Thank Goodness It's Monday #430

GET THE JOB DONE

THROUGH OTHERS

Part Two

 

“So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work.” Management mastermind Peter Drucker rightly pointed that out.
 

But I bet we can each recall at least several glaring examples of bosses who often hurt progress as much as they helped others accomplish agreed-to mutual goals.
 



Steve Carell
who portrayed the well-meaning
but Peter-Principle-impaired boss
Michael Scott in the American version
of the long-running TV series
"The Office"

And now, having risen in the ranks –

 

We don’t want to be that boss, do we?

 

Damn right we don’t. So here, as promised last week, are the “back” half-dozen of 12 proven-in-action steps that enable good bosses to get the job done through others.

#7: Keep them involved, but free of your management burden.  The more people know about how the company is doing, the more they feel part of the company and loyal to it. But they don’t need to know everything you know all the time.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: The superior employee should also be an insulator.  When your boss is on the rampage and turning up the heat, the people you lead shouldn’t necessarily know it and suffer.  Presumably, since you’ve risen in the ranks, you’re being compensated at a level they are not. So understand this and act accordingly: What you’re getting extra pay for is to constructively dissipate that heat and to use it to achieve the company’s goals.

 

 #8: Honesty is the best policy.  Sincerity is a close runner up.  Some of your management responsibilities may preclude being entirely open with the people you supervise.  So when you can’t honestly share information with them, sincerely tell them just that.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Never lie. Inevitably you’ll be found out your credibility will vanish like the dew in the morning sun. To gain the confidence of your staff, sincerely tell them that you can’t tell them … that as soon as you’re able you will tell them … then ask them to keep giving their all. Odds are they will, especially when you establish a reputation for keeping your part of the bargain.

 

#9: Put yourself in their place. You know what you want. You know what you mean to say. But the people you supervise will most likely hear what they expect.  And that’s seldom the same as the message you want to deliver.

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION:  Anticipate misunderstanding. Try to think as your people do and address concerns before they arise. But be ready to take action when you’re not clearly understood. Listen to what they say is bothering them. Empathize. Smooth ruffled feathers. This will calm most troubled waters.

 

#10: Be a benign dictator. It may come as a surprise to many employees but most businesses do not – and could not – run democratically.  Yes, everyone may be entitled to their opinion.  But the boss’ opinion, and the opinion of the boss’ boss and on up to line are what prevail.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION #1: Strive to reach an accord whenever possible. But if it comes down to “their way” and what you’re absolutely convinced is “the right and only right way”, use your rank and tell them exactly what it will be and how you will be solely responsible for any negative outcome.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION #2: If things come to a loggerhead, and you can’t break the jam, tell people to do it your way first and then also their way. Explain that this plan, while creating double work, will allow you to pass the results to higher management to judge the correctness of each action.

Payoff: Don’t be surprised if 99% of the time “their way” never gets tried. The rightness of your experienced view will likely reveal itself to the reluctant subordinate.

#11: Make profits and make time. The number one goal of every organization -- and even “not for profits” -- is to operate profitably.  That’s your managerial/leadership responsibility to the company.  Your responsibility to the people you oversee is to make time for everything they need from you to contribute to the profitability goal.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION:  Whenever a subordinate wants to impinge on your time, strive to be accommodating.  Beyond emergencies, if you’re deeply involved in your own tasks or administrative procedures, you may ask for a delay.  But try to say when you’ll be available.  Make it sooner rather than later.  Then make it so.

#12: Big fleas have little fleas. The favorite piece of doggerel one manager shares with his people at appropriate moments goes like this: 

Big fleas have little fleas,

sit on their backs and bite ‘em.

Little fleas have smaller fleas,

and so on, ad infinitum.

What does this mean for you as a manager and the people who look to you for guidance?

 

Simply this: The better the job is done, the happier everyone up and down the line will be. So resist the urge to go easy on anyone who reports to you. If you must “get on their backs and bite ‘em” to get the job done right, do it. The consequences are being bitten yourself.

Caring is sharing. Hope you cared for these people-empowering nuggets and can use them effectively in the eventful days ahead.

