How well do you know yourself? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How does that affect how others value you? Do you ever tire of too many words and want to communicate more simply – with a picture instead?
Self knowledge, the value of quiet people, and the overuse of words are just a few of the subjects explored by participants at HBE events in the first two weeks of February.
At a February 2 Department of the Interior University’s Career Diversity & Leadership event, author Stephen Shapiro had employees play Personality Poker, a game he designed. They held cards representing their personality traits, played “poker” with their colleagues and in the process learned about themselves and how others perceive them. “It’s a fun thing, and people love it,” HBE CEO Perry Pidgeon Hooks said.”But it’s also important. When you are looking to succeed, you have to start by knowing yourself. A lot of people never take the time.”
Author Susan Cain explored the differences between introverts and extroverts and why introverts are undervalued. “I am an extrovert,” Hooks admitted. “I learned a lot from Susan Cain. I think we all did.” Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Cain is in great demand by corporate America, is working on a TED conference and is scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report soon.
“We are so lucky to work with these authors when their books are hot off the presses,” Hooks noted. “We are able to bring these thought leaders to our clients for these amazing private events, early on in the life cycle of the book. Bringing the right speaker to the right client at the right time, that is what we are trying to do.”
Dan Roam discussed his latest book, Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Won’t Work at three events in one marathon day. Participants got to try out Roam’s celebrated method of illustrating ideas with a simple picture on the back of a cocktail napkin, a practice now in use at the White House, among other places, following the publication of Roam’s previous book The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures.
At an event in observance of Black History Month, speaker Elizabeth Dowling Taylor told the story of Paul Jennings, a slave who worked in the White House and later helped others escape slavery. Taylor also discussed A Slave in the White House: Paul Jennings and the Madisons, with Jon Stewart on January 4 on The Daily Show.
There’s more on tap for February, and March is absolutely chock full of events, including HBE friend Bob Shiller discussing his latest book, Finance the Good Society and our new gal pal, Liza Mundy, with The Richer Sex. Check out the calendar — there may be room on an author’s schedule to come to your office for conversation and idea sharing.
One event Hooks is especially looking forward to is the author “meet and greet” at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on March 22. Author Siobhan Fallon will share her book You Know When the Men Are Gone with wounded soldiers and their families. “We have a wonderful event planned,” said Hooks, who is busy raising funds to pay for the books for this and two future Walter Reed events planned for May and June.
