The Importance of Reading: What Is On My List

One of my favorite "reads" is the monthly newsletter of Alan Weiss called the Balancing Act. It is full of advice for life, consulting and dealing with people. It is educational and often amusing. In this most recent issue Alan makes the comment "The debate whether you're reading books in hard copy or electronically is immaterial. The question is: Are you reading books?"


I mentioned the other day that I was posting (or trying to post) five times a week and occassionally a sixth time. Another person's remark to that was "I don't know how you do it, I don't have that much to say." Well part of the way I do it is from reading. Other blogs, newspapers (the actual paper kind), online news stories and books. I actually have two stacks of books on my desk here beside me to be read of reread. Here is what is there.

• Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web 
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
• How to Acquire Clients: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner
• What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
• The Talent Advantage: How to Attract and Retain the Best and the Brightest
• Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?
• Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, Second Edition
• SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance
• The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization
• Thrive! Stop wishing your life away
• Thinking about the Future, Guidelines for Strategic Foresight
• The Abs Diet: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Stomach and Keep You Lean for Life
• The Abs Diet 6-Minute Meals for 6-Pack Abs: More Than 150 Great-Tasting Recipes to Melt Away Fat!
• Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
• Pursuit of Honor: A Novel
• Anna Karenina (I am reading this one on my IPad)
• The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
• 25 Big Ideas: The Science That's Changing Our World

Well there you have a glimpse into my mind based on my reading list. What is on yours? And more importantly if you had ONE book you would recommend I read what would it be? (other than the Bible.. got that one.)

In summary the importance of reading books is you get NEW IDEAS, NEW WAYS OF THINKING, REVISIONS OF OLD IDEAS, GUIDANCE AND ENJOYMENT. At least I do. I always think of the statement I once read LEADERS ARE READERS.

The Importance of Continuing Education for a Successful Career in Human Resources

As many of you know, in addition to being an HR consultant, I am also an instructor in Continuing Education for two Georgia Universities (Kennesaw State University and the University of Georgia) where I teach HR related subjects. In a meeting of instructors and staff we had a discussion about the importance of continual learning and keeping your HR career on track. We discussed how rapidly things are changing in the field of human resources and business in general. Without ongoing learning you will NEVER be able to keep up. In today's business environment the person that continually enhances their learning and keeps improving their skill sets is the one who will survive cutbacks. And even if you don't then having that enhanced set of skills and knowledge will make you that much more employable by the next company.

This new skill set has to include a strategic perspective, business acumen, a knowledge of metrics, conflict resolution ability, decision making skills, speaking ability, a knowledge of changes in technology (to include the use of social media) and a ongoing legal and compliance awarness. Being a Futurist is also an important skill. Helping your organization see the future and prepare for the future will make you very valuable. The days of "carrying the watermelon to the company picnic" are over. Continuing education programs, both live and online, help you improve or acquire skills.

Consistent reading, a skill losing traction everyday, will also put you in the top of your class. Self-improvement guru, Brian Tracy, says in his book Time Power, "Read at least one hour per day in your chosen field. One hour a day will translate into approximately one book per week. One book per week will translate into approximately fifty books ove the next twelve months. If you read an hour per day, one book per week, you will be an expert in your field within three years. you will be a national authority in five years, and you will be an international authority in seven years. All leaders are readers." What a powerful statement!

If you are not yet convinced to the importance or need to keep up then watch this YouTube.