Weekend Building Blocks - 06 APR 2018


There's no value in collecting blocks unless you're connecting them to build something awesome!
This is a unique Weekend Building Blocks in that the first three (3) of my recommended resources deal in one way or another with mental models!
  1. The 3 Types of Decision Makers, Mental Models, and How to Processes Information. Venkatesh Rao is a guest on Farnam Street's podcast The Knowledge Project, with host Shane Parrish. Rao does an excellent job explaining mental models and how they impact our outlook and decisions. Listening time: 1:07 
  2. Getting the Most Out of Your Retrospectives. Mahesh Paolini-Subramanya discusses single and double-loop thinking/learning, and the relationship with mental models. While I suggest we frequently challenge our own beliefs and assumptions (red-teaming comes to mind), I'm skeptical that we can intentionally change the mental models that are most deeply ingrained in our subconsciousness. How would implicit biases fit into this article? 
  3. All Models Are Wrong. Another piece by Shane Parrish of Farnam Street. Ironically, I read this after I had already published my own piece quoting George Box. Parrish talks about models, including mental models, and their wrongness but usefulness. 
  4. Rejecting the Industry. I believe this was written by Paul Gamble (if I'm wrong, please correct me in comments below). He writes on the standardization, scaling, and overall industrialization of the physical fitness community. Someone on Twitter linked one of my recent blogs to this piece, and it did resonate with me. I've been making a case for the dark side of standardization - and this piece surely supports much of my argument. 
  5. Seven Implications of Complexity for Organisations. Sonja Blignaut builds off some points made by Paul Cilliers on complexity. Instead of providing impossible answers, Blignaut shows the tradeoffs and compromises of some of these vital issues. In what ways is your organization on track..or off track? 
Secondly, I published two (2) blog posts this week:
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for continuing to break visitor and reader numbers on this blog. New records are being made each month! Your sharing and comments invite new followers each day...which bring new minds into contact with me...from which to learn!

As for Weekend Building Blocks, I appreciate you allowing me to make these recommendations to you.
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    Lou Hayes, Jr. is a police training unit supervisor in suburban Chicago. He studies human performance & decision-making, creativity, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. Follow him on Twitter at @LouHayesJr or on LinkedIn. He also maintains a LinkedIn page for The Illinois Model.

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