7 Reasons to Start an Office Book Club
In our office, we know there’s always room for improvement. This year, we started a book club to keep us all sharp, reading books that cover topics from personal development (like how to be 10% happier) to professional development (like learning that “people like us do things like this”). Since starting our office-wide book club, our #hdco-book-club Slack channel is brimming with book recommendations. An office book club shows that not only do people care about being better, but also that the company cares about its people, too.
Need more convincing? Here are seven reasons to start an office book club.
Motivation to read more books
If nothing else, being part of a book club encourages you to read more. A little over a quarter of American adults reported that they haven’t read a book in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center. Just in the few months we’ve been doing our book club, we’ve all read at least five books this year!
Read outside your comfort zone
Personally, before participating in the HDco book club, my reading mantra was, “Give me fiction or give me death!” I had been re-reading the Harry Potter series for the trillionth time or perusing the “latest releases” section of my local Barnes and Noble because I had a preconceived notion that nonfiction was boring. The book club has shattered those notions and encouraged me to read what I normally wouldn’t. It’s opened my eyes to the joys of research-based books, and even prompted me to read more nonfiction outside the book club.
Build stronger relationships
By participating in an office book club, you get to know your coworkers better. You learn about their personal lives, their preferences, and their likes and dislikes through discussions. Even with structured questions about the book, a comfortable and casual conversation will arise, helping us connect naturally without it being weird. These strengthened relationships can then translate into the work itself, promoting a better workplace culture.
Promote continual learning
Whoever said learning stops after college has obviously never been part of a fun book club. You can learn something from just about any book you open: a new word, idea, story, skill, and the list goes on and on. Plus, by being part of a book club, you can learn new perspectives from your coworkers who may have interpreted the material differently than you. Learning can be fun when it’s enjoyed in a communal atmosphere without the stress of being graded on it (looking at you, college professors).
Reduce stress
There have been many studies linking reading to better health. For example, it can help your memory, decrease your risk of Alzheimer’s, and even extend your life. But for more immediate results, reading for just six minutes per day can improve your stress levels. No matter what you read, becoming engrossed in it for a few minutes per day can help you forget your worries and allow to manage your stress better.
Get more out of reading
Book clubs are designed to help you better understand books through spoken discussion. Through participation, you can better organize your thoughts and feelings about the book, and hear others’ opinions, too. This way, you can enjoy your book even more thoroughly than if you were reading it on your own.
Increase both creative and analytical skills
Unsurprisingly, reading allows you to exercise your imagination. By reading stories, you can build new worlds in your mind, boosting your creativity and empathy skills in the process. Reading also helps your capacity for language by teaching you new words and phrases. A study done at Emory University also shows that reading can enhance brain connectivity, which in turn improves brain function.
So, there you have it. Reading has a host of positive effects, and being part of a book club can further those benefits. We instituted a book club to better our company culture, which we discuss at length on Profresh Podcast, and we couldn’t be happier with the results.
Have you started an office book club? Let us know in the comments! Bonus points if you offer new book recommendations, too.
Hoot Design Co. is a marketing, branding, and design agency located in Columbia, MO. We specialize in creating a custom and comprehensive marketing strategy centered around your business's unique strengths and educating you with the tools you need from day one. From logo design to brand identity, website design and execution, and social media marketing strategies in-person and through online courses, we're focused on your business success every step of the way.