Jim Benson (OurFounder)
@ourfounder.bsky.social
Author of Personal Kanban and The Collaboration Equation. Partner at Modus Institute. Think a lot about how people can treat each other well & work together to solve things, am tired of the alternative. Punk, urban planner, aids activist, in no order.
AI, layoffs, and increasing confusion about where and how people work is creating a new type of worker: a Newpreneur. No one is prepared for this.
And you are likely one right now or will be so in the next 24 months.
View the full article here: humanework.substack.com/p/whether-yo...
And you are likely one right now or will be so in the next 24 months.
View the full article here: humanework.substack.com/p/whether-yo...
Whether You Like It or Not, You're Becoming a Solopreneur
AI / Remote Work / Job Insecurity / The Gig Economy are All a Pattern
humanework.substack.com
August 20, 2025 at 7:52 PM
AI, layoffs, and increasing confusion about where and how people work is creating a new type of worker: a Newpreneur. No one is prepared for this.
And you are likely one right now or will be so in the next 24 months.
View the full article here: humanework.substack.com/p/whether-yo...
And you are likely one right now or will be so in the next 24 months.
View the full article here: humanework.substack.com/p/whether-yo...
The activities we've come up with for the Kanban Evolved workshops are so fun, the conversations so deep. I love my job.
You haven't done kanban for real before you've addressed this stuff. lu.ma/modus?k=c
You haven't done kanban for real before you've addressed this stuff. lu.ma/modus?k=c
Modus Institute / Humane Work · Events Calendar
View and subscribe to events from Modus Institute / Humane Work on Luma.
lu.ma
August 13, 2025 at 6:50 PM
The activities we've come up with for the Kanban Evolved workshops are so fun, the conversations so deep. I love my job.
You haven't done kanban for real before you've addressed this stuff. lu.ma/modus?k=c
You haven't done kanban for real before you've addressed this stuff. lu.ma/modus?k=c
luma is a wonderful app that does just what it is supposed to do and ... almost nothing else.
lu.ma/t495qtrj
lu.ma/t495qtrj
Personal Kanban Evolved 3: Build Your Workspace · Zoom · Luma
Build Your Workspace: Making Your Work Actually Work
A Kanban Evolved Workshop
The myth of hybrid work: it's about managing two locations. The reality? It's…
lu.ma
August 12, 2025 at 10:55 PM
luma is a wonderful app that does just what it is supposed to do and ... almost nothing else.
lu.ma/t495qtrj
lu.ma/t495qtrj
If you are a leader or aspiring there are common mistakes we all make in the interest of decisiveness or getting things done quickly that have costly implications. In our Toxic Waste and Overload classes, we create strategies to create healthy work and constructively respond when things aren't good.
July 23, 2025 at 3:16 PM
If you are a leader or aspiring there are common mistakes we all make in the interest of decisiveness or getting things done quickly that have costly implications. In our Toxic Waste and Overload classes, we create strategies to create healthy work and constructively respond when things aren't good.
You and I operate with our own internally flawed models, just like AI is a flawed model. The difference is we’ve had a lifetime of understanding or at least coping with our own flaws. Our use of AI? We take it’s correctness for granted and laugh off the errors…to our shared detriment.
July 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
You and I operate with our own internally flawed models, just like AI is a flawed model. The difference is we’ve had a lifetime of understanding or at least coping with our own flaws. Our use of AI? We take it’s correctness for granted and laugh off the errors…to our shared detriment.
When we create space for people to effortlessly achieve their goals, when we create features that help people get over common hurdles, and when we do these things is a way that lets people build even better worlds inside what we’ve done… then we are leaders.
humanework.substack.com/p/on-the-ech...
humanework.substack.com/p/on-the-ech...
July 12, 2025 at 4:03 PM
When we create space for people to effortlessly achieve their goals, when we create features that help people get over common hurdles, and when we do these things is a way that lets people build even better worlds inside what we’ve done… then we are leaders.
humanework.substack.com/p/on-the-ech...
humanework.substack.com/p/on-the-ech...
