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Recommended Reading List (Update Jul 12, 2009)Posted by Matt Perez on 07/12/2009 in Maslow , democracy@work |
We first published this reading list on June 9, 2009 of books for people interested in creating great workplaces. This is the first update to the list to include my review of The Starbucks Experience by Joseph Michelli (hint: not recommended)
The list below is ordered chronologically, as I read each book. Whenever possible, I mention the person who recommended the book.
Have you read any interesting book about culture that you'd like to share with us? Please, add your comment below.
What We've Learned So Far
There's a lot of interest and energy around the issue of group culture. They all seem to gravitate around similar concepts.
At the base of it all is the concept that people want more than "just a job" and when they find "it," they give it their all. When a group of people find "it" together, they can accomplish some pretty amazing things.
Just Finished
- The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary, by Joseph Michelli.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend The Starbucks Experience, by Joseph Michelli. This book is little more than a long infomercial for a company that does not need one. What Starbucks has done, and continues to do is extraordinary, but this book does not do it justice.
Already Read
- The Seven Day Weekend, by Ricardo Semler. Recommended by Adrian Perez.
- Maverick, by Ricardo Semler. Recommended by Adrian Perez.
"The Seven Day Weekend" is the book that crystallized the whole thing for us; "Maverick" simply nailed it to the board. We were already going in the direction of running the company as openly and democratically as possible, but Ricardo Semler's books helped put a framework around it.
- Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration, by Keith Sawyer.
Based on solid research, this book debunks a bunch of myths about where great ideas come from ("the lonely inventor in his barn... NOT!"). From our perspective, it makes a really convincing argument for encouraging, and investing in, the genius of teams. It also outlines a techniques for doing so.
- Peak, How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow, by Chip Conley.
Chip Conley really nailed it by recognizing that Maslow's work offers a great organizing principle for this topic.
- Tribal Leadership, by Dave Logan, John King and Halee Fischer-Wright. Recommended by Tony Hsieh. Here's the book's home.
The authors make the argument that people tend to gather in groups or tribes. Each tribe has a unique culture that can be characterized as "life sucks," "my life sucks," "I am great," "we're great" and "life is great."
In Process
- The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, by Jonathan Haidt. Recommended by Tony Hsieh. Here's the book's home.
Next In Line
- The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, by Jonathan Haidt. Recommended by Tony Hsieh. Here's the book's home.Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't, by Jim Collins.
- Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality, by Christine Comaford-Lynch.
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Founder and President, Wiefling Consulting, LLC
Here's my top 5 for running a company effectively:
1. The 5th Discipline, by Peter Senge
2. The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (yes, there are only 5!), by Patrick Lencioni
3. Good to Great, by Jim Collins
4. First Break All the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham, based on extensive Gallup Institute Research
5. Scrappy Project Management - OK, it's by me, but it is still essential to getting stuff done, short, and fun to read.
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