Humble Inquiry

Edgar H. Schein is an MIT Sloan School of Management Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus. Helping, Process Consultation Revisited, The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, DEC Is Dead, Long Live DEC, Organizational Culture and Leadership, and Career Anchors are among his past books.

This international best-seller provides straightforward counsel for fostering the open and trusting connections required for addressing global systemic challenges and developing adaptive, innovative organizations—over 200,000 copies sold and translated into seventeen languages!

According to Edgar and Peter Schein, we live in a "tell" culture. All too frequently, we tell others what we believe they should know or do. But whether we are leading or following, the most important thing is that we arrive to the truth. We must build a commitment to sharing critical information and addressing incorrect assumptions—it could make the difference between success and failure. This is why Humble Inquiry is more important than ever.

Humble Inquiry, according to the Scheins, is "the gentle skill of drawing someone out, of asking questions to which you don't know the answer, of creating relationships based on curiosity and interest in the other person." It was inspired by Edgar's 20 years of experience working in high-risk sectors and the health-care system, where honest communication can actually mean the difference between life and death.

The authors examine how Humble Inquiry differs from other types of inquiry, provide examples of it in action, and demonstrate how to overcome the barriers that keep us telling when we should be asking in this updated version. This edition expands and deepens the concept, viewing it as more than just a means of asking questions, but as a full mindset that involves better listening, responding to what others are trying to tell us, and expressing ourselves. This is a significant contribution to how we understand human conversational dynamics and relationships, presented in a short, personable, and eminently practical manner, including case examples and a full chapter of exercises and simulations. Humble Inquiry is among the best books on conflict resolution.

Author: Edgar H. Schein

Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Humble-Inquiry-Second-Instead-Telling-ebook/dp/B08DG9CLB3

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5 stars (from 777 reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #39,178 in Kindle Store

#7 in Business Conflict Resolution & Mediation (Kindle Store)

#24 in Business Conflict Resolution & Mediation (Books)

#29 in Business Communication Skills