HR(ish) Reads to Keep You Company On Your Deckchair 📚

Stephen King once called books “a uniquely portable magic.” And as we approach July, with its promise of sun-soaked afternoons ( maybe.. please?) and longer days, I’m already planning my summer reading list to let me feel a little sprinkle of this.

I’ve always found a good balance of the serious versus the light-hearted when it comes to what’s on my Kindle and as a child, I found equal joy in the adventures of Jo March and Jane Eyre as I did in the more superficial escapades of the Sweet Valley High twins by Francine Pascal. While the latter might not have had the depth of the March girls, Francine Pascal was the only author kind enough to respond to my pen-pal request at age 12, encouraging me to keep reading and writing. Sweet Valley High will therefore always hold a special place in my heart.

These days, my literary journeys extend beyond spirited young heroines. While I still adore a captivating novel, non-fiction has carved out a bigger space in my reading routine. July, with its promise of holidays, is my prime reading season. So, I’ve curated a list of suggestions to add a bit of HR(ish) flavour to your summer reading.

• The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness by Dr. Steve Peters. I’ve read this book more than once as the 368 pages pack so much great content into it. Although ostensibly it’s a book about exploring the inner workings of the mind, his brilliantly guided journey into how understanding and managing your “inner chimp” can lead to greater success and well-being, teaches you more than just about yourself. From management relationships and practising effective communication, it’s a fantastic read for leaders and individuals looking to boost their emotional intelligence and self-control.

• Advanced Selling Strategies, by Brian Tracy. It may be one of the original ‘self-help’ books for career professionals, however (excluding maybe a couple of paragraphs on how to dress in the workplace which do come across as somewhat dated), Tracy’s words still resonate with sound advice to this day. Billed as a book on how to be a great salesperson, Tracy’s comprehensive guide also includes a lot of self-help/ management practices about how to present well and develop in any role as well as practical techniques and strategies for achieving sales success.

• Better Before Bigger: Rethinking Business Success, by Nick Cramp. This book is a great take by Nick on challenging the conventional wisdom of growth for growth’s sake and offering a refreshing perspective on achieving sustainable success. It includes lots of great exercises for any business owner to work through and reflects Nick’s in-person, calm & expert guidance to help build out your business.

• Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Teams to Thrive by Amy Edmondson. This is one that’s been recommended to me rather than read, however, Edmondson’s work and insights on ‘psychological safety’ have long been principles I promote within any business we work with and so I’m keen to see how Edmondson’s deep dive into how failure can serve as a powerful learning tool for teams.

And last but not least, where would this post be without a short plug of my own creation: The MAGIC of HR?

This showcases various learnings from all the many years I’ve worked within and led HR & People teams and distils them into an easy-to-understand framework of the MAGIC (Meaning Accountability Growth Inclusion and Care) principles that healthy happy teams are made from.

These books may focus more on personal development than strictly HR, but they offer rich lessons for anyone looking to grow as a leader and build a more effective and resilient organisation.

If you need more direct HR advice, don’t hesitate to drop us a line at hello@thehrhub.co.uk or give us a call at 0207 951 1208.