“We are told we must choose -- the old or the new. In fact, we must choose both.”Susan Sontag
Professionals should always have one eye on the past: knowing the history of what they’re doing helps prepare them for today and tomorrow. Much of what we know and do is based on the legacy of a product or event: how and why it got to be what it is, what people have thought of it over time, and what it will take to keep it new and exciting in the future. All have to be considered. If you’re starting something, study similar situations and learn from others; if you’re joining a work in progress, learn everything about it, ask everyone associated with it (employees, executives and customers) for their impressions, and never stop looking for ways to continually improve it. The old holds the keys to the new: use them to open all of its doors. And as much as you know, there will always be more to discover. Choose to recognize and use both the old and the new for everything you’re doing today.
Susan Sontag (1933 – 2004): American writer, filmmaker, philosopher, teacher, and political activist
No comments:
Post a Comment