orbiting-the-giant-hairball

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie

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19.78
Recommended by Lynn Christian in Episode #4. Orbiting the Giant Hairball is a book about maintaining creativity within bureaucratic environments. The author, Gordon MacKenzie, worked as an artist at Hallmark Cards for 30 years, and he saw firsthand how the corporate bureaucracy could stifle creativity. In the book, he argues that it is possible to “orbit” around the Hairball, or the corporate bureaucracy, while still maintaining your sense of creativity and individuality.  
https://www.amazon.com/Orbiting-Giant-Hairball-Corporate-Surviving/dp/0670879835/

Notes

MacKenzie identifies three key concepts for orbiting the Hairball:

  • Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not just to fit in. Your uniqueness is your greatest asset.
  • Be passionate. If you’re not passionate about your work, it won’t be easy to maintain your creativity.
  • Be willing to take risks. Creativity often involves taking risks. If you’re not willing to take risks, you’ll never be able to break out of the Hairball.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball is a helpful book for anyone who wants to maintain their creativity in a corporate environment. It provides practical advice on how to be yourself, be passionate, and take risks.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the book:

  • The corporate bureaucracy can stifle creativity.
  • It is possible to “orbit” around the Hairball while still maintaining your own sense of creativity and individuality.
  • The key concepts for orbiting the Hairball are being yourself, being passionate, and being willing to take risks.