What wisdom is timeless and most important for your organisation? What will help build the kind of culture you want?

Think of a library at work as a sacred space for the wisdom you value most.

The Beauty Of Books

Books outlast people. You signal what kind of knowledge and culture is valued through the books you choose.  A  book  you  select  for  the  library  may touch  an  employee’s  life years from now.

• If there is a book or two that is foundational to the culture of the organisation, let staff know  why  these  are  important,  what  is  important  about them, share inspiring excerpts, and give them time to read it and share reflections

• Keep the collection live by sharing excerpts from and reflections about new books during meetings

• Encourage staff to recommend or donate books and share about them

• You may also include stories that capture values you want to promote. A great example is Hope For The Flowers by Trina Paulus, about not stepping on others to get ahead; or The General, which is about an authoritarian general who has an epiphany then becomes caring and builds a happier country

• If you cannot find a book locally, check Better World Books, which provides free shipping and donates to literacy projects around the world

Here Are Examples Of Books I Recommend To Clients:

• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

• Profit From The Positive by Margaret Greenberg and Senia Maymin

• The Servant As Leader by Robert Greenleaf

• The Case For Servant Leadership by Kent Keith

• The Seven Pillars Of Servant Leadership by James Sipe and Don Frick

• Positive Leadership by Kim Cameron

• How To Be A Positive Leader edited by Jane Dutton and Gretchen Spreitzer

• Love 2.0 by Barbara Fredrickson

• Beyond Happiness by Anthony Seldon (one of my favourites)

Cautionary Note:

Remember  that  the  number  of  people  reading  books  is  going  down. Manage your expectations. Celebrate that a few will use the resources.

Don’t depend on books to do all the work. You still need to simplify key messages into digestible bites, share stories, and use other means to share knowledge.

Archive Your Own Content

Your  library  can  also  hold  documents  created  by  your  organisation  that  are  important for all to access, now and in the future.

How To Reach People Who Don’t Read

• Include DVDs in your library collection

• Create a YouTube  channel to upload  and  share  videos  you  would  like  your  team and customers to watch

• Some videos may   be   more   for   your   team.   Upload   them   in   a   virtual space/intranet that is easily accessible after you have sent them directly for your team to watch

Start Small

Make a list of sources of inspiration you want to share with your organisation.

Start with a small shelf or virtual space.

Don’t let them gather dust. Weave them into daily work so they are living sources of inspiration for daily work and behaviours.

 Visit the JoyWorks page to find out more about Vadivu’s work.

_{Edited by Michelle Sarthou
Photographs: Shutterstock}

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