Scaling Up Magazine Scaling Up Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 29

SUMMER '18
WOULD YOU read a book for cash? Many
CEOs find that their employees will,
and that by using the BetterBookClub
to organize the process, they can build
better awareness of new business
methodologies and concepts that can be
helpful in growing their companies.
Advertising entrepreneur Arnie Malham
started the BetterBookClub when, in
an effort to get up-to-speed in running
his previous firm, CJ Advertising, he
found that the books he was reading
were overtaking his home. To clear the
clutter, Malham packed his books in
boxes and brought them to the office,
confident that they would find new life
among his employees at work. Only
that didn’t happen. The books sat,
unread, until Malham devised a plan.
Inside each book, Malham wrote a
number—perhaps “50” or “100”— that
was the dollar amount he would pay
an employee for reading that particular
book. This method worked like a charm
to motivate employees—particularly
the younger, more cash-strapped
ones—to begin to read and learn. Soon,
they were reading dozens of books,
educating themselves on important
business topics and strategies that
would often help improve their own job
performance and productivity. From
there, the BetterBookClub was born.
In 2012, as a speaker at the John DiJulius
Customer Service Summit in Cleveland,
Ohio, Malham mentioned his unique
idea of “paying people to read.” Of the
dozen or so things he covered that day, he
found himself answering questions almost
exclusively about the BetterBookClub.
That was the day Malham realized
that this simple concept he had been
using for several years to grow his team
members in-house might be a business
concept capable of creating a very real
impact on a great number of people.
He quickly replaced the system he had
cobbled together in Microsoft Excel and
Access with a real operating system,
launching the company officially in 2014.
Now, just a few years later, there
are BetterBookClubs in hundreds of
GET DOWN TO BASICS
locations, each espoused by an employee
“champion.” That person works to recruit
group members, form discussion groups
based on particular books or topics, and
supervise the overall process. Rather than
the traditional book club format, in which
everyone reads a single book for discussion,
the BetterBookClub is structured to allow
members to read books (including ebooks
or audiobooks) of their choosing—possibly
a different book for everyone—and then
meet to provide a five-minute overview
of the particular book they read. This
sharing of ideas not only plants the seeds
for employees to discover new books to
read but also encourages the exchange of
ideas among employees that work closely
together as well as those that might be
meeting for the first time. The entire
process makes for a more knowledgeable
employee base and richer exchange of
ideas within the organization. “It brings
important concepts to life in a way that’s
truly extraordinary,” says Malham.
A simple dashboard shows participants
what each of them is reading, available
books, book rankings and reviews by
employees, and statistics like “most
popular book.” Employees can join as
many of these untraditional book groups
as they want. Their reading profile follows
them whether they are in a group with
other employees, business peers, or purely
social friends. Companies incentivize their
readers in different ways—many with cash
that might be paid via a gift card, cash or
payroll, or company swag. The ballpark
cost per employee per year is about $200,
but that number is highly dependent on the
degree of participation, the commitment of
your company champion, and the vitality
of your recognition and rewards program.
At Hollister Construction, based
in Parsippany, New Jersey, the
BetterBookClub is part of an overall
growth culture, which also includes
training, mentoring, and other programs.
According to Project Executive Tony
Bienert, who oversees the club, one of
the original goals of starting the project
was to help employees become better
educated so they could help become
leaders in areas such as project planning,
financial analysis, and management.
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“Our company is all about learning
and growing—both personally and
professionally—so our book collection
aligns with these core values,” says Tony.
“If we see that we are lacking in an area
related to a core value, we will add to our
collection, which now numbers about 235
books.” For example, the book The Go
Giver—A Little Story About a Powerful
Business Idea by Bob Burg was added
recently because it perfectly embodies
almost every one of Hollister’s core values.
The message in the book is to freely give
of your time, talents, and treasures without
the expectation of anything in return.
At DSicovery, a legal support firm based in
Nashville, Tennessee, the BetterBookClub
gives employees an opportunity to connect
with colle agues they may otherwise never
have the opportunity to meet. “With eight
to ten different departments, we often don’t
have the opportunity to work side-by-side
with certain people,” says Justin Moses,
the firm’s Culture Warrior. “Employees are
often busy in various meetings in different
directions, but they come together for this
one meeting that bridges the gap between
departments. We can get to know each
other better and become attuned to new
ideas based on the books we’re all reading.”
Moses describes one particular book,
2 Second Lean by Paul A. Akers, that
had such an impact on him that he
recommended it to a colleague in the
production department of DSicovery.
She read the book, which details how
companies can enhance efficiency, and
others in her department followed. Their
reaction was so positive that the team
decided to reorganize the department
according to the book’s recommendations,
which helped enhance process efficiency
and greatly improve productivity.
Through it all, Malham continues to read
avidly, and he predicts he will never slow
down. His favorite strategy is to hear a
speaker and then follow up by reading his
or her books. By the end of 2019, he hopes
to have 50,000 other readers engaged in
over 1,000 BetterBookClubs across the
globe—all learning innovative and creative
ways to contribute to the ongoing growth of
their companies. BetterBookClub.com