A Terrific Bad Mood Buster

Posted on May 1, 2012 by mattgorman

Closing off this first day of May, 2012, I am a bit grumpy following just “one of those days”.   Self doubt had momentarily captured me in its tight embrace.  We’ve all been there and this one is getting a bit too deep for comfort.
I think I found something that can actually help when these things overcome us. Jokes!  That’s right, I Googled jokes and within seconds I was reading some pretty funny stuff that help bring me in from the proverbial ledge.
Next time your feeling down and seeing joy in anything seems an impossibility, look up a few jokes and remember, all things are temporary – especially the setbacks.
Thanks for reading, Have a great day!
Matt G.

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Where do you see the world in five years?

Posted on April 9, 2012 by mattgorman

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” is a question that is often asked of  younger people earlier in their careers.  (It is sometimes asked of those later in their careers as well.)  I have never felt comfortable with this question, and yet I understand its intent.  It seeks to learn of the the vision or goal setting abilities of the individual – all good things.  My concern with this question is that by focusing on the individual’s goals and visions for their own future, it encourages a very self-centered view of the future.  When we focus only on our own goals and visions for sometime hence – without inclusion of our social environment and impact in our formulations – we perpetuate a social order rife with conflict.
Rather than contemplate the individualistic view of the self in the future, think about a future view in the broader context of the social organization – be it a company, organization, neighborhood, nation or the world – and what your role in arriving at the desired state could be that is both impactful to the larger community as well as fulfilling to you as the individual.  In everything I read, and have ever read, about that which distinguishes leaders whose legacy endures the test of time, this one single trait of placing the progress of humanity above the progress of themselves individually is unmistakably woven within their character.   Dare I go one step further to argue that a reversal of such priorities by anyone is, at some level, an abdication of responsibility in being a member of a community.
It is also important to distinguish that of which I am speaking and the act or showing of commitment by working long hours that routinely infringe upon our time with those most important in our lives.  When this happens, we might tell ourselves we are serving the greater good of an organization – and in a very limited number of occurrences, this might be true.  Much more often than not, such actions are serving our own needs more than those of the organization – be it in pursuit of recognition and extra compensation or more emotionally treacherous, a want for martyrdom as a management technique for our insecurities.
In closing, my thoughts about putting community above self is in no way meant to suggest that self-awareness is not important. On the contrary, it is probably the most important first step in best defining our roles in the creation of a social group’s future.
Feedback and comments are, as always, welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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Invention: The Mother of Necessity

Posted on February 29, 2012 by mattgorman

There is a well-known saying by the Greek philosopher Plato (427 BC – 347 BC) that tells us that Necessity is the Mother of Invention.  Plato, I assure you, never owned a Blackberry or an iPhone.  Today, technology is being advanced at a clip faster than our ability to comprehend it, much less optimize its use.  Consequently, the creator and created have been transposed.
Ever since human communication evolved to where some form of medium was necessary (i.e. not face to face), responses where generated and transmitted at some future time.  The time that elapsed permitted three very important things to occur. First, it allowed us to retrieve the message on our schedule, not the senders.  Second, it allowed us time to fully process the received message and to thoughtfully formulate a response that is clear and purposeful.  Taking time and care greatly reduces the likelihood our responses will be misunderstood.  Third, it allowed us to maintain integrity with everything else going on in our lives – especially at the moment the incoming message arrives.  When we drop what we are doing to respond to an “urgent” message, we are irrefutably saying that what we are doing at that moment is less important.  This becomes especially atrocious when what we are doing at that moment is engaging in face–to–face communication with another person.  In any and all cases we are implicitly trying to satiate our desire for instant gratification anyway we can.
Imposing upon ourselves a belief (and make no mistake, all such beliefs are always self imposed) that when someone communicates with us remotely and leaves a message, we must respond immediately – this includes all communication where the parties are not simultaneously engaged.  This is ludicrous.  One of the key elements of motivation and happiness is a sense of self-direction and autonomy.  We voluntary (nowadays maybe involuntary for some) have surrendered our right to these when we willingly allow our lives to be put at the whims of others and controlled by our communication devices.
It seems that we have permitted the ability to do something to morph into the need to do something. Invention has become the mother of necessity.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9g5mq–PN4?rel=0&w=425&h=239]

