Bias to action →

Published June 24, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 24

The full definition of leadership that Badaracco gradually unfolds through literature in the course is: “Leadership is a struggle by flawed human beings to make some important human values real and effective in the world as it is.”

~ Martha Lagace from, Machiavelli, Morals, and You | Working Knowledge

Elsewhere, this is 4uheie1. — slipbox

I’ve mentioned bias to action previously, but I don’t recall having every connected it to one of Machiavelli’s best-known quotes, that fortune favors the bold. (Click through for more context.) Here I’m struck by Badaracco’s choice of, “effective,” as a critical feature of leadership. Certainly without action, there can be no efficacy. (And, yes, using my words totally counts as action, thank you.) Leaders are by definition out in front. That means acting first, and that presumes being capable of acting. If my bias is towards inaction, (gather more data, think about it more, however you want to mince those words,) I cannot be a good leader.

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Thea Rae: Programming, Stunts, and Cross training →

Published June 24, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 24  ·  

Thea Rae: Programming, Stunts, and Cross training

How can diverse physical practices and creative disciplines inform and enhance each other to foster personal growth and adaptability?

Any mind hell-bent on problem solving inevitably seeks challenge. Thea Rae discusses many things, including her movement background, coding, and stunt work. She unpacks the connections between her art, movement, aerial circus, and programming. Thea explains her varied interests: stunts, circus, cycling, climbing, and ice skating, and why cross training is so important to her practice.

Movement is also a language to me. Just as much as we can communicate with words, we can also communicate with our bodies and we can say so much.

~ Thea Rae

Thea Rae discusses her multifaceted journey through movement arts, creative technology, and life, emphasizing the significance of cross-training in her personal and professional development. She reflects on how disciplines like gymnastics, aerial arts, and ice skating have shaped her understanding of physicality and creativity. Her experience with rock climbing has also been pivotal in teaching her how to remain calm and adapt to challenging situations.

In addition to physical movement, Thea digs into her artistic pursuits, including kinetic sculpture and interactive installations. She explains the parallels between her programming and movement practices, highlighting the problem-solving mindset that underpins both. Throughout, she underscores the value of viewing movement as a language and a means of communication, shaping her approach to teaching, performing, and everyday life.

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Crystalizing experiences →

Published June 23, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 23  ·  

It’s important to be aware of our own crystallizing experiences and how they affected us. I’m curious about what crystalizing experiences you’ve had, and I’m thinking beyond just moments, to books, people, videos, discussions, whatever left an impact. What stuck with you and changed the way you thought about things? This could be in any area of your life: work, learning, movement, writing, any hobby. What was the experience, and how did it change your practice?

~ Melissa Way

The Movers Mindset team has an internal project management system. (Basecamp.com in case you’re still mysteriously using something dysfunctional, like Slack, to run your team.) Each week, in a sort of loose rotation, we take turns kicking off some discussion by posting something—anything, whatever interests us when it’s our turn.

I’ve been coming back to this post from Melissa for nearly two weeks, trying to figure out where to start on a reply. Each time I start thinking, my mind wanders down a seemingly endless sequence of formative experiences; I can’t even begin to list them as they’d sound like an intolerable bragging-list. There are some unbelievable experiences ranging from, “been there,” to “done that,” and careening between, “literally cheated death,” and “hfsyesagainplease.”

Instead of trying to pick just one, tell the story, and pull out how the experience changed me, I’m going to ask, and attempt to answer, a meta question: Is life a journey of becoming, or simply a journey?

If it’s the former, then I should be paying attention for—perhaps even actively seeking—crystallizing experiences my entire life. I should be continuously repeating the process of asking myself what I should change or improve next, and then seeking out the experiences or knowledge to achieve that change. But having bashed myself on that cold anvil, incessantly seeking change and improvement, I’m now convinced that it’s the later.

Life is simply a journey.

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The clock of the Long Now →

Published June 22, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 22  ·  

There is a Clock ringing deep inside a mountain. It is a huge Clock, hundreds of feet tall, designed to tick for 10,000 years. Every once in a while the bells of this buried Clock play a melody. Each time the chimes ring, it’s a melody the Clock has never played before. The Clock’s chimes have been programmed to not repeat themselves for 10,000 years.

~ Kevin Kelly from, The Clock of the Long Now – Long Now

Elsewhere, this is 4uloco1. — slipbox

The Long Now Foundation was started in 01996. They always include the leading zero in years as just another subtle way to get one to think long-term. I can’t say for sure that I’ve been following them since they started, but it’s got to be darn close. I will be going to Texas, (and to Nevada if I live long enough to see the second clock built,) to visit.

The 10,000-year clock is just one project. Grab your favorite beverage, put your phone on do-not-disturb and go spend an hour or so reading what the Long Now Foundation is up to.

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The web is like water →

Published June 21, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 21  ·  

There is no question that apps are here to stay, and are a superior interaction model for some uses. But the web is like water: it fills in all the gaps between things like gaming and social with exactly what any one particular user wants. And while we all might have a use for Facebook – simply because everyone is there – we all have different things that interest us when it comes to reading.

