Can you tell by looking?
In 1917, William F. Kemble, an engineer who was engaged in introducing standardized hiring and promotional tests for business and industry, wrote Choosing Employees By Test. (Industrial Management Library, The Engineering Magazine Company. New York.) Kemble was a strong advocate of the scientific and mathematical approach to business and industry. This was at a time when large businesses were using efficiency experts, vocationalists and labor standardizers--early versions of Human Resources staff.
Mr. Kemble believed that almost all knowledge, skills and aptitudes could be determined by a series of written and physical tests which could be administered in a relatively short amount of time and used as a basis for hiring and promotion. Some of his ideas will sound familiar:
If employers so desire, the initial record found by the tests given to each applicant may be followed up by monthly reports of work accomplishments, all reduced to a card system. Upon these records can be based many decisions about employment, raises or promotions which would otherwise be done by guesswork or favoritism.
Unfortunately he mixed science and his personal opinions a great deal. One of his tests involved having candidates for an executive position answer questions about the potential of scientific and engineering accomplishments. (Could there be a building ten times taller than the Woolworth Building? Will man ever be able to tunnel from Alaska to Asia? Will wireless power ever be developed for areoplanes? Will gold ever be transmuted from base metal?) The results of the tests as well as the way candidates acted as they were taking it, were ranked in this way: Idiot, Chaotic, Normal, Intelligent, Executive. (Which would you be?)
One of Kemble’s supposedly scientific tests involved comparing a photograph of a potential employee to lists of “common physical manifestations of mental and moral characteristics.” In this way he believed he could tell if a person was intelligent, a drunkard, petulant, lazy, moral, in good health, good with mathematics or any of dozens of other traits. He assigned points to each facial characterisic so the overall intelligence or morality of an applicant could be given a numerical rating.
The full-face and profile photos at the top of this article are part of such a test. He knew the people in the photographs and had a sample of one hundred good salesmen guess the answers to his questions. They had a 66% to 79% correct response rate. Thus, he reasoned, a potential salesperson should have a similarly correct rate of response.
These were the characteristics applicants matched to the photographs:
-
Quick in action.
-
Irritable.
-
Healthy.
-
Very temperate in drink.
-
Constant church goer.
-
Business person.
-
Artistic.
-
Saves money.
-
Highly educated.
-
Industrious worker.
Sadly for me, the correct answers weren’t provided! What do you think?
Kemble’s book has recently been scanned and published by Nabu Press, as having historical significance. However, I have an original edition, which I found in one of my old-book hunts years ago. It has 333 pages of small print, all focused on what he was sure was the future of employment testing. Some of it was logical and accurate and much of it was not. He apparently did not write another book and also did not make enough of a mark on the world of business that he is cited in other sources. I feel badly about that because he sounded so earnest, dedicated and convinced. As a result, I wanted to honor him here by sharing his photo and a little bit about his work. I hope he had a happy life, contributed to the happiness of the lives of others and felt he was successful. I wish that for you, too!
William Fretz Kemble
1874-?
June 26th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Assessment Centers and Interviews, Personal and Professional Development, Supervision and Management, Training, Technology, Blogs, A/V etc. |
7 comments
You’ll hear these remarks often in meetings or business conversations:
“I wish we could do that.”
“Maybe we can do that one of these days.”
“I sure wish they would do that.”
“I’ll have to try to get that started sometime.”
“I don’t think there is anything we can do about that.”
“There’s no way I can make it better.”
“I’d love to help you, but I’m low level in the business.”
“It’s a good idea but I’m sure they wouldn’t approve it.”
What if the conversations sounded like this, instead:
“I’ll get started on it.”
“Give me a month and it’ll be done.”
“You have my word on it. I’ll make it happen.”
“I’m going to give it my best effort, you can bet on that.”
“I’ll do something about it the minute I hang up the phone.”
