Atlas Black: Management Guru?

Written By:
Jeremy Short
Talya Bauer
Dave Ketchen

Illustrated By:
Len Simon

Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

New York

Atlas Black: Management Guru?

All Rights Reserved @ 2010 Jeremy Short, Talya Bauer, Dave Ketchen

Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

 Atlas Black: Management Guru?

All Rights Reserved @2010 Jeremy Short, Talya Bauer, Dave

Ketchen

Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

For information address:

Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
13 N. Mill Street
Nyack, NY 10960
www.flatworldknowledge.com

---------------
ISBN 10 0-9823618-7-4
ISBN 13 978-0-9823618-]:-0

fla~rld
KNOWLEDGE
 Acknowledgements and Dedications

Rob Nason
Colorist To Tessa and Jack, the motivation and
inspiration for all that I do.

James Stoyanof -- Jeremy

Shading
Lettering
Layout design

This book is dedicated to two funny guys. Thank

you to Alexander and Nicholas who followed
Tessa Short A tlas' adventures all along the way.
Shading
Final editing
-- Talya

My dedication is to Sharon Ketchen, who makes

Debbie Stoyanof
me work hard for laughs by setting a high bar
Inker
for comedy.

-- Dave
Scott Henricks
Lettering
Dedicated to my daughters Cooper and
Layout design
Charlie.

Ian Baird -- Len

Inker
 Not Just Comics: Or, Why Are Graphic Novels
Valuable for Management Education?

The term graphic novel is reserved for book-length works that are targeted toward adult
audiences. Graphic novels are often used to convey serious, nonfiction content. For example,
Jacobson and Colon (2006) published a graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 report. The graphic
novel Maus, by Art Spiegelman (1973), recounts his father's story as a holocaust survivor in Nazi
Germany. Maus was the first graphic novel to receive the Pulitzer Prize and it exemplifies the
medium's abil ity to convey serious topics. Mar jane Satrapi's (2003) Persepolis tells the story of
her childhood in Iran during the Islamic revolution. A number of graphic novels, including 300, V
for Vendetta, A History of Violence, Ghost World, Stardust, and Road to Perdition have been
adapfed into feature films that also targeted adult audiences.

Graphic novels are widely read by college students, and in recent years educators have
incorporated graphic novels into many university courses. Topics adapted to the graphic novel
format include chemistry, genetics, psychology, history, physics, statistics, and ethics - to
name only a few. The Federal Reserve Bank currently offers a dozen titles that are available for
free to the public covering topics such as monetary policy, interest rates, and the history of
money. Kaplan, the test preparation firm, has recently incorporated the graphic novel format for
SAT prep courses, and Wired magazine's Daniel Pink has recently written a career guide in the
graphic novel format. In Japan, it is common to see businesspeople on commuter trains reading
graphic novels about business, and universities there have long used the format for teaching.

MSNBC notes that the graphic novel market was $207 million in 2005 and grew to $330 million
in sales in 2006. In 2007, sales of graphic novels in the United States surpassed sales of comic
books for the first time. Booksellers in America, Britain, Germany, Italy, and South Korea cite
graphic I iterature as one of their fastest-growing categories. In Borders bookstores in the
United States, graphic novel sales have risen more than 100ero in three years. Five of the ten
best-selling books in France in 2006 were graphic novels. Megatrends! author John Naisbitt
notes that the graphic novel is the only category of novel that is gaining ground in this
increasingly visual age (Naisbitt, 2007).

