22 Aug OVID Health Behind the Scenes: The multimedia “book” club
Here at OVID we have a rare distinction – we have one of the few pandemic-era book clubs which has survived to the present day! But what do we get from this rare living fossil, and why does it matter to OVID?
Jack Fleming, Account Director
Back in 2020/21, the OVID team was growing and finding its feet. When the pandemic forced the team to work from home, we quickly realised it would be crucial to maintain and deepen the bonds which enable us to be the collaborative agency we are. So, being in touch with the zeitgeist, we started a book club (with team members picking a book in turn, and OVID covering any costs).
Why a book club rather than a weekly quiz or a shared sourdough starter?
Well, as a team of curious minds, eager to learn more about the world, a book club (with some direction as to selections) enabled us team to focus on deepening our knowledge of the healthcare landscape, how to deliver change, communicate effectively or be better colleagues.
“But”, I hear you ask, “how have you maintained this in the post-pandemic era, when people have returned to their busy lives”?
Well, alongside reinventing healthcare communications, at OVID we are also reinventing healthcare communications agency book clubs!
As people have become busier, with less time for reading for work, we have reduced the frequency of book club, to ensure that people have the time they need to engage with the material. Additionally, as not everyone enjoys reading lengthy non-fiction, we have pivoted towards a “multimedia” model, encouraging selections where the content can be engaged with in many different forms, from books to podcasts and films.
It’s fair to say that with a diverse and passionate team, selections have often proven divisive. For my part, I found “Atomic Habits” to be a deeply frustrating book, which seemed to feed, a perception that one can never be “good enough”, and I felt that Michael Marmot (who I had heard speak at a conference), was better in person than on the page. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Freakonomics Radio and felt that Neurodiversity Matters highlighted a lot of steps we can take to make OVID a great place to work.
Nonetheless, regardless of individual perceptions, in every case, team members have been able to take away learnings, whether about the content, or about how to effectively communicate complex ideas. All of which means the OVID multimedia “book” club looks like it is here to stay.
A selection of the media we’ve discussed include:
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack – Rebecca Skloot
- Into the Silent Land – Paul Broks
- Invisible Women – Caroline Criado-Perez
- New Power – Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms
- Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup – John Carryrou
- Why We Get the Wrong Politicians – Isabel Hardman
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- Deep Medicine – Eric Topol
- The Health Gap – Michael Marmot
- Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner/Freakonomics film/Freakonomics Radio podcast – “Smarter Kids at 10 Bucks a Pop”
- Neurodiversity Matters podcast – “In the Workplace or Going to Work”