Edge by Laura Huang

Edge was not an assigned reading, but a book I had heard about and caught my interest, especially since the author is an Asian-American woman.  

The premise of the book is that for people who have an 'adversity' (i.e. not white and male...), an edge is needed to get noticed by people who are in the position of power who are, well, white and male... 

The start of using an edge to your advantage is to know your basic goods.  Mine are:
    - Getting things done: Breaking down large, complex initiatives and implementing
    - Putting in scalable processes within and across departments
    - Clear communication, measurable results

Avoid jumping to conclusions - frame and identify the symptoms, and then formulate the problem.  I see this in an integration project that I am working on with another department.  

 The team jumps into the solutions without framing the problem, which leaves a lot on the table.  I don't realize that I'm doing this when I start on an initiative with a solution already in mind...  This makes for a narrowly defined solution.

Thinking linearly underestimates what is possible.  Thinking exponentially (zigzagging) is what I need to focus on (improv's 'yes, and').  I am a very linear, logical thinker and need to tap into the creative 'unrealistic' side of my brain.

Being over-prepared can immobilize me, deprive me of dynamically regulating and calibrating. I should embrace conversations, especially open conversations (who, what, when, how), with an open mind.

The other key besides knowing my edge is delighting others, which requires having an opinion and point of view.  Being authentic while having the audacity to have a bold, surprising stance.

Knowing how others see me is helpful so I can redirect on how people should see me.