Business Isn’t an Elite Sport

The Great Game of Business

By Steve Mickley

At some point, every business owner must answer the question: What is my exit plan?

In late 2012, an employee came up to AIBD Fellow Mike Keesee and asked, “So, boss, what happens to the company when you are gone?”

He likes his work. However, Mike stopped and thought – what will happen to the business? He had never really thought about the question and had no plans for retirement.

Later, at a conference, Mike was asked, “Are you in business because you needed a job, or are you building a business to sell?”

A few months later, Mike attended an AIBD convention when a peer asked if he had heard of the phrase “Open Book Management?” He hadn’t and quickly purchased two copies of the book The Great Game of Business and read it. The other copy was for his partner, Carl.

After going back through the book several times, they realized that this operating system solved several issues they had encountered while running their business.

We have little to sell except time in the architectural and engineering fields. While we produce a product, it’s not like a widget you can pull off the shelf, then package and ship.

Our problems stem from efficiency issues, project scope creeps, and managing budgets. So, how do we get employees to care about these things?

Mike and Carl started by teaching their team about financial literacy, the company’s critical number, setting up scoreboards, mini-games, High Involvement Planning, and gaining buy-in.

They then hired a Great Game of Business certified coach, which was “mind-blowing.” Especially when the coach mentioned a crazy notion – “excess profits.”

The company set up a pool and dedicated part of its profits to be distributed among employees to supplement existing benefits. A percentage of the employee’s total salary is set as a cap with the result that their dividend is a percentage of their salary. Once the pool is shared, the balance of the remaining profit returns to the owner.

Playing the game works.

In 2013, before calculating excess profits, Mike and Carl paid out roughly $25k in bonuses the old-fashioned way –seniority, personal performance, and those who are “team players.”

After switching to a structured profit-sharing program in 2014, they paid employees an additional $350,000. In 2016, they gave employees a paid week off between Christmas and New Year’s, in addition to booking a company cruise in March, which included every employee and their significant other!

Since playing The Game, sales have increased by 2x, and Mike and Carl’s profit margin has increased by 4x. What a difference!

Want to get in The Game?

Steve Mickley, another AIBD Fellow, is a Certified Great Game of Business Coach and works internally with AIBD member companies to implement The Game with their teams.

Schedule your first half-hour coaching session with Steve at AIBD.org/meetsteve (paid for with your AIBD Professional Membership).

Read more about Mike and Carl’s story of success and how their firm, Total Solutions Group, at AIBD.org/open-bookmanagement. Plus, how TSG became a 100% employeeowned company in 2022.

The Great Game of Business is a coaching organization and growth system that elevates businesses AND people to their fullest potential. Steve wants to help you simplify your business so everyone in your organization is aligned, understands the business, and can positively influence the company daily. GreatGame.com/Steve-Mickley.

Steve Mickley Executive Director

is the Executive Director of AIBD and a Certified Professional Building Designer. He is also a Great Game of Business Certified Coach.