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Got told my book picks were 'all vibes and no guts', so now I quiz myself before suggesting anything
So two years ago at our group in Sacramento, this woman Karen (not making that up) said my suggestions were all vibes and no guts, and honestly it stung because she was right. I had been throwing out titles just because they were popular or had pretty covers, and when people asked me why I picked it I had nothing. So I started writing down two things before I bring anything to the group: one reason it works and one reason it might not. Last week I brought a pick and had actual notes on why the middle drags, and the talk we had was 10 times better than usual. Now Karen asks me what I'm bringing next, which is still weird lol. Anyone else ever get called out by the quiet person in the group and have it change how you pick stuff?
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ward.diana53m ago
Did you ever notice that the "one reason it works and one reason it might not" trick basically turns you into the person who runs the meeting without anyone voting on it? Because once you show up with real notes, everyone else starts doing the same thing or at least starts thinking before they talk, and that's how a group goes from swapping titles to actually digging into a book. That Karen thing isn't weird at all when you think about it, she poked you and you did something with it instead of getting mad, which is more than most people manage. The part I like best is that you kept the bad stuff in your notes, because a pick with no flaws is just an ad, and people can smell that from across the room. I'd even push it one step further and write down who in the group would hate it and why, that way you walk in ready for the pushback instead of getting defensive.
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