Headed out for spring break or planning for summer vacation soon? There are plenty of packing lists available online to help you to remember essentials like your toothbrush and phone charger. But what about one of the most personal and overlooked items on this list? We’re talking about books!
Vacation is a great time to catch up on long-overdue reading. It gives you the chance to read closely and think deeply without work concerns intruding. And while you might want to use your downtime to read something purely for entertainment – like a fun magazine or a novel from the NYT Bestseller List – don’t overlook good business books.
Business Books to Take on Vacation
Taking a break away from the workplace can help to rejuvenate you in many ways. Yes, you might be able to catch up on your sleep and spend some quality time with friends and relatives. You might even get an opportunity to try new activities or different cuisines. But what you read while you’re on vacation just might help to spark a better workplace when you return home.
Intrigued? Check out our picks for business books that can help you to improve your company culture:
Carrots & Sticks Don’t Work: Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles of RESPECT
Paul Marciano
Marciano takes the traditional carrot-and-stick approach to motivation and thoroughly dismantles it. As the title says, “carrots and sticks don’t work” – so what does? Marciano makes a compelling case for respect in the workplace and describes how to establish this quality in the workplace with an acronym: RESPECT.
The Truth About Employee Engagement: A Fable About Addressing the Three Root Causes of Job Misery
Patrick M. Lencioni
Anyone who has experienced the Sunday Blues ahead of the start of a new workweek understands that job misery is a very real thing. What makes a job miserable, and how do you overcome it? Lencioni offers solid ideas for thwarting job misery that can work for any workplace and any employee, regardless of industry.
Manager’s Guide to Employee Engagement
Scott Carbonara
If your job requires you to manage others, you understand that your primary responsibility is to help your team be productive. Productivity isn’t the result of issuing orders to your team, however. Carbonara’s guide provides practical advice to help you build a team that trusts one another, operates proactively, and thinks positively.
Start with Why
Simon Sinek
Author, motivational speaker, and organizational consultant Simon Sinek gets to the heart of business and personal success. When you understand and communicate your “why” – the quality that drives your actions – you inspire those around you. For business leaders, defining the “why” can lead to an improved, productive workplace.
1001 Ways to Engage Employees
Dr. Bob Nelson
If you’re already convinced that employee engagement is the key to greater productivity and a positive workplace, this book will help you to define your next steps. Packed with ideas both large and small, this book will help your company to develop its own unique employee engagement strategy.
The Bright Idea Box: A Proven System to Drive Employee Engagement and Innovation
Jag Randhawa
What is the greatest single asset of any business? Its employees! Treating your employees well and encouraging them to share ideas can help to create both personal and business success. In this book, Randhawa outlines a six-step process that will help every business improve through innovative ideas sourced directly from its biggest asset.
We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement
Rudy Karsan & Kevin Kruse
Many books on employee engagement offer lots of theory and anecdotes relating to this topic. This book, however, provides worksheets, surveys, and other tools to help your business determine where you stand and where you can improve.
Employee Engagement 2.0: How to Motivate Your Team for High Performance
Kevin Kruse
Developing as a team leader should be an ongoing task. Learning how to motivate your team through employee engagement is well worth the time and effort. Author and entrepreneur Kevin Kruse shows you how to be a great leader by developing emotional commitment among your employees.
A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive
Mark Babbitt and Ted Coine
Social media has changed everything, from the way we relate to one another to the way we interact with businesses. Prospective employees, customers, and competitors all have the ability to learn more about your business than ever before. This book examines how companies must adapt to this new world of business, including why you must create a positive workplace culture.
The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes Everyone
Shawn Murphy
The workplace isn’t the same as it was just a generation ago – so why do some businesses still expect employees to toil in an uninspiring working environment? In this book, Shawn Murphy makes the case for an optimistic workplace, in which engaged employees find meaning and purpose in their work. Companies that shift their focus toward empowering and motivating their staff reap the benefits of increased productivity and profitability.
Making the Most of Your Downtime
For many people, reading material is an important consideration when packing for vacation. Time spent in transit can be both relaxing and productive with the right books on hand. Plus, there’s nothing quite like a nap in a poolside lounge chair in between chapters.
With this list of employee engagement books on hand, you won’t have trouble filling your e-reader or book tote with useful, useable reading material. There are hundreds of additional titles on the subject, as well. We would love to hear what books you would add to the list. Share with us your favorite business books on facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.