Tag: Birds-of-a-Feather

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S3 E50 — Swinging with Systematic-Professionals, Sorta

Sig went missing.  As did Mary.  The rumor that floated in gossip streams at the state hospital was he suffered a heart attack and Mary caught a flight back to upstate New York.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You’ll reach a turning point in your work. Pause here a while to really consider the options. Once you pick a direction, its reversal, though not impossible, will be awkward and time-consuming.” Sagittarius

Hi and welcome to Saturday’s Episode 50 in Season 3 of  “My Paradoxically Normal Year” on this 22nd day of May in the spring of 2021 — which is a three-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic year and then in the pandemic year, and now months after.

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Previously from Season Three, the Paradoxically Normal Year

S3 E49 — Stealing Your Sign Without Doing the Time; S3 E48 — Is That an Ace Up Your Sleeve or Are You Just Glad to See Me?; S3 E47 — Why’s and How’s of the Genius Art of Procrastination

Related from Season Two, The Pandemic Year

S2 E50 — 5 Fundamental Uncertainties; S2 E49 — Navigating Waves of Disruption When You’ve Lost Your Bearings; S2 E48 — Tracking Millennials from One Resort to Another; S2 E47 — 27 Adventure Regions for Your Remote-Working Bucket List

Related from Season One, The Normal Year

S1 E50 – The Bias Brothers or Just Plain Losers?; S1 E49 — Magnetize the Version You Imagine; S1 E48 — Holiday TauBit Trumps Funk; S1 E47 — Day 47 of My 1-Year Experiment

I initially introduced this story as: 

17. Graduate Assistant Internship — 

Working for the State of California half time and professional services startup in the afternoons, as my first job in the field of psychology, and first mentioned in the beginning of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit,” a work-in-progress.

Sig went missing.  As did Mary.  The rumor that floated in gossip streams at the state hospital was he suffered a heart attack and Mary caught a flight back to upstate New York.   

I wasn’t buying it.  

My sweet deal blew up.  

I’d been living the dream nestled in a small bungalow on Fernleaf in Corona del Mar on the western side of Pacific Coast Highway.  I hiked on a walkway over Bayside Drive, what for what may be 3 or 4 blocks to the bluffs overlooking the mouth to Newport Harbor and the small beach at Pirates Cove.  

If I walked the same distance, but east of my rental, I spooked ground squirrels and those owls who burrow in the ground through and open field to the office in Newport Center.  

Two things saved me.  

    • I could still hang on to my internship at the state hospital at the beginning of my psychology career and I met the love of my life, Emma the Baroness. At the hospital he supervised be in one program full of developmentally delayed clients and Les in another.   
    • As a business model was a doctor-knows-all in a pecking order of nurses and administrative staff. I was shocked with his out of the blue comment and his prescience when he told me I wouldn’t stay married long. I chalked up to his wisdom as a clinician, until looking back I wondered if he had recruited me for something else entirely.

In their private life, Sig and Mary swung if that is how you say swingers in the past tense.  

That fact only slowly emerged as celebrity-like friends of theirs visited our Institute office near the athletic club and the shopping destination overlooking Corona del Mar hidden in swaying palm trees and Balboa Island and Peninsula off in the distance, but still at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.  

Sig needed money to keep the Institute’s doors open.  

He put the touch on several of their swinging friends from Beverly Hills and others who streamed through our suite of offices to sample our bio-feedback services.  

The background story I eventually heard was Sig fled New York, left his wife, son and a psychology practice with Mary, his girlfriend,  and settled a mile or two just outside the border of Huntington Beach. 

Sig envisioned a business model similar to a franchise of bio-feedback centers in Southern California.  

We couldn’t find clients, let alone celebrity investors or potential franchisers.  But, the challenge opened my eyes to corporate medical and wellness centers in large organizations and eventually to several career changes.

So what happened to Sig?  

Did he fake his death to throw off his creditors?  I never found out and it wasn’t until later that I understood organizations and organization types that I see we were Systematic-Professionals.

We Systematic-Professionals come in four flavors — talent brands of experts who love their profession and their local location. In general we are known for methods and metrics. 

    • We prefer to distance themselves to remain objective and follow a well-articulated and tested methodology.
    • We find occupational homes in university research centers, professional practices, academic institutions and in standards-setting associations. 
    • Our identity is tied to their profession.

Systematic-Professionals by the very nature of their work make the best candidates for developing a Mobile KnowCo that allows them to live and work anywhere in the world. 

Which made it easy for Sig to leave his practice in New York, affiliate with a state hospital in Orange County, and launch BMI.

But, many stay in one place –- in or around university towns or urban and suburban centers where they find clients for their services.

Which led to “Knowledge Banking” many years later, when I looked around and asked, “Should I stay or should I go?”

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Ha!  Too bad this wasn’t Sig’s birthday, right.  Maybe we could travel back in time and find his investors to fund BMI.  And, this ain’t my birthday, but the lessons I learned and took note of paid dividends for me over my career trajectories.

Today’s Holiday Birthday:

A rebellious spirit pervades. The rules you break will liberate you. You’ll attract investors. The money helps you get a project off the ground, but there’s even more value in the time and lessons you gain. To repeat this success will bring you exponentially more, so take careful notes, pay attention and be methodical.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Success in one area of life won’t automatically bring success in other areas, but certain basic principles will apply universally. The work is best chunked down into small steps and mastered in order.” Aries

Yup, Steve chunking is good.  I used to call it knowledge chunking, breaking down lessons learned into knowledge nuggets so you could apply them in a variety of settings.

“4”  Steve Smith, 30, Stevie Nicks, 72: “There’s a time to keep score, and a time to indulge and share without worrying the least bit about who gave what. Scorekeeping turns giving and receiving into a job or a game instead of a spiritual act or a pure pleasure.” Gemini

Thanks Smithy and Stevie.  This reminds me of research I stumbled upon in my behavior modification days.  If you rewarded kids who truly enjoyed math with stars and tokens they grew to hate math.  I’m not sure about the spiritual corollary, but I’ll take it.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You’ll reach a turning point in your work. Pause here a while to really consider the options. Once you pick a direction, its reversal, though not impossible, will be awkward and time-consuming.” Sagittarius

Wow, Steve.  Not only did my physical therapist know who you were and shared your sign, but your Holiday Tau proves meaningful to me today.  I’m writing up my report about Phase 1, including the expansion of the 1-year natural experimental format into our pandemic year somewhat reluctantly, while I figure out Phase 2 in which I solicit TauBits from real Steves.  I’m thinking through my strategy attempting to gauge how much time and effort it will require, versus my return-on-investment.

“4”  Steve Harvey, 62: “While you’d rather go into a game with a strategy, those require time you won’t have today. So, the best strategy will be to stay on high alert for clues and trust your instincts.”  Capricorn

Since when Steve are you in collusion with Aoki?  Here’s my takeaway when I combine both of your Holiday Taus — keep an evolving scenario in the background, but start with small steps so I can iterate without reinventing the wheel and essentially starting over.

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @KnowLabs suite of 36 digital magazines jumps from 8203 to 8218 organically grown followers.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • “Why?: What Makes Us Curious,” by Mario Livio. “… socially shared myths, rituals, and symbolism were most likely the first sophisticated responses to nagging why and how questions and were therefore the fruits of curiosity. The chain reaction that resulted from the positive feedback between curiosity and language turned Homo sapiens into a powerful intellect, with self-awareness and an inner life.”

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trips

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S2 E86 — How To Avoid a Disastrous Career Like Mine

Every organization, including our 4 fundamental aspires to grow. The growth stages follow one after another from Start Up to 3 Growth phases to Maturity and Decline unless a Reinvention transformation kicks off before it is too late. 

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You will be attracted to a subject appreciated by many and understood by few. When you go deeper, you will learn how you are uniquely equipped to be among those few should you choose to devote focus to this.” Scorpio

Hi and welcome to Sunday’s Episode 86 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 26th day of July in the summer of 2020.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E85 — How to Up the Odds in Your Favor: S2 E84 — Maybe Robin Hood Got It Right After All, Eh?; S2 E83 — Why Shouldn’t You Always Lean On Things That Worked Before?

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E86 — Day 86 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment; S1 E85 — What happens when the fear subsides?; S1 E84 — Crisis averted?  Energy depleted?  What are we going to do?; S1 E83 —The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book

Context

This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.

In the last episode I summarized everything you need to know about four basic organizations to stack the odds in your favor when shopping around for your next job opportunity.  

Oh, what disaster to avoid (unlike me) in your next career move. 

Now, we’ll build on better and worse fit options for each of the 16 talent profiles:

Paradoxy-Morons

      • 101 PMBI Breakpoint Inventors
      • 102 PMTL Thought Leaders
      • 103 PMCI Commercial Innovators 
      • 104 R&D Experimenters

Emerging-Entrepreneurs

      • 105 EEMA Marketing Athletes
      • 106 EEOA Operational Accelerants
      • 107 EERPT Resilient Product Teams 
      • 108 EECBG Core Business Groups

Sustaining-Associates

      • 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents
      • 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists
      • 111 SAAT Agile Tiger Teams 
      • 112 SALS  Loyal Survivalists

Systematic-Professionals

      • 113 SPIC Idea Packagers
      • 114 SPBE Brand-as-Experts
      • 115 SPPP Professional Practitioners 
      • 116 SPIT Institutional Traditionalists

Let’s we review stages of organizational growth from Start Up to Maturity and from Decline to Reinvention.

