Whether a team member is working hybrid, on-site, or from home, building team cohesion is essential for success in the workplace. Finding ways to create a shared experience can be challenging yet rewarding. Hosting a company book club can be a powerful way to build a sense of connection and promote learning and development simultaneously.

A Book Club for Learning and Development

A book club can be a powerful L&D tool, creating team growth by building skills, communication styles, and work processes that align with organizational goals—whether it’s adopting Scrum for faster, high-quality work, or learning StoryBrand to clarify brand messaging. This shared learning creates smooth processes for teams to build knowledge they can apply directly to their roles.

Employee feedback surveys are an invaluable and sometimes underused tool to guide book club choices and address pain points in the company. If employees report dissatisfaction with meetings, a book on productive gatherings could be valuable. Similarly, a book on emotional intelligence can improve both workplace relationships and client interactions. Tailoring book selections to team needs and goals makes the book club initiative more relevant and effective.

Practical Steps for Starting a Book Club in Your Organization

Each workplace is unique, but consider a few of these vetted steps that can lead to starting a successful book club. You’ll want to tailor them to your employee and cultural needs:

Survey employee interests and needs: Before selecting a book, consider conducting a short survey to gauge employees’ interests. This helps to align the book club's content with the topics employees care about most and maximizes engagement.

Choose accessible formats: Offering the book in multiple formats—audio, e-book, and print—can ensure it’s accessible to a broader range of employees. A platform and app like Libby is your go-to for multi-format reading.

Set a manageable schedule: To ensure the book club doesn’t feel burdensome, set a reading schedule that’s manageable for everyone and is something that special that everyone looks forward to.

Create discussion questions: To encourage participation, consider preparing discussion questions that prompt reflection and open dialogue.

Cut through information silos across departments: Consider opening the book club to employees across departments. This not only broadens perspectives during discussions but can also break down silos and cross-departmental understanding.

Book Clubs as Connection Points in a Flexible, Remote World

In a time when remote and hybrid work can make employees feel isolated from their coworkers, a book club offers a simple yet effective way to reconnect. For employees who may not work together daily, it provides a structured opportunity to interact and build rapport. Imagine that employees are reading a follow-up book on their DISC assessment types. In the discussion afterwards, one participant states that their communication style is more direct than another’s preferred way of emailing or speaking. Then others realize the challenge communicating wasn’t what they were saying, but how they might have said it. These interactions can make employees feel more engaged and less isolated, creating a sense of belonging and camaraderie that carries over to other aspects of their work.

Building a Stronger, More Cohesive Team

Whether it’s developing new skills, enhancing communication, or simply connecting on a human level, a company book club has the potential to strengthen teams and create a more cohesive work environment. Encourage employees to get involved in book clubs to foster their professional growth, deepen connections with one another, and inspire them to think outside of the box.