Contributors to the July 2020 issue of TD magazine offer their book recommendations.
Lynette Gillis and Allan Bailey
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
New insights drawn from a decade's long push across new frontiers of cognitive science have armed us with deeper understandings of how we learn. These research collaborations propel us beyond the confines of received wisdom rooted in early theory, lore, and intuition. Those fresh insights yield immediate practical value for our own personal education as well as for our roles as learning practitioners. Make It Stick offers principles and practical strategies that you can put to work immediately, at no cost, and to great effect.
Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success by Dean R. Spitzer
Transforming presents a vision that goes beyond traditional dysfunctional measurement ecosystems that are often inimical to success. Spitzer leans on his decades of expertise as a performance specialist to cast a new approach to measurement that, while structurally astute, calls for new levels of transparency to overcome mistrust and resistance—often the legacy of previous measurement misfires. Spitzer stresses the primacy of dialog. Many past failures reflect the failure to socialize strategically. Only by weaving performance measurement, in a positive way, into the social fabric of the organization can we hope to unlock the true value of measurement.
Tracy King
Gender: Your Guide, A Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture by Lee Airton
I'm passionate about inclusive learning, and that begins by understanding diverse points of view different from my own. This practical guide acknowledges the evolving conversation on gender and offers accurate terminology, lenses into how we think about it and operate upon bias, as well as a wealth of information useful for creating safe and welcoming space for all gender expressions.
The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being by Daniel Siegel
Mindfulness is an ancient practice yet top of mind as so many manage stress-induced health conditions. What I love about this book is the glimpse inside the brain that it provides for when we engage in mindfulness practices through scientific and experiential lenses. So insightful! I even now include mindful moments in workshop design to spark insight and creativity.
Total Alignment: Tools and Tactics for Streamlining Your Organization by Riaz Khadem and Linda Khadem
This is a go-to book on strategic implementation. It doesn’t matter how well written our strategy is or how creative our new innovation may be—if we don’t implement successfully, we not only won’t see the benefit of this work, but we can actually put our company at a competitive disadvantage. This book offers a practical blueprint for aligning strategy with action.
Jasmine Aquino
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones by James Clear
This book focuses on creating positive habits while breaking negative ones by addressing four main steps, as well as focusing on system change and self-identity.
The Servant: A Simple Story about the True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter
Hunter uses stories to demonstrate how embracing servant leadership as a management style will lead to personal and professional success.
