Susan Russell
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box
by The Arbinger Institute
This book was recommended to me by my manager when I was new to leading others. The format of the book is a story, which makes it an easy read and easy to find and apply the lessons therein. As the main character lives his first day as a new hire, he encounters character-building events that offer him a chance to make better choices regarding his personal and professional relationships.
Coaching for Commitment: Achieving Superior Performance from Individuals and Teams
By Cindy Coe, Amy Zehnder, and Dennis C. Kinlaw
Coaching for commitment remains a top reference in my working library. I have used the concepts presented in the book as a people manager and also as a component of manager training. The book explains coaching concepts and techniques using acronyms for each of the steps in a coaching conversation. The book stresses that effective coaching is derived from agreed-upon commitments reached during the coaching conversation. There is a useful appendix of questions as well as an accompanying workbook that can be used as either self-study or a basis for a seminar or workshop.
Amanda Julian
How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
by Katy Milkman
This book draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and economics to offer practical insights into behavior change, as well as its application to both personal and professional growth. Moreover, Milkman emphasizes several strategies that are particularly useful for crafting interventions that help individuals more effectively adopt new habits and skills.
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
By Katy Milkman
I particularly enjoyed this book due to the practical insights it offers into behavior change, as well as its application to both personal and professional growth. The book draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and economics to offer actionable advice for overcoming obstacles to change. Moreover, Milkman emphasizes several strategies that can be particularly useful for crafting interventions that help individuals adopt new habits and skills more effectively.
Grace Torre
Mountains: Great Peaks and Ranges of the World
by Chris McNab
These stunning photographs of the most dramatic and interesting mountain ranges, peaks, and terrain around the world are laid out beautifully and simply. The artistry of the photos is breathtaking and has a meditative quality for when you need a visual treat or inspiration away from the world of work and deadlines.
Dakota Thomas-Wilhelm
Learning Experience Design Essentials
By Cara North
This book is a must-read for anyone new to the field or transitioning to the field of learning experience design. Cara North has truly captured all the roles that designers play and provides a robust framework to navigate and manage a project from concept through implementation, creating a solid foundation for anyone to succeed in the field.
Christopher Allen
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
By Maryanne Wolf
Maryanne’s book illuminates how desperately important reading is to practice experiencing the emotions of others. Our digital reading habits and the devices we use to read have the ability to negate important processes for transforming the written word into a deeper process (necessary for learning).
How Pleasure Works: The New Science of Why We Like What We Like
By Paul Bloom
For instructional designers, Paul’s book provides a compilation of valuable psychological insights that explain human behavior. In specifics, the use and value of imagination can play a critical role in engagement.
Michael Allen’s Guide to e-Learning: Building Interactive, Fun, and Effective Learning Programs for Any Company
By Michael W. Allen
If a designer was looking for simple techniques to make their work better, look no further than the 7 Magic Keys for Motivation. Using any one of these techniques will make your interactive content go from boring to better with little to no extra effort.
Carol Jackson
Don’t Retire, REWIRE!, 3E: 5 Steps to Fulfilling Work That Fuels Your Passion, Suits Your Personality, and Fills Your Pocket
By Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners
As we approach “retirement,” many of us are not satisfied with the concept of staying home or traveling for pleasure, yet we don't want to keep the pace that our primary career has afforded us. This book helps us plan a thoughtful approach to scaling back. In the book, you can explore the intersection of dreams, desires, and needs when you contemplate “What's next?” And my hope is that employers recognize these needs in their later career workers and offer opportunities (gigs) that promote purpose and giving back prior to retirement.
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
By Patrick Lencioni
After a number of years in Talent Development, this book intrigues me with the credit the author gives to Organizational Health as being the leading reason companies succeed or fail. This lends a huge amount of credibility to developing individuals and teams with a focus on company culture and employee potential. We often struggle to calculate the ROI of soft skill training, but if what Patrick Lencioni writes is true, the development opportunities for teams in a company may be one of the greater contributors to organizational health and, ultimately, company success.
