In the spirit of the holidays and (our core value of Reflection), we’re reviewing 12 of our top takeaways from topics we discussed at Redmond in 2024.
Think of it like the 12 Days of Christmas, but with lessons we learned this year!
So grab yourself a cozy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and settle in for this roundup of ideas that have changed the way we live and work as teams and individuals.
Our Top 12 Takeaways from 2024
Takeaway #1: We can find tremendous growth and meaning in the mundane, if we choose to.
“If…you are operating on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won’t consider possibilities that aren’t annoying and miserable. But if you really learn how to pay attention, then you will know there are other options.”
-David Foster-Wallace
In his 2005 commencement speech at Kenyon College, the late David Foster-Wallace proposed that, like fish in water, we often don’t even realize the value of noticing what’s all around us each day and choosing how we think about it.
We don’t always need earth-shaking, profound experiences to learn and grow. We can learn from the little things, but the lessons in the mundane are often the lessons we refuse to learn. But these tasks make up so much of life, and this is where a lot of the growth is.
Remember, how we choose to interpret and engage with everyday experiences can profoundly impact our well-being. But the choice is yours.
Read more about finding meaning in the mundane here!
Takeaway #2: We can’t see the future, but short AND long term preparation can help us meet opportunities (and challenges) with competence, insight, and strength.
"One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."
-Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger
Sully is a commercial airline pilot who performed an emergency water landing on the Hudson river after both aircraft engines were damaged when the plane struck a flock of geese. All 155 people on board were evacuated before the Airbus A320 sank
Our main takeaway from this story is that when it comes to opportunity (or emergencies), preparation is paramount. There’s no doubt that without Sully’s immense preparation, that situation likely would have gone very differently.
So what does that preparation look like for the rest of us?
It looks like pursuing your 3 Circles journey, nurturing your relationships, developing good habits, and trusting the process.
Read more about preparing for a future you can’t see here.
Takeaway #3: The key to moving through conflict in a way that builds the relationship is “compassionate curiosity” and asking better questions.
“If you want to have personal and professional success, you need to be willing to engage with conflict.”
-Kwame Christian
Conflict may not be fun or easy, but it’s a healthy and necessary part of life, business, and relationships.
In his TedX talk, Kwame Christian talks about tools and techniques to handle conflict in a productive way that actually strengthens the relationship.
At Redmond, we see conflict as a necessary part of elevating the human experience. We’re all about shifting paradigms, and one of these paradigms is our view of conflict. We don’t try to minimize conflict, but use it as a tool. Our goal isn’t to lower candor or courage, but to increase consideration as well. We want a lot of BOTH. This allows us to work with conflict instead of letting it impede our growth or strain relationships.
Read more about finding confidence in conflict here!
Takeaway #4: Limitations lead to creative problem solving, which leads to innovation.
“Ultimately, most of what we do takes place here, inside the box, with limited resources. Learning to be creative within the confines of our limitations is the best hope we have to transform ourselves, and collectively, to transform our world.”
-Phil Hansen
In his Ted Talk “Embrace the Shake,” Phil Hansen tells the story of how he developed a shake in his hands while he was in art school. As you can imagine, this made it hard to draw straight lines or work in his preferred style of pointillism.
As he says, it felt like “the destruction of my dream of becoming an artist.” That’s a big deal!
After being diagnosed with permanent nerve damage and completely leaving art for a while, Phil started experimenting with different materials and methods for making the type of art he loved, and it gave birth to a whole new way of creating for him.
Hansen transformed his shake into a source of unlimited creativity. This is a great example of viewing challenges and setbacks not as dead ends, but as stepping stones to greater achievements!
Learn more about embracing limitations here!
Takeaway #5: We can escape the “trap of knowledge” and tap into the advantages of the beginner mindset.
“Shift from place of knowing and work from a place of inquiry.”
- Liz Wiseman
In her Brigham Young University forum address, Liz Wiseman explains the advantages of not knowing everything, how that rookie headspace has been a boon in her career, and how beginner mindset can serve all of us and our organizations.