Your most used spaces have connection. Your favorite people have connection. Your favorite food, movies, scents, books…
As humans we connect and we get work done. We connect and we create. We connect and we relax. We connect.
As humans we connect and we get work done. We connect and we create. We connect and we relax. We connect.
July 7, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Your most used spaces have connection. Your favorite people have connection. Your favorite food, movies, scents, books…
As humans we connect and we get work done. We connect and we create. We connect and we relax. We connect.
As humans we connect and we get work done. We connect and we create. We connect and we relax. We connect.
When we are with people. Family, co-workers, people on airplanes, … people… we impact each other. In little ways, in large ways.
We build, very quickly actually, shared languages. We measure temperament, current state, humor, shared observations. And then we impact and are impacted.
We build, very quickly actually, shared languages. We measure temperament, current state, humor, shared observations. And then we impact and are impacted.
July 5, 2025 at 3:07 PM
When we are with people. Family, co-workers, people on airplanes, … people… we impact each other. In little ways, in large ways.
We build, very quickly actually, shared languages. We measure temperament, current state, humor, shared observations. And then we impact and are impacted.
We build, very quickly actually, shared languages. We measure temperament, current state, humor, shared observations. And then we impact and are impacted.
We are all silos from time to time. This doesn't mean we are focused team members getting our individual work done, it means we are stuck, alone, frustrated, and underinformed.
And we say, Oh Damn, I'm a Silo.
See the results of an awesome conversation here: humanework.substack.com/p/oh-damn-im...
And we say, Oh Damn, I'm a Silo.
See the results of an awesome conversation here: humanework.substack.com/p/oh-damn-im...
July 3, 2025 at 5:28 PM
We are all silos from time to time. This doesn't mean we are focused team members getting our individual work done, it means we are stuck, alone, frustrated, and underinformed.
And we say, Oh Damn, I'm a Silo.
See the results of an awesome conversation here: humanework.substack.com/p/oh-damn-im...
And we say, Oh Damn, I'm a Silo.
See the results of an awesome conversation here: humanework.substack.com/p/oh-damn-im...
We’ve been working with people and their workload, for a long time, and with a lot of people. A…lot.
Talking about how we work, how we think, how we solve problems, how we undo the stress.
Talking about how we work, how we think, how we solve problems, how we undo the stress.
Buy tickets – Personal Kanban Evolved - 4 Workshops in August – Zoom
Personal Kanban Evolved: 20 Years of Hidden Patterns, Advanced Techniques, & Breakthrough Insights That Go Far Beyond Basic...
www.tickettailor.com
June 27, 2025 at 8:06 PM
We’ve been working with people and their workload, for a long time, and with a lot of people. A…lot.
Talking about how we work, how we think, how we solve problems, how we undo the stress.
Talking about how we work, how we think, how we solve problems, how we undo the stress.
Seriously, visualizing your work, creating a team space where we can get real work done (and talk about talking about it less), and keeping everyone moving is easier than we think.
#lean #leanthinking #personalkanban #kanban #obeya #visualmanagement #productivity
#lean #leanthinking #personalkanban #kanban #obeya #visualmanagement #productivity
June 27, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Seriously, visualizing your work, creating a team space where we can get real work done (and talk about talking about it less), and keeping everyone moving is easier than we think.
#lean #leanthinking #personalkanban #kanban #obeya #visualmanagement #productivity
#lean #leanthinking #personalkanban #kanban #obeya #visualmanagement #productivity
Telling people to calm down or not be afraid is not effective.
This is a short piece on how to create a system that reduces worry, fear, and doubt.
At work, at home, at anywhere.
humanework.substack.com/p/saying-no-...
This is a short piece on how to create a system that reduces worry, fear, and doubt.
At work, at home, at anywhere.
humanework.substack.com/p/saying-no-...
June 24, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Telling people to calm down or not be afraid is not effective.
This is a short piece on how to create a system that reduces worry, fear, and doubt.
At work, at home, at anywhere.
humanework.substack.com/p/saying-no-...
This is a short piece on how to create a system that reduces worry, fear, and doubt.
At work, at home, at anywhere.
humanework.substack.com/p/saying-no-...
