Based on the comments and emails I’ve received recently, many of us1 are experiencing a slightly confusing and specific time right now. And although it’s hard to evaluate events when you’re in the middle of them, I’m pretty sure this “Hopefully Heading Out of a Pandemic While in the Early Days of Post-Post-Industrial Digital Capitalism2” represents an inflection point of some import, but how much is hard to say.
To adapt to my full-time WFH life, I now schedule far more regular check-ins with colleagues3. Over the last few months I’ve heard a lot of “just keeping my head down, man” comments. And as our collective uncertainty peaks, many are looking at “back to office” transitions over the next 3-5 months in an environment that’s “sorta safe, we guess?” but also potentially very different in how we work. Will we keep remote as an option? If so, what does that mean for our ability to innovate, to advance, to remain viable? What happens if/we remove assigned seating? Etc.
So, here are three interesting things that came across my eyes this week4 that take an opposite approach to what we think may be our “keys to success” in times of change and stress. Instead of keeping our heads down, noses to the grindstone and actions disciplined, what about if we let our imaginations run a little wild, forget about being perfect and give ourselves some time to breathe? What might happen then?
1) For tens of thousands of years homo sapiens have invested time and energy into art, thought and what we call “culture,”5 which is astonishing when we consider just how hard it’s been to simply survive that for most of human civilization. So what value did our ancestors derive from dancing and painting and sharing creation stories? This article from Italian physics professor Guido Tonelli (via Nautilus) suggests that imagination represents our super-power and helped guide us along our astonishing development as a species.
2) I love the concept of “grit” and believe, based on my lived experiences, that sustained success and development requires the ability to persevere and overcome obstacles. But like most of most cultural short-hand, the concept has been uncritically adopted (and even applied) in the public and private sectors. What’s more, as Jessie Signal outlines (via Nautilus again), there may be a lack of documented evidence that it indeed ensures success. Though the article consists mainly of theoretical hair-splitting, Singal does bring up the concept of “conscientiousness” as a greater success indicator…reading the definition reveals a focus on preparing and planning, which as you’ll see in the next link, creates the space for innovation and handling emergencies.
3) The pandemic has revealed the fragility of our just-in-time global supply chains, and anyone who’s realized their daily to-do list has no room for the unexpected can attest to the need for some wiggle room in ANY system. This piece from Farnam Street outlines the fallacy of “total efficiency” and the value of slack. Keep that in mind when you’re feeling guilty about having “slightly too little to do,” as it probably means your time is properly and realistically allocated.
BONUS LINKS!!!
B1) When you’re feeling a little too cooped up, take a virtual trip with this City Guesser game…it’s mesmerizing and a ton of fun
B2) The weed killing laser robot thing from a few weeks ago sparked several comments, so in that vein, go here to geek out about how people are using AI in agriculture
B3) Lastly, need a moment of emotional and musical genius? Otis Redding delivers…
This link takes you to a newsletter written by Amanda Greeley, an incisive, thoughtful writer…I encourage you to check it out.
I made this up. But I bet something equally convoluted exists in an academic or think tank paper somewhere.
I really miss all those hallway/break room conversations and office drive-bys.
Though The Human Factor takes effort, it isn’t my job-job, which allows me a less planned approach…I can follow my varied interests to provide topics. Sometimes, though, serendipity leads to tighter connections.
The latest evidence: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tens-thousands-12000-year-old-rock-paintings-found-colombia-180976427/