How to Start a Book Club at Work: A Concise Bookworm’s Guide
Everyone in Blindfeed is extremely keen on reading. It means that almost every chat we have over lunch or coffee inevitably involves book recomendations that someone has read on the topic discussed. Sometimes it can be inspiring. Sometimes it can be devastating (I tried to keep a list of all recommended books, but then lost track of them). Anyway, we decided that we need to streamline this madness by establishng the Blindfeed Book Club.
The decision was made easily, everyone wanted to participate in the club sessions, and we unanimously agreed to conduct it the last day of every month. We even managed to choose a book we all wanted to read without much ado — ‘Thanks for the Feedback’ by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. Easy! Well, it only seemed so. Here’s a short checklist of the things you need to cover on your way to the long-anticiapted first book club sitting.
1. Decide on the purpose of the Book Club
Do you want to talk about books with other bibiliophiles over a glass of wine (or two)? Or maybe you need some extra help in your pursuit to read more and hope that the club will discipline and encurage you? Pehaps you want to broaden your reading choices and get acquainted with the books you’d otherwise never set eyes on? Whatever personal reasons each Book Club participant may have, it’s also very important to shape the unified vision of the purpose your Book Club has. Maybe it is gong to be one of the extra-work fun activities your company has to encourage more interaction between people from different departments? Or the method of forming the common understanding towards soem professional concepts ot ideas?
We formed The Blindfeed Book Club to cultivate our growth mindset in the friendly, relaxed and open atmosphere (some junk food involved). The more perspectives we discuss the broader our horizons become. We think that readinf and discussing books helps makes it easier for us to develop the common language and reinforces our company values. And we just love books. That’s also a valid reason.
2. Decide on the tone and theme of the Book Club
Perhaps you want to stick with just one topic (historical dramas, productivity books, biographies etc.), or perhaps you want to rotate topics each month. We are focusing on the non-fiction literature without the srtict topic definition. THis way we also diversify our reader’s profile.
3. Create the process to nominate and select the books to read.
We generally choose to read the books that resonate with our mission and inspire us. At Blindfeed we decided not to appoint the book dictator who selects the books everyone needs to read. The next day after the previous Book Club gathering we create a poll (in Slack) where each of us nominates a book to read for the next session with a short intro and explanation why this particular work is worth reading. Then there’s time to vote (appr. 1 day). The book that gets the most votes wins. It’s not a dogmatic decision so we’re always ope for discussion if someone is not completely satisfied with the final choice (it has never happened so far though).
4. Choose a day for the Book Club sitting
Ideally it has to be a regular monthly event, but you can choose intervals that work the best for you. We had to change the designated day for our first session because it was scheduled in the middle of an extremely busy work week at first. Having to change the scheduled day of the sitting is not a tragedy and can happen. Book Clubs are not some mandatory activities after all :) And don’t foget to set up a calendar reminder!
5. Prepare some snacks
It might seem not very important, but having tasty food and drinks while discussing really makes a difference. People relax faster and the whole event doesn’t seem formal and tense. Plus, hungry readers are not very eager readers.
6. Faciltate and structure the discussion
The idea of ‘getting together and openly discussing a book’ won’t work without a preparation and guidance from the organiser. Ideally you’d get that opinion sharing flowing in no time but some orchestration definitely needs to happen at the background. Perhaps look at the background information about the book you’re discussing.
- Maybe something interesting about the author? Check online, chances are that there’re some comprehensive reader’s guides and discussion topics for reading groups. Make notes on the questions that pop up to your mind while you yourself read the book.
- Make sure everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion, but do not force it.
- Try to keep the discussion from sidetracking, although do not try to impost yourself as a teacher.
7. Don’t over obsess about reading a book
Some people won’t read all of the book for the sitting. We all have busy schedules and different life circumstances, so let’s keep the Book Club a safe space where people talk freely without being examined, drilled on the contants of the book or scrutinised about not reading it till the end.
8. Experiment
Do not settle with the routine, change and experiment as much as you want. If the model doesn’t work for your club, change it. Keeping people interested in the book club and coming to its meetings is more important that sticking to the rules you set in the beginning.
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