I enjoy the everyday ethnography segments. This, like the one on fire, caused me to look at things with different eyes. Brad, you are kind of like the Seinfeld or Rooney of ethnography; picking the most seemingly mundane topics, and casting them in a new, fresh light.

At work, I think we’re all so very task oriented that we don’t realize how many stories of experience our colleagues have (even about work) and how seldom we draw those stories out. What if, in addition to corporate “coffee talks” or “town halls” there were “fireside chats”? I wonder an employee would choose if you asked him/her–who would you want to sit down with and hear the stories of their work and career and what it has taught them about life? I know that when I was a young person in the advertising business, I would have wanted to hear from the older creative directors about their early days in the business and how our agency got started. I think people have those stories, other want to hear those stories, but do we make time for them to be shared and told? Could we? What would it do for corporate culture? I’ll bet a lot!!

Beyond that, it makes me realize how important it is to take the time to be mesmerized! Right now, there is a robin sitting on a nest in the wisteria above my pottery studio. She is the daily fascination of my life!!

I think, Fire is a sign for change which compels organizations, individual and countries for action to meet deadlines, decisions or revolution.

Cheers

I was a little worried when I opened it that I was going to see your house burn down or something. Glad it was what it is: a great thought provoker. Thanks for sending it along.

As for fire: I have fire-like fascination with how so many people in the corporate world run around with their “hair on fire” and expect everyone else to put it out. Don’t they know how satisfying it is for us to just watch? Maybe if they knew more about their customer they could prevent forehead fires.