Global Visions

There’s this poem I keep coming back to lately. I ran across it one day in a book and
have found the words pretty hard to forget. It goes something like this:

 Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

What an incredible piece of poetry, right? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and I have to say, Frost hit the nail on the head when it comes to this feeling. I’ve found that especially since graduating high school, I’ve made more of these fork-in-the-road decisions than I can remember. In fact, purely in terms of my own decision making, these past three years have been the most transformative of my life. The ten before that were even more so, but that was not of my own doing. We all have the power to choose which path to take, and though the road less travelled is a difficult journey at times, ultimately it is rewarding - indeed, when looked at with the right mindset, the journey itself can be the biggest reward. However, as the wistful voice of Frost might indicate, the one downside to this notion is that every journey comes to an end.

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Something that’s been on my mind recently is the over-saturation of unnecessary professionalism in the workplace. I realize this may seem like a shocking statement, but allow me to expound upon this notion.

It seems like the two should go together hand-in-hand, right? Business and professionalism have always been linked, and rightly so. Every person deserves respect within the corporate world, regardless of rank or pay. However, there comes a point when professionalism becomes the redundant, and I believe this has the potential to hurt any organization. In this context, what is “professionalism”? I define it as, in short, business formalities. Dress code, syntactical guidelines for corporate email, and any number of human resources mandated policies are all included under this umbrella. This argument comes into play in regards particularly to communication. Want an example of how vague and indifferent communication can actually hurt business? Look no further than the infamous catchphrase of the faceless corporate behemoth, “Please advise”. From my experience in the business world, I’ve seen that the usage of this phrase is a pretty standard phenomenon. However, not only is it grammatically incorrect (‘advise’ is a transitive verb that requires an object), but it comes off as demanding, pretentious, and needlessly vague. Inexplicably, it’s become a staple of corporate emails and inter-office communication. 

This is but one example of a corporate universe that is quickly losing its identity. Instead of encouraging individuality, businesses prefer to squelch it with inane guidelines, perhaps in hopes of being “kosher” and fitting in with every other 9 to 5 employer out there. Unfortunately, this does more harm than good. As I’ve seen firsthand, it is the rare business that can scale without losing its unique culture (one notable exception is Google). I look around the current business landscape and see rolling hills of cube farms that serve their utmost master; the ever-venerable employee handbook. There is hope for the future though, and times are changing. The recent startup boom in the technology sector has spawned a rash of companies that are eager to promote their passions through their businesses, remaining unencumbered by unnecessary formality. Want a great example? Check out the blog of 37signals founders Jason Fried and David Hansson. These guys know what it means to do business their way, while still remaining a powerful force in the industry.

The corporate landscape is changing, but that doesn’t mean change will happen overnight. It truly makes me sad when I see companies that are successful, but have no real culture. So many founders create inspiring ideological foundations for their companies, only to have them negated by the gradual invasion of what I like to call “prim and proper syndrome”. Overtly formal and indifferent communication will only lead to the breeding of workers who will carry these same habits over into their personal lives outside of work - and what an awful thing that would be! At the end of the day, I believe that the facts are as follows. Faceless formality is not necessary. Respect is. I think it’s time more companies embrace this philosophy, in hopes of bringing eclecticism back to the workplace.

The business world is full of “professionals” who wear the uniform and try to seem perfect. In truth, they just come off as stiff and boring. No one can relate to people like that.

Don’t be afraid to show your flaws. Imperfections are real and people respond to real. It’s why we like real flowers that wilt, not perfect plastic ones that never change. Don’t worry about how you’re supposed to sound and how you’re supposed to act. Show the world what you’re really like, warts and all.

There’s a beauty to imperfection. This is the essence of the Japanese principle wabi-sabi. Wabi-sabi values character and uniqueness over a shiny facade. It teaches that cracks and scratches in things should be embraced. It’s also about simplicity. You strip things down and then use what you have. Author Leonard Koren gives this advice: pare down to the essence, but don’t remove the poetry. Keep things clean and unencumbered but don’t sterilize.

It’s a beautiful way to put it: Leave the poetry in what you make. When something becomes too polished, it loses its soul. It seems robotic. So talk like you really talk. Reveal things that others are unwilling to discuss. Be upfront about your shortcomings. Show the latest version of what you’re working on, even if you’re not done yet. It’s okay if it’s not perfect. You might not seem as professional, but you will seem a lot more genuine.

- Jason Fried, “Rework”