If you are looking for some recommendations for business books to buy for Christmas presents here are some I have read and enjoyed over the last year:
Beyond The Boys’ Club and Female Breadwinners by Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris
I am a little biased about some of the titles on here as they are written by clients. However, I still highly recommend both books by Dr Suzanne Doyle-Morris. They are great reads for women in business, especially those either in a male dominated environment or climbing the career ladder to become the main bread winner in the household. Suzanne’s books are written based on huge amounts of research and interviews with professional women. She shares their stories and her own tips based on working with and coaching executive women. I have learned so much from Suzanne over the last two years working with her and admire her hugely. The Female Breadwinners book discusses the social shift that will affect everyone in the work place and makes fascinating reading.
The Presentation Coach by Graham Davies
Another client – Graham Davies, is the author of The Presentation Coach. I love this book. It says what it does in the title – bare knuckle because Graham gets straight to the point with no waffle, brilliance because it works – brilliantly. The book takes you step by step through the process of preparing, planning and writing your presentation so you don’t commit what he describes as “The 21st century’s biggest corporate crime” – wasting the audience’s time. What makes the book so readable – and in places extremely funny – are the author’s anecdotes about his time as a barrister and working with high profile politicians. As someone who has vast experience in presenting to audiences both large and small he gives guidance on the pitfalls you can expect and how to avoid them by preparing properly. But don’t expect to be led gently, this book packs a punch whilst showing you how to – as one of the reviews on the back says – “enthuse rather than euthanize your audience.
How To Build Your Reputation by Rob Brown
This book has lots of tips on ways to build your reputation. It takes you step by step through the process of understanding reputations, designing your reputation, building it and finally how to defend it when things go wrong. There are so many actionable tips that even following just some of them will make a difference to your reputation. For example, in the build section alone there are ’70 of the best tools, tips and tactics to build your reputation’ one of which includes writing a blog – something I highly recommend to those wanting to raise their profile and build their online reputation.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
If you are struggling with a To Do list that would realistically take until next year, scraps of paper with notes you must remember, diary notes and business cards filling your bag, you need to read this book. According to Allen the first key to sorting your life out and removing stress is capturing all the things that need to be done. That includes your To Do list for today, tomorrow and the next year, every note or scrap of paper every thing you have filed in your mental list and all of the items in your email inbox and desk top in tray. Only once you have captured everything can you then make plans for action. Whilst I haven’t incorporated everything and we all slip back into bad habits, there are several ideas I have used and continue to find incredibly useful. And of course if you read this book over Christmas the New Year is the perfect time to resolve to get organized once and for all.
How To say It For Women by Phyllis Mindell
This is a great book for any woman who needs to get her message across on a regular basis. As you read it you will smile wryly at how many of the phrases you use that weaken your message, for example “I don’t know as much as you about this but I think…” And the author is adamant that we remove the F word from our work vocabulary. Not that F word, the verb feel. She says “at work it’s wimpy, weak and wishy-washy: feel fails.’ Add to feel, words that make you invisible and destroy your confidence and you will never be taken seriously. Full of tips, exercises and action points this book will galvanise you to stride into that next meeting and get the attention you deserve. How do you feel about that!
Do you have any recommendations of great business books you have enjoyed this year?
