Business
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Luck When It Comes to Success in Business (via HBR)
- Looking at the stars (e.g., athletes, successful startups) may lead to more luck-oriented results. Many of those stars are one-offs and don’t have a simple attribution for their success
- Avoid flashes-in-the-pan (e.g., Psy’s “Gangnam Style”) as they get to the top unpredictably and can’t sustain it. Look for the steady second-best players.
- Grit is overrated in many aspects. It’s not just 10,000 hours of persistence; it’s having the right 10,000 hours. The article talks about table tennis stars from a specific neighborhood who just happened to be coached by a retired star who moved to that neighborhood. That is, dumb luck.
Circular Supply Chains Are More Sustainable. Why Are They So Rare? (via HBR)
“Despite the interest in circular supply chains, there are very few functioning examples. The reason for this is that successful circular supply chains tend to be quite local and the products and services involved are made up of a relatively limited number of component — in many ways akin to what we observe in natural supply chains. Human-made products and services, however, tend to involve many specialized parts and highly dispersed operations in order to optimize a performance cost trade-off. Because of this, circular supply chains will remain rare unless consumers are willing to compromise on performance and cost.”
Figure Out the Right Hybrid Work Strategy for Your Company (via HBR)
“As leaders grapple with how to return their teams to the office, they face an additional challenge when discussing hybridity: What they think is a single discussion is in fact three different discussions in disguise, each with different objectives. It’s a bit like trying to declare a winner among three teams that are each playing a different sport. In this case, the three conversations are about productivity, staffing, and culture, and each has its own objectives, arguments, and proponents. The author breaks down these three conversations and provides steps for how to navigate them.”
Communication
Learning Lucidchart (via LinkedIn Learning)
My company uses Lucidchart to share information visually. I sought out this course to get an understanding of what I would use it for. In my opinion, Lucidchart is what Microsoft Visio should have become but didn’t; very impressive.
Process
SMART Goals are Overrated (via Lifehacker)
Many people treat them as all or nothing. For example, if you have a goal to do 50 pushups a day in three months and you only get to 40 a day, is that a failure? Your goal was probably to be stronger, or be in better physical shape.
Training
Heartsaver First Aid / CPR / AED
I’ve held the CPR and AED certification since 2013 (renewed every two years) as required to be a group fitness instructor. This year I got the first aid training as well (by choice, not by requirement from the gym).