Five Major Stages of Growth for Organizations

Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard  Copyright 2020

Key points to keep in mind:

  1. Every organization, including our 4 fundamental aspires to grow.
  2. The growth stages follow one after another from Start Up to 3 Growth phases to Maturity and Decline unless a Reinvention transformation kicks off before it is too late.
  3. Each new stage of growth requires a different talent culture than the previous one. One or two dominate at each stage.
  4. There’s no guarantee a specific company and organization will master the gap between stage its current and potential next stage.
  5. That fact represents a second set of better or worse fits.

Next up.

Let’s begin in the “beginning” with Start Up and build a case for “peeling off” two Paradoxy-Morons and one Emerging-Entrepreneur:

        • 101 PMBI Breakpoint Inventors
        • 103 PMCI Commercial Innovators
        • 105 EEMA Marketing Athletes

Did you notice we “skipped” some?  That’s odd, isn’t it

Evidence

“5”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You will be attracted to a subject appreciated by many and understood by few. When you go deeper, you will learn how you are uniquely equipped to be among those few should you choose to devote focus to this.” Scorpio

I forget finding the right fit remained frustrating elusive to me until I noticed how companies and organizations evolve into talent cultures that define them, until something forces a change and a different set of talent is required to survive.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

“4”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Behind the door that’s a few stops down the lane exists another world, a world that you will lend some imagination to until you’re let in and can get a sense of its reality.” Taurus

Is that the portal to the Twilight Zone? There was a time when I lived in Cincinnati about a mile and a half from the house that Rod Serling lived as he imagined the original.

“3”  Steve Howey, 42: “Generally, most people feel automatically sure of what is reality. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to go about their day. To question your automatic responses is always an act of growth.” Cancer

Is it too late for me to challenge myself about why I selected this one?

“3”  Steve Carrell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “It will occur to you that an area you’ve focused on seems devoid of juice. There’s nothing here for you now, if there ever was. Move on. There are other things to squeeze.” Leo

Only one area?  Haha. Another element to consider is just how long it takes an introvert like me to muddle through these passion projects.  Or, is this about Patreon?

“3”  Steve Kerr, 54: “You’re safe to let whimsy have its rule. Wish crazily. There is something of value in far-out or silly dreams. You can assess what is possible later. Right now, let your imagination soar.” Libra

Whimsy and silly don’t seem to be on my pandemic lock down agenda for the day.  But the day is still young and I have to say I’d love to let my imagination soar!

“4”  Steve Harvey, 62: “Don’t fight against problems. Struggle wastes energy. Sink to the bottom of a problem as if it were a swimming pool. It won’t take much to bounce off the bottom with your toes and resurface to a cleansing breath.”  Capricorn

My metaphor living on the California coast near the Pacific Ocean shifts to waves of change about to break over you while you body surf.  You dive quickly to the sandy bottom allowing the force of nature to push and pull you as it passes and then you spring to the surface mindful of a second and third set.  You select one and ride it to shore, or you duck dive one more time. 

“4”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011: “Why do people tell you their stories and share with you the intimate details of their lives? It’s because your warmth is a heart-opener that they do not get every day.”  Pisces

Early in my first career one school of psychology grew out of California’s North San Diego County and advocated for “unconditional positive regard.” I’m guessing that value has underpinned my engagements with clients, C-Suite executives, students and co-workers throughout all my careers.

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4427 to 4516.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trip

 

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S2 E84 — Maybe Robin Hood Got It Right After All, Eh?

I won’t lie to you, my initial transition back to civilian life wasn’t easy.  But, I adjusted to studying and working in the first of many Systematic-Professional Organizations over several of my careers.  

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “There really are things that turn out better because you don’t know what to expect and are utterly unprepared. Bias is usually unavoidable, but a lack of assumptions will work in your favor.” Pisces

Hi and welcome to Friday’s Episode 84 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 24th day of July in the summer of 2020.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E83 — Why Shouldn’t You Always Lean On Things That Worked Before?; S2 E82 — How Do You Inject Innovation into a Century’s Old Company?; S2 E81 — 3rd of 4 Secrets to a Better WorkFit

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E84 — Crisis averted?  Energy depleted?  What are we going to do?; S1 E83 —The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book; S1 E82 — Why Writers Aren’t the Only Endangered Species. Sigh.; S1 E81— Is This My Wake Up Call, Steve?

Context

This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.

In recent episodes we broke out talent profiles for each of the 4 Organization Types starting with Paradoxy-Morons, Emerging-Entrepreneurs, Sustaining-Associates and Systematic-Professionals.

Four Talent Profiles Attracted to Systematic-Professional Organizations

Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard  Copyright 2020

Here are some examples from my list of best fit companies and clients to illustrate what it means to love Systematic-Professionals, the “blue box” organization, with it’s unique blend of talent profiles:

    • 113 SPIC Idea Packagers
    • 114 SPBE Brand-as-Experts
    • 115 SPPP Professional Practitioners
    • 116 SPIT Institutional Traditionalists

16. Graduate Student Assistant — Better Fit

My initial transition back to civilian life, I won’t lie to you, wasn’t easy.  But, I adjusted to studying and working in the first of many Systematic-Professional Organizations.  

I enjoyed learning and mastering something new and planned to practice my psychology profession after I earned my masters degree. I looked up to Professors with Phd’s — especially the 114 SPBE Brand-as-Experts — who in actual practice taught very little in the classroom while devoting the majority of their time researching and publishing their results.  

We research associates and graduate assistants performed the lion’s share of their teaching load, laboratory and library research assignments. Once they hit tenure they enjoyed extraordinary independence pursuing foundational research. 

I never qualified for tenure.  I didn’t stay on the doctorate track.  But, later I did work in a State Hospital system in which two talent profiles  — 115 SPPP Professional Practitioners (medical doctors, psychologists, speech and music therapists, social workers and physical therapists) collaborated with 116 SPIT Institutional Traditionalists the front-line workers on the wards who resembled Army’s lifers to me.  

Put in your time in a daily grind and collect your pension in the end. 

Of course, some of the 115 PPP Professional Practitioners knew a good thing when they saw it.  They could run their fledgling practices and side businesses while working half time or less at the state hospital. My job was to work under the supervision of two different psychologists (at two different times) and conduct intelligence testing and client assessments.  

What intrigued me was how the brain worked (or didn’t) and asking if there was any research (cerebral dominance, left and right brain functions) that could be applied. 

17. Graduate Assistant Internship — Better Fit

Under the supervision of my first Phd we ran a side-business start up offering bio-feedback services to individuals (a few) and organizations (none). 

It was kind of like a professional services start up with 115 SPPP Professional Practitioners.  So Les — Dr. Sig’s second intern at the State Hospital — and I would leave at lunch, drive from Costa Mesa towards the Pacific Ocean, park behind the Edward’s Cinema near the pricey Athletic Club and meetup in the standard medical layout office.  You’d enter into a reception area with three offices behind it.

At the Behavior Modification Institute (BMI) the office walls were painted white and the plush carpet was an electric navy color. The office furniture — modern see-through plexiglass — catered to a small niche of well heeled clientele.  At least that was the business model. I was brought in to create chapters for a manual instructing clients how to use our biofeedback equipment to create relaxation and meditative states of consciousness.

BMI felt like a sure thing, when in reality it was a classic under capitalized startup.

Forced into bankruptcy the side business died and unfortunately the founder did too shortly thereafter. 

The office closed.  I managed to work full-time at the State Hospital. Les took off for Hawaii embracing “est” — short for Erhard Seminars Training and also Latin for “it is” promoted by Werner Erhart — one of many New Age commercial offerings. I felt I suffered from PTSD symptoms, depression and general purpose anxiety.

Someone who traveled in the founder’s circle of friends and who lived in Beverly Hills thanks to the Entertainment Industry described the Leadership Crisis to me at a social function.  I was probably clueless at the time so wanting for everything to work out.  

But, he told me, “Most firms go out of business six months before they realize it.”  

The founder, following an emerging trend, sunk his own money into two white egg-shaped bio-feedback “chairs” wired up to help train a customer who wanted relax and meditate at deeper levels. 

He leased an office with a reception area for medical practice and two offices — all outfitted with electric royal blue carpeting. He sold me, it was so exciting and on the cutting edge of psychology for the time.

7.  Professional Training Company — Worse Fit

The focus was on customizing suite of supervisory training programs.  Seemed old school to me at the later stage of my second career. I’d “been there and done that” so the projects didn’t engage my attention.  I didn’t meet their expectations since I didn’t sell new business. However their business model made sense to my growing knowledge management “Robin Hood” understanding of repurposing what you’ve already done for other clients and applying a customized version for new clients as an efficient way to grow consulting revenue.  

But, I also learned I wasn’t cut out to design and deliver supervisory courses for clients like university hospitals, a transportation agencies, or even to three technology companies. I lost interest in management training for slow moving mature organizations while craving the adrenalin rush of working in Paradoxy-Moron companies. 

It just didn’t satisfy the idea packaging  talent I had developed years earlier when the ideas were old and trending towards commodity knowledge.

