Paradox Pairs
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Collaborative & Empowered (#4)
Paradox Pairs

Collaborative & Empowered (#4)

We expect cooperation and help from our colleagues and we welcome opportunities to support each other.
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James LaPlaine
Fast & Innovative (#3)
Paradox Pairs

Fast & Innovative (#3)

The faster we can start testing and experimenting with real customers — the quicker we can learn what works.
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James LaPlaine
Stable & Agile (#2)
Paradox Pairs

Stable & Agile (#2)

Things become very stable when they aren’t moving. But we want to move swiftly, as fast as we can, with services that are instantaneous and even anticipatory.
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James LaPlaine
Introducing Paradox Pairs
Paradox Pairs

Introducing Paradox Pairs

In this series I will offer definitions of both words in a paradox pair that when combined establish a harmony where both virtue and dissonance are in balance. Each definition is written as a belief statement or describe ways in which we draw strength and value from the pair.
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James LaPlaine
Intense & Fun (#1)
Paradox Pairs

Intense & Fun (#1)

Our enthusiasm is connected with the enjoyment of what we do.
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James LaPlaine
Something Found Along The Oregon Trail
Code Archeology

Something Found Along The Oregon Trail

Porting a program, any program, forces the developer to get intimately familiar with the original source code and the originating computer language, just as translating a book requires the translator to have a deep understanding of the original material and the initial written language.
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James LaPlaine
Humans Are Hard
Human Behavior

Humans Are Hard

Companies who promote self awareness, inclusiveness, and provide a clear path of development for their employees are the ones that will unlock their human's greatest potential.
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James LaPlaine
Before and After Jackie Robinson
Baseball

Before and After Jackie Robinson

On Jackie Robinson Day we see images of every MLB player sporting Robinson’s famous jersey, number 42. It would be easy to forget that in Robinson’s day he was the only black player in the league. The image of solidarity glosses over the grit and courage that Robinson had to muster to persevere.
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James LaPlaine
Solve for Gender Pay, Solve for Sexual Harassment
Equal Pay

Solve for Gender Pay, Solve for Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment and mistreatment of women stems from an entitlement culture. Companies who equalize gender pay and create an inclusive culture are not just morally right, they have a competitive advantage by harnessing the best and brightest minds of all people while creating a culture of trust.
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James LaPlaine
Finding Raymond Carver In All Of Us
Reading

Finding Raymond Carver In All Of Us

There is value in telling and in listening. If we remind ourselves to be aware, the bonds we seek can be strengthened and while we learn more about our friends, we are learning more about ourselves too.
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James LaPlaine
What's Luck Got to Do With It?
Mental Effort Archive

What's Luck Got to Do With It?

We consider many of our unique attributes when we want to explain why it all worked out in the end. When things don't go so well we're also quick to point to several outside factors. The truth is, much of what we accomplish successfully is also because we got lucky.
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James LaPlaine
Where We Do Our Best Work
Mental Effort Archive

Where We Do Our Best Work

A while back I asked several dozen employees a simple question: >
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James LaPlaine
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