Genuine Curiosity

Author Dwayne Melancon is always on the lookout for new things to learn. An ecclectic collection of postings on personal productivity, travel, good books, gadgets, leadership & management, and many other things.

 

What's your cup of tea?

Last weekend I heard a story from a Monsignor at church, and I kept thinking back on it all week.  I'd like to share it with you.

The story he told is about a woman named Hannah, and it goes like this:

A bald, emaciated man lay in the hospital bed exhausted and weak after a bone marrow transplant for leukemia.  His nurse tiptoed in.

“Mr. Jensen. I am your nurse, Hannah”.  He barely nodded.

Hannah checked his vital signs, and asked,  “Would you like some soup?”

He shook his head, no - "I just want to sleep," he said.

Hannah came back later with medication.  He took it and sank back against the pillow.  Hannah offered him the paper but he did not want it. Feeling defeated and concerned, she left.

She went to the nurses’ kitchen to pour herself a cup of tea.  Then she changed her mind, grabbed the large teapot, and placed it on a tray with some toast and two cups.  Then she headed for Mr. Jensen’s room.

“Would I be disturbing you if I have my tea here in your room?" Hannah asked.  “I would like to watch the news, if it is all right.”

“Not at all,” Mr. Jensen said, but he was clearly taken aback.

Hannah turned on the TV, then poured herself a cup of tea.  “I brought an extra cup, if you would like some,” she offered.

“Maybe I will have half a cup,” he said.

Jensen and Hannah watched the news in silence, until he nodded off.  As she got up to go, he asked, “Are you in tomorrow?”

“I am, and I will have tea with you again tomorrow, if you would like.”

“Yes, I would like that” he answered.

The next night Mr. Jensen had two cups of tea and a piece of toast – his first solid food in a month.  The third night he and Hannah talked about their families, their hometowns, their lives outside the hospital.  The fourth night, he got out of bed and sat in a chair.

A few days later, Hannah found Mr. Jensen’s room empty.  He had recovered enough to go home to recuperate.

Some time later Hannah was downtown shopping when she heard a familiar voice.  “Hannah it is good to see you”, said Mr. Jensen, as he gave her a big hug.

“This is Hannah, “ he said, introducing her to his wife.  “She saved my life with a cup of tea”.

We have lots of opportunities to make a difference in others' lives.  Most of these happen (or don't) based on spur of the moment decisions in our hearts and minds.  

We all know that productivity is the collective result of small actions. Don't underestimate the power of small gestures of kindness, either.

Read More

Can you trust your gut?


In Malcolm Gladwell's 'Blink' we're exposed to the concept of "rapid cognition," which describes how people often make very accurate, snap decisions based on very little input. This is a concept known as "thin slicing."



Of course, I was curious so I've been reading up on the subject.  I discovered that this phenomenon has been the subject of a number of 'thin slicing' studies in which subjects are exposed to tiny snippets of information and measured on how accurate their snap judgements were.  It seems that, in many cases, our rapid cognition works remarkably well.



In the article "Thin slices of life," Lea Winerman describes a 1993 study at Tufts University in which researchers videotaped 13 graduate teaching fellows as they taught class. They then took 3 random 6-second clips of each teacher, and combined them into one 18-second silent video clip.  They showed the 18-second clip to students who did not know the teachers, and asked them to rate them on 13 different variables (such as "accepting," "active," "competent," etc.)



These scores were then compared to the end-of-semester ratings on the same 13 factors from the teachers' actual students.  The researchers were shocked at how accurate the test subjects were at predicting how good the teachers would be, based on these small, random video clips.



This is interesting data, and indicates that you should really listen to your gut.  However, this is an area where I think the principle of "trust, but verify" applies.



Consider this:  I also read another study in which a bunch of hiring managers were asked to select the best candidates for positions based on standard interviewing techniques.  The applicants were also put through structured testing to evaluate their "fit" based on a number of criteria.  Some applicants were hired based on test scores, and some were hired based on the managers' traditional hiring tecniques.



The hiring managers were all experienced, and all thought they could do a better job than some structured test in selecting the right people.  However, a year into the study, the group hired based on test scores was significantly outperforming the group hired using traditional interviews (as measured by job performance, team fit, results, and whether or not they were still employed by the hiring company).



In the article I read, they summarized it by saying that people often hire on "gut" but end up firing on things that may not be apparent at the gut level.  These things tend to be persistent personality traits, work ethic issues, and other aspects that may not be apparent in short, structured interactions.



So, to sum it up, I believe you can trust your gut, but your gut feel may not be sufficient for some decisions.  When you're making a major decision like hiring people to join your team, verify that gut feel.  If structured testing is an option for you, use it.  If not, spend more time checking references, use team interviewing, probe for experience and situational "stories" which might indicate issues that will surface over the long term.



 Trust, but verify.

Read More

Here's to new friends

Just a short note on the blogging highlights of May for me:

I was welcomed into Rosa Say's "Talking Story" community Ho'ohana this month. That was great in and of itself, and then I see some kind sentiments from Rosa on her May recap today.

This month was a great example of the reach of blogs, which I wrote about yesterday:

I know that's two straight days of link-o-rama posting, but I thought it was a pretty cool object lesson (and the links are certainly worth sharing). Read More
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Tone at the top

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."
--Mahatma Gandhi

 

Gandhi's words represent a formidable challenge for us.  Not only in our role as global citizens, but a challenge to us as managers, leaders, and corporate citizens.

Lately, I've been doing a lot of work with auditors who are dealing with the plethora of regulations that companies have to comply with these days. One of the first things auditors look for when assessing the effectiveness of a corporation's policies is "tone at the top."  Essentially, this means they look for evidence that upper management is providing an ethical compass for the organization.  Tone at the top is created with clear communication of expectations from corporate executives, accompanied by congruent behavior throughout the company.  In essence: communicate your expectations, say what you mean, and do what you say.

In the CFO Magazine article, "Tone At The Top," Steven Shallcross says it well:

"One of the big reasons companies with difficulties have failed is that they lacked that basic discipline of understanding where they're going, how they're going to get there, and how much it's going to cost. But well-run companies do that day in and day out," he says.

This is important for big things like financial reporting, fiscal responsibility, and other aspects of corporate governance. However, I think it's just as important for the little things in our world as managers.

Our employees and associates will all be better off if we establish the proper 'tone at the top' in the areas for which we're responsible.  Ultimately, your company and customers will be the beneficiaries.

As I reflect on this, I recognize that mastery in this area is difficult to attain, but I believe it's a worthwhile effort.  I also feel a personal desire to work to improve in this area every day.  What does improving mean?  That will be different for each of us, but here are a few things I came up with that are relevant to me:

  • Communicate expectations explicitly - clarity improves the results you get
  • Don't take commitments lightly - deliberacy in making commitments enables excellence
  • Ask for help when you need it - using the resources available to you is a sign of strength, not weakness
  • Share what you know with a giving spirit - through sharing, trust is built and relationships are strengthened
  • Deal with difficult situations as soon as you recognize there is a problem - procrastination will not improve the situation, and the conflict isn't likely to go away

These are just examples - why not make your own list?  As Shallcross reminds us, we must strive to do what we say - to 'be the change we want to see in the world' - day in, and day out.

So -- what's your tone at the top?  What can you do each day to change it for the better?

Read More