Wrap-up Reminder: If you gained some new insight or found some “reminder” value in any or all of the 12-in-total people-handling guidelines, pass ‘em along to the people you rely on to get more and better work from others.

Sharing is caring. And the more people who can do things well, the more easily and better things will be done.

 

Gettin’ ‘er done every Monday.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S.  “The genius of a good leader is to leave behind him a situation which common sense, without the grace of genius, can deal with successfully.” Writer, reporter, and political commentator Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) made that observation.

Thank Goodnes It's Monday #429

GET THE JOB DONE

THROUGH OTHERS

Part One

The Peter Principle – remember that bit of managerial insight put forward and popularized by Laurence J. Peter (the namesake of the principle) and Raymond Hull?

 

The Peter Principle also maintains that
"work is accomplished by those employees
who have not yet reached
their level of incompetence."

The capsule version: The principle holds that in a hierarchy, members are promoted as long as they work competently. And eventually they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent (their "level of incompetence"), and there they remain. 

Maybe you’ve had a Peter Principle boss. Although humorous, the book contains many real-world examples and thought-provoking explanations of human behavior.

• The ace salesperson who’s made manager, but is not cut out for life behind the desk.
• Or the creative genius who produced brilliant designs, then flopped when she was promoted to marketing manager.

How about you? Have you, along your career track, been asked to assume responsibilities beyond your immediate competencies? Do you suspect that, just perhaps, over time you’ve been given such increasing responsibility and authority that you can no longer work competently?

Fear not! Odds are, you’re more than capable. Don’t be afraid you risk becoming yet another Peter Principle statistic.

►Good news: The missing ingredient that causes most Peter Principle “failures” is lack of people-handling skills.

►Better news: You don’t need years of study or intensive training in an MBA program to put sound people-empowering skills into action.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: This Monday and next TGIM is sharing a dozen easy, proven-in-action steps to enable you to get the job done through others.  

Here are the first six:

#1: When you delegate, delegate. Every person has a style. And no two styles are quite the same. So, although you may have had great success doing things your way when you were in their position, don’t insist that the people you oversee do every part of the job exactly the way you would do it. 

The goal is to get the job done correctly in an allotted amount of time. Style is secondary. 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Show people how you think they might improve the way to tackle a task. But in doing so, strive to improve what they already do, to make it better. Don’t force your way on them or un-delegate a task because you feel your way is the way.

#2: R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me. Maybe you’ve had a boss who made you shake in your shoes with fear that you wouldn’t or didn’t do a job to his 100% satisfaction. 

Well, don’t confuse fear with respect. There are many ways to get people to fear you, but just one way to get their respect: The old fashioned way – earn it.  And working from this position of strength, you can accomplish much more.

 

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Earn respect by showing you can do what you’re asking others to do. Then you’ll find people willing to do as you ask not only because you’re their boss, but because they respect your ability.

#3: Let go of the best parts. This is especially true if you’re a “working” supervisor, out there on the firing line, also doing the chores that the people you supervise are doing.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION:  Your elevation to an oversight position says you’ve already made your mark. Now let other people make theirs. Don’t keep the choice assignments for yourself. Strive to equitably distribute the good and the bad, difficult and easy. Let others share in the challenge and the glory.

#4: Provide growing room.  Can you remember how annoying it was to have a boss who was always peering over your shoulder? You don’t want to be like that yourself. Yet, on the other hand, if you have managerial responsibility, you must manage. 

The solution lies in an old management adage: “People do what you inspect, not what you expected.”

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Keep the work coming to you for review. Either look at all of it all of the time or investigate a random sample at regular intervals. This way you can keep tabs on your responsibilities without annoying the dickens out of your charges.

#5: Little stick, BIG carrot.  Mistakes happen. When they do, point them out, share how they may be avoided, then get on with business. The first or second time someone makes a not-fatal error, try not to assign direct blame. People work better if they don’t feel apprehensive about the task at hand.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Never blast anyone for an error in front of colleagues. If things get to that degree of incorrectness, deal with them in private. On the other hand, praise for a job done well is best given in public. Just be sure you’re not playing favorites. Try to praise the work of everyone over the course of time.

