5 Books for Professional Development and Team Management

Employees want to put their best selves out there in the workplace. However, there’s only so much knowledge they can expose without looking like a fool. What if that situation does occur? Conflict is bound to happen at the office. However, it’s up to the employer and employee to ensure that the dignity of the company remains unharmed. That means there a level of office decorum to be maintained even during the bad and ugly times. There are so many books out there that can educate employees on how to manage people in the workplace.  

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie 

When a fresh employee starts their first job, not only do they want to dress to impress but they also want to come across as highly capable. The author of the book “How to Win Friends and Influence People””, Dale Carnegie ensures readers that they can go after their goals and achieve it too. He sets out ten simple rules for people to follow:  

  • Begin with praise and honest appreciation 
  • Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly 
  • Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person 
  • Ask questions instead of giving direct orders 
  • Let the other person save face 
  • Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be “hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise”
  • Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to 
  • Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct 
  • Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest  

These rules will allow you to have a stable relationship with the employee. As an employer, this allows you feel secure about your professional reputation. This book is highly recommended for young working professionals who are just about to start their first job. It will help them understand the realities of the working world and allow them to adapt to common situations in the workplace.  

Start With Why by Simon Sinek 

This book allows you to reflect on the purpose of why your organization exists in the first place. Simon Sinek talks about the big question “WHY”. More specifically, “Why are Employees Loyal to Leaders?”. The simple reason is this that if an employee is loyal to its leaders, they’ll be loyal to their managers. Loyalty needs to exist in an employer-employee relationship. Managing people requires a level of loyalty on both ends of the pool. According to Sinek, “Those who start with WHY never manipulate, they inspire”. The goal of a manager is to keep their mentee motivated to come to work every day. It helps them earn each other’s trust and loyalty.  

Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty  

Former monk and current motivational speaker, Jay Shetty gives remarkable advice on how to find purpose in both your personal and professional life. Life is full of complicated scenarios and situations. This book helps all individuals tackle those scenarios and situations. Examples could be overcoming negativity, learning from the people you meet, using your fear as your strength, figuring out why kindness is crucial to success…etc. These tools allow customers and employees to find purpose to succeeding in both their personal and professional lives. When it comes to managing people, this book will allow employees and customers to confront their fears of confrontation and standing up for themselves in the workplace.  

Getting Things Done – The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen  

The natural instinct in the workplace is to be productive and efficient. In his book, “Getting Things Done”, David Allen describes a system which allows a person to achieve “life with a mind like water”, which according to him is the secret of productivity. The metaphor goes, when something is thrown into a glass of water, the water wrinkles. But in the end, the water finds its peace back. In attempt to be productive, you want your mind to be balanced and at peace like the flow of water. As an employee in the workplace, you want to be able to have a stable mindset to achieve your goals and complete your tasks for the day. You also need this to tackle people and the problems of people.  

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lenicioni 

We all know that it’s not always a bed of roses at the workplace. All teams fight for a variety of reasons. Patrick Lenicioni’s book “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” describes the many drawbacks’ teams go through as they “grow together” in their professional journey. This book explores the fundamental causes of organizational politics and team failure. Managing conflict at work takes patience and grace. The rule is you don’t defecate where you eat. When it comes to having rational argument, you want to keep it professional which means attempting to avoid creating a big scene.  

PxidaEX for Professional Development and Team Management  

Our product PxidaEX can help you create surveys in order to understanding problems for employees and customers. In order for a business to succeed, it needs to understand the needs and expectations of its clients. You want your brand to stay popular as much as possible. This means having a stable reputation. PxidaEX can create help you create surveys that can allow your business to figure how well it’s doing.