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Joy and Hunger

Posted on January 23, 2012 by mattgorman

Thank you to all who are following my stories about my trip to Rwanda in December.  In my December 13th post, I shared my sensations from witnessing enormous faith in the people who traveled great distances (mostly by foot) to Kibeho for the anniversary celebrations of the Marian Apparitions in the early 1980s.  Here, I want to tell a story of joy and hunger.  These two physiological domains are not only unrelated but we deem them unable to co-exist.  And yet, these two seemingly dichotomous human experiences are in fact what I witnessed.  In the next post on my trip to Rwanda, I will share what I learned about the Rwanda genocide 1994. I will cap off my blog series on my trip to Rwanda by talking about the future prospects for not only Rwanda, but also Africa as a whole.
At the conclusion of the celebrations for the anniversary of the Marian Apparitions, we remained in Kibeho for one more day.  In so doing, we had the amazing opportunity to interact with the pilgrims who also were staying there a little longer.  We were also now able to interact with the residents of Kibeho.   To say that Kibeho is among the poorest villages in one of the world’s poorest countries is not too far off the mark.  One might be inclined to think that violence and mayhem would be the norm in such a place.  What I witnessed was purely peace and order.  The title of this blog is Joy and Hunger.
On the notion of hunger, my preconceptions proved to be inadequate.  Not far from where we were lodging while in Kibeho, there was a bakery that made rolls and the wafers used as Eucharistic communion in Roman Catholic services.  Some among our traveling companions purchased a couple hundred rolls to feed to the few dozen young people who were just beyond the perimeter of the bakery property and watching us with great curiosity.  (We were charged about $20 USD for 250 rolls – about eight cents each.)   As we approached the group they gathered closely around us and once we began handing out the rolls it was like tossing a french fry on a beach with a heavy seagull population[i].  The people simply swarmed us.  It almost felt like we were being attacked but there was no hostility or violence.  They simply wanted a roll.  They would eventually stop waiting for us to hand them the rolls and instead they would just grab it since so many hands were in competition.  One roll dropped on the ground – in the mud – and two children both grabbed it, tearing in half and each one ate what they got from their small tug of war.  This was simply the authentic response to address a human need at the most fundamental levels – nourishment – something they too often lacked.
On the notion of joy, my preconceptions proved to be flat out wrong.  Since returning from my trip, my one sentence summation of the experience of interacting with the Rwandan people has been this. I have never seen a people who possess so little in material belongings all the while hold such a complete joy for life.
While I remain committed to never being pontifical in my blog hosts, I will use a biblical analogy that I feel well describes the resonance that befell me.  In the first book of the bible, we are told of the story of Adam and Eve and their exercising of free will in opting to indulge in the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge.  The story tells us that this indulgence was driven by man’s desire to become knowledgeable of the difference between good and evil.  Prior to this we were, if I may, blissfully ignorant to any such difference.   We were able, as many spiritual gurus guide us towards, to just ‘be’.
So, here we have a people who, save outside visitors like us, have no exposure to any degree of modernity.  They are without the capacity to recognize any difference between having and not having.  In my analogy, they have not taken a bite from the fruit of the tree of knowledge.  Is that bad or is that good?  In my view, an assessment here adds no value to the discussion.  My assertion is simply that this exists and may explain how ‘not having’ – including basic nourishment – can in fact exist with joy.  Simply put, the people of Rwanda  “get it” when it comes to being grateful for what they have.  This is something that those of us in the land of wealth used to get as well but we have completely lost it over the past 25 years as a sense of entitlement has taken over.  And this has pushed us into a divided nation where even our cultural identity is tearing.
It is in mass struggles and collective suffering that a people will band together and rise up.  But what happens when the people of a nation become tranquilized by the obviousness of their success? Our individual pursuits diverge and become fragmented.  We are no longer united.  We become divided and fall down.  Living in a land of opportunity is a tremendous gift.  Taking it for granted is both shameful and a usually a foreteller of ruin.
What I have shared here is my mental and emotional response to witnessing people living with an ongoing need for nourishment and yet are wholly bound together and truly grateful for their opportunity to experience the joy and grace of living the human experience in its purest form.
I welcome thoughts, comments and feedback.
Thank you for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

