Musings made and found in 2022. This, in a way, is a chronology of what what on my mind through the year. And although many of these seem paired, and they often are, they also sit non-related from one another, and are each a discrete entry. I was inspired by Kevin Kelly and his are superior as you will likely agree. Most of these are authentic works, and the others are like found items like thing that fell out some someone else’s bag. Bit of something interesting along the way.
The application of these for me ranges from managing work, managing self, managing relationships, and managing to manage.
I try to give attribution, but know that many are lost to time. If they should be re-attributed, I’d appreciate that since I want to be closer to the truth, not to be right.
Okay. Enough preamble.
- To show is better than to tell.
- To listen is better than to speak.
- Communication is work. It does not happen automatically.
- It is your responsibility for your communication to be understood. It is not the listeners’ responsibility.
- What nerds do on the weekend now is what people will be doing for work soon. – not mine
- What rich people do in their free time is what people will be doing soon. – not mine
- Make initiative. Not take initiative. Making is additive. Taking is subtractive.
- People don’t care how much you know. They care how much you care.
- Direction is far more important than speed.
- People are the best.
- People are the worst.
- Privacy yes, but no secrets please.
- Close to ninety percent of problem can be solved with good communication.
- At work, no surprises.
- For relationships you care about, manage the 5:1 ratio. Five positive things for each one negative.
- “Being enthusiastic is worth 25 IQ points.” – KK
- Part of us is jealous that anyone else could hurt us more than ourselves.
- Missions make careers. Make your mission. Without a mission, it’s just a job.
- Know when to stop complexity. Kindergarten art teachers, and Brian Eno agree.
- Complexity is a tax you don’t need to pass onto the next.
- Commonality is not enough for community.
- Perhaps a good regret ration is 9:1.
- What do you do first with an idea? Say no? Say yes. Shoot it full of holes? I play around with it first.
- The audience needs less than you think. – Brian Eno.
- The future is here, but not evenly distributed. – Not mine
- Sunlight is the best disinfectant. – Not mine
- Don’t cut your own hair.
- Do we need all the information? Colon Powell said the sweet spot is more than 40%, and less than 70%.
- Don’t talk to the cops, even if you are abundantly innocent. – lawyers.
- Trust is the hardest currency.
- Cities are the greenest things ever made. – founder of Green Peace.
- Actually get the second opinion.
- Persuasion is overrated.
- Yes predictions are mostly wrong, but it is still incredibly value.
- Plan, but also plan for change.
- Managers de-risk.
- Pre-mortems are better than post-mortems. Both are important.
- The best program or diet is the one you stick with, the one you don’t abandon.
- The best solution might be the best one, and waiting for the best-fit solution.
- Everyone hates two things: the way things are, and change. – …
- Choice is better than being right. – Russ Duncan.
- Change is better than status quo, with few exceptions. But they are few.
- Agree on the problem before the solution.
- It’s never too cold for ice cream. It’s never too hot for phō. It’s never too late for cereal.
- I don’t mind a mistake. I mind if I make it again.
- Most work is maintenance. A cup is made once but washed a thousand times.
- Improvement takes change, so manage that change.
- I don’t have time to be patient. – Not mine
- Taking a step back from the wrong direction is the right move.
- Tell your story or your story will be told to you. – Not mine
- Comparison is the thief of joy. – Not mine