Edgar H. ScheinReviews

Some good ideas, but most of the advice was addressed to business managers. The idea of humble inquiry could be relevant to a much wider audience, and it's unfortunate that the text did not reflect that.

Well, at least it was short.

This book had two key problems. The first is that it was not particularly coherent. Schein covered a number of different elements that were all loosely related and tried to make them all be linked by the concept of humble inquiry. This didn't quite work, and instead I came away with an "it slices, it dices, it even makes julienne fries!" vibe. The last few chapters were especially hard to get through because they almost didn't even make sense.

The second is that much of the book is spent talking about status and why it's important for superiors (ugh) to grant status to their subordinates (ugh) by acknowledging that they have expertise that you don't (duh). I'm sure there are some people for whom this is a useful message. Those people are probably not going to be attracted to a book with this title.

For those of us who think that humble inquiry sounds like a good idea and are therefore likely to pick up the book, it has little to offer beyond common communication tips better covered in a myriad of other places (and probably most pithily summarized in Steven Covey's saying, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood).

That said, if you try, you can extract some good out of this book (although as noted, it's not novel).

The opening example, where someone feels the need to tell someone something without even seeing if they need to be told resonated with me. I hate when people do that, and it does immediately bias me against the teller. Thus, the general idea of humble inquiry is a good one. We should approach people and conversations with genuine curiosity and not assume you know the answers to your questions. If we all did that, then discourse would be much more civil.

Another good observation was that when organizations do not foster psychological safety, employees will not share information that could prevent bad outcomes because past experience shows that they will not be listened too and may suffer negative consequences for questioning / defying those with power.

These two factors become even more critical when teamwork is needed to get things done since effective teams are built on trust and understanding where everyone is able to contribute, whatever other status ques may be present.

Another bit of value is that while there are many ways of asking questions, not all of them are humble inquiry. In particular, questions that are asked for rhetorical effect or in a leading manner do not encourage honest, open answers from the recipient.

The book had few tips of how to ask questions which foster honest communication. Some that were there: Reflect on why you're asking a question before asking it. Make sure everyone has a chance to speak in group settings. Ask for examples when things are unclear. Ask about things you feel ignorant or uncomfortable about. Listen to the other person's answers and let that guide the conversation. Slow down; don't rush the conversation.

I did also like the definition of trust Schein uses: "Trust in the context of a conversation is believing that the other person will acknowledge me, not take advantage of me, not embarrass or humiliate me, tell me the truth, and, in the broader context, not cheat me, work on my behalf, and support the goals we agree to."

All in all though, if the book hadn't been less than 3 hours long, I would not have finished it.

I had to read this book for a Strategic Business Analysis class.

Encourages people to take an active look at how they interact with others(via the way they ask questions/don't ask questions) and how they can develop relationships (personal/friendships and work/dependent).

Often the most powerful and profound ideas are the most simple. I was repeatedly challenged by this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I think I tend toward (humble?) inquiry especially in my work, so the bigger ideas here weren't especially groundbreaking for me, but the clear articulation of them was helpful and validating. I don't think I learned a lot that'll change my behaviors, but I nodded a lot while reading. Like the best business books, this one takes a set of pretty simple ideas and explains them simply (but not patronizingly); in this case, the technique helps turn a more abstract sense or feeling about how we ought to behave into more concrete reasons those behaviors work. The book is better at the beginning and the end, a little flabby through some of the middle, but very brief in any case.

While this book is the classic on organizational culture, it's also incredibly verbose and tedious. There's value here, but a 100 page version with another 300 pages of examples linked to it would be a lot more useful. There were also a huge number of really dated examples (pre technology, companies were mainly dead dinosaurs like DEC), which is because the book is in 4th edition and only lightly revised.

I also listened on audible, rather than reading, which made it extra-tedious. (Textbook pricing for the printed or e-book, single credit for the audiobook, so...). I'd recommend reading this as an e-book instead.