27. Knowledge Management in Brand Company — Better Fit  

We crashed our models together — learning and development, knowledge creation, media production, internet communities, advertising and marketing in a newly formed strategy and brand consultancy. We pioneered a way of capturing the essence of a brand on digital video, searched through audio tracks for the touch points and reused portions of the interviews for orienting new coders hired at accelerated rates.  Each of us had become 114 SPBE Brand-as-Experts providing what Emerging-Entrepreneurs couldn’t afford at their stage of growth.

28. Knowledge Media Business — Better Fit 

Three of us tried to make a go of our pioneering efforts to capture the new knowledge being spun off so it wouldn’t fall through the cracks for Paradoxy-Moron and Emerging-Entrepreneur organizations.  But the market didn’t support it, again I couldn’t sell it and so we had to go our separate ways.

29. Key Executive Advisor — Better Fit 

I was offered a Senior Vice President position heading up the Key Executive outplacement services in the Southern California regions for C-suite executives paid for by their former companies. I delivered individual and group facilitated services for offices from San Diego to Woodland Hills, Pasadena and West LA.  It dawned on me that who you (they) knew made the most difference for people at this level so I created an online community for information and insight sharing and of course for trusted referrals. 

33. Advisor — Executive and Healthcare MBA Program — Better Fit 

For a decade I conducted a field test or a laboratory applying the content in these second volume of books. I proposed a curriculum to the Director for him to review and meet with me.  “Why would anyone choose to come back to school for an executive MBA (and spend over $100,000 over two years) when you’ve got all they’d ever need in this curriculum? 

And soon, you won’t have to either.

Summary

What makes Systematic-Professionals tick?

These are the expert who love their profession instead of a specific organization like Sustaining-Associates do. They’re the Idea Packagers, Professional Practitioners, Traditional Institutionalists in standards-setting associations led by well-known Branded Experts in the field.

Advanced Degrees and Certifications. 

Embedded Knowledge, Independence and Mastery

Emerging knowledge is classified, categorized, tested and benchmarked.

Motto?

“Robin Hood had it right”

What are their unique challenges? 

        • Research into complex problems and complicated large systems
        • Working in knowledge organizations and consulting partnerships.
        • Application of proprietary best practices and knowledge gleaned from their benchmark databases.

What are the takeaways?  

Methods and Metrics.  They prefer to distance themselves to remain objective and follow a well-articulated and tested methodology.

Their majority of clients are large-cap companies, government partners and the medical industry systems.

Studying these organizations provides a giant learning laboratory.

Acknowledged expertise attracts potential clients.

Rainmakers play an outsized role developing new and repeat business.

Evidence

“3”  Steve Zahn, 51: “Staying humble is the most important aspect of your game plan. The cosmic omens warn against self-satisfaction. Remain focused on what still needs doing.” Scorpio

WTF?  My only legitimate TauBit for today can’t match the four 5s the rest of the Steves earned.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “The middle ground isn’t so easily found. You first have to go to two extremes to touch the outlying boundaries. Be patient with yourself. This is a process, and you’re making it up now for the first time.” Aries 

Can I get an “Amen!” to that?  

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “There’s an art to envisioning your projects. Think of outcomes that are just beyond the reasonable, so that you’re sure to keep stretching and growing.” Taurus 

An art, you say?  Just beyond reasonable, you say?  OK I’ll by that, if you will.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “This long-term project does have an end, although that is hard for you to see right now. If you can glimpse it, even for a second in your mind’s eye, you can and will have it eventually.” Sagittarius

Even glimpsing the next few steps for a second here and there keeps me going.  But, I have to confess it feels sometimes that all I’m accomplishing is to expand that end, because explanations were missing so critical to you (and my) understamdomg/

“5”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “There really are things that turn out better because you don’t know what to expect and are utterly unprepared. Bias is usually unavoidable, but a lack of assumptions will work in your favor.” Pisces

In more politically charged social situations I’ve come to ask, “What would I have to believe to agree with you?”  We’re all susceptible to confirmation and selection bias, so instead of rejecting people outright, I find it more satisfying to hear their assumptions (and set them straight, haha).

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4397 to 4427.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trip

Posted on

S2 E83 — Why Shouldn’t You Always Lean On Things That Worked Before?

We already know that a worse fit is found where higher degrees of affiliation, speed and new knowledge intersect in the “green box” of Emerging-Entrepreneurs.

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “Don’t lean on things that worked before. The same thing that caused a triumph yesterday could be ineffective tomorrow. The importance of context cannot be underestimated. Stay awake and alert.” Libra

Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 83 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 23rd day of July in the summer of 2020.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E82 — How Do You Inject Innovation into a Century’s Old Company?; S2 E81 — 3rd of 4 Secrets to a Better WorkFit; S2 E80 — Unrealistic Expectations Hatched Green Box Lessons the Hard Way

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E83 —The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book; S1 E82 — Why Writers Aren’t the Only Endangered Species. Sigh.; S1 E81— Is This My Wake Up Call, Steve?; S1 E80 — I’ll Give You Adverse Conditions, Steve

Context

This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.

In recent episodes we broke out talent profiles for each of the 4 Organization Types starting with Paradoxy-Morons, Emerging-Entrepreneurs, Sustaining-Associates and now Systematic-Professionals.

Four Organization Types

Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard  Copyright 2020

Four Talent Profiles attracted to Sustaining-Associates:

    • 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents
    • 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists
    • 111 SAAT Agile Tiger Teams 
    • 112 SALS  Loyal Survivalists

Moving on to Systematic-Professionals

Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard  Copyright 2020

Counter clockwise from Sustaining-Associates we fill in last of 4 boxes, “above” the shared border with 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents and 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists and to the “right” of Paradoxy-Morons, sharing a bolder with 102 PMTL Thought Leaders and 104 R&D Experimenters.

Four Systematic-Professional Talent Profiles

If we follow the vertical border edge defined by high degrees of mastery anchored with 112 SALS Loyal Survivalists to 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists (high in affiliation) and into Systematic-Professional “territory” you encounter 116 SPIT (Systematic-Professionals) Institutional Traditionalists and finally 114 SPBE (Systematic-Professionals) Brand-as-Experts where highest degrees of embedded knowledge, independence and mastery intersect.

Worse Fit

We already know that a worse fit is found where higher degrees of affiliation, speed and new knowledge intersect in the “green box” of Emerging-Entrepreneurs.

Better Fit

Systematic-Professionals share a slower, higher degree of Mastery with Sustaining-Associates and a higher degree of independence with Paradoxy-Morons.

You’ll find a better fit if you value higher degrees of embedded knowledge too.

Within the “blue” Systematic-Professional “box” continue counter clockwise from 114 SPBE (Systematic-Professionals) Brand-as-Experts to the remaining two talent profiles who mirror their Paradoxy-Moron counterparts.

The 113 SPIC (Systematic-Professional) Idea Packagers  crave higher degree of independence but medium degrees of mastery and embedded knowledge. 

While the 115 SPPP (Systematic-Professional) Professional Practitioners are attracted to medium degrees of independence, mastery and embedded knowledge.

Up next I’ll share what it’s like working for Systematic-Professionals either as an employer or as a client.

Evidence

“4”  Steve Zahn, 51: “You don’t need to control a situation to work it to your advantage. You need only be ready to take your turn and hop on the opportunities that open up.”Scorpio

Seems to be so Sun Tzu-like the way it unfolds.  Originally titled “The Art of War” later versions named it “The Art of Strategy” for the executive business market.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

“3”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “You can thank today’s smooth ride to your own clean karma. Moral questions come up this evening, but nothing that needs to be solved immediately. Think it over.”  Aries 

Haha.  Another one to look forward to like the TauBit of Wisdom below unfolding in the afternoon.  Check back.

“3”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Your fantasy of a relationship doesn’t quite match the reality of it, and this is causing some tension. It’s easy enough to resolve, if you’re willing to adjust your expectations.” Taurus 

While important wisdom, Emma the Baroness and I adjusted our expectations of each other while dating, becoming an item as she says and then as parents when you undergo the a transformation no-one understands until the day after, and then for the rest of your life.

“4”  Steve Smith, 30: “If you place too much significance and value in the wrong things, this is a human mistake. You’ll learn quickly. Experience is the only way to really understand what’s important and what’s not.” Gemini

Of course all the “book” learning goes out the window until you apply, learn and build your knowledge.

“5”  Steve Carrell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “You’re wanting a result, and you’ll get it, but the timeframe is the matter in question. It is very difficult to predict how long things will take. Be patient and willing to adjust.” Leo

Look, for someone wired like me this corundum is the hardest part of preparing a consulting proposal — estimating the realistic timeframe for meeting clients’ demands.  At risk was either a nonstarter, because they expected to spend far less, or anticipating their budget I’d low ball my submission and end up with a lot less income.

“3”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “You’ve been a leader, and you’ve been a follower. When you’re acting to the best of your ability, the roles are equally demanding. You’ll be at the top of your game this afternoon.” Virgo

Well, true but I’m not seeing this one playing out.  But then it’s not afternoon yet.  So, I may have to change my rating tonight.