Today's students encounter and thrive on a vast array of stimulation and media input. To
captivate students' attention, new educational material is needed, including the teaching of
management concepts and ideas through engaging stories (e.g., Short & Ketchen, 2005). Graphic
novels appeal to anyone interested in learning more about management and can be used for a
variety of purposes including: (1) A great basic reference for courses that have a lot going on
or courses that do not heavily utilize a textbook. The graphic novel makes for a short, sweet, and
lively introduction to important concepts - such an approach might be especially useful for
business minors ' classes as well as other courses that incorporate key management concepts that
are outside of a traditional college of business setting; (2) A supplement to a traditional
textbook for those interested in making the textbook concepts more accessible by putting them
in a specific context; (3) A replacement for a traditional textbook, particularly in short or
condensed term courses. We are pleased to present the first ever graphic novel in management,
and one that combines all the advantages of the increasingly popular format with the time-tested
theories and concepts that are central to management texts. Our graphic novel is accompanied
by a full teacher's guide to highlight key concepts and to aid in the integration of content in
classroom usage in a variety of potential contexts.

References:

Jacobson,S., & Colon, E. (2006). The 9/11 report: A graphic adaption. New York, NY : Hill and Wang .

Naisbitt, J. (2007, March-Apri I). The post-literate future. Futurist, p. 24-26.

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis: The story of a childhood. New York: Pantheon .

Short, J.C., & Ketchen, D.J. (2005). Teaching timeless truths through classic literature: Aesop's fables
and strategic management. Journal of Management Education, 29, 816-832.

Spiegelman, A. (1973). Maus: A survivor's tale. New York: Pantheon.

 About the Authors
Jeremy Short is the Jerry S. Rawls Professor of Management at Texas
Tech University. His award-winning teaching includes classes such as Principles of
Management, Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship, and Management History.
Jeremy's research focuses on the determinants of firm and organizational
performance. His work appears in such journals as Strategic Management Journal,
Organization Science, Personnel Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human
Decision Processes, Academy of Management Learning and Education,and Journal
of Management Education, among others . He is an associate editor for the Journal
of Management and serves on the editorial board of Organizational Research
Methods. He also co-authored the first Harvard Business School case in graphic novel format.

T alya Bauer is the Cameron Professor of Management at Portland State

University . Talya's teaching of Organizational Behavior, Negotiations, Interviewing,
and Power and Influence has led to multiple teaching awards. Talya's research
focuses on socialization/onboarding of new employees, recruitment and selection,
leadership, stress, contingent workers, and person-job fit. Her work appears in such
journals as Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Applied Psychology,
Personnel Psychology, and Academy of Management Learning and Education and
she is a Fellow of the Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She is the
editor of the Journal of Management and has served on several editorial boards,
including the Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology, and has
been interviewed on National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation.

Dave Ketchen is the Lowder Eminent Scholar in Entrepreneurship and a

Professor of Management at Auburn University . An award-winning educator, Dave has
taught Principles of Management, Strategic Management, and Franchising. His
research interests include strategy, entrepreneurship, research methods, and
strategic supply-chain management. His work appears in journals such as Academy of
Management Journal and Strategic Management Journal. He has served on twelve
editorial boards, including those of Academy of Management Review and Strategic
Management Journal. He has served or is serving as associate editor for the
Academy of Management Journal and four other journals. He and wife, Sharon, enjoy
(usually) raising their two Labrador retrievers . His outside interests include golf,
fishing, and driving on Colorado jeep trails.

About the Illustrator

Len S i m0 n is the cofounder and co-owner of FatCat Animation. Before
starting FatCat animation, Len was a member of the team that started Fox Animation
Studios. Len's Animation Director credits include numerous feature films such as
Anastasia, Bartok the Magnificent, Titan AE, Curious George, Fat Albert, All
Dogs Go to Heaven, Rock-A-Doodle, A Troll in Central Park, Thumbelina, The
Pebble and the Penguin, The Thief and the Cobbler, Felide, Spirit - Stallion Of
the Cimarron, and Eight Crazy Nights. Len's animated classical shorts -
CrocPond's: Rindin the Puffer and The Gathering Place: The Coyote and The
Tortoise-have won numerous awards and accolades in the industry. His credits
extend into a number of European animated features as well.
 Key Concepts Illustrated in Atlas Black: Management Guru?
Chapter 6

