Interviews are a crapshoot. The interviewers are chasing false proxies. Whatever signal they are chasing, and which ones they believe will lead to bad outcomes. The interviewee may be able to put on a performance for 60 minutes and blow everyone away, but maybe they are just good at giving a presentation of themselves and can’t do the actual job. Resumes in a stack of hundreds after a while can be benign. We have a difficult time being impressed by anything in this culture anymore. Interviewers can also believe too much in their judgment while bringing in their biases and prejudices. Interviewees are at the mercy of the interviewer’s mood (did they get enough sleep the night before?). Ultimately, the pick ends: Who will make me look good in front of my boss? So, you go in being yourself to interview because if you’re qualified, why make up another version? But rejection can turn into, “What’s wrong with me?” Interviews are one of the symbols of what is wrong with our culture today. What’s way more important than what is said is what is done. Could you show us your work? And if you don’t have a portfolio, that is a red flag.
We could map out our lives like The Rehearsal, making a decision tree and playing out scenarios (often, we live in this metaphysical space of what if). The thing is, we might get exactly what we want. And when we do, we leave no room for surprise. Sometimes, the thing you deserve isn’t the thing you think you deserve.
The bar to be impressed has never been higher. With quick access to your phone and everyone carrying a camera, everything can be captured. A cool skateboarding trick might get a wow but someone will be able to pull up something bigger. The same can be said about athletes in any major sport and the same can be said about being in a stack of job applications. Greatness isn’t hard to find anymore. Appreciating greatness is scarce.
Open ears and a closed mouth are an underrated quality for any student.
Too often, in our dialogue, we want to express our point of view quickly.
Understanding the kind of conversation we are having is essential.
One thing that is clear in negotiations is that we tend to overvalue what it is we have. At the same time, we fall in love with the mystery of the unknown. Market value is really what is what someone would pay for, not always what makes sense.
In the words of Peter Griffin, “A boat’s a boat, but a mystery box could be anything. It could even be a boat.”
School has taught us really well to stay hidden. We don’t raise our hands when asked a question when we know the answer. We don’t take on tougher assignments that might fail (even if we believe we can do them) because we don’t want to be fired.
What we are not good at is being seen.
If we worry what everyone is going to think about what we say, over time, you can become handcuff to give us your opinion. We can continuously operate with respect. That shouldn’t be in question. But if we fear our status in the community because speaking our mind can be canceled or shunned, we need to recalibrate the goal. Nothing gets better without having the courage first to speak up.
Only comes once we make the judgement call. The problem is when our compass of what is moral is off the rails. But it can get better. By three steps:
- Use agency to make a judgment call.
- Once we make the call, evaluate.
- Now with experience, make it better.
Too often, we get caught up in making the perfect call instead of making the best call we can make.
You have to start somewhere. Humans have problems with axioms because we can choose anything to fit the square. And if you can’t select anything, we want our choice to be perfect. In a world where everything g can be filtered or swiped, it is tempting to say wait for perfect. But if you keep waiting for perfection, you’ll be waiting a long time.
Automated Ball-Strike System will likely be implemented soon in baseball. They will add a challenge for the batter, pitcher, or catcher to use. And if you miss the call, you lose the challenge. It’s another element of strategy to help when egregious errors occur. What I find interesting is that the MLB will not eliminate umpires. Even though they could, they could get every call accurate. But getting every call accurate would be missing the point of baseball. Every umpire has a different interpretation of the strike zone. As a fan, it can be frustrating when the calls don’t go your way. The problem is when fans expect umpires to get every call right, and the option is available, too. Automation isn’t the answer for baseball. The goal is to be entertained. And humans add exciting, unpredictable elements that make the game beautiful. Something to think about as we continue to integrate AI more into our lives. Flaws are sometimes features.
Josh Allred's Blog 