The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you a writer or an aspiring writer? What’s on your reading list? Writers are readers. It’s beneficial for writers to read all sorts of books—fiction and nonfiction alike. But, for those who seriously seek to hone their craft and find encouragement from people who’ve been there, a few must-reads rise to the top. Discover our list of the best books for writers to read.
How does good feedback push you toward your goals? Where should you go to seek feedback? According to How Champions Think by Bob Rotella, you should look for supportive people who genuinely want you to succeed for advice. They won’t try to tear you down, but they’ll also give you honest and constructive feedback that you need. Find out how to get the feedback you need to hear.
How do you respond to stress? If someone wants to persuade you of something when you’re stressed, what tack should they take? In Words That Change Minds, Shelle Rose Charvet discusses two basic stress personalities. She explains how you can identify someone’s stress personality and speak to them in an influential way in the midst of a stressful situation. Keep reading to learn about the two basic stress personalities and how to get through to people and even influence them during times of stress.
Do your team members feel like they can be completely open with you and each other? Or, do they tend to guard themselves and be careful about what they share? According to Patrick Lencioni, trust is foundational to team performance. He has written two books about the dysfunctions of teams. The first dysfunction is a lack of trust among team members. He explains what he means by trust, why it’s critical, and how to build it. Keep reading to learn about team trust.
Do your team members know how to handle disagreements in a constructive way? Or, do they let conflict build up until it explodes? In Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, renowned business consultant Patrick Lencioni says that, once you’ve tackled Dysfunction #1 (the absence of trust), you can take on Dysfunction #2: a fear of conflict. When it’s managed well, conflict is healthy for teams. Continue reading to learn Lencioni’s advice for mastering conflict in teams.
What’s the difference between self-preoccupied people and interpersonally aware people? How can you influence both types? In Words That Change Minds, communication and influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet explains the difference between these two wirings. She contends that, if you learn how someone thinks, you can consciously match their frame of reference and speak in a language they understand. Keep reading to understand both self-preoccupation and interpersonal awareness and how to interact effectively with both types.
How much do people get away with on your team? Which is more effective—accountability from managers or colleagues? Patrick Lencioni addresses the issue of accountability in both of his books about team dysfunctions, identifying the avoidance of accountability as the fourth dysfunction. He says that it’s much easier to call people out on results than behaviors, but the latter is far more important. Continue reading for Lencioni’s advice on overcoming the avoidance of accountability in a team.
What does it take to convince you of something? How in touch are you with what it takes to persuade the people around you? Influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet contends that everyone has a persuasion style. She identifies four persuasion styles and provides advice on how you can detect a person’s style and communicate with them in a way that hits the mark. She also addresses the amount of evidence people require. Read more to understand Charvet’s arguments and to get some analysis on both persuasion styles and requirements.
Would you like to be more effective at convincing people to believe or do certain things? Are you a leader who struggles to get your team members on board? In Words That Change Minds, communication and influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet identifies eight Productivity Patterns. She says that these patterns explain how an individual does their best work after they’ve decided to solve a problem. Keep reading to learn several persuasive language techniques that take these Productivity Patterns into account.
Is your team unified? What role does communication play in getting people to buy into team decisions? In his business fable The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni identifies a lack of commitment as the third dysfunction. In his follow-up book, Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he shares ways you can break through this challenge. Read more to learn Lencioni’s advice for getting each member of your team wholeheartedly on the same page.