Neurodiversity is not a problem to solve, it is an asset to promote. There is a tendency in all people to focus on our individual work, for the neurodiverse this can be even more pronounced.
humanework.substack.com/p/perfection...
#neurodiversity #kanban #personalkanban #obeya
humanework.substack.com/p/perfection...
#neurodiversity #kanban #personalkanban #obeya
June 23, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Neurodiversity is not a problem to solve, it is an asset to promote. There is a tendency in all people to focus on our individual work, for the neurodiverse this can be even more pronounced.
humanework.substack.com/p/perfection...
#neurodiversity #kanban #personalkanban #obeya
humanework.substack.com/p/perfection...
#neurodiversity #kanban #personalkanban #obeya
The crazy thing about writing is that you put something out there and get some feedback. Then it dies down over time, but the books still sell. Maybe a little, maybe nicely.
June 22, 2025 at 5:54 PM
The crazy thing about writing is that you put something out there and get some feedback. Then it dies down over time, but the books still sell. Maybe a little, maybe nicely.
Your office hero is a wonderful, talented, necessary single point of failure on the fast track for burnout.
They are the most valuable bottleneck you have. They love being that and they hate it.
Here's how to fix it so everyone wins.
humanework.substack.com/p/the-heros-...
They are the most valuable bottleneck you have. They love being that and they hate it.
Here's how to fix it so everyone wins.
humanework.substack.com/p/the-heros-...
June 21, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Your office hero is a wonderful, talented, necessary single point of failure on the fast track for burnout.
They are the most valuable bottleneck you have. They love being that and they hate it.
Here's how to fix it so everyone wins.
humanework.substack.com/p/the-heros-...
They are the most valuable bottleneck you have. They love being that and they hate it.
Here's how to fix it so everyone wins.
humanework.substack.com/p/the-heros-...
Drag is anything that stops you from getting the right work done at the right time. Overload, toxicity, bottlenecks, policies, personalities ... can combine to interrupt your flow.
June 20, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Drag is anything that stops you from getting the right work done at the right time. Overload, toxicity, bottlenecks, policies, personalities ... can combine to interrupt your flow.
Fogcasting: deliberately building uncertainty into people's daily lives. Misinformation, misdirection, reassignment, defunding, changing deadlines, undermining success, taking credit for the work of others... the list is lengthy.
humanework.substack.com/p/is-your-bo...
humanework.substack.com/p/is-your-bo...
June 19, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Fogcasting: deliberately building uncertainty into people's daily lives. Misinformation, misdirection, reassignment, defunding, changing deadlines, undermining success, taking credit for the work of others... the list is lengthy.
humanework.substack.com/p/is-your-bo...
humanework.substack.com/p/is-your-bo...
Other people are counting on you.
Maybe too many, but as fate would have it, that is how many people are counting on you. And you are counting on them.
humanework.substack.com/p/visualize-...
Maybe too many, but as fate would have it, that is how many people are counting on you. And you are counting on them.
humanework.substack.com/p/visualize-...
June 15, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Other people are counting on you.
Maybe too many, but as fate would have it, that is how many people are counting on you. And you are counting on them.
humanework.substack.com/p/visualize-...
Maybe too many, but as fate would have it, that is how many people are counting on you. And you are counting on them.
humanework.substack.com/p/visualize-...
Stress kills everything. From the first pages of Personal Kanban to literally everything Tonianne & I have done since, we've been worried (literally awake at night worried, ironic, I know.) about people we know & people in general and how they deal with life. humanework.substack.com/p/how-to-bui...
How to Build Direction during Stress
Why You Are Missing Your Personal True North
humanework.substack.com
June 12, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Stress kills everything. From the first pages of Personal Kanban to literally everything Tonianne & I have done since, we've been worried (literally awake at night worried, ironic, I know.) about people we know & people in general and how they deal with life. humanework.substack.com/p/how-to-bui...
At work, we are dumped into cubicles, even if they look like our home. We are separated, given tasks, and then called a team. We do this to ourselves. We do this all the time. It's a human thing.
