In her book, Trusted: The Human Approach to Building Outstanding Client Relationships in a Digitised World, Lyn Bromley gives strategies to build and maintain deep professional relationships, authentically. This against the backdrop of a world of increasingly digitised interactions where it is now more essential than ever to connect with customers and staff on a human level.
We caught up with the bestselling author and Customer Success Director at Anaplan Ltd to share her top nonfiction book recommendations for the summer.
Her list features a 2009 classic about overcoming fear and leading a happier, better life, and another enduring must-read for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Here are Lyn’s 6 recommendations for you:
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The Big Leap
by Gay Hendricks
I first read this book around 10 years ago. Hendricks, a psychologist and writer, takes us through a program for overcoming barriers to happiness and fulfilment. I loved the ‘upper-limit’ problem and how to break through it. It’s an inspiring book on how to live a fulfilled life and I’m glad I read it when I did!
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Raving Fans
by Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles
Raving Fans is written in a parable style. It’s a quick read, written in the style of the ‘One Minute Manager’. It’s summed up best by the advice that is given to an area manager on day one of his new role… “Your customers are only satisfied because their expectations are so low and because no one else is doing better. Just having satisfied customers isn’t good enough anymore. If you really want a booming business, you have to create Raving Fans.”
A brilliant little book that does just what it says on the cover. Ideal for any business owners, or those in customer success/customer service.
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The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
by Patrick Lencioni
This is one of my all-time favourites, I have read and listened to it over and over again and I have used it as the basis of many training courses. This is another book written in the style of a fable. It doesn’t make it any less compelling, in-fact, I’d argue that it makes it even more of a page-turner.
The five dysfunctions are: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability and inattention to results. All killers in a team and ideal for new leaders to understand how to create a high performing team.
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This Book Means Business
by Alison Jones
I’m slightly biased on this one as I worked with Alison as my book coach and publisher when I co-wrote my book. She shares all the clever ways to plan and write a book that works harder for your business.
Don’t be fooled, if you ever have the inclination to write a business book, the writing is the easy part. It’s a bit like having a mini business all of its own! This book is full of great tips from Alison herself and from all the amazing guests on her podcast. A book well-worth reading if you are thinking of writing a business book.
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The E-Myth Revisited
by Michael E. Gerber
This is aimed at small businesses, yet the advice in the book is relevant for any business I’d argue. It’s another fable I’m afraid (I seem to like this format! I’ve only just realised that as I captured my favourites in one place). It follows the story of Sarah who loves baking pies, yet when she starts her pie business, she gets bogged down with all the other elements that are involved in running a business and she falls out of love with baking pies.
The ‘E’ in e-myth refers to the myth of the entrepreneur – most people who start businesses are really good technicians i.e. good pie bakers, good gardeners etc and when they start their business, the other requirements over-take the thing they are good at.
The book examines how to fall back in love with your business by having the right structures and processes in place to run it as a ‘turn-key’ system. There are some absolute nuggets of gold in this book and it’s one I return to again and again.
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Upstanding
by Frank Calderoni
It would be remiss of me not to mention Anaplan CEO, Frank Calderoni's new book - Upstanding! Frank explores how a company's character is a critical catalyst for loyalty, agility and hypergrowth.
It explores what an upstanding character means to an organisation and how to build a culture based on positive values.
The book is full of interviews with top executives and thought leaders, so we get a balanced view on what 'upstanding' means. Frank not only writes about the theory, I also see him live these values. It's an outstanding company with a great culture filled with amazing people and the book gives you a flavour of that.
Edited by
Emmanuel Kolade
Managing Director at Shulph
Books by Lyn Bromley
Trusted: The human approach to building outstanding client relationships in a digitised world
by Lyn Bromley & Donna Whitbrook