The benefits of a Business Book Club and how to start a book club at work
There is an unfortunate misunderstanding when it comes to business book clubs. Some people still think that a book club within a business should only read business-related books. Ugh.
The truth is, your business book club doesn’t have to read only business books. In fact, reading only books about business is more likely to reduce the number of voluntary book club members. And that’s the opposite of what you want to achieve. What books you choose can be as wide a choice as your local library or local bookstore can offer.
So, what is the point of a business book club if you’re not going to focus completely on business books?
The benefits of a business book club
There are many reasons why hosting a workplace Book Club is good for business. Here are some of them.
Book Clubs build stronger working relationships
Team Building Days are exactly that: a single day. If you want your team to consistently grow and work together, pause those risky “trust fall” tests and expensive scavenger hunts.
A workplace book club can create a shared sense of community by encouraging open discussion where members can learn to navigate differing opinions while getting to know more about each other.
Book Clubs improve engagement with diverse perspectives
The act of reading as part of a community can help individuals learn to read more deeply and better understand diverse perspectives. These are vital skills in any business. Members of the book club can gain a wider understanding of various problems and engage in meaningful conversations that could expand beyond the subject matter of the book. Reading a chosen book together also allows individuals to consider subjects they might not have previously been aware of.
Book Clubs increase confidence
Help unlock the abilities of your quiet or more hesitant colleagues. How? With the low-stakes but high-value discussions that can be found when talking about books.
Taking part in book club discussions can help individuals feel more comfortable and confident sharing their thoughts in a professional setting. This confidence can help support them in the wider workplace, such as actively engaging with team meetings and presenting information to stakeholders or customers.
Book Clubs build good leaders
Reading comprehension is an essential component of any workplace. It is especially important in leadership development. Broad and deep reading habits can sharpen intellect and improve emotional intelligence. Developing these skills in your existing workforce can help build your leaders of tomorrow, which will help to future-proof your business.
Book Clubs improve communication
As individuals listen to the views and opinions of others, they become better listeners and more considerate. They’re also encouraged to develop a stronger, broader vocabulary, which is useful in so many areas of professional life.
Book Clubs are a wise investment for businesses
Reading can help expand the depth and breadth of understanding on various subjects, leading people to develop solutions that support the business, colleagues, and clients. Reading as part of a group can also take people out of the day-to-day and help them see that they are part of something bigger.
If you’re sold on the idea of a business book club, the next step is knowing how to run a book club in the workplace. So let’s get you started.
Making a case for a workplace book club
Even if you’re not the business owner, you can still make a business case for book clubs. That business case can include the above list of reasons why a book club is good for business. But you also need to consider the practical implications of running a book club and how that could impact your business.
How to run a workplace book club
The answers to the following questions will help you decide what kind of book club you will host.
Who can join a book club?
Anyone can start a book club. However, deciding on who to invite to join your book club is the first important decision you need to make.
If you choose to have a book club for your team, you need to invite everyone on your team. If you choose to have a book club for your office, you need to invite everyone in your office. The individuals can then choose if they want to join or not.
Joining a book club should always be voluntary. They must always be inclusive.
What is the purpose of the book club?
You may create your Book Club for a host of different reasons, including but not limited to;
developing team relationships and improving communication.
engaging with more diverse perspectives.
increasing confidence in public speaking.
You also need to consider what else you and your book club members might want from the Book Club. For example, some book clubs are more social than academic, so it’s important to make it clear to your members which kind your book club you have.
What will you read?
Sometimes the most difficult decision for a book club is choosing what to read.
It’s important to agree in advance on a theme for the book club because it will help potential members decide if they want to join or not.
Possible book club themes could be:
book prize longlist, shortlist or winners.
books that increase understanding of different perspectives.
Top Ten lists in certain genres or subjects.
There are a few additional aspects to consider when picking your next book:
Pages - too many pages may mean it's too long to read by the deadline of the next book club meeting.
Price - be considerate and look up all checkout and purchase options.
Publication date - new books can be costly and have a long waiting list at the library, if they’re even available there yet.
Accessibility - check if there are also eBooks and audio options available.
Even with a recommended reading list or an agreed theme, you will need to agree on a fair way to choose the next book. The easiest way to do this is to let your book club members vote.
When you have a few books to choose from, send a shortlist of possible books out to your book club to vote on. Send the list to any potential new members, too, as the books might pique their interest and lead them to join your book club.
What if someone disagrees with the selection?
Disagreements about books can get heated. But as the leader of your book club, you’ll need to be able to diffuse the situation. Another great example of how book clubs can help upskill leaders in the workplace! For those who disagree strongly with the book choice, you could offer another option.
If the purpose of your book club is to get people together, there’s no reason you all need to be reading the same book. You could read two different books on the same topic.