Six Steps to Real Collaboration and Value: We work together or we fail together
Building a professional team, not just a group of individuals
humanework.substack.com
June 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM
At work, we are dumped into cubicles, even if they look like our home. We are separated, given tasks, and then called a team. We do this to ourselves. We do this all the time. It's a human thing.
This post is wrong, but it is useful.
From here on out, every class I teach will quote George Box at the beginning and then once an hour every hour thereafter.
Stop saying that models are wrong or don't work. Be useful and talk about how we can apply them without becoming beholden to them.
From here on out, every class I teach will quote George Box at the beginning and then once an hour every hour thereafter.
Stop saying that models are wrong or don't work. Be useful and talk about how we can apply them without becoming beholden to them.
June 10, 2025 at 8:31 PM
This post is wrong, but it is useful.
From here on out, every class I teach will quote George Box at the beginning and then once an hour every hour thereafter.
Stop saying that models are wrong or don't work. Be useful and talk about how we can apply them without becoming beholden to them.
From here on out, every class I teach will quote George Box at the beginning and then once an hour every hour thereafter.
Stop saying that models are wrong or don't work. Be useful and talk about how we can apply them without becoming beholden to them.
Creating Islands of Stability
Right now is tough. Distressing. Toxic.
We can work through this, but we need each other and we need to communicate. Deeply. Intentionally. Practically.
This is for real.
Please like, please respond. Because ... I need it too.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
Right now is tough. Distressing. Toxic.
We can work through this, but we need each other and we need to communicate. Deeply. Intentionally. Practically.
This is for real.
Please like, please respond. Because ... I need it too.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
Creating Islands of Stability
Navigating Toxicity with Clarity and Resilience
open.substack.com
June 10, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Creating Islands of Stability
Right now is tough. Distressing. Toxic.
We can work through this, but we need each other and we need to communicate. Deeply. Intentionally. Practically.
This is for real.
Please like, please respond. Because ... I need it too.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
Right now is tough. Distressing. Toxic.
We can work through this, but we need each other and we need to communicate. Deeply. Intentionally. Practically.
This is for real.
Please like, please respond. Because ... I need it too.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
Martyr syndrome is a nasty beast. It comes up in personal overload, our self-image, burnout, and office toxicity.
humanework.substack.com/p/martyr-syn...
humanework.substack.com/p/martyr-syn...
Martyr Syndrome and Your Work
You are your own worst nightmare.
humanework.substack.com
June 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Martyr syndrome is a nasty beast. It comes up in personal overload, our self-image, burnout, and office toxicity.
humanework.substack.com/p/martyr-syn...
humanework.substack.com/p/martyr-syn...
On Monday I’ll release a long form video on overload with strategies based on understanding how we work as individuals and how, when, and why we collaborate with other people. Much of our overload comes from poor communication. Subscribe to Humane Work to see it.
substack.com/@jimbenson50...
substack.com/@jimbenson50...
Jim Benson on Substack
On Monday I’ll release a post with a long form video direct from our class on overload. The strategies for these are based on understanding how we work as individuals, but also how, when, and why we c...
substack.com
June 6, 2025 at 9:33 PM
On Monday I’ll release a long form video on overload with strategies based on understanding how we work as individuals and how, when, and why we collaborate with other people. Much of our overload comes from poor communication. Subscribe to Humane Work to see it.
substack.com/@jimbenson50...
substack.com/@jimbenson50...
When Karl Scotland and I teach strategy classes, we've noticed that the start of any strategy (what do you want to be) is the hardest to create. There's an infinite number of options for thatn. Answering it alone is hard enough. How do we answer it as a group?
humanework.substack.com/p/why-we-can...
humanework.substack.com/p/why-we-can...
Why We Can't See the Forest
What Keeps Us From True North
humanework.substack.com
June 6, 2025 at 2:31 PM
When Karl Scotland and I teach strategy classes, we've noticed that the start of any strategy (what do you want to be) is the hardest to create. There's an infinite number of options for thatn. Answering it alone is hard enough. How do we answer it as a group?
humanework.substack.com/p/why-we-can...
humanework.substack.com/p/why-we-can...