Insights
Books that influence us
We have found asymmetrical ideas that influenced how we approach our M&A integration efforts, technology innovation, and that have come to deeply influence our culture.
Range by David Epstein
Having a holistic and generalist perspective is powerful and an advantage in a world of specialists. The world presents ‘wicked’ problems and, to when most are prepared as specialists, the generalist is better prepared to face the complex problems that will emerge.
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
A seminal work on Cognitive Psychology. Explores the overreliance and excessive trust people have in human judgements and explores our exposure to cognitive bias and errors in reasoning.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
You have a perspective about the state of the world around you. That perspective is almost certainly wrong.
Rosling establishes the facts and offers a framework for analysis. When someone offers you a data point, make certain you have one with which to compare it. The situation may be bad, but it may also be as good as it has ever been, and improving rapidly.
It is a call to evaluate the world on the merit of the facts and in context.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Consultants are always driven to improve things. This is a cautionary tale to listen to your client, to understand what they want, to hear what they feel, and to calibrate your expertise to achieve the outcome they want.
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
While it is a book that investigates advanced negotiation techniques, it is easily seen as an exploration in advanced listening. How to listen now to respond, nor to hear what you want, but to really hear what people have to say.
There is no greater need that people have than to be fully heard, and fully understood.
