The Work Clinic

"First Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Marcus Buckingham changed my entire outlook on management and, in particular, employees who aren't working out. He changed the entire way I approach terminations, helping me see that bad hires often aren't bad employees because they're stupid, obstinate, or insubordinate but rather because they are "miscast." Making this mental switch changes the entire way you deal with struggling performers, making the entire termination process much nicer for all involved.

Right after I read this book, I had to deal with an employee who clearly got frustrated and resentful by several demands of the job and who constantly needed talking down. I finally told him that I knew he was frustrated by these things but that they simply weren't going to change, that they were inherent parts of the job, and that I didn't want us to be constantly battling over them ... and that I thought that rather than him trying to force himself into a job that obviously was making him frustrated and stressed, I'd like to see him figure out if he could really be happy here, knowing that the things he was complaining about weren't going to change. I told him to take a couple of days and think about whether he wanted the job in its current form (as opposed to the job he kept trying to change it into), and that if he decided it just wasn't for him, we'd do everything we could to help him in the transition out. He thought about it and a couple of days later told me he realized he should move on, we had a really smooth transition over the next month, he trained his replacement, I helped him brainstorm about jobs he'd be happy in, and on his last day he told me that he'd never known that such a potentially awful conversation could actually be pleasant. Since then, I've tried to use this as our model for "coaching out" conversations, and he lives on in my mind as an example of how exasperating situations can work out with all parties happy! I owe this to Marcus Buckingham's book.

"Performance Coaching – The Handbook for Managers, H.R. Professionals and Coaches" by Angus McLeod, PhD

In a marketplace cluttered with self-help books and guides on how to approach almost everything in life it is somewhat heartening, as a practicing HR professional, to come across such a work as Performance Coaching. The book provides a holistic view of the subject with the real selling point being the plain, down-to-earth language used throughout.

What struck me most when reading the book was that there was no jargon or management speak but rather a real focus on trying to help and educate the reader. This what I need in my role of identifying talent and putting strategies in place for dealing with people in this category.

There are loads of case studies throughout the book requiring coaching help which ssem to have come from Mcleod’s own experiences as a coach. These range from dealing with work-life balance issues to people being bullied. The case studies make for easy reading which will benefit those still developing their coaching skills to gain more of an insight into issues before having to deal with them in real life.

One of the things which strikes me about Performance Coaching is how wide an audience the book could appeal to. The book does what it says on the tin – ‘a handbook for managers, HR professionals and coaches’ – and the content would certainly appeal to all levels within these categories - I know it's a book I'll refer to time and again and it has already been seen open on a manager's desk - surely the best test of how readable this kind of book is!!

Zapp!The Lightning of Empowerment by William C. Byham and Jeff Cox.
This is an easy to read book written in a fantasy story style whereby the main character enters an alternative world where the effects of empowering or failing to empower staff can be seen in a surreal way, with some descriptions being hilarious! Although fun to read it gives practical advice on how to empower staff and keep them motivated.It puts across all the main points one by one as the story unfolds and is written at a pace that lets the reader gradually build up their understanding of the process involved in areas such as individual responsibility, thinking creatively and providing praise. It also covers how to overcome the barriers involved in encouraging staff to become empowered.It is the one book I always encourage any new manager to read.

A book called "love is the killer app" by Tim Sanders is a great read. It's all about becoming a "Lovecat" within business and there are 3 key steps to this knowledge, networking and compassion. As an HR Manager, I found this book inspiring and motivating and with some realistic suggestions on how to grow personally and within your work. Sharing your knowledge, seize opportunities for networking and act with compassion are all key skills within the workplace and this book shows you how! If only everyone at work was a "lovecat"!