[i] The use of seagulls as an analogy is no way intended to dehumanize anyone with whom we interacted, but rather to convey an appreciation for being witness to human behavior under the influence of extreme hunger.
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At Least Acknowledge the Star to Which Your Wagon is Hitched… Otherwise Unhitch Your Wagon

Posted on December 17, 2011 by mattgorman

I am taking a break from blogging about my Rwanda experience to share something that is rather timely – while also giving me the chance to try my hand at satire.
At this very joyous time of year where celebrations and good cheer abound, we have concocted many ways to express our wishes for a pleasant holiday to one another.  The traditionalist will say Merry or Happy Christmas, while others will acknowledge Hanukkah.  And then we have those that are entrenched in the more secular forms of well-wishing with simply ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Seasons Greetings’.   (Based on my experience, this December secularity in mostly a U.S. centric thing.)  I imagine, church and state separation and/or exercising the right not to acknowledge the tenants of any religion are behind these intentions.  Let’s get on the same page about what we are talking about though.  Christmas is the recognition of the birth of a historical figure of some measurable significance and Hanukkah is the commemoration of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt.  Both are celebrated this time of year.  These are the reasons “the holidays” came into existence.  Let me be clear – I wholeheartedly support the right of all to believe in or not believe in whatever one wants.  I have no desire to convert anyone.
In both Christianity and Judaism, this time of year has very deep meaning.  For those not in these two camps and claim a breach of civil liberty and point to political correctness as a valid argument that the more secular “Happy Holidays” or “Seasons Greetings” are more appropriate, may I respectfully request that you cease and desist.  You are not only a party crasher, but also a rude one. You don’t even acknowledge the host, guest of honor, or party planner. You just show up and start drinking the egg-nog.
As an alternative, if you really want a festive gift-giving holiday, I have an idea – create your own somewhere else on the calendar, have it mean something, and give it a real name.  Let’s look look at some options:

  • January has New Year’s and is too close to Christmas
  • February has Valentine’s Day
  • March has St. Patrick’s Day
  • April looks available (save my birthday)
  • May has Memorial Day
  • June looks like an option
  • July has Independence day (again, this is a U.S. remedy)
  • August  is another possibility
  • September has Labor Day
  • October has Halloween
  • November has Thanksgiving

Find one that works well and have at it.  Feel free to use the gifts under tree idea or the eight candles (nine if you count the shamash) – they work well for us.  I know Hallmark and American Greetings would just love the new new market opportunity.  And retailers would have another day a few weeks prior to open their doors at midnight for the rash of bargain hunters.  That leads to expanded advertising – oh the possibilities go on and on.  Heck, you might even put the economy back on track.
My point is simply this, if you wish to get caught up in the joys of a festive time of year, please have the decency to recognize why this time of year exists and how it came to be. Say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah”. Otherwise your place is on the sidelines and when you wish to exchange pleasantries, simply say, “Hello” or “Have a nice day”.  If you wish me a “Happy Holiday”, I will ask you to clarify the Holiday to which you are referring.
Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thank you for reading.  Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Matt G.
AFTERWORD:
I am aware of Kwanzaa’s inception in 1966-1967.  This is an example of proactively establishing one’s own alternative – though this is honoring a culture and a heritage rather than a historical event.  December is getting a little crowded now, so others may refer to my list above of suggested available months.  And, my message is geared more to those who just jump on the holiday band wagon and deny the reason the band wagon was built.

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Clearly Full of Faith, The Likes of Which I Have Never Seen

