Before you get swept into holiday madness, check out these new and not-so-new business books. They would make great gifts for you or other stressed-out entrepreneurs.
Someone once told me, “Business is great, except for the people.” It’s sad but true. People problems can create havoc and threaten the future of your business. I recommend two good books one new and one that has been out for three years which are worth buying.
“The Race Trap, Smart Strategies for Effective Racial Communication in Business and Life” ($28, Harper Business), by Dr. Robert Johnson and Dr. Steven Simring, is written by a white psychiatrist (Simring), and an African-American doctor/social activist (Johnson).
In today’s multicultural society, companies without a clear strategy to manage internal communications are setting themselves up for trouble. This straightforward book provides a solid framework for eliminating racially ignorant language and behavior from your company.
It states that having a clear strategy to avoid the “race trap” is important because it will lead to “more cooperative and productive work environments conducive to innovation, increased opportunity to take advantage of the largest talent pool, greater potential to broaden the customer base, and good public perception that can enhance the bottom line.”
The book also features a provocative, self-scoring Racial Intelligence Quotient test that gives you a chance to evaluate your reaction to several challenging interracial situations.
Another thought-provoking people book is “Red Ink Behaviors: Measure the Surprisingly High Cost of Problem Behaviors in Valuable Employees” ($14.95, Blake/Madsen) by Jean Hollands.
Hollands, a respected management consultant, provides terrific case studies and a “costimator” to see how bad behavior translates into lost dollars. You need to read her book if these things are happening around your office:
Everyone in the department is complaining about an individual in that department.
People in the company are doing everything they can to avoid working for a given manager, director, or vice president.
People in that department show lower productivity than the rest of the company.
Deadlines are missed, budgets are overrun, quality is poor and there are plenty of excuses.
Morale is poor. People show little enthusiasm, initiative, flexibility or self-responsibility.
Tips for success
“The Workplace Law Advisor” ($17, Perseus Publishing) by Anne Covey isn’t light reading, but it covers essential issues regarding harassment and discrimination. It covers the employment relationship, communication, hiring, discrimination, sexual harassment, the Americans With Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Covey is a practicing attorney, author, columnist and university professor who really knows her topic and can explain it in plain English.
If you are starting a business, online or offline, check out Tim Burns’ “entrepreneurship.com” ($19.95, Dearborn Trade). Burns, an MBA/CPA, lives and works in New Orleans. His book is a no-nonsense primer with great advice on how to write a comprehensive business plan and how to finance your business in the volatile New Economy.
He includes helpful graphs, forms and templates to help you clarify your vision. The book is filled with case studies of real companies, and it’s easy to read.
If things are going well and you are looking to expand next year, check out “Fast Growth, How to Attain It, How to Sustain It” ($25, Dearborn Trade) by Laurence G. Weinzimmer. The author is a teacher and consultant who blows off conventional wisdom when it comes to growth. He urges readers not to be market-driven, to “forget about core competencies, don’t focus on growth and don’t fall into the life cycle trap.”
His book has lots of resources and footnotes and is written in an academic style, but you won’t get too bogged down.
If you are moping around and need a kick in the backside, read “Permission to Succeed” ($10.95, Health Communications Inc.) by Noah St. John. As the founder of The Success Clinic of America, St. John helps people overcome what he calls “success anorexia.” This scary ailment “makes people unable to enjoy success if they ever do succeed” and “causes people who love and care about its victims to suffer.”
“In short,” he writes, “success anorexia makes life a living hell for the people who suffer from it and causes those who care about its victims to suffer as well.”
Pretty heavy stuff. But, all is not bleak when he provides good suggestions to help you get a grip and accept the joy of success. One tip that appealed to me is doing something you like twice a day. These “two-a-days” teach you that it’s OK to do something enjoyable for yourself. (How about two chocolate bars a day?)
Powerful buzz
We all know that word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful tool for small companies, but how do you create a buzz about your products or services? Try reading “The Anatomy of Buzz” ($37.95, Doubleday Currency) by Emanuel Rosen.
Rosen was vice president of marketing for Niles Software in Silicon Valley before selling his share of the company and retiring to write this book. His book is filled with charts, graphs and tables, but it has some solid advice on building a powerful marketing campaign.
His section on the power of gossip is especially entertaining. He uses the hit HBO show, “The Sopranos,” as the example of powerful gossip-based marketing.
Jane Applegate is the author of “201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business,” and is founder of ApplegateWay.com, a multimedia Web site for busy entrepreneurs. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
