Our second Team Book Club meeting focused on discussing "The Art of Gathering" by Priya Parker. When choosing a book, we consider not only team building processes, but also how team members can improve their toolbox at work.
Why this book?
We regularly organize workshops, trainings and expert pools. In these, at least half of our team specializes in event planning. Therefore, it is crucial for us to continuously develop this skill with a focus on people.
For this reason, we chose "The Art of Gathering" by Priya Parker for this Book Club meeting.
"Why do people come together? We come together to solve problems we cannot solve alone."
Organizing work-related events: 3 tips
Some of the advice in the book was universal and dealt with time, location, rules, style and purpose of the event. But the following three specific tips are easily applicable when organizing work-related events. Like an expert pool, workshop or training, for example:
1 - Connect with your audience before the event
This has long been common practice at OpenEmbassy. Every time we assemble a group for an expert pool, we make personal contact with each participant. This not only helps the moderator lead the session more effectively, but also builds trust and produces better results in the group dynamics.
2 - Communities exist where they are not always obvious
A community can be as short as a two-hour session if people share the goals and values of the group, and continue to exist independently based on these moments. A good example is the expert pool with integrationists, who continued to support each other and share experiences long after the session. Moreover, sharing the purpose of the meeting facilitates the creation of a self-selecting group.
3 - Focus on vulnerability
When people are brave enough to enter an unfamiliar space and meet new people, support them with a personal welcome and a chat. Let them know they are welcome and expected. This easily changes the mood of the group from the beginning of the event and paves the way for better engagement.
Treasury for organizing event
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The book itself is a treasure trove of advice and practices for trainers and organizers of any type of event. During our discussion, the question kept coming back to us: how do we do things? Just comparing birthday celebrations in the Netherlands and Ukraine shows completely different approaches.
Next meeting Book Club
What about other events? How often do we consider cultural differences when interacting with others?
To delve into these questions, the book for our next meeting is "The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer. We will explore our attitudes toward different cultures and become even more sensitive.
Want to know more?
Want to learn how to build a community or organize a book club in your organization?
