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Think BIG! News
All About Learning
The famed business guru W. Edwards Deming once said, “There is no substitute for knowledge.” That statement while simplistic in its appearance provides great power in its intent. It sets the standards as well as challenges the realities of the mind to seek out discoveries that can provide answers to pathways yet to be explored. As has long been said, “ The best of all things is to learn. Money can be lost or stolen, health and strength may fail, but what you have committed to your mind is yours forever.”
It was once reported that President Theodore Roosevelt, known for his emphasis on education and learning, told the delightful story of a business person who had consulted an attorney for legal advice. The business person was having coffee with a friend one day and he recounted the experience. ‘Why did you spend your hard-earned money for a lawyer/“ his friend asked. ‘The law books in his office contain every answer you could ever want. Why didn’t you just read the right book and find out the answer for yourself? It would have saved you a lot of money.” “That’s true,” replied the business person, “but the difference is the lawyer knew what book and what page the answer was on.” Even noted British Prime Minister, Disraeli would have appreciated that response. He said, “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is a great step to knowledge.” Learning provides the pathway for us to always be better positioned to find the “proper” book and “correct” page to examine.
In your business or your role, what steps are you taking to address your learning needs? How are you challenging your mind to explore new pathways or enhancing your current level of expertise? What new frontiers have you explored that will enable you to better offer value to others? What do you think you know that is perhaps preventing you from learning? It is tough to survive in the realm of reality if you do not continuously learn.
To engage your learning mindset, try these simple tips:
1) Examine and read publications like a Readers Digest. It has a variety of stories on numerous topics and most are very quick reads. You will even find a great vocabulary builder that can enhance your language usage and broaden your word skills.
2) Explore on line sites such as oedb.org (Open Education DataBase). There are over 10,000 FREE courses available on numerous subjects from business and college campuses that you can choose. What better “free” way to really enhance your educational process.
3) Search your local paper, the Chamber of Commerce, or your local library for upcoming workshops, lectures, presentations, etc. that are regularly available from business professionals, educators or aspect specialists in your area. Great learning opportunity as well as an opportunity for networking.
4) Join a study group that relates to your business role. The shared experience can be invaluable for your development and best practice assimilation potential. Can’t find a study group, start your own. Information sharing will grow your knowledge level.
5) Find a book that interests you and read it. A 250 page book, can be read by simply reading 10 pages a day for 25 days.
6) Professional publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review will provide you with real life practical experience articles and insights that will grow expertise and strengthen understanding.
7) Examine the potential for professional designations in your field. Those designations reflect your desire to provide the best expertise for your client base; and, will help you broaden your business performance knowledge base.
8) Become a mentor and a mentee. Offer your expertise to others as well as utilizing others to grow your expertise will provide a viable pathway to grow.
9) Get active in your community. There are many service organizations as well as professional groups that will enable you to not only find out more about the area you are living; but, to experience the winning benefit of being well rounded professionally, culturally and personally.
10) Become an expert. Not everyone can be “the” leader; but, everyone can be “a” leader. Each of us has special talents that can be of benefit to others. Discover what that talent is and then work to make it benefit others. By teaching others, we too are taught.
American writer and philosopher Eric Hoffer said, “In time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.” We must realize that knowledge is certainly power. Power, when properly utilized, can provide potential. Potential will provide the conformation for the resources necessary to build a lasting future.
Never stop learning. Strive to increase your knowledge levels daily. George Will perhaps said it best: “We know next to nothing about virtually everything. It is not necessary to know the origin of the universe; it is necessary to want to know. Civilization depends not on any particular knowledge, but on the disposition to crave knowledge.” Create an experience for yourself and become a learner.
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http://thinkbigherman.wordpress.com
Energy Leadership and You
Many of us walk around feeling like we have limited choices in many aspects of our lives. Take notice of how many times a day you say the words have to, should, and need to. Whenever you feel like you must do something, you’re in Level 1 energy – you’re a victim to your thoughts or circumstances.
In fact, when you’re faced with a task or something to do, there are five basic ways you can respond, and of them, only one is by full conscious choice.
The five ways of responding are “I won’t,” “I have to,” “I need to,” “I want to,” or “I choose to.”
When you say “I won’t” do something, you’re saying that you have no power, that life happens to you, no matter what you do or believe. You don’t believe that you have a choice. You also don’t really think there’s anything in it for you – so why do it?
If you say “I have to,” you’re looking at the short term perspective. You “have to” complete the task in front of you, or else you will experience dire consequences. You feel forced to do it, and that you have very little to no choice.
The third response, “I need to” is a more powerful place to come from. Here, you’re aware of your choices and you seek to find the opportunity in the challenges presented to you. This perspective brings more chance of success, but it’s still catabolic, because you don’t feel like you’re fully at choice.
So these three responses involve either non-action, or action by force. Since you are not energetically bought into a situation, goal, or project, and because you are bringing catabolic energy to it, you are also bringing a recipe for failure. So in these catabolic levels, even though you may think you are choosing to do something, at your core, you chose not to do it, or not to do it well.
The next response, “I want to,” is anabolic, because it indicates that you are mostly at choice. But, “want” still comes from a place of lack.
The most powerful response is “I choose to.” When you respond this way, you feel you have complete choice. There’s a powerful connection between who you are and what you do.
So how do you get to choose to? Simply come from a place of having everything, and choosing to experience, rather than fill a need. Easy? Not at all, but you can choose to try it.
For more information on how Energy Leadership can help you achieve the potential that has not yet been reached, contact us at: herman@thinkbigcoachingandtraining.com; call us at 304-839-5101; or, sign up for our breakthrough session on our website: https://thinkbig-coaching-training.coachesconsole.com
BIZ Bits
Great article on retirement facts: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwasik/2014/05/16/why-you-need-to-take-more-risk-in-your-401k/
Operating your business :http://smallbiztrends.com/2014/05/social-media-content-marketing-strategy.html
Leadership moment:http://letsgrowleaders.com/authenticity-transparency-trust/5-subtle-ways-leaders-lose-credibility/
Herman Dixon / 304-839-5101 / herman@thinkbigcoachingandtraining.com / https://thinkbig-coaching-training.coachesconsole.com
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