“5”  Steve Kerr, 54: “Don’t lean on things that worked before. The same thing that caused a triumph yesterday could be ineffective tomorrow. The importance of context cannot be underestimated. Stay awake and alert.” Libra

What is it “they” say?  An overused strength becomes a weakness.  And as we’ll see in later episodes you could definitely describe the “gap” between stages of growth from Start Up to Maturity and from Decline to Reinvention in the same way.

“3”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You don’t have to comment on every statement or have a judgment of everything going on around you. It’s enough to be a witness. Save your energy. You’ll need it later.” Sagittarius

Except as the evidence for relevance applied to my day, eh?

“3”  Steve Harvey, 62: “People find you attractive, and they will want your attention and time. Both of these commodities are precious, and today they will be best given in the spirit of investment instead of charity.” Capricorn 

The reverse doesn’t seem to be working for my Patreon supported episodes.  Oh, well.

“4”  Steve Nash, 45: “A sense of calm will alight on your decision-making process. There is no need to overanalyze — if you even need to analyze at all. You simply know what to do.”  Aquarius

Ha ha, I’m sensing a theme about methodological problem-solving and decision-making approaches setting up this next one.

“4”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “You don’t have to anticipate every outcome. Get a general idea and then act. There is an opportunity that can only present itself when things aren’t exactly going as planned.” Pisces

So, even though I’m a card-carrying Systematic-Professional as a 113 SPIP Idea Packager, I only anticipate the broader horizon to set up If That, Then This actions, instead of sinking into analysis-paralysis.

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4397 to 4427.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trip

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S2 E82 — How Do You Inject Innovation into a Century’s Old Company?

I left law school to fulfill my military obligation is a polite way of saying it.  In the Army I learned two things I can talk about.  One was how unprepared the service was after recruiting college graduates who had other better ideas of what their future would look like and who weren’t loyal like the lifers.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Your knowledge of words and symbols will lead you to analyze a situation and comprehend it so well that you’ll be a point of reference for others. You’ll contribute significantly to team decisions.” Taurus

Hi and welcome to Sunday’s Episode 82 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 19th day of July in the summer of 2020.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E81 — 3rd of 4 Secrets to a Better WorkFit; S2 E80 — Unrealistic Expectations Hatched Green Box Lessons the Hard Way; S2 E79 — Ain’t No Paradoxy-Moron? How About an Emerging-Entrepreneur?

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E82 — Why Writers Aren’t the Only Endangered Species. Sigh.; S1 E81— Is This My Wake Up Call, Steve?; S1 E80 — I’ll Give You Adverse Conditions, Steve; S1 E79 — Can I Keep It Up? For a Year?

Context

This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.

In a recent episodes we broke out talent profiles for each of the 4 Organization Types starting with Paradoxy-Morons, Emerging-Entrepreneurs and Sustaining-Associates.

Here are some examples from my list of best fit companies and clients to illustrate what it means to love Sustaining-Associates the “tan box” organization with it’s unique blend of talent profiles:

    • 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents
    • 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists
    • 111 SAAT Agile Tiger Teams 
    • 112 SALA Loyal Survivalists

Oops, this first example turned out to be eye-opening, educational and potentially deadly. And, definitely not a better fit for me or my posse.  

3.  US Army — Worse Fit

I definitely was not loyal, having not much in common with lifers, but I got to know and work with all kinds of people from different backgrounds and I felt I needed to fulfill my obligation. 

Luckily part of my time was spent in more challenging work in preventive medicine. But to tell you the truth I hated standard operating procedures, “There’s the right way, the wrong way and the Army way.”

Why?

I left law school to fulfill my military obligation is a polite way of saying it.  In the Army I learned two things I can talk about.  

One was how unprepared the service was after recruiting college graduates who had other better ideas of what their future would look like and weren’t loyal like the lifers.  

We took on more skilled MOS specialties.  

I graduated from medic to preventive medicine and eventually worked in an air-condition laboratory in Vietnam for processing water samples.  And we palled around with the officers — many trained in medicine in my unit which caused frustration up and down the chain of command.  

I learned I wasn’t cut out to blindly follow orders as standard operating procedures when it seemed like there were more efficient processes that could deliver the results in half the time.  

You know what they say, “There’s the right way, the wrong way and the Army way.”

At Fort Dix, New Jersey for basic training as a freshly minted psychology college graduate the Army’s “game” revealed itself to me. Unfortunately for my drill sergeant my psychology training made me resistant to his methods and kept me anticipating what his next tactics would be.  Like getting my platoon to sing along while marching to chants of “kill Charlie.”  Sergeant Ski told us he came back from Nam and we’d better listen up, because all or most of us would be on our way there shortly after a brief stint in Advanced Training following Basic’s indoctrination of new recruits.  

At Ft. Sam Houston in Texas and later in Long Binh, Vietnam my buddies — college graduates too — had much more in common with the officers.  Our common interests created challenges up and down the chain of command. I wanted to solve problems and suggested new more efficient ways to improve procedures, but those fell on deaf ears.  So, I learned to “go underground” with work arounds that made my job easier without calling attention to it.

As a Sustaining-Associates Organization Type, the military thrived with 111 SAAT Agile Tiger Teams and 112 SALS Loyal Survivalists primarily with 110 SAAS Analytical Specialists in administrative and headquarters functions.  

I never came in contact with any 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents— if you discount us college-educated passive-aggressive, but two decades I later discovered their introduction of rapid sharing of best practices into a resistant culture in a video I’d shown to managers and product leaders in a high tech company stretching from emerging to rapid growth.  

Based upon higher affiliation and medium pace and improvement dimensions I now categorize my manufacturing, gas station, Good Humor Ice Cream and even department store retail jobs. Yes, those were summer jobs, including becoming an insurance agent, but the business model was recruit them, orient them to represent the brand, and replace them when they don’t work out.  

9. Consultant Life and Mutual Fund Company —Better Fit

This one worked out much better.

I scored a long-term retainer with a life insurance and mutual fund firm.  It was the kind of mature organization that employed maintenance workers just to polish its brick entry way.  

A few years earlier they had won company of the year honors like we did in my “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to beg for permission” company.  

Their challenge was — how can you inject innovation into a century’s old mature company?  

I figured, why not try. 

It was a complex, complicated maneuver with tons of new knowledge and new idea packaging.  

My direct client, a 110 SAAS Analytical Specialist with help from a small team of 109 SAICA Internal Change Agents worked together to influence the company’s “immune system” through leadership classes. 

The long-term retainer, a consultant’s dream, provided billable hours for three days a week collaborating on the advanced leadership curriculum. I picked up some other projects — one with Ford Aerospace when their division,  Ford Aeronutronic’s Human Resources staff required coaching during the closing of the Newport Beach facility,  

I taught reengineering and continuous improvement through the local university and collaborated with the Vice President of Human Resources at a headquarters of a medical laboratory to build out a Leadership Academy.

A few years later my long-term retainer client left to form his own consultancy, snagged a similar assignment with another 100-year-old plus company operating in the food industry.

He (110 SAAS Analytical Specialist) brought me in to create a similar leadership curriculum for his client who was a 109 SAICA Internal Change Agent to inject change into their Strategic Leadership. He worried that their organization had operated at the stage of growth for years for so long that the up and coming current managers (112 SALS Loyal Survivalists) hadn’t experienced any other way of operating . It was a prescription he felt for a disaster on their career watch.

Well, like at Fluor anytime you try to maneuver a mature organization away from what had worked so well for so long the entrenched management resists the opposite set of key success factors like your immune system repels diseases.

Summary

What makes Sustaining-Associates tick?

112 SALS Loyal Survivalists anchor the Sustaining-Associates culture. They manage people, technologies, processes, and organizational structures to sustain the innovation they’ve already mastered. Employees identify with the organization and have high affiliation needs that favor slower paced industries and cultures.

Brand Loyalty. 

Sustained Improvement, Affiliation and Mastery

Building predictably upon past history and loyal customer retention.

Motto?

“If it win’t broke don’t fix it.”

What are their unique challenges? 

        • Missing competitive threats and responding too late.
        • Resting on their traditional successes.
        • Preparing the next generation of leaders for a different competitive environment.

What are the takeaways?  

To mature and survive their brand needs to be accepted by the majority of the total available market.

A loyal affiliated talent culture needs constant retention so associates maintain the organization’s reputation.

Through their behaviors they develop a trust mark that keeps bringing long-term customers back again and again.

Next up — Systematic-Professionals.

Evidence

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

“5”  Steve Winwood, 71; Stevie Wonder, 69; Stephen Colbert, 56: “Your knowledge of words and symbols will lead you to analyze a situation and comprehend it so well that you’ll be a point of reference for others. You’ll contribute significantly to team decisions.” Taurus 

So, I’ll drink to that.  After field testing my original research in the executive MBA program hopefully my manuscript I’m tentatively calling WorkFit serves as a point of reference for you and your decisions. I know it has at the university level so far.

“4”  Steve Aoki, 41: “With so much going on, your mind will toggle between being engaged, distracted, engaged, etc. Finally, you’ll have a heavenly stretch of time to ponder what you are and what you might be.” Sagittarius

Since this is definitely not legitimately meant for me, wouldn’t it go without saying that my research may contribute to your heavily stretch of time to ponder …

“4”  Steve Nash, 45: “A joyful life is a custom job. No one recipe will work for everyone. In fact, if you were to do someone else’s joy-program it would bore you at best. Create your own adventure.” Aquarius

Am I wrong to loosely interpret this TauBit of Wisdom as living at the heart of my original research into Organization Types and Talent Profiles?

