Tomorrowmind Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection—Now and in an Uncertain Future

Long before he became “the human error,” before computers had even entered the picture, plan A, for Graeme Payne, was the army.

Graeme grew up middle class in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the 1970s, the oldest of three. As a boy he’d relished structured activities that required him to master new skills. Rugby, an early passion, remains a pillar of family activity for Graeme and his own sons today.

In high school, Graeme joined the Army Cadets, where he quickly rose up the ranks, his discipline drawing the admiration of peers. He also nurtured a love for tinkering and building. When Ferrymead, a local historic park, received the gift of a massive anti-aircraft gun, he recruited friends to help restore it. The gleaming gun complete, Graeme used the effort’s success to launch the founding of a military museum.

Not every idea met with success. A renegade foray into bagpiping ended… swiftly.