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Legos new building kit will turn your wall into an ode to 80s graffiti art. The latest in Legos art-inspired sets is a customizable brick-built version of Keith Harings dancing figures, an instantly recognizable motif of five breakdancing stick figures articulated in Harings iconic pop art style. The kit comes with 1,773 pieces, can be mounted on stands or affixed to a wall, and stands at just over a foot tall. It retails for $119.99 and is set to hit Legos website and land in stores on May 15. In recent months, Lego has been working to build out a more extensive catalog of eye candy kits aimed at adults, ranging from a Lego-based version of Leonadro da Vincis Mona Lisa to a detailed re-creation of Vincent van Goghs Sunflowers and even a modern version of Art Hokusais 1831 woodblock print The Great Wave. The Dancing Figures kit is one of Legos first forays into a more contemporary artists work, and its also the companys first art kit thats specifically designed to be configured by a group. [Photo: LEGO] Designing dancing figures for Lego The Dancing Figures kit might be one of the most modern motifs to join Legos art repertoire, but somehow the characters new life as a Lego set feels inevitable. Thats probably because since Harings death in 1990, his art has appeared on everything from chess sets to Dr. Martens and inflatable home decor. During the height of his career in 1980s New York City, Harings greatest love was street art and graffiti, and he famously preferred to make art that would be viewable by the masses rather than tucked inside a gallery. He also arguably spearheaded the commodification of his own work through a merch outlet called Harings Pop Shop, which sold buttons, stickers, and posters for ultra-low prices. At the time, he faced a healthy dose of backlash from the fine art world for reproducing his own art commercially. Since then, though, his work has become so ubiquitous that echoes of it persist in fashion design, graffiti, and the same gallery spaces that once criticized him. [Photo: LEGO] Milan Madge, master model designer at Lego, led the design of the new Dancing Figures kit. Madge says his team worked in collaboration with the Keith Haring Foundation to bring the motif to life, including by accessing archival materials held by the foundation to stay true to his unique style. Getting to choose Keith Harings Dancing Figures was a wonderful choice to have, Madge says. The original piece perfectly captures the spirit of joy, motion, and connection that defines much of his work. The energetic, rhythmic forms express a sense of celebration and unity, radiating a vibrant, lively energy. Using Lego bricks as a medium was also a great fit, and it presented a fun challenge to see if we could replicate the fine lines of the original artwork within the Lego brick format. [Photo: LEGO] In many ways, the colorful, playful style of both Haring and Lego made this the ideal collaboration. Still, meshing the two presented some design quandariesnamely, how to capture the dynamic movement of Harings oft-depicted dancing figures in a kit that follows a precise structure and relies on a selection of base shapes. Ultimately, the Lego team decided to lean into the hidden geometry that underpins the Lego brick. The big leap we took was removing the background from the characters and making them freestanding sculptures. That really unlocked the potential of the Lego system in terms of geometry, Madge says. In order to capture the dynamism of Harings work, we started angling parts of the model, a figures arm or leg, or in the case of the blue breakdancing figure, their entire lower body. The angles allowed us to both capture the forms of Keith Harings dancing figures and, importantly, the consistent bold black line which was a staple of his style. [Photo: LEGO] Adult book clubs and crafting circles, rejoice! The actual format of Legos Dancing Figures kit is also meant as an homage to Harings style. Whereas most Lego art sets are sequential and require every step to be performed in a specific order, the lively characters in this set stand on their own and come with five individual instruction booklets, meaning it’s easy to complete the set in a group without squabbling over a shared manual. Each figure can be arranged in different ways, fostering creativity and individual expression, much like street art, Madge says. This approach gives people more options for showcasing their art, almost like graffiti. Based on Legos product shots for the kit, its pretty clear who the company is marketing this set to: twentysomethings and thirtysomethings with plenty of Lego nostalgia, a bit of their own cash to burn, and an eclectic apartment to decorate.
