You’re Invited to Book Club
Think Again by Adam Grant
As Internal Communications professionals, we learn from diverse disciplines. That’s why I ask each featured guest this question — “how do you continue learning about the field?”
Thinking differently is a common theme that has emerged from the responses. Inspired by these answers and the 2021 New York Times bestseller —Think Again by Adam Grant — will be our first book club conversation.
This virtual event series is a chance to connect, chat and challenge ourselves intellectually. It will be limited in size to foster an authentic community, engage in meaningful discussions and identify lessons learned to apply to Internal Communications.
RSVP
All sessions will begin at 6:00pm PT/9:00pm ET and last approximately 45 minutes.
May 5th - Part 1: Individual Rethinking
May 12th - Part 2: Interpersonal Rethinking
May 19th - Part 3: Collective Rethinking
FAQs
Do I need to sign up for all sessions? It’s up to you. Join for one, two or three sessions. Each session will focus on a different part of the book.
What will the format of each session be? We will begin with introductions to meet each other. Then, we will discuss key questions sparked by the book and focus on how to apply lessons learned to internal communications.
How can I best prepare for each session? Read or listen to the specific part of the book. A few days before each session, you will receive a reminder email with questions to consider for the upcoming discussion.
Do I need to be an internal communications professional to attend? It is not a requirement, but the series is geared towards those in the field. All professions are welcome to attend, but this series is geared towards working professionals.
Is there a cost to attend? There is no cost to attend.
What happens after I RSVP? You will receive a calendar invite with the Zoom details.
Who will facilitate this event? It will be facilitated by Julia Levy, Editor of The Switchboard and members of The Switchboard community.
Will the sessions be recorded? No, they are intended to be conversation based and take place live.
Will Adam Grant attend? I plan to invite him, but this event is not affiliated with him.
Will there be more of these events in the future? Perhaps, let’s see how this one goes! It’s an experiment in a different type of networking.
About the Book
The bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people’s minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life
Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there’s another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn.
We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval–and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.
Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people’s minds–and our own. As Wharton’s top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he’s right but listen like he’s wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners.
You’ll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don’t have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It’s an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.
Reviews
“THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more—it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.”
—Brené Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead
“Think Again is a must-read for anyone who wants to create a culture of learning and exploration, whether at home, at work, or at school… In an increasingly divided world, the lessons in this book are more important than ever.”
–Bill and Melinda Gates