📰Headline Shocker
The Character Revolution Has Begun.
Work In Progmess: Your weekly reminder that there’s no app for self-awareness.
AUSTIN, TX — In a stunning blow to the high-functioning, experts confirmed this week that human character—not productivity—has emerged as the ultimate competitive edge.
The shift, now being referred to as The Character Revolution (a term coined by organizational psychologist Adam Grant in Hidden Potential), has blindsided millions of professionals who thought empathy was optional and self-awareness was a hobby.
🗓️ Calendar Guy Cracks
“I’ve optimized every part of my life,” whispered Landon Marks, a well-branded “output strategist” who currently uses four different task apps and refers to his to-do list as “The Stack.”
“But yesterday someone asked how I was really doing. And I just…froze.”
Marks, like many, built his identity on efficient systems, asynchronous updates, and bragging about inbox zero. He’s now seeking emergency coaching after realizing “listening” requires more than waiting for your turn to talk.
📉 Hard Skills Flatline As Soft Skills Surge
Industry reports show a massive spike in demand for professionals who can:
- Navigate disagreement without - per my last email
- Apologize without calendar invites
- Maintain eye contact during difficult conversations
One SaaS firm has replaced OKRs with Character KPIs, including:
- Radical Candor-to-Cowardice Ratio
- Empathy Latency (measured in seconds)
- Self-Awareness Ping Rate
- Percentage of Feedback Taken Without Crying or Tweeting
📈 Productivity Gurus in Freefall
“My entire personal brand was built on batching tasks and hydration habits,” sobbed one digital nomad who asked to remain anonymous. “Now companies are hiring people who can hold space? What even is that—an app?”
🧠 Work in Progmess Editorial Analysis
We’ve spent the last decade optimizing everything—our inboxes, our diets, our internal monologues. But somewhere along the way, we forgot how to be decent. Not efficient. Not impressive. Just…decent.
Turns out, no one’s looking for another time-blocked thought leader who treats collaboration like a calendar event.
They’re looking for someone who can do the hard stuff:
- Admit they were wrong
- Actually care about the people they work with
- Handle silence without filling it with bullet points
The future isn’t about doing more. It’s about being better. Which, tragically for some, can’t be templated.