Active and passive listening (pages 16-17)

Business plan elements (page 20)
Communication process (page 5)
Communication channels (page 6)
Communication freezers (pages 13-14)
Effective business correspondence (page 3)
Entrepreneurial orientation dimensions (page 22)
Information overload (page 8)
Information richness (page 6)
Noise (pages 5-6)
Selective perception (page 8)

Chapter 7

Conflict types (pages 9-10)

General Adaptation Syndrome (pages 4-5)
Negotiation mistakes (pages 11-12)
Negotiation steps (pages 16-18)
Negotiation styles (pages 14-15)
Stages of moral development (page 19-22)
Stress (pages 1-6)

Chapter 8

Board of directors (pages 15-17)

Effective meeting guidelines (pages 10-11)
Group decision making techniques (pages 19-20)
Group stages (pages 3-5)
Punctuated-equilibrium (page 8)
Social loafing (pages 21-23)
Task interdependence (pages 17-18)
Team contract (page 13)

Chapter 9

Equity Theory (pages 14-15)

ERG Theory (pages 8-9)
Expectancy Theory (pages 13-14)
Herzberg's Two-factor Theory (page 9)
Incentives (pages 17-19)
Job design (pages 21-24)
Organizational justice (page 16)
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (pages 7-8)
McClelland's Acquired Needs Theory (pages 10-12)
Reinforcement theory (pages 2-7)
SMART goals (page 20)

Chapter 10

Authentic leaders (page 13)

Bases of power (pages 14-18)
Classic leadership decision-making styles (pages 2-3)
Impression management (pages 19-21)
Influence techniques (pages 6-7)
Leader-member exchange theory (page 12)
Situational leaders (pages 8-9)
Transactional leaders (page 11)
Transformational leaders (pages 10-11)
 CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION -
CAN Y

JEREMY Stl 0 R. T
TALYA BAUER.

DAVE KETCtlEN

I LLUSTRATED BY

LEN SIMON
 Welcome once again, dear reader, to a world where would-be entrepreneurs Atlas Black and David Chan are
about to take their ultimate test. In this episode, they face the daunting task of creating and communicating
an effective business plan. If they are up to the challenge, startup funding awaits. If they are careless in their
efforts, the dream of a startup restaurant will certainly leave them with an empty feeling in their stomachs.

So, we're finally

getting down to
writing the
business plan.

He's been at it
for hours over
there.

Yup. For now, I'm

following up on a few This lead seems
emails. particularly
promising!

Oh, great! Did you

make any new
contacts?

Did you follow up Are you looking into

with the owner of the amount of
Cat Lady Coffee startup funding we'll
about serving their need?
coffee?
 You're
following
up on
your
online
dating
leads!!!

Well,
you're not
going to send
that are you?

Atlas, you're not

Why not? David, do you listening! I didn't say the
have any idea how Internet was bad. I said,
powerful the Internet you're not going to send
is these days? In 2007, THA T are you?!?!
one out of every 8 new
married couples in the
U.S. met online! Did you
know if the number of
members of MySpace
was a country is would
be the 10th largest,
just behind Mexico? Do
you have any idea how
many potential dati ng
opportunities that You've basically
creates? violated everyone of
the do's and don'ts for
business email.

Well, in terms of trying

But I'm not to communicate, the
sending a same rules apply.
business
email.

From: Badd Dogg4S@ya hoo.com
To: Magical_Elf23@gmail.co
CC: tyler.black@abc.ed
Su bject: Kon ich iwazzzzzzzzzu p!
attach ments
DO use cc's sparingly . Atlas,
cc'ing your cousin on this is
really weird .
-~=~~-----
DO use a subject line that
summarizes your message,
__ adjusting it as the message
-.J changes over time . Also, this
subject line doesn't really make
sense to me.

