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.

 

An Environment for Learning

"We live in an atmosphere of shame. We are ashamed of everything that is real about us; ashamed of ourselves, of our relatives, of our incomes, of our accents, of our opinion, of our experience, just as we are ashamed of our naked skins."

-- George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman (Act I)

I just read Rosa Say's latest post on Talking Story, "Learning Needs a Cool Factor." Boy, did she nail it. Rosa observed from interacting with her kids' friends (college-aged), it's apparent that learning is not percieved as a cool thing. And I agree with Rosa that we've got to help kids find the Cool Factor in learning.

I've seen the same dynamic with my son and his friends. He wants to keep secrets about most of the character-building things he does. He's active in Scouting, and takes Tae Kwon Do - but doesn't want his friends at school or around the neighborhood to know. At 13, he was invited to take the SAT early because he showed academic promise. He participates in community service projects. And he doesn't want other kids to know about any of this because some of them make fun of him when they find out. Not all of his friends would make fun of him, of course, but what 13 year old wants to take the chance to find out which ones are which?

I'm very proud of my son, and I'm sad that he can't show pride in the good things he does because of the reactions of some of his friends. I'm sure Rosa and I aren't the only parents that see this sort of dynamic. No matter what support we try to provide at home, the pressure to "fit in" out in the real world can be hard to overcome. Unless you're excellent in a team sport, it can seem like it's not OK to stand out.

When I was growing up, the background message was: "Reading Is Fundamental," "A mind is a terrible thing to waste," Bookmobiles, and even those Schoolhouse Rock cartoons. Where's that learning drumbeat now?

Maybe this is a generational thing. Maybe it's a U.S. thing. But how are we raising a generation that places so little value on learning? Will they change their attitudes as they get older?

Maybe we're so caught up in honoring diversity that we've lost sight of honoring excellence. I hope not - that wouldn't bode well for the "knowledge-based economy."

On the bright side, "corporate America" is doing some things that will help.

But I don't think this is enough to hit the mainstream and make learning cool. What do you think? Dare I hope for a tipping point to make learning a cool thing for our youth?

Join in the discussion - here, or in the comments over at Rosa's place.

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Let freedom ring

I'm on vacation this week, with only dial-up access.  Therefore, my posts will be less frequent than usual (and, yes, I know that isn't all that frequent).  But here in the US, it's the 4th of July - a very patriotic day.

Jfkinnaug1_1 So, I'm on my snail-like connection to share an excerpt from John F. Kennedy's innaugural address years ago.  It's a message of challenge - and a message of hope.  Go read the entire address, and see if you see it's applicability to current times as clearly as I do.

Happy Independence Day, USA!

"So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring these problems which divide us.

Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms--and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.

Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.

Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to "undo the heavy burdens [and] let the oppressed go free."

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We can tackle the Big with a lot of Small

OK, let me start by saying I'm not trying to bring everybody down with this topic. That said, today I heard a thought-provoking discussion around Gartner's Research advisory, "G00136943: Prepare Now for a Coming Avian Flu Pandemic" (this is a free research note, and Gartner is planning a series of such advisories go to the Gartner web site and search for "pandemic" to find them, along with more detailed for-fee research).

The core warning of the note is that companies should look beyond their current, traditional disaster recovery / business continuity plans, and start developing pandemic response plans. And, we should all be doing this now. Excellent (if disconcerting) advice. Why?

We have not yet experienced a pandemic in the high tech era

Yes, we have disasters all the time - hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, fires, earthquakes, etc. These kinds of disasters only affect a localized geographic area. Even the devastating disasters like huge tsunami of 2004, the earthquakes in 2005, and Hurricane Katrina caused localized sorts of problems. They also tend to have short-lived periods of destruction (i.e. the part that causes damage goes away pretty quickly). All of this means that surrounding global communities who are not affected are able to mobilize fairly quickly and begin providing aid.

In contrast, a "pandemic," (a global epidemic) will affect a large portion of the world in a very short period of time, and could continue for weeks or months. The Gartner note cites a U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report projecting the likely effect that a pandemic of the avian influenza virus H5N1 would have on the U.S. economy, if it were to begin spreading to humans:

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Throwing in the towel...

For years, just about every hotel I visit (and I visit a bunch of them) has a little sign in the room that tells me how much the world suffers because of all of the towels I make them wash every day. I'm sure you've seen the signs. They all go something like this (my paraphrased version):

Throughout the world, travelers like you cause the hotel industry to use a kabillion gallons of water and a whole boatload of energy every single day just to give you a new towel every day. You can save the world by re-using your towels.

To re-use your towels, hang them on the rack. Otherwise toss them on the floor or in the tub, and we'll replace them.

Every time I stay at a hotel for more than a night, I re-hang my towel so I can use it again. And, in about 99% of the cases, they take my towel anyway and give me a fresh, clean one.

In addition to hanging towels on the towel bar, I have tried hanging them in the closet, on the hook on the back of the door, and other places to keep from sending the world to Hell in a handbasket because of my excessive use of towels. Most of these have no effect (though hanging the towel in the closet usually keeps them from taking that one - but sometimes causes them to leave an additional towel in the bathroom).

What's my point?

This is about more than just towels. This is about business and management. What can we, as managers, learn from this?

  1. If your business sets a customer's expectation in a certain way, you should try to satisfy those expectations in a manner that's consistent with what you've said you're going to do.
  2. If you have a policy you don't enforce, why have the policy at all?
  3. If you implement a policy or practice which you expect your staff to fulfill on your behalf, it's your responsibility to ensure that the staff understands how to act according to your wishes.

Take a look at your business's policies, practices, and messages to your customers. Do they make sense? Does your staff understand what's expected of them? Are you fulfilling the expectations you've set for your customers?

If not, are you going to fix it? If it's your responsibility, what are you waiting for?

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