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Amy has spent the majority of her career at Grainger. As an HR professional she has over 19 years of experience in the HR function spanning LMS/learning technology and support, enterprise-wide program design, development and deployment, operations, facilitation, and internal consulting to business partners on a variety of learning, change, and communication initiatives. Amy currently leads a team spanning the U.S. and Canada that focuses on learning technology, measurement, and delivery, along with operational processes and support.Amy received her degree in teaching kindergarten/prekindergarten children from Iowa State University. Amy and her family reside in Mt Prospect, IL.

Amy Bronder

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 DevelopmentA 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 OrganizationEach 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 WorldIn 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 TeamWhether 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. 

How a Company Book Club Can Enhance Learning, Performance, and Teamwork

Think about your favorite band or artist. They find their rhythm with each other by ensuring they are “N*SYNC” with one another both musically and socially. Employees are the same way.Creating a culture of continuous learning and collaboration is essential for any organization, but it’s not always easy for teams to make the time or prioritize these skills. One innovative way to engage your team and drive discussions around key organizational topics is through book clubs. While book clubs are often associated with personal reading, they can be a powerful tool in a workplace setting, encouraging team members to develop skills and understand topics aligned with your organization’s goals.Promoting Continuous Learning and Professional DevelopmentA book club can serve as an engaging ongoing professional development opportunity. By selecting books that align with your organization’s objectives, your team stays informed about the latest developments in your field but also furthers a collective culture of lifelong learning.The most important part of any book club is the analysis and discussion that happens once the book is read. Through group discussions, team members can apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations, enhancing their ability to contribute to the organization's success. Now you’ve got an excited and engaged workforce that has a collective vocabulary and set of short-hand phrases to convey complex ideas! Here are a few examples of professional development titles offered on Libby.Encouraging Open Dialogue and Diverse PerspectivesBook clubs create a welcoming space where employees can freely share their thoughts and engage in deep conversations on complex topics. Whether exploring themes like diversity and inclusion, change management, or innovation, these discussions promote cross-departmental communication and help break down organizational silos. In an informal setting, book clubs allow employees to connect on a personal level, strengthening relationships and creating a more cohesive workplace. Leveraging existing employee resource groups (ERGs) is an excellent way to launch a book club, seamlessly integrating it into your organization’s culture.Here are a few examples of titles centered around diversity and inclusion in Libby.Aligning Team Efforts With Organizational GoalsBook clubs can be strategically used to align your team’s efforts with the broader goals of your organization. By carefully selecting books that reflect the company's mission, vision, and values, you can reinforce key messages and inspire employees to think critically about how they contribute to the organization's success.For example, if your organization is undergoing a digital workflow transformation, reading and discussing books on technology trends like artificial intelligence can help your team understand the challenges and opportunities ahead.Driving engagement with learning and development isn’t always the easiest sell for an organization, but a book club can help activate employees more, engender passionate advocates for the process, and even develop champions for learning. To learn more about book clubs and how they work at OverDrive, visit our website to inspire your organization’s next book club.

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