I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET YOU IN PERSON. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET A MAGICAL
ELF AND I DREEMED OF LIVING IN A FORREST AS A SMALL CHILD. MAYBE WE COULD HAND OUT IN YOUR
MOM'S BASEMENT SOMETIME.
DON'T put anything in an
PEACE, email that you don't want
the world to see. Atlas
DO use spell check this is fairly creepy.
BADDDOGG before you hit
send .
DON'T write a message in
Atlas there is nothing 'bad' capital letters - this is the
about you . equivalent of SHOUTING!

I can only imagine

what this would look Yeah, I wouldn't go
like to the poor that route. How
girl. about this instead?

From: BaddDogg4S@yahoo.com
To: Magical_ Elf23@gmail.com
DO make your request in the
first line of your email,
CC:
especially a business email.
Subject: Do you like gypsy swing music?
(And if that's all you need to
attachments
say, stop there!)
Dear Marie,

I'm intrigued by your series of charming emails and I wonder if you

might want to meet face to face sometime. I know a lovely coffee shop
downtown whose coffee is as strong as their wait staff is surly. They
also have live music on the weekends, so if I turn out to be a huge bore
you could just listen intensely and then slip out the back door. :)
I guess you
fancy yourself
This weekend they are featuring a really good gypsy swing band and I'd
love the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance. I've enjoyed our email
to be a regular
banter and I am sure that you are even more enchanting in person. Cyrano de
Also, my cell number is 503-897-5245 if you want to chat directly. Bergerac with
all your love
DO end your email with a brief
All the best",--=======~ Sign-off such as, "Thank you ." For letter tips.
business emails, follow with your Does that
Atlas name and contact information. really work?
 It's got to be more
Only one way to effective than your
find out for sure! 'creepy stalker' approach.

AIso / take down the Your honor, I rest

Facebook page where my case.
you are dressed like
Obi-Wan Kenobi and
warn all Jedi not to
return to the Jedi
headquarters in
Coruscant In fact/you
should Google yourself
and make sure nothing
else wei rd is out on the
Net.
 Of course, good communication
skills can help you in all of
your interpersonal relationships. See Atlas! It
seems even the
old professor has
more game than
you.

Today's class focuses on a model of the communication process. For most effective communication, the
basic goal is the same. You want to effectively and efficiently convey a thought that you have to someone
else. How well you communicate your thought depends on a number of factors.

Noise

Sender Encoding Message

Decoding ~ Feedback
(via Medium)

Model of Communication Process

For example, let's say you want to
ask someone out on a date. You
may be thinking something as
simple as the question: Will you go I love Kung Fu movies.
out with me? In this scenario, you Good idea! I'm going
are the sender - the person who to go home and watch
wants to send a Do you like one now.
message. You must movies?
then convey, or
encode, this

Of course, the problem is that this question may not effectively

convey the question you are really asking.
 LOL. He
either
loves me
or he's
laughing
out loud.

In addition to different ways words

The choice of medium could have a can be used and conveyed, your choice
significant impact on how the message .....- ..............- of medium, or communication channel,
is interpreted by the receiver - the Hopefully they are able to decode, can impact communication. For
person who receives the message. or correctly interpret, the message example, you could ask someone out
Hopefully, they are able to correctly you are trying to convey and then by speaking face-to-face, over the
provide feedback concerning phone, through a text message,
interpret the message you are trying through an email, or through a letter.
elements that are unclear.
to convey.

The channel, or medium,

used to communicate a
message affects how
accurately the message
will be received. Channels
vary in their "information
richness." Information
rich channels convey more
subtle and nuanced
information. The key to
effective communication
is to match the
communication channel
with the goal of the
Noise can potentially get in the way at each step
of the process. communication.

