HBR Blog Examines Benefits of Poetry, Including 'What Poetry Brings to Business'
In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post titled "The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals," John Coleman describes the benefits of reading poetry in relation to "our personal and professional development." In his post, Coleman refers to University of Michigan Press author Clare Morgan's What Poetry Brings to Business to explain how efficient a tool poetry can be in developing one's creativity:
"Morgan ... cites a study showing that poems caused readers to generate nearly twice as many alternative meanings as 'stories,' and poetry readers further developed greater 'self-monitoring' strategies that enhanced the efficacy of their thinking processes. These creative capabilities can help executives keep their organizations entrepreneurial, draw imaginative solutions, and navigate disruptive environments where data alone are insufficient to make progress," Coleman writes.
What Poetry Brings to Business presents ways in which reading and thinking about poetry offer business people new strategies for reflection on their companies, their daily tasks, and their work environments. The goal is both to increase and broaden readers' understanding of poems and how they convey meaning, and also to help readers develop analytical and cognitive skills that will be beneficial in a business context.
The entire HBR blog post can be found here, and additional information about What Poetry Brings to Business can be found here.
