Tag: Synthesis

Story + Narrative, The Curious Will Inherit The WorldLeave a comment

Where Do Kids Learn?

ThisMuchWeKnow

Yesterday, I wrote about where expert practitioners learn: from many sources, iteratively. Often, I parse an idea through my kids – the child’s clear eye of genius unlocks an essence long lost by me. So I asked Lola “Where do you learn?” and she immediately pointed to her brain. Of course! Then, she mimed (and why not?!) school, home, outside; then morning, afternoon, and night. And then, she wrote it all down, to ensure I understood. It was a full-body learning experience. Not only did I learn where she learns, but how. Marvellous. ←This Much We Know.→ Continue reading Where Do Kids Learn?

The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of WorkLeave a comment

Curious Kids: What Does The Future Hold?

ThisMuchWeKnow

Sitting at the dinner table, browser open, Change Agents Worldwide social network status update asking me “What are you working on?” My 5-year old daughter Lola asked me me “What’s that?” and I explained that the group think about the future of work. Then I asked her: “What comes to mind when you think about the future?” She typed: “trees snow  flowers dirt animals people nature” and clicked SHARE. Often, I am trying to imagine the future anew; and to synthesize an approach to get there, for me and for others. But, sometimes the future can be the most literal … Continue reading Curious Kids: What Does The Future Hold?

Social Business, Story + Narrative1 Comment

“Social” Is Good For Us: It Raises The Bar

ThisMuchWeKnow

This excellent WIRED article is worth revisiting again (yesterday, because it highlighted how 90% of everything is crap.) Enabling an audience, as the internet does for free, with zero barriers to entry, makes us work harder to provide value. When our work is stuck on a hard drive, or scribbled in a journal / notebook, it can languish, unloved, badly crafted. When, instead, we work out loud and share, we work darn hard to ensure there is tangible value to be gleaned from the content. Working out loud makes us better – all of us. As I have written before, … Continue reading “Social” Is Good For Us: It Raises The Bar

Social Business, Story + NarrativeLeave a comment

73% Say: When I Share, I Care…And I Learn

ThisMuchWeKnow

Interesting infographic on how and what people read online. The data that most interested me: “73% say they process information more deeply, thoughtfully, when they share it.” So, when you share, you care more – about the info, about the recipients. This is something that has heavily impacted the way I work since beginning to work out loud, socially. I am constantly thinking: “(how) would this be useful for others?” I am curating content for my network (how ever small) – I am putting them first, AND learning more at the same time, by concentrating more on the data efficacy. … Continue reading 73% Say: When I Share, I Care…And I Learn

Social Business, The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of Work1 Comment

#WorkHacks – Embrace Chaos

ThisMuchWeKnow

Twenty of the 25 (US) jobs with “the largest projected growth don’t require college degree (& are low-wage)” – via @BillIves. [BTW: Many of these jobs are healthcare related. Clearly, sickness and health cannot be automated/outsourced (so much).] Simple, repeatable tasks, wherever possible, are being replaced through automation. More complicated tasks, non-core, are outsourced to cheaper locations. If you want to be (well) paid as a (developed world) knowledge worker, you need to move up the value chain toward complexity and chaos. Complexity is difficult to pass on to someone else to deal with. It take more intellectual rigour and sophistication to … Continue reading #WorkHacks – Embrace Chaos

The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of Work1 Comment

#WorkHacks – Learn To Learn

ThisMuchWeKnow

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. I retell this story a lot. A few years ago I was a part of a large group of colleagues challenged to discover the secret to, and unlock the potential of, a learning organization. It was a very well-meaning process to get us to be more efficient, to learn from mistakes / the past, to become more innovative etc. The project bombed, it went nowhere, fast. There was a report delivered, and poorly received. The endeavour was still born. Years later, having done so much research and having re-engineered my own work … Continue reading #WorkHacks – Learn To Learn

Story + Narrative, The Future of Work1 Comment

#WorkHacks – Choose to Belong

ThisMuchWeKnow

Similar to ‘being social,’ choosing to belong is about moving out into the world and finding interesting nodes in  your network, and then doing something about it. Coalesce around an idea, a belief, a movement. Make something happen, enact change – with partners in crime. Doing so with others, you are much more likely to succeed than working alone, atomized and isolated from your network of goodwill. The lone genius is overrated. Derek Sivers illustrates this perfectly with his Ted Talk critique of the ‘shirtless dancing guy’ creating a movement (in under 3 minutes). Recommended viewing. It shows how it is … Continue reading #WorkHacks – Choose to Belong

The Curious Will Inherit The World, The Future of WorkLeave a comment

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?

Social BusinessLeave a comment

Digital Is The New Social

ThisMuchWeKnow

One of the most popular blog posts here is called “Open Is The New Social.” It talks about how naming conventions are important to your business goals – and that no-one can complain about being ‘open’ vs those who complain that ‘social’ is water cooler nonsense. On the same refrain, it has been noted on ‘social’ circles how the word DIGITAL is making a comeback – the late-90s are cool again. In my team at work we recently had a conversation that went something like this: “Digital strategy > social strategy. Sounds better. Sounds good!” Why are we beating up … Continue reading Digital Is The New Social

Social BusinessLeave a comment

Redundancy And Repetition Are Good For You: Take 2 –Selling Social Business Is Hard

ThisMuchWeKnow

[Take 1: How We Learn]  Any of us that are driving the social / open business conversation at work have experienced the following, upon trying to sell or introduce a new (enterprise) social channel for collaboration, learning, engagement: Reaction A – “Ooooh! A new opportunity to relate, connect, commune.” Or, Reaction B – “Ohhhh! Another way for me and my team to waste time at work. I just don’t have time for this…” For the lucky /skilled social practitioner, there are 2 Reaction As for every Reaction B. For the rest, maybe the other way around? If you want your … Continue reading Redundancy And Repetition Are Good For You: Take 2 –Selling Social Business Is Hard

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?

ThisMuchWeKnow

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?