Book Capsules, July 2024

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Ask

Ask

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Jeff Wetzler

Jeff Wetzler

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Hachette Go, 304 pp., $30

Hachette Go, 304 pp., $30

Content

Asking the right questions in the right ways is a superpower, says Wetzler, cofounder of education nonprofit Transcend and a former international business consultant. He calls it the Ask Approach. The premise is simple: Tapping into what people actually think, know, and feel can change an individual's career and life. Wetzler breaks the book into three sections. The first outlines common things people keep to themselves; the second shows readers the five steps of the Ask Approach; and the third provides readers with ways to apply the Ask Approach to themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Ask outlines why learning from colleagues and leaders is critical to a person becoming the best version of themselves.

Asking the right questions in the right ways is a superpower, says Wetzler, cofounder of education nonprofit Transcend and a former international business consultant. He calls it the Ask Approach. The premise is simple: Tapping into what people actually think, know, and feel can change an individual's career and life. Wetzler breaks the book into three sections. The first outlines common things people keep to themselves; the second shows readers the five steps of the Ask Approach; and the third provides readers with ways to apply the Ask Approach to themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Ask outlines why learning from colleagues and leaders is critical to a person becoming the best version of themselves.

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The Problem With Change

The Problem With Change

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Ashley Goodall

Ashley Goodall

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Little, Brown Spark, 288 pp., $30

Little, Brown Spark, 288 pp., $30

Content

Leadership expert Goodall says change is not always synonymous with improvement. In this book, he argues that "life in the blender"—the perpetual cycle of upheaval, uncertainty, and unease—is wrong and harmful for workers. Companies should focus on marked improvement instead of constant fluctuation. The author recommends prioritizing team cohesion rather than reshuffling teams, using familiar vocabulary over corporate speak, sharing secrets instead of mission statements, and fixing only broken things rather than breaking everything. The Problem With Change argues that individuals have become numb to the consequences of workplace changes because change has become far too common.

Leadership expert Goodall says change is not always synonymous with improvement. In this book, he argues that "life in the blender"—the perpetual cycle of upheaval, uncertainty, and unease—is wrong and harmful for workers. Companies should focus on marked improvement instead of constant fluctuation. The author recommends prioritizing team cohesion rather than reshuffling teams, using familiar vocabulary over corporate speak, sharing secrets instead of mission statements, and fixing only broken things rather than breaking everything. The Problem With Change argues that individuals have become numb to the consequences of workplace changes because change has become far too common.