goals

Literally! Out of all the things buzzing in my head for a “new decade” post, the idea I want to highlight most is the increasing importance of making stuff. It’s been germinating in my mind via MakerCulture in the Making by UWO + Ryerson’s online journalism classes. Last week it was crystalized by Umair Haque’s “Builders’ Manifesto” [...]

Putting It In Writing

by Brian on 05-14-2009

in art,belief,education

I’m looking through my notebook and remembered that back in February I was starting to develop a Buddhist-like ‘practice’ based on writing. I’m going to make another effort. It looks like I was onto something. A few months ago, in search of discipline, I started copying out Upanishads during my breaks at work. My intention was [...]

China: Mother of All Enrons?

by Brian on 03-17-2009

in economics,global

Directly following up on my last post about the problems of goals gone wild, here’s a look at China’s attempts to keep up their 8% rate of annual GDP growth. (Thanks to Francois in the previous post’s comments for bringing up the abuse of information during China’s Cultural Revolution.) Earlier today, FP Passport reported the World Bank’s quarterly [...]

Goals Gone Wild

by Brian on 03-17-2009

in business

I love this: Rather than reflexively relying on goals, argues Max Bazerman, a Harvard Business School professor and the fourth coauthor of “Goals Gone Wild,” we might also be better off creating workplaces and schools that foster our own inherent interest in the work. “There are lots of organizations where people want to do well, [...]

I noticed this article yesterday in the New York Times about marquee marathons that are in danger of becoming too popular. Funny: “You are a victim of what you accomplish,” Morse said. “We want to be as big as we can be without compromising the integrity of the event. There’s a breaking point, and you may not [...]