Summary
The new book from bestselling author and award-winning educator Ron Clark -- an accessible and uplifting business parable in the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese and Fish! that shows how leaders in all professions (not just the educational world) how to recognize exceptional talent in their staff (the "runners"); how to motivate solid, hardworking employees (the "walkers"), when to jettison the dead weight (the "riders"), and how to inspire ALL workers to do their very best work for theorganization (the "bus"). The Concept:
Picture a corporation, business, school or team as a bus. The distance the bus travels represents the goals and progress of the organization. The bus itself has no gas, and it is dependent upon the people within to provide the energy to move.
Imagine there are holes in the bottom of the bus and that everyone must move the bus with their legs. The people on the bus can be divided into groups according to how fast and how far they push the bus:
Picture a corporation, business, school or team as a bus. The distance the bus travels represents the goals and progress of the organization. The bus itself has no gas, and it is dependent upon the people within to provide the energy to move.
Imagine there are holes in the bottom of the bus and that everyone must move the bus with their legs. The people on the bus can be divided into groups according to how fast and how far they push the bus:
Runners
On each bus, as in each organization, there are some runners. These individuals are running as hard as possible and they are basically carrying the bus. They come early and they stay late. They never complain and they provide a positive spirit. Their work ethic is strong, and their attention to detail is spot on. Runners are the strongest members of the team, and they are the reason for the success of the organization.
Joggers
Also on the bus are joggers. Now, joggers aren't really hurting anything. They do their job, and they have marginal success. They try to keep up, and while they will occasionally sprint, they don't maintain a strong level of effort. They seek to draw attention to themselves, not because it helps the organization, but because they desire for everyone to see that they are going above and beyond. Joggers have an internal desire for validation from others
Walkers
And then, you have walkers. They are being pulled by the bus, and they are tripping over their feet and complaining, "Why are we going so fast?" They often point out everything they see that is wrong in the organization, tending to deflect blame that could be placed on them. Walkers will often claim the work environment and favoritism shown to runners is not fair. They talk negatively about administration and spread bad energy.
Riders
The biggest problem, however, lies with the riders. They are dead weight, and they cause constant issues. They produce the least of anyone in the organization, and they don't care about overall success, nor do they care about their personal success. Riders aren't trying to win awards or get recognition; they just exist. They can be a black hole of negative energy in an organization, a spot void of any positive growth or hope.
Driver
With all of these individuals on the bus, the job of the DRIVER becomes paramount. The driver has to steer the bus to make sure that the organization is headed to the appropriate destination and that all of the passengers are pushing themselves accordingly.
The underlying message of HOW TO MOVE YOUR BUS is to foster the spirit of the runners and allow them to be the guides for the rest of the bus, ultimately pushing it as quickly and efficiently towards success as possible...
The underlying message of HOW TO MOVE YOUR BUS is to foster the spirit of the runners and allow them to be the guides for the rest of the bus, ultimately pushing it as quickly and efficiently towards success as possible...
