This year introduced me to many interesting books. It seems that I add new titles to my reading list each day. Of the 37 books I completed (full list), 7 stood out. Before I reveal them, 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, be environmentally responsible and purchase a used or electronic version.
Rather than try to rank my top selections, I’ll discuss them in the order in which they were read.
The year began with the release of Dan Pink’s To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. Most of us have negative connotations regarding salespeople. Mr. Pink argues that we are all in sales and provides readers with ways to reframe their perceptions. This book caused me to consider employee engagement from a sales standpoint because it requires the selling of ideas.
Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time is a book on meaningful networking by Keith Ferrazzi. Mr.Ferrazzi offers usable advice and action points to help people make better connections. Networking is about the other person, not you. Employee engagement is about the employee and their perceptions, not the company’s. It takes effort to building meaningful relationships within and outside of the company and that effort benefits everyone.
The first book I read that was devoted to employee engagement was, We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement by Rudy Karsan and Kevin Kruse. Based on millions of global surveys, they show that employee success is linked to company success. An employee’s level of engagement is driven by opportunities for growth, recognition of ideas and contributions, and trust in leadership and the direction they are taking the company.
Kevin Kruse authored two additional books that supplement We. Employee Engagement 2.0: How to Motivate Your Team for High Performance provides managers with an overview of employee engagement as well as ideas to better engage employees while Employee Engagement for Everyone: 4 Keys to Happiness and Fulfillment at Work provides employees with a foundational understanding of engagement and offers suggestions on how to become more engaged at work.
Humans are bad at making decisions. Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Chip Heath & Dan Heath discusses why we make bad decisions and offers a four-step process to help us make better ones! Called the WRAP Process, the Heath Brothers tell us to Widen your options, Reality-test your assumptions, Attain distance before deciding, and Prepare to be wrong. This process can not only benefit managers in making better decisions but by teaching the process to direct reports, all employee will have a decision-making framework.
I was on a plane returning from visiting my family and a fellow passenger struck up a conversation about We, the book I was about to continue reading. Hours later, we were still talking and based on our conversation, she recommended that I read Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan, and Switzler. Chance encounters can bring wonderful gifts. This book discusses how to approach situations where the stakes are high, opinions differ, and emotions are strong. While most of the time, we tend to avoid these situations, the authors provide practical advice on how to approach them and gain resolution.
I hit the jackpot with, Disney U: How Disney University Develops the World’s Most Engaged, Loyal, and Customer-Centric Employees by Doug Lipp, Not only was this the second book I read on employee engagement this year, it was also a book about a company I love! While providing the history of Disney University, Mr. Lipp presents the reasoning behind the decisions made.
My final selection is Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown. Through years of research on vulnerability, Ms. Brown explains that when we learn we are enough and shed self-doubt, we can create deeper connections with those around us. As a manager, it is important to understand that while none of us are perfect, we must have the courage and willingness to engage.
What are your thoughts on these selections? What other books can you recommend to fellow readers?
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.
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Let’s Get Engaged!
I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Greg Simpson.
My mission is to help companies and their employees succeed by focusing on how frontline and middle managers engage, manage, and develop their direct reports.
After years in the field, the consulting field, where I created award-winning employee engagement work for fortune 150 clients, I’m looking forward to heading back to headquarters where I’ll continue to battle every company’s greatest nemesis, employee disengagement.
I’m excited about this opportunity to connect with fellow “Agents.” Subscribe to the RSS Feed to receive the latest updates and/or register if you would like to comment on posts.
You can follow me @agtinengagement, email me at g…@a…t.com or learn more about me at www.gregoryfsimpson.com.