Posted on December 13, 2011 by mattgorman

I now begin part two of my journey to Rwanda.  I have returned and this is the part of the trip where I share the amazing experience with you.  Along the way, I will try to be as “matter of fact” as possible. I will try to announce in advance all opinions and views.  In some cases, the awe I felt was so overwhelming, the lines sometimes blurred between the “what is” and my response to it and I might confuse the two.  I request your forgiveness in advance when this happens.
I have made every aim to be as short and concise as possible.  As I began to write, I realized that focusing too much on brevity would greatly devalue my present experience of sharing.  Also, there is a great deal of reference to Catholic services.  My intent is not to  promote a religion, but rather to convey the depth at which the people of Kibeho (and all pilgrims to Kibeho) feel about their faith and the way they celebrate it.  I previously conveyed that my sense of connectedness to the Roman Catholic church is not as strong as it was in my youth when I attended Catholic schools and regularly attended services.  And still, I was very moved by what I witnessed during our visit.  Regardless of where you are in your relationship with your faith or belief in a deity, there would be no denying the power that faith has on the pure joy in the hearts of the people of, and the pilgrims to, Kibeho.  For me the experience was simply magical. One final pre-note: the use of the word poverty herein will refer to material poverty.  In terms of the less tangibles, what I witnessed was anything but poverty.
As a reminder, my trip to Kibeho, Rwanda was for the purpose of assisting a friend of mine working with Immaculee Ilibagiza in the recording of a documentary of the events surrounding the 30th anniversary of the Marian Apparitions in Kibeho, and the celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Kibeho.
On November 28, 1981 the first of several Marian Apparitions occurred that would continue for the remainder of the decade.  Initially there were three visionaries and eventually others. However, not all have been officially approved by the Holy See.  It has only been ten years since the Vatican has recognized the apparitions of the first three visionaries.
After 27 hours of door to door travel we arrived in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda on Saturday evening (local time) November 26.  The following day we were at work.  On Sunday evening there was a vigil service where we got our first real chance to “take it all in”.  And there was much to take in!
When we first arrived on the grounds of The Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sunday evening, we began setting up our equipment and within less than a minute a few dozen people (mostly young and older children) gathered around us to watch what were we doing.   There were already thousands of people on the grounds who had been there for at least a few days and during the service, lightening began to appear with just a short sprinkle of rain (the service was held outdoors).  I became the town lightening rod holding a microphone extension rod high up the air. (See photo below – it extends to nearly ten feet.)
At the conclusion of the service there was a candle procession leading away from the outdoor stage that housed the alter towards the main church.  It was dark by now, and when I say dark, I mean dark.  There is absolutely no light pollution.  Several times the power went out (the grids are understandably less reliable then we might be accustomed to).  When this happened it was like you just closed your eyes.  You could see absolutely nothing in front of, or around you.  We are not accustomed to this, the people of Kibeho apparently are.  Here is why I say that.  I mentioned earlier that while we were setting up the equipment for the first time, we become quite the attraction for those around us.  Throughout the night we developed a small following of children that stuck close by us as we moved around.  A couple young boys offered to carry our equipment bags for us as we moved from place to place.  Once darkness fell upon us and the lights began to go out, our new recruits reached out their hands to grab ours so we would know they were still with us and would not lose us. (Remember, I said is was too dark to see your hand in front of your face.)  It is as if they were saying, “Don’t worry, I am still here, I won’t lose you.”  This is the first moment I realized there was something very special about the people of Kibeho.
As we made our way towards the main church we could see the thousands of people who had been there for days and had travelled as much as 100 miles on foot. Some walked 25 miles a day for four days to be part of this celebration.  If that does not demonstrate faith and devotion, I don’t know what does.   Inside the church another thousand or so were camped out.  These were the early arrivers. They had cover from the rain.  The others spent days outdoors with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  While it never fell much below 70 degrees fahrenheit, it rained a little bit just about every day. Their clothes got wet and then the dried – all while they were being worn.  Being this up close and personal to real material poverty has to be seen and felt to truly appreciated.
Once inside the church we continued to have momentary power outages and yet that did not stop those inside from singing their hymns from the top of the voices – and there was a remarkable sense of harmony among the many voices.  The vigil service had long ended and still their faith inspires them to keep singing.  Yes, it was loud and yes it was breathtaking to listen to.
The main service was on Monday. I am no expert on crowd size estimates and I will still confidently suggest that attendance was in the tens of thousands.  There were people as far as the eye could see.  Some have traveled from around the world. The service was about three and a half hours long.  I won’t get bogged down in the service itself, yet I am compelled to share one part of the service that was very reflective.  If you are familiar with Catholic services (perhaps in other denominations, this is ritualistic too) there is the presentation of the gifts which is the transition from the Liturgy of the Word to the Liturgy of the Eucharist.  For those not familiar, these are the main bifurcations that compose a Roman Catholic Mass.  During a typical service, these ‘gifts’ comprise two small cruets – one with water, the other other with wine, and also a crucible or ‘common cup’ with communion wafers.  However, the gifts presented at this service go far beyond those of a typical service.  Several dozen, if not several hundred people in the congregation brought donations from whatever meager belongings they had as gifts to the community.  Think about this. People who had precious little to sustain themselves still made a point of finding something to offer up to help those less fortunate then themselves! That epitomizes absolute selflessness in my opinion.  Contrast that with a society that is ever striving for riches and wealth seeks to harbor against the unfortunate who are often simply labeled as unwilling.
There is more to the story of our few days in Kibeho and I will continue in a post later this week.  With the Holiday Season upon us, we all have much to do and I appreciate that you took the time to read this.  Soon, I will continue sharing my experience of the people and culture of Rwanda and then share my visits to two Rwanda Genocide Museums.

