Speakers Corner Book Club: Creating Success in a Changing World

This week's Speakers Corner Book Club is all about change, change, change!

Moe, Natalia, Luis and Dani followed the stories of speakers, Campbell Macpherson, Lucy Adams, Alan O'Neil and the team of authors Keith Coats and Graeme Codrington to learn the compelling lessons of change in the workplace, in roles of leadership and beyond.

If you love the reviews, dive into last month's books on Perseverence in the Face of Adversity  or discover  the wide range of speakers  that made these books a fun and informative read for the Speakers Corner team!

From developing dynamic leaders to transformative HR management, join us on a journey across the pages of this month's reading list!

Luis - "Premium is the New Black" by Alan O’Neill

As an advocate for change, my hand shot up when last month’s Book Club Topic was decided, and I was lucky enough to land Alan’s new book, "Premium is the New Black".

The book explores what great customer service is across all sales channels, the pillars that drive and sustain change, how to get it right, and the pitfalls in getting in wrong, company values and recovery plans.

At the heart of Alan’s message is that experience must be the nucleus of your business; centring your brand DNA, vision, mission statement and values around it. While most businesses differentiate by product or price, the companies giving premium customer experience are the ones that can truly sustain growth - converting one time customers to lifetime customers that become advocates for the business, attracting friends and family with their recommendations.

Boiled down, the book has three pillars to supreme customer experience; the 3P’s - people, product and place. It was clear, concise and coherent and calls on real-life experiences that Alan has been part of first hand. A must-read for business leaders and managers. A good read for anyone open minded to learn about commerce and what drives and motivates the very best the space offers.

“Far too often customers are treated as today customers only, with no thought or value on future potential spend. If everyone in a team thought of every customer as a lifetime customer, it would change behaviours instantly”

Moe  - "The Change Catalyst" by Campbell Macpherson

The Change Catalyst was a very insightful read into why business needs to get 'change' right. Although aimed towards CEO’s and leaders rather than the everyday individual, it is written in a friendly and conversational style which made getting through the book a breeze.

Campbell breaks down why 88% of change initiatives fail, which include employees being inherently afraid of change and the cliché  'this is how it always been done'. These core reasons lead to employees not buying in and supporting the initiative, which inevitably causing failure.

The book also illustrates what is “successful change” and breaks down what he refers to as the 10 ingredients for successful change. This includes why leaders must lead by example, rather than policies, and why a change in culture is often the key to success.

The book is a go-to manual for anyone in a position of leadership in order to survive and thrive in an ever-changing world of business.

"Change is inevitable but successful change isn't."

Natalia  - "The HR Change Toolkit" by Lucy Adams

Reading this book expanded my understanding of HR. I've always known that HR is an integral part of maintaining the delecate balance in a workplace, but never realised some of the hurdles they faced.

Through Lucy Adams' experience, the reader is walked through businesses large and small and shown that at the heart of addressing change in HR is keeping the 'Human' in Human Resources.

Instead of applying data and numbers as a one-size-fits-all solution, Lucy shares practical advice to implement a new, but never earth-shattering strategy to tailoring HR to the people it serves. Instead of flipping entire institutions on its head, Lucy shows that being an active listener and adjusting every practice to it's people is the best way to create positive, long-lasting change.

A very easy and informative read full of useful resources, advice, and anecdotes to take into your business.

"As a profession we need to put the human back into human resources, by developing a deeper understanding of how employees think and feel, and also by considering how we can create more human leaders at the same time."

Dani - "Leading in a changing World" by  Keith Coats  & Graeme Codrington

This book is focused in leadership and change. There is a strong structural change happening caused by three forces: technology, institutions and societal values. It is important to recognize and understand how generations approach authority and respect. New generations are inspired by leaders who have earned respect, which has nothing to do with position or titles, while older generations look towards degrees and tiles as a sign of respect.

One of the things I took from this book is their vision of what they call an 'invitational leader'. An invitational leader should inspire trust, respect, optimism, and should be consistently and consciously inviting others to create their own future.

“[Invitational leader] This involves such qualities as treating people as individuals, not as labels or groups. It also requires honesty and the ability to accept less-than perfect behavior of human beings”.

For further information or to book a speaker, call us on   or email  info@speakerscorner.co.uk .

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