Kevin Kelly in the Office

Selected advice from Kevin Kelly that applies to an office job. Ditch your company values, try and internalize a few of these.

Work and problem solving

  • (Work on) tasks that you never want to stop doing.

  • Make stuff that is good for people to have.

  • When you are stuck, explain your problem to others. Often simply laying out a problem will present a solution. Make explaining the problem” part of your (design) process.

  • Only apply to jobs you are unqualified for.

Communication and public speaking

  • It’s possible that a not-so smart person, who can communicate well, can do much better than a super smart person who can’t communicate well. That is good news because it is much easier to improve your communication skills than your intelligence.

  • It’s thrilling to be extremely polite to (people you don’t work directly with).

  • Your growth as a conscious being is measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have.

  • Speak confidently as if you are right, but listen carefully as if you are wrong.

  • When speaking to an audience it’s better to fix your gaze on a few people than to spray” your gaze across the room. Your eyes telegraph to others whether you really believe what you are saying.

  • When public speaking, pause frequently. Pause before you say something in a new way, pause after you have said something you believe is important, and pause as a relief to let listeners absorb details.


Date
April 30, 2022