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2014 introduced me to many more interesting books related to employee engagement. Of the 23 books I completed (full list), 7 stood out. Like last year, let me exhort the benefits of using your local public library. This free and accessible public service is paid for, in part, by your tax dollars and offers a wealth of interesting and informative selections. If, by chance, the book you wish to read is not available through the library, please be environmentally responsible and purchase a used or electronic version.
Rather than try to rank my selections, I’ll discuss them in the order in which they were read.
Simon Sinek
Completion date: 1/25/2014
“There are leaders and there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or influence. Those who lead inspire us.” Start With Why is written for those who want to truly lead. Using his “Golden Circle” concept, Sinek helps readers learn to think, act, and communicate in ways that inspire others. Instead of focusing on “What” or “How,” those who inspire us start with a sense of purpose. Starting with “Why” provides the opportunity to connect with and inspire others to support you or your company.
Related blog post: Start with Why – Book Review
Brad Stone
Completion date: 2/4/2014)
The Everything Store tells the story of Amazon (Amazon.com) and its founder, Jeff Bezos. I found the book very interesting and disturbing. I knew that Amazon was customer-focused. What I didn’t know is that it came at the expense of their employees. The work environment is toxic and employees seem to “thrive in an adversarial atmosphere with almost constant friction.”
Related blog post: Employees Are Might – Amazon meets Harry Potter
Bob Rosen
Completion date: 6/30/2014
I was introduced to this book by Rick Auman of Healthy Companies International. I attended the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering – Department of Technology Management and Innovation’s third annual conference on Human Capital Innovation in Technology & Analytics in April. This year’s conference theme was “Predicting Engagement & Performance Using Human Capital Data Analytics.” After an interesting presentation by his colleague, Dr. Dominick Volini, I decided to visit their booth. Mr. Auman and I talked for a bit and then he gave me a complimentary copy of this book (written by the Company’s CEO, Bon Rosen).
Grounded discusses The Healthy Leader Model:
- Physical Health: How you live
- Emotional Health: How you feel
- Intellectual Health: How you think
- Social Health: How you interact
- Vocational Health: How you perform
- Spiritual Health: How you view the world
While the book focuses on the individual leader, I found the book to be more broadly applicable to employee engagement. Individuals and leaders can benefit if they explore each of the 6
Ed Catmill with Amy Wallace
Completion date: 7/22/2014
If I was ranking my top books of 2014, this one would probably be #1. First, let me disclose that I’m a huge fan of The Walt Disney Company. You can see that from some of the blog posts I’ve written as well as in the books that I’ve read. I’ve been following them for close to 3 decades now.
Creativity, Inc. is special. I cannot recall reading a more insightful book about any company. While we tend to hear about company successes, this book goes deeper to expose the real story behind those successes. Ed Catmull is very open and honest about how he manages at Pixar as well as Walt Disney Animation. He tries to proactively predict problems and offer solutions to prevent them. And when unexpected issues arise, he looks for the root causes as path toward improvement. I found this book to be refreshing and I admire Mr. Catmull for his candor.
Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, & Chris Yeh
Completion date: 8/3/2014
Three prominent Silicon Valley entrepreneurs propose “a new employment framework that facilitates mutual trust, mutual investment, and mutual benefit. An ideal framework encourages employees to develop their personal networks and act entrepreneurially without becoming mercenary job-hoppers. It allows companies to be dynamic and demanding but discourages them from treating employees like disposable assets.”
The Alliance is based on ‘tours of duty’ that have specific timeframes and cover how the employer and employee will benefit from working together. It offers a way for companies to engage and retain employees while simultaneously achieving their business objectives.
Related blog post: Key Learnings from The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age
Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers
Completion date: 9/27/2014
Yes, a children’s book made the list this year. While this book targets children ages 3 – 7, you might be surprised by how familiar the story sounds in relation to disengagement on your team. How many of these colors sound like the people you manage or that you know within your organization?
Related blog Post: What Crayons Can Teach Us About Employee Engagement
Charles Duhigg
Completion date: 10/26/2014
This book examines how habits work, how to create new ones, and why transformation occurs from both an individual and organization perspective. Habits can be changed or created by focusing on the three parts of the habit loop: cue – routine – reward.
For reference:
2014: Click here for a complete list of the employee engagement-related books I read in 2014 or visit my Reading List 2014 Board on Pinterest.
2013: Click here for a complete list of the employee engagement-related books I read in 2013, read my The Favorite Books I Read In 2013 post, or visit my Reading List 2013 Board on Pinterest.
Other book-related blog posts from 2014:
- Key Learnings from Gamify
- Key Learnings from Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future
- Key Learnings from Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder
What are your thoughts on these selections? What were your favorite books of 2014? Which books would you recommend to fellow “Agents”?
Let’s Engage!
I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.
I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest updates and/or register to comment on posts.
You can follow me @agtinengagement.
Email me at g…@a…t.com.
Learn more about me at www.gregoryfsimpson.com.
P.S. First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.
Other recent Agent in Engagement articles by Gregory F Simpson:
- Employee Engagement Briefing for Week of January 5 – 9, 2015
- Most Viewed Agent In Engagement Posts 2014
- Infographic – The 10 Tenets of Better Engaged Employees
- The 10th Tenet of Better Engaged Employees – Honor Your Customer
