“What matters is the process of getting [results]: the development and application of methods, the training of minds, the creation of people who know how to think about hard problems. If you hand that process to a machine, you haven't accelerated science. You've removed the only part of it that anyone actually needed.” — Minas Karamanis

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Hello Reader,

This week I’ve been thinking about what it means to work.

Here are three things on that theme to help you turn overthinking into forward thinking:

1. ​Jobs are a phase that work is going through by author and strategist Rishad Tobaccowala
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2. ​The machines are fine. I'm worried about us. Reflections on AI, grunt work and the parts that are irreplaceable. By researcher Minas Karamanis
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3. ​Seeing our work as craft — more from my ongoing exploration

This week’s underthinking link is a daily Wikitrivia game where you put events in their proper place on the timeline. Thinking score on this one is pretty high, as it requires a bit of reasoning and history knowlege. But it's also low stakes and interesting. I give this one 7/10.

I only made it to Bronze today, can you do better?

Extra Thoughts…

My work is changing, too. The more I let go of traditional ways of working, the more I find reward in unconventional projects, thorny challenges and differently-minded people.

I especially welcome the opportunity to work with new people, especially shorter-term, for one-off sessions, or anything with a decision or deadline. Reply here with whatever is on your mind and I'll offer some free spot-coaching over email. That’ll move whatever it is forward the next little bit. No need to take it further, unless it makes sense to!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with some parting prompts:

• What are your thoughts on your work?
• Or work in general?
• And what do you wish were different?

Keep up the good work,
Kim

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Turn overthinking into expert thinking

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This past year my work has been mostly longer-term projects with delayed or indirect payoff. Like the two books I'm working on: Lens Not Label and Uncontained. If you want to keep tabs on those and receive weekly tips on how to work with neurodivergent people more effectively, I've just launched another newsletter over at lensnotlabel.com​

Out this November, Lens Not Label is a conversational guide for managers, leaders and coaches who want to overcome their discomfort when working with neurodivergent people — without labels, jargon, or clunky models.

​Pre-order now to ensure it's in your hot hands this autumn.

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Hi! I'm Kim and there’s nothing that breaks my heart more than seeing a really smart, caring person overthink themselves to inaction. And I should know. I’ve spent nearly five decades overthinking absolutely everything. Here's how I made sense of it all.

If you want to think differently about your work, we should talk​