Field Notes from the Bookshelf
These are short practice notes on what a book helps us notice about power, facilitation, leadership, conflict, culture, change, belonging, and organizational life. Some books give us language. Some give us tools. Some interrupt our assumptions. Some help us ask better questions in the rooms we are invited to hold. Here, we share what we are reading, what we are sitting with, and why it matters for the work of gathering people, making decisions, navigating complexity, and building more human organizations.
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Going Horizontal
A practice note on sharing power, rethinking hierarchy, and making collaboration real.
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The Sol Cafe: What’s missing is U
A practice note on adult learning, facilitation, and designing rooms where people actually learn. Why this one made the shelf: Because adult learning is not just about transferring information. It is about designing the conditions for people to connect, participate, reflect, and leave with something they can actually use. What it helps us notice: Matthews […]
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The Snowball Effect
Communication that gets to the point without losing the plot.
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Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence
A practice note on attention, presence, and the quiet discipline of noticing what matters. Why this one made the shelf: Because attention is not just a productivity tool. It is how we listen, lead, relate, make decisions, and notice what is happening beneath the obvious. What it helps us notice: Goleman explores attention as a […]
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The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature
A practice note on nature, restoration, and remembering that humans are not machines. Why this one made the shelf: Because sometimes the most strategic thing we can do is step away from the table, go outside, and remember we are also living things. What it helps us notice: Stuart-Smith, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, explores the […]
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Chatter
A practice note on inner dialogue, emotional regulation, and the stories we tell ourselves before we enter the room. Why this one made the shelf: Because the conversations we have with ourselves shape the conversations we are able to have with others. What it helps us notice: Kross explores the inner voice: the running commentary […]
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Getting to the Bottom of ToP
A practice note on authentic participation, group wisdom, and the discipline behind the sticky notes. Why this one made the shelf: Because participation is not a vibe. It is a discipline, a design choice, and a responsibility. What it helps us notice: Wayne and Jo Nelson explore the foundations of ICA’s Technology of Participation, known […]
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Facilitating Breakthrough
A practice note on transformative facilitation, stuck conversations, and moving forward when agreement is not guaranteed. Why this one made the shelf: Because some conversations are too important to avoid and too complex to “manage” with a neat agenda. What it helps us notice: Kahane introduces transformative facilitation as a structured and creative approach for […]
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How to Work a Room
A practice note on connection, courage, and making the room feel less impossible. Why this one made the shelf: Because “networking” sounds transactional, but building real connections is deeply human work. What it helps us notice: RoAne reframes working a room as a learnable practice: entering spaces with more confidence, starting conversations, building rapport, and […]
