For my birthday last month, I got a great book by Gordon MacKenzie, called “Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace.” MacKenzie worked at Hallmark cards (when you care enough to send the very best) for thirty years, and his last title there was “Creative Paradox.” The book is ten years old, but it’s definitely worth a read. It’s quick and it covers a lot of interesting subjects, including creativity, innovation, organizational culture, and leadership, and a little bit of personal growth.

One of his basic points is that the center of an organization—where all the inertia of bureaucracy, policies, and processes protect the status quo—that is the hairball. His success was in staying in an orbit around the hairball as he worked in the organization. He couldn’t stray too far away and slip out of orbit (he needed the gravity of that hairball to actually have a job), but he never got too close.

Here are some quotes that caught my attention:

Page 130 (wondering why we are so often “artificial” with each other): “Well, our artificiality is caused, in part, by the many teachers and trainers who work so hard to instill a professionalism that prizes correctness over authenticity and originality.” Note that being “professional” and being “yourself” seem to be mutually exclusive. Or at least you tone down yourself around the edges to fit the correct persona for the office. How much are we giving up by doing that? How risky would it be to promote more authentic expression from your employees? Really, how risky would that be?

Here’s another one. Page 152 (responding to the challenge that he could only get away with his crazy work style at Hallmark): “If I had moved from Hallmark to another company, I would have altered my approach and style in keeping with the shift to a different medium. Why not think of any organization you’re a part of as a unique medium in which you have the opportunity to create?” Why not think of your employees the same way? Do they have to work together in the way that you have in your mind, or can you take this unique medium and just work with it?

I love a book that leaves me asking lots of questions. There’s more to talk about, but I’ll save it for another post.