THE IMPORTANCE OF A WORKPLACE BOOK CLUB

If you want to create a consistent, outstanding employee experience at your workplace, then finding ways to foster personal and professional development should be an integral part of your plan(this is a no-brainer). Creating an optional office book club is a fantastic way to encourage employees to try something new, improve themselves and connect with one another.

When thinking about starting a book club, relating it to the workplace may not be the first setting that comes to mind. However, there are many benefits of creating a book club within the office, including increased employee engagement, the ability to encourage learning and enabling more strategic thinking. Here’s why.

1. Reading boosts creativity.

I’m partial to fiction because it inspires us to think outside the box, to consider what’s possible, and mentally transport us through new experiences. All of this influences the thinking and brainstorming we bring to the table at work. Managers would be crazy not to encourage reading amongst employees for this reason alone.

2. People who read together, stay together.

Book clubs bring people together to share ideas and thoughts, which in turn builds rapport. It creates an experience in which people get to know one another on a deeper level and strengthens the teamwork mentality. Writing for Forbes in 2011, Burton M. Goldfield, CEO of TriNet says: “If you don’t understand what colleagues in other departments do, you may start to devalue their worth, which is when you start to build walls. It takes a major change of pace, like a book club, to break down those walls.”

3. Everyone needs a break.

Staring at a computer screen all day can make anyone cross-eyed and loopy. People do better when they can get up, stretch their legs, and look at something else for a while. Having a book club provides everyone with a break from the physical and mental strain of the daily grind. People can then return to their tasks at hand feeling refreshed and energized, which would make anyone more productive.

4. Reading is a contagious sort of fun.

Why shouldn’t work be fun sometimes? Having a book club could be a much-needed morale booster in the workplace. That fun might even spill over into the lives of clients and customers.?

It’s important to note that running a book club within an office setting doesn’t always mean you have to read non-fiction books. Reading fiction books helps to increase employees’ empathy. Having this soft skill helps people understand others’ situations, something that can help with collaboration in the workplace.?

To get started, nominate a member of the team to choose your first book and agree on expectations on how often you are going to meet. As well as this, decide how much you need to read by the meeting. The book club leader should ensure there is sufficient space for everyone to meet, as well as check in on everyone to remind them to read! Before the book club meeting, send around a summary of the discussion points to allow for idea generation. I’d suggest a monthly meeting if reading a fiction book and a weekly digest for a learning/non-fiction text of a specific chapter or two).

Tell Me What You Think

Should book clubs be a part of the workplace culture? I’d want to hear from you! Leave a comment.