, as I arrived home. He had presented me with a rubber-band ball that he and his sister, Margaret, had proudly created. “See all the different colors and sizes of rubber bands; they represent all the different abilities and cultures of AES people.” (He had visited AES businesses in Argentina, Brazil, England, Hungary, Pakistan, Uganda, and the United States).
He then bounced the ball off the kitchen floor. “Dad, it does what it’s supposed to do. It bounces.” Peter took one of the rubber bands off the ball and threw it on the floor. “You see, it doesn’t bounce by itself. It only works when the rubber band is stretched around all the other rubber bands. That makes it bounce.”
I was amazed by and proud of his insight. He had captured much of the essence of what I was trying to create at AES: a group of people from different cultural backgrounds, with unique talents, skills, and aspirations, stretched and bound together to serve the world.
Principles are the bottom line.
PREFACE
My passion is to make work exciting, rewarding, stimulating, and enjoyable. Most books on organizational life and work focus on top executives and the strategies they use to guide their organizations to success, which is usually defined by financial results. This book is aimed primarily at the working life of the other 90 to 95 percent of people in large organizations. While economic success is also an important goal for them and their companies, the meaning of success goes far beyond the bottom line. For them, the crucial measure of success is the quality of their work lives.
I have had the good fortune to help thousands of people find joy at work. My dream, perhaps quixotic but worth every last ounce of my energy, is to spread this joy to businesses and other organizations large and small. (See Appendix A for an overview of my approach.)
This is a book that celebrates the feelings of fulfillment that can be found in a humane and enlightened workplace. This sort of workplace does not preclude economic success. Indeed, there is ample evidence that a joy-filled workplace improves financial performance. But this is not a how-to book for executives looking to improve their stock price or beat the competition. This is a book for people who want more from their jobs than a paycheck and a benefits package.
This book is for you if you are:
Stuck in a miserable job but motivated to do something about it. You are creative, capable, and responsible, and you desire a greater opportunity to use your talents and skills. A place just to make money is not good enough for you.
A student in a management or leadership program who is not yet intoxicated by the exercise of power over people in the workplace. You are open to an alternative view of leadership, a different sort of workplace, and a new definition of success for the organizations that you will one day lead.
A high school or college student who wants to earn a living and have fun at the same time, in a way that is compatible with your values and beliefs.
A mid-level manager who feels trapped by a top-down, highly centralized organization. You know that your company is inhospitable to a values-based approach, but you are willing to suggest radical changes, even though you may be putting your job on the line.
A government, business, nonprofit, or educational leader who appreciates the personal qualities of your colleagues and sees them as more than robots performing designated tasks. You seek a workplace that honors their talents and encourages them to strive.
A president, director, or CEO who would be open to a different organizational model if it would bring joy to workers while still allowing your organization to achieve important business goals.
A scholar,
