Summary: Maverick - Ricardo Semler: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace

This work offers a summary of the book "MAVERICK: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace" by Ricardo Semler.Semco was founded in Brazil in 1952 by Antonio Curt Semler, an Austrian engineer.

By 1993, under the leadership of Antonio's son, Ricardo, Semco's revenues had risen 600%, despite the fact Brazil was in recession; worker productivity has risen 700% and profits have increased by 500%.In Maverick, Ricardo Semler explains Semco's philosophy, and how it's enable the company to be so successful.

He believes in trusting employees, for example, because a business is only as strong as the people working there.

No employee should be treated like a child; and work environments work best when they are self-governed.

Have very few hard and fast rules, because they discourage innovation and encourage complacency.

Every facet of the company is directed towards four business aims: 1.

Manufacturing 2. Selling 3. Billing 4. Collecting. Because these are clear, everyone knows their goals; anything extraneous is cut.Semco has also been based on two objectives: to make money and to improve worker's lives: these may seem conflicting, but actually, the latter has fed into the former.

The story of Semco is fascinating both from a business and humanitarian persepective: it's possible to care and to profit.