5 Great Books Supporting Company Culture & Employee Experience
We put a huge emphasis on a couple of key concepts at Uncharted Way – company culture and employee experience. These often-overlooked concepts are sometimes considered intangibles, that can go underappreciated at organizations. But it doesn’t have to be that way – using data, thoughtful surveys, and an analytical approach, companies can measure how employees are experiencing the workplace and how the company culture is affecting their time, happiness, and productivity.
Needless to say – if you aren’t considering company culture and employee experience then you need to read up and start incorporating them into your management strategy. You can start with our blogs, but if you want an even greater understanding of these concepts, check out the following books which are instrumental to our approach to transforming culture in the workplace.
Our Favorite Books on Company Culture and Employee Experience
Positive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine
The full title of this book is “Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential AND HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOURS” – which is quite the opening gambit. But this book has changed the game ever since it appeared in 2012. Chamine’s lectures at Stanford are among the most popular for students in their prestigious MBA program for a good reason.
The central concept of this book is that you can estimate the percentage of time that your mind is serving you rather than sabotaging you. This idea can be applied to your own personal development, but also applies to teams and companies. Approaching company culture with this book in mind can help your employees improve work/life balance, reduce the amount of stress that they experience, and help them work together as a team.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Amelia Nagoski and Emily Nagoski
Bad company culture is causing burnout in the American workplace. According to a recently conducted FlexJobs study, 75% of workers have experienced burnout. Despite this high number, only 21% of workers say that were able to have open, productive conversations with HR about their burnout. This burnout epidemic, which is only getting worse as lines between work and home blur, is killing employee experience and happiness. Which is hurting your company’s productivity and revenue.
Amelia and Emily Nagoski’s book comes from a scientific perspective, examining the biological implications of stress and the effects of your “monitoring” system which can regulate emotion and frustration. This book also emphasizes the difference in how women and men experience burnout, and how the gender gap and societal pressures are hitting women in a more profound way. Don’t miss out on this New York Times Bestseller.
Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time by Bill McGowan
How many times have you not been able to say exactly what you mean? How many times has that gotten you into trouble? The old adage of “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is incredibly inaccurate. Words are important. They matter. And using them properly to convey exactly what you want is an invaluable skill.
Bill McGowan’s book covers exactly how he approaches language, communication, and pitch to get the right message to the right person at the right time. It isn’t just a book on theory – McGowan sets out principles that are actionable and usable, both at work and in your personal life. Employee experience is often hampered by unclear communication. If you want to stop that from happening, there are worse places to start than Pitch Perfect.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
The subtitle of Chris Voss’ short book is “Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It” – which is appropriate, as his negotiating skills were often put to the test in life and death situations. Voss brings in his experience as a hostage negotiator for the FBI (seriously) to give you tactics and strategies that can give you an edge when sitting across from someone.
Don’t let the overt macho energy of this book put you off – negotiation doesn’t need to be a battle or a head-to-head competition. You can take the approaches outlined in Never Split the Difference to support your own position and negotiate from a position of strength, but also compassion.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
This book isn’t directly pitched at the workplace, or management – but overlooking it would be a huge mistake. Healthy boundaries are essential to a functioning workplace – not just for your employee’s mental health, but for your own wellness. By learning to say no and express your needs in an assertive but inoffensive way, everyone wins.
The subtitle to this book is “A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself”, which is a really nice concept. Nedra Glover Tawwab brings her experience as a licensed therapist to tackle issues like anxiety and burnout. Having the emotional intelligence to deal with these issues is vital in your workplace, and this is one of the best places to start if you want to lead by example when it comes to employee happiness.
Get Reading!
I hope that these books have inspired you to think more about how wide-reaching company culture and employee experience can be. Many of these titles are centered on subjects that are directly adjacent to how you can run your organization, but all of them will improve how you interact with your employees and help foster an environment of openness, honesty, and strong communication.
Are there any other books that you think should make this list? Reach out to Uncharted Way on our contact page or send me a message – I would love to hear from you and get some more book recommendations!
Uncharted Way can help with measuring and improving the employee experience at your organization. We have a three-step process that puts an emphasis on data and actionable strategies to help you create the company culture that works for you and your bottom line. Schedule a 15-minute introductory call today.
Meridith Marshall is the CEO and Founder of Uncharted Way and has seen firsthand how people and organizations can navigate the most difficult of circumstances with clarity and openness to improve employee experience and culture in their workplace. She is an industry-recognized expert in using a data-driven approach, and is an Interaction Associates trained facilitator and certified Co-Active coach.