Systems vs Flexibility

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One of the keys to productivity is to create efficient systems. Whenever you run a process automatically it will be faster and more reliable, especially if a human does not have to be involved. However, are there times when reliance on systems can be to our detriment?

Darious Foroux explored this problem in a piece called Systems vs Flexibility: Why Rigidity is the Enemy of Modern Success. In the post, he first acknowledges the usefulness of systems. Then he points out that it is problematic to rely too much on them.

The problem with systems is that you risk binding yourself to your system. After all, it’s what you control. And if you’re a control freak, you can go nuts about your system. 

You’ll try to optimize every single aspect. So maybe you started off trying to get a raise; created a system and started executing.

But maybe your life changes or the economy changes and you shouldn’t be executing that system. You might need a new goal in your life. Or a new system. Probably both.

Later on, Foroux explores the notion of flexibility and how it can overcome the problems inherent in systems.

The more rigid you are, the more you risk breaking things. That’s true for your career, relationships, body, and mental health.

I’ve always been a flexible thinker. I have zero attachment to ideas and beliefs. That’s because I’m a pragmatist at heart. I wrote about my personal philosophy in my book, Think Straight. 

This strategy has generally made me flexible. I’m never afraid to make a change.

But I still get stuck inside my systems, whether it’s for work or in my personal life. If you can relate to this, I recommend taking a step back from your existing systems, routines, or habits occasionally. 

See it as a way to improve your flexibility and lower your rigidity.

Read the entire piece on Foroux’s web site.

Practicing Radical Open-Mindedness

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It is commonly understood that no one person has all the right ideas.

However, it is also very easy for most people to believe that they always have the best idea.

How do we overcome this paradox of thinking? According to Ray Dalio in his best-selling book, Principles, one aspect of the solution is practicing radical open-mindedness.

Why is this so important? His company, Bridgewater Associates, is famous for creating an idea meritocracy, designed to encourage the best ideas, not the most persuasive or good-enough ones, to rise to top. Radical open-mindedness is key to making this happen. According to Dalio:

Radical open-mindedness is motivated by the genuine worry that you might not be seeing your choice optimally. It is the ability to effectively explore different points of view and different possibilities without letting your ego or blind spots get in your way.

On pages 187-190 of Principles, Dalio proposes seven steps to keeping one’s mind open. They are listed below:

  • Sincerely believe that you might not know the best possible path and recognize that your ability to deal with “not knowing” is more important that whatever it is you do know.
  • Recognized that decision making is a two-step process: First take in all the relevant information, then decide.
  • Don’t worry about looking good: worry about achieving your goal.
  • Realize that you can’t put out without taking in.
  • Recognize that to gain the perspective that comes from seeing things through another’s eyes, you must suspend judgement for a time – only by empathizing can you properly evaluate another point of view.
  • Remember that you’re looking for the best answer, not simply the best answer that you can come up with yourself.
  • Be clear on whether you are arguing or seeking to understand, and think about which is most appropriate based on your and other’s believability.

For the last point, Dalio explains the idea of believability:

I define believable people as those who have repeatedly and successfully accomplished the thing in question – who have a strong track record with a least three successes – and have great explanations for their approach when probed.

To dive deeper into these seven concepts, grab a copy of Principles and jump to pages 187-190.

We’re Stronger Together: A Conversation with ALA President Emily Drabinski

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I recently had the opportunity to interview the new ALA President Emily Drabinski on behalf of Public Libraries Online. As she begins her year in the role, I asked her how she became involved with ALA at a national level.

I’ve been an academic librarian in New York City for 22 years. I joined ALA in 2002 when I had just finished library school, because it took this bold position against the Patriot Act. I was excited to be part of a profession that takes difficult stances in difficult political moments. And we definitely are in one of those right now. So I was interested in using some of my skills as a connector of people to work inside the association that I think can be valuable in this moment. My involvement at ALA was primarily in my division home, ACRL, which is common for most people. I was on a number of its committees and have been editing the book reviews for our journal for the last three years. I served one term as ALA Council and that was a really interesting experience. I saw how the sausage gets made a little bit, in terms of what kind of a national presence ALA has, which I think is really important.

Later on in the interview, I asked her to share her priorities for the Presidential year. Her first priority is to advance sustainability in libraries.

