For the past six years, ever since I published Give and Take, people have been asking me to write a children’s book on generosity. They wanted a book that would encourage kids to think about themselves as givers. And for six years, I had absolutely nothing to give.
Recently, that changed thanks to Allison Sweet Grant. She’s a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a writer, and my wife. After listening to me talk (a lot) about givers and takers, she had an idea for a story to communicate the key message to kids. We ended up writing a picture book together about a gift box in search of a giver, and I’m excited to announce that it will debut October 1.
THE GIFT INSIDE THE BOX (or as our kids call it, “the box book”) is available for preorder now.
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Now, onto my favorite articles for adults this month:
1. No, You Don’t Have to Stop Apologizing
When you apologize, you're not putting yourself down. You're expressing concern for how your actions affect others.
Don't be sorry for saying sorry. Being quick to apologize is a sign of empathy.
2. Old-School Writing Tools Will Boost Your Creativity, Concentration—and Speed
Ditch the computer and try a pen. Writing a draft by hand can boost idea generation, improve recall, and stop you from interrupting your flow to edit. It may feel slower, but the pen is still mightier than the keyboard.
3. The Bullsh*t-Job Boom
Economies grow when unemployment rates are low, but they don't flourish until employment rates in meaningful work are high. Too many people are stuck in useless jobs that benefit no one. Instead of just creating jobs, we need to be creating useful jobs.
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From My Desk:
4. How to Improve Your Memory (Even If You Can’t Find Your Car Keys)
To remember things you read, don't reread or highlight. Instead:
(a) Consolidate: take a 10-minute break in a quiet place
(b) Quiz yourself: test your recall and identify gaps
(c) Share: make it stick by teaching someone else about it
5. Mentors Are Good. Coaches Are Better
Mentors give advice and believe in our potential. Coaches get in the arena to help us realize our potential. Great managers are great coaches. They help us see our blind spots, work through our sore spots, and build on our strengths.
For those of you who have been listening to WorkLife, stay tuned for two bonus episodes. In the meantime, you can find everything from season 2 here:
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Adam Grant, Ph.D.
Organizational psychologist at Wharton, author of ORIGINALS, GIVE AND TAKE, and OPTION B, and host of WorkLife, a TED original podcast
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