When you don’t have set-in-stone notes and knowledge, you’re forced to look at situations with fresh perspective. Sure, you’ll retain knowledge and approach those situations with more context, but don’t assume that you already have all the knowledge and tools you need.
Learn more about the power of NOT knowing here!
Takeaway #6: A tiny, seemingly insignificant action can have a massive impact.
In his talk, Andy Andrews tells the story of Norman Borlaug, who developed a strain of hardy, high-yield wheat that led to greater food production around the world. This development was calculated to have saved about 2 billion people from famine.
But, Andrews argues, was it really Borlaug who saved the 2 billion people, or is this the result of the Butterfly Effect?
This begs the question, how can we have a positive impact on the world?
Learn more about the butterfly effect here!
Takeaway #7: “We can’t connect the dots looking forward. We can only connect them looking backward.” -Steve Jobs
In his 2005 Stanford Commencement address, Steve Jobs tells three stories from his life about dropping out of college, getting fired from Apple, and his cancer diagnosis.
Those sound like three rough life experiences, and they were in their own ways, but they each led to so much growth, faith, curiosity, and clarity around what’s really important in life.
“Believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart.”
-Steve Jobs
You can’t see how the dots will connect going forward, but you can trust that they will connect.
Learn more about connecting the dots and dropping the “shoulds” here!
Takeaway #8: When we only have one story of a person or place, we make assumptions that probably aren’t true because we’re working with limited information. In other words, we stereotype.
In her Ted Talk “The Danger of a Single Story,” Chimamanda Adichie talks about times when a single story distorted her view of herself and others, and situations when others had a single story that distorted their view of HER.
A single story is when we have limited information about a person, place, event, etc. We only have one story that portrays that person as one thing, so we miss out on the full scope of who that person or place is, and what’s actually going on.
Learn more about the danger of a single story here!
Takeaway #9: While there are genetic components that contribute to depression and anxiety, these are often symptoms of unmet psychological needs, which are often as important to our wellbeing as physical needs.
In his Ted Talk, “This Could Be Why You’re Depressed or Anxious,” journalist Johann Hari challenges the common belief that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains, and explores factors that may have an even greater impact on our minds than we thought.
At Redmond, we know the potential of the workplace to create purpose and wellbeing. That’s why our mission is to elevate the human experience in body, heart, mind, and spirit.
Learn more about the causes and potential solutions of anxiety and depression here.
Takeaway #10: The people on your team make all the difference in your work experience and the results you’re able to achieve together.
In work situations, we all know that being a team player is important. But what makes someone a good team player? What makes someone a great team player?
In his Ted Talk entitled “The Ideal Team Player” (which shares a name with his book), Patrick Lencioni discusses the three traits that make someone an ideal team player, and how missing one of those traits can cause issues.
Learn more about the traits that make up the ideal team player here.
Takeaway #11: One of the best ways to connect and collaborate well with others is to make the effort to truly SEE them.
This year, a lot of us at Redmond read and loved How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks.
Brooks shared stories and practices for asking better questions, having deep conversations, and how to truly get to know someone without simply leaning on small talk.
At Redmond, we try to see others by spending time together, personality tests, by helping each other discover our strengths, seminars, our culture overall, trying to help people find the right roles. We love this book because it shows us what our core value Ubuntu can look like in day-to-day life, and how we can build stronger bonds as associates and friends.
Takeaway #12: Top-down leadership systems waste knowledge, talent, and brainpower. Everyone can lead out in their area of strength.
In his talk “Greatness,” retired US Navy captain David Marquet shares the unusual approach to leadership he adopted on the USS Santa Fe submarine.
Marquet was an effective leader because he learned how to help the people around him become effective leaders. This is what we call a “leaderful” organization.
Learn more about being a leaderful organization here!
Onward
2024 was an incredible year at Redmond, full of thought-provoking discussions, great work, company milestones, life-changing retreats, and deepening bonds.
We can’t wait for what 2025 will bring. Thanks for taking this journey with us!
