Reading on the Job
One thing that comes up frequently in our conversations with clients, colleagues, and folks in the community, is the recognition that this work — organizational culture, DEIBA, even change management — require a community. There’s no escaping this: our work does not (and cannot) exist in a silo. We rely on one another to push the conversation forward, to learn from each other, and establish what’s effective and what isn’t.
As these fields are relatively new (especially outside the Fortune 500 set), there’s an experimental element, and the more information we can access, the better.
Reading is a fundamental part of this sharing process — and not just specific subject matter material, but also adjacent and often completely unrelated topics, the ideas that add context and complexity to everything else you’re processing. As a lifelong avid reader (proud moment: I won a “most books read” award in 6th grade), I’m often immersed in numerous books simultaneously, with my bookshelf functioning as a reference library.
We were recently prompted in a client pitch to discuss books that inform our work. I love this question for so many reasons:
An acknowledgment of the many influences that inform our (and anyone’s) approach, methodology, and ethos.
I’ve wanted to put together a “bookshelf” page on our website for years, and this prompt was the final push we needed to make it happen.
I love talking about books.
We immediately got to work creating a “what we’re reading” page, a process that allowed us to reflect on what books have been important to us throughout our journey. Although our list is not yet complete, I invite you to check out the books we’ve added so far, and what’s in our queue.
We’d love to hear from you — are any of these books meaningful to you? What else should be on our list?
—Jessica