With so many great books to read and not enough time, here’s a whirlwind tour of some new releases.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
Collins addresses several solid management concepts that any aspiring business might face on the basis of a five year study that looked at several businesses which either soared or crashed and burned. The book whimsically lists several factors that seem to favour success such as the ideal leadership style and office culture as well as colourful concepts like the hedgehog concept and the flywheel that would interest any fledgling businesses.
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
By Chip Heath & Dan Heath
This sibling duo sought to understand why certain ideas flourished while other, worthier ones faded into oblivion before they ever proved their merit. It encourages people of any walk of life to repackage their ideas to ensure they remain in circulation using simplistic, unusual yet solid and credible stories that appeal to people’s humanity. A tired concept that might seem commonsensical to most but gets an interesting reboot that allures and benefits readers.
Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead… But Gutsy Girls Do: Nine Secrets Every Working Woman Must Know
By Kate White
Kate White attempts to do away with the ‘good girl’ programming that the author believes women are trained to follow in the corporate world and encourage them to be more driven and competitive while also coaching them on how to deal with female specific problems that might arise in the workplace all with a sense of humour surrounding very relatable scenarios.
The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary
By Joseph A. Michelli
An inside look at the ingenuity that led to the rise of one of the most successful companies of the 90s allowing young entrepreneurs to apply ideas of custom service as well as learning to break into new seemingly inaccessible markets.
If Disney Ran Your Hospital
by Fred Lee
An unusual, down-to-earth approach to how customer service must be handled to ensure loyal customers by drawing parallels between the legendary theme park and a hospital team which can be applied to any business for that matter.