Nobody Told You There Was a Competition | Human Work
At least in the Hunger Games, the tributes knew the rules.
— Lens Two —
Systems We Inherited
Most of us learned to work inside structures we never chose. These pieces examine the outdated models, unspoken rules, and inherited assumptions that still shape how organizations operate — and what it looks like to redesign them with everyone in mind.
Outdated structures · Unlearning · Inclusive redesign
March 2026
Meritocracy: The Opportunity We Think We Share
Over the years, I have participated in countless promotional discussions. Most began the same way: thoughtful leaders gathered around a table, committed to making fair decisions. Performance histories were reviewed, achievements discussed, and potential debated with genuine seriousness. No one entered those conversations intending unfairness.
They Don't Want Everything Handed to Them. They Just Refused to Be Handed a Bad Deal.
There is a familiar narrative repeated in leadership meetings, performance reviews, and offhand conversations in break rooms across industries.
We Built Workplaces for Control. People Now Want Meaning.
Not long ago, one of my children asked me a question that stayed with me far longer than they likely intended: "Why do adults work so much if they don't seem happy doing it?"