I'd probably give it 5 stars as the canonical book on an important topic, except for being vastly too long and pretty tedious.

The book centres around a simple concept - take the time to listen and ask why. It introduces various concepts to understand why this might be difficult for others, or for yourself, to do. It also introduces a model around different types of inquiry, based on the situation and those involved in the scenario. It also suggests some ways to encourage humble inquiry in those around you.

Probably the biggest issue when reading it was the range of concepts that were created - I, at least, started to find this difficult to follow.

While not a ground breaking concept, the book does a good job of breaking down the concept to explore it in a bit more depth, introducing some mental models that could be useful in future.

Insightful.

I only got about halfway through this. The book's core idea is wonderful: that the best way to build rapport with other people is through asking questions with a open mind, genuine curiosity and attention. I'm sold on those principals and definitely am trying to practice them in my daily life; I just didn't feel like the need to read 5 more chapters that just repeat the first one with different story examples.

This book is about building relationships, particularly in the work environment. Recognizing that people come from different backgrounds with different perceptions of authority and how authority should be responded to, sometimes makes for difficult work situations. Cultivating relationships through the use of humble inquiry, rather than "telling" people what to do can make all the difference in the world in how a team operates. Some good examples and exercises are provided. Gives a person something to think about with regards to their own communication style.½

His intent was to provide some perspectives on ecognized organizational problems

Reasonable approach to mindful interactions in personal and professional life, pulling on a number of other threads: psychology, organizational behavior, culture, and popular literature. It meanders (but not delightfully) and the core message could be well-delivered as a long essay.

"An extreme case I heard about recently involved a house owner with a Filipino maid. The owner liked the maid and wanted to personalize the relationship only to be rebuffed repeatedly. The maid quit, and the owner found out, through the maid of a mutual friend, that in the culture from which the maid came, it was totally inappropriate to hold any kind of personal conversation with the person employing you."

What... 0_o No. Some exceptions of course, but this is the diametric opposite of Filipino culture in general

BESCHRIJVING
Dit boek gaat over de processen die zich afspelen wanneer de ene persoon probeert de andere te helpen. Of het nu gaat om een organisatieadviseur die samen met het management enkele aspecten van een organisatie wil verbeteren, een therapeut die hulp verleent aan een patiënt, een coach die met een groep werkt, een ouder die zijn kind helpt, of vrienden die elkaar helpen, altijd spelen zich dezelfde fundamentele processen af. De nadruk in dit boek ligt op 'proces' omdat de manier waarop de interactie tussen adviseur en cliënt verloopt belangrijker is dan wat er wordt gedaan.

De wijze waarop een adviseur van moment tot moment wil functioneren, is van
groot belang voor het feitelijke succes van de advisering. De adviseur moet onderscheid kunnen maken tussen:
1 vanuit zijn of haar positie als expert de cliënt vertellen wat er moet gebeuren,
2 het 'verkopen' van oplossingen die zijn of haar voorkeur genieten of waarmee hij of zij vertrouwd is,
3 bij de cliënt een proces op gang brengen dat aan het einde van de relatie volgens beiden de cliënt heeft geholpen.

De adviseur (begeleider, mentor) moet per situatie beslissen welke rol hij of zij moet spelen en welk begeleidingsmodel hij of zij zal moeten gebruiken; alle drie de modellen houden echter in dat de belangrijkste functie van de advisering is: helpen. De nadruk op de helpende rol neemt in de procesbenadering van het advieswerk de centrale plaats in: stel u altijd helpend op.

