NonsenseAtWork

This is Part 2 of 3 of "We Teach Our Nonsense Well. Now we should pity our poor children."

Once upon a time, I knew nonsense when I saw it. I had no doubts, ifs, nor buts.

Back then nonsense and sense were clearly divided in my mind, even as I understood that what made sense to me might be nonsense to you. And, of course, vice versa. But today we present all kinds of uncommon nonsense as common sense.

We should pity our poor children, for we have failed the basic test of adulthood. Instead of helping the next generation make sense of our world, we’re spin-doctoring what was once worldly into nonsense.

We "Teach Our Nonsense Well". Now we should pity our poor children.

This is Part 3 of 3 of "Let’s collaborate to kill co-operation. Before co-operation, as we practise it, kills us."

Once again I am amazed how well people can work together to achieve a common goal, whether it is to protect the planet, defend democracy or promote public health. Well, maybe half the people work well together. But which half?

If only we could figure out which half wasn’t playing nice, we could do something about it (or them). The problem is that there are so many permutations of what makes up which half. Even worse, people keep changing their minds, their behavior, and the half we thought they were in.

And yet, here we humans are, still surviving and thriving. Astounding. But somehow puzzling.

This is Part 2 of 3 of "Let’s collaborate to kill co-operation. Before co-operation, as we practise it, kills us."

Once again I am amazed how well people can work together to achieve a common goal, whether it is to protect the planet, defend democracy or promote public health. Well, maybe half the people work well together. But which half?

If only we could figure out which half wasn’t playing nice, we could do something about it (or them). The problem is that there are so many permutations of what makes up which half. Even worse, people keep changing their minds, their behavior, and the half we thought they were in.

And yet, here we humans are, still surviving and thriving. Astounding. But somehow puzzling.

Humans are strange. We dominate the planet mainly because of our ability to work together. Yet we compete like crazy.

This is Part 3 of 3 of "Delegate Dumbly or Delegate Smartly, It’s Your Call - Either Way, You’ll Be Remembered for Both."

Out of sight, out of mind only makes the heart grow fonder in the short term. We have been out of sight for more than a year.

Now there’s a fresh fear on the block. The fear of being forgotten, working at home alone. It makes us do dumb things. Like working harder and longer to prove our worth. To show we matter. To make them need us. To be remembered.

Oh, right. We did that back in the office, back in the old days, back when we were also dumb. Apparently, the more things change, the more… never mind.

This is Part 2 of 3 of "Delegate Dumbly or Delegate Smartly, It’s Your Call - Either Way, You’ll Be Remembered for Both."

Out of sight, out of mind only makes the heart grow fonder in the short term. We have been out of sight for more than a year.

Now there’s a fresh fear on the block. The fear of being forgotten, working at home alone. It makes us do dumb things. Like working harder and longer to prove our worth. To show we matter. To make them need us. To be remembered.

Oh, right. We did that back in the office, back in the old days, back when we were also dumb. Apparently, the more things change, the more… never mind.

Now is not the time to do stupid things just to prove how valuable you are to your employer. Like doing more and working harder.

This is Part 3 of 3: "Why Team Building Is Not a Sport - Unless your business is a sport"

Spring is in the air and I can almost hear consultants and HR people planning this year's team building events.

Maybe not this year. That’s one positive brought to us courtesy of enforced social distancing. (Not so long ago you, like me, might have wished for a bit of social distancing when forced to take part in another inane team building exercise.)

Well, maybe even this year. Never doubt the creative power of people who get paid to believe that one more group exercise will surely make you a better working-from-home-alone team player.

(If you love and miss team building exercises, unlike me, then stop reading. Else what follows will annoy you into wanting to do something about my morale. Like sending me on a team building exercise.)

This is Part 2 of 3: "Why Team Building Is Not a Sport - Unless your business is a sport"

Spring is in the air and I can almost hear consultants and HR people planning this year's team building events.

Maybe not this year. That’s one positive brought to us courtesy of enforced social distancing. (Not so long ago you, like me, might have wished for a bit of social distancing when forced to take part in another inane team building exercise.)

Well, maybe even this year. Never doubt the creative power of people who get paid to believe that one more group exercise will surely make you a better working-from-home-alone team player.

(If you love and miss team building exercises, unlike me, then stop reading. Else what follows will annoy you into wanting to do something about my morale. Like sending me on a team building exercise.)