Why was the then tallest building in the world built?
Construction of the tower began in 1970. It was built because the Sears and Roebuck Company had a problem. There were over 350,000 people who worked for Sears and Roebuck, many in Chicago and the surrounding area. They needed a central place for these employees to work. They needed over three million square feet of working space for people. It cost Sears over $175 million dollars to build.Why is this song connected to this building?
The opening verse of the song was talking about getting ready for a busy day. Preparing for the stresses of daily life. The second verse continues the day with three cups of coffee, and a desire to make the most of the singer's time in that day. "I'm busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see / That I only have time for me, me, me." The Sears Company needed to enable people to get more done in a day and their decision was to bring those people together in one big building. The person you needed was an elevator ride away. Their people were "busy, busy, busy". There weren't video conference systems or instant messaging apps. In fact, there wasn't anything like a desktop computer in 1970. Semiconductor memory was introduced on the IBM 370 in 1970. Everything was done by hand in those days.Then comes the chorus. The singer is reminded to "Breathe, Just Breathe". This is where the song really connected. Computer scientists are innovators. We change the world. We changed how information is shared. No more riding up elevators to share your latest discovery with the boss. We changed how news is consumed. 142 characters at time and with a cliff hanger title. We even changed how you drive to work, with a smart phone and GPS. I have often heard it said that we hold more computer power in our hands than sent man to the moon. With all those things that have changed our lives, the pressure to deliver the "next big thing" is really intense. The expectations of technology are huge!
The potential of technology is huge, but how does innovation happen? Innovation doesn't happen when you are heads down, hacking out code on a keyboard. It doesn't happen when you're in a data center racking servers. It doesn't happen when you are updating your KanBan board so you can show what you've accomplished for the week. Innovation, true innovation that could change the world, happens when you breathe. When you were a Sears accountant and you're riding that elevator, you think "Can I move this number here and that number there and make something different, something better?" That is the spark of innovation and that is when the song really connected. When I breathe, just breathe, rest, and begin to unravel from the stress and the push/pull world of "deliver this" and "fix that" and "We gotta release code!". That is when I can begin to innovate.
So, what is this magic song?
It is "Breathe" by Johnny Diaz.
Breathe, just Breathe. Take a moment today to rest in God's arms and breathe. Step away from the stresses at the keyboard. Ride the elevator to talk to your boss, instead of the IM. Take the time to think, unwind, and innovate. Team leaders, let your folks breathe. You will get better solutions. Take three and a half minutes, sing along, and breathe, just breathe. "Lay down what’s good and find what’s best!"
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Breathe, just Breathe. Take a moment today to rest in God's arms and breathe. Step away from the stresses at the keyboard. Ride the elevator to talk to your boss, instead of the IM. Take the time to think, unwind, and innovate. Team leaders, let your folks breathe. You will get better solutions. Take three and a half minutes, sing along, and breathe, just breathe. "Lay down what’s good and find what’s best!"
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