Designing Your Work Life

And the modern miracle that made my laptop possible

As I sit here typing away on my computer, I can't help but marvel at the miracle of the moment. I mean, 50 years ago, the best you could do was a typewriter, and now here we are, able to type at lightning speed, communicate with people across the globe, and waste countless hours on social media instead of doing our work. It's like we're living in some kind of technological utopia...or dystopia, depending on your take.

Technological innovation has truly transformed the way we live and work. And when we talk about innovation, we often focus on the shiny, new gadgets and gizmos that make our lives easier. We imagine a lone genius in a garage, inventing the next big thing that will change the world. But we all know that's not how it works. Have you ever been inside a garage? Mine is definitely not a startup incubator and I’m sure neither is yours.

No, innovation of any kind is not a lonely endeavor these days. It’s not even about having a great idea. It’s about taking an idea and then being able to execute a set of complex activities with others, over and over again. It’s a marriage of creativity and discipline – and it can be as small as a couple of current and former consultants trying to put a business blog together *ahem, ahem* to colossal, multinational titans battling it out for your money and mine.

And if you’ve ever thought about organizations (startups, companies, sports teams, governments, etc.), you realize that they are like a giant, living, breathing organism – a macro-organism. Heck, some even have legal status as people in the United States.

Yes, organizations are extremely complex systems, made up of a vast network of inputs that must work together seamlessly to create something truly great. Like an intricate Rube Goldberg machine with a whole bunch of moving parts and pieces that all have to work together in perfect harmony to give you the desired outcome.

Self-Operating Napkin

And while there are many boring things that we could sit here and analyze, like legal structures, accounting, and operations (which I’ll defer to the fourth member of our group, if we ever get one) I am interested in the most important part of this macro-organism: the heart, the people.

With all their quirks and foibles and delightful weirdness, it’s the people in an organization that bring their unique talents and perspectives to the table, working together to build something greater than themselves. People who are driven by a shared purpose and a common goal, who navigate complex hierarchies and competing incentives to achieve something truly remarkable.

And that's what this blog is all about - exploring the fascinating, hilarious, and sometimes downright bizarre dynamics at play in organizations. From the weird power structures and office politics to the strange rituals and customs that develop over time, we'll be taking a closer look at what makes organizations tick - and how we can all learn from their successes and failures. We'll be talking about the importance of culture, the perils of groupthink, the weirdness of corporate jargon – exploring surprising insights along the way, like:  

• The benefits of gossip in the workplace

• Why diversity isn't just a buzzword, but a crucial factor in organizational success

• The power of gratitude in building stronger teams

• Why sharing TMI (too much information) is one of the best strategies for career growth

• The hidden costs of toxic workplace culture, and

• Why organizations should fire all assholes

In short, we'll be opening the hood of the organizational car and taking a good hard look at what's going on underneath. It's going to be fun, it's going to be insightful, and hopefully, it's going to be a little bit weird. But hey, that's just how we roll in the world of organizational theory. So join me, won't you, as we embark on this strange and wonderful journey together?

Miguel Ortega

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P.S. While this blog focuses on the people in an organization, we must never forget the larger point. Organizations are made up of many inputs, with people just being one of them - albeit the most important one. And to create a great organization, leaders must invest in their human capital. And it’s not just about money – as we will later see.

So this blog is not just your hilarious dose of weekly business wisdom, it’s also a call to marry company success with employee self-fulfillment. Because in the end, the relationship between corporations and workers is not a zero-sum game. By prioritizing the welfare of both parties, corporations can create a more positive and productive workplace culture that benefits everyone involved. It's time for corporations to take a more holistic approach to their relationship with workers, and in doing so, reap the rewards of a more engaged, motivated, and committed workforce - and here are some hard numbers to illustrate this point:

• Companies with strong, positive cultures have a 65% lower turnover rate than those with weak ones.

• Employees who feel a sense of purpose at work are 1.4 times more engaged and motivated than those who don’t.

• Companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202%.

• And finally, companies that invest in employee training and development enjoy a 24% higher profit margin than those who don't – in fact, companies with a strong learning culture are 46% more likely to be the leader in their industry

So, what does all of this mean? It means that understanding the delicate and multifaceted relationships between people and organizations is crucial for producing improvements in productivity, satisfaction, and overall company success.

And I don’t know about you, but as I finish this post, all I can think of is what the next iPhone will do! Probably just a 4^th camera, but you get what I mean.