While I agree with my counterpart, and it should be obvious that one should work to their strengths, I feel it is equally obvious (yet completely ignored) that if something is your weakness, you may want to improve it by working on it with a qualified authority. Just as most 'normal' humans don't have an innate procedural skill at anything whatsoever, it makes pretty good sense that if you really suck at something to the degree that it is damaging, the smart think to do is to stop the damage that's being done by working on it.
Take, for example, the white wide receiver from Middleton, Wisconsin, who needs to work about four-thousand times harder than the African American from Miami Beach, an individual who lacks good 'instincts' at, say, dating, should probably listen to the authority of someone who seems to have things figured out (rather than associating themselves with someone in the same boat as them, as people often do). Think about it, if you continuously have chaotic relationships and have HIV as a result of such, do you really want to be listening to your advice on relationships?
This relates to the use of cognitive behavioral therapy to reverse some of the damage done to people when they're abused during childhood: the thing that distinguishes humans as uniquely capable of changing their behavior drastically is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the fact that the brain reorganizes itself based on where neurons or synapses need to be appropriated. For instance, if one really sucks at Math, and overcompensates by spending a drastic amount of time working on it, neurological changes with respect to synaptical connections can and will result from the work being done. And if someone had serious deficits resulting from molestation or abuse, they can cause changes in the brain to reverse these deficiencies, if they do the therapeutic work. In layman terms, if you want to change, you can biologically cause changes in who you are, if you're willing to do the work.
But often that requires listening to others, which is an apparent weakness in the overly individualistic "me me me" society today, so scratch that.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Play to Your Strengths
When you were in grade school and came home with a report card that looked like the example below, which area would your parents focus most of their attention?
Math: D-
Social Studies: A-
Science: B+
English: A+
They would focus on that big D minus of course.
I’ll come back to that, keep it fresh in your mind. Fresh like a pair of high tops in the 80’s with acid wash jeans tucked into them.
When I was originally hired as a sales representative I wasn’t good at it. While this is true of most new jobs, I was very, very bad.
I’m an outgoing person and it's easy to talk to people. Most of the time people don’t even realize that I’d rather be somewhere else. Preferably, somewhere that didn’t involve me talking to them.
One day, I stumbled across a prospective client that did all of their business online. I was happy as Angelina Jolie in an orphanage for cute African babies. Computers have been with me since day one. Becoming a cyborg always seemed like a good idea.
Sales people normally don’t understand the internet. Most don’t know that wireless technology doesn’t involve Voodoo.
After flexing all the knowledge a year of IT related college courses can give you, the account signed with us. It happened to be the largest account that my department had ever worked with.
After that, I was given more opportunities to identify and develop prospective online business opportunities. This was something I enjoyed and was very good at.
Let’s go back to the fresh fresh 80’s high tops and acid wash jeans.
Earlier this year I took a personality test. Based on my answers the test promised to list my top 5 strengths.
My Top 5
Ideation
Strategic
Individuality
Futuristic
Learner
We can all use a little encouragement – if this test says that I’m great at strategic futuristic individual ideas, who am I to argue?
I shared these results with my family, friends, and co-workers. They all said it was an accurate picture of me.
Good to hear that it’s accurate. But that doesn’t help me much, does it?
Beyond the results, the real meat of the test was on how to develop your Top 5.
This test is another chapter in the “play to your strengths” trend that is sweeping management and leadership circles everywhere. The theory is that you’ll get better results by developing your strengths rather than your weaknesses.
Marcus Buckingham (marcusbuckingham.com) is one of the trend’s most prominent spokes people. I probably owe him some royalties since I jacked the opening to this blog from his material.
We can find testimonials almost anywhere. Bill Gates hired Steve Ballmer to handle the business side of things at Microsoft so he could focus on what he was good at. Michael Jordan stopped playing baseball so he could be Michael Jordan.
This makes sense to me, because I don’t like doing things I suck at. I would guess that you feel the same way.
