99u, byline Insights for Making Things Happen, is a very worthwhile site for actionable improvements and today it had an insightful article on The Craftman’s Guide for Working with Dignity.The 99u article makes a good case for why craftsmanship and dignity are so important in work and life. It encourages people to think about what they can do to increase their dignity. It also makes the point that this applies to modern knowledge work as much as traditional occupations.
Three attributes were identified and their relevance to dignity explained:
- Curiosity
- Craftmanship
- Humility
What struck me was that these attributes are also essential for innovation and creativity. Restating it in a slightly different way:
- Having fun
- Caring and showing care
- Learning and applying improvements
are all important in doing great work. It seems to me that caring and attention are becoming increasingly precious in a world which seems to be tempted towards being unconsciously automated and distracted.