The Grasshopper's Rebellion

The grasshopper and the ants

It was time for the weekly team meeting. Michael handed out printed copies of his presentation slides. There were many pages. Samantha felt how thick the stack was - 27 pages. She sighed quietly to herself.

Michael began speaking about his presentation. Samantha nodded, pretending to listen carefully. But soon, her pen started moving by itself to draw on her notepad. Lines and shapes appeared.

Samantha drew a bright green grasshopper playing a tiny violin. Around the grasshopper, she drew twelve ants marching in a line. The ants wore business suits and carried briefcases. It looked silly and funny. Samantha fit her drawings inside the boxes on a printed Excel spreadsheet page.

Samantha's coworkers saw her doodling from the corners of their eyes. They smiled a little. Everyone knew Samantha's habit of doodling during meetings. They thought it was amusing, as long as Michael didn't notice.

"Any other questions before we continue?" Michael's voice droned on.

Suddenly, Michael's phone rang and made a buzzing sound. "Excuse me, I need to take this call." He left the meeting room. The coworkers looked at each other.

Samantha kept doodling. She added a family of turtles to her scene. She did not see Michael come back into the room.

"Sorry about that interruption, it was -" Michael stopped speaking. He looked at Samantha's notepad. Her colorful doodles were out in the open for anyone to see.

No one said anything for an awkward, uncomfortable moment. Michael stared at the grasshopper playing violin and the ants dressed in suits. Samantha's coworkers waited silently to see how Michael would react.

But Michael just cleared his throat. "Well then, where were we..." He acted like nothing unusual happened.

The meeting continued. But Michael had clearly seen Samantha's doodles. Samantha did not know if he was okay with it or not.

Breaking the silence

The meeting was finally over. People started gathering their things and leaving the room. Samantha collected her notepad and pen. She hadn't touched her pen since Michael caught her doodling.

Samantha was about to leave too, but Michael made a small gesture with his hand, asking her to stay behind. Some of her teammates noticed and glanced at her curiously as they filed out.

Soon, it was just Samantha and Michael alone in the room. An awkward silence hung in the air.

"So...why were you drawing during the presentation?" Michael asked, breaking the tension.

Samantha didn't respond at first, unsure of how to explain herself.

"Do you not find value in these status meetings?" Michael pressed. "The presentation covers important priorities and plans."

"No, I understand the value," Samantha replied carefully. But her eyes shifted slightly, hinting there was more she wasn't saying.

Michael could sense she wasn't being fully transparent. He pressed on, "Was there something about my presentation specifically that made you...distracted?"

Samantha weighed how much to reveal. A certain phrase Michael used seemed to unlock her honesty. "I...can't always pay attention," she admitted.

"Because it's boring?" Michael stated bluntly.

Samantha knew she was caught. After the doodling incident, she figured it couldn't get any worse. "Yes," she confessed. "The presentations can be...quite boring."

Samantha couldn't hold back any longer. The words came tumbling out. "Don't you find it ironic? You're always asking us for innovative, creative solutions. But then you plan it all out in spreadsheets using the same old, stale techniques that get called 'innovation best practices.'"

She gestured to her doodled notepad. "This...this is how I tap into my real creativity. My doodles help me think differently, make unexpected connections. But I have to do it in secret, like it's something to be ashamed of."

Michael furrowed his brow, considering her outburst. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Okay, let's explore your approach then. If everyone just pursued what they found personally interesting, how would we ensure we actually deliver on what matters to our customers and stakeholders?"

Samantha opened her mouth to respond, but Michael kept going. "If you want to draw little creatures, that's fine. But that's what hobbies are for - creative outlets separate from work."

He leaned back in his chair. "I rebuild vintage motorcycles in my free time, for instance. It's my passion. But I don't mix that hobby with my professional responsibilities here. There's a line between interests and important work."

Samantha felt her cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and defiance. Michael's dismissive attitude toward her doodling ignited something within her. This wasn't just a hobby to be compartmentalized.

"My doodles ARE my work," she stated firmly. "They're how my mind explores problems and imagines new possibilities. Treating it as a separate 'hobby' is what stifles true innovation."

The CEO of the brain

Michael could sense Samantha's defiance over treating her doodles as mere hobbies. He decided to take a different tack, tapping his knuckle on the polished conference table.

"You know, this table is made of solid oak. Took years of patient growth for that oak tree to develop its hard, sturdy interior." He ran his hand along the smooth wood.

Michael then pointed to his own forehead. "What do you think is behind this?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Samantha.

Before she could respond, he continued, "The frontal cortex - the mastermind behind our most advanced brain functions. It's the control center that allows us to plan, reason, and make conscious choices rather than just going with our first impulsive urges."

He swiveled his chair to better engage Samantha. "Imagine it as the CEO of your brain - integrating information from all other regions to decide the best course of action. Without it, you'd just drift aimlessly based on whatever thought or stimuli captured your attention at the moment. The frontal cortex is what lets you concentrate on work instead of browsing YouTube."