'Dit boek mag in geen enkele boekenkast van een zichzelf respecterende adviseur ontbreken.' - Management Consultant

'Schein is adviseur in hart en nieren en stelt in dit boek al zijn kennis en ervaring die hij in 40 jaar vallen en opstaan heeft opgedaan ter beschikking. Hij doet dit op zijn eigen kenmerkende, heldere manier: geen kant en klare recepten, wel visie, boeiende, soms zelfs confronterende toetsvragen en beeldende casuïstiek waarin hij het analyseren van zijn eigen valkuilen niet uit de weg gaat. Het boek is een must voor elke interne en externe adviseur, coach of mentor die echt wil helpen!' - Management en Literatuur

Edgar H. Schein is emeritus hoogleraar aan mit's Sloan School of Management.

Great material.

A great idea that doesn't need an entire book devoted to it. Idea: Don't be a jerk when being a leader. Easy.

Filmed in the serene environment of the beautiful Talaris Convention Center in Seattle Washington's University District. Dr. Edgar Schein, who is a foremost expert in Corporate Culture and Organizational Development, talks about Process Consultation.

In the first part he talks about what Process Consultation is, and how it fits into the more general concept of helping and producing change. Then in the second part he concentrates on how to do Process Consultation -- the details of the strategies and tactics of it. (Review from DVD)

Another one amazing book which has definitely brainstorming myself in the crucial world of "How to Ask" - We all made errors and therefore fundamental basics would help ! " Good communication requires building a Trusting relationship and building a Trusting Relationship requires Humble Inquiry " ... Once again useless to say how humility is key and the absolute Cornerstone of effective communication ...

March, 16th - 2014

This is one of the earliest books written about mind control. As such, it is a valuable book to have in your collection, if you are extremely interested in this topic. However, given its age, the information is out-dated. Also, it is very scholarly and dry. Difficult to get through. I have not completed reading this book, and I may never, unless I decided to dig into this topic further than I already have.

It is based on studies done after brainwashed POWs returned from Korea after the Korean war. These American soldiers had come to identify with, and defend their captors, even though they had been poorly treated. It was the beginning of the realization that people could be "brainwashed". This research proceeded later studies based on the New Religious Movements of the 1960s, many of which came to be understood as cults or high demand groups.

Really sound stuff but a dull read

Edgar H. Schein is the creator of the concept of a "corporate culture" and he has spent his life studying it at MIT. This book is a good introduction to his work. The book explains a concept and then gives a "Practical Implication" - a question or something to observe in your workplace.

This would be an excellent book for a group to read together and discuss at lunch. I know I'll be refering back to it in the future.

Some links to check out:
http://web.mit.edu/scheine/www/home.html
http://www.thinkers50.com/?page=biography&ranking=36
http://www.tnellen.com/ted/tc/schein.html

This book was read for a graduate course and I will have to turn in a review. I shall post my high-brow, elitist review (complete with big, complicated words and theory) for Goodreads once it is completed.

eBook available (using OverDrive) from Christchurch City Libraries: https://goo.gl/Rl0hWT
If you don't have membership of Christchurch City Libraries use the CORE Library card H228848301 PIN 1234

Review from Christchurch City Libraries
We live, says Ed Schein, in a culture of Tell. Rather than trying to genuinely relate to other people we tell them what we think they need to know or should do based on assumptions we've made about them. But telling makes people feel inferior; it shuts them down. This is particularly true of interactions between superiors and subordinates, and that's where it's particularly problematic. In today's complex, interconnected, rapidly changing world hierarchy means nothing. Anybody anywhere could have that vital fact or insight that could mean the difference between success or disaster. A free flow of information is crucial. Humble Inquiry builds the kinds of positive, trusting, balanced relationships that encourage honest and open interactions in both our professional and personal lives. Schein defines Humble Inquiry as "the fine art of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you do not know the answer, of building a relationship based on curiosity and interest in the other person." In this seminal work he explores the concept of humility, looks at how Humble Inquiry differs from other kinds of inquiry, offers examples of Humble Inquiry in action in many different settings, and shows how to overcome the cultural, organizational and psychological barriers that keep us from practicing it. This is a major new contribution to how we see human dynamics and relationships, presented in a compact, personal, eminently practical way.