Dusseldorf, Berlin There are book titles that are difficult to translate. Clayton Christensen and his “Innovator’s Dilemma”, for example. The standard work by the well-known Harvard business professor who died in 2020 has the same name in German as in the English original. “The title was left as is because it is a world bestseller that was also known to German-speaking readers,” explains Kurt Matzler, Professor of Strategic Management in Innsbruck and co-author of the German-language version.
But what is written between the covers of the book is often easier to understand in English than in the German translation. A lot of Denglisch, skewed metaphors and the occasional question as to what this sentence originally said are often part of the reality of readers of interpreted management and career literature.
And so it is not surprising that what has been good form for Netflix series and cinema films for years is also becoming more and more popular on the non-fiction market: original English-language goods. According to the “Börsenblatt” of the German book trade, more than five million Germans regularly read books or newspapers in English, French or Spanish. But which current management and business titles are worth it?
The Handelsblatt has reviewed promising new releases from the field in English – six recommendations for your reading list this year:
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Tony Fadell: Build – An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making
Hardly anyone knows better than Tony Fadell how to make products that inspire others. The computer engineer is considered the inventor of the iPod, worked on Apple’s iPhone and founded the thermostat manufacturer Nest in 2010, which now belongs to Google.
Tony Fadell: Build.
Bantam Press
London 2022
416 pages
24.75 euros
His book “Build” is a mixture of memories, the latest tech rumors and career tips that the inventor received from Steve Jobs, among others. One of the most important: “Stay a beginner”, meaning: keep the perspective of the beginner and show that you are willing to learn.
This attitude, with which Fadell reliably hits the notches of modern management literature, is necessary to build or found something new. In Fadell’s view, the best leaders are those who never stop making trouble in a positive sense and questioning the old. The 53-year-old calls them “shit stirrers” – it will be interesting to see how the translators interpret here.
Johann Hari: Stolen Focus. Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again
Reading, scrolling, checking e-mails, watching TV: everything is possible at the same time. To put it nicely, it’s multitasking. More aptly, it is the dramatic loss of our attention – and one of the most profound psychological problems of our time. For his book “Stolen Focus”, the British journalist Johann Hari traveled around the world and found the same pattern everywhere: Mankind has systematically forgotten how to focus, to live in the moment.
Johann Hari: Stolen Focus.
Bloomsbury Publishing
London 2022
352 pages
23.99 euros
Although we all feel addressed, Hari does not write down from above. Because we not only lose our concentration, but, according to the theory, it is actively being stolen from us. This is the only way the business models of some large tech companies work.
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Hari’s deep analysis is not surprising – but it is alarming. Studies and expert interviews illustrate the permanent temptation to allow oneself to be distracted. We can turn off the notifications for Instagram and Co. – or even delete the apps. But the author calls for the algorithms to be changed: according to Hari, system problems require system solutions.
There are also a few practical tips, such as the ten-minute rule. Here’s how it works: As soon as we feel the urge to check messages, wait ten minutes. Most of the time, the impulse to check the cell phone is gone.
Dewar C, Keller S, Malhotra V: CEO Excellence – The Six Mindsets that Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest
When consultants answer a question, they like to look for role models for their business case beforehand. It is therefore not surprising that McKinsey partners Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller and Vikram Malhotra asked 67 (!) CEOs from various industries and countries what makes a good boss for their book “CEO Excellence”.
These include well-known C-level figures such as JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon (“The best team player is one who speaks out when a decision is not made in the interests of the customer or the company”), American Express’s Ken Chenault (“The Role of a manager is to define reality and otherwise give hope”) and the former Adidas boss and current FC Bayern President Herbert Hainer.
Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, Vikram Malhotra: CEO Excellence.
Scribner
NYC 2022
384 pages
12.99 euros
The result is six mindsets that are based on old management virtues: Make big changes before the competition does – and preferably quickly and frequently. Find your unique selling proposition. Make the team a star and – keyword time management – be in the right place at the right time within the company with a lot of energy. Most tips from better times also apply in the crisis.
