In the book, Ken Blanchard builds a parable around a few lessons from the animal kingdom. The incessant squacking of geese, he says, is actually a flock of birds telling each other over and over, in goose language, to keep up the great work. According to Ken, today’s workplaces could learn a little from the gift of the goose.
The businesswomen who make up the Myx Mavericks Business Book Club agreed. Once a month, we huddle at Myx to digest our latest book choice and toss out business questions and stories to help make the book’s lessons stick. The result is a powerful evening of advice and peer support that would take experts days, if not weeks, to emulate in a classroom.
Our businesses may be different but we have a lot in common. We want to know: How do you find the right talent? How do you keep it? How do you turn a bit of advice from a book into sustainable real life practice?
In our last meeting, as we dissected First Break All the Rules, someone raised the idea of conducting group interviews. The process puts one or two interviewers into a room with all the job’s short-listed candidates.
It’s hard to imagine but according to businesses who’ve tried it, this group interview technique is extremely effective in finding the right talent match for your business.
Why does the technique work? Because people let down their guard. Unlike traditional one-on-one situations, where the candidate can focus on giving all the right answers, being surrounded by other candidates is distracting. And in the midst of distraction, real personalities and responses emerge.
It may not be an interview process that works for everyone but it’s certainly showing results for a few members of Myx Mavericks. And the rest of us are learning by association.
The trend of business book clubs isn’t new. Google the idea and you’ll find the Montreal Business Book Club, the Big Brain Business Book, Nancy McCabe’s Business Book Club and many others. What seems to set Myx Mavericks apart is the idea of meeting as a themed group. In this case, it’s women running businesses in Newfoundland. The other key ingredient is meeting face-to-face.
In the case of the Montreal Book Club, the initiative only lasted a year as a face-to-face gathering. After that, organizers saw the potential to reach more people with a blog. The blog turned into a podcast, which turned into an online community, which ultimately fizzled out. And guess what? They’re now working on getting the face-to-face sessions back on track. What a surprise.
Ideas and shared experiences happen best when a human connection is present, when you can do things like make eye contact and laugh out loud with each other. This might explain why face-to-face book clubs of all varieties are gaining popularity. Amidst the hype and pressures of social media, an evening with a book in your hand and a group of trusted friends or colleagues around the table, is, well, a relief.
It’s also a priceless learning opportunity. One of our group’s hot topics has been the hiring process. I know for me, the wisdom I’ve gained from the Myx Mavericks Book Club circle will make a huge difference to my next recruitment process. I also know the same advice could have cost me thousands in HR consulting fees.
Pushing my business ahead with the help of books, friends, stories, advice, and dinner? In my mind, it’s a recipe that can’t fail.
Contact us if we can help you put together your own Myx Mavericks Business Book Club.
