Each year, it's the job of the OWA president to select the book or books for the member benefit. This year there were so many excellent choices that it was pretty difficult to come up with only three. So to make my job easier, I looked for books that would tie in with themes we explored at the Champagne Breakfast event at Vision Expo East, and would be the theme book for our Connection Series event at Vision Expo West. Check out these three books and then make your selection. You will be able to pick the book format — digital or print. Your book will arrive in time for a summer read.
President's Note: This book will be the basis of our Connection Series event in Las Vegas, during Vision Expo West, with a special multi-generational panel discussion of the issues and solutions presented in this book. CW
This is the first time in American history that we have had four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace: the Traditionalists (born before 1945), the Baby Boomers (born 1945-1964), Gen X (born 1965-1980), and the Millennials (born 1981-2001). Haydn Shaw, popular business speaker and generational expert, has identified 12 places where the 4 generations typically come apart in the workplace (and in life as well). These sticking points revolve around differing attitudes toward managing one's own time, texting, social media, organizational structure, and of course, clothing preferences. If we don't learn to work together and stick together around these 12 sticking points, then we'll be wasting a lot of time fighting each other instead of enjoying a friendly and productive team. Sticking Points is a must-read book that will help you understand the generational differences you encounter while teaching how we can learn to speak one another's language and get better results together.
President's Note: This book was selected for its connection to the Intimate Conversation with Holly Rush during the Champagne Breakfast event at Vision Expo East. The question of having it all and how to balance work, family, love, was a theme touched on during the event. This selection takes a deeper look at that theme. CW
Living with Intent is a chronicle of Mallika Chopra's search to find more meaning, joy, and balance in life. She hopes that by telling her story, she can inspire others with her own successes (and failures) as well as share some of the wisdom she has gathered from friends, experts, and family along the way — people like her dad, Deepak, as well as Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Arianna Huffington, Andrew Weil, and Dan Siegel. She also provides a practical road map for how we can all move from thought to action to outcome. Each chapter is devoted to one step on her journey and another piece of her INTENT action plan: Incubate, Notice, Trust, Express, Nurture, and Take Action. Chopra's insights and advice will help us all come closer to fully living the lives we truly intend.
President's Note: This book was selected for its connection to the message delivered by Amy Spiezio during the Champagne Breakfast event at Vision Expo East. Amy spoke on how giving back and volunteering have enhanced her life and career. This selection looks at this theme. CW
Named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal — as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads, Fortune's must-read business books, and the Washington Post's books every leader should read. "For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either: takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return. Using his own pioneering research as Wharton's youngest tenured professor, Adam Grant shows that these styles have a surprising impact on success. Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries.
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