Weekend Building Blocks - 28 APR 2017


There's no value in collecting blocks unless you're connecting them to build something awesome!

Here's what I've picked up this week:
  1. Masters of the Snowmobile: Musashi, Boyd, Musk. Chet Richards, of Slightly East of New, was an associate of John Boyd. Here he discusses the analogy of the snowmobile - a new combination of existing things. I've been a fan of Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings, and  of course all things John Boyd. It's interesting to hear the similarities with Elon Musk. 
  2. The Talent Curse. Jennifer Petriglieri and Gianpiero Petriglieri use case scenarios to describe what can happen when people are labeled according to their perceived "talent." After a handful of paragraphs, I was reminded of Carol Dweck's research on mindset (fixed versus growth)...so I wasn't the least bit surprised when she was cited in this article! 
  3. A Course of Leeches. Nathan Constable (pseudonym) is a policeman in the UK. In this piece, he sheds light on the pitfalls of and his frustrations with Evidence-Based Policing. It's a terrific piece that cuts to the heart of troubles with becoming a slave to "research" in something as human and complex as policing. Even if you're not in the police industry, this probably applies to what you do in some regard. (Please overlook the travesty that Constable is a Green Bay Packers fan! He still seems like a nice guy despite that.). 
  4. What is a correlation?  In this short blog, David Wilkinson uses some simple analogies to discuss correlation, both direct and indirect. As systems thinkers, we have to understand how variables in the system are related. This is a good, relatable reminder of that.
  5. Cognitive bias cheat sheet, simplified.  Buster Benson is a Bay Area tech guy. He separates (or maybe more accurately...lumps together) cognitive biases into four main categories: too much info; not enough meaning; not enough time/resources; not enough memory. If you're interested in learning how people make decisions, especially primal or instinctive ones, this article is for you!
Here's a bonus selection this weekend for your listening pleasure:
I hope you enjoy this weekend's building material!

Lou Hayes, Jr.
thinking & adapting like a Tactical Philosopher

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