learning | Lorne Rubis

Oh the People You Will Meet?

201224 Aug
Comments
Posted inBe Accountable

Key Point: The last line in Colin Powell’s book It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership is the following: “The people in my life made me what I am.” That sentence in its simplicity is the essence of his being.

There is an old adage that states, “When the student is ready, the teacher comes.” I believe that every day provides us with an opportunity to learn from others. The people we run into and seek out daily are not just other folks but literally life coaches.

As an example, yesterday I had a meeting with a colleague who taught me how to synthesize and use a metaphor to describe a problem. Observing and listening to a conversation with teammates at another meeting reinforced the principle that self-accountability is the key to career progress. Another person refused to give up his parking place to me, which reinforced the importance of being generous. These are just a few examples, and the day wasn’t even over yet.

Beyond being conscious and learning from our daily interactions, proactively seeking out what we want to learn from others is also important. I doubt that I will meet Colin Powell in person but I can learn a lot by reading about what he thinks and believes. The following are 13 rules Powell uses to guide his life. Click here if you want his further thoughts on each point.

”1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.

2. Get mad, then get over it.

3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

4. It can be done!

5. Be careful what you choose.

6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.

7. You can’t make someone else’s choices.

8. Check small things.

9. Share credit.

10. Remain calm. Be kind.

11. Have a vision.

12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers.

13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.”

Character Move:

On a daily basis, consciously view interactions with people as lessons to help us more thoughtfully shape who we are and how we continue to evolve.
Seek out your teachers and coaches. Who do you want to learn from? Why? What about them attracts you? Inspires you? Accept what you can also learn from those you don’t choose but for one reason or another enters your life.
While each of us is our own person and continues to uniquely evolve, having a mindset that everyone we interact with is a teacher provides us a roadmap based on the importance of respecting the value of all. Everyone is a teacher. As students, we need to be ready for them.
Remember that ALL the people in our lives will collectively and profoundly shape who we are. Based on that premise, who do you want to seek out? What will you learn from each person you interact with?

People shape the Triangle,

Lorne

Why Earners are Learners

201119 Jul
Comments1
Posted inBe Accountable

What if you and I approached every day as if we were an empty bucket and we consciously filled ourselves up with the insight and knowledge from the people we met and things we did? What if we had the humility to have a beginner’s mind with the eager openness that a great student has? We would define our sense of being by what we were becoming as much as what we achieved and contributed.

I’ve come to understand, as a practical example of great learners, that the best sales people I know understand their customers often better the customers know themselves. They tirelessly educate themselves and go into incredible detail about the customers and can anticipate needs with uncanny insight. The best sales earners are no doubt super learners.

I’m not talking about you and me trying to be perfect. We can be content and happy and still be famished and thirsty for personal learning and development.

Character Move:

Be more active about learning rather than passive in our daily activities. As an example, when we meet any one new make it a point to learn something from or about them.
Be purposeful about what we learn and want to learn. This doesn’t mean that we all need to be academics but we need to see ourselves going to school daily. ANY activity we choose to invest in (from what we read, watch, listen, and do) is a source of curricula. Make each day “class time.”
Write it down. Whether it’s a journal, a blog, or whatever, there is enormous value from noting what we’ve learned daily. Give yourself a test.
Our talents and skills can deteriorate if we don’t continuously develop them. We should never retire from personal development.
Recognize that becoming a super learner is more investing in a student mind set than in a “student loan.” We can be better students starting right now.

Be a student in the Triangle,

Lorne

PS. Did you sign up for G5’s leadership learning programs? Why? Why not? For 12 months of free learner use the code “g5lornerubis”.

Should We Punish People and Teach ‘Em a Lesson at Work?

20113 May
Comments
Posted inBe Respectful

Martin Nowak is a professor of biology and mathematics at Harvard. He was interviewed in the New Scientist recently and made the following comment about punishment:

“Many people feel that punishment is a good thing that it leads to human cooperation. So their idea is that unless you cooperate with me, I punish you. It might even cost me something to punish you, but I do it because I want to teach you a lesson. One cannot deny that punishment is an important component of human behavior, but I am skeptical about the idea that it’s a positive component.

I have analyzed the role of punishment using mathematics and experiments. I think that most uses of punishment are very much for selfish interests, such as defending your position in the group. Punishment leads to retaliation and vendettas. It’s very rare that punishment is used nobly.”

I am with Nowak on this, especially at work. Some people feel that punishment is necessary to show toughness in business. I think that’s a pile of manure and it is gratifying that scientists like Nowak have quantitative data to support the shortcomings of punishment. At work people make mistakes. We all do. Punishing them for that often is more for the benefit of the punisher, like Nowak, “for selfish interest.” (I’m not talking about extreme cases of disrespectful behavior where other employees need to be protected. In those cases where laws are broken or moral codes breached guidelines for punishment like dismissal are usually appropriate.)

Character Move: When people resist us or make mistakes at work, let’s take a deep breath and decide how to respond. Is our action punishment to “teach a lesson” or is our action intended to help sustainable learning? Punishment often includes but is not limited to: “the cold shoulder,” “the verbal attack/rebuke,” “the removal of some liberty,” etc. A key constructive action is to allow the person resisting or making a mistake to assess the situation and develop the lessons learned. This is likely to be sincerely learning oriented and best for the one doing the learning.

Learning, not punishing, in the Triangle,

Lorne

Are You Invited to the Summit Series? Why not? Are You a “Netlearner”?

20115 Apr
Comments
Posted inBe Accountable

One of the hottest tickets in business is the Summit Series, a three-day Caribbean cruise for 1,000 entrepreneurs kicking off from Miami on April 8. People like Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson and Google’s senior vice president of business operations Shona Brown are attending along with many founders from start up ventures and other cultural icons. It is by invitation only.

Ok, I’m not invited and I didn’t get my invitation to Davos (World Economic Forum, held in Davos, Switzerland) this year either. But that’s not stopping me from reaching out to learn and share value with the best thinkers and doers in the world. Everyday my iPad is the gateway to text, voice, and video, bringing the most knowledgeable people in their fields right to my favorite leather chair. On LinkedIn and other sites, I can be in dialogue with people who want to exchange views and help me crystallize my thoughts. In my local community there are numerous groups for more face to face exchange. This is more than just networking. My word for it is netlearning. It involves giving and receiving; it’s a two way value exchange. Honestly, I jump out of bed each day with excitement about what I can learn and share.

Character Move: get out and create your own Summit Series. Develop a plan to find out who you want to exchange value and netlearn from. You have value. You’re worth it. Remember you have to give to receive. Get excited about the daily journey. A Cheetah may lick you!

Netlearning in the Triangle,

Lorne

PS. One day I believe I will be invited to Davos and/or The Summit Series.

Character Triangle

Our character is exclusively ours. We define it by how we think and what we do. I believe that acting with Character is driven by what I call the Character Triangle.

What, exactly, is the Character Triangle (CT)?

The CT describes and emphasizes three distinct but interdependent values:

Be Accountable: first person action to make things better, avoiding blame.
Be Respectful: being present, listening, looking again, focusing on the process.
Be Abundant: generous in spirit, moving forward, minimizing the lack of.