Late Capitalism – early morning insights from down the rabbit hole…
I struggle with the big issues the planet is facing, and some days it feels like a never ending cycle of things to be concerned about, which is one reason that I am grateful for The Conversation, which shares evidence-based, unbiased journalism on a daily basis.
Going down the rabbit hole one morning, I found myself reading an article about late capitalism.* “We live in a time of late capitalism, but what does this mean and what’s so late about it?” Apparently, “late capitalism” is a trending term.
You may already be familiar with it, but “in modern usage, late capitalism often refers to a new mix of high-tech advances, the concentration of (speculative) financial capital, post-Fordism, and a growing income inequality” (Wikipedia).**
The Conversation article gives a thoroughly researched summary, which I won’t recreate here. Really fascinating. Who would have thought commentary on economics and societal trends could be so compelling?
I am sharing today in the context of learning because this quote in the article grabbed my attention.
“More recently, Jonathan Crary, in his book Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep, argues our current version of 24/7 capitalism, enabled by intrusive technologies and social media, is eroding basic human needs such as sufficient sleep. It is also eliminating the useless time of reflection and contemplation.”
The useless time of reflection and contemplation!
To be able to comment authoritatively, I need to read the book as well as the article, of course. But it’s clear that the author is being ironic regarding time used for reflection and contemplation. For many leaders and organisations, it’s what is severely lacking today: the ability to slow down and think things through. To learn from our mistakes and navigate uncertain times, we need a level of awareness where we can critically evaluate and deeply reflect.
I am on a one-woman mission to build the reflection muscle in our organisations through the stealth modes of Coach M and TLA coaching. Time and time again, we have people express surprise at the power of taking 20–30 minutes to think deeply about their goals.
Today, take time to reflect on what’s worked well for you in the past. What do you want to be different as you move forward? And what can you do to make that happen?
And how can you support your leaders to reflect more on a regular basis? Reflection with concrete actions tied to an individual’s objectives is never wasted.
If we really are living in an era of late capitalism, your leaders will need every tool available to them.
Give me a call to find out more about our 9-month development support package for leaders.
Reference links:
*You can read the whole article in The Conversation here.
https://theconversation.com/we-live-in-a-time-of-late-capitalism-but-what-does-that-mean-and-whats-so-late-about-it-191422
**Late Capitalism – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_capitalism
***Late Capitalism and the Ends of Sleep – https://www.amazon.com/24-Late-Capitalism-Ends-Sleep/dp/1781683107