Ironically, I agree. The best way to build a high performing team is to focus on individuals as much as on the group. But the capitalism relies on group think and work, even while it promotes the dream of individualism. Your experience reminds me of my own at CGE&Y.
Thanks Lisa, especially for pointing out that paradox between the group think of capitalism vs the impact our innate individuality holds. You might appreciate this older article of mine as well: https://curiositymindset.substack.com/p/diversity-and-conflict
A different reader to that article shared a similar response to you; that the last high performing team they were in highly valued the conflict that came from different individuals all operating at their peak, with the team held together should universal values of respect, curiosity, and openness.
What was your experience like at CGE&Y (if that's something you can share)?
Cheers, Scott. My experience with EY was pretty good. Quite creative. But not great when they merged unsuccessfully with Cap Gemini. Too much emphasis on process.
Thank you Scott - The journey from being part of the corporate "we" to finding your own voice really resonates with me. I think many of us have been in situations where we've hidden behind that collective identity, especially early in our careers. That bit about the Tall Poppy Syndrome - oof, I feel that. It's tough to stand out when everyone's telling you to blend in. I hope you have a fantastic week ahead.
Thanks Neela! Yeah, it's certainly easy to 'go with the crowd' in our earlier years (and arguably recommended in some scenarios, which might be a great exploration in a future article) but that journey towards finding ourselves is where I think our growth really lies. What I'm optimistic about is seeing people like yourself and others in our community creating more accessible pathways for everyone.
Thanks Scott. While we are playing with pronouns, I like Dr Dan Siegal's "Mwe" that emphasises the idea that we are not separate but connected. ME + WE = MWE. We can get a bit cute with all of this, but I really like your emphasis on the personal responsibility that comes down to saying to myself..."what am I doing?". You are very right I think that we can potentially hide a lot of avoidance under the fuzzy "we".
Thanks Ian! I was thinking about you when I wrote about the I-Thou idea. Is that something you've come across before? Because it strikes me as speaking to the core of connection through consciousness.
Interesting perspective. I talk about Ego -> Wego. Your I in service of the collective you are part of.
Daniel Schmachtenberger also talks about this a bit differently. That we all have global problems and individuals problems are a thing of the past. That’s why we need humanity with collective agency - which is only an idea currently. Otherwise we can’t solve these problems like climate change.
Thanks for sharing Marco! I've followed some of Daniel's works and share his perspective on the importance of collective agency within humanity. I do wish it wasn't 'just an idea' and that more people can feel empowered to do something, but I'm glad that there are more of us talking (and hopefully demonstrating) it in practice.
Tell me more about Wego? Have you written more on it? Would love to have a read.
Ironically, I agree. The best way to build a high performing team is to focus on individuals as much as on the group. But the capitalism relies on group think and work, even while it promotes the dream of individualism. Your experience reminds me of my own at CGE&Y.
Thanks Lisa, especially for pointing out that paradox between the group think of capitalism vs the impact our innate individuality holds. You might appreciate this older article of mine as well: https://curiositymindset.substack.com/p/diversity-and-conflict
A different reader to that article shared a similar response to you; that the last high performing team they were in highly valued the conflict that came from different individuals all operating at their peak, with the team held together should universal values of respect, curiosity, and openness.
What was your experience like at CGE&Y (if that's something you can share)?
Cheers, Scott. My experience with EY was pretty good. Quite creative. But not great when they merged unsuccessfully with Cap Gemini. Too much emphasis on process.
Thank you Scott - The journey from being part of the corporate "we" to finding your own voice really resonates with me. I think many of us have been in situations where we've hidden behind that collective identity, especially early in our careers. That bit about the Tall Poppy Syndrome - oof, I feel that. It's tough to stand out when everyone's telling you to blend in. I hope you have a fantastic week ahead.
Thanks Neela! Yeah, it's certainly easy to 'go with the crowd' in our earlier years (and arguably recommended in some scenarios, which might be a great exploration in a future article) but that journey towards finding ourselves is where I think our growth really lies. What I'm optimistic about is seeing people like yourself and others in our community creating more accessible pathways for everyone.
Hope you have a great week too!
Thanks Scott. While we are playing with pronouns, I like Dr Dan Siegal's "Mwe" that emphasises the idea that we are not separate but connected. ME + WE = MWE. We can get a bit cute with all of this, but I really like your emphasis on the personal responsibility that comes down to saying to myself..."what am I doing?". You are very right I think that we can potentially hide a lot of avoidance under the fuzzy "we".
Thanks Ian! I was thinking about you when I wrote about the I-Thou idea. Is that something you've come across before? Because it strikes me as speaking to the core of connection through consciousness.
Interesting perspective. I talk about Ego -> Wego. Your I in service of the collective you are part of.
Daniel Schmachtenberger also talks about this a bit differently. That we all have global problems and individuals problems are a thing of the past. That’s why we need humanity with collective agency - which is only an idea currently. Otherwise we can’t solve these problems like climate change.
Thanks for sharing Marco! I've followed some of Daniel's works and share his perspective on the importance of collective agency within humanity. I do wish it wasn't 'just an idea' and that more people can feel empowered to do something, but I'm glad that there are more of us talking (and hopefully demonstrating) it in practice.
Tell me more about Wego? Have you written more on it? Would love to have a read.