#6: Give credit to many. Accept blame for many. This is akin to big carrot, little stick. When things are going well, make sure everyone gets the kudos. When things are amiss, shoulder more of the blame yourself.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION:  For the good things talk to people using phrases such as “your department”. Or send a memo up the line (and share a copy for all to see) praising the efforts of “everyone in the group”. For the foul-ups remark how “my monthly report wasn’t well-received” or “I guess I didn’t realize how big a backlog the department was facing”.  Then enlist everyone in remedying the wrong.

That’s six down. Hope these half-dozen People-Empowerers prove sufficiently useful in the days ahead to get you tuning in for Round Two.

Six to go. As Laurence J. Peter would remind us, “Work is achieved by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence.”

Not (necessarily) For Your Eyes Only: If you’re already boss enough to have easy command of these Peter-Principle Overpowerers, remember back to the days when you were gaining mastery. Look back down the ranks at those who will follow in your competent footsteps. Ease their way and speed their progress by sharing. 

TGIM CHALLENGE: Management mastermind Peter Drucker rightly pointed out, “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” 

Don’t let others settle into incompetence. It’s a principled, “Everyone Wins” proposition.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com 

P.S.  “I like people who can do things.” The very competent  and principled motivator of people Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) made that undated entry in his journal for 1846.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #428

WHO’S ON FIRST?

ZEN WISDOM WE CAN EASILY RELATE TO

“Good pitching will always stop good hitting. And vice versa.”
 

That classic bit of Casey Stengel’s wisdom was repeated in a recent conversation about the 2013 Major League Baseball pennant races (and the floundering performance of the Yankees).

And it prompted a bystander observe –

 

“Very Zen.”

 

Now, I’m no authority. Let’s be up front about that. Not about things Zen or baseball.

But that perhaps-snarky comment in passing felt like it made some sense although I’m not sure that, in Zen mindset, you can maintain that things make sense precisely. (As I said, I’m no Zen authority.) 

TGIM CHALLENGE: So I began poking around for my entertainment and education to see if I could come up with additional semi-contemporary western “wisdom” that seemed to fill the bill and enlighten me and -- since I’m sharing via this message – you in some way.

When I expressed that idea aloud to the gathered sports fans they, of course, maintained that there were many Stengel-isms that probably qualified. And, of course they’re right. But you can check those out for yourself.

And Casey leads invariably to Yogi. Not a Far Eastern mystical yogi, of course, but our own baseball-centric Jersey neighbor, master of the mangled phrase, Yogi Berra.

Here’s a Yogi-ism that feels particularly right: “How can you think and hit at the same time?” 

Something Zen-like lies in that utterance, don’t you think?

So let’s quickly and very broadly sketch out an operating definition of Zen for our purposes, and then I’ll share some of the Western wisdom I’ve come across in my brief and peripatetic search for this unique way of looking at the world and our place in it.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: How about this non-sectarian premise: A Zen mindset is grounded in the idea and ideal that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation and intuition, rather than through formalized and prescribed scripture.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: How about the “enlightenment” inherent in these non-sectarian insights:

►“Computers are useless. They only give you answers.” Pablo Picasso said that.

►On her deathbed Picasso patron and novelist/poet Gertrude Stein asked: “What is the answer?” No answer came. She laughed and said, “In that case what is the question?” Then she died.

► “There is nothing either good or bad but that thinking makes it so.” Shakespeare gives that line to Prince Hamlet in Act 2, Scene 2 of the eponymous play.

► “Must it be? It must be!” Beethoven wrote that (in German) under the introductory slow chords in the last movement of the String Quartet #16 – the last major work he wrote. The whole movement is headed “Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß” ("The Difficult Decision"). 

► “We are here and it is now. Further than that is moonshine.” Journalist, critic and notorious curmudgeon H. L. Mencken made that pronouncement.

► “No ideas but in things.” Poet, MD and Jersey Boy William Carlos Williams said that.

► “I believe a work of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” Poet and buried-in-New Jersey Boy Walt Whitman said that.

► “see without looking, hear without listening, breathe without asking.” Poet W.H. Auden wrote that in For The Time Being, a long poem written during the dark times of World War II.

► “He did each single thing as if he did nothing else.” Charles Dickens shares that description in the novel Dombey and Son. 

