Reading Pod Guidelines
1. Join the conversation
Joining the conversation is easy. If you see a book on the reading list that you interests you, simply apply to by clicking on the “Join Pod” button. We form each Reading Pod to have between 5-10 people so that everyone feels comfortable and has a chance to talk. When we reach the maximum number of people for each pod, we will put you on the waiting list and when enough people join, we will form another pod.
2. Acquire the book
You will need to acquire the book yourself and this can be done via any of the links in the reading list. The links we use are affiliate links with Amazon so when you use our links, you’re also helping support the Reading Pods.
3. Read the book
It goes without saying that you should read the parts of the book before each live session. We split a book over a quarter so that each month you’ll need to read about a third of the book. You can probably get away with skim reading each chapter but we do encourage you to spend time with each section to reflect on your thoughts and ideas that you might want to share with the rest of your pod.
4. Join the discussion
Generally, at the end of each month, we will organise a live discussion session for all members of your pod. (Note, current COVID measures mean that we will run these session on Zoom). We encourage everyone to participate in these discussions and we’ve developed a set of guidelines to make sure that everyone enjoys the sessions.
5. Continue the conversation
At any time, pod members can engage in discussions with other pod members via our online forum, Be An Idea Convexus. These discussions can provide more in-depth insights and are available to all pod members, even after the live sessions are finished.
FAQs
Why are Reading Pods only kept for 3 months?
The main reason is that we don’t want people to feel trapped - either through the commitment of having to read multiple books or even by seeing the same people over and over again. If someone wants to read more books, they simply join a new pod. If they want to connect with the same people from their pod, they can express their preference when applying to join a new pod.
Do the Reading Pods have discussion leaders?
We provide each Pod with a facilitator who is very familiar with the content in each book. As trained facilitators, they will help make sure that the discussion flows and that the each pod member feels involved in the conversation. They will have a discussion guide for each book but will often adapt it to each individual Reading Pod’s wishes.
They will be responsible for structuring the live sessions and making sure each pod member knows what to read and what will be discussed.
What if I don’t turn up or read the book?
We know that time is precious and sometimes commitments get away from us. Even if you haven’t read the book in depth, we still encourage you to join the session - just simply let the facilitator know and they usually can work around that. No shows to live sessions aren’t great and if a pod member doesn’t show up to live sessions frequently, it may affect their application to join a future Reading Pod.
How are the books chosen?
Our team selects the books for each Reading Pod from our Reading List. The books on this list are books that our faciliation team are familiar with and have usually led discussion before on. We’re open to new suggestions for books to add to the list, so please feel free to suggest titles you think might add value to fellow people of purpose.
Are there any guidelines on participation during the live sessions?
Yes, our facilitators will share guidelines with each pod before each session.