Emergent: August 2019
This month: the science of well being in 3 minutes, don’t solve the problem, and stop running in circles and ship work that matters.
Emergent is a monthly newsletter that features Noah’s ideas, writing, podcasts, and other things that are capturing his attention. Subscribe here.
It’s certainly easier — at least for me — to be happy in the balmy summer weather that we get here in Oregon. But, when the sun leaves, I want to hang on to that happiness. Read on to understand the science behind happiness and how we can make ourselves into happier people.
I’ve also got two more interesting reads about team management and process that will help build happier and more productive teams.
If you like what you see or have some suggestions, drop me a line at noah@paloalto.com.
For previous editions of Emergent, head on over here to view the archive.
Thanks for reading!
Noah
1. This month’s thoughts on happiness
The science of well being — in 3 minutes
If you don’t have the ~20 hours needed to complete Yale’s famous (and free) “happiness class,” then check out the short overview in The Atlantic that gives you a very brief summary of the course.
I’d still recommend finding the time to complete the full course if you can, but the summary is worth a quick read and won’t take more than a few minutes. Check it out.
2. This month’s management advice
I asked @lysspowell if she had any suggestions for this month’s newsletter and she mentioned that she’s been enjoying Basecamp’s 37 Signals blog, which is also a favorite of mine. One of her favorite posts is a bit of short but extremely valuable management advice.
It’s a reminder that a great manager doesn’t solve problems, but asks questions instead. You can find a great list of the 16 key questions you can ask the next time someone on your team comes to you with a problem in this blog post.
3. This month’s thoughts on software development
Stop running in circles and ship work that matters
If you’re in the software or app world, you’re constantly trying to ship new features for your customers. When your app is young, things seem to go really fast. But, as you mature and your team grows, things seem to slow down rather than speed up. Why is that and how can we prevent that? Basecamp is finally pulling back the curtain on their development process to show how they get things done.
You’ll find interesting and contrarian ideas in their new book, “Shape Up,” that should at the very least spark ideas about how you can improve your own processes. I know we have two Basecamp features in this newsletter, but trust me, they’re both worth checking out. Read it now.
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