Learning from others

Whilst compiling my column for the ISTC newsletter this month (I offer a round up of the ‘best’ blog posts from the past month, hugely subjective I know) I was worried I’d skewed the resulting list of blog posts somewhat.

You see the team I’m part of are about to embark on a couple of brainstorming workshops to try and better improve the quality of our work and, lo and behold, it seems that there have been a few blog posts last month that feature, or discuss, how to be better, how to improve quality.

I scanned back through my Instapaper account (an excellent bookmarking/article reading facility) but it was true, it seemed that other people were thinking similar things at a similar time.

Coincidence? Perhaps, but this kind of thing seems to happen too often to be just that. I wonder if there is some sort of cycle involved here, and that the people who share their ideas on blogs are falling into a similar pattern.

Or perhaps that pattern already existed but it’s only becoming evident now as more and more people discuss and share ideas online?

Regardless, that sharing of ideas is hugely beneficial and reminds me that I really should do more of that here. Whilst no two situations, companies, or teams are the same, there is always a common level of information and experience from which we can all learn.

Whether it’s back to basics reminders, or more in-depth analysis of a specific issue, being able to tap into the collective mind of so many talented, intelligent and helpful people is something that is worth remembering.

We are all awesome.

Comments

  1. Craig,

    Yes, except Instapaper doesn’t email you the results, instead you can read it on the web, or (offline) via their iPhone app (one of the main reasons I use it).

  2. I’m a big fan of Instapaper (a recent convert). Great app.

    I also see patterns, but perhaps it’s because you are alert to Topic X to begin with. That is why you suddenly see it everywhere. If you were keen on Topic Y, you wouldn’t see all the Topic X references.

    Still, it is slightly uncanny how you do run into others musing over the same issues at the same time that you are struggling with those issues.

Comments are closed.