Communication Channel (Medium)

Face-to-face Emails and texts Formal written

conversation documents

Pros: Potential Pros: Can convey Pros: Can be read by

for instant facts quickly and many people and
High feedback and inexpensively provides a record of Low
Information useful for the message Information
Richness conveying emotion Richness
or a sensitive
message

Cons: Less time to Cons: Difficult to Cons: Minimal ability

think through convey emotions to convey feedback
message you are such as sarcasm
trying to convey and sincerity
 Oral I heard they let
communication go of Steve in
accounting.
makes more
sense when you
are conveying a
sensitive or
emotional
message.

Yeah, Flanagan
fired him in a Friday
afternoon email.
You might feel uncomfortable conveying an emotionally laden
message verbally, especially when the message contains
unwanted news.

This probably applies to asking

someone out too - face-to-face is a
more effective plan if
implemented well.

Do u have an'l
cute friends?

Sure, but if you tend to

choke in those situations, Mr.
Internet is a most useful
messenger.

The meaning, which the

Hey David! I just receiver assigns, may
not be the meaning that
got a text from
the sender intended,
Emily! She wants to due to factors such as
know if I have any noise. Noise is anything
cute friends! that interferes with or
distorts the message
being sent.

For example, noise can

be external in the
environment, such as
distractions.

Noise can be within the

receiver. For example,
Dude! Can you try and the receiver may be
pay attention for five highly nervous and
unable to pay attention
minutes?! You said to the message.
yes ... right?
 The economy is You promised we
doing great. could go to the zoo.

Filtering may occur if the sender
purposely distorts or withholds
information to manage a person's
reactions.
I said IF you
cleaned up your
room in time.
Selective perception is the personal filtering of what we see and hear
so as to suit our own needs. Often, much of this process is
unconscious. We are bombarded with too much stimuli every day to
pay equal attention to everything, so we pick and choose according to
our own needs.

Three minutes?! I
doubt that very
much ... Wait I got
another text from
Emily!

Information overload. One study found that

many workers can only do about three minutes
of uninterrupted work on anyone task before
being interrupted by an incoming email, instant
message, phone call, co-worker, or other
j
distraction.

How could this Y2 K be a

problem in a country where
we have Intel and
Microsoft?

Use of jargon (language of specialized terms used by a group or

profession). Excessive use of jargon has become such a problem
that some have created a game called buzzword bingo that has
been used by executives in meetings to lampoon such word use.
You might find it amusing that one occurrence of buzzword bingo As certain sports, such as basketball, have grown in
was associated with MIrs university graduation when AI Gore, popularity in countries such as China, sportscasters have
then the Vice President of the U.S., was speaking at a had to be careful to create new terms since many of the
commencement and many students had buzzword bingo cards expressions we use in the u.s. such as 'airball' might make
containing many of the high-technology terms he was known to little sense in other countries.
use.
 We're finally here at
Hogwart's School of
Philosophy!
It will be done
tomorrow. No
problem.

This leads me to cultural differences. Different experiences

common to people in a specific setting could also affect
communication. The setting could be geographic, religious, or
professional. For example, many Indian nationals feel
uncomfortable saying "no." So, this could create communications
problems if a u.S. manager asks them to complete an
unreasonable amount of work.
You might also be interested to know that the titles of many
movies created in the u.S. are often changed for foreign
distribution. Also, the first Harry Potter book was entitled Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in the U.K. but changed to
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the u.S.

Miscommunications
can arise between
individuals of the
same culture as
well. The different,
and often
multi-cultural
identity of
individuals in the
same organization
can lead to some
unexpected, and
potentially large
In the US, looking someone in the eye when miscommunications.
talking is considered a sign of
trustworthiness. In China, by contrast, a lack
of eye contact conveys respect, especially
when subordinates talk with their superiors.

Howdy! I'm
Fo' shizzle my Bucky Goldstein!
nizzle!