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How many times have you been asked by someone at work whether you know about a particular project, are familiar with a specific concept, or know a person? Chances are, you have answered yes to that question a few times when you did not, in fact, know what they were talking about. There are several reasons why people will say the know things they dont. For one thing, there is a desire in conversations to be cooperative with your partner. When they ask a question, the default cooperative answer is usually yes, so you often go with that default. On top of that, it you may feel deficient if youre lacking knowledge or awareness that someone else has. Despite these temptations to overstate what you know, there are good reasons to admit when you lack the information you have been asked about. Opportunities for mentorship Admitting that there is something (or someone) you dont know creates a vulnerability. You have demonstrated a potential weakness to someone else. However, it also opens up a chance for someone to teach you something you dont know. Most colleagues would like to be helpful, and when they know you have a gap in your knowledge they might be willing to teach you. This willingness to admit ignorance to others also enables you to be more honest with yourself. You can’t begin to fill gaps in your knowledge until you do a reasonable inventory of what you do and dont know. This honest appraisal opens you up to the lessons that others may have for you. It may also help you to recognize gaps in your understanding of projects going on at work and people you need to know. All of this is likely to make you more effective in the long run. Building trust Often, you dont want to appear to have a gap in your knowledge, because you believe that will decrease your value in the eyes of others. But merely saying you know something or someone doesn’t have much of an impact on how other people view you. It’s your ability to use knowledge or to engage your social network that provides value. In fact, your willingness to admit what you dont know often increases peoples trust in you. When people know that you are willing to be clear when you dont have knowledge or connections, then they are better able to rely on you for the knowledge you claim. In general, owning your limitations gives other people more confidence in your abilities and your work. Setting an example A true learning organization is one in which people strive to improve their knowledge and skills. When you admit what you dont know, you also open up the opportunity to learn something. It’s a great example for the people around you when you hear about something new, acknowledge that it is new to you, and then go out and find out more. This cycle of admitting a lack of knowledge and getting educated is particularly important for senior leaders in an organization to go through. People across an organization are looking to leaders to set the tone for the way the organization functions. When senior leaders portray themselves as knowing everything, then they are treating knowledge and skill gaps as a weakness rather than an opportunity. That attitude will trickle down in ways that limit the learning of all team members. Bonus: Flip the default on questions If you really want to know what other people know, you should ask your questions differently. Rather than saying, Do you know . . .? which has the cooperative answer yes, start your questions with things like I find a lot of people are confused by, . . . or Something that took me a long time to understand is . . . These phrases create the presumption that the cooperative answer is to admit that you have a gap in your knowledge. This framing of questions increases the likelihood that people will let you know when they dont know something.
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E-Commerce
Youre applying for a job and made it to the next step in the hiring process: the dreaded personality assessment. Few people like to take these testsespecially when a job offer hinges on it. And are these tests even legit? You want to showcase that youre right for the job, and some of the questions seem like no-brainers. For example, if youre asked to assess statements such as I like to learn new skills by choosing from strongly agree, agree, neither agree nor disagree, disagree, strongly disagree, youll likely choose strongly agree. Others are more nuanced, such as being asked to complete this sentence: When I set goals at work, I choose . . . Objectives I feel confident I can attain Objectives that feel challenging but attainable Objectives that are part of a bigger goal Objectives that would make me feel good to achieve Um . . . all the above? While you can answer questions based on what you think the company wants to hear, doing so comes with significant risks, says Matt Poepsel, vice president of talent optimization for The Predictive Index, a behavioral assessment tool. In psychology circles, we call it impression management, he says. You try to dress your best and show up on time, even if you don’t always do those things. It also extends over to behavioral or personality assessments that employers give. What Happens When You Game Tests Pretending on an assessment sets you up for problems later if you tilt your answers toward what you think the employer might be looking for but theyre the opposite of your true self. Its the ultimate career self-sabotage, says Poepsel. If you actually get the job, that’s almost the worst thing that could happen, he says. Now the types of tasks that they bring to you are going to be for this person that you’re not. When you land a job through falsified test results, you could feel like you must curtail certain parts of your personality that are natural for you, which could cause stress, anxiety, and eventual burnout. In addition, you will need to expend a tremendous amount of energy to do the types of tasks that weren’t a great fit for you in the first place. For example, if you present yourself as detail-oriented and youre not, youll need to bring a level of concentration to your role that’s unnatural to you. When that happens, especially for early career people, imposter syndrome begins to set in, and then performance begins to take a hit, says Poepsel. All of a sudden, you’re having those difficult conversations with your employer, and it’s really on you, because you decided that getting the job was more important than being a great fit for the job. Its like walking around in the wrong shoes, thinking this is what the employer wants me to wear. But wearing shoes that are too tight is not a comfortable way to go through your workday. What Employers Need to Do While its important that candidates answer questions honestly, employers have a responsibility in how they use assessments, too. Their misuse can be detrimental to the company in the long run. Poepsel recommends using a live interview to cross-check a candidates answers. For example, if an employer needs someone detail-oriented for a job, they may look for assessment answers that demonstrate formality and compliance. A behavioral affirming interview question might be, Tell me about a time when you’ve had to bring a tremendous amount of detail orientation to a project that you’re working on. Someone who authentically has these traits should be able to provide a detailed answer to the question. Assessments are just one tool employers can use to find their next great employee, and answering behavior test questions honestly shouldnt necessarily exclude someone from getting a job offer, says Poepsel. Ultimately, the manager owns the gaps, he says. If theyre hiring somebody for a role that’s highly detail-oriented, and youre detail-oriented but not super detail-oriented, that’s totally fine. The manager can provide coaching, training, tooling, and support to overcome that natural gap. We don’t need a 10-out-of-10 person. If somebodys an eight out of 10, they just need different types of resources and support.
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E-Commerce
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