In this photo I am geared up for the main service on Monday.  The work we did for the documentary was voluntary.  Air travel, lodging and most meals were covered.  The only “pay” I received was the opportunity to be a part of it all.  I was very well compensated!
This link is the first video output from the trip produced by Patrick Dolan of Plymouth Filmworks whom I continue to be grateful for inviting me to assist him.
I look forward to thoughts and comments.  Thanks for reading, Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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A week in Rwanda – Where do I begin?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by mattgorman

Thank you to everyone who has read my recent post about my trip to Rwanda.  Before leaving, I had promised updates about the experience as often as possible.  Well, it turned out that it was not all that possible given: a) very sporadic internet access and b) we were very busy and so much time and energy went it to simply taking it all in.  I did, however, keep notes from which I will draw as I share my experience with you.

Before I continue, I want to acknowledge that this topic will appear to be a thematic diversion from that which I typically write as I am often inspired by the desire to have an impact on the relationships in the workplace.  And, I know without a doubt that my experience in Rwanda is now forever a part of me and how I see the world going forward and how I show up in the world for others.  It will unavoidably and forever contribute to my thinking and processing when I return to sharing my thoughts on topics more connected to people’s relationships in the workplace.

Readers of my last post will recall that my primary purpose for going on this journey was to assist a friend of mine who is working with Immaculee Ilibagiza in creating a documentary.  The event for which we traveled was the 30th anniversary of the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho.

For me, two additional and equally powerful purposes emerged either while mentally preparing for the trip or very soon after arriving.  First is the enveloping of myself into the culture of a people whose experience of life is so different from that of us in the West that words are pushed to their limit in trying to be adequately descriptive. The second emerged purpose was to learn more about and ‘feel’ – to the greatest extent possible – the sorrows and suffering brought about by the 1994 genocide of Tutsis at the hands of the Hutus.  All of this while the UN and much of the world turned a blind eye, driven I suspect in large part by the economic insignificance of the region.  Moreover, it was dispiriting to learn that decisions by European governments decades earlier was highly provocative in the tensions that arose between the Hutus and Tutsis. In other words, those who were to a large part responsible for the social design walked away once “it hit the fan”.

It seems that that song is played over and over again in the world.  With the level of suffering –  on both sides – from the Rwandan genocide at the levels they were, we must turn inward to reflect upon what being responsible and accountable truly means.  I do believe that individuals are responsible for their actions and I am not shifting responsibility away from those whose hands actually committed these atrocities.  I do feel that as a collective society we all influencers and for that, we must accept responsibility for the impact we have on others. (Please see my post Be Aware of the Influence You Have posted May 19, 2011.)  I am not attempting to hold the leaders of Europe who left Rwanda in a state high tension responsible for killing the victims. I do, however, believe that it is irresponsible to create a system and then leave it in an unstable state and do absolutely nothing to intervene when such instability turns into mass killings of innocent people.

Five days have passed since I returned and I am still processing the entire experience. As promised, I will be sharing my experience. And, as mentioned above, my experiences were three-fold.  And, as I begin to compile my notes and try to tell a story, I might find it more reader-friendly to trifurcate into three individual blogs. We’ll see where the metaphorical pen leads the hand.

I will take care to craft my story as to share what I witnessed and how I emotionally reacted to it sans opinions.  I will try to share my personal views and editorial comments sparingly.  When I do wish to share my own views about what I witnessed, I will proceed with “In my opinion”, “In my view”,  “I believe” or something similar.

