I am Avy Leghziel, an organizational consultant and trainer with a knack for unorthodox ideas. This is Masters of Babel: here, I share insights on how we work, learn and manage.

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Two ideas worth exploring

01 • No one likes a whining workforce

Over the past year we’ve seen strikes against the introduction of automation to reduce human capital, from dockworkers to video game actors (yes, that’s a real job—and surprisingly fun to watch).

The message of the protesters seems to be: “Don’t replace us with machines,” echoing a familiar cry from history:

• Early 1800s: English textile workers terrified of mechanized looms and knitting frames protested by destroying those machines.

• 1830s: English farmers freaked out about being replaced by threshing machines and rioted.

• Mid-20th century: elevator operators in New York and Chicago, convinced their friendly smiles were worth more than numbered buttons, went on multiple strikes.

We all know how those protests ended.
Fighting against cost-effective technological solutions just doesn’t work.

Singapore seems to have figured out a good solution. Their government heavily subsidizes second degrees or professional courses for all citizens aged 40 to 60, making them almost free of charge.

They understood that:

• People need to be incentivized to pursue lifelong learning and have multiple careers in one lifetime.

• The real problem isn’t AI or automation — it’s the professional stagnation of low-skilled workers.

• The best way for the government to intervene is to use public funds to expand access to professional development and help people re-enter the job market.

The smart approach: invest in human capital development based on what the market needs.
The broken approach: give attention to groups that have a personal interest in blocking progress.

02 • There’s a reason why they are called “Smart-ies”

Smarties, the candies company, have been doing the same thing for 75 years. They had chances to sell out but didn’t take them. They could have developed new products but chose not to. Against everything we hear about the need to innovate and diversify, the company keeps on breaking sales records and have no intention to change their strategy.

The tech world has conditioned us to think that every company should follow the same path: start-up → scale-up → exit. But there are other business models that work just as well. Innovation is just one of many strategic options. 

Of course, not everyone can pull this off. The product needs to be great, and the brand must stay sharp and appealing. Betting on the same winning horse for decades is risky—but so is spending millions on R&D.

When Is innovation the right strategy?

• When current market solutions aren’t good enough. Example: Lemonade disrupted the insurance industry by offering a simple app as an alternative to traditional insurance processes (endless wait times and bureaucracy).

• When new opportunities can be leveraged for an audience ready to upgrade. Example: The pandemic boosted contactless payments from 3% to 25% of total payments in the US.

• Moonshots. Big, bold ideas with business potential that require a major technological leap. Example: CRISPR, the gene-editing technology that can cure genetic diseases.

In my consulting practice I hear "innovation" thrown around like magic dust that fixes everything. It usually boosts team morale and makes managers feel like they’re working on something cool and cutting-edge.

Is it effective? I’ve only seen it work when it’s a true game-changer — not when it’s picked just because it sounds adventurous.

Unrelated

You’ve been opening new books wrong your whole life. Let the “most famous bookbinder America has produced” explain how to do it right.

One more thing

You have an iPhone and want to move more than one app from one screen to another. You think that the only way is to do it one by one. You are wrong.

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