Books make a terrific holiday gift, and there’s still time to order the perfect editions for your team! But there are so many interesting looking books available—how do you choose?
To help you with that, here are a few that I’ve referred to over and over, been inspired by, and have shaped my business on. (Read on for a shameless plug for my own book!)
In no particular order, here are 5 (well, 7 actually) of my favourite business books:
1. I kind of have to group these together… The classic business (and life) skills book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, is one of my all time faves. This book found me when I most needed it and shaped the way I approach my business, my clients, and my life. It encouraged me to focus in on what really matters and to respect and understand those who I interact with. Mr. Covey’s son, Stephen M. R. Covey has also written an amazing book. The Speed of Trust not only emphasizes how important it is to trust and be trustworthy, but also details the business costs and benefits of trust. It’s challenging to put ROI on soft skills, and Mr. Covey has done a great job of it in this book.
2. And here is another grouping I think you’ll love… The Coaching Habit, and the follow on to it, The Advice Trap are two must-have references for every manager of people. The author, Michael Bungay Stanier, has written them in an easy-to-read, easy-to-apply format that will enable managers to provide the coaching support their people need.
3. If you are looking to provide the very best in customer service, check out Unleashing Excellence by Dennis Snow and Teri Yanovitch. Mr. Snow sharpened his customer service skills working with Disney—recognized everywhere as the providers of exceptional service. This book outlines ideas and tactics to provide an excellent customer experience every time.
4. Start with Why, by Simon Sinek, is now a business classic for a reason—it makes sense! When people know why something must be done, or why it must be done in a certain way, they are far more apt to buy in. This brilliant book points out that “why” is what inspires people to do great work, and leaders who start with why are those who inspire.
5. People everywhere are seeking purpose in what they do. The Purpose Effect, written by Dan Pontefract, is aimed at leaders who would like to achieve a purpose mindset for themselves, and inspire purpose in their employees. I loved this book (as evidenced by all the notes, highlighting, and post-its I put all through the book)!
And now for the shameless promotion I promised above. I have just published my own book, It’s Not Them It’s You: Why employees “break up” with their managers and what to do about it, which seeks to change how managers retain, engage, and inspire their team members. So often, employees are promoted to management positions without ever having gained the skills to lead others. Small wonder, then, that more than half of the people who quit their jobs do so because of their managers. My book seeks to fix that by teaching managers how to connect with their team members and provides steps and tools for application to improve just about any situation related to employee engagement and retention.
Here’s some feedback about my book:
"It was a wonderful read. I love that you made it very practical and simple. It isn't overly complex and the actions are something that I really believe all leaders can take away and apply almost immediately." - Mandi Christensen, Director of Learning and Development, Chewy.com
You can find It’s Not Them It’s You on Amazon. If you would like copies for all your managers, contact me for bulk pricing. I’ll provide a reduced rate for 4 or more copies. Email me at laura@cchangelearning.com.
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