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16 Books To Give To Your Employees To Aid and Motivate Them

Without your employees, your company would, at best, be a fraction of the size it is now. They are the backbone that holds you up. Here are 16 awesome books that you can give to them to motivate and help them grow!

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#1 Simply Amazing by K. C. Armstrong

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In Simply Amazing, Armstrong shares his personal story of struggle in a voice that is fearless, reflective and honest. After losing his job at Infinity Broadcasting and undergoing both physical and mental health issues, he turned his life around to create WMAP, a radio station dedicated to airing interviews of regular people who have faced tremendous life struggles with grace and dignity.

On air, Armstrong’s interviews highlight the resiliency and beauty of the human spirit and triumph over unexpected setbacks, which is a theme of his own life as well. Listeners of his upbeat radio interviews appreciate hearing about strength, honesty and courage instead of the negativity that is all too prevalent in contemporary media.

Labeled by some as the "New Chicken Soup for the Soul,” Armstrong's Simply Amazing series features heroic responses to heartaches such as disease, violence, and poverty. The stories Armstrong has chosen to highlight are not pitiful tales of woe; instead, they feature people who were able to transform their adversities into public purpose and benefit.

From the Holocaust survivor who today speaks to school children about kindness, to the mother of two special needs children who founded the *National Autism Academy* to help parents navigate their own challenges, the book entertains and leaves the reader with hope.

As the interviewer and commentator, Armstrong weaves these eleven stories into a meaningful framework of acceptance and perseverance. The opening chapter relates Armstrong’s own fall from fame and self-inflicted health problems, focusing on his subsequent rise to a better place of humanitarianism. Other chapters focus on people overcoming issues with alcoholism, autism, poverty, cancer, mental illness and abuse, among others.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Dolly Hiller from Kulabrands

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#2 Measure What Matters by John Doerr

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Every employee in our organization receives 'Measure What Matters' by John Doerr, in fact, it is sitting on my desk in front of me. I love this book, it has helped everyone in every department set public goals and helps unify employees across different departments and office locations. It is an interesting read because it features some of the biggest business entrepreneurs of our age; Larry Page, Bill Gates, and Bono. The audible book is great as well.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Joseph Sloan from Advice Media 

#3 The CEO’s Guide to Marketing by Lonny Kocina

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The book every marketer should read before their boss does. This is a fun yet practical book that empowers creative employees to do their best work and will help them succeed in their professional lives. It outlines an easy-to-implement, six-step marketing process for delivering on-point results.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Lonny Kocina from Media Relations, Inc.

#4 Business Chemistry by Kim Christfort and Suzanne Vickberg

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Named one of the top change management books of 2018 by Inc., it is a great resource for both the personal and professional development of employees, and helping teams develop a shared language in dealing with conflicting perspectives, preferences and needs.

According to a reader: “When you are working with someone, a client, vendor or even a co-worker it is a bit unusual to inquire about their DISC, Kolbe or Myers-Briggs personality type. But if you spend a small amount of time studying their Business Chemistry, you can start to understand the personality type of anyone you are working with. There is no need for a test. The Business Chemistry takes into account the impact of the secondary trait and introvert/extrovert traits on human behavior.”

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Kori Green from the Deloitte Greenhouse

#5 The Accidental Leader by Harvey Robbins

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What to do when you're suddenly in charge (Harvey Robbins and Michael Finley). This is a great book, easy to read and relatively short. It looks at how to meet and become a leader of a team that is new to you. I've gifted it to employees who have been promoted into leadership roles, and it has been well-received! I particularly like the pragmatic advice. It's not a theory book. It talks about how to manage yourself as a leader, the technical side of getting to know what your new team actually does and then managing people and dealing with the shadow of your predecessor. Recommended.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Elizabeth Harrin from Otobos Consultants Ltd 

#6 StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath

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If you're interested in improving your employees productivity and quality of life, this is the book to give! When employees focus on the things they do best - their strengths - they're six times more likely to be engaged at work, are more productive, treat customers better, have more positive interactions with coworkers, and are three times more likely to have an excellent quality of life. 

The book is a quick and easy read. It covers the basics of the strengths philosophy and more importantly includes a code to take the CliftonStrengths talent assessment. Help your employees discover their top talents and how to develop them into strengths. It benefits you and your employees. Win-win!

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Anne Brackett from Strengths University

  1. Actually reading and investing in the philosophy what is right with people, including me, has shaped the way I approach work and working with others!

#7 12: The Elements of Great Managing by Rodd Wagner

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If you're looking for something to give your managers, this is a great way to help them better understand employee engagement. The 12 elements are a breakdown of Gallup’s Q12, the twelve survey items their research has shown to really reflect how engaged your employees are. Q3, “At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?,” is specifically related to Strengths. This book is great because it breaks down engagement to twelve things that most supervisors can directly impact. You’ve probably heard the phrase, “people don’t leave companies, they leave managers.” 