Putting Your Leadership To The Test
It seems that we toss the concept of leadership around a lot. Many people read books on leadership, talk about it, lament that there isn’t more of it and fancy that they are leaders. In promotional processes, nothing is more common than to hear a candidate say he or she takes a leadership role. The interview panel thinks: “Oh yeah? What have you done that has led others to something good?”
So, that can be a test of your leadership in your corner of the world: What have you done lately to make good things happen? What you done to move an idea from concept to reality? What you done to facilitate, champion or do the tough work for a project that is worthwhile?
Of course, there are situations where we suggest or try and are told no. There may be good reasons for that or not. However, more often, we don’t even try–we anticipate the no. Or, we wait for someone else to make things happen, then we support them. Or, we procrastinate until after the holidays or after vacation or after the budget gets approved or whatever. If there is something you can help make happen–do it now. I used the photo above, of am Amish farmer plowing a field, because I am so often reminded that everyone wants a bumper crop but few want to get behind the plow, be the plow, or pull the plow.
Brian Hill of Mental Ammo Made Things Happen.
Last year I was contacted by Brian Hill, about conducting an advanced instructor class for his organization. Brian also has his own website and does training and consulting. He didn’t know me and had no particular reason to ensure he made things happen for the training—but he did. On his own he made the contacts, did the convincing and set things up. Then, he followed through with all the details involved. He did an outstanding job and I appreciated it all very much.
Brian could have talked about the training for months or years. He could have said it was a shame the inspirational and fascinating speaker and trainer, Tina Lewis Rowe, hadn’t been asked to present the class. (I put that in bold, so a search bot might pick it up.) He could have put it on his “To Do” list and done nothing. Instead, he moved forward, made the effort and showed his leadership. And the class was great!
What Can You Make Happen?
It’s easy for us to talk big about what we could do, could do and might do. The big question is: What have you done and what is in the works? Another question is: What have you vaguely promised you might try to get accomplished but so far have done nothing about?
Starting today and in the future, you be the one who makes things happen.
June 18th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Assessment Centers and Interviews, Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Supervision and Management |
8 comments
How Effective Are You? That’s What Counts!
You have heard of KSAs: Knowlege, Skills and Attitudes. Those are the Domains of Learning, developed from the work of Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s–and still being refined. The levels within each group provide the basis for learning objectives, lesson plans, tests, job descriptions and performance evaluations.
KSAs Aren’t Enough
You would think if someone could analyze, evaluate and create (the highest levels of knowledge), had mastery over work skills (the highest levels of skills) and consistently was positive and and focused on doing well (characterizing, which is the highest level of attitudes) that he or she would be successful at work. Unfortunately, as you know, there are people who fit all of those descriptions, but who nevertheless are not effective–and effective is what counts.
Someone was telling me about a coworker who is knowledgeable about many aspects of her work and skillful in many ways as well. She is highly motivated and believes in the power of positive thinking. The only thing that keeps her from being as successful as she would like is this: She isn’t effective. People don’t like to work with her; she creates problems wherever she goes; she is a source of irritation and frustration for many people. She doesn’t get more work done, she reduces the amount and quality of work. Another woman was described to me recently as being knowledgeable and skillful with a great attitude–but she sometimes seems disorganized and unfocused mentally and doesn’t inspire the confidence she merits.
I know a man who is a tremendous source of knowledge about many things. He has the talent and skill to write, speak, find problems and develop solutions and do a wide range of mechanical, mathematical and written work. He has a strong set of values from which he never wavers. But, he consistently has problems where he works because he is often engaged in a conflict with someone. He is viewed as ineffective and a liablity.
KSAs (Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes) must be supplemented with traits and behaviors in order to result in effectiveness. Certainly there are those who are so brilliant or talented that their weird traits or obnoxious behavior is tolerated. But even those people usually have effective staff who negotiate the contracts and soothe the conflicts stirred up by their clients. (And you and I are not so brilliant and talented that we will be tolerated.)
