Stupid Is as Stupid Hires
Why incentivizing obedience incentivizes mediocrity; how to stop terrifying employees and provide useful feedback instead; and the connection between diversity and revenues
BLUEPRINT // the future of work // ISSUE #9 OCTOBER 21st, 2016
Co-workers,
It’s Friday, folks. May all our weekends exceed expectations.
But first, news from the Department of Needs Improvement.
Lisa Gill investigates why employee feedback sessions so often devolve into counterproductive fear fests. Then she tells us how to liberate potential instead of stomping on it. Wonderful advice, especially if you’ve been concerned about your company culture.
Speaking of employees: Why hire the best and brightest, if you’re only going to award obedience and presentism? Itinerant columnist Faris explains how talent is swallowed up by the “collective stupidity” of corporate hierarchies — and what you can do to stop it.
And Peter Moskowitz (author of the forthcoming How to Kill a City) examines diversity in high tech — or the lack thereof. “Always be shipping” is a fine mantra, says, Moskowitz, but tech needs to add this corollary: “Always be diversifying.”
Looking forward,
Dept. of Future Possibilities
What we’re reading
Forbes talked to Glassdoor’s CEO Robert Hohman, who makes the case for a causal relationship between employee satisfaction and a company’s financial performance. “There is no excuse not to take company culture seriously because it will create shareholder value.”
- Pair with: Are we doomed to hate our bosses, and be hated by our employees in turn? #Futureofwork blogger Ted Bauer explores the anthropological reasons boss/direct report relationships start on dicey ground.
- Before it’s too late: The Harvard Business Review reveals 13 signs an employee is about to jump ship.
- And: Are Programmers’ Brains Different? A compelling case by Eric Elliott.
- And also: Meet the Perennials, an amazing piece by Gina Pell that questions the use of age demographics.
How Trumpism Threatens Silicon Valley. “If — as Silicon Valley hopes — [the deployment of new tech] first invigorates urban communities across the country, improving mobility, health, and access to jobs, how will white working class and rural communities respond?” An important read from Khan Shoieb at Backchannel.
- Pair with: The Six Thriving Categories of Middlemen in the New Economy, by Kyle Thompson-Westra at NewCo.
- Stop Pretending an Economy Can Be Controlled, by OECD.
The 50 most powerful questions leaders can ask. “Conversations are not competitions to be won” is a wonderful piece of advice.
- Size does matter: If you do need to speak, Fast Company’s Anett Grant reminds how to match your presentation style to the size of your audience.
- Pair with: Have absolutely nothing to say? Comedian and #futureofwork commentator Sarah Cooper tells us how to fake it in her new book 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings: How to Get By Without Even Trying.
Dept. of New Tools
New software we’re excited about
Notion.ai—AI for your email that surfaces the most important messages, tracks conversations, and provides relationship insight.
Dept. of Who to Follow on Twitter
Future of work thought leaders, irascible know-it-alls, and friends
- Tara Talbot — VP of HR at Workopolis, speaker, heads up recruitment strategy for Canada’s biggest career site.
- Lou Adler — Founder of The Adler Group, pioneer of performance-based hiring and author of “Hire With Your Head.”
- Laurie Ruettimann — Writer, speaker, HR authority and founder of @GlitchPath.
Dept. of Future Graphs
What we’re sharing
Dept. of Goodbyes
You’re still here? Great! Do us a solid and forward this email to your confederates and co-workers! Or, if you were forwarded this email, follow Blueprint on Medium to subscribe. Thanks, and see you next week!
Blueprint is where the workplace of the future is realized. We cover the changing nature of work and present points of view on how work gets done. Blueprint is powered by Box, the modern content management platform.
If you liked this, click the💚 below so other people will see this here on Medium.