Past Presidents say you plan and then the year happens. My plan is to focus on bringing to completion projects that Past Presidents Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada and Patty Wong worked on. For a long time, ALA has had sustainability as a priority. We have a round table, we have a council committee, and we have sustainability now as a core value. So will be focused on tying up those loose ends so that we can have national climate strategy for libraries coming from ALA to guide people in managing through environmental crises. Also it will include ways that we as institutions can contribute to reversing some of those climate change trends.

Read the entire interview at the Public Libraries Online website.

Obama’s Letter to Librarians

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This past week former President Barak Obama surprised librarians across the country by releasing a letter of support. In it he spoke openly about the free expression of ideas and the importance of libraries.

Below is the opening of the letter:

To the dedicated and hardworking librarians of America: 

In any democracy, the free exchange of ideas is an important part of making sure that citizens are informed, engaged and feel like their perspectives matter.  

It’s so important, in fact, that here in America, the First Amendment of our Constitution states that freedom begins with our capacity to share and access ideas – even, and maybe especially, the ones we disagree with.  

More often than not, someone decides to write those ideas down in a book.  

Later in the letter he expresses deep appreciation for librarians and their work.

Nobody understands that more than you, our nation’s librarians. In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines – fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas available to everyone. Your dedication and professional expertise allow us to freely read and consider information and ideas, and decide for ourselves which ones we agree with.  

That’s why I want to take a moment to thank all of you for the work you do every day — work that is helping us understand each other and embrace our shared humanity.  

Read the rest of the letter on the Penguin Random House website.

Building a Second Brain: A Conversation with Tiago Forte

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Last year I had the honor of interviewing Tiago Forte, creator of Building a Second Brain. We spoke for almost an hour on how he became interested in the power of digital notes, discussed PARA as an organizing tool, and learned best practices for capturing information across mediums.

I’m glad to share that the written transcript of the interview is now posted on Public Libraries Online. Below is opening question and response.

PL: Please define what you mean by a Second Brain?

TF: Think of a diary or notebook. It is a creative, timeless practice to save your thoughts. Now make a few changes. You’re going to journal not just your own thoughts and reflections, but external sources of information. You hear a quote that resonates with you, write that down. You hear an interesting fact, write that down. You discover some research of interest, write that down. Next, make it digital so that it is on your smartphone and sync to the Cloud and all your devices. Now you can access it from anywhere, anytime.

With all the capabilities of technology, you can save, not just text, but images, links, web bookmarks, photographs, drawings, and sketches. Because it’s digital, it can be annotated, organized, and re-sorted. It can change with your needs and goals. Your Second Brain is a trusted place outside of your head where you save all of the ideas, insights reflections and realizations that are most important to you. It contains information that is personally relevant and meaningful. It contains moving and powerful life experiences, memories, and unique ways of seeing the world.

To learn more about other aspects of Building a Second Brain, such as the CORE approach, understanding the difference between projects and areas, and much more, please read the full interview on Public Libraries Online.

Good News for Library Funding In Florida

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Is your community long overdue for a new public library? After many years of effort, it is welcome news to see a major funding increase for public libraries in the 2023-24 Florida Budget. This is due to a dramatic increase in the amount of money allocated for public library construction grants.

The Public Library Construction Grants program has been largely overlooked for most of its existence. However, this year the Florida Legislature allocated over $9 million dollars to the fund. This appropriation triples the past largest amount for construction grants and will allow 19 projects across the state to receive between $300,000 to $500,000 each towards construction costs.

Photo by Rene Asmussen on Pexels.com

Appreciation for this increase goes to the Legislative leadership in the Florida House and Florida Senate, along with the appropriation chairs on both sides. Further appreciation goes to the Governor for approving this significant increase, along with support from the Florida Secretary of State.

As well, this effort would not have happened without the determined lobbying of the Florida Library Association and their contracted lobbying team at GrayRobinson.

Building more public libraries will enhance our communities, support local education, enhance access to voting, and demonstrate without a doubt that Florida Libraries are Fundamental to Freedom.

Why it is Hard to Get Things Done (and we don’t mean GTD)

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Even though we now have far more tools at our disposal to be productive in the office, more and more people are finding it hard to actually get work done. This may seem like a paradox, but there is an important reason why this is so.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article by Ray Smith titled, Workers Now Spend Two Full Days a Week on Email and in Meetings. In it, Smith points to a survey done my Microsoft that outlines worker’s concerns.

