Agency & Resiliency (#86)
Reporting shallow statistics about the number of under represented employees tells us nothing. Diversity initiatives fail if they do not fundamentally alter the institutions power relationships.
Paradox Pairs
Two ideas that at first seem to be in opposition. A deeper study shows they more often complement each other and provide the natural boundaries and tension necessary for creativity, innovation, and appreciation. 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.
Adversarial Collaboration (#85)
Break the endless cycle of critique → reply → rejoinder by embracing adversarial collaboration, a method to solve problems more quickly and transparently.
Principles & Analogies (#84)
Following an established recipe does not make us a chef, it makes us the cook. First principle thinking is the path to expertise — to becoming a chef.
Goals & Kill Criteria (Paradox #83)
Completing a goal that is no longer useful is a failure. Use kill criteria to trigger reevaluation of a goal because, once set, goals ignore changes in the landscape and don't always age well.
Sun & Clouds (Paradox Pair #82)
If everyday was a perfect day we'd start to become desensitized, eventually once glorious days would no longer inspire us at all.
Snowflakes & Scope (Paradox #81)
We should build more custom, one-off solutions when our product development lifecycle is in either exploration or growth stages.
Tribes & Identity (Paradox Pair #80)
Our identity is not a commodity to be traded or negotiated. Seeking tribes where open-mindedness is valued, who seek constructive feedback, and where we can bring our authentic selves are the only tribes who deserve our membership.
Discipline & Freedom (Paradox Pair #79)
Discipline is freedom's collaborator, focusing our attention on administrative tasks at deliberate times, granting us freedom to use the remaining time for our creative pursuits.
Option & Obligation (Paradox Pair #78)
Our work has many Right Turn on Red (RTOR) moments, where our actions are options not obligations.
Grit & Quit (Paradox Pair #77)
All obstacles are not equal, and sometimes those obstacles are signposts that we are pursuing the wrong destination altogether.
Kindness & Directness (Paradox Pair #76)
Respecting someone so much that you give them candid, constructive feedback, even when delivering that message is hard, is kindness.
2022's Top 7 Most Read Paradox Pairs
We look back at the seven most popular paradox pairs of 2022.