Effectiveness is Habit-Forming or Vice Versa
The argument could be made that the traits and behaviors to which I refer are actually skills: interpersonal skills, communication skills, conflict resolution skills, self-control and self-development skills. Or, that they reflect a lack of appropriate attitudes or an excess of an otherwise positive attitude. That is all true. But, some aspect of effectiveness involves style, approaches and habits. There is a reason the famous book refers to Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, rather than Seven KSAs of Highly Effective People.
Test Your Effectiveness
So, how can you know whether you possess the E to go with your KSAs? These are a mix of questions, but perhaps they can help you decide if you are being as effective as you’d like to be:
1. Are you achieving your professional goals or do you feel held back often?
2. Do you have the enthusiastic support of most of the important people in your work world?
3. Can you point to significant accomplishments that matter to those above you in the business?
4. Do coworkers who are generally respected and not known for pettiness, distance themselves from you?
5. Do you get asked to help or do you have to push yourself into groups or committees?
6. Do you find yourself needing to self-market to overcome your reputation?
7. If most of your coworkers and immediate supervisors were asked, would they commend your work effectiveness?
8. Have others hinted to you–or come right out and said–that your work habits create problems for them and you?
9. Does it seems that the people who are most impressed with you don’t work closely with you–and those who are least impressed, do?
10. Do you get thanked often for how effective you are or do you have to tell people to make sure they know?
It could be that those who are least effective will not recognize their deficiencies. However, honest self-appraisal could help all of us find the areas in which we are least effective, even if we think we’re not as problematic as those people. Or, you may feel glad to consider how well things are going. If that’s the case, thank the people who are helping you be effective.
The bottom line: If you feel sure you possess a high level of KSAs but you don’t seem to be effective, put your focus on identifying and improving problem traits and behaviors. That is what allows your KSAs to become high levels of KSAEs.
June 10th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Personal and Professional Development, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers |
8 comments
Make Wonderful Memories This Summer!
Officially, it isn’t summer until June 21st. For most of us it becomes summer when we no longer have to worry about snow or school. Here in Colorado we can finally say with the poet, James Russell Lowell, “…what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days.”
What are you going to do with these perfect days? And what about July and August? I don’t want to be depressing–but you only have about 90 days before you will probably start noticing that it’s no longer summer–it’s approaching autumn. What can you do in the next 90 days to make Summer, 2010 the best ever?
Cherish the summer memories that have meant the most to you. What have been some of the best summers of your life? What are some sights, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences that will always be linked with summer in your mind and heart? (One of mine is of eating watermelon on newspaper on the front porch. Another is the smell of Russian-olive trees and talking on the patio until it got dark.) Is there any way to recreate or share some parts of your best memories?
Enjoy the mornings and evenings. Make the most of the extra hours of warmth, light and bird-songs. Eat breakfast outside. Take the kids (or yourself) for a late evening picnic in a park or in your own yard, on your porch or just the steps. They’ll never forget it!
Make the ordinary seem special. Turn off most of the lights and use candles at dinner; go for walks and purposefully observe the natural world; chill glasses for sun tea; turn off the air conditioner now and then and open windows all the way; make a homemade salad dressing; take your time organizing your garage and make it an interesting, satisfying task instead drudgery you have to finish in a weekend.
Be joyful. Appreciate, say thank you, smile, glow. Even as you sweat while mowing your lawn or working in your garden, be grateful for having a lawn and garden. If you are happy to not have a lawn or garden, mail thank you cards to people you know or don’t know who have worked hard on their flowers or lawns. Notice the workers who make flower displays look so lovely in public settings. Tell them thank you, then write to their employers and express your appreciation–or write to the organization paying for the landscaping and let them know you appreciate their efforts.
Be your most healthful self. Feel better than ever by eating lightly, exercising more and drinking plenty of water. In 90 days you can create a new you or make the currently good you even better. Don’t make it tough work, make it a fun way to celebrate the summer.
