#110 Disco lights
This summer, J went to a theatre camp, and on the final Friday, they performed a show they had crafted together. Their performance centered on the idea that even the smallest among us can make a significant impact. And indeed, they did just that. It's remarkable how a diverse group of young talents can accomplish so much in just a few hours when they're having fun.
My favorite part was when the actors spoke about the fears they once had, but had overcome or exchanged for new fears. In the dark, holding blue lights, theatrically, J spoke about how instead of being afraid, he now confronts the Gruffalo in his dreams and makes fun of him. I think it’s exceptionally brave, to stand in front of a crowd of strangers and talk about your fears.
J’s been on stage repeatedly this summer. At Buitenkunst, he performed a dreamy star dance about black holes. Also, at the week’s closing party, he jammed with the band for over an hour. He joined me at a campfire with his guitar — a first for both of us.
I’m at the point where I’m learning more from my kids than I can ever teach them. It came sooner than I expected. The main lesson is that when you do something, you do it outright. Kids (at least my kids) are not reserved when offered a genuine opportunity. They embrace it, with all its challenges. I also want to live that way.
Thus, this summer, I found myself suspended from a zipline in a treetop adventure park, with my son dancing ahead of me. As a family, on a cloudy day, we ventured into the ocean, surrounded by a breathtaking multitude of sardines, attempting to catch them with our bare hands. And for R's birthday, he orchestrated a disco party beneath the canopy of a 400-year-old oak tree, with R contributing his disco lights. (he always brings his disco lights).
The transition researchers at DRIFT in Rotterdam present transitions in an X-curve. Along the horizontal axis, one line gently swoops up. This is the new reality emerging throughout the transition. On the same axis, another line dives down. This, obviously, is the old reality. They cross in the middle, creating an X. (See the model here.)
The idea behind the X is that while we spent a lot of effort on experimentation and acceleration to create the new, we need to also work on destabilizing the old. For instance, the speed at which we're adopting EVs in the Netherlands means that soon there will be a lot of electric vehicles. However, at the same time, we need to get rid of cars with combustion engines, or we'll not complete the transition. One is an act of creation, the other of destruction. We need both.
Right in the middle of the X-curve is the point where creation and destruction meet. The point is labeled "chaos" by the researchers. This is the moment where an old system is almost undoubtedly on the way out, while the new system isn't fully formed yet. Historically, such moments are called The French Revolution, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the Civil Rights Movement. Recently, they tend to carry brand names: Kodak, Napster, Blockbuster.
The X-curve is a neat model and the above examples hint at an inevitability of transitions. Alas, the moment of chaos can also reverse the transition. Just remember Tiananmen Square, most of the Arab Spring, or the Dot-Com Bubble and Google Glass. (Do you remember Google Glass!)
Back at work, our sustainability efforts are moving along the X-curve valiantly. We are steadfastly progressing toward our ambitious goals, with a heightened sense of urgency, enthusiasm, and concerted efforts. Following a summer marked by unprecedented weather disruptions in many of our holidays, the perceived stakes are higher than ever.
The change in just one year is unmistakable. What was once a brief mention of sustainability in our quarterly introduction meetings for new colleagues has evolved into a spirited and comprehensive debate, which I had to curtail last week to accommodate other pressing matters. During a meeting with our design leads later that same day, I was met with well-informed inquiries about carbon emissions intricacies, as our team seeks ways to infuse their work with greater meaning. While last year, when we presented our sustainable machines to the general public in Rotterdam people were surprised, this year they expected it of a company our size and status.
All my career, I’ve worked on transitions, experimenting, accelerating good ideas. Now, in the middle of my career, I find myself in the middle of the sustainability transition in a company that’s in the thick of it. We’re at the point of chaos and we don’t want to turn back. It's a genuine opportunity, and I'm determined to tackle it with the same wholehearted enthusiasm I've learned from my children. It’s warranted. I may start bringing the disco lights to work.
Have a wonderful chaos,
— Jasper
