Author: sethmsparks

How we get merit and common sense wrong.

By sethmsparks

Let’s challenge the myths of meritocracy and common sense, revealing how our biases and oversimplified ideas often undermine fairness and progress. Let’s explore how DEI practices emerged to counteract human tribalism, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard and valued, leading to more effective and diverse organizations. I argue that “common sense” is a flawed construct shaped by limited experiences, which often fails in our increasingly complex world. Instead of relying on it to guide us, we must embrace critical thinking and evidence-based approaches to create meaningful, equitable change.

The Best Books I Read in 2024

By sethmsparks

In total, I read 28 books this year, which is more than I have in a long time. The biggest factors in being able to pull this off have been cutting out taking-head podcasts (sports, politics, etc.), realizing that fiction is far better to read in audiobook format (for me at least), and taking a…

Gifts I Can Recommend

By sethmsparks

I’m pretty skeptical of a lot of the junk on the ‘zon. In fact, I return about half of what I buy from there. But if you’re still looking for a few gifts for people on your list, here are three of my favorite finds this year (if you don’t mind buying from Amazon): 1)…

You’re Getting Screwed by Ads

By sethmsparks

The amount of time you spend unwittingly watching ads throughout your day is appalling. We often hear the statistic of how many ads we see throughout the day, but we don’t think about how that exposure translates to time. If you want time back to be productive, or even just to watch more Netflix, pay…

The Four Most Basic Leadership Fundamentals

By sethmsparks

Ever catch yourself thinking, “Maybe I’m just not leadership material”? Or perhaps you’re wondering why your leadership mojo isn’t landing like it should? Say hello to Distributed Leadership—a game-changing approach that proves you don’t have to be a flawless leader to make a big impact. By tapping into key leadership skills like sense-making, relating, visioning,…

Does Modern Church Need More Sunshine and Less Spotlight?

By sethmsparks

I Blame Lula Rogers Remember “Pure Country”? That feel-good movie where country singer Dusty ditches the pyrotechnics and laser shows to get back to his roots? The one about dancing chickens, and the little white bit at the top of chicken poop still being chicken poop? Yep, that one! As a kid, I watched that…

GetTogether: Find Friends to Game With (Portfolio Piece)

By sethmsparks

For: Kent State University, UX Masters Program Role: Student, UX Lead When: Fall 2019 Summary This project required us to come up with a new app idea and create a working prototype. I decided that the market needed a better way for gamers to find friends that they would enjoy playing with based on more…

Member Experience Network (Portfolio Piece)

By sethmsparks

For: Nationwide Insurance | Role: Employee, Project Lead | 2016-2019 Summary In 2016 Nationwide’s affinity program invested in a thought leadership initiative to educate non-profit partners on how to craft a best-in-class member experience. I led the development of two major portions of this program, developing the website and managing all marketing and communications strategies. Using a variety of…