The same individual can be a member of many cultures, all

of which may come to bear on interpretation of certain
words.
 So, I hope
today's lessons
will lead you to
create more
carefully
constructed, and
effective,
communications
in both your
personal as well
as professional
lives. Class
For example, during the Cold War, the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev told dismissed.
the American delegation at the United Nations: "We will bury yoU!" in Russian.
His words were interpreted as a threat of nuclear annihilation. However, a more
accurate reading of Khrushchev's words would have been: "We will overtake
yoU!" referring to economic superiority. The fear and suspicion that the U.S.
had of the Soviet Union at the time led to the more alarmist and sinister
translation.

OK David, here's the

plan. When the girls get
here, let's tell them all
about the restaurant.
How can they resist a
dynamic duo of dazzling
young entrepreneurs?
I'm not so sure that's a good
idea. I suggest we ask them
questions to get to know them better
and see where that leads.

I'm almost sure

women like men
to tal k about Hey, I have no
problem
themselves. How getting dates.
else will they
know to be
impressed?

Yeah, it's getting

second dates
where your
problems come
Nice to meet
you. We were
just
embarking I hope you
upon a aren't going
fascinating to tell us
topic. your life
story like
the last
date I went
on.

As a matter
of fact ...

We were discussing how

we wanted to ask you a Well you must be David. Atlas
few questions about what told me you have a smooth
tongue. This is a perfect
you find to be the most conversation starter because
interesting first date Nikki here is a communications
topics. major.

I think the best was "Let's make

Iike fabric softener and
snuggle."
 I think part of our point is that it's not
just what a guy actually says, but how
he says it. Just think about a simple
statement like "I did not ask you to
My worst was dinner." A minor inflection changes the
"Your eyes are meaning completely.
the same color
blue as my
Porsche."

My friend Jack I have no recollection of

wants to know if you'll that conversation.
go out to dinner with
him Friday. L0 iLL You.
40 O(A~
lvi1t\ ME- 7
tjeS 0 c.~t
ONE

NOD=:
v

I did not ask you to dinner. I did not ask you to dinner.
I did not ask you to dinner.

You said you

wanted to go
I asked your
with me to the
friend out and I
Star Trek
we had dinner
last weekend.

I thought
you were
joking!

I did not ask you to dinner.

 Communication
freezers?

I think another key for

guys is to keep the
conversation moving. A lot
of guys clam up or pullout
their worst communication
freezers.

A
communication
freezer is
something
that puts an
end to the
conversation.
Maybe
something
that makes
you feel
judged,or
stupid, or Instead of telling you some
defensive. examples why don't I show you
some? Did you know they're
doing speed dating in the back
room tonight? Let's take a peek.
 Wow! I'm being
psychoanalyzed in
the first 3
minutes of a
speed
date.

You had If she's You should

telling me lose that
better what to dark
do now I lipstick.
wonder You look
how like a

Oh my gosh! you're a
You can't be lovely person.
for real! You can do a
lot better
than me!

Let me give you the Think about the

facts! 5070 of all positive side. Now
relationships end in that your cat died,
tragedy! you don't have to
spend any money on
cat food!

Attempting to educate the Moralizing or telling the other Making light of a problem by
other person can often be a person what they ought to do can joking about it can be a freezer.
freezer. be off-putting.
 And look at all that we
can pick up from
people's body language!

Like that guy gnawing on his

bottom lip. He's obviously
uncertain and insecure.

C'mon day
dreamer, our table
is ready.

When someone
else is speaking
to you, personally
or as part of a
group, do you A:
Sit back in your
seat, waiting to
speak, or ...

It has been said that a smile is

the most universal expression
across cultures.

B: Lean forward a bit, to better
hear - and see - what's really
being said.
Yes, it's key. Looking someone
in the eye (for about a second) is
considered a sign of trustworthiness.
Just staring at someone can
be

A strong handshake shows

Or a snappy high
confidence.
five.

That's a great po int.