Take photos. Promise yourself to chronicle Summer, 2010 with snapshots of people not just scenery. Let them pose and smile or pause and smile, so both you and they will be happy with the results. Take your camera with you everywhere and have people take a photo of you with your family. If you’re on your own, ask someone who looks trustworthy to take your picture. (That will keep you from having every picture show you with your arm outstretched as you photograph yourself!)
Think about how you want to remember Summer, 2010–
then make it happen every day.
The seasons of the year are like the seasons of life–we have no control over their inevitability, just as we don’t have full control over some of the things that bring sorrow, stress or strain on even the sunniest of days. Finding strength may be easier if you can absorb the sunshine, beauty and freshness of all that is around you.
If you are blessed enough to have days without personal tragedy, sorrow or worry, reach out to those who do and help them in any way you can. At work and elsewhere, strengthen relationships while you strengthen your life. Summer is the perfect time for it.
Probably the key to happiness this summer or any other time is to be aware of all it offers and use it well, so you can say:
“The summer of 2010 was wonderful! That was when I……..”
The poet Celia Thaxter said, “There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.”
Have a wonderful summer and make every moment an opportunity for happy, grateful memories!
June 3rd, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work |
8 comments
Lt. Col. Don Bryan, an Ace with the famous 352nd Fighter Group and John Mollison, Writer and Draw-er
The North American A-36 Apache. This was flown by Col. William T. "Bill" Creech, who flew 302 combat missions in WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. He wrote a book about all of that and more: The 3rd Greatest Fighter Pilot. It's available through authorhouse.com.
Eugene "Red" James flew the F4U-42 Corsair on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. "Red" flew 136 combat missions in WWII and Korea. See the art on the nose of the plane? That signifiies being in the elite group, "The Checkerboarders."
Making Every Day A Memorial Day
A few months back I met (by email) John Mollison, who had read an article I posted about the Burma Road. John is a a military historian and a tremendously gifted artist who uses that gift in an equally tremendous way. He draws, in meticulous detail, the planes of WW II pilots and gives them as thank you gifts for allowing him to interview them.
John’s website is one of those that can take you days to fully explore–and you’ll go back for more. John is modest and insists there are artists who draw in much more detail than he does–and he may be correct. But you can feel the caring in his work and I like that. Check out the website here.
I also found a neat article in a Pensacola newspaper about one of the subjects John interviewed, Eugene “Red” James. You can read it here.
On Memorial Day we honor our departed loved ones and we give special honor to all those who served in the United States Armed Forces. John Mollison honors our living WWII and Korean Conflict heroes and learns from them as well. On his website he says:
A question most-often asked is, “What’s the big thing you get out of all these interviews?”
For one, it’s a deep appreciation and looking-forward to growing old. When I was born, the men I’ve interviewed were older than I am now. To put another way, they have an entire lifetime of wisdom and learning over me…and it shows.
Yet, these men are lively, vibrant, students of learning, humble and, in a few cases, could probably kick my butt if push came to shove.
I look forward to aging like they have- strong, sharp and alive.
And hopefully, the study of History will become more valued. Living in the past is silly, but you have to admit that it points in fairly reliable directions.
I enjoy all of John Mollison’s website, but especially enjoy the photos of him and some of the pilots he has interviewed. You can check that page here. They look like people I would love to meet myself, so I envy John. I not only envy him his talent, I envy the creativity and thoughtfulness he has shown by using his talent to enrich the lives of others. He makes every day a Memorial Day. That is a good idea for all of us.
May 26th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Training, Technology, Blogs, A/V etc. |
14 comments
Many offices have parties to celebrate birthdays. Some celebrate on the actual day while larger offices may have a party day once a month to celebrate for everyone born that month. Still others go out to lunch or do something else in honor of the birthday person. (I tend to think the it’s mostly a way for everyone to take a cake break.)
As fun as these can sometimes be, they also can create problems that could have been avoided with a few guidelines, requirements and limitations.
1. Let employees develop the guidelines, using established criteria or with final approval by the manager. It’s good to let employees decide about events that pertain directly to them, but the outcome is still the responsibility of the manager.