“4”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “The thing that makes you call an activity ‘work’ is that it’s at least a little harder than doing nothing at all. However much effort it takes, it can also be exceedingly pleasant. That’s how it will go down today at least.” Pisces

And I’m guessing that’s how it will go down on each day going forward as I beat this content into submission to make it more palatable.

Holiday Forecast for the Week Ahead:  

In the early days of biology, many scientists believed that all beings developed from miniature versions of themselves, and these ‘seed germs’ were the same in microscopic form as they were in forms full-grown. 

The radical transformations of some creatures, and the ability of certain creatures to reproduce in various ways, including asexually, could not be explained with this theory, which eventually had to give way to ideas of generation more varied and plausible.

There are many ways in which we, as individuals, grow in spirit. Sometimes, we do stay about the same as we simply grow bigger until our soul and personality fill out the space in a way that feels more ‘full-sized.’ But more often than not, the spiritual aspects of our being thrive in more unusual, varied and transformative ways. Often we don’t grow so much as change.

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4397 to 4427.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life 

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trip

Posted on

S2 E81 — 3rd of 4 Secrets to a Better WorkFit

Usually when people ask what do you do, you probably say something like I work for … (fill in the blank with the name of your employer) and say it with pride.  It might be Nike or Pepsi or The Gap or O’Neal.  The point is if you cut yourself, you’d bleed the colors of the organization.

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “The better days that are coming will not come because you hope they will. They’ll come as a direct result of the actions you take today. You’re creating better days right now.”  Capricorn

Hi and welcome to Saturday’s Episode 81 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 18th day of July in the summer of 2020.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E80 — Unrealistic Expectations Hatched Green Box Lessons the Hard Way; S2 E79 — Ain’t No Paradoxy-Moron? How About an Emerging-Entrepreneur?; S2 E78 — What Do Paradoxy-Morons Want and Need?

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E81— Is This My Wake Up Call, Steve?; S1 E80 — I’ll Give You Adverse Conditions, Steve; S1 E79 — Can I Keep It Up? For a Year?; S1 E78 — Drag Me to Obsolescence, Clear the Way to the Future

Context

This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.

In a recent episode we broke out talent profiles for each of the 4 Organization Types starting with Paradoxy-Morons and Emerging-Entrepreneurs.

    • 105 EEMA Marketing Athletes
    • 106 EEOA Operational Accelerants
    • 107 EERPT Resilient Product Teams 
    • 108 EECBG Core Business Groups

Moving in a counterclockwise direction we shift to Sustaining-Associates, the third Organization Type.

You’ll find a better fit working here if your identity is with the organization — expressed as falling along the scale of medium to high degrees of affiliation.  

Usually when people ask what do you do, you probably say something like I work for … (fill in the blank with the name of your employer) and say it with pride.  It might be Nike or Pepsi or The Gap or O’Neal.  The point is if you cut yourself, you’d bleed the colors of the organization.

Now, if you’re a high affiliation kind of person, you’re probably struggling the most with forced quarantines and working from home.  Zoom meeting may help, but it’s just not the same thing.

Worse Fit

We already know that a worse fit is found where higher degrees of disruption innovation, speed and independence define Paradoxy-Morons.  In fact I should point out that at the opposite ends of fit, you couldn’t be more distant and farther apart than 101 PMBI (Paradoxy-Moron) Breakpoint Inventors and 112 SALS (Sustaining-Associate) Loyal Survivalists. 

Better Fit

112 SALS Loyal Survivalists represent the talent profile where higher degrees of sustained improvement, mastery and affiliation meet.

Feeling no need to disruptively innovate, Sustaining-Associates place more value on sustained improvement instead.

Higher degrees of affiliation is what Sustaining-Associates share with Emerging-Entrepreneurs, but without a high degree of speed.

In fact, we can say “sharing a border” with Emerging-Entrepreneurs translates into “medium degrees of speed meet medium degrees of mastery.” 

Emerging-Entrepreneurs, 106 EEOA Operational Accelerants and 108 EECBC Core Business Group share their border with 109 SAICA (Sustaining-Associates) Internal Change Agents and 111 SAAT (Sustaining-Associates) Agile Tiger Teams. 

If we focus on high degrees of affiliation (the “row” stretching from Emerging-Entrepreneurs to Sustaining-Associates) you’ll notice a progression starting with 107 Resilient Product Team to  108 Core Business Group (team of teams) which jumps into Sustaining-Associates with similar 111 Agile Tiger Teams and finally 112 Loyal Survivalists.

Or speed and new knowledge transitions into mastery and sustained improvement.

As we’ll see later when we continue in our counter clockwise sequence, 110 SAAS (Sustaining-Associates) Analytical Specialists share higher degrees of improvement and mastery with 112 Loyal Survivalists and they share a border with Systematic-Professionals.

But, up next I’ll share what it’s like working for Sustaining-Associates either as an employer or as a consultant.

Evidence

“4”  Steve Zahn, 51: “As a rule, you like to think about things before you act. So it will be interesting for you to witness the brilliance that comes from acting naturally, subconsciously and/or automatically today.” Scorpio

So true.  Thinking, but maybe more to the point visualizing how events might play out.  Even when I’m confronted with a problem, I run visualize different ways of solving it — probably entangling memories of solutions similar it.  

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

Today’s Holiday Birthday: 

You’ll pick up hard and soft skills this year and be well-paid in more ways than one. A new style of communication will improve your relationships across the board, including your relationship with yourself. You’ll be the star of someone’s life and revel in the role. Your talent for creating memorable experiences will be oft employed.

Wow, this is heady and humbling forecast for getting out of this damn pandemic.  I wish today was my birthday, but you know it isn’t  Hopefully, it is yours and will come true for you.

“3”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “Willpower is a muscle that, like the other muscles you have, if worked too hard will become vulnerable to fatigue. Avoid using it until you really have to. Work on systems that will make the desired action a no-brainer.” Aries  

Systems, eh?  Sounds good.  I do feel fatigued, but I’m not sure it is for the same reason.  I guessing it’s just uncertainty, disease and partisan  politics.

“4”  Steve Howey, 42: “You’ll do purposeful work, unrelated to the job you do for money. You are creative and have a fresh take on this, unbound by rules you don’t know.” Cancer

I love this one,  sure I’ll take it.

“4”  Steve Kerr, 54: “You have an artistic eye and you care how things look, feel, how they are lit and the message they send. You care how things fill the senses and the emotion that is released as that happens.” Libra

Can I throw this in with Howey’s?  I feel it describes what you do with a fresh take.

“3”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Since you really don’t know what’s possible, it would be foolish to limit yourself your own ideas about that. What’s impossible? Maybe you should start there and work your way back.” Sagittarius

I don’t quite understand the message, but it seems positive. Maybe it fits with how to start brainstorming without eliminating 

“5”  Steve Harvey, 62: “The better days that are coming will not come because you hope they will. They’ll come as a direct result of the actions you take today. You’re creating better days right now.”  Capricorn

Well, all I can say is when this Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment comes to a close that the content I’m drafting for this work-in-progress, “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” helps you as you position yourself today for better days ahead. 

“4”  Steve Nash, 45: “What’s relaxing for one person is stressful for someone else. Be sure to do what works for you to create a neutral state of being from which you can recharge and thrive.” Aquarius 

I chose this TauBit of Wisdom, because I need to remind myself to meditate or I won’t be able to recharge and find opportunity in all this chaos.

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4341 to 4397.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

CENTER FOR KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND INNOVATION

The Knowledge Path | Know Laboratories | Knowledge Banking | Knowledge ATMs | Western Skies and Island Currents | Best West Road Trip

Posted on

Season One: The One-Year Natural Experiment

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season One: The One-Year Natural Experiment

S1 E1 – Day One of My 1-Year Experiment

S1 E2 — Day 2 of My 1-Year Experiment

S1 E3 — Day 3 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E4 — Day 4 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E5 — Day 5 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E6 — Day 6 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E7 — Day 7 of My 1-Year Experiment

S1 E8 — Day 8 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E9 — Day 9 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E10 — Day 10 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E11 — Day 11 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E12 — Day 12 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E13 — Day 13 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E14 — Day 14 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E15 — Day 15 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E16 — Day 16 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E17 — Day 17 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E18 — Day 18 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E19 — Day 19 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E20 — Day 20 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E21 — Day 21 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E22 — Day 22 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E23 — Day 23 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E23 — Day 23 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E24 — Day 24 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E25— Day 25 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E26 — Day 26  of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E27 — Day 27 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E28 — Day 28 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E29 — Day 29 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E30 — Day 30 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E31 — Day 31 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E32 — Day 32 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E33 — Day 33 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E34 — Day 34 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E35 — Day 35 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E36 — Day 36 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E37 — Day 37 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E38 — Day 38 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E39 — What’s Up with Facebook? 

