We have returned with another mid-newsletter
Issue #177: Letters to the Editor are not as urgent as thoughts.
By Harris Sockel
HR expert at Medium, Jessica Zwaan published a story that made me rethink how I work this summer. It is titled “What Tech Hasn't Learned from Hollywood” and the thesis does the following: the best teams operate like film crews. They come together for a short time to do specific work and then disband.
"Hollywood does not marry teams." Zwaan writes. "They have beautiful and intense project-based work." No one is monogamous (when I work) no one is.
In tech and almost every industry, work operates differently. Teams last for years and are often relevant. Inertia determines much of what we do. We build cozy, long-term relationships, but sometimes they are unproductive, sometimes they are unproductive.
To address this issue, Medium initially experimented with Holacracy. The Greek word holon means “whole” and (unlike democracy or dictatorship) “Holacracy” consists of autonomous units that operate independently and collaborate with each other.
It is a lowercase freewheeling organizational structure reminiscent of Hollywood. When Medium tried it, there was no durable hierarchy or pyramid-shaped organizational chart. People gathered to do specific work. Teams formed and dissolved like clouds. It was a bit strange (there were no bosses! Or titles!). We discarded it because it was chaotic, but the ideals and principles stuck. They were so influential that they were quoted in O'Reilly's book on building great teams.
1. Individuals can always create change.
2. Authority is not distributed evenly or permanently.
3. Ownership is responsibility, not control.
4. Good decision-making means coordination, not consensus.
I think these are good principles for working with people anywhere. And I love this quote . In our reflection on why we tried Holacracy, it says: “Classic organizational charts are often linear and inflexible. In reality, people have the talent to perform multiple roles in a company.”
I wonder: have you ever been part of a team where you felt unstoppable? A team that came together for a moment to do good work? What did it feel like, what motivated you, and what did you create?
One more thing to talk about: during editing
Brand designer and David Langton professor published a “Letter to the Editor” about Milton Glaser's legendary IANNY logo in last year's New Yorker. He was surprised at how detailed the magazine's editing was. Here is Langton's original letter with the first editing round of the New Yorker.
The New Yorker's second round went much further (some edits in this edit!). Langton reminds us that even a short letter to the editor can remind us.
Your daily dose of practical wisdom
"It may not be as urgent as you think." is something you should whisper to yourself at least once a day.
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Scott Lamb & Carly Rose Gillis edited and produced this.
Questions, feedback, or story suggestions? Email: tips@medium.com
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