In today’s fast-paced print industry, staying up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices is crucial for success. Research shows that independent reading of books, trade journals like Printers Digest Magazine and other professional literature remains the fundamental, reliable and efficient way of keeping up-to-date professionally. Unfortunately, many professionals including print business professionals are reluctant readers.
As a manager you can use several strategies to promote systematic reading habits in your staff members. In so doing you will contribute to their personal development and to the advancement of your organization.
Here are few tips to help your team read what really matters
Be intentional in bringing about a change in reading attitude
Reading is essential for personal and professional development, it expands our interest, introduces new and challenging subjects, and exposes us to the latest ideas, trends and issues in our industry. As a manager your main contribution will be to foster a positive attitude to your staff towards reading for their own benefit and for the advancement of the organization
Encourage your staff to set aside time for reading
The time devoted to reading is a measure of its value to the employee and to the manager. The usual excuse given by people for not doing more professional reading is that they simply don’t have the time. The way around this is to make sure that appropriate reading materials- professional journals like Printers Digest Magazine, books, policy documents, handbooks, references is readily accessible and that time is set aside for reading it. Are you as a manager, able or sufficiently motivate to find ways of doing this?
Urge employees to be discriminating readers
If your staff can’t find the time to read sufficiently, the solution is to redirect their reading focus from the unwanted and unnecessary reading matter that currently swamps the social media to reading trade literatures. This selection process can be accomplished as follows:
– Determine those areas of interest so important to the work task that they must and can only explore in-depth and thoughtfully
– Determine those Developments and ideas which must be kept up with on a broad and less intensive basis
– Compile and consider two lists of industry journals to subscribe to and books which cater for your specific business interest
– Decide what minimum combination of journals or books will best serve your needs in these two areas and focus on these only
Create a staff library
Most employee if left to their own initiative are unlikely to purchase or subscribe personally to professional or trade literatures. You can combat this reluctance by setting aside a small budget to maintain and upgrade a reading resource centre within your organization.
Experiment with engagement strategies
Be proactive in your approach to the fostering of active staff reading habits; consider these ideas:
– Locate reading materials centrally where staff can easily pick them to read
– Scan and send items of interest to a particular staff and distribute amongst other staff members
– Display or share details of useful items on staff platforms
– Set aside time at staff meetings to discuss useful articles and ideas
– Delegate essential reading and ask a staff to summarise them and report or share at staff meetings
– Acknowledge staff members who initiate discussions and issues or topic of interest from the readings
Lead by example
Once upon a time there was a manager who had three basic rules for employees wishing to see him in his office. He said ‘If I am on the phone, ‘wait until you hear me put down the receiver’, then come in. ‘if I am doing over paper work knock and enter. But if I have pulled out my bottom drawer, I ‘ve got my feet up, and I’m reading my latest trade journal like Printers Digest Magazine come back later.’ Here was a manager who valued the importance of keeping up-to-date through professional reading. In what way do you indicate to your staff the value of the trade literature you read?
In summary, all print business professionals should be aware of the need to keeping up-to-date. By fostering a culture of reading within your print business, you can drive growth, improve efficiency, and stay ahead of the competition. Encourage your team to read regularly and reap the benefits of a well-informed and engaged workforce.