S1 E40 — Nothing to See Here, Keep Moving On 

S1 E41 — The Dream Was Over, Long Live the Dream 

S1 E42 — Love on the Run 

S1 E43 — Desperation on Such a Summer’s Day 

S1 E44 — Google Me Some Chopped Liver 

S1 E45 — Day 45 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E46 — Day 46 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E47 — Day 47 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E48 — Holiday TauBit Trumps Funk 

S1 E49 — Magnetize the Version You Imagine 

S1 E50 – The Bias Brothers or Just Plain Losers? 

S1 E51 – Brief, Broad, Fast, Wow and Delight 

S1 E52 – Missing Chapters and Paths Not Taken 

S1 E53 – High 5’s for Tau Secrets Revealed 

S1 E54 – A Version That’s a TauBit Grander 

S1 E55 – All Roads Lead to the Future 

S1 E56 – It’s Frickin’ Summer and So Are You 

12 Hidden Secrets and Stolen Wisdom – Month Two 

S1 E57 — More or Less in the Know 

S1 E58 — Judging a Stroll from the Hotel Santa Barbara to the Lobero Theater 

S1 E59 — Where Did All the Dillon Millennials Go? Eureka! 

S1 E60 — Overlapping Cycles of Life 

S1 E61 — Investment of Time and Effort 

S1 E62 – Next Reality? 

S1 E63 — Day 63 of My 1-Year Experiment 

S1 E64 — Father and Son Rituals out of Storage 

S1 E65 — Focus Your Mental Energy 

S1 E66 — Do Your Proposals Lead to Contracts? 

S1 E67 — Don’t Misunderstand Me 

S1 E68 — Overcompensating for Disappointing Results? 

S1 E69 — Anniversary Trip of a Lifetime Deep in the Heart of Tuscany 

S1 E70 — Lingering Fear My Cover Was Blown 

S1 E71 — Isn’t There a Placebo for This? 

S1 E72 — It’s Taken so Long, I Could be Wrong 

S1 E73 — Do You Need a Little Leo da V Time Too? 

S1 E74 — You Know What To Do, Yeah Right! 

S1 E75 — Dreams and Schemes and Workarounds 

S1 E76 — “The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

S1 E77 — Why This Caper Is Breaking My Mind 

S1 E78 — Drag Me to Obsolescence, Clear the Way to the Future 

S1 E79 — Can I Keep It Up? For a Year? 

S1 E80 — I’ll Give You Adverse Conditions, Steve 

S1 E81— Is This My Wake Up Call, Steve? 

S1 E82 — Why Writers Aren’t the Only Endangered Species. Sigh. 

S1 E83 —The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book 

S1 E90 — Day 90 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment 

S1 E84 — Crisis averted?  Energy depleted?  What are we going to do? 

S1 E85 — What happens when the fear subsides? 

S1 E86 — Day 86 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment 

S1 E87 — Pipe Bombs Destroy Vacation Bliss 

S1 E88 — Who’s Marc Maron and What’s da Vinci got to do with him? 

S1 E89 — Because If You Don’t Someone Else Will. It’s Worth It! 

S1 E90 — Day 90 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment 

S1 E91 — If that, then this … ? The daily double?

S1 E92 — Shh … Secrets Husbands Keep to Ourselves 

S1 E93 — Why is it easier to Hate than to Love the other Half? 

S1 E94 — Wasn’t There a Movie about the Tau of Steve? 

S1 E95 — No Back to Work Days or Hump Days Allowed 

S1 E96 — Old Rabbits Die Hard 

S1 E97 — My Top 19 Reasons for Failing 

S1 E98 — Why Can’t I Leave 26 Orphans for a Well Deserved Vacation? 

S1 E99 — What’s in a Name? Baby Boy Names? 

S1 E100 — Running out of Determination and Grit by the 100th Day 

S1 E101 — From Saint to Soul Mate and Trusted Friend 

S1 E102 — Why Is It Always Hidden in the Fine Print? 

S1 E103 — Innies and Outies and Other Potential Catastrophes 

S1 E104 — How Yesterday’s Success Triggers Tomorrow’s Failure 

S1 E105 — Will Fortune Smile on Us Later in the Evening? 

S1 E106 — Attempts to Upset 9 of My Life Stages Apple Cart 

S1 E107 — How Do You Rate Your Sense of Curiosity? 

S1 E108 — After So Many Defeats is it Time to Catch a New Trajectory? 

S1 E109 — Do All Introverts Take the Long Acetylcholine Pathway? 

S1 E110 — Love, Longing, Belonging, Connection and Loss 

S1 E111 — Is There Half-life of Wisdom? 

S1 E112 —  When Was the Last Time You Wrangled Your Past? 

S1 E113 — Is This an Omen? 

S1 E114 — Setbacks, Frustration, Epic Fails but How Was Your Day? 

S1 E115 — Meandering Minds, Falling Branches and Strange Pacing Until … 

S1 E116 — The Jolt of Lightning that Changed Everything 

S1 E117 — Poets and Priests and Testifying Under Oath … 

S1 E118 — Swiping Your Birthday Is What I Do, So Sue Me 

S1 E119 — What Happens When You Hold an Idea? 

S1 E120 — Metamorphosis, Exhilaration and a Life of Crime 

S1 E121 — When Should You Work Backwards and When Should You Shop? 

S1 E122 — Is the Next Best Thing a Friend with a Bad Memory? 

S1 E123 — Knowing it Wasn’t a Good Choice, But … 

S1 E124 — No Longer a Misunderstood Genius or Child Celebrity 

S1 E125 — No Names Again this Year but Pass the Gravy 

S1 E126 — Who Wouldn’t Want to Choose Steve, Stephen or Stevie for Your Newborn Infant? 

S1 E127 — Why Does My Horoscope Suck Compared to Yours? 

S1 E128 — Messy, Creative Leonardo-like Procrastinations 

S1 E129 — An Elephant, A 500 lb. Gorilla and a Chicken Walk into the …  

S1 E130 — How Do You Go On When Sheer Panic Sets In? 

S1 E131 — Brain Rattling, Self-Criticism and Second Guessing 

S1 E132 — Freudian Pink Slips for Endangered Writers and Bloggers 

S1 E133 — Why Don’t More Creators Write or Blog? 

S1 E134 — What Will This Force Me to Become? No Black Cats Allowed 

S1 E135 — The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book 

S1 E136 — Just How Do Zip Codes Prevent Homebuyer Remorse? 

S1 E137 — Shouldn’t I Bet It All on the Four 5s I’ve Been Dealt? 

S1 E138 — The Inscrutable Paradox of Tom Petty and Joan Irvine’s Estates 

S1 E139  — Crap, OTE, Just Crap 

S1 E140 — Chasing Squirrels While Barking At Nothing 

S1 E141 — Be Your Inner Artist and Let Her Fly 

S1 E 142 — Wisdom Arrives by Putting Knowledge into Action 

S1 E143 — The Grand Prize Winner 

S1 E144 — Down to Final Two Days Left 

S1 E145 — Three Miles of Coincidental Dancing 

S1 E146 — 3 am Dreams Lend No Support 

S1 E147 — Whistleblowing, Melancholy and Curbing Fallen Needles 

S1 E148 — Unforced Errors, Disruptions and Discord 

S1 E149 — Tales and Trails and Mind Blowing Dents 

S1 E150 — Two Tiers Shed for a Dying 4Runner Classic 

S1 E151 — Stepping onto the Pitch with a Lean MVP 

S1 E152 — Why? Again. Why? 

S1 E153 — Only The Names Have Been Changed. And Some of It’s True. 

S1 E154 — Ever Gotten That 3 am Call from Gilligan? 

S1 E155 — Distraction or Viewing Addiction? 

S1 E156 — Hope? Placeholder? Sign? 

S1 E157 — Schemes, Plots and Plans 

S1 E158 — Car-Crash Addiction or Integrated Self? 

S1 E159 — 5 Wise Guy Rankings, Why? 

S1 E160 — Mourning Kobe 

S1 E161— Secret Combinations only Life Hacking Marketeers Know 

S1 E162 — Why Do Her Covert Back Channels End in Discord? 

S1 E163 — A Balboa Island Thank You 

S1 E164 — Picking up Followers While Cascading Down the Face of the Falls 

S1 E165 — 11 Simple Steps for Finding the Authentic Quality-of-Life You Deserve 

S1 E166 — Falling Down the Time Sucking Rabbit Hole 

S1 E167 — Why is Tau the Golden Ratio Showing Up in Nautilus Shells?

 S1 E168 — A Mammoth Thank You to Kobe and Steve Jobs 

S1 E169 — Lockouts and Taxing 1-Year Season Coming to an End 

S1 E170 — Isn’t This Good-Bye?! 

S1 E171 — When’s the Best Time to Air Dirty Laundry? 

S1 E172 — Got it, Nash.  Rules, Heart, Mouth, Action. 

S1 E173 — AI, EVs, MRIs, Me and Steves 

S1 E174 — Isn’t the Lesser of Two Evils Still Evil? 

S1 E175 — Where’s the Finish Line? Is This Ever Going to End? 

S1 E176 — The Cliff Hanging Season One Finale

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Season Two: The Pandemic Year

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

Table of Contents

Season Two:  the Pandemic Year

How will our world unfold on the other side of this pandemic?  Back to normal? Or something entirely different?

S2 E1 — Sneak Preview Asking “How Toxic is Your Work Life?” 

