Power and image.

In celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, Sotheby’s has organized a historic exhibition titled Power & Image: Royal and Aristocratic Tiaras.

…herd mentality, which is a common bias in the worlds of corporate strategy, finance, innovation, and investing. It was first observed by the journalist Charles Mackay in his 1841 study of crowd psychology, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, which presages the rise of economic bubbles. Herd mentality generally happens when information that’s available to the group is deemed more useful than privately held knowledge, regardless of the source or quality of that information. Individuals buy into the collective wisdom, sometimes even ignoring evidence to the contrary—especially when their reputations are on the line….There is safety in the herd. But if no one on an executive team explores a contrarian view, their company may miss opportunities to build competitive advantage, launch new business models or industries, or otherwise position itself for long-term success.

When thinking about the practice of culture, I sometimes refer to a fable about the “Pot Roast Principle”—the tradition of cutting off the ends of the pot roast that was passed down to the next generation. When a granddaughter finally asked her grandmother how the tradition started, she discovered that the real reason was because the pot roast would not fit into her grandmother’s small roasting pan unless the ends were cut off. 

This is how traditions and practices get passed down. We watch, we learn, we do, without asking questions. When a company is young, implicit assumptions are made on how to do things, the wrong behaviors can get reinforced, and the ends get cut from the roast, even when the pan is bigger. Practices need to be reviewed and evolve with the company; if not, different behaviors get reinforced. 

By putting people at the center of automation, organizations can achieve faster payback, stronger supplier relationships, reduced risk of fraud, and better business continuity.

…finding hidden treasures in surprising places isn’t as rare as you might imagine. Here at Atlas Obscura we love these kinds of stories.