After writing my last post on Seth's blog, I think it is very important for all of us to Think Big and to seek out, encourage, and adopt 'Big Thinking'.
What's the difference you might ask?
Thinking Big is thinking about how we can make a big impact. Many things are changing in the world and every day there are new tools we can apply to do more, make changes, and make things better. It's easy to look around and see big thinking in action:
Smart phones, internet, airplanes, automobiles. Thinking big is identifying trends and figuring out how they impact you and what to do with them. Hey there's a flying carpet and I want to get on that thing.
Big Thinking is understanding the interconnections between things and identifying relationships. In an ever-more inter-connected world, understanding connection can be the biggest of all big things. It is looking at what makes up the trend (or anything really) and seeing if there is a thread in there that you want to grab a hold of and see how it relates to other things. Hey there's a flying carpet. How did they make that thing? I'm interested in that.
Neither of these skills are easy to improve, but it can be done. Both have potential dead ends and frustrations, and you need to improve resiliency and openness to other ideas.
Both are important, but I think the Thinking Big is the more celebrated and that Big Thinking, which is usually quieter, is the one that most needs improving.
Being able to think curiously about common place things (chairs, concrete, people, etc) allows us to appreciate our lives - it also allows us to see the deep connections that can also lead to lasting value - both emotional and monetary.
This list is designed for a technology leader. I'm going to assume that the person who is looking at this is technical enough to know what a database is and roughly how the internet works, but will be less technical than other reading lists that are out there.
So, to begin, the first thing you need is a picture. Words are great and important and you can't understand distributed ledger or blockchain technology without words. But it is also important to have a picture in your mind, so you can refer to it later.
Here is the best picture I have found describing bitcoin specifically:
In discussing blockchain opportunities with clients who are curious about how it might serve them, I've realized a couple of things, I've realized a couple of things.
Not all problems have some type of blockchain answer. The question you should ask yourself is, "Does another type of data storage solve this problem equally well?" Or "Am I just doing this so I can say blockchain?"
You should also ask, "How am I going to generate new revenue or save costs?" Or "What business outcome am I after?"
If the answer to number 2 is "Reinventing My Industry", that will come with some friction.
In looking at this challenge, some of the problem comes from ourselves. We haven't seen enough, done enough, or tried enough things to always understand what it does or how it will change things.
I'm speaking for myself here. If the answers aren't in my head, it isn't the technology's fault, it just means that I don't quite see how to fit it in. Or it's possible that what it will do is so radical that it may require some (additional) visionary ideas to help light the way.
Visionaries, apply here.
So, blockchaininess is a term for an idea that matches what blockchain technology does best. So far these seem to share that they are broad and sweeping in their implications, if they're going to be successful. This doesn't mean it will always be that way, but it isn't an incremental technology, which is why it can be so hard to look at. It isn't like stuff you've done before.
It could also be a term for a way of thinking about problems that inherently sees problems that can be solved well by blockchain.
Some of this will take time. But don't wait. My recommendation is to do some reading and start thinking about it. Start trying things. It is a powerful tool - look no further than Bitcoin for evidence of that.
What it will do for us, in technology and beyond, is still something we can decide and influence.
At least one other person is using the term blockchaininess. There was one other but it appears to have been edited out of their twitter profile. I'll list them for completeness:
... wisdom is the knowledge of what we know and do not know.
-Plato
All things that we learn provide us with three things:
The knowledge we gain.
The actions and ideas that flow from that learning.
A redrawn border between what we do and don't know.
Each time we practice something we change the map in the same way: a skill improved is a skill added.
It is good to develop the ability to see this boundary for ourselves, so that we don't always need to have others point it out to us. This also takes practice.
I don't see this as either positive or negative. We know some things, others we don't. We can choose to use this awareness in whatever way we want: learn more, seek help from others who are knowledgeable, act on what we know, or ignore it.
It's up to us how to attack the challenge presented by the boundary of our ignorance. No judgement.
Does all this lead to wisdom? I leave this as an exercise for the reader.
Link to the translation of Plato where I found the quote. Translation by Benjamin Jowett.
People need to hear that they are doing well, and the recognition needs to be specific.
Probably the most important way to be mindful in your recognition is to start recognizing others - be present, pay attention, tell people when they are doing well.
If you don't provide feedback, the natural tendency of the mind is to assume the worst, see Negativity Bias.
How else can you be mindful?
Be specific. When you are specific you are engaged with that person and clearly present and speaking honestly about what you value in them.
Provide feedback quickly. Don't wait, do it in the present moment.
Recognition of small, but valuable contributions is important.
Consistent, frequent recognition is important - best to develop the habit of recognition.
Have a baseline of honest dialog with the person. If you have previously given them constructive criticism then the recognition will be more powerful and more easily accepted.
Recognize others to a broader audience - this may mean including YOUR superiors on the recognition email or it may mean sending a thank you note home so that a spouse or child could see it.
Number 5 is interesting and requires real ground work ahead of time. It doesn't always have to be criticism - it could be goal setting or something similar. You need an honest framework for conversations and something more than just 'you always do great at everything you do.' Sooner or later that is going to become hollow feedback.
Jonathan Fries on .