In a book on the challenges of managing workplaces today, author Anna Maravelas talks about the rise of tension and stress in society. She lists a number of unrelated statistics that make it appear as if we’re mid-epidemic. From road rage to attacks on referees at sporting events to poorly mannered children - it’s a daunting compendium.
We don’t need to go to the movies to realise life has changed since Forrest Gump sat on a bench pondering the simplicities of life. Last month I read Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and then this past weekend watched a film called My Dog Skip. Both reflect back on a lost era when times were simpler and the biggest challenge was winning friends and surviving school.
I won’t deny life has gotten a lot harder and a lot more complex. I thought it might be the rise of email, mobile phones, Blackberries and other productivity-enhancers. But then again every era feels faster and more rushed than the simpler times that preceded it. Imagine the horror of life during World War One as mechanised warfare took a toll greater than any cavalry every could. Or the hubub of the Industrial Revolution compared to life on the farm. Or the demands my father faced in boom-time America after WWII. Every day is faster than the other - every modernisation sets us up to be more productive.
But I didn’t intend this to be a rant or cynical post. Let me move on…
What is refreshing about Maravelas’ work is her ability to take away the complexity and focus instead on the actions of the individual - herself included.
“In reality, most conflicts are the results of predictable errors made by very conscientious, well-intentioned people. Surprisingly, and somewhat annoyingly, I found the same patterns in my own behavior.”
Her central argument is that men and women are innately good and want to do good work. Politics, misunderstandings, pettiness and other human failings get in the way. She then outlines ways to overcome these difficulties in any work environment.
It’s starting off as a good read. The simpler the insights, the more profound the impact they have.