The test came with a book that had about 5 pages of book material, and 200 pages describing each individual “strength”. The book is called StrengthsFinder 2.0, and I recommend that your employer to buy it for you.
There’s a whole lot of information about this on Marcus Buckingham’s website. Go there, stop doing stuff you suck at. Always play to your strengths.
Math: D-
Social Studies: A-
Science: B+
English: A+
They would focus on that big D minus of course.
I’ll come back to that, keep it fresh in your mind. Fresh like a pair of high tops in the 80’s with acid wash jeans tucked into them.
When I was originally hired as a sales representative I wasn’t good at it. While this is true of most new jobs, I was very, very bad.
I’m an outgoing person and it's easy to talk to people. Most of the time people don’t even realize that I’d rather be somewhere else. Preferably, somewhere that didn’t involve me talking to them.
One day, I stumbled across a prospective client that did all of their business online. I was happy as Angelina Jolie in an orphanage for cute African babies. Computers have been with me since day one. Becoming a cyborg always seemed like a good idea.
Sales people normally don’t understand the internet. Most don’t know that wireless technology doesn’t involve Voodoo.
After flexing all the knowledge a year of IT related college courses can give you, the account signed with us. It happened to be the largest account that my department had ever worked with.
After that, I was given more opportunities to identify and develop prospective online business opportunities. This was something I enjoyed and was very good at.
Let’s go back to the fresh fresh 80’s high tops and acid wash jeans.
Earlier this year I took a personality test. Based on my answers the test promised to list my top 5 strengths.
My Top 5
Ideation
Strategic
Individuality
Futuristic
Learner
We can all use a little encouragement – if this test says that I’m great at strategic futuristic individual ideas, who am I to argue?
I shared these results with my family, friends, and co-workers. They all said it was an accurate picture of me.
Good to hear that it’s accurate. But that doesn’t help me much, does it?
Beyond the results, the real meat of the test was on how to develop your Top 5.
This test is another chapter in the “play to your strengths” trend that is sweeping management and leadership circles everywhere. The theory is that you’ll get better results by developing your strengths rather than your weaknesses.
Marcus Buckingham (marcusbuckingham.com) is one of the trend’s most prominent spokes people. I probably owe him some royalties since I jacked the opening to this blog from his material.
We can find testimonials almost anywhere. Bill Gates hired Steve Ballmer to handle the business side of things at Microsoft so he could focus on what he was good at. Michael Jordan stopped playing baseball so he could be Michael Jordan.
This makes sense to me, because I don’t like doing things I suck at. I would guess that you feel the same way.
The test came with a book that had about 5 pages of book material, and 200 pages describing each individual “strength”. The book is called StrengthsFinder 2.0, and I recommend that your employer to buy it for you.
There’s a whole lot of information about this on Marcus Buckingham’s website. Go there, stop doing stuff you suck at. Always play to your strengths.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Overcoming Age Bias: Dress Professionally
I went from being perceived as a lazy college student to a promising up and comer almost overnight. Changing my appearance played a big role in that.
Whether you’re in the corporate world or still in school, surely you’ve realized that being young has as many advantages as disadvantages.
You may not know this, but the baby boomer generation doesn’t get us. I know I’m not making any kind of revelation here.
What you may not know is that there are articles, magazines, and web pages that are exist solely to help Baby Boomers deal with and manage “Millennials” – recent college graduates considered to be part of generation X and Y.
By reading these articles, I’ve learned a few things about us.
1. We need to be praised just for coming to work.
2. We’re know-it-alls
3. We don’t know the importance of hard work
4. We have no morals
If you’re reading this blog, you don’t fit this stereotype. But you should be aware how you’re initially perceived.
This is the first post in a series about recognizing and overcoming the age bias.
A Business Casual dress code means something different everywhere. At my company it means no t-shirts and no jeans. That leaves me too much wiggle room. My woody woodpecker pajamas are not jeans, and my “Don’t Tase Me Bro” sweatshirt is long sleeved. Technically, I could wear them both to work.