S2 E2 — New Season Preview: Rippling Effects, Implications and Consequences We Didn’t See Coming

S2 E3 — Day 3 of My Pandemic Year Experiment 

S2 E4 — Sneak Preview: Day 4 of My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment 

S2 E5 — Second Season Sneak Preview: My Pandemic Year’s Natural Experiment 

S2 E6 — No We Don’t Share Your Precious Little Frickin’ Data 

S2 E7 — Smart Moves and Shifting Opportunities 

S2 E8 — How Does the Entangled Fish Hook Theory of Creativity Work? 

S2 E9 — Blame It On Your D4DR Gene, Not Me!

S2 E10 — Cats, Ladders and Shaking Salt … 

S2 E11 — Waiting for the 3rd Shoe to Drop 

S2 E12 — Too Anxious to Meet and Eat 

S2 E13 — Slipping on a Bar of Dove Soap and other Ripple Effects 

S2 E14 — Reading Tea Leaves Bottled and Set Adrift 

S2 E15 — Behaving Badly, Why Big Sur made “Fodor’s Travel NO List” 

S2 E16 — Scroll to the Bottom for Foresight and Quality-of-Life, Right Leo? 

S2 E17 — Shutting Mountain Resorts Down, Closing Boutiques, Kicking Tourists Out

S2 E18 — What is the Truth and How Can You Tell? 

S2 E19 — What’s Percolating in Our Collective Unconscious? 

S2 E20 — Panic, Fertilizer and Least Expected Meaningful Moments 

S2 E21 — Cycles of History Rhyming with Endlessly Disruptive Rhythms? 

S2 E22 —Paranoid Rose Review and Traffic-Copped Check Out Lines 

S2 E23 — Gaping Loss No Amount of Mourning Will Heal 

S2 E24— Working Remote from KnowWhere Atoll 

S2 E25— Are You an Innie or Outie Thinker? 

S2 E26 — Rethinking the N-Word 

S2 E27 — Why I Have to Keep Leo da V on a Leash and So Should You 

S2 E28 — Hosting Norwegian Zooms While Trump Eliminated the Virus in April

 S2 E29 — Three Months That Changed the World 

S2 E30 — It’s Crazy. Why does Amazon Prime Work, but Netflix Doesn’t? 

S2 E31 — Getting Charged from Box Automattic-aly 

S2 E32 — Trapped and Bored? Or Unleashing a Reinvention Wave? 

S2 E33 — What Happens When Your Business Collapses? 

S2 E34 — Why Is This Kicking Off the 4th Industrial Revolution? 

S2 E35 — Was this Pandemic Year a 1-Off or New Way of Life? 

S2 E36 — Turning Lemons into Margaritas 

S2 E37 — How Deep is the Chasm? What Do We Do? 

S2 E38 — What Should You Do If You Stumble Across Loaded Information? 

S2 E39 — The Best Tau for the Pandemic Year, Don’t You Agree? 

S2 E40 — The Profound Impact of the Pandemic on Nouns 

S2 E41 — A Pandemic End to Real Estate and Consulting? 

S2 E42 — It Was Short and Sweet, but Heart-Felt 

S2 E43 — See What You’ve Been Missing … 

S2 E44 — Celebrating Emma the Baroness Tribal Quarantine Style 

S2 E45 — Wildcard What Ifs and Doobie Bros Bias 

S2 E46 — Whimsy Passion Project or Epic Novel of Adventure? 

S2 E47 — 27 Adventure Regions for Your Remote-Working Bucket List 

S2 E48 — Tracking Millennials from One Resort to Another

S2 E49 — Navigating Waves of Disruption When You’ve Lost Your Bearings 

S2 E50 — 5 Fundamental Uncertainties

S2 E51 — Let’s Agree to Make Things Worse, Shall We?

S2 E52 — What’s So Wrong with Conventional Wisdom Unless …

S2 E53 — The Fourth Step’s Passing Storm Botched Beyond Belief 

S2 E54 — 90 Days to Future-Proof Your Career Trajectory and Lifetime Investments

S2 E55 — Dreaming of 30 Tempting Getaways 

S2 E56 — What Iffing

S2 E57 — Science and Medicine or Politically-Motivated Misinformation?

S2 E58 — Check Back in 18 Months

S2 E59 — See What You’ve Been Missing

S2 E60 — She Began to Weep…

S2 E61 — Pink Behind the Reflections

S2 E62 — “Shh. Did You Hear That?”

S2 E63 — Easier Than Finding His MacBook Air Password?

S2 E64 — Let the Beers and Weekend Partying Begin

S2 E65 — Pandemic Uncovered 11 Life-Changing Secrets You Shouldn’t Ignore

S2 E66 — The Romance of a Good Humor Man in Detroit

S2 E67 — Here’s What I Didn’t Know That Will Help You

S2 E68 — Take More Breakthrough Showers 

S2 E69 — How Can You Tell Who’s an Engineer at a Party?

S2 E70 — Persistent Failure

S2 E71 — My Top 13 Worst Jobs of All Time 

S2 E72 — 20 Niche-Specific Opportunities Found After Making Soul Crushing Mistakes

S2 E73 — WorkFit: Chopping Off 12 Losers at the Intersection of Speed and Independence

S2 E74 — Summing Up Your Situation in an Intensely Psychological Game

S2 E75 —  Guinea Pig Projections

S2 E76 — Do You Have What It Takes to Become a Paradoxy-Moron?

S2 E77 — 10 Years of Field Research for Better or Worse

S2 E78 — What Do Paradoxy-Morons Want and Need? 

S2 E79 — Ain’t No Paradoxy-Moron? How About an Emerging-Entrepreneur?

S2 E80 — Unrealistic Expectations Hatched Green Box Lessons the Hard Way

S2 E81 — 3rd of 4 Secrets to a Better WorkFit

S2 E82 — How Do You Inject Innovation into a Century’s Old Company?

S2 E83 — Why Shouldn’t You Always Lean On Things That Worked Before?

S2 E84 — Maybe Robin Hood Got It Right After All, Eh?

S2 E85 — How to Up the Odds in Your Favor 

S2 E86 — How To Avoid a Disastrous Career Like Mine

S2 E87 — Start Ups Aren’t For Everyone. Are They a Better or Worse Fit for You? 

S2 E88 — Convincing Family, Friends, Fools and Angels

S2 E89 — Garage Bonking and Chasm Jumping

S2 E90 — How Many Road Warriors Does It Take to Fuel Our Growth?

S2 E91 — How to Master Rapid Growth Without Gifting Your Competitors

S2 E92 — Herding Cats Towards a Tornado

 S2 E93 — Who It Takes to Keep Growth at It’s Peak

S2 E94 — Sustained Growth: Slicing Turnover and Grooming Experts

S2 E95 — The Founder’s Curse Unleashed by the Edifice Complex

S2 E96 — Two Kindred Spirits Drawn to Mature Complications

S2 E97 — Frame Blindness and Decision Traps

S2 E98 — Why Your Company Simply Won’t Make It Out of Puberty

S2 E99 — Why Pay Over $100,000 When You Don’t Have To?

S2 E100 — Live, Love, Work, Play, Invest and Leave a Legacy

S2 E101 — The Story of Strange Bedfellows Saving the Day

S2 E102 — Caught by Surprise in a Major Gut-Wrenching Decline 

S2 E103 — Confronting Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt, Resistance and Unrelenting Stress

S2 E104 — Worst Monday Ever. Very, Very Grim … 

S2 E105 — When Cosmic Leads to Decline, Pair Extremes Intentionally

S2 E106 — How We Brainwashed Curmudgeons

S2 E107 — Leaving Us Adrift in a Sea of Change

S2 E108 — Why Our Reinvention Efforts Failed (and Yours Will Too)

S2 E109 — Rebuilding Trust Doesn’t Happen Overnight

 

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S2 E48 — Tracking Millennials from One Resort to Another

We’ve seen this pattern before.  We discovered it and tracked a migration of 20-something lifestyles (Gen-Y, Millennials) who disappeared from one resort town and reappeared in another resort town as the effects of the Great Recession slowly diminished.  

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “A walk can be a creative and mystical experience. You’ll see sights that affirm your physical course along the way and your general trajectory on the path of life.” Aries

Hi and welcome to Sunday’s Episode 48 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Experiment” on this 17th day of May in the spring of 2020.  

Season 1 and 2 are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E47 — 27 Adventure Regions for Your Remote-Working Bucket List; S2 E46 — Whimsy Passion Project or Epic Novel of Adventure?; S2 E45 — Wildcard What Ifs and Doobie Bros Bias

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E48 — Holiday TauBit Trumps Funk; S1 E47 — Day 47 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E46 — Day 46 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E45 — Day 45 of My 1-Year Experiment

Context

Santa Cruz’s unemployment surges as workers counting on jobs materializing or reopening on the historic boardwalk get the bad news.  

The same occurs across the West in towns blessed and yet dominated by resort attractions — summer and winter adventures in mountains, on rivers and lakes.  

The tourist seasons deliver severe blows to the younger quality-of-lifers in their early and mid-20s.  

We discovered it and tracked a migration of 20-something lifestyles (Gen-Y, Millennials) disappeared from one resort town and reappeared in another resort town as the effects of the Great Recession slowly diminished.  

