I’m continuing to mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of my first book,Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life, published by Berrett-Koehler. In this post, I’m advancing the idea that it would be a great choice for a workplace reading group.
Here are some suggestions that will help you and your colleagues (no matter what type of organization you work in) get the most out of the book, and engage in thoughtful and lively discussions. Although ideally each person would read the whole book, it’s possible that some won’t have the time or interest, and would read only certain sections instead. Here are idea-starter points of emphasis:
- Read chapters 1 and 2, to get the concept of the book, to understand more about Peter Drucker, and to place the idea of ‘total life’ in context. Reading both of these chapters will also alert group members to opportunities in professional networks, associations, and so on. They can also think about how what they are doing now fits in with long-term goals in work, education, and related areas.
- Total life List (which I featured in my previous post); even if people do not want to work on the whole list; consider these list elements: #6 what your work entails, plus goals would be quite relevant to a workplace setting. Also #8 learning; what can you do to learn more that will either help you in your job or will help you advance in your career, get a promotion, etc. A related area is #3: list your closer work colleagues. This might help people identify ways they can help each other to improve workplace morale and perform their jobs in more effective ways.
- Pages 12-14 on self-management should be highly relevant for almost any workplace. This can help colleagues see where they fit in the big picture of the organization and in their profession.
- Pages 31-34 on achievement, and the personal satisfaction derived from a job well done.
- Pages 34-36 on time management should be helpful for any knowledge worker, or any workplace.
- Page 76 on volunteering. Explore the idea that participants volunteer as a group, or in small teams, to increase morale; determine areas of volunteering opportunities that are meaningful to them.
- Pages 88-92 on social entrepreneurship. Draw inspiration from organizations like Ashoka and the Skoll Foundation.
- Pages 95-6 on mentorship. How can people mentor others in the organization, or receive mentoring themselves?
- Pages 130-38. Suggested readings: A concise guide to some of Drucker’s most important books, plus related print and online sources.
Ideally the book will provide ideas and help people look at their work in new and different ways to ease current workplace frustrations. The reading group can meet weekly or monthly, or at some other regular interval. Meeting on-site can be ideal, but there is always the possibility of meeting at a convenient coffee shop or restaurant. If you have a corporate library, perhaps it can be involved.
Your organization might already have a reading group, and perhaps you can suggest Living in More Than One World for a future selection. If you don’t already have a reading group, starting one (with this book as the inaugural subject) could be a great way to bond with and get to know your colleagues better.