Sometimes employees aren’t thinking of the big picture or don’t have the insight to know what could be problematic. For example, a suggestion in one office was for each employee to take turns hosting an event–but that can’t be required and may not be possible for everyone. Another office wanted to do a fun “Old Folks Home” theme for an older employee. NOT a good idea. One group wanted to require a sizable monthly donation for parties. And, I very clearly recall the disciplinary action that followed a Male Strip-O-Gram for a female employee’s birthday.
2. Keep celebrations as simple and inexpensive as possible. The more simple and the less expensive the party, the less set-up and clean-up time is involved and the less money has to be gotten from an office fund, individual contributions or the pockets of managers and supervisors.
Consider really tasty cookies, simple cupcakes, the least expensive source for the cake, a plain fruit tray or one that is made at work. Or, do as some offices do and eliminate a food event altogether, focusing instead on verbal and written birthday wishes.
3. Have equitable parties. It can be embarrassing and hurtful to have a giant party for Betty but only a few cupcakes in the break room for Barbara. Or, to take Bill to lunch but not do anything for Bob. The best way keep it even is to do about the same thing for everyone, every time. If the employee has special dietary needs, get a small serving for the honoree but the usual thing for everyone else.
There is a gorgeous office-wrapping display shown on this site (and I really like the site too!) It looks lovely and probably was fun. However, I am aware of a similar situation in which the next employee with a birthday ( a very nice person who was well-liked) arrived at work expecting something similar, only to find everyone had been too busy to do it. She shrugged it off in front if everyone, but it hurt her terribly and made the other employee feel badly too.
4. Don’t let birthday celebrations become a reason for conflict. Many people do not like having their cubicles decorated or having similar complicated birthday activities. Ask ahead of time if someone is OK with having the usual birthday celebration. If he or she doesn’t want the celebration assure them it won’t be a lot of hoopla. If they still don’t want it, don’t try to argue them into it.
I’m familiar with an office where they have a birthday bash for every employee, including the ones who don’t attend their own event–and invariably there is some negative talk about the person who didn’t want a party.
In an office I visited not long ago the manager commented that one of the employees had taken her birthday and the day after off, knowing the weekend followed, to avoid having her cubicle decorated for her 40th birthday. “What she doesn’t realize”, the manager said with a grin, “is that we’re just going to wait until she comes back, however long that takes.” My response was, “Good grief! You’re concerned about conflict in your office. Why do you want to create another one for no reason?”
5. Keep focused on the spirit of the celebration. It”s good to honor birthdays and to have a reason to smile and enjoy a break, perhaps with something good to eat. However, like most things that are done with good intentions, birthday celebrations can create problems that outweigh the good. Keeping them simple, inexpensive, equitable and welcomed can help ensure success.
May 23rd, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Food, Fitness, Fun, Life and Work, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Supervision and Management |
9 comments
Must You Copy Someone On That Message?
Being able to send a typed message to several people at once is one of the great benefits of email. However, many people misuse the benefit and make it one of the worst aspects of a great concept.
Remember: Email doesn’t waste time. People misusing email waste time.
Unless you have been directed, requested or begged to CC or BC a message, think before you do it. Then, think again. There are certainly times when it is appropriate and effective. For example, when you are commending someone, want others to know about it, and want the person you are commending to see who you have copied. Or, when several people are working together and all must get exactly the same information. However, often it is not appropriate or effective and makes you look badly.
You may add to email clutter.
Does the person you are copying really need to read the entire message? Will it help them do their work more effectively? When they said to keep them informed, did they mean they wanted to see all the emails about a subject as an “FYI”? Instead of copying on every item, consider sending them a direct email with an overview of what is happening. If it’s not important enough to take the time to do that, maybe copying isn’t needed.
You may seem to be trying to look impressive.
Are you mostly trying to show how effective you are? (Most of us have done that sometime.) Rather than making you appear saintly or impressive, the message may irritate or amuse those who are CC’d on it. They may not tell you, but mentally they may be sighing or rolling their eyes–or just hitting delete.