►1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.

2. From discord, find harmony.

3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

These so-called “Three Rules of Work” are widely attributed to Albert Einstein (although I can’t find an original citation)

► “When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live.” Dictionary creator Samuel Johnson said that.

► “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.” John Lennon famously used that line in his posthumously released song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”.

► “Ah but I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.” Bob Dylan sang that refrain in his song “My Back Pages” on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan.

TGIM TAKEAWAY: I’ve got more, but that’s nearly enough for now. 

Let’s wrap this TGIM up with a return to our –

Baseball starting point. While we were light-heartedly sharing ideas about the Zen/baseball confluence, the observation was made, “You know, the Abbot and Costello classic ‘Who’s On First’ has a Zen-like riff to it.”

 

I kinda agree. To help get you remembering here’s a bit of how it goes in one version:

On June 26, 1992, the city of Paterson, NJ
—in conjunction with the
Lou Costello Memorial Association—
erected this "Lou's On First" statue.

Costello: You gonna be the coach … ?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names?

Abbott: Well I should.

Costello: Well then who's on first?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: I mean the fellow's name.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy on first.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The first baseman.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy playing...

Abbott: Who is on first!

Costello: I'm asking YOU who's on first.

Abbott: That's the man's name.

Costello: That's who's name?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: That's who?

Abbott: Yes.

You can also take about 8 minutes to see the complete version of it from the 1953 “Actor’s Home” television episode, here: Abbott & Costello Who'sOn First. (The heart of the routine starts about a minute in.)

Then consider this: In my quote gathering I came across the following dialogue, central to Zen studies -- 

“I am going to pose a question,” King Milinda said to Venerable Nagasena.  “Can you answer?”

Nagasena said, “Please ask your question.”

The king said, “I have already asked.”

Nagasena said, “I have already answered.”

The king said, “What did you answer?”

Nagasena said, “What did you ask?”

The king said, “I asked nothing.”

Nagasena said, “I answered nothing.” 

Oh. One way or another, hoping to hear the sound of your one hand clapping out there in the stands. 

Enjoy pondering. Chopping wood and carrying water in the meanwhile. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com 

P.S.  “I’m astounded by people who want to ‘know’ the universe when it’s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown.” Woody Allen, perhaps profoundly, said that.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #427

SOME TIMELY IDEAS

ABOUT COMMUNICATING

ABOUT TIME

The folks in Washington D.C. are running down to deadlines – again. And they’re sending all manner of muddled messages about who will or won’t do what by when.

 

So what else is new? 

 

I know. And while I’m tempted to spill out yet another “negotiating” TGIM missive to remind us more practical, must-get-stuff-done folks how to be accommodating and work toward mutually beneficial resolutions, I’ll resist. 

However, with the attention on deadlines gaining headlines, it also occurs to me that it might be a good opportunity to consider how, especially in daily chatting or correspondence, we can be fairly casual about time.

And while casual is sometimes OK, sometimes it’s necessary to be more precise about what we mean.

Case in point: Later today – the 23^rd – you receive an inquiry from overseas that needs a definitive answer by noon on the 24^{th --} otherwise kiss that big-dollar deal goodbye.

Whose noon? Yours or theirs? 

See how time can change the meaning of words?

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Be aware that, especially in business, someone some day might need to try to interpret your statements in terms of precise time. Think in advance about what you mean, in clock time and calendar time, and state your case precisely. If exact time is important, spell it out.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Here are a few generally accepted “rules” about time (they’re what statutes and lawyers accept, generally)  and exceptions to watch for.

►A day is 24 hours, usually.

It means a 24-hour day, between one midnight and the next. It becomes important if, for example, in your correspondence it’s critical to set an effective date or an expiration date such as when insurance coverage begins or ends.

 

But the “day” may change by custom or statute. So it may end at the end of the usual business day without two business people saying so explicitly. So if there’s doubt, spell out what you mean.

►A month is a calendar month, usually. 

January is a month. February is a month. But each has a considerably different number of days and, in the case of February, even those may differ. On the other hand, sometimes interest is computed according to a uniform 30-day month. So the meaning of “month” to a loan officer is much more precise.

