Saturday, June 19, 2021

The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters (Priya Parker)

 

After more than a year of no gatherings, thanks to Covid, I was really interested in what this author had to say about why we gather. I'm keen to be purposeful, now that things are opening up, in what I spend my time doing, who I get together with and how our time is spent together. This book didn't disappoint! 

Being purposeful about the reason for an event, who should attend, how to communicate those purposes, how to make being together meaningful and ending well are things to think through. This is a book to read (or listen to) annually. It gave me many ideas for ways I could make gatherings better.

Goodreads says:

A transformative exploration of the power, purpose, and benefits of gatherings in our lives: at work, at school, at home and beyond.

Every day we find ourselves in gatherings, Priya Parker says in The Art of Gathering. If we can understand what makes these gatherings effective and memorable, then we can reframe and redirect them to benefit everyone, host and guest alike. Parker defines a gathering as three or more people who come together for a specific purpose. When we understand why we gather, she says -- to acknowledge, to learn, to challenge, to change -- we learn how to organize gatherings that are relevant and memorable: from an effective business meeting to a thought-provoking conference; from a joyful wedding to a unifying family dinner. Drawing on her experience as a strategic facilitator who's worked with such organizations as the World Economic Forum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the retail company Fresh, Parker explains how ordinary people can create remarkable occasions, large and small. In dozens of fascinating examples, she breaks down the alchemy of these experiences to show what goes into the good ones and demonstrates how we can learn to incorporate those elements into all of our gatherings. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of big ideas with real-world applications that will change the way you look at a business meeting, a parent-teacher conference, and a backyard barbecue.
 


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