Knowledge in Motion - Best of the Month (8)

May 2023

… it’s the “Aha moment!” when we re-read what transforms.

The goal with this digest is to provide you with some quotes from the posts published during the month along with practical prompts and questions to use in 1:1 meetings, coaching sessions, and to inspire themes for larger team meetings.

• "Most of the organizations that have been celebrated for their innovation have built their success on a foundation of rigorous and disciplined management of fundamentals." (Harvard Business Review)

• Entrepreneur and tech investor Marc Andreessen wisely noted, "The companies that succeed are the ones that focus relentlessly on the fundamentals." This pinpoint focus on the building blocks is what sets the achievers apart.

• Iteration on the basics will result on serial innovation at the core

• If you can’t get the basics right, it doesn’t matter how brilliant your strategy or new ideas are!

Questions and prompts to use with your team:

1. Am I clear on what the core values, basic agreements and ways of working are? Do I live and embrace them?

2. Am I consistently meeting my objectives or do I slip often?

3. Do I prioritize the right areas systematically or do I get distracted easily even if I think I am working on new great ideas?

4. Am I making progress towards my goals in a consistent and measurable way? Can I measure it? Can I tell a story connecting the dots and speaking of value added versus tasks completed?

5. Do I manage time well? Do I have the time to identify and address potential areas of development, risk and opportunity?

• "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."Arthur C. Clarke (scientist and science fiction writer)

• When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

• The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

• Generative A.I feels like magic, however true magic happens in the analog world.

• “A.I will not replace doctors, but doctors that use A.I will replace doctors that don’t”.

• We cannot lose our humanity in a race with the machines. We win by becoming the finest humans being we can be, by making A.I complementary to us, so we can then tap into its full potential to make this a better world; not to alienate the human condition.

Questions and prompts to use with your team:

1. How can AI-powered technologies be strategically integrated into our work processes to enhance efficiency and productivity, while preserving the value of creativity and innovation?

2. In what ways can we foster a collaborative mindset that positions AI as a complementary tool to amplify human capabilities, rather than a replacement for human expertise?

3. What steps can we take to ensure that AI is accessible and usable across various departments, moving beyond its role as a specialized tool within IT to become a strategic partner in solving complex organizational challenges?

4. As AI continues to evolve, how can we equip our workforce with the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to these technological advancements and harness AI's potential for problem-solving and decision-making?

5. How do we strike a balance between leveraging AI to streamline routine tasks and embracing the irreplaceable qualities of human interaction, empathy, ethics, and critical thinking that contribute to a thriving workplace and a more holistic approach to problem-solving?

• “Before I came here, I was confused about this subject. Having listened to your lecture, I am still confused, but on a higher level.” ― Enrico Fermi

• The Fermi Paradox stems from the contradiction between the high probability of the existence of intelligent alien life and the lack of evidence of such civilizations.

  • Think about the instances in which the high probability of an an explanation to be true coexist with the frustrating reality of lacking the evidence to support it.

• Embrace curiosity, nurture collaboration, and let your leadership journey take you to new frontiers. We never know what’s on the other side, but all we can do is to keep traveling with a solid method for exploration and an open mind for interpretation.

Questions and prompts to use with your team:

1. In light of the Fermi Paradox, which emphasizes the apparent contradiction between the high likelihood of extraterrestrial life and the absence of empirical evidence, how can we relate this concept to our leadership journey? What parallels can we draw between the paradox's exploration of possibilities and the uncertainties we face as leaders?

2. Reflecting on the concept of "time-scale mismatches" as a plausible explanation for the Fermi Paradox, how can we draw insights from this idea to our leadership context? In what ways might the misalignment of timing impact our organizational initiatives, and how can we navigate these gaps effectively?

3. As the Fermi Paradox prompts us to acknowledge the value of saying "I don't know," how can we integrate this humility into our leadership style? How might admitting uncertainties and gaps in knowledge contribute to fostering a culture of curiosity and collaboration within our team?

   1. how can we cultivate humility and curiosity within ourselves as leaders?

4. In light of the Fermi Paradox's challenge to seek collaborative solutions despite vast distances, how can we as leaders foster an environment of cross-functional cooperation? How can we harness diverse perspectives to unlock limitless possibilities within our organization, echoing the mindset of exploration presented by the paradox?