Michele Gelfand is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park and the author of Rule Makers, Rule Breakers: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire the World. A conversation with her on edge.org that I came across last week kicks off like this:
Culture is a strange puzzle, omnipresent but invisible. We rarely recognize how powerful a force it is. It’s astonishing that we take for granted something that affects us so much. It’s kind of like the old story about two fish: Two fish are swimming along and another fish comes by and says, “Hey boys, how’s the water?” and they swim on. Then one of the fish says to the other, “What the hell is water?”
She mentions the Goldilocks Principle ("which just means that we need to have balance or moderation in the strength of norms") and the pursuit of this balance. So, how tight or loose are you? Are you a rule maker or a breaker?
According to Gelfand, how intensely you adhere to social norms has major implications for your life. Take her quiz to find out here.
Getting back to culture being invisible and omnipresent, we think about intelligence or emotional intelligence, but we rarely think about cultivating cultural intelligence. In this ever-increasing global world, we need to understand culture.
Gelfand's research caught my eye as she has been trying to elucidate not just how we understand other people who are different from us, but how we understand ourselves. If you're intrigued, listen to the conversation here.
As always, thank you for reading,
Jon
p.s.
Since last week's issue, my audio recap of Kolektif went live on Broom Wagon. And, in other news, another NAHBS happened and It officially 5 years since I last attended after a 5 streak of going each year.
John at The Radavist really came through with some outstanding coverage: Mega Galleries 1, 2 & 3 + even more coverage yet to come!
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Cycling
E53 - Rhys Niesen - Cross, JAM Fund, Racing & More | Out of Bounds Podcast
In episode #53 we talk to Rhys Niesen. Rhys is a cyclocross/mtb/road racer out of the Northampton area. We talk bikes (obviously), how she got into bike racing, moving to MA from Georgia, her artwork, and more.
Very cool to see Rhys featured here! I remember when her Rhys May Jewelry workshop was above Loose Nuts' workstands in Atlanta. Always nice to see people progressing & getting credit they deserve : )
Cyclocross racer BrittLee Bowman, 34, Was Stunned To Get A Cancer Diagnosis
BrittLee is someone I never knew personally but indirectly through the cycling world. A very inspirational story and I look forward to seeing her on a podium again soon!
Building Grit in Girls Through Mountain Biking
Experts say the sport encourages strength, confidence and a chance to splash in mud puddles.
Here in The Netherlands & nearby in Belgium this is nothing new but I'm stoked to see (mtb) racing for kids, and particularly for girls, taking off in the US!
Startups
10 YEARS OF CYCLING WITH A MESSAGE
Ten years ago Pelago started with a mission to uplift the general perception of cycling in the urban context. Read more about their journey here.
TwoTone is a tool to sonify your data
Haha! Wild! I came across this late last week & its pretty fun. Try it out ; )
Bikerumor announced they're producing a podcast
Already several episodes featuring surprising & entertaining interviews w/ the people behind the tech, bikes, components and brands you've seen on their site over the years.. and some you haven't!
Sales
19 Ways to Revitalize Your Employee Newsletter
Many of these would work for any newsletter. Most emails even.
Webinar: 'Financing your business in the Netherlands'
Laurens from asked me to mention this free webinar about 'Financing your business in the Netherlands' It will include tips and tricks on how to secure funding for your business in the Netherlands.
How to Make Sure Prospects Attend Your Sales Calls
The odds that your prospect will show up for your sales call aren’t arbitrary. In fact, the steps you take leading up to the call and the way you handle your advance preparations can have a huge impact on the likelihood that your call will happen as scheduled.
Radness
