The Two-Hour Cocktail Party

CNLP 814 | Networking Without the Awkward: Michael Bungay Stanier on Better 1:1s and Building a Path No One Else Is Walking

The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, 30 June 2026. The book comes up at 16 min 28 sec in.

Michael Bungay Stanier recommends The Two-Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray as a practical guide to hosting gatherings that help you meet people quickly. He describes the premise: host on a Tuesday or Wednesday, guarantee guests are out by 9 p.m., keep it to two hours, and use light facilitation to introduce people—removing the anxiety for both host and guests.

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