Reading List

A collection of texts I have read that I found useful (for various reasons)

"The power of habit : why we do what we do in life and business" 
by Charles Duhigg. Random House, 2012

How do habits work? How can we create new habits and break bad ones? As I am reading this book I am being open about reviewing my own 'habits' at work and home and trying to change some of my routines. The rewards gained range through making myself happier, making other people happier, working more effectively, and pushing against my boundaries. For a start, I've created a blog! And I'm even looking at a (short) camping holiday (in a pod, not a tent, little steps ...)

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"Professionalism : the ABC for success"
by Susie Kay. Professionalism Books, 2010

Attitude, Behaviour and Character are the ABCs in this slim tome that distils elements of professionalism into some practical advice and check lists. One of my favourite bullet points is:

Integrity is doing what's right even when nobody is looking. 

It is easy to read the book and nod your head 'yes, I know that, I do that', but harder to question whether you are doing it all the time consistently. I like to dip into this book every now and again to benchmark my own attitude, behaviour and character against a proffered standard for professionalism.

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"The value of difference : eliminating bias in organisations"
by Binna Kandola. Pearl Kandola, 2009

Diversity and inclusion are important issues discussed in my organisation and profession. This book has a particular section ('Leadership responsibilities: turning the business case into action' pp.127-137) which I found very useful for comparing and testing my own behaviours against a developed set of diversity and inclusion competencies. For example:

Do I reconcile the needs of performance standards with the realities of difference?
Do I listen out for issues that are caused by unfairness?
Do I treat staff and customers as individuals?
Do I have a lingering (biased) sense that there's a 'right way' to do things?
Do I welcome opportunities to demonstrate attitudes of diversity in my daily dealings?
Do I communicate in order to learn about each other and share the ways we look at the world?