Issue No. 408 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting begins with a summer reading recommendation: Scott Rodin’s first novel (a page-turner), The Four Gifts of the King. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for the HBR article, “Why Your Meetings Stink and What to Do About It.”
Summer Reading List #1:
The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel
As summer looms for leaders and readers in the Northern Hemisphere, I’m launching a summer reading series. Whether you read on the beach, in the backyard, or at a B&B, Scott Rodin’s first novel, The Four Gifts of the King, is a must-read. (And to my loyal Southern Hemisphere readers in Australia and South Africa and other nations—you’ll also appreciate this unique page-turner!)
You might think that I’m the reader in my family—but that would be incorrect. One granddaughter, especially, is the voracious reader, so she happily accepted my invitation to read this novel and share her feedback. For purposes of this review...let's just call her "Granddaughter" or "GD" to save virtual trees!
Grandpa John: OK, "GD" (or should I say "FGD" for "Favorite Granddaughter!!!")—it’s only June and you’re a busy high school student—so how many books have you read so far this year?
GD: I just finished my 68th book.
Grandpa John: Yikes! Really…68? That’s amazing! (I better up my game!) So…what did you think of The Four Gifts of the King, by Scott Rodin?
GD: Before I answer…is Scott Rodin a friend of yours?
Grandpa John: Actually, he is. But don’t hold back!
GD: Thanks. I loved it. I enjoy reading fiction and spiritual warfare books—and The Four Gifts of the King reminded me of C.S. Lewis. Rodin’s writing flows nice and easy—and his writing style adds to the story; it didn’t distract. I appreciated that.
Editor’s Note: I interviewed GD over lunch this week at our favorite Chinese restaurant. GD had the lemon chicken; I had sweet and sour pork. Grammy Joanne also got in on the fun and the food.
G. John: As you know, a good friend encouraged me to read this book—because the setting was so relevant: four adult children gathering for their father’s memorial service—and then two days with an attorney (a family friend) to go over the details of the will. Could you relate to the story?
GD: Well, as you certainly know, I have four siblings. Hopefully, such a gathering is a long way off for us. But I did feel that the characters in this novel were real people—with real emotions.
G. John: Right. All four adults had careers, but none were married yet. And wow, plenty of sibling pokes and stabs. Hurt feelings. The four social styles (analyticals, drivers, amiables, and expressives) popped right out. What did you think about the unique approach the author took?
GD: It was unique. The attorney had arranged for this two-day gathering at their parents’ home (the mother had died previously) and the will required everyone to read a book together—out loud! So the kids took turns reading the story their father had written for them. (Their dad, by the way, was a retired rescue mission CEO.)
G. John: And… (sorry to interrupt!)…at the end of each chapter in their father’s story (set a few centuries back), we were then back in the living room in real time with the four family members and the attorney—as they debriefed each chapter. I remember this paragraph at the end of Chapter 18:
“…Anna read the last words and set the book down. Anna stretched.
‘Well, that explains a lot of things. Now we know what the Quash was for.’
“Alex stood and joined her in a stretch.
‘Four gifts, four lands, and four distortions. It’s all coming together.’
“‘And four of us.’ Meredith leaned back.
‘I think Dad has us right where he wants us.’”
GD: Yes. So there are actually two stories going on. The family members learning about their father’s will—and then the fictional story of Steward, the teenager, on a journey through four lands. The metaphors were intriguing…
G. John: ...and convicting! Those four distortions. Oh my and yikes! We can’t do a spoiler alert here—but of the four lands, were you gripped by any one setting in particular?
GD: The “ramps” metaphor. I know your eNews readers won’t have a clue what that means—but they’ll get it when they read the book. I thought all four lands described our culture today—sadly—but the “ramps” imagery was especially shocking. It reminded me, a bit, of The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis.
G. John: Do I dare mention here that you’ve read The Great Divorce, but I haven’t? (I just ordered it.) And since your dad (our amazing son, Jason) is a listener, not a reader, you might remind him that if he hasn’t read this C.S. Lewis classic either, he can download the audio of this allegorical “bus ride from hell to heaven” at Libro.fm (length: three hours and 22 minutes).
GD: I will! All of the metaphors were thought-provoking and…
Grammy Joanne: …can I jump in here? Grandpa John says I should read The Four Gifts of the King and it’s on my summer reading list also. But I like to ask people if a book has made them think differently about something. Did it change your thinking about a key issue or concept?
G. John: Grammy always asks the best (and often the most convicting) questions.
GD: That’s a great question, Grammy. Let me read you my fortune cookie: “You will enjoy another delicious meal here soon!” So…my answer will cost you another lunch!
G. John: Brilliant! But let me ask you one last question. Donald Rumsfeld, one of my favorite management authors, notes: “Many people have the ability to review something and make it better. Few are able to identify what is missing.” So, what was missing from this book? Would you have added anything?
GD: In the allegory, there were certainly glimpses of women with spiritual backbones. But I would have appreciated the storyline featuring a woman who demonstrated the character and strength of Mary. If I added anything else for your review, I might spoil the plot!
G. John: Wow. Great insight. And thank you for reading this book. I’m intrigued that you think millennials will also enjoy this book. Parents and grandparents should read it too. And we should do this again! Of ALL our grandkids, you win the prize for being the reader. Maybe you can inspire your siblings to read at least a book-a-month? (That might be worthy of an In-N-Out Burger lunch!)
To order the book from Amazon, click on the title for The Four Gifts of the King: A Novel, by R. Scott Rodin.
P.S. If you missed Turning Goals Into Results, by Jim Collins, read my May review here.
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read,” wrote Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. As you select your summer reading list, tell us about a book you’ve already read that changed you!
2) Scott Rodin’s The Four Gifts of the King uses allegory to get four big points across. In our work here, how might we better leverage the art of storytelling?
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Staff Training or Staff Storytelling? Yes!
Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook
If you’re getting those “ho hum” looks when you announce a staff training opportunity, convert those dreary hours into a staff storytelling experience. Examples:
• Training for fundraisers: Inspire the team to read Scott Rodin’s novelette (just 90 pages), The Third Conversion, and then tell stories to get your big points across.
• Training in Delegation 101: There is no better storytelling book on the art of delegation than the classic by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows, The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey.
• Training the trainers: If your senior leaders are still hosting uninspiring training sessions, introduce them to my 2017 book-of-the-year, The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.
For more ideas, visit the Delegation Bucket.
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JASON PEARSON: UNEXPECTED CREATIVE. Are you still producing ho hum media that changes nothing? Check out the innovative work from Jason Pearson at Pearpod Media (branding, digital, print, and video).
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