Dec 25, 2019
Rahaf Harfoush is a Digital Anthropologist, Strategist, and
Best-Selling Author who focuses on the intersections between
emerging technology, innovation, and the impact they have on our
culture. She is also the Executive Director of Red Thread Institute
of Digital Culture, which teaches innovation and emerging business
models at Sciences Politique’s Master’s of Economics and Finance
program in Paris. Rahaf offers insight as to why the hustle culture
isn’t going away, the need for leaders to adapt to new learning
methodologies, and how we can be productive with less
time.
Key Takeaways
[3:00] What is a digital
anthropologist? Rahaf studies how emerging technologies influence
our culture.
[5:25] Leaders have the daunting
task of managing a wide variety of new information coming to them.
They are struggling to keep up and understand what’s relevant and
what’s not.
[7:45] We are taught to consume
information in a very linear fashion. You go to a class, you exit
that class, you do it enough times and you get a degree. The
information in this class is focused and specific. However, our
ecosystem is now infinite and we haven’t adapted our learning
styles to keep up with this.
[9:25] Leaders need to have a
bit of vulnerability in them to admit that they don’t know
everything. It’s difficult because they’re seen as the go-to person
for answers, but the rapid growth of our technology makes it
impossible for anyone to truly know everything. Leaders need to
freely admit that they don’t have the answers.
[14:25] Rahaf’s book,
Hustle & Float, came from the result of burnout. Rahaf
understood the importance of rest, so why wasn’t she doing
it?
[17:35] Your brain needs
unstructured time to be creative, but our work culture doesn’t
allow room for this.
[21:55] Leaders are overworking
themselves because they are suffering from ‘work devotion.’ We
sacrifice not seeing our families for our work because it showcases
to the world how much of a hardworking individual we
are.
[24:15] It’s the American Dream
dilemma: If you haven’t achieved your perceived level of success,
it must be because you’re not working hard enough.
[32:55] The answer to achieving
better productivity is to create systems that are custom-tailored
to the individual so that they have time to listen, reflect, and
innovate.
[39:30] What value does it have
to tell the other person that you’ve read a message or not? There
is so much added stress and pressure to respond ‘right
now.’
[46:10] Joe Biden has expressed
that if his staff miss out on important family events in favor of
doing work for him, it would disappoint him greatly. Sometimes you
need leaders to just spell it out as plainly and bluntly as that.
Be a supportive leader.
[49:45] How can you change the
company culture for the better? Start having uncomfortable
conversations with yourself about your own work identity, and then
carry this dialogue over to your team’s work identity.
Quotable Quotes
- “Technology is changing the way that we relate
to each other; the way we communicate and maintain
friendships.”
- “There’s an expectation of a leader to manage
everything and sort of know everything.”
- “Do I
have the courage to raise my hand and say, ‘We need to ask
questions’?”
- “We
have created this intensely complex relationship with work. We’ve
linked work with our identities and self-worth.”
- We
are asking people to tackle complex problems and yet we’re creating
work cultures that make it hard for people to accomplish
this.
- How to Thrive in a World Obsessed with
Work
Rahafharfoush.com
Hustle & Float: Reclaim Your Creativity and
Thrive in a World Obsessed with Work,
by
Rahaf Harfoush
Twitter: @rahafharfoush
Medium: @rahafharfoush
Redthreadinc.co
Tosdr.org
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