More than 11,000 business books are published every year—an overwhelming choice for busy professionals. Therefore, in partnership with getAbstract, Training brings you May’stop three business books recommended to our readers.
“Bring Your Human to Work. 10 Surefire Ways to Design a Workplace That’s Good for People, Great for Business, and Just Might Change the World” by Erica Keswin (McGraw-Hill Education, 2018, 224 pages, ISBN: 9781260118094; $27)
A values-based corporate culture that attends to the human needs of its employees gives your firm an advantage in today’s world where good people are hard to keep. Consultant and Spaghetti Project founder Erica Keswin’s 10 “surefire” ideas for designing a workplace that works are pure common sense. Your employees want a comfortable environment, flexible schedules, work-life balance, and inspiring leaders. Millennials and Gen Z employees, in particular, Keswin says, expect corporate responsibility, sustainable practices, and professional development. Even big firms can incorporate these strategies, as many have done for decades. Keswin demonstrates how companies that invest in strong values can validate their employees and gain great retention and a stronger bottom line.
Rating (out of 10): 7
Applicability: 9
Innovation: 6
Style: 7
“The Introverted Leader. Building on Your Quiet Strength” by Jennifer B. Kahnweiler (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 2018, 216 pages, ISBN: 9781523094332; $20.95)
Consultant Jennifer B. Kahnweiler spells out in great detail—complete with strategies, examples, self-tests, and forms—how introverts can emerge as better leaders. Although she’s an extrovert, Kahnweiler is married to an unabashed introvert. She believes her husband’s successful example gives her special insight into how introverts can use their personalities as an asset. This second edition of her book is based on 10 years of surveys, interviews, and case study analysis she completed after the publication of the first edition in 2008. It overhauls and expands her original work on the nature, behaviors, and leadership potential of introverted professionals. Kahnweiler’s well-informed strategies will open doors for introverted middle managers, tech professionals who need to develop people skills, women who have a hard time getting their bosses to listen, and managers who want to bring out the best in their introverted staffers.
Rating (out of 10): 9
Applicability: 9
Innovation: 9
Style: 8
“The Power of Understanding Yourself. The Key to Self-Discovery, Personal Development, and Being the Best You” by Dave Mitchell (Wiley, 2019, 240 pages, ISBN: 9781119516330; $25)
Dave Mitchell, a dynamic speaker and the author of “The Power of Understanding People,” turns his focus inward to help you understand yourself. Mitchell explains that if you tap into “metacognition”—the process of “thinking about thinking”—you can go beyond self-awareness to discover why you develop certain behaviors and to realize your full potential. He launches you on this journey of self-discovery and improvement with an “interactive style” assessment, hands-on worksheets, and enlightening exercises. Mitchell’s humorous, comforting revelations about himself align with his philosophy of charitable self-analysis. His easy-to-follow guidelines for self-improvement are encouraging without being preachy or didactic. While some of the chapters rehash material from Mitchell’s previous book, anyone seeking personal growth will enjoy his refreshing, readable, and innovative approach.
Rating (out of 10): 8
Applicability: 9
Innovation: 7
Style: 9
For five-page summaries of these and more than 15,000 other titles, visit http://www.getabstract.com/affiliate/trainingmagazine
