- Anthony Gargiulo Jr. is founding principal at HRUnbound LLC, a human resources consulting firm in Chicago. He is also an executive coach and adjunct instructor at the Quinlan School of Business of Loyola University Chicago. He has over 30 years of corporate HR experience and his writing has been published in The Chicago Tribune and The Journal of Commerce.
- He suggests the following books for anyone looking to excel in HR because they touch on two key trends: company culture and external awareness.
- His recommendations include "The Silo Effect" by Gillian Tett, "The No Asshole Rule" by Robert I. Sutton, PhD, and "The 2020 Workplace" by Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd, among others.
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I like to start each January with the goal of reading 12 to 15 books within the year. It usually turns out that the majority of what I read is nonfiction, with some fiction and maybe two to three "business" books rolled in. As you'll see from this list, some of these books are not traditional business books, but after reading them I was surprised to find relevance to my work as a human resources leader.
The books I recommend touch on some key areas for the attention of HR leaders in 2020: company culture and external awareness.
Like many of my peers, I have been fascinated by the concept of company culture over the last few years. But because there seems to be no universal agreement on the definition of culture, people are left a little fuzzy. My own definition of culture is that it's "a collection of accepted behaviors."
As HR leaders, we have to make the effort within our organizations to reach common ground on what culture is and what it means. We must ask, however awkwardly, "Are we behaving our core values?" Or are unacceptable behaviors creeping in and causing the next Fox News, Wells Fargo, or Boeing? As I reflect on these books, it's behavior that's the common thread among a number of them.
It's very easy for anyone in a corporate role to become wrapped up in its silo and/or the smaller silos that make up the whole. As HR leaders, we have to fight that natural urge and embrace what our organizations can learn from the outside and from outsiders, as well as from one department to the next.
External awareness is key to keeping up with the changing landscape of work, of the job market, and the people who are part of it. The generational dynamic has been accelerating in the last few years, but have you been preoccupied with millenials and clueless to others? What would you do if a 60-year-old employee complained to you about colleagues repeatedly saying "OK boomer"?
A number of these books will have you reflecting on the external environment that can never be ignored and can be helpful informing your work as an HR leader.
1. 'A Hologram for the King' by Dave Eggers
Long-time business writer Daniel Pink published his book 'Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself' in 2001, and a whole slew of tomes on the gig economy followed, mostly, if not all, in the form of how-to nonfiction. Eggers' book is unique in that it presents a fictionalized version that riffs on one of the major themes that ushered in the gig economy: displacement. It appears that the book's protagonist, Alan Clay, is a reluctant member of said economy: "…Now he was 54 years old and was as intriguing to corporate America as an airplane built from mud," the book states.
The book reads like an adventure, but not necessarily one most workers would relish. Desperation, uncertainty, and life's pressures hang in the balance. Alan's reward for working toward completing a big Saudi IT deal is not guaranteed. By telling an individual's story, Eggers makes the reader consider the pitfalls of going solo, whether by choice or not, and/or trying to get back in the race.
As an HR leader, Eggers read made me reflect on the plight of displaced workers at any age and think more in terms of capabilities versus liabilities. The winds of corporate change and the evolving "contract" with employees has major consequences for today's human capital challenges. In such a tight labor market, will you not engage a candidate simply because they have a years-long stint as Alan Clay Consulting LLC on their resume? Looking past age and the occasional career blip, can we as business leaders find the relevant value each person potentially represents to the organizations we lead?
2. 'The Silo Effect: The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of Breaking Down Barriers' by Gillian Tett
The subject identifier on the back of Tett's book says "business and economics." This is sort of obvious, but future editions might replace that with "organizations." Or "anthropology" even, for it's within this social science that Tett builds the foundation of her story. I chose "The Silo Effect" as a team read with my HR department and it resulted in much discussion and learning.
This well-researched book reflects on a number of recent events and phenomena that all involved silos. For example, the ignorance of and economic damage from repackaged consumer loans marketed by banks known as collateralized debt obligations in the mid-2000s and the walled-off nature of bankers and economists, and how both contributed mightily to the Great Recession. There's also the story of Sony and how its deep culture of separating business units eventually led to its market downfall.
