johnmaconline

Getting older is a funny thing.

Time speeds up. The black and white of my youth fades to grey. The weave of certainty unravels. The future compresses from limitless possibilities to a subset of realities.

The current me looks back on the previous me and wonders. What would I tell him?

I’d tell him to take more risks.

The risk of failing.
The risk of losing.
The risk of rejection.
The risk of looking stupid.
The risk of getting laughed at.
The risk of not being good at it.
The risk of what they’re going to think.
The risk of making the wrong the decision.
The risk of someone else getting upset at you.
The risk of looking like you made the wrong decision.
The risk of letting someone know how you really feel.

In hindsight, I can see now how fear ruled over me. Fear of what? All those things listed above. That was an easy list to write. I could keep going.

When my kids drive off, I always tell them in jest, “Drive fast and take chances!” I don’t mean it literally, and they know that. But it’s just a little out-of-context reminder that they will have to take some risks.

There is no reward without risk. Life is worth the risk.

We swim around inside a foamy sea of multitasking.

We ride the waves, juggling tasks, hoping to crest the wave of productivity. However, beneath the surface, the undertow of inefficiency and stress pulls us deeper into the tumultuous waters. The industrial machine demanding ever more.

Maybe the solution isn’t more gadgets, apps, or AI.

Maybe the solution is leaning into our humanity. The deep focus of one thing at a time.

One task, one wave at a time. That’s how we navigate this sea. That’s how we find our way back to the shore. Because our humanity isn’t built to frolic in the foamy sea of multitasking but to walk firmly on the ground of focused purpose.

Focusing on the work that matters.

Read a great article from Luke Burgis about AI and Effective Altruism.

I have also mused about this topic in the past. 

Rest assured that you don’t have to be a foot soldier in the Effective Altruism (EA) movement to be doing work that matters. Because EA — the formal movement — rejects what really matters about altruism — the human heart. Truly effective altruism defies objective metrics, as does work that matters. 

Each revels in investment, purpose, and empathy. In the realm of significant work and altruism, it’s not the calculated strategy that triumphs. It’s the emotionally charged, human-led endeavor. It’s not the cold data, but the warm, resonating human touch that truly makes a difference.

It’s about our individual and collective human capacity to help others. It’s personal, subjective, and emotionally driven. Truly effective altruism and work that matters invite us to bring our full, authentic selves to the table. To embrace our emotions, harness our passions, and contribute to a cause greater than ourselves — whether that cause is an outward facing mission, inward on the team, or simply within the confines of one’s family and friends. It’s not about fitting into a predetermined box, nor adhering to computed numbers, but about celebrating our humanity, making a difference, and adding value where we can. 

This is the essence of work that matters and true effective altruism.

At first, it may seem as if work that matters is outward facing and possibly even objective.

We can all agree that some work matters objectively, right? When asked, you might say something like teaching, medicine, social work, policing, green energy, defense/military, politics, farming, truck driving, DEI, or firefighting. 

Ah, but that’s the rub, isn’t it? You probably found some work in that list that you agree matters and some that you don’t. 

Because work that matters isn’t objective, nor does it have to be outward facing. Any work can be work that matters.

It’s all about what you bring with you to the work.

As a leader, your role isn’t just to guide and direct. It’s also to connect. To empathize. To understand each team member’s ‘why’. What drives them? What motivates them? What do they value? Why does their work matter to them?

In the new work paradigm, a leader doesn’t impose meaning. You unearth it. You create an environment where everyone can see their own work as work that matters.

Right out of college, I thought I had found the perfect career path. 

I started my career at a large defense contractor (GE Astrospace — which became Martin Marietta and then Lockheed Martin while I sat at the same desk, doing the same thing). As a space nerd, I certainly was excited about working on space-y things.

I worked in the Survivability group. We ensured that the satellite would work within the naturally occurring and man-made radiation and electromagnetic environments of space — including nuclear weapons threats. 

Queue the Oppenheimer movie trailer. 

On paper, and before I knew anything about engineering work, I thought this was a dream job. Like Oppenheimer movie cool. But reality turned out differently, at least for me.

The projects were too large. The bureaucracy was stifling. The time frames were too long. The tasks were too myopic. The office politics were overbearing. The workday framework was like kindergarten. 