Researchers found that the 25% most active users of its apps—in other words, people who use Microsoft’s business software for much of their online work activity—spent an average of 8.8 hours a week reading and writing emails and 7.5 hours logging meetings.

Those figures don’t include time spent instant messaging, on the phone or in other, impromptu conversations with co-workers. In all, the average employee spent 57% of their time using office software for communication—in meetings, email, chat. The remainder of time, 43%, they used for creating things, such as building spreadsheets or writing presentations.

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Smith shares how this workload affects a worker’s ability to think big.

In a separate Microsoft survey of 31,000 people worldwide, nearly two out of three said they struggled to find time and energy to do their actual job. Those people were more than three times as likely as others polled to say innovation and strategic thinking were a challenge for them.

The study found that despite our assumption that more communication and collaboration lead to a better outcome, it seems this is not the case. Smith points out that one of the biggest hinderances to a productive workplace comes from not setting priorities for meetings and clearly considering who should attend.

Too often, meetings are scheduled without clarity on what they are supposed to achieve, said Rita J. King, executive vice president of workplace-consulting firm Science House. “The key is to not invite someone to a meeting unless you are absolutely certain that they belong there, and you can tell them why,” she said.

Learn more about the concerns expressed in the Microsoft survey and some strategies to solve them by reading the full article.

The Best Time to Get Feedback

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There is a funny paradox at the heart of creativity. Most people would prefer not to receive criticism of their work; however, the only way to know if the work is effective is to get feedback. Therefore, the question is when is the best time to solicit evaluations of your work?

According to Tiago Forte, the best time to get feedback is early in the creative process. As he wrote in a recent newsletter:

The fundamental difficulty of creative work is that we lack objectivity when it comes to our creations.

That’s where feedback becomes invaluable—a borrowed pair of eyes from a novice’s perspective. It allows us to step outside our subjective viewpoint and identify what may be missing in our work.

However, there’s a common mistake I see people make when seeking feedback: they wait too long, often investing months of effort before unveiling their work.

The trap in waiting for feedback is that you could be well down a road that leads to a dead-end, which wastes time and energy. I know from personal experience the pain of this mistake on a writing project from a few years back. As Tiago writes:

Receiving feedback on a small aspect of your work at an early stage is less confronting, allowing you ample time to make corrections.

Each bit of intermediate feedback becomes a valuable tool for refining your creation—making it more focused, appealing, succinct, or easier to grasp.

Therefore, don’t be afraid to share your work as early and often as possible.

Learn more about Tiago by visiting Fortelabs.com.

You Deserve a Break

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Are you the type of person to work non-stop throughout the day? In many American offices, and some other countries too, there is a culture the emphasizes continuous work. This means employees don’t stop for breaks, lunch, or even at normal quitting time. This happens due to a belief that this non-stop work ethic makes for a more productive workplace. However, is that true?

According to recent studies, taking breaks not only leads to greater productivity, but also better mental and physical wellbeing. An article in the Harvard Business Review by Zhanna Lyubykh and Duygu Biricik Gulseren titled, How to Take Better Breaks at Work, According to Research, highlights reasons why breaks are important.

Like batteries that need to be recharged, we all have a limited pool of physical and psychological resources. When our batteries run low, we feel depleted, exhausted, and stressed out.

Pushing through work when very little energy is left in the tank puts a strain on well-being and work performance. In extreme cases, nonstop work can lead to a negative spiral: A worker tries to finish tasks despite their depleted state, is unable to do them well and even makes mistakes, resulting in more work and even fewer resources left to tackle those same tasks. This means that the more we work, the less productive and more exhausted we can become. Think about reading the same line for the fifth time, for example, and still not absorbing it.

The good news is that taking breaks can help employees to recharge and short-circuit the negative spiral of exhaustion and decreasing productivity. 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Since breaks are valuable, what is the best way to take one? The authors provide a few suggestions, starting with break length:

A longer break does not necessarily equate to a better break. Disengaging from work only for a few minutes but on a regular basis (micro-breaks) can be sufficient for preventing exhaustion and boosting performance. For example, workers can take short breaks for snacking, stretching, or simply gazing out of the window. Further, timing of the break matters — shorter breaks are more effective in the morning, while longer breaks are more beneficial in the late afternoon. This is because fatigue worsens over the workday, and we need more break time in the afternoon to recharge.

Read the rest of ways to optimize your break time by reading the rest of the article.