An Ego Justly Won

The window view is of traffic and a park a little further off.  This tenth floor window peers out of a modest conference room where a group of successful men and women are mulling ideas of progress and transformation.  The group of a dozen or so has segmented into two groups, one on each side.Continue reading "An Ego Justly Won"

The Frame Creates the Content

Years ago I had a seminar on "Greek Mathematical Thought and the Origins of Algebra".  While that topic may not fan the cockles of the average heart, I found it to be a fascinating study in how ontology (theory about the nature of being or the kinds of things that have existence) can shape our scientificContinue reading "The Frame Creates the Content"

Ask a Damn Question

Early philosophers made a big deal of separating "true belief" from "knowledge".  The spiritual father of this distinction would have to be Socrates as a character in the Dialogues of Plato.  He constantly harps on about how knowing a good deed is different from knowing why it is good.  He believes strongly in the valueContinue reading "Ask a Damn Question"

Ode to a Tyrant: Superfluum Opus

Woe to thee who has cast thy lot with this tyrant.  The breaker of workweeks and crusher of work/life balance, this tyrant stands lofty upon the prow. Superfluum Opus helms every project as though it were a galley, and the oars should never be silent. Superfluum Opus will often look good when the job isContinue reading "Ode to a Tyrant: Superfluum Opus"

Corporate Politics

Election years aren't the only politics out there. Corporate politics are an interesting sort of game. While oft-maligned, they are in many ways ingrained in everything that gets done in a large corporation. Certainly systems and checks can stop undue influence and limit personal bias, but those checks themselves are an indicator, not defeater of that department's politicalContinue reading "Corporate Politics"

Art of Being Effective: Confronting Confrontation

Confrontation amongst colleagues isn't the transgression emotive legalists would have you believe. Nor is it license to abuse as the office trolls hope it will be. Instead, like any other interpersonal dynamic, it has it's proper and balanced place in the work environment. I'd like to highlight two virtues that help people navigate the vices of legalism and license. Our first and most important virtueContinue reading "Art of Being Effective: Confronting Confrontation"

The Deep and Inescapable Descent

There are times when a cause is lost. Knowing how and when to bail are sometimes more valuable than knowing what could possibly be done to fix the problem. I am reminded as I currently watch the NBA finals of the look people have in their eye when they see their own failure laid bareContinue reading "The Deep and Inescapable Descent"

This is Not a Starbucks Lid

The other day my morning coffee spilled all over my hand. Upon closer inspection, I found that the lid was a close, but not correct match for the cup. As to how this happened, I assume the catering company that runs my coffee shop repurposed lids from their other operation rather than buying the branded lids toContinue reading "This is Not a Starbucks Lid"

A Guide to Sports Analogies

The season is upon us.  Football is in the air. Baseball playoffs begin in a couple weeks.  This is the season of the terrible sports analogy.  Now here at roIQ we pride ourselves on being able to go deeper than the average worker.  Here is a list of some of our best ideas along withContinue reading "A Guide to Sports Analogies"

Atlas Syndrome

This one is for the folks who routinely work during vacation and have trouble delegating work and feel 'guilty' taking off any time at all. It's a pretty exciting syndrome to have, I like to call it Atlas Syndrome because at it's root the patient believes themselves responsible for holding up the very heavens. Let's be honest there are setsContinue reading "Atlas Syndrome"