Michael swiveled his chair toward the glass windows overlooking a playground outside. A group of children shrieked with laughter, chasing each other across the jungle gym.

"To a child, every moment is about following their interests. Playing, running around, doing whatever feels fun and stimulating in that instant." Michael mimed drawing in the air with an imaginary crayon.

"They live totally in the present, their frontal cortexes all soft and malleable. That's why kids love to doodle and draw - it's an impulsive creative outlet with no deeper purpose."

He turned to Samantha. "When was the last time you visited the dentist?"

Samantha was caught off-guard. "Uh...six months ago, I think?"

Michael nodded. "Exactly. We become adults. Our frontal cortexes mature, and we have to make hard decisions against our childish impulses."

"A child would never willingly go to the dentist, because it's not fun. But we adults understand the important responsibilities - like basic hygiene and preventative care. We delay the gratification of eating sweets, because we know the consequences if we don't."

Samantha couldn't help but smirk at the dentist analogy, though Michael's metaphor rang true.

"That's the crux of this dilemma. Your doodles may feel like creative indulgences. But I need my team to embrace the bigger picture - our professional obligations to this company and its customers. Even if that means... delaying gratification."

Balancing acts

"But there are whole communities out there not based on these 'important' responsibilities you speak of," Samantha countered. "People who choose to live for their interests and passions, without being forced into pursuits they find dull or constricting."

She leaned forward, a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "Don't you think the world would be a happier place if we gave the 'interesting' things a bigger share of our lives? Instead of always having to delay gratification for what society deems important?"

Michael considered her point, nodding slowly. "You're not entirely wrong. With primitive hunter-gatherer tribes, that divide between interesting and important pursuits wasn't so starkly defined."

"But their lives were a constant struggle for survival," he added pragmatically. "The agricultural revolution, when humans transitioned to settled societies, was in many ways the maturation of our species."

Michael tented his fingers, gathering his thoughts. "It allowed us to delay gratification, plan long-term, and ultimately build civilization's greatest achievements. As glorious as a nomadic existence following your every whim may sound, it lacks the stability and focus to reach our full potential."

He fixed Samantha with a measured look. "The frontal cortex's ability to override impulsive urges in favor of responsibilities - as tedious as they can feel at times - is what separates us from plucky grasshoppers endlessly playing their violins while the industrious ants do the hard work of preparing for the future."

Samantha: But there are exceptions in our current society to this rigid separation of interests from responsibilities. What about people with ADHD or other neurological conditions? For them, it can be extremely difficult, maybe even impossible, to always prioritize what's deemed important over their personal interests and creative pursuits.

Michael: That's a fair point. I can see how brain chemistry differences would make delaying gratification and overriding impulsive urges towards interests more challenging.

Samantha: Exactly. And what about artists, journalists, entertainers? Their work is literally following and expressing their creative interests and passions. Yet they're often considered less serious or trustworthy for that.

Michael: Well, I would argue that for truly successful creatives at the highest levels, their interests have effectively become important professional and financial responsibilities.

Samantha: Sure, but that's only after they've "made it" and their interests become work obligations. Before that, while they're still struggling, society tends to dismiss their passions as frivolous indulgences distracting from more important practical concerns.

Michael: I can't deny there's a double standard there. We celebrate creative success after the fact, but are quick to criticize those same pursuits as impractical whimsies beforehand.

Samantha: It's an unfair, privileged way of looking at it. The financially stable can more easily embrace their interests over responsibilities without facing the same potential consequences as others.

Michael was silent for a moment, taking in Samantha's perspective. He nodded slowly, his expression softening. "You're right, I haven't fully considered the nuances." Michael leaned forward. "If we're going to truly question this dichotomy between responsibilities and creative interests, what would your suggestion be? How could we create more space for 'interesting' work and innovative pursuits, while still meeting our professional obligations?"

He spread his hands in a gesture of openness. "I may have been too dismissive earlier. But I'm listening now - what's your vision for finding a better balance?"

Drawing attention

Samantha sat at her desk, watching at the meeting agenda. She had drawn a small grasshopper surrounded by dozens of ants in business suits, each holding a tiny briefcase. The office was noisy with the sound of keyboards, ringing phones, and people talking.

Michael’s door opened with a quiet creak. He stepped out, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on Samantha. He gave a brief nod, then went back into his office. Samantha felt a rush of nervous energy. She gathered her sketches and sketchbook, slipping them into a folder.

As she walked towards Michael’s office, the sounds of the office faded. Her footsteps seemed louder in her ears. She passed her colleagues, who were busy at their desks, not noticing her. The air felt heavier, filled with anticipation.

She stopped at Michael’s door, took a deep breath, and knocked lightly before pushing it open. Inside, the office was plain and practical, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glare. Michael sat behind his desk, a fortress of paper and files, his expression serious.

Samantha stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind her. The room felt smaller, the walls closer. She approached the desk and placed her folder on it. Michael watched her with a calm, unreadable gaze, his hands folded neatly in front of him.