Instead of copying what you send to others, send a direct email to the person you want to inform about your work. If you don’t think that would be effective or well-received, don’t CC on the messages either.
You may create or add to hostility
Will the original recipient view the CC as a way of tattling on them or emphasizing your status? Your message can go from merely irritating to infuriating if the recipient thinks you are trying to get him or her in trouble or implying that you and the boss are in close contact. Unnecessarily CC’ing a person higher up on a message can be like waving a red flag in front of the direct recipient.
You may stir up trouble
Is the message likely to create conflict? If you know or are reasonably sure that what you are sending will create negative feelings for those being copied or for direct recipients, don’t do it. If you are venting and you only want the maximum audience, don’t do it. If you don’t have the courage to say something face to face, but you figure you can get by with it and sound tough by email, don’t do it.
If there is something going on that needs to be confronted, do it in person or by phone. If documentation is needed, follow-up with an email or an email with a document attached.
Some alternatives to CC
Instead of CC’ing someone, forward the original. Forwarding allows you to add a message specifically for the recipient. It also prevents the recipient of the forwarded email from an awkward ”Reply All” , which sometimes happens on copied mail.
If you CC, consider saying in the message why you are doing it. ”I’m copying Bill on this, since he has to give approval next.” If you can’t think of a succinct reason for copying someone, don’t copy them. (How does this sound? “I’m copying Kristie, so she will see what I’m having to put up with.” Or, “I’m copying Chuck, so he’ll know I’m working hard on this project.” Or, “Kyle, I’m copying Vernon so you know I have his support. Nyah, nyah, nyah!”
Blind Copy, to avoid having all the recipients known. When someone is blind copied their email address is not seen by direct recipients. This can be useful in many circumstances and is a valid action in some cases. However, it can have drawbacks as well. For example, it can seem sneaky, if the person you blind copied then writes directly to the person you were emailing or accidentally sends a “Reply All” message. It is wise to send a direct message to the Blind Copied person telling them why you have done it that way. (Forwarding the original can achieve the same purpose, without taking much more time.)
Make CC’ing a useful tool
Being able to send several people the same message at the same time is one of the great benefits of email. Use it unnecessarily or as a weapon and not only will your emails be dreaded by many people, you will lose credibility. Use it wisely and you will be considered efficient and effective by several people at once!
May 16th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Training, Technology, Blogs, A/V etc. |
8 comments
The employees have their bagels and hot tea or coffee and they gather around the conference table for the weekly or monthly update meeting. After a few opening remarks the manager or supervisor says, “OK then! Let’s go around the table and share what we’re doing right now! Ava, you and your team are sure working hard on your new project, so why don’t you share some of that with the rest of us?”
Two hours later a bored and irritated group trudge out of the meeting, glad it’s over for another week or month.
That negative image is not meant to suggest that you should never have people share information about their work. There can be value in such meetings on occasion. However, think carefully before you make them a regular occurrence or end every staff meeting with a sharing session.
The Pros and the Cons
1. Everyone gets a chance to talk about their accomplishments and the work they and their teams are doing.
Another view: Self-reporting is often inaccurate, especially if there is a feeling that the more work you report, the better you’ll sound. Many people over-dramatize or fluff to sound impressive, get sympathy or justify not helping others. This is especially a problem when others know the person reporting only has a lot of things to do because he or she procrastinates or wastes time. Consider setting a time limit of one minute per person and not one second more. People only need to hear an overview list of what others are doing, if that. Managers should not need these reports to make him or her aware of the work being done.
2. Everyone can appreciate the myriad tasks involved in the big picture of work and how much every individual contributes.
Another view: Once you know that, you don’t need to be told the next month and the next and the next. Consider limiting sharing meetings to every six months or so.
3. Team members may find areas of common focus or concern and perhaps can assist each other.
Another view: The role of a supervisor or manager is to be aware of what work is being done and to bring employees together in ways that will assist them. Consider teaching employees the value of checking with each other to see if someone else has expertise, experience or information.
