Worklife with Adam Grant The Zombie Guide to Surviving Bureaucracy
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Oct 10, 2023 Marina Nitza, a tech entrepreneur and former CTO for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, delves into the paradox of bureaucracy. She explains how rigid structures can stifle creativity while also providing necessary order. The conversation highlights the absurdity of unnecessary rules and advocates for subtracting inefficiencies. Nitza shares strategies for effectively navigating complex systems and emphasizes the importance of hacking bad policies to foster positive change and collaboration in organizations.
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CV Rejection
- Adam Grant's cousin, Ryan, a neurosurgeon, had his CV rejected by a hospital due to the date formatting.
- This highlights the pointlessness of some bureaucratic rules.
Two Bureaucracies
- There are two types of bureaucracy: enabling and coercive.
- Enabling bureaucracy empowers progress, while coercive bureaucracy hinders it.
Ink Color Rejection
- After winning the date formatting battle, Ryan's CV was rejected again for being signed in black, not blue ink.
- This further exemplifies coercive bureaucracy's frustrating nature.
