WORK IN PROGRESS
(Life, Me, You, This Newsletter)
Vol. V, Issue 23, December 15, 2001 ><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>><<>>><<>>
Work in Progress serves many needs, and is read by
some for personal quality of life information, and by
others for material relating to career and business. I am
hoping (though not promising!) that in the future every
issue will carry one article relating to each of those two
topics.
In the meantime, as I write this WIP goes to over 1,950
subscribers in around 50 countries. Please help me to
reach one of my goals, which is to have over 2,000
subscribers by the end of the year 2001!
Wishing all my readers a wonderful holiday and Holy
Day season, no matter which or how they celebrate, and
a peaceful and successful New Year!
Diana
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In this issue:
Personal::::A matter of chance
Business::::The power of personal contact
Recommended reading:
::::Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance
in the Markets and in Life
::::Bigwig Briefs: Management & Leadership
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A MATTER OF CHANCE
Chance is a strange word. It can refer to something that
is completely random, that happened without apparent
cause or connection. It often relates to something that
lacks certainty. It can also mean opportunity. You can
miss a chance, take a chance, make a chance.
Some people complain that they never had a chance.
They may hesitate to take a chance. It may be that those
two sentences are closely connected. How many people
who believe that they have never had a chance are
actually people who feared to take one?
Sometimes we experience a need for certainty in life that
is hardly logical. Even people who will spend large sums
on games of chance (bingo, the lottery, betting on sports
events, other forms of gambling) often will not make a
change in their lives unless they are sure that they will
gain the desired end. They seek certainty and fear to
take a chance.
How can we be sure? Can we ever be sure? I truly
believe that one of the greatest hindrances to success in
life is the quest for certainty. We cannot be sure we will
succeed. We may set something down as a goal, as an
intention. We may be supremely confident in our hearts,
and that is wonderful, but we cannot set down with total
mathematical certainty that we will achieve it. We cannot
set down with total certainty that we will see tomorrow.
That does not mean that we do not live as though
tomorrow will come. Nor can it mean, if we are to live
with joy, success, and confidence, that we will not take a
chance on our goals, on our future, even if though we
have no certainty that we will get there.
You cannot reach the other shore of the river while you
clutch for safety to the shore on which you now stand. If
the river is in front of you, then you have a chance to get
to the other side, but you must take a chance to get
there. The chance that you must take involves letting go
of the safety on the bank on which you now sit.
Sure, there is a chance that you won't make it. Perhaps
the current will be too strong,. It could sweep you down
to lands unknown (though not necessarily distrastrous).
Perhaps you will have to turn back. Perhaps there is a
monster lurking under the water's surface. We cannot
be sure. I can guarantee you, however, that there is a
one hundred percent certainty that you will not make it to
the other side if you are not prepared to let go of where
you are now.
Perhaps it is necessary that you not get too crazy. Don't
irresponsibly abandon those who have to depend on you
(as opposed to say that they do as a manipulation).
Make your calculations, make your preparations, make
contingency plans. Be sure you know how to swim, that
you have developed endurance, that you have the
equipment necessary to climb the steep bank on the
other side. But nevertheless, find a way to take a
chance, so that you can give yourself a chance to live
the life of your dreams.
In the English language we say "Good luck." The French
version is "Bon chance." Sounds good to me!
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THE POWER OF PERSONAL CONTACT
Through every form of business, whether it be sales,
management, leadership or training, there is tremendous
power in personal contact.
However, this power is gained by more than one form of
interaction, and if one is to leverage its power,
particularly when in a leadership position, it is important
to remember that personal contact means more than just
being there, more than letting people see you and get to
know who and how you are. Certainly that is a part of it,
but it is far from being all of it.
Another aspect is that the people you meet want not just
to get to know you, but to feel that you know them. This
is where leadership can fail. When a multi-national
company holds meetings that are broadcast across the
world, the employees get the message from the CEO, or
whoever addresses them. Yet, if the broadcast is one
way, they know that they are not seen, are not heard, are
not known. This does not boost morale, or get the
message across, nearly as powerfully as if it is delivered
personally or if there is some way for everyone to be
heard.
In the heyday of Xerox, when the company was young
and growing by leaps and bounds, founder Joe Wilson
would not only visit the many regions of his expanding
empire, but as he met employees he would expect--no,
he would demand-- that they address him as "Joe." He
wanted to meet them on their turf, hear them as they
spoke, give them the respect that they, as part of the
team, deserved. Because they did not just see and hear
him, but also knew that he saw and heard them, they
know that they were a valued part of the team, and they
responded accordingly.
More recently, when Bill Zolars was given the task of
transforming Yellow Freight Systems he, had a mission
to take the message and vision of the "new" Yellow
Freight Systems to employees and customers, and he
did so, on the road, on loading docks, in offices, in lunch
rooms, but most importantly of all, in person. Not only
did the people that he met hear him, but they knew that
he heard them, and that made all the difference in
bringing about a powerful turn-around that might
otherwise have happened less effectively, or less swiftly.
We do not empower people only by talking to them. We
also empower them by listening to them, and by letting
them know that their responses matter to us. Perhaps it
is difficult to fit travel and "small town meetings" into your
schedule, but consider this. While to some it might not
seem that the work of the "lower echelons" on the
organization chart is terribly important, this is only the
case as long as their work gets done. If it is not done, or
if it is done poorly, recognize just how fast trouble can
trickle upwards. These are the people who provide the
foundation on which the company runs, and they are
often those who have the most direct customer contact.
Failure to meet them, greet them, and listen to them can
lose you some of the most powerful allies you will ever
have.
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RECOMMENDED READING
Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in
the Markets and in Life by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
"Dr. Taleb is a financial trader, one who uses math,
specifically probability, to improve his results. He points
out flaws in the way we think about probability, and he is
oh so right. To get his message we don't need to know
any more math than the average 12 year old, if that. This
book will not make you rich, but if you are at all involved
in the financial markets you will almost certainly see
some mistakes you are making."
For more information, check out:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D1587990717/personalandcareeA/002-8534146-380480
Bigwig Briefs: Management & Leadership - Industry
Experts Reveal the Secrets How to Get There, Stay
There, and Empower Others That Work For You
by Aspatore Books Staff (Editor), Bigwig Briefs Staff,
BigwigBriefs.com
"Management & Leadership includes knowledge
excerpts from some of the leading C-level executives in
the business world from companies such as Prudential,
Softbank, Doubleclick, Excite, Symantec, Verisign, CMGI
and more. These highly acclaimed executives explain
how to break into higher ranks of management, how to
become invaluable to your company, and how to
empower your team to perform to their utmost potential."
For more information, check out:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN%3D1587620146/personalandcareeA/002-8534146-380480
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Copyright 2001 Diana Robinson, Ph.D. Work in
Progress may be reproduced in its entirety only,
including this copyright line. Disclaimer -The contents
herein are solely the opinions of Work in Progress
owner, and should not be considered as a form of
therapy nor advice. There is no guarantee of validity or
accuracy. If expert assistance or counseling is needed,
services of a competent professional should be sought.
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