The recommendations for this month’s reading list were kindly provided by some of our lovely community members who completed the ORSC Series in January, 2022. The books cover a large range of subjects and can be of use to anyone, regardless of the level of experience with the ORSC curriculum.
Connect
by David Bradford and Carole Robin
Recommended by Abi Johnson
A transformative guide to building more fulfilling relationships with colleagues, friends, partners, and family, based on the landmark Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy-Feely”) course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.
The ability to create strong relationships with others is crucial to living a full life and becoming more effective at work. Yet many of us find ourselves struggling to build solid personal and professional connections or unable to handle challenges that inevitably arise when we grow closer to others.
Filled with relatable scenarios and research-backed insights, Connect is an important resource for anyone hoping to improve existing relationships and build new ones at any stage of life.
Rebel Ideas
by Matthew Syed
Recommended by Joss Mathieson
Ideas are everywhere, but those with the greatest problem-solving, business-transforming, and life-changing potential are often hard to identify. Even when we recognize good ideas, applying them to everyday obstacles – whether in the workplace, our homes, or our civic institutions – can seem insurmountable. According to Matthew Syed, it doesn’t have to be this way.
In Rebel Ideas, Syed argues that our brainpower as individuals isn’t enough. To tackle problems from climate change to economic decline, we’ll need to employ the power of “cognitive diversity”. Drawing on psychology, genetics, and beyond, Syed uses real-world scenarios to introduce us to the true power of thinking differently.
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read
by Philippa Perry
Recommended by Gemma Baxter
In this absorbing, clever, and warm book, renowned psychotherapist Philippa Perry tells us what really matters and what behavior it is important to avoid – the vital dos and don’ts of parenting.
Her approach begins with parents themselves and their own psychological make-up and history – and how that in turn influences one’s parenting.
Instead of mapping out the “perfect” plan, Perry offers a big-picture look at the elements that lead to good parent-child relationships. This refreshing judgement-free book will help you to understand how your own upbringing may affect your parenting, accept that you will make mistakes and learn what you can do about them.
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen
Recommended by Carmen Manea
We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success.
You’ll learn how to decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation, start a conversation without defensiveness and stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations.
Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career
by Herminia Ibarra
Recommended by Henrik Herrmann
Whether as a daydream or a spoken desire, nearly all of us have entertained the notion of reinventing ourselves. Feeling unfulfilled, burned out, or just plain unhappy with what we’re doing, we long to make that leap into the unknown. But we also hold on, white-knuckled, to the years of time and effort we’ve invested in our current profession.
In this powerful book, Herminia Ibarra presents a new model for career reinvention that flies in the face of everything we’ve learned from “career experts.”
Through engrossing stories Ibarra reveals a set of guidelines that all successful reinventions share.
