Top 5 Training/Business Books

I am often asked to recommend books.

It's tough... 

Do I tell you my favorites?

Or the ones I think are the 'best'? Whatever that means?

Instead, I'll tell you the 5 books that I have most often picked up and read - or at least referenced - in the past year.

1. slide:ology by Nancy Duarte 
   Hands down, this is number one.
   If you want to know anything about slide design, this is the bible.
   There's a lot here I didn't understand a year ago, but as my skill has grown, so has my understanding.
2. Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko
   Whenever I want to think 'out of the box', I turn to this outstanding reference.
   Michalko captures more innovation exercises than you can ever need. 
3. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
   The word 'bible' can be applied to four out of these five books.
   McCloud has definitely written the bible for anyone who wants to understand comics.
   Since I've been working on a manga-workbook for one of my classes, this book has been my constant companion. 
4. Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor 
   It may not be a popular thing to say, but we can learn a lot about training people from dog and dolphin training. Concepts like shaping, reinforcement, incompatible behavior, and successive approximation should be part of Training 101 - but aren't.
5. Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni 
   Not much to say about this except that it's clear and effective.
   We use it with teams constantly.

One Way to Communicate with Images

Take a moment and read the following passage:

Ken sat at a nondescript desk, in a nondescript office, in one of the
cookie-cutter high tech office buildings that populate Silicon Valley. At the
end of the day, Ken checked his emails and say a message from his Japanese
counterpart that read, "Call me".

Ken picked up his phone and dialed the number in Japan.

After exchanging pleasantries, the Japanese manager updated Ken on the days
events. Ken's blood pressure rose and his face turned red as he responded, "He
did what?"

As the call ended, Ken's pent-up anger burst out as he slammed down the
phone. This action relieved some of Ken's stress. Unfortunately, that stress was
soon replaced by a feeling of despair. Ken dropped his head into his hands as he
considered his options and thought, "My career is over".

Now read this version (click to enlarge):


Here are four questions for you:

1. Which method is more efficient?
2. Which method is more effective?
3. Which method is more engaging?
4. What are the pros and cons of each method?

There are, of course, no correct answers to these questions.

We know that Asians, particularly Japanese, are used to reading graphic novels (I'll use this word to include comics, cartoons, manga, and sequential art), but Americans are becoming more and more comfortable with this style of visual communication as well.
If you haven't noticed, look at how much the Graphic Novel section of your local Borders has grown in the past few years.

I've mentioned in the past few months that both Daniel Pink and Patrick Lencioni released business books in graphic novel format. Google also released the user guide for Google Chrome in this format.
Translation: The wave of graphic communication is growing.
Will you be riding it, or standing under it?

I'm rewriting one of my workshop manuals to be in graphic novel format. I'll be offering attendees both formats to see which they choose. As I get results, I'll keep you posted.

Links of Interest:

• Google Chrome Graphic Guide
• Scott McCloud's "Making Comics"
• Daniel Pink's "The Adventures of Johnny Bunko"
• Patrick Lencioni's "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team"

Book Review: "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team – A Field Guide" by Patrick Lencioni

I’m on record as hating, wait, no… make that HATING management books that are written as ‘fables’, ‘parables’, ‘novelettes’, or that look remotely like children’s books.

My skeptic-meter goes straight to red when I see books like “Whale Done”, “Who Moved My Cheese”, “The Offsite ”, “Our Iceberg is Melting”, or any of Patrick Lencioni’s ‘Leadership Fables’ in the business section of my favorite bookstore.

Obviously, that’s my problem, as many love the story format. By not reading these books there’s a risk that I’ll miss out on some good ideas.

In the case of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” that’s exactly what happened. I tried to read the book three times, laughed my ass off by the end of page two (and not in a good way), and put the book down. As a result, I missed out on a very useful model.

Fortunately, this Field Guide was released for folks like me.

Title: "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team"
Author: Patrick Lencioni
Genre(s): Business, Teams, Training, Facilitation
Summary: to quote the back of the book - "practical guidance for overcoming the Five Dysfunctions"

Favorite Quotes: I'll give you three:

1. “The key ingredient in building trust is not time. It is courage."
2. "Lack of conflict is precisely the cause of one of the biggest problems that meetings have: they are boring."
3. "Peer pressure and the distaste for letting down a colleague will motivate a team player more than any fear of authoritative punishment or rebuke.”

Strengths: The model is clear and intuitive. It resonates. Lencioni gives concrete examples and actions for overcoming the dysfunctions.
Weaknesses: It’s boring, where's the drama? No, I kid… I kid... Seriously - this book is perfect. Pair It with Lencioni’s hugely entertaining DVD and you’ve got a winning workshop for your team.

Conclusion: The ‘Five Dysfunctions’ is one of my (and my clients) favorite workshop tools. This Field Guide delivers the model effectively, with no fat.

Post-it Flags: 21 flags
* Each time I find an interesting quote, model, image, or idea in a book, I mark it with a Post-it flag. The more flags, the more value I found in the book.