ChangeThis: Issue 66
January 13, 2010
A new batch of ChangeThis manifestos has been published, including a new one from the site's creator, Seth Godin. So head on down to the ChangeThis Warehouse. You're going to love the you think.
Brainwashed: Seven Ways to Reinvent Yourself by Seth Godin
"Years ago, when you were about four years old, the system set out to persuade you of something that isn't true. Not just persuade, but drill, practice, reinforce, and yes, brainwash. The mission: to teach you that you're average. That compliant work is the best way to a reliable living. That creating average stuff for average people, again and again, is a safe and easy way to get what you want. Step out of line and the system would nudge (or push) you back to the center. Show signs of real creativity, originality or even genius, and well-meaning parents, teachers and authority figures would eagerly line up to get you back in line. Our culture needed compliant workers, people who would contribute without complaint, and we set out to create as many of them as we could. And so generations of students turned into generations of cogs, factory workers in search of a sinecure. We were brainwashed into fitting in, and then discovered that the economy wanted people who stood out instead. When exactly were we brainwashed into believing that the best way to earn a living is to have a job? I think each one of us needs to start with that."
Click here to visit the site. Click here to download the PDF.
Beyond Sink or Swim: The Case for Accelerating Leadership Transitions by Michael Watkins and Doug Soo Hoo
"Given the magnitude of the overall organizational impact, it is surprising how few companies invest in helping their precious leadership assets to succeed during transitions—the most critical junctures in their careers. A few companies (GE, for example) explicitly train their managers how to take charge. More common are "on-boarding" programs that introduce outside hires to the strategy, businesses, and culture of the company. While useful, such programs seldom provide systematic guidance on the process of managing a successful transition. And the vast majority of companies do not provide any support at all. Why do so many companies leave their people to sink or swim?"
Click here to visit the site. Click here to download the PDF.
The Creativist Manifesto: Consumer or Creativist?
by Olivia Sprinkel
"I believe that the most significant choice that we can make in today's society is to be a Consumer or to be a Creativist. [...] This default way of being is now so entrenched that 'consumer' is the default label for people. And in terms of public services, which are provided by the taxes that we pay, we are just service users—we consume services. So what's the alternative? To be a Creativist: To reclaim the right to our individual identities; To play an active role in shaping, in creating our lives from the inside out; To fulfill our need to create which is part of all of us."
Click here to visit the site. Click here to download the PDF.
The Wow Factor is You by Frances Cole Jones
"The 'Wow Factor' is you. The knowledge that you've done the research, considered the risks, paid attention to every detail. It's the calm that comes from no-regret living. The confidence that says, 'I have something to offer.' Unfortunately, however, we rarely access our Wow Factor. We talk ourselves out of contributing with the one of the 3 mantras of self-defeat: * 'I'm sure it's been done before.' * 'It's a great idea, but it's just not me.' * And, everyone's favorite, 'It'll never happen.' (There's a reason why you don't see these phrases on bumper stickers.)"
Click here to visit the site. Click here to download the PDF.
The Need to Remember Our Aging Veterans by Andrew Gabriel
"So many of our parents and grandparents have, and unfortunately some still do, sacrifice their innocence as human beings in struggles to defend our very morals and ideals. I believe that it is safe to say that most of us, at some point in our lives, have heard a tale of a soldier fighting for his or her life in a foreign country against an unfamiliar enemy. But the question is: How many of us have actually sat down and truly, completely listened to these soldiers and to their personal accounts?"
Click here to visit the site. Click here to download the PDF.