Folks,

What! Don’t bring your best self? Are you mad?

When I read “Don’t bring your best self to a meeting” in the book Art of Gathering, I knew exactly what Priya Parker was getting at, and I reckon you do too. 

Why would anyone spend their time defending what doesn’t work? Because no one wants to get mugged off. It’s why Harry Truman asked for a one-handed economist. The only ones he knew offered solutions on the one hand, but on the other….

I catch myself doing it, I’ve coached hundreds, if not thousands, of people who do it, and I’m pretty sure you have been in meetings where the real issue never gets covered, because covering arse is much more important.

And the cure? 

Build a temporary world with rules. A place where people don’t feel the need to show up to impress, but a place where being open, curious and willing to learn is the default. It’s a moonshot, of course it is, but what’s the alternative?

When Wendy Woon wanted to teach museum curators about how you must design a space for interaction, she jumbled up a pile of chairs and left them in the centre of the otherwise empty room. The students had no choice but to participate in designing a space—where else were they going to sit?

Whether you are gathering for a funeral, a coaching session or a meeting it’s worth considering how you want people to interact with each other and then design for it.

Here's to a great week,

Simon

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