Imperfection: The Catalyst of Our Future

I am not an audiophile like my husband but I do occasionally pick up an issue of his Stereophile or Audio Advisor to read articles about artists, the industry or other non-technical items I am able to comprehend. There was an article in the March issue of Sterophile that described the slow movement of some recording studios that are actually (GASP!) recording artists for a record together again, in one room!

Some people don’t know or maybe don’t care but as the industry has evolved to digital recording, many records are recorded separately by each musician and/or singer. This allows for the producers of the record to actually take each second of a song and contrive a “perfect” sounding song, when in reality musicians and singers make mistakes often but have the ability to usually trick the casual listener into thinking one never existed. David Grohl touted during Foo Fighters’ Grammy acceptance speech that their latest record was made in his garage, with old equipment while they played together. As it should be.

While reading the February issue of Fast Company, there was an article about Moonbot and their digital creation of apps and books, which is quite fascinating but what caught my attention was a caption box about a guy named Oz which read, “This guy is from a story in development, but we’re puppeteering him.  Why not?  It will save costs, and the audience will sense a level of handmade craftsmanship.”

This got me to thinking that the analog world will and should always have a place in our highly digitized one. I believe it is because only in the analog world can the mistake be celebrated and captured.  However, as our world becomes more digital it seems that a mistake is viewed as more detrimental than ever before when in fact, the opposite should be true.

I decided to read a little about the psychology of mistakes. It felt for me, the natural place to start.

We are taught the mistake equals bad.

My nephew, learning how to handle mistakes.

Therefore, when we make a mistake, we are supposed to be left with feelings of regret, remorse, or worse fear.  That fear then, keeps us from pursuing something anywhere near the thing that caused the mistake.  This is truly unfortunate for us all, especially in the uncertainty of our world.

I then came to the conclusion that the analog world tends to be used most by art and artists.  Think about it.  An example, chefs use a mix of analog (knives) and digital (thermometer) tools.  Artists use either or both and tend to lean toward the analog space because they know mistakes are an inevitable part of life.  In fact, as artists we tend to celebrate them, laugh about them and learn from them.  As we should.  I thought Psychology Today captured the right sentiment for what a mistake is: 

A mistake is an event, the full benefit of which we have not come to realize.

Here's a music example:  I am not a trumpeter but I’ve been told Miles Davis has tons of mistakes in his playing, yet without knowing this, all I hear is brilliantly played music.  A trumpeter can pick up on what is versus what isn’t a mistake and learn how to handle mistakes of their own.  I cannot.  However, I do often watch live musicians and have learned to pick up mistakes made by them and see how they handle them; most often with laughter that keeps them playing and experimenting.

We can and should use mistakes of others when possible as guides for what we would do if put into the same situation.  In our own endeavors, we should celebrate the mistake with appreciation instead of shunning it with unkindness.  Feel free to live an analog life in this very digital world.

Managing cooperation

I’m often asked about the issue of control.  I think it’s because there is a point where we as individuals want to be seen as cooperative and courteous but we wrestle with how much is too much.  My first instinct on this is one can’t be too cooperative or courteous in life.  Just imagine how more pleasant life would be if people were cooperative and courteous a wee bit more often (e.g. the person with 15 items in front of you at the grocery store offers that you go first because you only have two).

What I think people really mean when it comes to issues of control is how much does one person need to give before they feel like they’re getting enough in return.  This varies for each person and for each situation.  Here are a few ways to tell if cooperation is truly valued by the other party and when to move on.

Move on if: 

The person with whom you’ve been cooperative with is never cooperative in return.  That’s a gimme.  Result:  This person is selfish and only wants their way.  Don’t let them have it by giving them what they want.

A person you try to cooperate with changes their mind frequently.  They are not able to commit to what they say.  Result:  You’ll spend up more time than necessary trying to make sense of what they want when they themselves may not even be sure.

Cooperation leads to conflict.  This can happen if either party is finding that the cooperative deal is unfair in some way.  If the conflicted party is unable to see nothing but the negative in it for themselves, it is time to move on.  Result:  They are caught up in the negative and possibly, only their side of the issue.  However, this can be salvageable when someone is willing to see both sides of the conflict, not just their own.

You know cooperation is valued when:

You’re happy around the person you’re cooperating with.  When you don’t feel like running or feel a “pit” in your stomach at the site of them, it’s a pretty good sign your cooperative efforts are working.

You cooperate more often with someone you’ve cooperated with in the past.  It’s a bit of a snowball effect.  Once you have a good, cooperative relationship it only makes your future cooperating together more successful.

You try to cooperate with others but it’s “just not the same”.  That really great cooperative relationship has set the standard for all of your cooperative efforts moving forward.  Your standards may be higher but that doesn’t mean they’re all going to work in the exact same manner.  Cut your other cooperative efforts some slack so they have a chance to also grow into really great cooperative efforts.

The person you cooperate with lets you take over when they’re unavailable.  Whether it’s as simple as putting the finishing touches on a presentation at work or letting your significant other tackle the grocery list without questioning their purchases, being put in charge signifies that person’s trust in you.

So, cooperation can lead to being more controlling when someone is not willing to see the other perspective and always feels their way is the right way.  If they can’t stand firm on their role and every interaction results in conflict make a break and move on.  You’ll find your next cooperative effort to be more rewarding and successful.

Dealing with the Plight of Today's Workforce...Before it's Too Late

A study released today by The Conference Board indicates only “45% of respondents are satisfied with their jobs...a sharp decline from 1987, when 61.1% indicated they were satisfied.”  The director of The Conference Board goes on to state a concern for those who are working; that they will continue to grow increasingly unhappy, leading to low productivity.  I believe this is highly probable, if not already happening all around the country.  Productivity and morale will continue to decline as long as people in the workforce evaluate their situation. 

There are far fewer people working to do the jobs of multiple people who have been laid off or if someone did leave willfully, their position was not refilled.  Increased stress, ‘survivor syndrome’, longer working hours, less social time and fun both in and out of the office, combined with less pay and unpaid time off as a “reward” for staying employed would make any individual feel unappreciated, exhausted, stressed and unsatisfied with their job.  I would know.  I've been there and saw it happen as my colleagues felt those who were laid off were luckier than the rest of us who were "stuck" working.

Employers need to realize that the negative position they are trying to avoid by cutting pay, making people work longer, etc. is the actually putting their employees in the exact negative position they wanted to avoid from the start.  If you’re a business owner unsure of what to do to keep your employees smiling and grateful instead of tired and spiteful, or an employee who wants to deal with your stress in a positive way, nudge is here to help.

Managing Your But Before it Gets Too Big

This is not a post on the derrière!  This is regarding a timeless issue I hear often, and heard again this morning by the woman filing my business license.  “My daughter really wants to be a cop but I don’t want her to be.  She has such a great business sense, she should do that instead.”  She went on to talk about how her daughter, who is currently in high school, has raised over $6,000 for herself just by making and selling items out of her trunk.  She makes salsa and cookies to sell, while also selling soda and chips to her classmates since they’re no longer available in school.  I haven’t met her daughter and I probably never will, but I wonder if this teen is feeling that her hobbies cannot be her career.  This is a common feeling most of us have or will experience throughout our life.  “Well, I just love to bake, cook,    give piano lessons, travel, write, etc...” but  “I have to make a living, I have a family to support, I'm too old, no one will buy my work, etc."

Think about the things you long to do and write them down under a heading we’ll just call “dreams” for now.  Then, for each item, write “but” down next to it and then list what is prohibiting you.  You should be able to count the number of dreams relative to the number of buts.

Is your but bigger than your dreams?  It shouldn't be.





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