4. Managers and supervisors can see how employees interact with each other and how supportive individuals are of the team.
Another view: Rarely do managers do or say anything about how individuals act in meetings, either to commend or correct. They should, but they don’t. I don’t know of many (or any) managers or supervisors who have ever included meeting behavior in performance evaluations. Again, they should, but they don’t. Consider evaluating interactions that take place in other group formats.
5. The manager or supervisor can use the meeting to build the team and identify issues that need to be handled.
Another view: The reports are usually about what one person is doing or what that person’s group is doing, not about the overall work of the group or the organization, so they are not team-oriented. Rarely does the manager or supervisor do a closing that pulls all of the information together for the group, ending the meeting with a team focus. In addition, most issues that are disclosed in meetings are already known. Some meetings are called specifically to get known issues “out in the open.” Problems should be intervened about while they are happening or soon after, rather than waiting to have the problems vented in a meeting.
6. The manager has an opportunity to commend in public.
Another view: Some of the weakest, most embarrassing expressions of appreciation I have ever heard have been in meetings when a manager felt compelled to say something positive. Consider a private, sincere thank you. Show your appreciation in public by the supportive, friendly way you treat people and the occasional comment that others hear.
The bottom line: Meetings to share information about work have value when there are clear connections between what each person is doing an an overall task to be accomplished. There is even more value when the leader or a faciliatator briefly makes that connection for the group as each person talks. What I have found to be unhelpful and even damaging are meetings where many people talk at length about their current work and their To Do lists. Those who like to preen about their work and lists of tasks seem to love those meetings. Most employees dislike them and resent being required to participate.
Personal, direct and specific conversations will do more to build individuals and the team than forced sharing, with or without bagels and hot tea or coffee.
May 4th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Service to Customers, Clients and Coworkers, Supervision and Management |
9 comments
The Untrue Story About The Troll In The Closet
In the last few months I have heard various versions of the “troll in the closet” story. You know the one–a mentally challenged youngster, or a mentally challenged adult, or an Irishman, or a drunk or a senile person or a blonde, whatever–calls a family member or the police or a friend and says, “I have a troll locked in the closet, come home right away!” The person receiving the call says, yeah sure and doesn’t go home. But the calls continue (usually three is about the number for these stories). Finally the person goes home and is taken to the closet, which has a chair and a dresser pushed up against it and sounds of someone kicking the door and cursing. When the door is opened, out comes a very irate midget census taker or small person of some foreign descent or midget Irishman or short someone else, according to whoever is going to be used as the punchline of the story.
I’ve heard it told as the honest-to-goodness truth by at least a dozen people. I’ve read it in emails sent to me as purportedly being truthful. A friend (who knows I’m writing this) sent it to me because she thought I would be able to use it in training. She reported it to me as happening to her sister-in-law who told her the story as true one about a coworker and her son.
Today I received my online newsletter from Cooks Illustrated, a magazine I love. I also enjoy the way the editor, Christopher Kimball, writes. I have always looked foward to reading his comments. In this recent newsletter he wrote about a man in a nearby town in Vermont who is nice enough but is known to be a heavy drinker. The guy locked what he thought was a troll in the closet–but it turned out to be a midget census taker.
Mr. Kimball started the story with, “here is a recent story that sounds completely made up.” But then he goes through the whole story and ends with, “no word yet on the impending lawsuit.” I’m sure he knew it wasn’t true, so that isn’t my frustration with it. It’s that he wrote about something in a way that will probably be quoted as true by someone–and it isn’t even funny.
Very Few People Want To Receive Non-Personal, Forwarded Messages
When I speak at conferences or in classes about foolish, time-wasting or irritating emails people nod their heads in support and often applaud. I think it’s safe to say that the majority of people do not want to receive jokes, amazing stories, virus warnings, free money stories, health and safety warnings that only are publicized in forwarded emails, political or religious editorials or anything else that isn’t a personal message. (I’m not talking about personal messages in which someone includes photos or an interesting news story. I’m referring to group mailings without any personalization. )
However, most people don’t want to hurt the feelings of the sender, whether they know them well or not. The sender never realizes that when his or her name pops up on an email with FW: in the subject line, the recipient sighs, hits delete and loses a bit more respect for the sender.