When you write or say “month,” realize you are probably dealing with a period of time rather than a fixed number of days. If the exact number is important, use it.

►A year is a calendar year, usually. 

Right now, if we were to talk about “next year,” the general assumption would be that we’re talking about 2014 – the 12 calendar months, January 1 through December 31.

But that can easily change. For example: how about your company’s fiscal year? Is it the same as the calendar year? For many outfits it isn’t. So if the treasurer is talking with the auditor and they’re talking “year,” which is it?

Or how about a year-long lease, starting October 15? It’s over when? In 365 days (366 in a leap year.)

►The time to do something excludes the first day and includes the last, usually. 

Lawyers have this rule locked down fairly tight since it can affect such things as filing papers in court. So, if, on October 15, the judge says Ms. Attorney has 10 days to file a paper, she doesn’t start counting that day. The first full day is understood to be October 16 making the last day for filing October 25.

 

But watch your language. The rule doesn’t apply if it’s clear that the first day is included. Like the lease we talked about above. We said it starts on October 15. Then the 15^th is the first day because we said, in effect, it counts.

TIMELY TGIM IDEA: Don’t depend on the rules of time. If it needs pinning down exactly and you can control the rules, do it yourself. Say it or write it now the way you want it to be understood and there won’t be any fuss later.

If precise clock time is important, spell it out: 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.

If the day deadline is to be precise, spell it out, converting the day to a date.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Suppose today … September 23, 2013 … at midnight local time … is the last chance to cash the overlooked winning Multi-Mega-Bazillions Lottery Ticket perhaps hiding since last winter in your ski jacket pocket.

Have you missed your opportunity? 

Hope not. The official US Time clock with time zone breakouts and accurate within 0.2 seconds is HERE. 

So we’ll end this TGIM now so you can go check.

Good luck. And if it’s a winner, please remember who got you moving in a timely fashion.

In it to win it.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com

 

P.S.  “There is a critical Minute for all Things.” Chronicler of adages and proverbs Thomas Fuller (1654 –1734) noted that timely observation about timing in 1732 (to be precise).

Thank Goodness It's Monday #426

HEARING A DIFFERENT  LESSON

IN THE CALL OF THE WILD

No less an authority than the Encyclopedia Britannica ranks her “without question one of the most significant contributors to our knowledge of the world around us.”

 

She’s been called “the Einstein of behavioral science” by the Los Angeles Times.

So, as I shared about a dozen years ago with some of my readers, as soon as the scientist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall entered the lecture tent at the Baltimore Book Festival, the overflow crowd was on its feet in sustained applause.

She received the acknowledgement politely, a small figure at the lectern, smiling quietly.

Then, tilting back, she puckered her face and returned their greeting with a robust chimpanzee “pant-hoot” – the distance “Call of the Wild” of the Gombe chimps.

(You can hear her pant-hoot and get a small lesson in chimp communication HERE.)

Apologies if you thought this TGIM was going relate to Jack London’s famous Call of the Wild but this nostalgic little incident jumped to top-of-mind status when I spotted the phrase “pant hoot” in a recent story in the “Arts” section of the newspaper. 

It centered on six chimpanzees who painted pictures to be judged in an art contest.

Jane Goodall was the judge.

The winners received grants for their wildlife sanctuaries.




Jane Goodall's Selection
created by Cheetah



The Voters' (people) Selection
created by Brent

The word “pant-hoot” appears prominently in most versions of the contemporary reporting (here's the USA Today write up) and it made me consider how less mainstream it was when the book festival took place at the turn of the millennium.

Back then Goodall was promoting her poignant and insightful memoir Reason for Hope in which she explores her extraordinary life and personal spiritual odyssey.

At the heart of that story is Gombe. That’s the Tanzanian refuge where Goodall set up a field station a half-century ago and conducted groundbreaking research into the complexities of chimp society.

That revolutionary work forever altered the very definition of “humanity.”

But let’s not get too philosophical. 

And since TGIM isn’t Animal Planet, for our purposes her overarching message for us in our daily roles in business, civic and family life might be “the ability to reach beyond their culture and their immediate surroundings has always been characteristic of the greatest leaders.”

