I wanted a visual that could express one of the idea of Sources of Insight. I think the Yin and Yang is a good model. According to Wikipedia, the Yin and Yang expresses how seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent.
I think this is true of work and life. I think this is also true of soft skills and hard skills.
One of the things I like to do is to inject more “life” into work. By that, I mean using work as self-expression. I also mean using work as an arena for personal growth. I also mean living your values at work. So rather than see work as a task you do, I see work as a way to grow your skills, challenge yourself to new levels, express your best, and contribute your unique value to the world.
I also like to inject more “work” into life. I learn a lot of skills that apply well beyond the workplace arena. We’ve learned a lot about business skills. Those same business skills can serve you in life. A sustainable business has a vision, mission, and values. It creates unique value. It plays to its strengths and limits it’s liabilities. It knows who it serves. It considers the economic realities and it’s contribution to the world. A successful business is adaptable, and it knows the market. All of these same skills apply to “life.”
I think we get better at life when we borrow skills from the world of business. For example, executive thinking skills can help us frame problems better, or make more effective decisions, or prioritize in a more deliberate way. Strategy skills can help us better differentiate and be our own best self, in a world of too many “Me-Too’s.” Project management skills can help us get things done in a more predictable way, and bring order to chaos. And basic business skills can help us fund our life styles so that we can take care of the basics as we find our way forward.
So I really do like the blend of work and life and the possibilities that creates. But that’s not all. I also chose the Yin and Yang because I’ve always been a fan of blending hard and soft skills. I think in this case, what this means for me is that to thrive in the world, we need hard and soft skills for work, as well as hard and soft skills for life. I plan to bring more hard skills to life, and more soft skills to work, and Sources of Insight is my arena for sharing what I learn.
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