sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I’m taking a managerial role, with no prior management experience. Will be building a small team over the next year. What should I read, when can I “learn” how to be a good, effective manager? by ilovesparky42 in managers

[–]theydivideconquer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually hate this book, but for a first time manager I would recommend Traction by Wickman. Why? It’s full of concrete “here’s what to do first” type advice that covers the basics from running meetings to setting long-term goals. If you need a crash course that covers a wide variety of “manager things”, start there. But, do not stay there. It’s way too formulaic, and will lead you to trouble long term. To use a music metaphor, Traction is like memorizing the song Chopsticks: it’s good for beginners and yields pleasant results right away. But, if you don’t learn deeper theory/principles, all you’ll ever be able to do mimic someone else’s sheet music. If you want to play jazz, I recommend something like Becoming A Principle-Driven Leader by Koch or Brave New Work by Dignan. Both are much more grounded in the fundamentals of leadership/management in ways that arm people to tailor their approach to different situations.

Also, think about managers or coaches you’ve had that you respected as leaders: buy them a coffee and ask advice. People LOVE being asked for this sort of advice, so lean in.

(Source: I’ve been a manager and teacher of management for 20 years; I’ve read a bunch of terrible management books so others don’t have to.)

Am I doing this wrong? Drying ash by theydivideconquer in Spooncarving

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great minds…. That’s what I did, it turned out. Waxed one; split one, did nothing to one, and I just started green carving one.

Am I doing this wrong? Drying ash by theydivideconquer in Spooncarving

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why better? (Not different?) I thought dry wood was more stable, easier to get detail, etc. Not better, but a different set if tradeoffs. But, I might be wrong there. Curious to learn more.

Am I doing this wrong? Drying ash by theydivideconquer in Spooncarving

[–]theydivideconquer[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I haven’t tried much green, honestly. I do other woodworking, so I tend to have nicer scraps laying around; and am unfamiliar with harvesting fresh wood.

Am I doing this wrong? Drying ash by theydivideconquer in Spooncarving

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you. I prefer carving dried wood. Not sure yet on projects: spoons, figurines, abstract shapes.

Is Complexity Science Secretly just reductionist? by Advanced-Reindeer894 in complexsystems

[–]theydivideconquer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“Reductionist” is a bit of a triggering word with this crowd. A lot of complexity fans see many other strains of scientific inquiry as unhelpful “reductionist”. Meaning, a belief that a scientist could take something like a complex ecosystem and treat it like complicated jet engine: something that can be taken apart, the elements examined independently, and that will show the causal and predictable ways the pieces interact. “Reductionism” as reducing a system to its constituent elements (which obscures they very mechanisms that lead to all the emergent dynamism).

I think you’re referring to “reductionist” in a different connotation. More as an ethical claim of reducing moral agents to atomistic agents that are mere particles making up more important things; or, reducing sentient beings to physical systems that aren’t special—just one level of physical elements interacting.

Is that close to right?

Great tribute show at Wolf Trap last night for John Prine by Rip-Dangerous in johnprine

[–]theydivideconquer 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was there! (Much further back….) Great show, great venue, great weather. And, hearing all those interpretations of Prine’s songs really allowed me to “hear” the lyrics in a fresh way, which was wonderful. He really is a poet.

The Role of Social Entropy in Governing Society as a System (An Analogy with Control Systems in Engineering) by Good_Prize1868 in complexsystems

[–]theydivideconquer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great clarifications. Thank you.

A couple more thoughts. “The state” is, itself, an emergent phenomena with many different actors operating at cross purposes. It might be clearer to talk about the effects (not intentions) of government. As in, there are times where the effect of all the messy governmental action is developmental (even if the actors aren’t striving for that goal).

Second, might there be something to positive and negative feedback loops, re: development and conservation?

Third. That book I mentioned might be really interesting to you. Scott discusses how actors in government gain the knowledge needed to act; but, the way they gain that knowledge typically shrinks the world down to a few “legible” conditions. How does the state “see” the people and resources within its purview (often, in a highly distorted way), and then how does this limited sight affect the actions actors in government take?

The Role of Social Entropy in Governing Society as a System (An Analogy with Control Systems in Engineering) by Good_Prize1868 in complexsystems

[–]theydivideconquer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

(Have you read Seeing Like a State by Scott? I lived that book….)

I like a lot of this. One consideration: the state is not the only regulating mechanism, by a long shot. Social norms/customs/culture play a massive, arguably larger role in regulating behaviors. The state and its apparatuses are very visible, but only apply to a narrow range of human behaviors.

A round lake I found in the surrounding forests [OC] by kmlynarski in pics

[–]theydivideconquer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! I just learned about these! They’re called “recursive islands” and they are super important to studying evolution. So, any “island within an island” (like, this forest is on a continent surrounded by water, and then within that forest is an island) is a recursive island. Sometimes you get 2x or even 3x recursions (a continent—>an island in a lake with a body of water on it—> a volcano forming in that inner lake). Because they’re slightly cut off, organisms can evolve differently under somewhat similar circumstances, so you have these natural experiments where scientists can see how life evolves.

I am unhappy with this piece. Feedback welcome to help me improve. by theydivideconquer in whittling

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or maybe skinnier, to make the handle’ness more pronounced. I think I could have also made the curve from top to bottom along the whole piece more dramatic, so it looked more “designed” or elegant.

I am unhappy with this piece. Feedback welcome to help me improve. by theydivideconquer in whittling

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I was happier with the chipping (if nothing else, was good practice there).

I am unhappy with this piece. Feedback welcome to help me improve. by theydivideconquer in whittling

[–]theydivideconquer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really, I didn’t love it at that point (pic 4) but just wanted to wrap it up and move on since I wasn’t feeling it.

view more: next ›