My favorite Learning & Development books!

I often get asked what my favorite learning and development books are. I love books, especially those written by thought leaders in our industry. There's such a wealth of information in them and they can be a great resource on the go. Here are a few books (in random order) I'd recommend to any L&D/HRD Professional.

702010 towards 100% performance [link]

This book really helped me understand the 702010 framework. It is an amazingly well-designed book that is very thorough. Jos, Charles and Vivian describe how the three pieces of the puzzle come together via a distinct set of roles that should exist within a modern L&D department.

Innovative Performance Support: Strategies and Practices for Learning in the Workflow [link]

This is probably the oldest book on my list as I had the honor to proofread it some years ago. Any organization that is moving from the traditional ‘training mindset’ to a modern ‘performance mindset’ will find this book extremely useful as it focuses on Performance Support in the workplace. To me, this methodology is the most pragmatic way to start the 702010 journey.

Learning in the Modern Workplace [link]

Honestly, I love Jane Hart and everything she does for our industry. Her book(s) and blog should be mandatory for anyone that is involved in an L&D or HRD role. Jane’s book is absolutely one of my favorites. An absolute must-have!

Show your work [link]

Jane Bozarth put together a great book that truly shows the value of ‘working out loud’. By showing your work you support productivity, improve performance, encourage reflective practice, and so much more.

Revolutionize Learning & Development: Performance and Innovation Strategy for the Information Age [link]

Okay, I’ve only read a GetAbstract book summary but I still want to put this one on this list. I think Clark Quinn really sends a clear message with his book and understands the need and urgency for L&D to change like no other! I’ll add this book to my bookshelf as soon as I’ve completed the books on my nightstand.

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days [link]

I’ve only recently come across Design thinking and Sprints for learning but I find it an amazing process that really helps you step away from the solution and helps you find out what really works before spending a lot of time and money on a solution that won’t get the results you’re looking for. There’s also a great explanatory video playlist right [here].

Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations [link]

Training and workplace supporting materials are often slide-based. Nancy Duarte is the queen of presentations and her book is a great addition to anyone that creates learning materials.

All Articulate e-books [link]

As an Articulate Super Hero, it might be obvious to add this to the list. The team at Articulate has really put together a great set of compact e-learning design related e-books that will help any starting professional creating better e-learning.

Steal like an Artist [link]

I love this little book! Austin Kleon tells a great story. Get inspired by him and by the work of others to get better yourself. I’ve learned so much from other people’s work, deconstructing, recreating examples with the tools I have at my disposal.

These books are currently on my nightstand

• The Social Leadership Handbook
• Learning Technologies in the Workplace: How to Successfully Implement Learning Technologies in Organizations
• The Neo-generalist
• Performance Consulting: A Strategic Process to Improve, Measure, and Sustain Organizational Results
• Map It

I truly believe these books will help you grow as a professional and in turn, you will help grow our profession from course factory to strategic business partner!

Thoughts, insights? Any books you would like to recommend? Leave me a note in the comments below. And if you like this post please share it with your network.