Home Management and Leadership

The Art of Gathering

Priya Parker

The Art of Gathering

19min

19min

Download offline

Add to library

Buy the book

Why do we so often end up disappointed by the meetings we take part in? What are the factors that help turn a company meeting into an opportunity to exchange ideas and share opinions or a family dinner into an unforgettable evening? As both organisers and guests, we often tend not to give the events in which we participate the importance they deserve in our lives, and this is why we remain stuck in a cycle of constant encounters that have no meaning or character. Luckily there is something we can do to change this, and the expert facilitator Priya Parker explains how in her book The art of gathering: how we meet and why it matters.

read more

read less

0:00
0:00

Analysis and key concepts

01.

Getting together is an activity that is often undervalued

02.

In order to be successful, every meeting should have a purpose

03.

To organise a great event you need to know how to accept and use your own authority

04.

What makes a gathering magical is the creation of an alternate universe

05.

The preparation and launch of an event are as important as the event itself

06.

A successful gathering brings together authentic people and good controversy

07.

The ending of an event is a key part of making sure the participants leave with with good memories

08.

Quotes

09.

Take-home message

01. Getting together is an activity that is often undervalued

Humans are social animals, and yet, if we look around us, our lack of satisfaction with the way we meet up with others is palpable. This was confirmed, for example, by an American study carried out in 2013, according to which 75% of the people interviewed were unhappy with their relationships with their friends. Another survey carried out by State of Enterprise Work in 2015 showed that the main obstacle to a productive working day for many employees was meetings, which they defined as a waste of time.

There seems to be a problem with our events, and yet, even though we are aware of it, nobody does anything to change things: day after day, we continue to plan dinners, meetings and organise our gatherings in the same way, focussing on the logistics instead of the purpose, people’s needs and their conversations.

02. In order to be successful, every meeting should have a purpose

03. To organise a great event you need to know how to accept and use your own authority

04. What makes a gathering magical is the creation of an alternate universe

05. The preparation and launch of an event are as important as the event itself

06. A successful gathering brings together authentic people and good controversy

07. The ending of an event is a key part of making sure the participants leave with with good memories

08. Quotes

09. Take-home message

Unlock this and thousands more with 4books Premium!

You'll have 7 days free, and if you're not satisfied after 30 days, you can get your money back.

Many useful tips to:

  • Learn to make every gathering special.
  • Bring back meaning to both informal and official events.
  • Take charge of a situation to involve and delight your guests.

An expert facilitator and strategic advisor, Priya Parker is the founder of Thrive Labs, a one-stop-shop that helps officials, activists and corporate executives make the most of the events they organise or in which they take part. Her interest in encounters and human relationships originates from her studies in organisational design at M.I.T., and in Political and Social Thought at the University of Virginia, which then led to her gaining extensive experience in conflict resolution and peace process management, in the Middle East,  India and Africa. The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters is her first book.

Publishing house:

Random House

Year:

2020

Pages:

320

ISBN:

978-1594634932