SlyBrand

Oh, to be a Level 5 Leader.

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My wife and I adore “The Office.” Both the BBC and NBC versions. I have to tip my hat to creators Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and to the writers for producing such a consistently hilarious TV series.

Steve Carell’s character, Michael Scott, Regional Manager of Scranton, PA paper company Dunder Mifflin, is one of our favorites. All appearences communicate that this guy is a complete buffoon. A major recurring theme in the show are the idiosyncrasies that arise from this mundane, dead-end workplace run by this very insecure and erratic manager. I’m continually asking the employees of the office “why do you people stay around?” Please watch the show. I can’t do it justice here. But what I can say is that the writers continually catapult Michael Scott into extremely awkward inter-office situations and that, in my opinion, is a large part of what makes the show great. But there’s something deeper about him—something I have not been able to pin until just now: Michael Scott is a relational genious.

That brings me to the point. More often than not, in any lasting relationship there can be a “white elephant” in the room. That awkward issue, real or imagined, can hinder clear communication. Communication is a two-way street, and both lanes have to be open in relationships, working or other, in order to move in a postitive direction. And as uncomfortable and awkward as addressing the “white elephant,” can be, I think we can learn something valuable from diving head-long into the process.

In that regard, Michael Scott is my hero.

For a good laugh: Be sure to check out Ricky Gervais explaining some of the slang he uses on the show.

Oh yeah, happy birthday today to Harvey. Thanks for being a SlyBrand subscriber, fellow “The Office” watcher, and friend.

“I don’t care so much about relating with someone in his strength, but if I meet a down-and-out man, I hope he would soon call me ‘a friend.’” —Anonymous

There is a recurring theme that keeps coming up on my radar screen. It’s that cultural tendencey we have to forsake being considerate or thoughtful of others for the immediate fix available through any number of nuero-stimulating channels. Don’t let me confuse you, hopefully this will clarify.

I couldn’t resist busting out a “fiver” for this renaissance of a classic American icon. Thanks to Brand New for shedding light on the subject.

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Here’s the squid design workin’ it on the MUDA summer league jerseys. In action Thurdsay evening at Overton Park.

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More on mythology from Seth Godin.

“What we have today is a demythologized world … And, as a result, the students I meet are very much interested in mythology because myths bring them messages.”
—Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

If you haven’t seen the History Channel’s Star Wars: the Legacy Revealed I highly recommend it.

Here’s an encouraging read from Unclutterer on finding joy in divestment.

“I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people.” —Sir Isaac Newton

Here’s an article from Tait Subler in Minneapolis on the importance of imagination in marketing.