This book helps managers better understand how what they do everyday can impact their staff – both positively and negatively. The twelve elements are broken down in a way that helps supervisors make changes to their behaviors and priorities to create a culture that improves employee engagement. That in turn, increases your team’s productivity, creativity, and success.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Anne Brackett from Strengths University

#8 Drive by Daniel H. Pink

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As the name suggests, what we thought motivates us isn’t accurate most of the time, especially given how the economy has changed in the past few decades. Pink looks at extrinsic vs intrinsic motivators and goes on to break down the three elements of what he refers to as Motivation 3.0 (vs the old 2.0 carrot and stick method). In Motivation 3.0, individuals need autonomy, mastery, and purpose to motivate them. He breaks down motivation research that gives great insights into how to best motivate people, whether those people be employees, volunteers, spouses, children, students, or even you. 

It’s a great read and really changed the way I understood motivation. I wish I’d read this earlier when I was still supervising my staff, but I'm definitely using it to change how I motivate myself.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Anne Brackett from Strengths University

#9 Zen Your Work by Karlyn Borysenko

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The reason I wrote this book and it’s a great one to give as a gift is that employees often look to employers to provide them a great work experience. While organizations can do their part, my book teaches anyone in a professional environment how to take control of their work experience using mindfulness techniques so that they can master their work style, create game-changing relationships with their co-workers, and take control of their own job satisfaction.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Dr. Karlyn Borysenko from Zen Workplace

#10 The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry

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This book by Todd Henry showcases how employees (whether they work in a creative position or not) can always use creativity to their advantage. Henry writes about how to overcome challenges, improve daily routines, and develop the ability to be creative ‘at a moment’s notice’. This book is especially helpful for employees because it offers inexpensive tools and solutions for improving creativity in the workplace.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Ryne Higgins from Peacock Alley

#11 Giftology by John Ruhlin

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This is the perfect book for employees working in a client-facing role. I was gifted this book myself and it has changed how I deal with clients. It talks about building long term professional working relationships with people, through choosing thoughtful gifts and investing back into the relationship, without expecting anything in return. It sounds like a simple idea, but this book showed me how to execute it well. And it's not all about sending people a branded desk calendar for the holidays!

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Elizabeth Harrin from Otobos Consultants Ltd 

#12 The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

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I'm sure there's a host of great books you could offer on profit, marketing, team building, etc-- but none of those matter if your employees aren't happy! This book really revolutionizes the way you look at happiness; it's not some lofty abstract concept, but something you can attain in your day-to-day life. Happy employees make a happy workplace, and a happy workplace is a more productive workplace.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Vanessa Aguirre from Prolitfic 

#13 The 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success by David E. Nielson

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This is a great book for employees because it offers a practical process model of success behaviors, with chapter endnotes of tips and exercises for self-improvement. The 9DCS model offers a structured approach to career development and advancement. An accompanying on-line self-assessment resource is available for both individual and team evaluation and feedback. 

The book introduces 3 foundations – purpose, self-awareness, and social-awareness. The six differentiators -- authenticity, work ethic & personal responsibility, listening, articulation, humor, and gratitude--help employees understand the importance of developing and improving personal and professional relationships. Understanding the 9 Dimensions of Conscious Success help employees achieve greater confidence, productivity and job satisfaction.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: David Nielson from The Conscious Success

#14 The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

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Most people live in debt and don't save for retirement. As a business owner, I care greatly about the success and happiness of the people work for me. I want them to be financially healthy. This book is a step by step guide on how to get out of debt and become a millionaire. 

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Tom Malesic from EZSolution

#15 50 Shades of Money by Debbi King

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So many people are struggling in the area of their finances and our research has found that when an employee is stressed in their finances, they are not giving 100% at work. My latest book, “The 50 Shades of Money”, answers the top 50 personal finance questions I have been asked over the last 12 years. It is a great resource book for a company’s employees and will give them the empowerment they need to transform their finances. This will translate to less worry and more production. 

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Debbi King

#16 The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

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This comprehensive book (362 pages cover-to-cover) has sold more than 6 million copies in multiple editions, and was co-authored by Dr. Goldratt, an internationally recognized expert in the development of revolutionary business concepts and management systems (that Fortune magazine once called a guru to industry). 

Unusual for a business book, 'The Goal' is written as a fast-paced novel about a plant manager, Alex, who's under the gun to improve his plant's performance in order to prevent its imminent closure. Alex has just three months to turn things around, and receives timely help and advice from a former college professor who helps him break free from conventional modes of management thinking. Once begun, a great many readers will find it difficult to put this engrossing business novel back on their bookshelves.

Want to read more reviews of this book or buy it? Check out the link below:

Contributor: Timothy Wiedman from Doane College 

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Written by Yehoshua Bomberg