Tuesday, January 30, 2018

"The Outward Mindset: Seeing Beyond Ourselves" by The Arbinger Institute

One of three books focused on the workplace and human interactions, this is the second I have read ("The Anatomy of Peace" was the first).  While it didn't have the emotional impact of "The Anatomy of Peace" I liked this work somewhat better in that the stories were real.  The artificiality of the previous book allowed me to distance somewhat.  In this one, which opens with a powerful story of the actions of a member of a SWAT team, I found myself drawn in more to the complexities of how we function at work and how we see others around us.  Like the other book the prose is clean, clear and to the point.  It makes for a fast read and there are multiple takeaways.  I like the authors' efforts to drill down.  While the presented graphics are very simplistic the writers make sure not to stop at the first point but to continue unpeeling layers.  At the end the wrap-up goes on for several chapters (perhaps more than is needed) but the book is hugely palatable and quite accessible.  Very much worth the effort for anyone dealing with the day-to-day challenges of working in a large organization.

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