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How open-plan offices make everything worse
Open-plan offices are thriving despite boasting measurable flaws and negative effects on employees, writes Maria Konnikova. The bustle of open-plan workplaces increases stress and makes it harder for employees to concentrate or work productively. "Regardless of age, when we're exposed to too many inputs at once -- a computer screen, music, a colleague’s conversation, the ping of an instant message -- our senses become overloaded, and it requires more work to achieve a given result," Konnikova writes. The New Yorker (free content)/Currency blog (1/7)

Who We Are, In The End

A while ago while talking to someone I respect he shared the Bill Parcells quote, "You are what your record says you are."  Since that afternoon that phrase has been rolling around in my head, often after 1 am.  Sports has never been a place I looked for inspiration but this particular statement transcends sports and really bears on life.  But lest we over simplify when reviewing records we must assess the entirety of the record and take care about value judgments about what we see.

We are, in fact, what our record says we are.  All the opportunities and disadvantages, all the good  and bad decisions, all the lessons learned and missed, all the experience we have make up who we are.  So next time you assess a record to determine what you or anyone else may be, step back and look deeply and carefully.

 Just something to think about.