TGIM CHALLENGE: In Reason for Hope Goodall dares us to power up our active idealism with this observation: 

“We will have to evolve, all of us, from ordinary, everyday human beings – into saints! Ordinary people, like you and me, will have to become saints, or at least mini-saints.”

She explains further: “Our knowledge of chimpanzee behavior does, indeed, indicate that our aggressive tendencies are deeply embedded in our primate heritage. 

“Yet so too are our caring and altruistic ones. And just as it appears that our wicked deeds can be far worse than the aggressive behavior of chimpanzees, so too our acts of altruism and self-sacrifice often involve greater heroism than those performed by apes.”

Looking back on her life, experiences, and meetings with world leaders and less celebrated but no less effective leaders, she concludes: 

“What a difference a single individual can make …

Every one of us has a role to play ….

“The blending and mixing of billions of unique life-strands can lead to one person so strong, for good or evil, that he or she can influence billions of others and change the course of history.”

Her research also led her to conclude: “It was obvious that every human, every unique being, played some role in shaping progress, though only some got into the history books. Throughout every second of every day there was change abroad in the world, change due to the impact of mind on mind – teacher and pupil, parent and child, world leader and citizen, writer or actor and the general public.”

Jane Goodall’s talking to us still. “Yes,” she goes on, “each one of us carried seeds for change. Seeds that needed nurturing to realize their potential …. So, I thought, we would simply have to try, each and every one of us, to become just a little more saintly. That surely we could do.”

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Give a hoot; maybe even a pant-hoot. But don’t “monkey” around. (Yes, I know monkeys and chimpanzees are distinctly different. But I couldn’t resist the pun.)

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Do your research carefully and objectively. Ground your positions in fact-based results. Share what you know without accusing or belittling. Seek the involved participation of others, even if you must start small. Build on successes and be active for the betterment of the widest circle.

Jane Goodall is still on the road, creating highly visible events, spreading the word and stumping for conservation and education. The unabashed pant-hoot chimp calls have become a signature. She emits them as a way to bring the distant companions close to herself as well as to touch listeners’ consciences.

Brent

Can you hear them? 

I bet you can.

So how about answering this Call of the Wild? 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com   

P.S.  Every individual matters.

        Every individual has a role to play.

        Every individual makes a difference.

            -- Motto of the Jane Goodall Institute

Thank Goodness It's Monday #425

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

(AND TEACHERS GIVE IT AWAY, FREE)

Well, maybe not “free of charge” completely and absolutely. 

 

But certainly the best teachers give their knowledge away freely.

My friend, sports psychologist
and college professor for
 -- gulp! –
three decades,
Dr. Rob Gilbert.

So with that thought in mind, when I was recently asked for TGIM-like advice to share with young wisdom seekers as they embark on the path of higher education, I turned to my academically based friend Dr. Rob Gilbert for his input.

 

Here’s why: As I have confessed here previously, I was not much of a “student” in my pre-college days but I did get by without a great deal of effort. And, thereafter I was not the most disciplined, high achiever in my early post-high-school days. 

It took me a long time to shape up. Years, actually.

So I can certainly relate to the idea of challenge in the halls of academia. But precisely how to cope at the outset is a bit foreign to my experience. Thus “Do as I say, not as I did” advice from me is not necessarily going to provide the most direct path to success in school.

Instead, I think we should apply one surefire lesson I’ve learned on my meandering educational path and that’s –

 

Go to the source. Rob’s a friend of several decades and for as long as I’ve known him (and longer) his focus has been, first and foremost –

 

Getting students to succeed. Generations of students passing through Montclair State University here in NJ know Dr. Rob as the guy who inspired them right from the get-go with his new student orientation.

And beyond that, I have no idea how many others have also taken his classes and got all that the course curriculum promised – and much more.

 

I DO know that many of his pupils credit him with laying the groundwork for their success.

 

So where else would I turn?

But rather than pester him at this critical, getting-started time of the academic year, to find the wisdom worth sharing I dug out my personally inscribed and autographed First Edition copy of Rob’s opus – 

How To Have Fun Without Failing Out

– 430 Tips from a College Professor

There is so much concise, actionable information packed into this worthwhile volume (actually far more than the enumerated 430 tips) that I was challenged to know what to share in the hope that it’s the right information for the folks who asked for my input. 

