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.