DON’T JUST READ THE BOOK, START A BOOK CLUB INSTEAD
Get the New Year off to a great start by starting a book club. It’s like going back to school, but without the tuition bill! Plus, you get to pick the book…no boring textbooks allowed. Getting a book club up and off the ground can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you want to initiate one at your workplace or, at home with your friends, follow these six simple steps for a successful book club.
- Great Minds Think Differently – When deciding whom to invite, don’t overlook the powerful learning that comes from diversity. “My book club is so interesting because we are all so different,” says one of our book club enthusiasts. “We have a teacher, a doctor, an engineer, and a stay-at-home mom. It makes the conversation much more interesting with the variety of perspectives.”
- To Meet or Not to Meet – Given whom you’re inviting, decide if you’ll be meeting by conference call, videoconference, or in-person. Large groups work well using conference calls or videoconference. If in-person, consider limiting the group size to about 8. “Three is too few and more than 8 makes it difficult for everyone to participate,” says our enthusiast.
- Pick a Book – Of course we would love it if you chose Profit from the Positive for your first book club meeting.
- Question Your Questions – Many books, including ours, have a Reader’s Guide and Discussion Questions in the back of the book. If the book you choose doesn’t, simply prepare a handful of open-ended questions; ask each member to bring one or two questions of their own or a favorite quote from the book; or Google the name of your book plus “book club questions” and see what pops up.
- Rotate Responsibilities – Make it easy on everyone by rotating who will host the meeting. “Each month my group gets on Yelp and finds a cool new spot to host our club, but we always call ahead to be sure we can get a table in a quiet corner,” our colleague explained.
- Make it a Habit – Think same time every week or every month. Weekly or bi-weekly works well if you’re tight on time and prefer to read chapters or sections of a book and then discuss them. In the workplace, book clubs over lunch or in the last half hour of a staff meeting are effective. Monthly works best if you decide to read the entire book first and then meet. Allow yourself at least 90 minutes if you choose this approach, and even longer if you will be breaking bread together.
Last, but not least, have FUN! Send us a quick email (book@ProfitFromThePositive.com) or Facebook post (www.Facebook.com/ProfitFromThePositive) with your favorite tool from Profit from the Positive and why, and we’ll send you as many of these signed bookplates as you need for your book club. Please include your snail mail address. Share your Book Club experience with us on our website under What is Your PFTP Story?
“Most of us can recall a manager who said, ‘Here, read this book,’ but then never took the time to discuss its contents. We were left wondering what specifically we were supposed to do with this newfound knowledge, and the manager was left wondering why people weren’t implementing the book’s advice.”
~ From Chapter 6, “Engaging Employees: Bring Out the Best Versus Get the Most” in Profit from the Positive