I could just pick and choose a bunch at random

… pick one each from the nine chapters

… churn through the perhaps 50 sub-topics within the chapters

… select only from the numerous sidebar items that supplement the text

… share some of the world-class quotes that support the enumerated ideas. 

But then I had this brainstorm:

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Share the specific section that, in the clarity of hindsight, likely would have been most useful to me long, long ago.

 

Here it is: From Chapter Two: Skills to Succeed  –

 

Master Skill #7: Study Skills

 

Tip #90: Study at least two hours every single day, even weekends and holidays, no matter what. Do this from the first day of class until your final final.

 

Tip #91: When you don’t want to study for two hours, apply –

The fifteen-minute rule: Study for fifteen minutes and then see how you feel.

 

Tip #92: Find study partners, especially in courses you think will be particularly difficult. You will end up learning more and meeting new people.

 

Tip #93: Make a ritual of studying. Study at the same time and at the same place every day.

 

Tip #94: The best place to study is where you won’t be disturbed.

 

Tip #95: Work out in the gym. Eat in the cafeteria. And STUDY AT THE LIBRARY.

 

Tip #96: The worst place to study is where you sleep.

 

Tip #97: For your most difficult classes, read related blogs and Google articles – anything to gain a greater understanding of the subject.

 

Tip #98: At some point during the first three weeks of school, spend twelve hours in a room reading and reviewing your textbooks and notebooks. Take bathroom and food breaks only – no phone calls, radio, computer, television, or friends. Just you and your books. Most students think this is impossible. Once you do this exercise, you’ll have new respect for your academic endurance, and studying for two hours a day will be cake.

 

Tip #99: Review … REVIEW … REVIEW!

 

Tip #100: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

 

Tip #101: Take a five- to ten-minute break for every forty to forty-five minutes you study.

 

Tip #102: Keep your promises. This shows friends, family, and acquaintances that you are reliable.

 

Tip #103: Flash cards are (still) a great study aid.

 

Tip #104 During the first two weeks of the semester, study as hard as you would during the last two weeks of the semester.

 

Tip #105: Study the most difficult material first.

 

Tip #106: If you really want to see if you know something, teach it to someone else.

 

TGIM TAKEAWAY: I trust TGIM readers -- each and all, regardless of age or position in life -- are believers in the power of lifelong learning. So while it’s my conviction that Tips #90 thru #106 above can be applied in some way or another by each of us, now, this final Master Study Skill item is a must for us for all time.

Tip #107:

Stop thinking like a student

and start thinking like a teacher.

 

TGIM SUCCESS GOLD: Be proactive in learning new skills or expanding those you already possess. Whether it’s in a formal classroom setting or simply by self-education, without continued growth -- both personal and professional -- people quickly stagnate.

Get out into the world and excite all your senses and inspire your sense of self with exposure to stimulating experiences. Be interested in others. Be interesting to others.

 

Have fun.  And now that you have a better idea of “how to do it” –

Don’t fail out. Teach as well as be taught.

Make sure you’re in a place in your company or community where you share what you know and can share in the experiences, reaction and feedback of the newly informed.

 

Pay it forward. The feedback loop of “education” affords benefits to all parties in the circle.

 

Like, I hope, Rob and me, through efforts such as this TGIM. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com 

P.S.  I’ve heard Rob share this story on more than one occasion and, each time, it never fails to make an impression. See if you agree that it’s both inspirational and motivational:

One day a middle-aged woman clutching a plastic bag close to her chest walked into a picture-framing store.

She looked at the manager behind the counter and said, “I have something in this bag that cost me over $150,000, but it’s worth much more than that.”

“May I see it?” asked the manager.

Carefully and with great pride the woman unrolled her daughter’s college diploma.

 

P.P.S. Other things teachers give away free: Every morning since 1992 Rob has recorded a three-minute-or-so motivational message on his Success Hotline which you can listen to 24/7/365.

Call (973)743-4690

 

And in our NOT not-for-profit world, one source of Rob’s book is via its publisher: HERE.