Recommend me some business books
September 25, 2015 1:37 AM Subscribe
What are the best business books you know of right now?
I would like to get ahead in my career, and I am interested in reading some books that will help me do that. There are about a bazillion business/career books out there and I'm having trouble sorting the good from the mediocre.
To narrow the focus a little, here are some points to consider:
I'm 50 and female
I work in the marketing department of a B2B company
I administrate our CRM system. Mostly data management, report creation, user support and training. We have a customer advocacy manager who deals with the actual customer relations strategies.
I don't have a bachelor's degree, and no formal education in business. There is probably a lot about business, sales and marketing that I don't know, and don't realize I don't know.
My boss wants us to have "ideas" to share at our next strategic planning meeting. I'm coming up dry right now.
I am interested in good, up-to-date books on business, marketing and career advancement. Considering the above, what can you recommend for me?
I would like to get ahead in my career, and I am interested in reading some books that will help me do that. There are about a bazillion business/career books out there and I'm having trouble sorting the good from the mediocre.
To narrow the focus a little, here are some points to consider:
I'm 50 and female
I work in the marketing department of a B2B company
I administrate our CRM system. Mostly data management, report creation, user support and training. We have a customer advocacy manager who deals with the actual customer relations strategies.
I don't have a bachelor's degree, and no formal education in business. There is probably a lot about business, sales and marketing that I don't know, and don't realize I don't know.
My boss wants us to have "ideas" to share at our next strategic planning meeting. I'm coming up dry right now.
I am interested in good, up-to-date books on business, marketing and career advancement. Considering the above, what can you recommend for me?
Response by poster: Magazine suggestions are welcome as well.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:44 AM on September 25, 2015
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:44 AM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: not new, but reinventing organizations is interesting if you've not read it. could be a source of ideas for a planning meeting.
(disclaimer: not a business person)
posted by andrewcooke at 2:06 AM on September 25, 2015
(disclaimer: not a business person)
posted by andrewcooke at 2:06 AM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: I'd recommend starting with Harvard Business Review's Must Reads - they're short and very accessible articles on a wide range of business issues.
Females in business leadership: Lean In, Rising to the Challenge
Some of my favourites:
Strategy into action - The Balanced Scorecard (not as fashionable as it once was, but still sound principles), Good To Great (mentioned in a comment above).
Time management / personal productivity - Getting Things Done
Organisational change - Leading Change, Influencer
Organisational health and culture: Five Dysfunctions of a Team (and most other books by Patrick Lencioni), Walking the Talk
Searching for MBA reading list will bring up many more suggestions
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 5:08 AM on September 25, 2015
Females in business leadership: Lean In, Rising to the Challenge
Some of my favourites:
Strategy into action - The Balanced Scorecard (not as fashionable as it once was, but still sound principles), Good To Great (mentioned in a comment above).
Time management / personal productivity - Getting Things Done
Organisational change - Leading Change, Influencer
Organisational health and culture: Five Dysfunctions of a Team (and most other books by Patrick Lencioni), Walking the Talk
Searching for MBA reading list will bring up many more suggestions
posted by KirkpatrickMac at 5:08 AM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: Atul Gawande's The Checklist Manifesto
The Innovator's Dilemma
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:15 AM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
The Innovator's Dilemma
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 5:15 AM on September 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I'm not into straight business books, but I've been captivated by books that tell how perfectly smart humans and organizations consistently make the same mistakes repeatedly, or see the projects they run consistently behind schedule and over budget.
Thinking Fast and Slow is probably the most famous example of that genre.
posted by mark k at 7:44 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Thinking Fast and Slow is probably the most famous example of that genre.
posted by mark k at 7:44 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: An oldie, but helpful to me in my sales and marketing (which include CRM ownership) is "After the Event" by J.H. Erik Andriessen. He also recently co-wrote "Telematics and Work". The former is a really good account of organisational learning after accidents; the latter is a really useful look at the psychology of group and individual introduction and user of new technology in the workplace and how it evolves working.
posted by parmanparman at 11:55 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by parmanparman at 11:55 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I learned a good deal from Good to Great by Jim Collins.
posted by 4ster at 11:55 AM on September 25, 2015
posted by 4ster at 11:55 AM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: A few recommendations:
• Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager (plus any of the essays on his site)
• Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service
• The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling
posted by limeonaire at 1:04 PM on September 25, 2015
• Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager (plus any of the essays on his site)
• Zingerman's Guide to Giving Great Service
• The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling
posted by limeonaire at 1:04 PM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: For marketing, try Bill Schley. (Full disclosure - we bought our house from him, he was kind enough to give us a copy of it. Quick good read.)
posted by BWA at 4:39 PM on September 25, 2015
posted by BWA at 4:39 PM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: Not a book,but the Manager Tools (and the related Career Tools) podcasts are really good.
posted by pyro979 at 8:34 PM on September 25, 2015
posted by pyro979 at 8:34 PM on September 25, 2015
Best answer: I second the recommendation of "Playing to Win" for a good grounding in strategy and I recommend "Get them on your Side" by Samuel Bacharach for dealing with the humans that get in the way of good strategy.