However, the meaning of The last key
a simple touch differs
between individuals,
to effective
genders, and cultures. In communication
Mexico, when doing
bus iness, men may find
is listening.
themselves being grasped You can be a
on the arm by another
man. To pull away is
passive
seen as rude. Iistener or an
active
Kissing on the listener.
cheek in other
cultures is
common as a
greeting, but does
not necessarily
reflect romantic
interest.
 For example, active listeners make eye contact, are able to
summarize key thoughts, and ask appropriate questions. Passive
listeners will hear a kind of "blah blah blah" as you wait for your
turn to speak.

Well, this has been most interesting! Speaking

of paying attention to an important speaker, I
recall you saying that you parked fairly far
away. Would you give me the pleasure of
walking you to your car?

I'd
love to!

Well Atlas, right now I'm

making eye contact with you.
I'm attentive to your words.
Standing very close. What
message do you think I'm
tryi ng to convey?
You have one
Hey, where did he go?
night to
Do you bel ieve me now? I
complete a
told you I wasn't making
business plan.
this guy up!
Make it a good
one.

I guess we need to pu II an
all-nighter now. Hey David, any
chance your mom made
cookies?
 So, here we are. Finally
writing that business plan.
You know what they say, he
who plans to fail, fails
to plan.
Uh, I think you got
that one backwards
buddy.

But, I do think we need to

brainstorm some specific
ideas.

Look at
my
version.
In conclusion ...
I think this
business plan
deserves a
celebratory high
five!
 Business Plan for No Cover Cafe
1. Overview of the company.

No Cover Cafe will be a locally owned and operated restaurant that features nightly live
music.

2. Strategy (including location and pricing).

The No Cover Cafe wi II offer live music nightly based on local talent readi Iy avai lable in a
university town. Our rrenu will focus prirrarily on moderately priced, distinctive, pizza. This
wi II include unique offerings such as Phi lIy Cheese Steak Pizza, Asian Eggroll Pizza, Thai
Pepper Pizza, and other unique offerings. In terms of location, we will be located within
walking distance of campus to allow for easy access for students without cars.

3. Target 117Drket analysis.

The pri rrary target rrarket for the No Cover Cafe wi II be college students and university
faculty and staff.

4. Competitive analysis.

There are a number of local restaurants, franchises, and other restaurant chains that
compete for rrarket share and custorrers. The No Cover Cafe is the only high-end pizzeria
in a 50-mi Ie ran of the Universi
5. Marketing stf'Dtegy.

Marketing wi II be accomplished through local newspaper ads, fliers, and through the bands
that appear and play at the No Cover Cafe.

6. Sumll7Dry of risks.

Risks include lack of custorrer base, employee turnover, and the need for food and beverage
licenses.

7. Organization and 117Dnagement team.

Atlas Black and David Chan wi II co-own and operate the No Cover Cafe as a partnership.

8. Funds needed/Break-even analysis.

$200,000 in startup capital will be needed to pay 6 months rent, purchase necessary
supplies, hire employees, and pay rranagerrent unti I the store rrakes money.
 I think the last
thing we need is Um, no. An elevator
an elevator speech refers to some
speech. sort of quick pitch. It
could be an individual's
pitch for a job, or an
entrepreneur's pitch
for a business. The
idea is that you could
come up with a concise
story that could be
presented in the time
it would take during an
elevator ride.

For example,
pretend I'm the I don't think that
bank loan wi II be remotely
officer and you effective.
are maki ng the
pitch for the
No Cover Cafe.
What would you
say?

Give me all your

money!

Show me the money!

Fortunately, I've written

up some note cards for
just such an occasion.
Now it sounds like When interviewing for a
job or more specifically for
you're a bandit. pitching our business plan, you
might think about how to
incorporate elements of an
entrepreneurial orientation: autonomy
competitive aggressiveness,
innovativeness, proactiveness,
and risk-taking.

