Thinking Faster

Some great writing being produced over at Thinking Faster, a couple of tasters:

Teamwork Barriers

I’m concerned that we’re becoming even more productive individually and less and less productive in teams.  One reason is the computing power we have at our fingertips.  Most of us can create a financial plan, develop the powerpoint presentation and write up a proposal without speaking to anyone else or leaving our desks.  With access to the internet, you too can be an instant expert on almost any subject without speaking to anyone in your company.

The unreasonable man

For all the processes, software applications, communication devices and modern office tools we’ve got, what does it actually take to move an idea forward?  Is productivity driven by improved processes and methodologies, or are many decisions driven by a true believer who is willing to push any button to get what he wants?

I was thinking about this “nature vs nurture” type of question after reading a blog post of Shaw’s quote on progress. 

“A reasonable man adapts himself to his environment.  An unreasonable man persists in attempting to adapt his environment to suit himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”