I resist the temptation. So should you.
What you don’t want to do is show up to a Business Casual environment decked out in a well tailored suit and tie. That would make you a douchebag.
Here are some tips that will help you dress well, without making it look like you’re trying too hard.
1. Solid colored Oxfords (button up dress shirts) only. Stripes make you look 12.
2. I’m assuming since you’re reading this, you’re not good at dressing yourself. You can wear any color shirt with black slacks, with the exception of brown. Don't mix brown and black.
3. Make sure shoes and belt are the same color. Socks too.
4. Brands don’t matter. If they did, you wouldn’t be reading this blog for advice. Kohls has good work brands at affordable prices. Check out Apt 9 and aXcess at Kohls.
5. If you have a small waist, buy shirts labeled as “fitted” or “athletic fit”. This will prevent you from looking like Jared the Subway guy, with his long flowery blooming shirts.
6. To mix things up, layer a v-neck Argyle sweater over an oxford. Again, so there’s no guess work, buy a black argyle sweater and put a white oxford underneath it. This is the exception to the solid colored shirt rule. You can wear a white shirt with small dark blue or black stripes, but no patterns.
7. No short sleeve button up shirts. You’re the copy machine repair man when you wear those.
8. Dress slightly better than your co-workers on casual Fridays. Buy a pair of brown oxford style shoes (google Steve Maddens if you're not sure what I mean) to wear with Khakis or Jeans.
These tips will help you get started, slacker. More to come on Overcoming Age Bias.
Whether you’re in the corporate world or still in school, surely you’ve realized that being young has as many advantages as disadvantages.
You may not know this, but the baby boomer generation doesn’t get us. I know I’m not making any kind of revelation here.
What you may not know is that there are articles, magazines, and web pages that are exist solely to help Baby Boomers deal with and manage “Millennials” – recent college graduates considered to be part of generation X and Y.
By reading these articles, I’ve learned a few things about us.
1. We need to be praised just for coming to work.
2. We’re know-it-alls
3. We don’t know the importance of hard work
4. We have no morals
If you’re reading this blog, you don’t fit this stereotype. But you should be aware how you’re initially perceived.
This is the first post in a series about recognizing and overcoming the age bias.
A Business Casual dress code means something different everywhere. At my company it means no t-shirts and no jeans. That leaves me too much wiggle room. My woody woodpecker pajamas are not jeans, and my “Don’t Tase Me Bro” sweatshirt is long sleeved. Technically, I could wear them both to work.
I resist the temptation. So should you.
What you don’t want to do is show up to a Business Casual environment decked out in a well tailored suit and tie. That would make you a douchebag.
Here are some tips that will help you dress well, without making it look like you’re trying too hard.
1. Solid colored Oxfords (button up dress shirts) only. Stripes make you look 12.
2. I’m assuming since you’re reading this, you’re not good at dressing yourself. You can wear any color shirt with black slacks, with the exception of brown. Don't mix brown and black.
3. Make sure shoes and belt are the same color. Socks too.
4. Brands don’t matter. If they did, you wouldn’t be reading this blog for advice. Kohls has good work brands at affordable prices. Check out Apt 9 and aXcess at Kohls.
5. If you have a small waist, buy shirts labeled as “fitted” or “athletic fit”. This will prevent you from looking like Jared the Subway guy, with his long flowery blooming shirts.
6. To mix things up, layer a v-neck Argyle sweater over an oxford. Again, so there’s no guess work, buy a black argyle sweater and put a white oxford underneath it. This is the exception to the solid colored shirt rule. You can wear a white shirt with small dark blue or black stripes, but no patterns.
7. No short sleeve button up shirts. You’re the copy machine repair man when you wear those.
8. Dress slightly better than your co-workers on casual Fridays. Buy a pair of brown oxford style shoes (google Steve Maddens if you're not sure what I mean) to wear with Khakis or Jeans.
These tips will help you get started, slacker. More to come on Overcoming Age Bias.
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