Well, when you run a company focused on corporate finance, you don’t get a lot of Holiday Party scandals. At Host’s very nice 2018 Holiday Party the closest thing we had was an employee conversing with me about books (Bad Blood) and then wholeheartedly suggesting that I just had to read another book, Drive — which, as it turns out, is about motivating employees. Hum.
The blowback potential hadn’t occurred to me in real time, but after got home I noticed an email from the person who’d suggested the book, contritely offering that the suggestion wasn’t intended to send a message or anything. I laughed.
My reply was simple: I once actually not just recommended but actually bought and gave Death by Meeting to my boss, so I’m not one to be throwing stones.
But, for those with a dark sense of humor, the exchange did get me thinking about the perfect Christmas anti-shopping list for the boss. Here we go.
Seven Books You Probably Shouldn’t Buy the Boss for Christmas*
- (When Californians move to the east coast.) Stop People Pleasing: Be Assertive, Stop Caring What Others Think, Beat Your Guilt, & Stop Being a Pushover.
2. (“Can somebody please make a decision around here?”) The Perfection Trap: Cultivate Self-Acceptance, Fire Your Inner Critic, Overcome Procrastination, and Get Things Done.
3. (“I love those all-hands emails.”) Writing to Be Understood: What Works and Why
4. (“Don’t worry, you can lead without it.”) The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism
5. (“If you’ve not checked Glassdoor recently, uh.”) How to Make People Like You in 90 Seconds or Less
6. (“I love the team you’ve put together around here.”) Needy People: Working Successfully with Control Freaks and Approval-holics
7. (“Executing our new strategy looks like a piece of cake.”) Endurance, Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage.
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Notes
* or equivalent.
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