I’m interested in how people get things done. How things are made–a piece of artistic work, a product, a service, an outcome.
This interest probably comes from always looking for different ways to do something, even after I've done it and thought it was working well. I guess you could call it a tendency toward constant iteration or a side effect of a busy mind.
I like to be out of my head and in someone else's. Seeing things from other people’s perspective and how they see the world is fun and surprising, a good sense-check on my own world view.
Getting to see how others make their mark is a rush, and watching actions click together to create something that can be shared and appreciated by others is so cool to me. I mean, breaking down how stuff gets done is a marvel!
Let’s take a beat to think about how things are constantly getting done all around us, at every kind of pace and scale. Sometimes in a reasonably neat and linear way, but more often (from my experience) in a messy, chaotic, zigzag way. What keeps it all going is momentum: the act of keeping on when things feel uncertain and figuring it out as you go.
I once had a boss whom I admired for their decision-making velocity. They would have an idea, decide how to do it, and move to the first step of doing, pronto. The idea, once started, would inform the next bit of the process, and it would unfurl and refine from there. Each step informed the next.
This person is very successful in business, and beyond being generous and savvy, I attribute their success to a keen sense of when to act. They understood that things don’t happen without some trial and error, and that good outcomes often stem from a bit of friction that pushes you to find a new way through.
For those who like movies, there’s a book by screenwriter William Goldman called Adventures in the Screen Trade. In it is a piece of advice I’ve found helpful: “No one knows anything.” I find this very freeing. To me, it means outcomes aren’t preordained; they come from trying things out and seeing what works. Your own insights and initiative guide the process, and the best prompts are your own.
That said, sometimes you need a hand wrangling the output from prompts, or help modelling scenarios and structuring the steps in between, so everything feels manageable and aligned with where you want things to go. Operations support can help with that. It’s about scaffolding ideas and decision-making with practical steps to move forward, especially when you’re in new territory or venturing beyond the familiar.
–Cath
