How Fiction Can Prepare You for the Real World of Business

Reading is one of the best ways to learn new things and discover different ways of thinking, and that holds true for the world of business. In addition to non-fiction books that directly address issues you'll encounter, fiction books also hold some valuable lessons. While fiction may not always mirror real life, the situations in the books can serve as examples of what could happen or how things could play out. It's helpful to choose books whose authors have done their research into how the systems in their stories would actually work, but you can also read about more fantastic worlds and gain valuable business insights.

Solo vs. Team Efforts

The team-player image of the modern co-worker isn't always the one that is most appropriate in each situation. Sometimes you need those lone wolves or even those team players who can go off on their own and handle problems without much guidance. Look for fiction books that tackle both styles of working to see how they compare. Both systems — the collaborative team and the independent worker — are essential to any successful business. These stories can compare how the two entities tick and how they can work together to strengthen a company.

How the Right to Privacy Affects Business

The right to privacy is a huge issue as cookies and other trackers help businesses figure out who their customers are online but also give away more personal information than customers might want. Boundaries are forever changing, but pushing too hard on a privacy boundary can backfire. Reading fiction about the consequences of ending privacy or otherwise constraining it can help you figure out how far your company should really go in demanding personal information from customers.

Settling vs. True Happiness

Always striving and never getting too comfortable are pieces of advice that many people use to get ahead in business. However, the idea of being comfortable is a subjective one. Maybe someone's idea of a good life is much simpler and plainer than someone else's, or maybe someone is just more of a materialist than other people. How do you know when you're truly happy with the way things are, or whether you're settling for a plainer life than you really want? Investigating how people in these situations grow and thrive is essential if you want to be sure you're progressing or preserving parts of your life that you really want to change or keep. Fiction is a great way to observe those situations from the comfort of your current life.

Fiction doesn't have to be read quickly; it can be savored and used as a way to relax at the end of the day. But always keep an eye on the stories and how their lessons could apply to your day-to-day business. You can find inspiration in the strangest places, such as business fiction books.

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