She opened the folder and spread out her sketches. The grasshopper, surrounded by ants in business suits, was a tiny act of rebellion against the boring meetings. Samantha straightened, meeting Michael’s eyes. The room was silent except for the distant hum of the office outside.

Michael picked up one of the sketches, examining it closely. His face remained impassive, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes—curiosity, perhaps, or a slight hint of amusement. Samantha stood still, her heart pounding, waiting for his reaction.

Michael set the sketch down and looked at her. For a moment, the distance between manager and employee, the line between duty and creativity, seemed to blur. Samantha felt the weight of the moment, the fragile possibility of change hanging in the air.

He leaned back in his chair, tapping a finger on the desk. Samantha held her breath, ready for whatever came next. Samantha snapped her fingers. Somewhere, a projector clicked on, and the image of the grasshopper and the ants appeared on the wall behind Michael, magnified ten times. One of the ants' briefcases landed right over Michael's face, who turned in his swivel chair and watched the presentation on the wall.

Beyond boredom: a presentation

1. Introduction

• Purpose: Integrate interestingness of tasks into the Agile process to enhance engagement and motivation.
• Key Roles:
  • Product Manager: Defines the importance and business value of tasks.
  • Interestingness Owner: Explains why tasks are interesting and ensures tasks are engaging.
  • Team Members: Vote on the interestingness of tasks.

2. Roles and Responsibilities

• Product Manager (PM):
  • Prioritize tasks based on business needs and deadlines.
  • Communicate the importance and customer/business value of each task.
• Interestingness Owner (IO):
  • Assess tasks for their interestingness and potential for creative problem-solving.
  • Present tasks in a way that highlights their interesting aspects.
  • Modify tasks to increase their interestingness if they are initially deemed dull.
• Team Members:
  • Vote on the interestingness of tasks during planning sessions.
  • Provide feedback on what aspects make a task interesting or dull.

3. Task Evaluation Process

• Task Identification:
  • Tasks are initially identified and listed by the Product Manager.
  • Each task includes a description, priority, estimated effort, and deadline.
• Interestingness Assessment:
  • The Interestingness Owner reviews each task to identify and highlight interesting aspects.
  • Tasks are presented to the team with both business value (by PM) and interestingness (by IO).

4. Voting on Interestingness

• Voting Mechanism:
  • During sprint planning or task review sessions, team members vote on the interestingness of each task.
  • Voting scale: Interesting (Yes) or Dull (No).
• Marking Tasks:
  • A task is marked as interesting if at least one team member votes 'Yes'.
  • Tasks with unanimous 'No' votes are flagged for further review.

5. Managing Dull Tasks

• Review by Interestingness Owner:
  • Tasks marked as dull by all team members are reviewed by the Interestingness Owner.
  • The IO attempts to identify ways to make these tasks more engaging.
• Modification or Removal:
  • If the IO can enhance the interestingness, the task is modified and re-presented to the team.
  • If the task remains dull but is still important, it may be revisited in subsequent sessions.
  • Tasks that cannot be made interesting and are not crucial may be removed from the list.

Maybe

When Samantha finished her presentation, the room became very quiet. The light from the projector made strange shapes on the walls, and everyone looked serious. Michael was at the front, looking like he was thinking very hard.

Samantha felt both excited and scared. She really wanted Michael to like her idea, but she wasn't sure if he did. She looked around the room, and all her colleagues were there, even though she had started talking just to Michael. It made her feel nervous, like all eyes were on her.

After Samantha concluded her presentation, the room fell silent. The projector's light danced across the walls, adding to the tension in the air. Michael sat at the head of the table with an unreadable expression.

Samantha's heart was beating fast as she waited for Michael's response. She had put a lot of effort into this proposal, hoping to change their approach to work. But now, she was uncertain if her ideas would be accepted or rejected.

Michael leaned forward and looked at the gathered team. "Thank you, Samantha, for sharing your ideas," he began, speaking in a calm tone. "Your perspective is certainly thought-provoking."

Everyone in the room waited with anticipation for Michael's decision. Samantha held her breath, hoping for a positive outcome.

"But," Michael continued cautiously, "as with any new idea, there are risks and uncertainties to consider."

Samantha felt a little disappointed, but she did not want to give up on her vision. She knew from the start that change would not be easy, but she was ready to fight for her ideas.

"As a team," Michael went on, "we need to carefully weigh the potential benefits against the potential drawbacks of integrating new ideas into our work process."

Samantha nodded slowly, thinking about questions and doubts. Had she failed to explain her case clearly enough? Were her ideas too different from their current practices?

But despite the uncertainty, Samantha felt determined. She may not have convinced them today, but she refused to give up on her vision. She would continue to promote creativity and innovation, even if others doubted or were skeptical.

As the meeting ended and her colleagues left, Samantha stayed for a moment and exchanged a meaningful look with Michael. In that brief moment, she saw a hint of curiosity in his eyes, a silent acknowledgment that her ideas might have some value.

As Samantha gathered her notes and sketches, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something truly remarkable.