Or you can let people skip a meeting if they feel so strongly opposed to the book selection. But remain curious. What is it about the selection that they are against? You could choose to ask them and learn from their perspective. Even if you choose to stick to the chosen book, at least your colleague has had a chance to share their reasoning and feel more included, even if they choose not to engage with the book itself.
When and where will the book club meet?
The easiest way to arrange a date for your book club to meet is to plan in advance and keep to a schedule. Where possible, choose the same day of the week or date each month, e.g, the third Wednesday of every month.
If your members are often busy, think about meeting every other month instead of every month.
Keep the conversation going between book club meetings and meet-ups with a semi-regular email or an online discussion group.
The Book Club could become part of your monthly meetings, where part of the lunch break can be used to discuss the book.
If you are meeting in person, consider a public common area where there is space for more members to join. Make sure that any discussions will not distract non-members from their work or break.
If you are meeting online, ensure that everyone can access and use the chosen format.
It’s important to allow enough time for people to read the book you’ve chosen. People don’t have one set reading speed, so giving a few weeks to read a book should be enough.
How do you manage a book club?
As the leader of the book club, you will need to plan how you will take responsibility for:
arranging the book club meet-up.
inviting people to attend the book club.
sharing the book shortlist to vote on.
confirming which book the book club will read.
planning and leading the discussion.
task delegation.
Some books have book club questions in the back of the book. Sometimes the authors will share potential book club questions on their website or you can look online to find questions other readers have asked about the book.
Some authors are even willing to chat with book clubs, so you could contact the author via their website to ask if they’d like to join your book club meeting.
Remember that you’re there to talk about something very personal: reading.
All of your guests need to feel welcome, be comfortable with sharing their thoughts, and have the opportunity to do so. There may be those who have a lot to share and some who don't have much to say. There will also be some who are not comfortable sharing their thoughts with the group straight away. Try to ensure that everyone is given a fair chance to talk.
How do I know all this information about how to run a book club in the workplace? I’ve lived this.
Case Study: A business Book Club success story
In March 2019, I launched the first business book club in my workplace.
But there was a lot of work behind the scenes before launch day.
First, I created a business plan and sought approval from senior leaders and stakeholders.
Why? A workplace book club is more likely to succeed when you (a) have permission and (b) can show why something is good for business. Bonus points if it doesn’t cost much to set up.
The key to writing a book club business plan is to know what the senior leadership or your boss is trying to improve in the workplace. Then show how having a book club can achieve those goals.
For example, “confidence” was highlighted as something people needed to improve, both in day-to-day decision making and in building more leadership potential. There was talent in the workplace, but it was always the same people sharing ideas or speaking up in meetings. So I highlighted exactly how a book club could help improve confidence. It worked because it was true. I’d found case studies to back me up…and the book club would go on to prove me right again. But that part comes later.
Next came logistics.
There were around 3,600 potential book club members spread throughout the UK. Asking 3,600 people to take a break at the same time during a workday would negatively impact the business. Which is why one book club for everyone was never the aim. Instead of running one huge book club, I built a network.
Potential book club leads (read: everyone) were given access to the guidance I’d written to support them with creating their own business book club. You’ve read an updated and improved version of this guidance already by reading this blog.
Not only did this approach allow for multiple book clubs, but there would be the potential for these book club leaders to hone their leadership skills.
A few months after the official launch, there were office book clubs, team book clubs, and themed group book clubs being managed by individuals across the UK. Each book club was supported by my network. Every month, the book club network would be promoted through internal communications with links to the intranet guidance, along with recommended reads on a variety of topics. Because, of course, I had book recommendations to share.
But I’m well aware of my own reading preferences and knowledge gaps. To cover those gaps, I invited other readers to help create themed recommended reading lists.
To support all readers, including those who might not want to read as part of a book club, we had a DEI-themed (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion-themed) book bingo with a recommended reading list. Once approved, these were added to the book club resources and guidance suite that was open and available to all colleagues.
The network came into its own in 2020.
With Lockdown came working from home and a stronger need to keep connected with colleagues. This happened to coincide with an increased interest in book clubs and reading as a hobby. More colleagues joined the existing book clubs and the recommended reading lists were adopted by some as personal reading goals.
One colleague who chose to run an office book club gained more confidence in their abilities and gained more experience with managing people. This experience directly led to them volunteering to take the lead in a Staff Network…and look for promotion opportunities. They were successful in both. Leading the book club gave them the boost and experience they needed to move forward in their career.
This was one success story amongst many.
And we got more people reading, which was always the secret goal of this bookwyrm.
Overall, the trick to a successful book club is to figure out what works best for you and your book club members. And have fun!
Further reading
Looking for some reading recommendations? I’ve got you covered.
If you want to create a book club but don’t have the time to build the support documents and marketing, I can help with that.
You can see examples on my portfolio for the 325 Reading Challenge and the Gothic Sublime Book Bingo.
I also chat about books and share book recommendations over on BlueSky.