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.
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...
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
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-...
Upheaval happens. We can deal with it gracefully, even when it does not return the favor.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
June 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Upheaval happens. We can deal with it gracefully, even when it does not return the favor.
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
open.substack.com/pub/humanewo...
Don't forget that your voice is your existence.
April 16, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Don't forget that your voice is your existence.
The audience sat nervously acknowledging that we are there again.
And this was in Omaha.
We can take our comfort for granted, but, as Kathy Lou Schultz once said to Jello Biafra, "If you think it's hard being a punk in LA, you come try it in Kearney, Nebraska."
We're all still here, get used to it.
And this was in Omaha.
We can take our comfort for granted, but, as Kathy Lou Schultz once said to Jello Biafra, "If you think it's hard being a punk in LA, you come try it in Kearney, Nebraska."
We're all still here, get used to it.
March 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The audience sat nervously acknowledging that we are there again.
And this was in Omaha.
We can take our comfort for granted, but, as Kathy Lou Schultz once said to Jello Biafra, "If you think it's hard being a punk in LA, you come try it in Kearney, Nebraska."
We're all still here, get used to it.
And this was in Omaha.
We can take our comfort for granted, but, as Kathy Lou Schultz once said to Jello Biafra, "If you think it's hard being a punk in LA, you come try it in Kearney, Nebraska."
We're all still here, get used to it.
This week I sat on the beautiful stage at the Blue Barn wtih a staff and audience of wonderful people and talked about what it was like in the late 80s and through the 90s, as human beings had to prove they were worthy of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
March 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
This week I sat on the beautiful stage at the Blue Barn wtih a staff and audience of wonderful people and talked about what it was like in the late 80s and through the 90s, as human beings had to prove they were worthy of the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The world is currently being taken over by people who so lack an identity they would wrest the identity from others. People so scared of themselves they would legislate away those at peace with themselves. People who are threatened by freedom and tremble when it's presented in the living flesh.
March 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
The world is currently being taken over by people who so lack an identity they would wrest the identity from others. People so scared of themselves they would legislate away those at peace with themselves. People who are threatened by freedom and tremble when it's presented in the living flesh.
Last week I took two sections of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt back to Omaha for a run of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. I have not touched those panels literally in decades. Ed Elliot, Cal Anderson... people who guided me, helped me become who I am.
1/4
1/4
March 30, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Last week I took two sections of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt back to Omaha for a run of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. I have not touched those panels literally in decades. Ed Elliot, Cal Anderson... people who guided me, helped me become who I am.
1/4
1/4
This week I'm bring NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to the Blue Barn Theater in Omaha as part of their production of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. I haven't touched Quilt in 25 years. There a lot of personal history in these two sections and with omaha. Coming back for all is is very special.
March 27, 2025 at 2:16 AM
This week I'm bring NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to the Blue Barn Theater in Omaha as part of their production of The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. I haven't touched Quilt in 25 years. There a lot of personal history in these two sections and with omaha. Coming back for all is is very special.
Finally have made it to the angry beaver to get some serious Canadian grub. Sorry @kegill.bsky.social
March 21, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Finally have made it to the angry beaver to get some serious Canadian grub. Sorry @kegill.bsky.social
Appreciate this. The only way we're going to get through this is to keep thinking... and thinking together. Current book out is the collaboration equation. New cleaning Toxic Waste book out in a few months.
March 17, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Appreciate this. The only way we're going to get through this is to keep thinking... and thinking together. Current book out is the collaboration equation. New cleaning Toxic Waste book out in a few months.
Finished the one on the left in Seattle and London and points in between. Started the one on the right. A time of rapid change. Good to have books to keep me focused and sane.
March 16, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Finished the one on the left in Seattle and London and points in between. Started the one on the right. A time of rapid change. Good to have books to keep me focused and sane.
Excellent week teaching and speaking in London. It felt extraordinarily good to be out of the country for a while and be somewhere relatively sane.
March 11, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Excellent week teaching and speaking in London. It felt extraordinarily good to be out of the country for a while and be somewhere relatively sane.
Good day teaching in London.
Nice sized group. Good conversation.
Nice sized group. Good conversation.
March 7, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Good day teaching in London.
Nice sized group. Good conversation.
Nice sized group. Good conversation.