But, this time around there might be hope for Millennial remote-workers. 

Those with jobs in the distributed working knowledge industries — who, unlike their younger brothers and sisters just graduating from college and high school yearn for adventures.

Where?  Anywhere away from the suburbs and urban centers — just to get away, but who become dependent on the tourist trade.  

Working remotely gives you a steady income while those less fortunate around you in pristine resort towns fall victim to the ripple effects and can’t make it on subsistence wages.  

Have you noticed all those Zoomed entertainers with rustic wood backgrounds wishing everyone else safety and health like they enjoy all hunkered down in Montana? 

In a vicious cycle, the invasion of celebrities triggering the increase in second-home property values spike homeowner property taxes.

The effects ripple from there. 

The locals are forced with gut-wrenching decisions like the three long-time locals in Whitefish, Montana we profiled.

Their dilemma led to our discovery of lifestyle profile shifts in neighborhood communities and that led to figuring out how to use birds-of-a-feather bucket lists to find a new town and community waiting for them with open arms.

Evidence

“3”  Steve Zahn, 51: “No matter how high you rise in position, you retain the no-nonsense outlook you started with. You are skeptical of values based on anything other than human worth.” Scorpio

Well, yes if there is a pattern I follow it, definitely  honoring the development and worth of those I advise or instruct.

Random ones that make me want change my sign.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “A walk can be a creative and mystical experience. You’ll see sights that affirm your physical course along the way and your general trajectory on the path of life.” Aries

I’m a firm believer in body and mind fitness for mental health. Plus an opening poem in the first chapter of my first book begins with a “hole” in a sidewalk and progresses to choosing a new path to follow in your life.

“4” Steve Kerr, 54: “There is success in your current course of action, although you will need to remind yourself of this and also incentivize and motivate yourself to continue in kind. Consistency motivates success.” Libra

I’m sure this is true for other days, but I don’t feel the need today.

“3”  Steve Aoki, 41: “You’ll solve problems all day long — problems of different scope and complexity, some easy, others expensive, some that seem pervasive, others you feel privileged to have.”  Sagittarius

Sorry, this bit of wisdom sounds just too generic for me today.

“5” Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “You will stick to your values even when you don’t want to, it’s hard or the rewards don’t come. Your reason? It’s the adult thing to do. The depth of character it takes to stick to values is a reward in and of itself.” Pisces

To be honest, I just don’t see any other way.  Yes it is the adult thing to do, but what else is there?

“5”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “Beware of quick fixes, as today they are likely to fall down in both quickness and fixing. Small changes made consistently over a long period of time will give you the best results.” Virgo

I agree, but why do we fall for the temptation to cut corners only to fall victim to things that seem too good to be true and are?

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines grew from 2663 to 2839.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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S2 E39 — The Best Tau for the Pandemic Year, Don’t You Agree?

So, my survival guide for remote workers had already been written, which had been targeted to the knowledge working community (consultants, freelancers and entrepreneurs) who could sell their services to clients which didn’t require their presence 24/7.  Given they were more mobile and could live anywhere, then where do they want to put down roots?

“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “The future that has seemed so hazy now comes into sharp focus. You’ll be approaching work in new ways. While some deals are stalled, other arrangements can be solidified as you wait.” Aries 

Hi and welcome to Saturday’s Episode 39 in Season 2 of  “My Pandemic Year Experiment” on this 2nd day of May in the spring of 2020. 

Season 1 and 2 are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.

Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year

S2 E38 — What Should You Do If You Stumble Across Loaded Information?; S2 E37 — How Deep is the Chasm? What Do We Do?; S2 E36 — Turning Lemons into Margaritas

Related from Season One, the Normal Year

S1 E39 — What’s Up with Facebook?; S1 E38 — Day 38 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E37 — Day 37 of My 1-Year Experiment; S1 E36 — Day 36 of My 1-Year Experiment

Context

Working on the Business — I’d gotten into a publishing groove on Patreon with: 

Today I published a summary of the week just ending on Patreon  and shared the piece on LinkedIn:

Surviving Day-to-Day or Thriving with Big-Picture Insights?

“The future that has seemed so hazy now comes into sharp focus. You’ll be approaching work in new ways. While some deals are stalled, other arrangements can be solidified as you wait.”

Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.

Michael S. Malone, Scientific American, Image: Getty Images.

The Tau: Week Ending 5/2/20

Discover what you’ve been missing. 

Here are some of this week’s headlines pulled from our daily “Top 30 Digest” curated for you, “Fresh from the Labs. Literally bottled and set adrift from KnowWhere Atoll.”

Helping you face what’s going on and create some of your own if/then strategies.

What if … ?

Trends

COVID-19 Phase Two

              • ”The coronavirus pandemic is getting the ‘total attention’ of the Gates Foundation” 
              • “Google and the Cost of ‘Data Voids’ During a Pandemic”
              • ”Google and Apple Reveal How Covid-19 Alert Apps Might Look”
              • ”How COVID-19 Could Change AR/VR’s Future”

Artificial Intelligence 

              • ”Google medical researchers humbled when AI screening tool falls short in real-life testing”
              • ”Don’t Regulate Artificial Intelligence: Starve It”
              • Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Human Resources (HR) Industry
              • ”US patent office rules that artificial intelligence cannot be a legal inventor”

Deeper Future Horizons

              • ”Hydrogen Industry: The Dawning Of The Hydrogen Economy”
              • “A new machine learning method streamlines particle accelerator operations”
              • ”Who needs a jet? 620 mph Hyperloop train will zoom passengers from Paris to Amsterdam in just 90 minutes”

The Final Frontier

              • ”Space travel breakthrough: Solar sail offers route to stars at one fifth of light speed” 
              • ”The Universe Is Expanding Faster Than It Should. Why?”
              • ”Space Photos of the Week: Polychromatic Views of the Earth”

A special welcome and thanks to 160 new followers in just the past 3 days. Like, share and join our growing community of 2,170 followers to see what you missed.

The Tau 12 Months Ago 

“You’re starting to think of things in their broader context.  New insights come from big-picture thinking.”

Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.

Tags : Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Bill Gates, COVID-19, Earth, Foundations, Google, Hydrogen Economy, Hyperloop, Machine Learning, Medical Research, Pandemic, Patents, Physics, Science, Space

Evidence

Random ones that make me want to change my sign.

“5”  Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “The future that has seemed so hazy now comes into sharp focus. You’ll be approaching work in new ways. While some deals are stalled, other arrangements can be solidified as you wait.” Aries

And so McQueen’s Holiday Tau was just what I needed for this week’s Patreon publication.  How to take advantage of the COVID-19 Pandemic caught the technology community’s disruptive venturing spirit.

“3”  Steve Smith, 30: “Though there’s plenty you can learn about yourself outside the context of a relationship, there are many things you figure out quickly by working and playing with others, like you will today.” Gemini

Getting used to “lock down” as a pandemic prevention, surely tests the boundaries of relationships within your own pod, right Emma the Baroness?

“4”  Steve Carell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “With all you’ve experienced, you could write a survival guide. You’ll be compelled to help, but you don’t really have to give any advice or instruction to do so. Your example is enough.”  Leo

So, my survival guide for remote workers had already been written, which had been targeted to the knowledge working community who I identified as consultants, freelancers and entrepreneurs who could sell their services to clients which didn’t require their presence 24/7.  Given they were more mobile and could live anywhere, then where do they want to put down roots?  

“4”  Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “Sometimes the bumpy roads lead to the most beautiful places. Other times it’s just more rock and dirt and jostling. Take an enjoyable path and the destination will just be a bonus.” Virgo

As in epic awesome road trips in the West, say to some of my favorite towns on this itinerary?

“3”  Steve Kerr, 54: “There is no one better than another, and yet many make easier fits. Of course, fit isn’t everything. Sometimes what you have to grow into or figure out keeps you more interested.” Libra

Just not on the right day.  As it applies to the “Work” — in Live, Love, Work, Play, Invest, and Leave a Legacy subtitle to “The Knowledge Path” series — the best fit means matching the right type of organizational talent culture for you.  And, if you can’t you may determine which stage of growth fits you better.  I’m working on it.

“5”  Steve Aoki, 41: “Your story isn’t one narrative. It’s an ever-evolving work of art that you might tell a totally different way one day to the next. This is one way you’ll exercise creative power over your destiny.” Sagittarius

I can’t tell you how often during normal times I’d have to prepare just what my story was and why I was meeting with someone for the first time.  Was I a career advisor?  Or the chief knowledge officer?  Or the organization development consultant? Or the memoirist? Or the blogger?

“4”  Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “Life is not about stuff, and yet a few choice items can make your world a bit more fun, safe or smooth today. Figure out what you need. You might be able to trade someone for it.” Pisces

Need?  Not much more.  Emma the Baroness and I have surprisingly built a comfortable nest egg.  More travel, maybe but those trips will have to be postponed, right?

What’s Going On …

Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll 

    • @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines grew from 1760 to 2,170.

Foresight

Quality-of-Life

Long-Form

    • Just picked up “Bob Dylan In America” by Sean Wilentz.  Maybe because of the subliminal messaging like the times are a changing and the answer is blowing in the wind, but I kinda like Sean’s fanboy becomes music critic becomes historian surrounding Dylan’s life and times.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate

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