In his new book, “Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things In Extraordinary Ways!” author William C. Taylor emphasizes “the work of inventing the future doesn’t just belong to geeks designing mobile apps and virtual reality headsets.” He profiles organizations that are doing brilliant things in simple settings, including fast food.
Pal’s Sudden Service is a regional fast food chain headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee. Founded in 1956, Pal’s is famous for its focus on speedy service and unmatched accuracy with orders. It also is noted for an unwavering commitment to training, which includes pop quizzes and a master reading list for all leaders in the company. We were curious what books make up the 21-title list, so we reached out to Pal’s through the company’s website contact form. Within 48 hours, we received an email from CEO Thom Crosby himself.
“To get maximum results, it is a two-part process,” Crosby wrote. “First is the books on the list, and second is the process to maximize retention and use of the information.” New leaders at Pal’s read the books in sequence — one book every two weeks — and deliver a review of the book to Crosby as part of a five-person team. They are asked to share principles and concepts derived from the book and how Pal’s can put those to use. The most valuable insights are ultimately turned into components of training for all Pal’s employees.
Pal’s Books to Read Master List 2016
“Juran on Quality By Design: The New Steps for Planning Quality Into Goods and Services” by J.M. Juran (1992)
“Good to Great” by Jim Collins (2001)
“Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done” by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan (2002)
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey (2013)
“The Organized Executive” by Stephanie Winston (2001)
“Goals: How to Get Everything You Want — Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible” by Brian Tracy (2010)
“Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life” by Larry Winget (2011)
“Winning” by Jack Welch (2005)
“Know-How: The 8 Skills that Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don’t” by Ram Charan (2007)
“Benchmarking: The Search for Industry Best Practices That Lead to Superior Performance” by Robert C. Camp (1989)
“Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success” by Masaaki Imai (1986)
“Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business” by Danny Meyer (2008)
“Lessons From the Mouse: A Guide for Applying Disney World’s Secrets of Success to Your Organization, Your Career and Your Life” by Dennis Snow (2010)
“Disney U” by Doug Lipp (2013)
“Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like a CEO” by Harrison Monrath (2009)
“What Great Brands Do” by Denise Lee Yohn (2014)
“The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement” by Eliyahu M. Goldratt (2014)
“Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation” by James P. Womack (2003)
“The Lean Anthology: A Practical Primer in Continual Improvement” by Rebecca Goldberg and Elliott N. Weiss (2014)
“The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker (2006)
“Great by Choice” by Jim Collins (2011)
“Simply Brilliant” by William C. Taylor (2016)
The emphasis is on training at Pal’s Sudden Service.
