More than 11,000 business books are published every year—an overwhelming choice for busy professionals. Therefore, in partnership with getAbstract, Training brings you September’s top three business books recommended to our readers.
“75 Ways for Managers to Hire, Develop, and Keep Great Employees” by Paul Falcone (AMACOM, 2016, 336 pages, ISBN: 9780814436691)
Given layoffs, downsizing, delayed promotions, mergers, tardy raises, and more, contemporary organizations face challenges that make this a difficult time to manage employees. You can make one mistake and end up as the villain in an expensive civil suit that an upset current or former employee—or even by a professional plaintiff masquerading as an employee—files against your company. Seasoned HR professional Paul Falcone, who passionately advocates the importance of HR’s role, presents 75 proven tactics for managing and inspiring employees while motivating loyalty and performance. He explains what managers can do to elicit the highest level of productivity from their employees while not getting sued by disgruntled people making the most of today’s litigious society. getAbstract recommends his innovative manual to managers and HR professionals. Falcone’s description of his book is apt; it is, as he says, a “consultant in a box.”
Rating (out of 10): 8
Applicability: 9
Innovation: 7
Style: 8
“Three. The Human Resources Emerging Executive” by Ian Ziskin (Jossey-Bass Inc. Publishers, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN: 9781119057109)
HR and coaching expert Ian Ziskin covers three crucial tasks that Human Resources professionals face: knowing yourself; knowing the latest advances and trends in HR; and knowing how to listen to and learn from others. Today’s strongest HR leaders develop “multidisciplinary” knowledge about the business their department serves. They cultivate relationships with other business leaders, board members, and customers. They challenge senior executives and embrace data and analytics. Though Ziskin breaks little new ground, his lively manual is thorough and useful. getAbstract believes most business professionals and leaders will gain from Ziskin’s guidance, and emerging or experienced HR professionals will benefit the most.
Rating (out of 10): 7
Applicability: 7
Innovation: 6
Style: 8
“Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love” by Richard Sheridan (Portfolio, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN: 9781591847120)
Menlo Innovations, an Ann Arbor, MI, company that designs and builds custom software, has won six Inc. magazine revenue awards and nine Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. Its software “factory” is an award-winning work environment. Menlo has no separate offices or cubicles. Every “Menlonian” works in a bright, wide-open, collaborative workspace with high ceilings and industrial-chic decor. Menlo is known for contented employees, high productivity, popular software products, and impressive profits. Richard Sheridan, Menlo’s CEO and co-founder, explains how you, too, can create a “joyous” work environment. Although it is openly and joyfully promotional, his manual has much to offer. getAbstract recommends Sheridan’s corporate biography to leaders who want to energize their companies by improving their workplaces and fostering collaborative practices.
Rating (out of 10): 8
Applicability: 8
Innovation: 8
Style: 9
For five-page summaries of these and more than 15,000 other titles, visit http://www.getabstract.com/affiliate/trainingmagazine
