johnmaconline

When I started working at GE right out of college in 1992, they offered me an opportunity to join the Christmas Club.

Choose an amount. Usually small. A few bucks a week automatically deducted from my paycheck and sent directly to the Christmas Club account. I couldn’t touch it till it matured in November.

Save first, spend later.

Today, we usually do the opposite. Swipe now, pay later.

As a system, neither is right or wrong. Neither is good or bad. This isn’t a post about how our culture and ourselves have become greedy, impatient, or entitled.

It’s about systems.

The Christmas Club system baked in the save first, spend later behavior. We followed the system. Today’s system encourages the spend now, pay later behavior. We follow the system.

If you want different behavior, design a different system.

The market wants faster. Productivity gains help the system go faster.

But productivity gains can be (should be?) about giving you, the human, more.

More space. More time. More energy. More room to breathe. More ability to innovate. More collaboration. More creativity.

And also less.

Less pressure. Less stress. Less repetition. Less focus on metrics. Less worry about margins. Less energy suck.

And also the right amount.

The right amount of quality. The right amount of output. The right amount of profit. The right amount of work. The right amount of people. The right amount of balance.

In theory, if we’re able to build a system that enhances productivity through thoughtful requirements, collaboration, and tools, it’s not just the executive, owner, or shareholder that wins. We, the people, win.

One useful way to look at productivity is that when done right, we all win.

We’re all on a journey of becoming.

But there’s a big difference between growth and drift. Growth stretches you. Drift pulls you away from yourself.

Sometimes it’s subtle. You admire someone else’s role. You want their results. You think, “I can do that.” You (try to) take on their path.

And suddenly, you’re chasing a set of results that was never meant for you, nor could you ever hope to achieve. Yeah, I’ve done this. Or tried to.

Growth comes from knowing who you are and working toward becoming who you can be. Drift comes from trying to become who you’re not supposed to be.

It’s OK to become who you’re supposed to be. We need that version of you.

Social media begat the selfie. Then selfie videos at the gym, vacations, unboxing deliveries, meet and greets…

Now, personal drones. Hands-free filming from above as we walk, run, paddleboard, or just exist. With ease. Cinematic aerial documentation of each moment worth remembering (or not). 

They’re amazing. Truly. The tech gets better. The image gets cooler. The distance gets wider.

But the question stays the same:

Why are we doing this?

At first, it was to capture the moment. Then, to share it. Now, maybe, to stage it?

The drone doesn’t just document. It directs.

“This moment matters — as long as it looks cinematic.” 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But it’s worth noticing.

Have we stopped living moments and started producing them?

Producing moments has also been around forever. What’s a big, fancy wedding but a planned, staged, and highly produced moment? Same with graduation, prom photos, family portaits, business launches, vacation tours, and awards ceremonies. 

But technology has exponentially increased our ability to produce and stage each and every moment. 

The drone, of course, isn’t a problem. 

I think a lot about tools.

Truth be told, I think about tools just about all day, every day. We at 4TLAS build tools. I’ve spent a good portion of my career building tools.

What makes a great tool?

It works and feels right. It’s pleasant to use and disappears into the work. It’s intuitive but may require practice. Practicing with it provides joy. 

It solves your problem. Not just a problem. Your problem.

It makes you better. It provides a capability that you didn’t have previously, or it increases your capacity and value in a way that was impossible without it. 

It teaches. It helps you understand the problem and solution better. It reveals patterns and encourages innovation, new directions, or new uses. 

It fades into the flow. You either stop noticing it, or you build your vernacular around it. 

Great tools have function, of course, but they’re also art. They make us, or allow us, to feel. 

Here are some great tools:

A well-balanced hammer, language, a map, a level, the library, Google search, a compass, a great question, breath, a straight edge, needle and thread, a mirror, a well-formed analogy, a broom, a ToDo list, a perfectly weighted cordless drill, your legs (arms, hands, and feet), a flashlight, a hockey stick, a backpack, and a calendar.

I think LLMs are on the cusp of being great tools. Not quite yet. But maybe soon.

The best tools don’t just help us do. They help us become and enjoy the journey. 

If you’re the leader and the room splits, it’s easy to panic.

Easy to rush into placation, fixing, and tension relief. That’s not leadership, that’s fear.

Most times the best approach is to lean into the tension, at least initially.

Hold the room.

Sit with it. Let them sit with it. Let them argue. Listen. Not for agreement but for clarity. Where are you trying to go? What change are you trying to make? What is the intended outcome? What’s the real goal?

Once you know, the job is simple. Not easy, but simple — build (enough) consensus or push ahead anyway.

Your job isn’t to please the room. It’s to move it.

Hold the room.

You might need to build consensus, but it’s the movement you came for.

“This is a great idea!”
“This is a terrible idea.”

“We should go left.”
“We should go right.”

“I think we should stay the course.”
“I think we should pivot.”

Safe ideas create consensus. Innovative ideas create tension.

When the room splits, that’s the signal. A good sign that you’re onto something. Disagreement isn’t a threat. You, yourself, might be split. That’s OK. Keep going.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with safe and consensus. Tension can be counterproductive. Consensus might be required.

But make no mistake, if everyone agrees, it’s not going to create the change you seek.