Matthew E Kahn, Going Remote—How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and Cities
Wouldn’t you like to be a little like Harrison Ford? Good news: They probably are. Because Ford is a remote worker, just as millions upon millions of office workers have become since the pandemic. For decades, the Hollywood star has taken the liberty of spending part of the year in LA and the rest at his home in Wyoming.
Consequently, the urban economist Matthew E. Kahn argues in his latest work “Going Remote” that we have all become little Harrison Fords – and that we will probably stay that way. Even if Kahn rightly points out that not every professional has Ford’s budget.
Matthew Kahn: Going Remote.
University of California Press
Berkeley 2022
265 pages
20.33 euros
In his book, Kahn looks at the opportunities of working from home with contagious optimism – and through the eyes of a global city planner: working from home could make big cities more affordable, strengthen rural regions, cheap, less popular cities and free the individual from rigid office structures and more annoying free pendulum.
>> Read here: Home office forever – Silicon Valley doesn’t want to go back to the office
Kahn’s conclusion: By “influencing the geography in which successful people live,” remote working is creating new opportunities for growth in areas that have lagged behind for decades. A fresh look at the home office hype.
Dominique J. Darmon: Have I Got Dirt for You – Using Office Gossip to Your Advantage
Engaging in office gossip is considered a productivity killer. After all, anyone who regularly chats at the coffee machine is not working, but spreading rumours, eavesdropping on colleagues or gossiping. Gossip on the job is better than its reputation, as Dominique J. Darmon, communication expert from the Netherlands, shows in her new book “Have I Got Dirt for You”.
Dominique Darmon: Have I Got Dirt For You.
Amsterdam University Press
Amsterdam 2022
260 pages
33.72 euros
The “office gossip” is about more than simply exchanging rumors, she says. If you do it right, you can contribute to a better mood with a few tricks and tricks, get helpful information yourself and integrate colleagues more easily.
The key to gossip success is finding the right balance. Studies show that if you constantly gossip, your colleagues will quickly classify you as not very trustworthy. On the other hand, according to Darmon, people who never participate in office gossip can appear disinterested.
In order to find the right amount of gossip, professionals have to find the right place to gossip (in addition to the coffee kitchen, the smoking corner is also ideal), pass their information on to the right people to talk to (bosses should be careful not to gossip too much with their subordinates, for example). ) and be clear about the right content (don’t be afraid to gossip a bit from time to time – if you only spread positive gossip, you will eventually be perceived as uninteresting).
How do you master this balancing act? Darmon has many concrete tips for this – addressed to both bosses and their team members.
Markus Reitzig: Get Better at Flatter – A Guide to Shaping and Leading Organizations with Less Hierarchy
New Work disciples cannot emphasize it often enough: Fewer hierarchies ensure more success. They make people more creative, decisions faster and employees happier. So far, so well known.
Nevertheless, not every company should rely on flat structures, warns Markus Reitzig in his book “Get Better at Flatter”. The organizational scientist with German roots talks about successful organizational chart experiments such as that at the outdoor brand Patagonia, where employees can take time off without permission to go surfing or hiking.
Markus Reitzig: Get Better at Flatter.
Palgrave Macmillan
Basingstoke 2022
234 pages
32.09 euros
But he also gives examples of companies going back to the old system. For example, the online programming school “Treehouse” had to reintroduce more controls after two years. Many projects never came to an end because there was no one who felt responsible. According to co-founder Ryan Carson, the “headless approach” was helpful for Treehouse when it had around 60 employees – but not when it had 100 employees.
The book offers flowcharts so that bosses can see whether the company needs fewer levels. Anyone who can answer the question “Can you determine which people have the best ideas?” with “Yes”, for example, has already reached the first end of the graphic: no flat structure, instead establish a forum in which experts work together.
Reitzig’s book is a well-founded scientific treatise with instructions worth reading. However, it requires focus and perseverance. The author himself recommends skipping a number of chapters and only returning if you have questions about specific examples.
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