I am a voracious reader, and the business books marketing machine is perfectly happy with me. I am guessing that somewhere in a vast data mine my name appears in a list of people you need to try to sell the next management book to. They, and their authors, might be surprised with how and why I read what they offer.
I propose that were an organization tasked to place a value, net of investment, on all the business books purchased in the last year, it would be a negative investment. This even ignores the investment into full fledged improvement efforts aimed at alignment, effectiveness/efficiency, customer satisfaction, etc., etc. How many of those have failed in your organization? If you disagree with my almost untestable hypothesis (how convenient for me) I suggest you read on still.
My point isn't to tell you to stop reading. If I were to stop reading today, I believe I might die right at the moment of decision. I simply suggest a new way of reading. You must remember that every business book ever written (okay, that I've actually read) is based on a study, occurrence, or market bubble growth/bursting, discovery of evildoing in board rooms that arrives on the scene. These books weren't written about your company, your department, your division or your desk. You see, many of these efforts are put forth, rightly, to help us do one of two things (1) repeat the success or (2) avoid the mess. But we can't, precisely, because they aren't about us.
So to avoid the conundrum (what do I do with this information that doesn't apply to me), I recommend the following which has proved invaluable to me in my career:
1. Plan To Do Something. From the first moment you pick up something to read, or decide to attend a seminar be intentional about this: expecting to be different on the other side. You don't know what that is because you haven't read yet. It's the frame of mind I'm after here - don't read to simply take in, but with expectancy of being changed in some way.
2. Look for Your World. I just finised reading Michael Lewis' The Big Short, a fun-loving romp through the insanity of the meltdown of this country's, and in many ways the world's, financial system because of one industry - sub-prime mortgages. Kidding aside, when you read it you may become angry at the unbridled hubris and blind ambition of Wall Street investment banking firms or nausea may overwhelm you with tales of the honorless manner that mortgages were sold to people that had no business buying a home. But what will amaze you is that a few people figured it out before it happened, and they told others about it but no one would listen. So what's your business' 'sub-prime mortgage' that no one wants to face into? Maybe it won't lead to the demise of western civilization, but it might signal the end of your operation/division/company. Don't miss the metaphor.
3. Take On The Metaphor. Whatever it is in your world, you need to do your homework, speak to experts, organize your thoughts, meet with your boss and have the courage tell them what you've found out. If it is within your power, make the change. Fix the leak. Whether with a new system you successfully sell, or with baling wire, duct tape and a fire extinguisher, you need to address what you see.
Learning to expand the way we see what's going on around us and apply it to our lives is a gift you can give to yourself, releasing your energy toward making things better. Oh yeh, watch out for those tanned mortgage brokers driving around in new BMW's.
