Who is Bill Cosby?

Is he America's funniest dad?

Perhaps he is a purveyor of fine puddings and delicious gelatin-based desserts? Or is he someone with decidedly more sinister secrets?

We don’t know the answer any more than you do, and we watch with resigned sadness as it plays out - we hope - to some kind of resolution. But this unfolding story illustrates a vital point, one we think is applicable to our personal lives, business lives, indeed to all of life, writ large.

Because the truth is, whether we’re talking about Bill Cosby, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton or Billy the Kid, we have to realize that a public persona, or any persona, tells only part of the story.

Lives are complex. That seems simplistic, but it’s actually a truth so profound that it’s worthwhile to frequently ponder all its implications.

Think of it this way — what person, other than yourself, knows you the best? It could be your spouse, your closest friend, or very possibly the church minister or bartender down the block. Whoever they are, and however well they may know you, we feel safe to pronounce: They don’t know you completely. We don’t accuse you of hiding some part of yourself, anymore than we accuse ourselves of the same (this phenomenon is entirely universal). It’s just that we’re all different people, in ways subtle and distinct, depending on circumstances and surroundings.

If this is a truth we can stipulate for people, can we not also apply it to organizations? It seems to us that the complexity must compound when we’re looking at larger pools of personalities.

So — was Enron all bad? Is the Humane Society all good? We’re not taking any stances here (we’re willing to flirt with controversy, but please excuse us from full-on macking)...we’re just posing questions.

Whatever feelings you might have about individuals, organizations, corporations, or even your friendly neighborhood brand-management experts it may behoove you to remember that those feelings were born of isolated experiences. You might remind yourself they probably only represent one small part of a very complex picture.

The C4:
1. One hundred percent good and one hundred percent evil are caricatures. They’re the stuff of comic books and not-very-convincing fiction.

2. Real life is more about subtleties of gray, and of complex ranges of motivation and action. Might not be as satisfying from a dramatic standpoint, but mundane human existence rarely is.

3. It’s well-nigh impossible, then, for any of us to completely, intimately know the personalities of others. We think this is inescapable on an individual basis, and even more so with large groups.

4. Impressions, feelings, even the things you’re sure you know about the people around you and the the businesses you work with might just be incomplete. We’re not saying your impressions aren't valid. They surely are. We’re just hoping you can recognize that other impressions and contrasting truths could be just as valid in their own right.

Can’t See Your Desk?

“A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind.”

How did such a filthy studio produce such clean paintings?

Whether you take umbrage at that statement, or whether you find yourself nodding in agreement, is probably a safe indicator of your own desk’s state of tidiness.
  
So we have here, once again, a clash. A dichotomy. Once again we have a way of dividing ourselves against ourselves. As if we didn’t have enough of those.

Those of the uncluttered persuasion will tell you that there’s a place for everything, and everything should darn well be in its place. It’s a matter of productivity, they say. Neatness and organization provide the tools and empowerment to get work done quickly, efficiently, and accurately.

Meanwhile, the denizens of the other end of the spectrum tell you that where you see clutter, they see an unconventional yet workable filing system. Of course they know where everything can be found — every pile and overstuffed desk drawer represents a logical progression of tasks and relationships.

Besides, they say, if you’re spending so much time organizing your workstation, how much work can you actually be getting done?

Sigh. Can’t we all just get along?

Here’s a thought: Maybe both sides are right. Now before you accuse us of being wishy-washy, let us assure you that this isn’t just a theoretical group hug we’re advocating here. We speak from experience.

Within these hallowed halls of Caler&Company (What? They’re hallowed to us…) you can find both cluttered desks, and desks that veritably shimmer with immaculateness. Some members of our team are called to alphabetize their paperclips, and some of us need to dig archaeological trenches to find last month’s expense reports.

And it doesn’t matter a bit. Not as long as we’re creating powerful marketing communications that get results for our clients. (We totally are.)

Because what works for each of us is, unsurprisingly, that which works for each of us. Trying to force our Oscar Madisons into Felix Unger-shaped pigeonholes wouldn’t just be futile, it’d be counterproductive. It would mess with this precious success-formula of ours. We can’t have that.

Maybe this philosophy would work for your business? It just might. Give it a try. Instead of driving wedges between your neatniks and your paper-hoarders, try just letting them be themselves. If they give you their best work, you know you’re on the right track.

And if you still need a dichotomy, then try this one on for size: If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, what's an empty desk a sign of?

The C4:

1. The hullabaloo between those who neatly organize their desks, and those who, um, don’t, is getting a little nasty. The two sides have gone beyond questioning each other’s work methods. Seems like they’re now questioning each others' sanity, patriotism, and commitment to the survival of mankind.
2. Which means we’re taking taking this way too seriously. It comes down to this: It’s your desk. Can you find everything you need? Can you get your work done? Can you not just perform, but excel? Then great — organize (or disorganize) anyway you choose.
3. That’s how we run things here. At Caler&Company, we’re judged on our results, not the state of our desktops. Makes sense, doesn’t it? There’s more than enough divisiveness to go around.
4. For example, much as we love our coworkers, would you believe that come Sunday, some of these people are going to be rooting for the wrong team? Now that is truly a sign of some kind of messed-up mind.