In closing, I do want to convey that while on the surface, this topic might seem to be a diversion from the usual topics of which I write, I firmly believe that sustainable leadership requires full awareness of both self and society.  The former is achieved through inward reflection and the latter though extensive views of the human condition.  The experience I hope to convey goes in both of these directions.

My plan is to have completed my journey of sharing within the next week or two.  I look forward to reading (and responding to) any comments you wish to share.

Thank you for reading, Have a Great Day!

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I am Thankful for a most improbable pilgrimage

Posted on November 22, 2011 by mattgorman

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine extended an opportunity to me to assist him with recording the documentary of a religious celebration in Rwanda. November 28, 2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of Marian apparitions in Kibeho in the early eighties. We will be accompanying Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1994 genocide, and author on books sharing her ordeal during the genocide as well as on the history of Our Lady of Kibeho.

If I found myself pondering for that which I might be especially thankful this Thanksgiving Holiday, I need ponder no more. I am so very thankful for this opportunity. More than just an opportunity to travel to, and experience a very remote part of the world; more than the opportunity to be working on the inside of something on a grand scale, I cherish most the opportunity for my own faith to re-emerge and possibly be fortified.

I was raised in a very Roman Catholic environment. I attended a Roman Catholic elementary school and secondary school. I was also an altar boy for a couple of years. And, while not immediately following secondary school, I did eventually attend a university (undergrad and grad) with its roots in the faith and heritage of St. Augustine. Suffice it to say I had no place to hide from Roman Catholic influences.

In the years that have ensued, the path traveled by my faith and religious inclinations has encountered many twists and turns, ups and downs. It has been over a quarter-century since anyone would rightly peg me as a devoutly practicing Catholic. Since my upbringing was so immersed in it, some parts of that faith will always be apart of me (the guilt component for one).

So, here I found myself handed an amazing opportunity to reconnect with a part of me that has been environmentally recessed. We leave the day after Thanksgiving and we are only in Rwanda for one week. I go with no expectations of becoming the lost sheep that returns to the herd, but rather with the anticipation of enjoying a life-altering experience; and in so doing, visiting a place inside me of which I have not been to in a very long time and. I am certain to come home a different person than when I left. If anyone ever has such an opportunity to make such an inward journey, I might recommend it.

I look forward to providing some updates through this blog throughout the duration of the trip (to the extent the internet connectivity permits).

For more about Ms. Ilibagiza’s amazing story, I invite you to watch this 6o Minutes episode. Her website is www.immaculee.com.

Finally, I thank Patrick Dolan of Plymouth Filmworks for including me in this amazing journey and pilgrimage.

Thank you for reading. Have a Great Day and a Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Knights (and efficiency) of the Round Table

Posted on November 14, 2011 by mattgorman

In the September 2011 issue of The Harvard Business Review, Charalambos Vlachoutsicous recounts a story in “How to Cultivate Engaged Employees” where a CEO for whom he consulted reported significant improvements in engagement and productivity by holding meetings at a round conference table.  We might have heard similar tales where round table settings dampened a hierarchical atmosphere putting people more at ease.  A rectangular table by contrast plays to hierarchy.
Interestingly, we can explore the sensibility of this further with geometrics.  The maximum volume achievable with a given surface area is a sphere.  For example, soup cans are cylindrical since you can’t stack spheres on a shelf without them rolling off.  A cylinder is as close as you can get to sphere allowing for a flat bottom. (Why other liquid containers might not be cylindrical I suspect has more to due with the strength properties of the packaging material vis-à-vis the product it is holding.)
Similar to the sphere, the greatest achievable surface area within a given constraint of a linear boundary (perimeter or circumference) is a circle.  And how might we best fit a circular table into a conference room? Well, if not a round room then a square one – just not rectangular.  A square is, as you might now guess, is the four-sided polygon shape that maximizes area for a given perimeter.
So it seems that King Arthur’s choice of table design not only supports an environment void of hierarchy – promoting collaboration , it is also quite efficient in design.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading and Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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Environmentally Charged "Paradigm Discrimination"