Competitive Aggressiveness
Application for Individuals Interviewing:
Show how you are working hard to
differentiate yourself from others on the
job market, and be able to answer the
question: Why should I hire you versus
someone else?
Application for Pitching a Business Plan:
Mention ways we can directly challenge
competitors in a tight market. For example,
the extra marketing we will have for the No
Cover Cafe since local bands will spend
extra time and effort to promote their
band, and thus, bring business to the
restaurant.
Proactiveness
Application for Individuals Interviewing:
Demonstrate an ability to think ahead, and
anticipate employer questions.
Application for Pitching a Business Plan:
Highlight how we will examine trends and
anticipate future needs.
Autonomy
Application for Individuals Interviewing:
Show an ability to develop independent
thought and not need to be given
step-by-step instructions. (Many Generation
Y students are criticized for behaviors that
seem to lack autonomy - for example, going
with friends to career fairs.)
Application for Pitching a Business Plan:
Discuss our ability to make the No Cover
Cafe vision a reality and bring our idea to
completion.
Innovativeness
Application for Individuals Interviewing: Be
able to highlight how you can provide new and
creative ideas or processes for future
employers.
Application for Pitching a Business Plan:
Make sure to mention our novel concept, new
ideas, and creative experimentation
processes in booking new bands and coming up
with unique pizza concepts.
Risk-taking
Application for Individuals Interviewing:
What unique student activities have you
engaged in that involved risk? Have you
helped to start a new business, run for an
elected student government office, or been
involved in some other work or student
project that involved elements of risk?
Application for Pitching a Business Plan:
Discuss our ability to tolerate uncertainty,
engage in high-risk projects, and take the
bold actions needed to make the No Cover
Cafe successful.
 Mr. Black and Mr. Chan, Ms.
Reeves is ready to meet with
you.

The No Cover Cafe will offer distinctive

Well, tell me a little pizza dishes and feature live music nightly.
The concept is to provide a high value
bit about your
entertainment experience with a budget
business concept. suitable to college students. We believe that
our choice of unique pizza offerings and live
music will allow our customers to maximize
their entertainment dollar. Here's our formal
business plan with attached financial
statements.

I've brought
together a Wow, you have a comic
portfolio that I book collection that has
hope will work. been appraised at over
$100,000.

Well, your business

plan is sound and this town
could use a few more
restaurants and entertainment
venues so I'm going to give
you a shot.
 L

Man, that was awesome. When

you pulled out those cash flow Yeah, I'm glad
statements it was like, game
over, give me my money. And
it's over too,
then when I showed her the but I think
comic portfolio. You should have you're going to
seen your face. I am so glad find that in the
that meeti ng is over!
grand scheme
of things,
getting the
money is
actually going
to end up being
the easy part.
 THE STORY SO FAR ...

Atlas Black sure talks a lot, but is he really communicating anything? After
thinking quite a bit about their No Cover Cafe, Atlas and David took a much
needed social break. With the help of Lisa and Nikki, they learned that not all
communication is verbal. Oh myl

Effective business correspondence requires understanding the best

communication channels to use as well as the information richness of each
medium. Atlas also learned to write professional emails, to reduce noise, and
to avoid communication errors such as filtering, selective perception, and
information overload.

Atlas came to understand that avoiding communication freezers can help

you in business as well as in speed dating. Freezers - such as making someone
feel judged, stupid, or defensive - often put an end to a conversation. Eye
contact is important for establishing rapport - about one second is good.
More than that can be a little too intense.

The boys got down to business and finally wrote their business plan which
included an overview of their company, strategy, target market analysis,
competitive analysis, marketing strategy, summary of risks, organization and
management team, and funds needed based on their break-even analysis.
Their hard work paid off as they secured a business loan.

IN OUR NEXT EPISODE...

Coming up, Atlas will learn that not all conflict is bad, not all
negotiations are easy, and that starting a business is more than fun and
games. As Atlas and David learn to thrive on chaos, they'll also need to learn
how to manage their own stress levels, analyze their ethics, and negotiate
effectively to finalize plans for the No Cover Cafe.

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