When HR is consulted to battle departmental silos, what perspective and knowledge can they give to business leaders and C-suite colleagues? Silos are a natural, social dynamic, but understanding that is the first thing needed when trying to address the ones that genuinely threaten a business with unnecessary risk.
3. 'The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't' by Robert I. Sutton, PhD
The nuns at my elementary school alma mater probably wouldn't like me to use one of the words in this title, so I will use a-hole ...
Back in 2007, Sutton, a prolific author and well-respected professor of management at Stanford, got as much attention for his book title as he did for the topic. Always a sucker for a good swear word on book cover, I began reading this book just before I took on a role as HR department head at a multimillion-dollar company. The timing was prophetic — little did I know that an a-hole there was plying their trade with very little company intervention.
In chapter two ("The Damage Done: Why Every Workplace Needs to Rule"), Sutton articulates TCA — "total cost of a-holes" — and outlines the areas TCA impacts, including psychological damage to employees and victims, organizational reputation, the ability to attract top talent, as well as the financial drain TCA can create. A-holes unfortunately still linger in many forms and adaptations. This book certainly helped me in my situation, and will still help other leaders understand the importance of pushing back on an a-hole situation when it's destroying a company culture.
4. 'The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career' by Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha
For many of us in HR, as we build our professional experience, we become de facto career counselors — both inside and outside our organizations. "The Start-up of You" is a relevant contemporary guide in tune with our sea-changing digital age and it offers thoughtful advice about how to approach a career and build a network.
Your neighbor's kid is having a hard time getting his a-- (God bless you, Sister) off the couch? You're in HR, you must know the ropes of modern-day job hunting and how to motivate young people to think about their career — can I have him contact you? Sure! I am sincerely eager to help Junior. Many HR people I know work with young people both informally and formally, as I do through a business school mentoring program. Usually after a mentoring session with a student, I conclude the conversation with a referral to "The Start-up of You."
But just as importantly and not always as obvious, employees who trust you as an HR leader at work will seek you out in confidence for advice and perspective. Maybe they're having an existential career crisis. Maybe they're a recent college graduate questioning if a corporate gig is right for them.
"The Start-up of You" is not about changing jobs, but it does represent a more entrepreneurial way to imagine one's career as it celebrates the concept of "permanent beta," defined as "essentially a lifelong commitment to continuous personal growth." The book has the potential to reinvigorate the careers of people that come to you for guidance, even without them leaving the company.
5. 'The 2020 Workplace: How Innovative Companies Attract, Develop, and Keep Tomorrow's Employees Today' by Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd
Consultants, publishers, and "experts" have all contributed to the cottage industry created around how to deal with millennials in the workplace. Sure, it's predicted that in 2020 millennials will comprise over 50% of the American workforce. But how about the other 50% of workers?
Authors Meister and Willyerd were not only ahead of their time (their book was published in 2010, so you know they were looking at this years before), but their multi-generational approach is more relevant than others who focus solely on millennials. Their research does a lot to show the commonalities of the generations and how each helps the other. That emphasis can be a great source of organizational strength, and many companies that get it right are showcased.
I read this with generationally diverse HR teams at two different companies, and there was wide agreement of the book's importance in our function. Consider this a blueprint for awareness of the five generations at work and how to take advantage of the best each has to offer.
It's 2020, and despite AI creeping all around the workplace is still here. What's your excuse for not reading this now?
6. 'The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression' by Andrew Solomon
This is definitely off the beaten path of business books. In fact, it's not a business book at all. It was published nearly 20 years ago, but I wasn't very imaginative back then about how a book like this could inform me as an HR leader.
I recently wrote at more length about how "The Noonday Demon," described as "An Atlas of Depression," helped deepen my understanding and awareness of mental health and depression. Much of the world that doesn't encounter depression probably doesn't know that it's a "thing." My own understanding of it has been a years-long progression of learning. According to 2017 data from The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression is prevalent in over 7% of the adult population and highest among adults aged 18 to 25 (at over 13%).
Uninformed HR leaders should know that employees with depression (diagnosed or not) don't simply check it at the door then leave to resume a depressive state at home. They bring it into the workplace. The questions are: How will you anticipate this affliction at work and how will you do more than just check the boxes on your FMLA form? "The Noonday Demon" will give you a solid foundational understanding of depression that will improve your empathy toward it.
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