Summer has always been my ideal time to get lost in a good book. Perhaps my reading brain surfaces because we tend to take more vacations this time of year. Or it knows that July is the calm before the conference season storm. Regardless, any trip I take, especially to the beach, is always accompanied by a book.
There’s no shortage of fun literature to explore. At the beginning of June, The Atlantic published another of its many reading list recommendations. This list, entitled “Eight Books to Read if You’re in a Creative Slump,” targets anyone looking for a dash of inspiration or a reexamination of success and the way the creative brain is meant to work. And authors new and old are always vying to make the coveted New York Times bestseller list, which offers no shortage of exciting new reads to check out this summer.
Our own AME family does not lack amazing published authors. Our members are the subject matter experts on Lean, leadership, Gemba walks, leadership, safety, continuous improvement and more. If you look at the speakers for the AME Atlanta 2024 International Conference, you will see that the keynote speakers and practitioner session presenters include award-winning authors.
I’ve always loved the catharsis of reading a good book. We get a much-needed break from our screens and aren’t watching the clock for that next Zoom meeting. Sometimes, we even reach such states of relaxation that, no matter how much we try to turn the next page, we’re lulled into an afternoon nap.
Summer is also an opportune time to explore new ideas related to our professions. Continuous improvement is nurtured through the exploration and implementation of new modes of operation, even ones that seem outside the box at first. Often, the first step to adopting an innovative mode of operating is encouraging the mind to accept new information and perspectives.
I’d love to discuss our favorite summer reads at AME Atlanta 2024 this year. There’s no better place to exchange thoughts, ideas, stories and all the opportunities for collaboration across our fields. And there’s still time to register.
If you’re reading a good book and don’t want to wait until our annual conference to share, reach out with your book recommendations today. As peaceful as the solitary experience of reading a book remains, the shared experience of discussing that book with an equally thoughtful fan is unmatched.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
