Why you need a book club (at work!) (courtesy the SMHS Community Action, Advocacy, Resources, and Empowerment Crew)

There are many ways to spend your breaks at work. You could answer a few more emails, take a walk, sit outside, catch up on your to-do list, scroll through your phone, or, if you’re feeling like a multitasker, eat lunch outside while answering emails and scrolling through your phone.

Or you could read a book. Better yet, you could read a book with your colleagues.

A workplace book club might sound like one more commitment on an already crowded calendar. But done well, a book club is less about adding another meeting and more about creating space for something we don’t always get enough of at work: connection, curiosity and conversation.

And there are some real benefits to it, including the following:

Reading together is different from reading alone: Reading is often thought of as a solitary activity. You find a quiet place, open a book and disappear into it for a while. That’s part of its appeal. But discussing a book with other people adds another dimension. Psychology Today recently highlighted several ways book clubs can support mental well-being, including increasing social connection, building confidence and social skills, encouraging self-reflection and strengthening critical-thinking skills. Sharing thoughts about a book also gives people an opportunity to explore ideas and experiences that they might not encounter in their everyday lives. Workplaces bring together people with different roles, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Those differences can sometimes make it difficult to find common ground. A book provides a common starting point.

A book can open a door to perspective: Reading gives us a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Research on biblioguidance book clubs found that shared reading can help participants gain insight into others’ perspectives and experiences while fostering feelings of hope, validation, and connection. In the workplace, a book can create a natural starting point for conversations about leadership, belonging, resilience, or workplace culture. The book doesn’t have to provide all the answers, it just needs to give us a good question to consider together.

Book clubs can strengthen workplace community: Workplace culture is built through everyday interactions. A book club creates an opportunity to connect with colleagues across roles and departments in a setting where the conversation doesn’t have to start with work. Those small connections matter. Shared experiences and conversation help build relationships, trust, and a sense of affinity.

It is professional development, but not the usual kind: A workplace book club doesn’t have to focus on business books. Novels, memoirs, biographies, novellas, and historical books can encourage critical thinking, challenge assumptions and introduce perspectives different from our own. These are professional skills, too. A book club supports continuous learning while providing a welcome break from traditional training. And there is something refreshing about professional development that doesn’t involve a slide deck!

The conversation may be the most important part: The value of a book club isn’t based on proving who understood the book best. It’s the conversation that follows. What surprised you? Did the book change your perspective? Would you have made the same decision? What does the story have to do with the way we work? Discussing these questions gives colleagues an opportunity to practice respectful dialogue, active listening and thoughtful disagreement. You don’t have to agree with someone to learn from their perspective.

So, should you join? Yes! You don’t need to be an avid reader or finish every book in its entirety. You just need to be willing to read, listen and participate. A workplace book club can build connections, encourage learning, strengthen communication, expand empathy, and create a meaningful break from the workday. It may be a small investment, but it can make a meaningful difference in well-being, connection and workplace culture.

Consider joining the CAARE Crew’s upcoming book club, which begins mid-September, where we will be reading the novella Small Things Like These.

Please complete this form if you’re interested in joining or would like more information!