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mattgorman

Just about every element of the human response network is subject to the nature vs. nurture debate. And in almost all cases the answer is that a balance of the two is at play. Sometimes one is dominant and sometimes the other is.   As for prejudice and discrimination, I was convinced that it stands as an excellent example of a character trait in humans that is fully the result of nurture and has nothing to do with nature. Surely we are not wired at birth to discount other human beings based solely on attributes of themselves in which they have no choice (i.e. gender, race, skin color, etc).
I heard a story recently from a woman who once overheard a conversation between two young girls who are cousins.  The first, who I will call Jennifer, (names have been changed) was visiting Julie. Julie lived in a neighborhood that was, ethnically speaking, moderately diverse.  Jennifer on the other hand was born and still lives in a community that is not diverse by comparison.
One day while Jennifer was visiting her cousin Julie, a neighborhood friend of Julie’s (Susan) came over to ask Julie to play.  Susan is a foreigner and has physical attributes different from both Jennifer and Julie. Julie is amiable to the idea but Jennifer pulls her aside and asks her not play with Susan.
The woman sharing this story with me was nearby during this exchange between Julie and Jennifer. She inquired as to Jennifer’s reason for denying Susan the opportunity to join them. Her response was troubling. “Well, she does not look like us.” What makes this so troubling is that Jennifer’s upbringing has to this point been completely void of any exposure to discrimination of any kind.  So what would possibly provoke such a remark? If not nature (we are not born discriminatory) and not nurture (discrimination and prejudice was never demonstrated in the home) then what might have provoked such a remark.  I suggest the environment – apart from either nurture or nature – is at work here.  At some point in our lives, we seem to grow less fascinated with what’s new and begin to feel awkward around things that are different.  It is oft said that people resist change. Yet, as infants, we can’t get enough of it. We marvel at everything. What happens to alter this? When? How?
The way I visualize this is that what we know to be true is neatly packaged and contained in a circle (or sphere for the more 3-D minded).   This is our “paradigm environment”.  Very early in life that circle or sphere is very elastic and designed to stretch and grow. As we absorb the world around us, more is drawn into our circles and spheres and they become larger.  And, that which fills our circles and spheres enters rather unabated since the entire world is new. Possibilities really are endless.  As we age and influences from our very close environment (immediate family) and later a broader environment (school and friends) become more routine and predictable, something happens to our circles and spheres. They become a little more rigid and expansion requires more effort.  In my analogy, what exists inside our circles and spheres is what we have developed the capacity to accept as something known. That which lies outside our circles and spheres are things for which we haven’t the capacity to allow as something known. Our response is usually to dismiss it as incorrect, unusable and without value.
Now back to our story of Jennifer and Julie.  Jennifer, you recall, was not too terribly charmed by the notion of playing with Susan due to noticeable differences in appearance. Also, where Julie has known Susan for a few years, Jennifer has never had the opportunity to be exposed to too much diversity on a regular basis.  The absence of such an experience has indirectly influenced the shaping, and to a certain extent the solidifying of a portion of her sphere. (Jennifer has a sphere – she is very spatially astute.)
Now lets carry this line of thinking into our everyday lives and perhaps with focus on our relationships in the workplace.  As adults, we tend to dichotomize ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ for us in the world – what’s inside our sphere and what’s outside.  The difference being our sense of what is true and false.  The history of humanity is overflowing with moments when significant impasses become debilitating when we either experience or are told of things that squarely conflict with what is inside our spheres.  By this time, our spheres (the boundaries of our “paradigm environment”) are so rigidly formed, penetration of whole new ways of thinking becomes extremely difficult.
The very essence of collaboration, a topic in the workplace very near and dear to my heart, thrives on our ability and willingness to allow our spheres to be penetrable and have the plasticity to stretch and grow to make more room for what we might not accept as true today and will become what we will accept as true tomorrow.
In my example above, I used a story that is based in large part on experiences that did occur as told to me by a friend.  I found the story very inspiring and thought provoking. It is important for me to note that the both Julie and Jennifer and absolutely wonderful loving children, raised by wonderful loving parents.  When I heard this story, I was reminded of the entire notion of discrimination of not only people but also ideas and the perspectives of others.  I am convinced that when neither nature nor nurture adequately confronts drivers of what I will call “paradigm discrimination”, we learn that our environment – over which we exert some influence, can help us conquer this debilitating form of discrimination.  Knowing this and managing to it are powerful forces not only for effective collaboration but also for our own personal development.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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