Friday, September 06, 2013

Barking Up the Tree

“I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, 'Where's the self-help section?' She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.”
― George Carlin

I have worked with some sensational people in my lifetime. (Dr Cope, Patricia Azarias, MV) It seemed less important when I was young and focused on carving out, but it is clear to me now. None of us is as strong as all of us. Creating and maintaining formidable teams is an art. It was this article from the Barking Up the Tree blog that provoked me to ponder the best teams I have worked in and what made us such a creative force...MON of Dream Teams

The challenge for magazines, as with all media, is to tell stories that people care about; to become part of an unfolding narrative that connects across media and into lives in unique ways. Great stories command premiums and the magazines that succeed will be ideas factories assembling design, images and content in ways that people love:
All Ranks Are Local: Why Humans Are Both (Painfully) Aware and (Surprisingly) Unaware of Their Lot in Life Psychological Inquiry: An International Journal for the Advancement of Psychological Theory, June 2013.  People are unaware of the shape of the distribution of outcomes and their specific rank in that overall distribution, yet when made aware of their local rank, their preferences and behaviour can shift dramatically All Ranks Are Local: Why Humans Are Both (Painfully) Aware and (Surprisingly) Unaware of Their Lot in Life

“I don't like ass kissers, flag wavers or team players. I like people who buck the system. Individualists. I often warn people: "Somewhere along the way, someone is going to tell you, 'There is no "I" in team.' What you should tell them is, 'Maybe not. But there is an "I" in independence, individuality and integrity.'" Avoid teams at all cost. Keep your circle small. Never join a group that has a name. If they say, "We're the So-and-Sos," take a walk. And if, somehow, you must join, if it's unavoidable, such as a union or a trade association, go ahead and join. But don't participate; it will be your death. And if they tell you you're not a team player, congratulate them on being observant.”
― George Carlin with conversation with Jozef Imrich Jan 1997 - 20th anniversary of the Charter 1977