Sometimes the only way to do things is to ignore the odds.  The statistics.

We hear things like:

“Unemployment is on the rise again with ____ people out of work.  Most businesses fail.  What your chances are that you’ll have cancer just because a family member does.  That you have a higher chance of being divorced if you grew up in a divorced family.  How your two times likely to be overweight or obese if you have an obese family member and…”

I have to be honest with you, I would rather not know.

To me a lot of times it’s a “self fulfilling prophecy” – where we act out what we’re told, just because someone told us.

But do we really need to know this?  Would it happen to us if no one told us what the odds were?

As I told my girlfriend, even if I had some life changing illness and the doctor says, “You have ___ to live.”  I don’t want to know.  Don’t tell me and I won’t act it out.  Tell me and… I’m a lot more likely to act it out.

I mean how much happier would we all be not knowing what the statistics are (in both our business and personal life)? Although some people (including former family members) would say, “don’t you want to know what’s going on in the world?”

To which I respond, “Someone’s opinion on what is happening in their world and what you’re being told – just so a tv news station can have ‘higher ratings’ isn’t news to me. Is it to you?”

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Courtesy of Flickr (by Banksy)

I got up at 5am the other day, not because I had to, but more because something really bothered me that I had to get off of my chest and talk to you about.

Without going on some big long explanation, I kinda think it’s both funny yet sad that “The Artist” and “The Executive” haven’t managed to get along much in the world (especially in the work environment).  In a somewhat recent post I did called, “Banning Art In the Workplace” I pretty much understand why neither one of us really does.

We undervalue the importance of one another and the type of value each provides in ANY… yes ANY organization.

Going on for LITERALLY hundreds of years, I think it’s been ingrained into much of society that “artists” are a particular way – and most aren’t true.  As with the typical “executive,” I’m sure they’ve been just as misunderstood – but this doesn’t mean it has to keep going on and on like this.

We need a 50/50 split of artists and executives in every single company out there (like “Apple, “Google,” etc).

Here is why.

Artist’s don’t want to do what executives do and executives don’t at ALL want to do what artists do.  And that’s fine.  We get that. Yet what happens is, people judge artists based on some bullshit criteria that has nothing to do with the value that they can bring to any company OR position they work at – and people really resent you for that.

You see, there is this thing that seems to be woven into much of the workforce today that companies pay people to do something and some get a certain amount of enjoyment from seeing people at work be miserable.  The thing is, most artists come up with brilliant ideas a lot of times when you just let them do what they do and when they’re happy (this isn’t done when we are given busy work or sitting inside an uninspiring atmosphere or office cubicle – as most do).

I know this isn’t typical of many executives and it may be hard to swallow a lot of times, but it’s 100% true.  Instead many large companies OPPRESS artistic people (which are probably most people in an organization scared to show their “creative side” for fear of being ridiculed) because they want to be seen as “the hero.”

Have you ever experienced this?

This happens all the time with artistic/creative people.  Artistic expression is oppressed in much of the workforce because you again value their worth by their job title, what they’re paid and/or wear!

Which brings me to this point… why would ANYONE share their brilliant ideas to help an organization if we’re being treated like this?

Not many.

So lets give everyone a fair chance, shall we?  We’re BOTH just as important to each other – and our business/world needs a healthy mix of both types.  The artist.  And the executive.

Don’t you think?

Note: Signup here to get my free newsletter and other cool free unconventional stuff to UNnumb the workday.  However, if you feel more comfortable just subscribing to the blog feed, you are welcome to do that instead.  Heck you can even go hog wild and hire me for your next project.

Follow Me: @jaredkessler