Category: The Future of Work

The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of Work3 Comments

#WorkHacks – Be Kid Curious

ThisMuchWeKnow

Twenty percent of people may have the gene variant DRD4-7R that is associated with curiosity  (and ADHD), but 100% of people were once curious as children. Curiosity is the child’s genius – in their intrigue with understanding the world around them, they make new synapsual connections unique in the world. As we age, most of us lose the ability to remain curious. Instead, we learn patterns and repeat them, unquestioningly. Last week I shared Peter Matthiessen‘s bewitching hope that we can all become seekers. So, how do we ‘become seekers’? If the central premise of ‘THE FUTURE OF WORK!’ is the need … Continue reading #WorkHacks – Be Kid Curious

Social Business, The Future of Work5 Comments

#WorkHacks – Create Serendipity By Reducing Bathrooms

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Serendipity implies things happening due to forces beyond your control. Yes, but no. You can create serendipity in your workplace through office design. I read Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, and a story that stuck for me was his involvement in the design of his offices. He demanded only one toilet block for the entire office, and that it be in the atrium. He wanted serendipitous meetings to occur between people who would not otherwise collide and connect. Where’s The Washroom? At a recent knowledge share session at work, I asked 30 colleagues where they would place the kitchen … Continue reading #WorkHacks – Create Serendipity By Reducing Bathrooms

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What Does It Mean To Become A Seeker?

ThisMuchWeKnow

The more I read about CURIOSITY, the more I am convinced it is the number one attribute required for long-term, future-proofed  success. We live in times of great tumult – we must be agile, and what better preparation for aggressive, ongoing change than a willingness to discover? The ever-impeccable Harald Jarche talks about Gary Klein’s new book Seeing What Others Don’t, how so much of work is focused on removal of error and uncertainty – the process of packing away, hiding, locking down. Insight, however, comes from that willingness to test, to discover, to seek. Which reminds of my favourite … Continue reading What Does It Mean To Become A Seeker?

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Nature Is Networked Too

ThisMuchWeKnow

How lovely to discover that Nature, bigger-than-thou, that ALWAYS wins out over time, is networked, like a cooperative enterprise. Although we’re accustomed to thinking of trees as individuals, competing with each other for sun and nutrients, recently uncovered evidence suggests that they cooperate, with more mature individuals transferring carbon and nutrients to less mature individuals through their root systems, mediated by the action of fungi. If forests actually are more cooperative enterprises than we have heretofore imagined, singleton, isolated trees might be regarded as being in an unnatural state, like the isolated team member of a virtual team. A little … Continue reading Nature Is Networked Too

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Cool, Lean, Fast: Recipe For Organizational Seduction

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A cute little Technocrati article on how Yammer has made enterprise software ‘sexy’, no less. I am a confirmed fan of the platform, though I have never heard it called sexy before, even by nerd-ola “Yampions.” Still, of more interest was its recipe for success: cool, lean, fast. Yes. Of course, this speaks to software, start-ups, the next big thing. This is how technology ‘seduces,’ according to the article. But it also speaks to more broader disorganizational changes coming to the workplace. Enterprises in all industries need to embrace the concepts of cool, lean, fast – to survive in the … Continue reading Cool, Lean, Fast: Recipe For Organizational Seduction

The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of Work2 Comments

Eat What You Study

ThisMuchWeKnow

I am no great of formal education. If I lived my life again, I would spend more energy tinkering on my own, rather than spending all those years expecting others to force-feed me stuff. It all starts out fine – check out the smiles on day one of school this week! – but enthusiasm quietens quickly. Education, as is, simply provides employers some sense of general intelligence and focused interest in a candidate. The usability of what was learned is left at the door. Adults learn by doing. Practice, practice, practice. Work harder. So, I liked this take on education your … Continue reading Eat What You Study

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Redundancy And Repetition Are Good For You: Take 5 – #AntiFragile

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Of course, think (and write) about redundancy and repetition and one sees it everywhere. A great article on living like a Hydra and being ready for all eventualities parses Nassim Nicholas Taleb‘s Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder. Principles that emerge from Antifragile include: Stick to simple rules Build in redundancy and layers (no single point of failure) Resist the urge to suppress randomness —- Waste is profligate, inefficient. Redundancy and repetition, however, build resilience and protect against failure. Excellent. [Take 1: How We Learn] [Take 2 –Selling Social Business Is Hard] [Take 3 – Blogging Is Good For You Too] [Take 4 – Visualize] ←This Much We … Continue reading Redundancy And Repetition Are Good For You: Take 5 – #AntiFragile

Personal Branding, Social Business, Story + Narrative, The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of Work1 Comment

Introducing Your #SocBiz Change Team: The Lunatic, The Impotent, And The Bullshitter. Which One Are You?

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Being called a (MarComms) Generalist has always made me slightly uncomfortable. It suggests an inability to define one’s service offering. The opposite, a Specialist, also lacks comfort. Being pigeonholed and isolated as a one-trick pony hardly brings succour. So I love how the genius (lunatic?) that was Kurt Vonnegut articulated these brilliant specialist archetypes in Bluebeard (via this kottke.org post) in talking about change. “[M]ost people cannot open their minds to new ideas unless a mind-opening team with a peculiar membership goes to work on them. Otherwise, life will go on exactly as before, no matter how painful, unrealistic, unjust, … Continue reading Introducing Your #SocBiz Change Team: The Lunatic, The Impotent, And The Bullshitter. Which One Are You?

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Being Called ‘Ahead Of Your Time’ Means You Failed

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“Being called ‘ahead of your time’ means you failed.” – Ted Rubin More from Forbes: Confessions of a Professional Disruptor: This seems to run contrary to our idea of disruption.  The ‘person ahead of their time’ is seen as a true innovator, the under-appreciated thought leader of the space.  But what Ted has tapped into here is that disruption is about making change, not just recognizing it.  A disruptor knows how to see it, how to convey the need to others, and how to make it happen. If the timing is not right – the market is just not ready for you – … Continue reading Being Called ‘Ahead Of Your Time’ Means You Failed

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We Are In An Age Of Accelerated Disruption

ThisMuchWeKnow

To conclude these last few posts on organizational change on the role of individuals to disrupt and disorganize, another extract from this excellent summary of accelerated disruption in Forbes. Disruption At Scale. “Not only does modern social media/tech allow disruptors to collaborate, it also allows them the ability to disrupt/collaborate to or with the masses, at scale; all the while engaging, interacting and building relationships. Therefore the return on that empowers their ability to disrupt.” Companies are now more accepting of change – some are even making hiring decisions and investing in change.  Our accelerated pace to address the needs of an ever changing … Continue reading We Are In An Age Of Accelerated Disruption

Personal Branding, The Future of Work2 Comments

Professional Disruptor

ThisMuchWeKnow

Apropos yesterday’s post on calling myself a Corporate Disorganizer, via Celine Schillinger I read this lovely little collation of the tendencies of a Professional Disruptor. from SAP’s Head of Social Strategy, Ted Wilms. Example quotes: A professional disruptor will arm themselves with the following: charisma, empathy, expertise/insight, doggedness, detachment (to defend against the attack of their ideas), and passion. Further… The status quo will resist the disruptor. Resistance is necessary.  It helps the disruptor frame their ideas and helps them showcase why real change is necessary. YES!. Full of high-five nuggets of goodness for anyone trying to do different in … Continue reading Professional Disruptor