Reads: Amazon, Creativity & More
[A wrap up of some of the interesting reads from across the Web.]
Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace - The New York Times
It's certainly not the first time Amazon's gruelling work practices have come under spotlight, but New York Times's extensive report, based on testimonies of more than 100 current and former employees, makes for a disturbing read (made my last whole weekend queasy!), if the seamy allegations are really true. From employees crying at their desks, to them pushing to their limits in the name of productivity, and to sending negative feedback about colleagues, the expose paints a less than rosy picture of the fast-growing company, which recently surpassed Walmart to become the biggest retailer. An employee was even sent on a foreign trip barely a day after suffering a miscarriage. Look, I work in the tech industry myself, with my own daily work hours consistently demanding and at the same time quite challenging, but this is sick! In a rare communication, CEO Jeff Bezos said "The article doesn't describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day. But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR." Also read the rebuttal piece from Nick Ciubotariu here.
Tinder and the Dawn of the "Dating Apocalypse" - Vanity Fair
Social dating is now-a-days the means to finding yourself a partner, irrespective of sexual orientation, and that means you can find the person you're looking for just by installing apps like Tinder, Grindr etc. and endlessly swiping through photos, assessing them solely on the basis of their looks. I get it, it can be addictive and it's super convenient too - you have a steady, unlimited stream of potential (sex) partners right on your phone, but can these casual relationships, built on mutual physical or sexual attraction, become more intimate and meaningful, or are they just one night stands?
To Be More Creative, Cheer Up - Nautilus
Creativity, the backbone of original thought, is something you're either born with or not. But is it a genetic trait that can be later modified, or is it a skill that can be beefed up like a weak muscle? Absolutely, says Mark Runco, a cognitive psychologist who studies creativity at the University of Georgia, Athens. "Everybody has creative potential, and most of us have quite a bit of room for growth," he says. That doesn’t mean anybody can be Picasso or Einstein, but it does mean we can all learn to be more creative." So what do you do? Be open-minded, be ready to disagree, and adopt divergent thinking as the means to structuring your thoughts to yield that Eureka! moment. An excellent article, one I found immensely enjoyable reading.
Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace - The New York Times
It's certainly not the first time Amazon's gruelling work practices have come under spotlight, but New York Times's extensive report, based on testimonies of more than 100 current and former employees, makes for a disturbing read (made my last whole weekend queasy!), if the seamy allegations are really true. From employees crying at their desks, to them pushing to their limits in the name of productivity, and to sending negative feedback about colleagues, the expose paints a less than rosy picture of the fast-growing company, which recently surpassed Walmart to become the biggest retailer. An employee was even sent on a foreign trip barely a day after suffering a miscarriage. Look, I work in the tech industry myself, with my own daily work hours consistently demanding and at the same time quite challenging, but this is sick! In a rare communication, CEO Jeff Bezos said "The article doesn't describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day. But if you know of any stories like those reported, I want you to escalate to HR." Also read the rebuttal piece from Nick Ciubotariu here.
Tinder and the Dawn of the "Dating Apocalypse" - Vanity Fair
Social dating is now-a-days the means to finding yourself a partner, irrespective of sexual orientation, and that means you can find the person you're looking for just by installing apps like Tinder, Grindr etc. and endlessly swiping through photos, assessing them solely on the basis of their looks. I get it, it can be addictive and it's super convenient too - you have a steady, unlimited stream of potential (sex) partners right on your phone, but can these casual relationships, built on mutual physical or sexual attraction, become more intimate and meaningful, or are they just one night stands?
To Be More Creative, Cheer Up - Nautilus
Creativity, the backbone of original thought, is something you're either born with or not. But is it a genetic trait that can be later modified, or is it a skill that can be beefed up like a weak muscle? Absolutely, says Mark Runco, a cognitive psychologist who studies creativity at the University of Georgia, Athens. "Everybody has creative potential, and most of us have quite a bit of room for growth," he says. That doesn’t mean anybody can be Picasso or Einstein, but it does mean we can all learn to be more creative." So what do you do? Be open-minded, be ready to disagree, and adopt divergent thinking as the means to structuring your thoughts to yield that Eureka! moment. An excellent article, one I found immensely enjoyable reading.
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