And to get an idea of how quality strategic thinking, teamwork and speed all get fused together to create an effective company read "Bloomberg by Bloomberg".
posted by jacobean at 4:25 PM on September 26, 2015
And to get an idea of how quality strategic thinking, teamwork and speed all get fused together to create an effective company read "Bloomberg by Bloomberg".
posted by jacobean at 4:25 PM on September 26, 2015
Best answer: I just started reading Crucial Conversations, and it is quite good.
posted by 4ster at 4:40 PM on September 26, 2015
posted by 4ster at 4:40 PM on September 26, 2015
Best answer: I love Harvey Mackay's books.
It's not very new, but Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless by Jeffrey Gitomer is one of the best books on customer service that I've ever read. He's written several other books since then, mostly about sales & marketing.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:54 PM on September 26, 2015
It's not very new, but Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless by Jeffrey Gitomer is one of the best books on customer service that I've ever read. He's written several other books since then, mostly about sales & marketing.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:54 PM on September 26, 2015
Best answer: Three bits.
There is probably a lot about business, sales and marketing that I don't know, and don't realize I don't know.
That's true for everyone, not just people without a business degree, and not just for you. Look up "impostor syndrome" if you want to dig into that.
My boss wants us to have "ideas" to share at our next strategic planning meeting.
Well, what's the boss' goal or goals? Make things cheaper? Make employees happier? Make existing clients happier? Come up with new clients? Hire more people? Improve the people we have?
A strategy on idea generation is either to:
- figure out their goals, and come up with ideas in that direction, or...
- show them a better set of goals, justify it, and come up with ideas that way.
I would like to get ahead in my career
Ask your manager what opportunities are coming up that would let you advance in your career. Have a conversation with your manager about your career. Feel free to take "no" for an answer once or a few times, but don't permanently take "no" for an answer".
One reason women get promoted less often in a business environment is that they ask for new challenges less frequently, and don't ask for new challenges unless they're strongly qualified for them. Men are goobers, fearlessly ask for things they don't deserve, and often get them. That winds up with women way below their level of competence, and some of the men in management being incompetent with awful regularity.
Hit the middle of that. Stretch yourself, and take a few chances. Do things that are slightly above your skills as often as possible. Assume that you'll sometimes fail, and don't let failures break you. Slowly and steadily stretch yourself farther, and you get to see how far you might go.
But don't wait until you do three years of reading before you go chat with your boss about possible opportunities, or where they see you able to shine.
posted by talldean at 10:45 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
There is probably a lot about business, sales and marketing that I don't know, and don't realize I don't know.
That's true for everyone, not just people without a business degree, and not just for you. Look up "impostor syndrome" if you want to dig into that.
My boss wants us to have "ideas" to share at our next strategic planning meeting.
Well, what's the boss' goal or goals? Make things cheaper? Make employees happier? Make existing clients happier? Come up with new clients? Hire more people? Improve the people we have?
A strategy on idea generation is either to:
- figure out their goals, and come up with ideas in that direction, or...
- show them a better set of goals, justify it, and come up with ideas that way.
I would like to get ahead in my career
Ask your manager what opportunities are coming up that would let you advance in your career. Have a conversation with your manager about your career. Feel free to take "no" for an answer once or a few times, but don't permanently take "no" for an answer".
One reason women get promoted less often in a business environment is that they ask for new challenges less frequently, and don't ask for new challenges unless they're strongly qualified for them. Men are goobers, fearlessly ask for things they don't deserve, and often get them. That winds up with women way below their level of competence, and some of the men in management being incompetent with awful regularity.
Hit the middle of that. Stretch yourself, and take a few chances. Do things that are slightly above your skills as often as possible. Assume that you'll sometimes fail, and don't let failures break you. Slowly and steadily stretch yourself farther, and you get to see how far you might go.
But don't wait until you do three years of reading before you go chat with your boss about possible opportunities, or where they see you able to shine.
posted by talldean at 10:45 AM on September 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Different by Youngme Moon and Good to Great by Jim Collins also come highly recommended.
In terms of work habits and efficiency, I've also heard good things about Slack.
posted by terretu at 1:44 AM on September 25, 2015 [1 favorite]