Brigadoon Weekly
November 2, 2019
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
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Logic, Helsinki, 24/7 Culture, Psychology of Color, Common Cold, Quantum Computers
ROSS RANT
Where's the logic?
Is this how you start?
Is this your first question when presented with a new idea, a new concept, a new project?
When you ask to see the logic you are saying I am unsure, uncommitted, uneased - I want an easy way to say no.
When you demand logic and intelligence before you have even started you pay a hidden price: you destroy any chance of magic, any chance of the unplanned, any chance of alchemy.
The modern global business world is oversupplied with efforts and professions seeking to destroy any chance of magic, any chance of the unplanned, any chance of alchemy.
Economists. Technocrats. Managers. Analysts. Excel Ninjas. Best in class. Industry-standard. Master of Business Administration.
Master of "business administration," hoo boy.
It is becoming more and more challenging to allow magic to happen.
The commercial marketplace is not a machine - it is a highly complex system.
Machines don't allow for magic, but complex systems do.
As Rory Sutherland points out, most people spend most of their time and effort at work trying to look and be intelligent - as if we are all scientists working in a cleanroom facility with witty Aaron Sorkin office walkabouts.
It is true looking intelligent is useful in winning an argument and being a C-SPAN star, but if you want to succeed in the commercial marketplace, it is not all that useful to look intelligent.
To expand your commercial marketplace impact may require intelligent people to not act intelligent.
Highly intelligent people don't just use logic - it is apart of their identity.
Next week try just once to make the illogical move, the poorly supported idea, and allow the magic to happen.
Remember if all the smart people in the world haven't yet made it happen or found the solution, it is probably because they want the answer to be logical.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross specializes in helping global business leaders make better connections and better communications. He is the founder of Brigadoon.
FIVE TO READ
How Helsinki built ‘book heaven’: Finland’s most ambitious library has a lofty mission, says Helsinki’s Tommi Laitio: It’s a kind of monument to the Nordic model of civic engagement. http://bit.ly/2WzCpJi
50 artists respond to society's struggle to switch off at Somerset House's 24/7 exhibition: In the first major exhibition dedicated to 24/7 culture, Somerset House presents "creative responses to this modern malaise" by more than 50 artists and designers, including Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg. Called 24/7 and billed as "a wake-up call for our non-stop world" the exhibition brings together the work of more than 50 international artists and designers, many of them special commissions. http://bit.ly/329X1cq
The psychology of color in branding: When it comes to consumer perception of your business or organization, colors play a much bigger role than you might expect. Color psychology is the foundation of building a strong, relatable brand – and has the power to impact people’s behavior and buying decisions. This knowledge has been harnessed by marketers and designers alike, allowing us to create content that evokes consumer emotion and encourage all-important actions. http://bit.ly/2WzHXDT
What we can learn from Olympians about the common cold: Staying healthy is crucial to athletic performance, and a new analysis from the 2018 Olympics suggests some surprising defensive tactics. http://bit.ly/2C6o0Lj
Why quantum computers will be super awesome, someday https://bloom.bg/2Nxashn
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