Accel5®’s Business Book Summaries of the Month: August 2021

Accel5 has summarized these top business books for your August reading list.

This month’s recommended Business Book Summaries cover a variety of topics including working from home, cybersecurity, virtual events, creativity and more.

The Truth Detector by Jack Schafer, PhD
In The Truth Detector, former FBI agent Jack Schafer provides a step-by-step guide to the art of elicitation. A subtle but effective tool, elicitation allows you to glean valuable information from people without them even noticing. By adopting Schafer’s elicitation techniques, you can improve your interpersonal skills and become effective at uncovering your employees’ and clients’ unspoken truths.

Flexible Working by Gemma Dale
In Flexible Working, Gemma Dale, an experienced human resources director, makes the case that when organizations expand their definitions of acceptable work expectations and schedules for employees, they can experience benefits in areas of recruiting, talent acquisition, employee engagement and retention, organizational performance, and even corporate responsibility. Making this shift in your organization won’t fix underlying issues of inclusion and equity, and it will take no less than an intentional, concerted effort to implement successfully. However, the trajectory of current work trends clearly demonstrates that flexible working can give your organization a competitive advantage if implemented thoughtfully and strategically.

Great Pajama Jobs by Kerry Hannon
Remote work is the way of the future; some research indicates that as many as 37 percent of jobs could be done entirely from home. Remote work offers many benefits to both workers and employers, particularly in industries with highly educated workforces. In Great Pajama Jobs, Kerry Hannon provides practical advice for finding great remote work opportunities.

Bad Boss by Michelle Gibbings
The employee-boss relationship has a significant effect on workforce satisfaction and organizational productivity. All too often, however, people find that they work for or manage leaders who are challenging. In some cases, individuals may recognize that they themselves are difficult to work for. In Bad Boss, Michelle Gibbings offers a four-step framework that can relieve the pressures associated with employee-boss relationships.

Own It. Love It. Make It Work. by Carson Tate
Employee disengagement is a major challenge for companies, with research suggesting that only about one-third of the workforce is engaged. In Own It. Love It. Make It Work., Carson Tate shares how employer-centric solutions won’t overcome a lack of connection and purpose at work. Rather, job satisfaction depends on a strong, equal partnership between employees and employers. As an employee, you can take proactive steps to increase your professional fulfillment and transform your current job into a dream job.

Conf!dent Cyber Security by Jessica Barker
Cybersecurity has become a vital and interdisciplinary industry. In Conf!dent Cyber Security, Jessica Barker demystifies the field of cybersecurity, identifies its challenges and addresses its technical, human, and physical sides. She shares how to protect your personal, professional, and organizational information provides insights from cybersecurity professionals and offers career advice for entering the field.

Well Aware by George Finney
Every company that uses computers, relies on the cloud, or has a presence on the Internet is susceptible to security threats. Whether they fall to those threats or fend them off largely depends on the habits and behaviors of the people in the workplace — and their awareness of the steps they need to take. In Well Aware, George Finney describes nine habits leaders should encourage their teams to develop to avoid cyber risk exposure, tighten their security and operate with confidence. Used together, these habits can shield any entity against technology threats that could dismantle its business.

Transitioning to Virtual and Hybrid Events by Ben Chodor and Gabriella Cyranski
The COVID-19 pandemic set off a crash course in virtual events, as in-person cancellations sent companies hustling for digital solutions. Virtual and hybrid event formats are more than stand-ins for live gatherings, however. Bringing their own compelling advantages — including global audiences and a wealth of participant data — these formats will remain central to the events world long after COVID-19. In Transitioning to Virtual and Hybrid Events, Ben Chodor and Gabriella Cyranski offer a detailed guide for business leaders and event teams looking to adopt these formats while making the most of their unique features.

HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Creativity by HBR Contributors
In HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Creativity, experts on collaboration, exploration and curiosity explain the benefits of creativity in the workplace and the barriers many face in achieving those outcomes. They discuss how the benefits, which include fewer decision-making errors, more innovation, reduced team conflict, better communication and better team performance, can be critical competitive advantages for organizations in every industry and how managerial practices can support or dissuade their teams from attaining them.

The Visual Sale by Marcus Sheridan and Tyler Lessard
Many business owners and marketing departments recognize the benefits video assets can bring to their businesses, but the idea of producing valuable, compelling, and quality content in-house often seems too costly and overwhelming to take on. In The Visual Sale, Marcus Sheridan and Tyler Lessard provide step-by-step guidance that can make this big task easy to manage. Working through important questions about the types of content customers prefer to view, how to incorporate elements that matter most to viewers, and how to use video mediums to make connections and tell stories, the authors aim to help professionals develop expert-level video content.

Accel5 features hundreds of Business Book Summaries, videos and articles from top authors and publishers, covering a wide range of business topics to help enhance soft skills, both personally and professionally.