~ Ben Thompson from, Why the Web Still Matters – Stratechery by Ben Thompson

Elsewhere, this is 4usawe1. — slipbox

That’s from 2014, and holds up pretty well I think. That the web, “fills in all the gaps,” is insightful. Sure, the technology that defines “the Web” drives an enormous amount of stuff other than written content. But even just the smaller portion that is the written word is a huge swath of time and attention. That speaks well for us in the aggregate.

I still believe that the problem, currently, is simply that people rarely bother to figure out how things actually work. People don’t tinker and change things. Once someone gets the bug of curiosity, it’s a slippery slope from poking and prodding, to tinkering and experimenting, to building and creating; It’s a slippery slope lined entirely with reading.

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Learn something worthwhile →

Published June 20, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 20  ·  ,

Do external things distract you? Then make time for yourself to learn something worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled in all directions. But make sure you guard against the other kind of confusion. People who labor all their lives but have no purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward are wasting their time—even when hard at work.

~ Marcus Aurelius

Elsewhere, this is 4a150. — slipbox

Quiet →

Published June 19, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 19

I maintained this illusion until, inspired by a stupidly expensive device that only does one thing, I taped my old phone to a bluetooth keyboard and began to write in offline mode. It was immediately a magical experience. It was so *quiet*. I could go on my porch and write and it was quiet. My thoughts got much larger because I wasn’t subconsciously afraid I’d interrupt them. I began to feel angry at my laptop. Why did it insist on hurting me so much? Why couldn’t it be pure like the offline phone/keyboard experience? Why couldn’t I just create things?

~ “Elizabeth” from, Turns Out Interruptions Are Bad, Who Knew? — LessWrong

Elsewhere, this is 4ulepo3. — slipbox

Don’t worry, I’m not getting on my soapbox about distraction and being used by your phone and the Internet and social networks. Nope, definitely not getting on my soapbox.

Today, I’ve gotten my ladder and I’m climbing on my roof to preach right over your head—you nice people in my front lawn, who are smart enough to be reading, reading stuff that has paragraphs, from a site on the open web, even if you only subscribe to the email because you haven’t mastered RSS—nope not preaching at you, dearest choir of mine, not today.

But you people in the back… Can you not see the Oxo® easy-grip handles that extendeth from thine brains?! Can you not see the unwashed masses of people who labor for Facelessco et al to write software that grabs you by those handles?

What say you? WHAT? …sorry you have to yell, I can’t hear you so well from up here on my roof… Oh, you cannot in fact see the handles? …well, have you tried looking in the mirror? …uh, hello?! Where are you going? Oh yes, definitely check that message, and scroll through Instagram and I’ll just wait here on my roof.

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Golden Gate Bridge →

Published June 18, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 18

Cordelia Storm | Creating Community & Workability with Your Staff →

Published June 17, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 17

On Castbox.fm — Cordelia Storm | Creating Community & Workability with Your Staff

How can leaders foster better communication and cultivate a healthy, effective team culture?

Effective leadership often starts with recognizing and challenging the automatic stories you tell yourself about others.

People’s concerns will tell you their commitments… People’s concerns are usually the pathway to understanding what they care deeply about.

~ Cordelia Storm (15:56)

The conversation explores the importance of reframing assumptions and biases that arise when working with teams or communities. One central theme is the way automatic labeling can create subtle divisions, which negatively impact collaboration. Addressing these issues through open communication and radical honesty can restore relationships and foster a healthier team dynamic.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on creating a culture that encourages curiosity and trust. The conversation also touches on leadership development, using Parkour as an analogy for overcoming obstacles in communication and management. Additionally, there is a focus on larger cultural issues, such as using movement practices to address senior fall prevention.

Takeaways

Listening deeply — How reframing stories and assumptions about others can shape relationships and team dynamics.

Curiosity in relationships — Labeling people reduces curiosity and prevents deeper collaboration.

Commitments through concerns — People’s concerns often point to their deeper commitments and values.

Leadership development — Leadership programs can foster greater self-awareness and trust in teams.

Movement culture — Parkour principles can extend into everyday life, influencing communication and public health.

Resources

Cordelia Storm @coryjumps — Cordelia’s Instagram account.

Parkour Visions — A Parkour coaching organization where Cordelia Storm works as Program Director.

Art of Retreat — The Parkour leadership and education retreat where the conversation took place.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

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What’s next? →

Published June 17, 2020  ·  All posts on Jun 17

It is fascinating that whenever two or more are responsible for something, usually nobody is.

~ David Allen from, Why things don’t get done

Elsewhere, this is 4ugewy2. — slipbox

The “doing” is always the easy part. How do you build an awesome wall? You place the first brick, then the next. Placing a brick is easy. The hard part is sitting down and imagining all the things that have to happen first—and realizing that the first step is to search online to find out where I can go look at bricks; Because I need to pick bricks first. I often get pushback when I ask people, “what’s the next action?” or “What’s the first step?” I get pushback because most people aren’t used to thinking about how to do things before they start. I mean really thinking about things, about what’s required to get things done, and what exactly does done look like?

We’ve been trained that if we’re the last one holding the hot potato, we get in trouble at the end. Once I create an environment where responsibility always comes with empowerment, resources, support, and, (if needed,) commiseration, then people can relax and think.

Also, put a date on that next action. No date? No commitment.

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