The Direct Way To Tell Someone To Stop Sending Impersonal Emails
If you’ve been hitting delete, do yourself a favor and simply write back with a short, friendly message:
Hi Marie, how are you doing? Hope the Spring weather is bringing a lot of nice flowers your way! I got your email with the story about the troll and smiled at the old Urban Legend that seems to make the rounds often. Could you please do me a favor though and take my name off your general email list? I love to get personal messages from you and will always respond right away, but am trying to clear my name from non-personal lists–you know how it goes with so many of those. Thanks very much, I appreciate it! Take care and enjoy this great weather–and keep in touch. I’ll do the same! Tina
An Indirect Way To Tell Someone To Stop Sending You Impersonal Emails
If you don’t want to be so obvious try this (which is less direct than I like, but might be better for some): Wait a few days after receiving a junk email message and send the problem person an email like this one:
Hello Marie! I’ve copied and pasted an email I’m sending to almost everyone on my email list. I am hoping it will stop or appreciably cut down on the number of forwarded messages and other non-personal items I get in my email every day. I wanted to send you a note though to be sure you knew I am always happy to get a personal note from you and will respond right away. It’s only the forwarded messages, warnings, poems and political messages I want to cut out of my mail.
Here is what I’m sending to others:
Hello Friends and Colleagues! I hope you all know how much I value your friendship and how much I enjoy getting personal messages from all of you. So, please keep me on your personal mailing list. However, I’m asking that everyone take me off group mailing lists for forwarded messages or non-personal miscellaneous items. You know how those can fill your mailbox after awhile! I’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness about it as it will really help me. Thank you very much!
I still prefer the more direct way, but I can understand that some of these situations are touchy–especially if they’ve been going on for a long time. Keep this in mind: You’re not being unreasonable and you’re not being rude. You’re just asking for some consideration from a friend. Try it and let me know what happens.
April 29th, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work, Training, Technology, Blogs, A/V etc. |
11 comments
Earth Day was April 22nd. I think our home planet, Earth, is a good thing to honor–especially compared to some of the other things we remember or commemorate. In my replica edition of the first Encyclopedia Britannica, published in 1771, it states a scientific fact about Earth and the Universe, in an interesting way:
“Astronomy discovers to us such an inconceivable number of suns, systems and worlds, dispersed though boundless space, that if our sun, with all the planets, moons and comets belonging to it, were annihilated, they would be no more missed by an eye that could take in the whole creation than a grain of sand from the seashore. The space they possess being comparatively so small that it would scarce be a sensible blank in the universe.”
You can see an interesting, short animation about where Earth fits into the solar system and where the solar sytem fits into the Milky Way galaxy and where that galaxy fits into the Universe, here.
Another fact: On Earth there are over six billion people and two million identified species of life (with probably another twenty million species not yet identified.) So, you are on a planet with billions of living things—among them six billion people. Our planet is a dot in our solar system, which is a dot in our galaxy, which is less than a dot in the universe.
An experiment: Think about your life and the people you love. Think about the best things that have happened to you and smile as you remember some of those things. If you could make a video of you in space and time you would see this: Infinite Universe, zooming closer to show billions of galaxies, zooming closer to show the Milky Way, zooming into our solar system, zooming to the surface of Earth, zooming to your country, then your state, then your city, then your part of the city, then your location, then to you as you smile and think about the people and events that mean the most to you.
In all of the Universe, your life is important and you matter–not only for your own sake but because of what you can bring to the lives of others on this dot in the Cosmos. When you celebrate Earth you celebrate you, too.
April 23rd, 2010
Posted by
TLR |
Life and Work |
7 comments
