The Importance of Connection in the Absence of Contact
Although we may be currently dealing with shock, overwhelm, fear and uncertainty during this acute phase of the chaos, I am here to remind everyone of our need for human connection even if we aren’t able to do so in the same physical space.
Going digital is not about convenience in this case. It is in fact about maintaining connection with one another. This connection however, does not come as naturally over digital channels. The way you show up in a zoom call, or a Skype, or face time can very often be distracted and disconnected. Perhaps you are multitasking, playing with a pet or checking your other methods of communication while you are logged into a virtual meeting room.
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What Design Thinking and Performance Culture have in Common
Design Thinking is a human-centered approach to problem solving. It requires a rigorous practice of empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping and testing. Design Thinking is iterative. Meaning you can loop back to any of the points of this practice, at any time. In other words, Design Thinking is not designed to be predictive and linear.
In performance culture, when choreographing a new piece, a very similar process is adopted.
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The Nutcracker Syndrome
We’ve all felt it. That feeling of having to do repetitive tasks, over and over again, and the gradual loss of all motivation.
Professional ballet dancers all across America feel this every year by about the 10th Nutcracker performance, with around 30-40 more to go. For context, the Nutcracker is the ballet world’s bread and butter and a season unto itself. It happens every year, and most companies depend on it for their financial sustainability. Particularly in the corps de ballet, you end up doing the same role over, and over again.
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Always be Moving...Even in Work Clothes
Last month I wrote an article navigating the perils of professional attire. While I could discuss the intricacies of how to dress, or not dress, in the workplace for hours, there is one piece of universal advice that should apply whether you are wearing a suit, or not – and that is comfort.
Movability has, unfortunately not, been the primary focus of professional attire over the past century, if ever. For men and women alike, it’s always been about look and suitability over whether you are able to move freely and express expansively in a given outfit.
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A Moment of Gratitude
The growing success of CFB owes much to the incredible support I receive from the CFB community, from individuals who have stood in and helped me test out new programs and create new videos, to those who have made essential introductions and of course, to my avid readers.
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Suit or no suit?
Clothing has long been a way that we, as humans in society, express ourselves. Clothing can make us feel confident, attractive, strong; it can also make us feel awkward, uncomfortable and out of place.
Receiving advice on how to dress in the workplace can often come with conflicting messages: ‘Dress for the job you want, not the job you have’ or ‘Just be yourself!’. These contradictory statements are neither helpful, nor consistent.
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The Currency of In-Person Meetings Sky-Rockets as Deepfakes Take Hold
Artificial Intelligence has been rapidly increasing in sophistication. What seemed impossible a few years ago, is now filling our newsfeed and the easily distinguishable ‘robotic’ voices have stepped up with the advent of the ‘deepfake’ video phenom, first coined in 2017.
Deepfake, is a combination of ‘deep learning’ , a key part of the machine learning in AI and, well, ‘fake’. In other words, it is the ability to superimpose a few existing images and videos with a machine learning technique that essentially recreates fresh content as though the individuals in question were actually saying, or doing, those things.
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Applying Design Thinking Strategies to Increase Human Connection
As human beings, 100% of our experiences have a physical component. Watching TV has a physical component; walking into a building, entering a room, having a conversation (whether in-person or over the phone/via skype) all have important physical components.
If we are ignoring the physical in these seemingly, ‘non-physical’ experiences, how much are we leaving up to chance and engrained habit?
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What to Watch for in the Next Presidential Debates
Since televised presidential debates began in 1960 with the famous Nixon/Kennedy match, the role of nonverbal communication and presence have moved to the forefront of political leadership.
With statements and remarks flying this way and that, it can be a challenge to keep track of what each candidate answers to each question and rebuttal. However, we still come away from the event with a clearer idea of who we like, who we don’t like and…well, who left no impression on us at all.
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