Monday Must-Reads - April 24, 2017

As a means to try to get myself writing in this space a bit more, I am starting each week by sharing three posts that I came across during the previous week that struck a chord with me. While my intentions are mainly self-serving, I am also hoping that a few folks might catch a post that they missed.

Let's see how many weeks I can keep this up...Four weeks and counting...

1.  72 stunning things in the future that will be common ten years from now that don’t exist today - Thomas Frey

In this post from his site, Futurist Speaker, Thomas Frey reminds us of all of the innovations that we have seen in the last 10 years (i.e. FitBit, Netflix, Facetime, Uber, etc.). With this in mind, he looks at some of the things we can expect to see in the near future.

"If we leapfrog ahead ten years and take notice of the radically different lives we will be living, we will notice how a few key technologies paved the way for massive new industries.

Here is a glimpse of a stunningly different future that will come into view over the next decade... 

 3D printed makeup for women... 

For education and training, we will see a growing number of modules done in both virtual and augmented reality... 

Crash-proof cars. Volvo already says their cars will be crash-proof before 2020...

 Smart chairs, smart beds, and smart pillows that will self-adjust to minimize pressure points and optimize comfort... 

Facetime-like checkups without needing a doctor’s appointment..."

2. How Rudeness Stops People from Working Together - Christine Porath

Christine Porath discusses a recent study from medical settings and how incivility among team members can result in poor medical outcomes for patients. There is little doubt that similar behavior by team members in and professional setting can lead to poorer outcomes. Sometimes individuals impacted are not even aware of their detachment.

"People who lack a sense of psychological safety — the feeling that the team environment is a trusting, respectful, and safe place to take risks — shut down, often without realizing it. They are less likely to seek or accept feedback and less likely to experiment, discuss errors, and speak up about potential or actual problems. Even without an intimidator in the room, they work in a cloud of negativity and are unable to do their best."

For more on this topic, check out Porath's new book Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace

3. Plum's Creaturizer - A Neat AR App to Get Kids Exploring Outdoors - Richard Byrne

Just in time for the warmer weather, Richard Byrne provides an overview of a great Augmented Reality app that allows them to place fictional creatures in real-world settings. The app is designed by PBS Kids and it is free on Android and iOS