Summer Reading List for POPs (People Ops People)

Summer’s in full swing and we hope you have some recharge time built-in. If you’re anything like us at LifeLabs, your idea of relaxation includes time for reading and learning.

We’ve gathered suggestions from dozens of successful People Ops People (POPs), and compiled a list of a few of our favorite POP reads to help you be the best you can be — once you get back from vacation that is. Enjoy!

If you want to focus on your career:

• Rise: 3 Practical Steps. Follow veteran exec Patty Azzarelo’s concrete strategies to get noticed and grow in your career. Sample tip: embrace your inner laziness — everyone can get on board with that.
• The Career Manifesto: Discover Your Calling and Create an Extraordinary Life. Written by the CEO of XO Group (and LifeLabs client!), this highly readable book will help you answer the question “What do I want to be when I grow up?”

If you want to get into the executive mindset:

• The Founder’s Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crisis of Growth. Build empathy with execs and speak to the challenges on their minds — or anticipate what they haven’t thought of yet.
• Leadership & Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box. This mind-trip of a book will fundamentally alter your view of leadership by diving into the impact your decisions have on others.

If you want to brush up on the fundamentals:

• Difficult Conversations:How to Discuss What Matters Most. A POP classic, this book equips you to handle most challenging situations in the workplace. Keep a copy handy for reference and inspiration.
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Written by the pioneer of influence studies Robert Cialdini, this book illuminates why some messages feel more powerful than others.

If you want to learn cool concepts to apply:

• Inside the Nudge Unit: How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference. This is one big real-world example of how small behavioral economics tweaks can be applied to drive massive behavior change.
• When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. Sound cutting edge at your next team lunch by quoting from Dan Pink’s newest book about the science behind timing.

If you want to have fun with alternative perspectives:

• Year Without Pants: WordPress and The Future of Work. Read how WordPress handles its fully distributed workforce through the voice of one of their managers. Distributed teams are the future!
• Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-up Bubble. Fly through a journalist’s account of their experience working for a rapidly growing tech company. You’ll laugh, cry, or have the unsettling feeling that you could have written parts of this book.