After a while, I really did hate it.

But also, I learned a lot. In fact, I know that place helped me get where I am today. I learned how to conduct myself. I learned how to be a professional. I learned that the more you give and help, the more valuable you become. 

Any new opportunity may or may not be what you thought it was going to be. You may end up hating it. But there’s always something valuable to be taken away.

Never miss the nuggets. 

Work-life balance. A buzzword of the past. An antique in the new work paradigm.

In the old paradigm, balance was a scale. Work on one side. Life on the other — a juggling act. A struggle to keep both sides level.

But that was yesterday.

Welcome to today. To integration. To harmony. Work and life intertwine. They coexist. Work-life balance becomes work-life integration.

Work isn’t a place anymore. It’s an activity. Life isn’t a break anymore. It’s intertwined.

You’re not two people. One at work. One at home. You’re you. Everywhere. Always.

And you are the person we all need.

You’re human. You’re team is human. Sometimes you miss.

You can follow all the rules of hiring, yet fundamentally, it’s still a risk. It’s a gamble. You gather data. You make an educated guess. You choose. Sometimes, it works. Other times, it doesn’t.

You’ve invested time. Energy. Hope. And it didn’t pan out. That’s OK.

Perfection is a mirage. Even if you’ve done everything right.

Give yourself grace. Embrace the missteps. They’re not failures. They’re lessons. Insights wrapped in discomfort. They show you where to improve. They shine a light on blind spots.

A missed hire is not a life sentence. It’s a detour. An opportunity to reassess. Reframe. Realign.

Fix the problem. Don’t dwell on the miss. Focus on the fix. Is it training? Is it a different role? Or is it time to part ways? Each miss gives you data. Use it. Learn from it.

Sometimes, you hit. Sometimes, you miss. Both are part of the game. Both lead to growth.

Boldly roll those dice.

We’ve seen paradigms shift before. We’re living through another now.

Today, we stand on the precipice of a seismic change. Not just a shift, but a shattering of the old paradigm. 

So, what’s next? An orchestra — the composer, the conductor, and the orchestra.

We’ve already discussed the composer and the conductor. Now, musicians. 

The orchestra members share the purpose, but each contributes uniquely. The violin does not attempt to mimic the trumpet, nor does the cello envy the flute. An interplay of autonomy and unity.

This is the future of work.

We’re artists in an ensemble. Work isn’t about syncing our steps; it’s about harmonizing our tunes. The new work paradigm isn’t just about how we work. It’s about who we are.

We’re embracing diversity, not just in race or gender, but in thought, in skills, in points of view. Each individual brings their unique instrument to this grand symphony, contributing to a melody richer and more dynamic than we’ve ever heard before. 

The most extraordinary part? This orchestra is boundless. With the rise of remote work, our ensemble is expanding beyond borders and time zones. We’re tapping into global talent, harmonizing with individuals we may never meet face-to-face.

The symphony of the new work paradigm is playing. Do you hear it? It’s time to pick up your instrument and join the ensemble. 

It’s time to make your music.

The industrial machine valued meetings.

Top-down. Front of the room. Presentation. Here’s what you need to know. Consensus by org structure. Do what I say.

The new work paradigm values discussions.

Exchange ideas. Argue convictions. Respect each other. Consensus not required. Push forward. Re-evaluate. Change direction if needed.

Leaders in the new work paradigm understand the difference.

We have a mantra on our DevOps, Automation, and Tools team:

“Make the right thing to do the easy thing to do.”

This is the standard to which we hold everything we make. We don’t always hit it, and many times (most times?), we have to iterate to get there, but it’s always our goal.

This mantra does two things:

One, it provides a target — a north star. One which we can always apply to whatever it is we’re building. It’s simple to say, see, and understand.

Two, we acknowledge a fundamental truth about our audience — humans usually take the easy road when available, even if it’s the wrong road.

That’s not a judgment statement. It’s just a truth.

In an ever-increasingly complex world, we gravitate towards easy, or maybe one could say simple. Simplicity encapsulates elegance. Simplicity accelerates understanding. Simplicity finds common ground. 

Know your audience.