What is the Purpose of a Banana?:

FM Staff

By Carlton Green, Ph.D.
Lessismore Publishing, 2005, $15.00

Carlton Green has managed foodservice from the trenches for over 30 years, both literally (in the Marine Corps) and figuratively, as a results-getting director in some of the most challenging healthcare facilities of the country. This short book tells his story, from inner-city-youth-made-good to the track record that won him a Silver Plate award in 2001.

More importantly, it is also a first-person essay about the values that Green lives and manages by. Simply written, it retains the oneonone sense of personal sincerity that Green communicates so intensely to those who know him.

Feeling like the job is just a bit overwhelming this morning? Glance over one or two of these short chapters as a refresher course in coping with frustration. Trying to give more than lip service to organizational values like empowerment and ownership? You'll find much food for thought in this slim volume.

This book also makes a great gift for that employee who has real potential but hails from a part of society where a sense of hope and purpose are not a given. Green has made a career out of giving that sense to those who need it, and it can help you cultivate it in your team.