365QOD- Day1242

Grit vs. Persistence

"Grit in psychology is a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual’s passion for a particular long-term goal or endstate coupled with a powerful motivation to achieve their respective objective. This perseverance of effort promotes the overcoming of obstacles or challenges that lie within a gritty individual’s path to accomplishment and serves as a driving force in achievement realization."- Wikipedia

The other day while running this idea came to me.  What is the difference?  So I looked up the difference in Wikipedia.  No help.

Then it hit me.  

Imagine a piece of wood that has been cut to closely resemble a horse.  Persistence is like a piece of cloth.  You can use the cloth to rub the wood and the more you rub the shinier the wood will become.  

Now imagine that same piece of wood.  Grit is like a sandpaper.  You can use the sandpaper to shape the wood.  Even though at times it might take a while the sandpaper, depending on the grittiness, it will take layers of undesirable wood and the wood will assume the shape that you need it to become.

The combination is more powerful than either just grit or persistence.  The wood needs to be cut into a shape.  This is the beginning of the process.  Next it needs to be shaped by taking pieces away by using the grit of the sandpaper until we have reached the final shape.  Lastly, by rubbing it with a fine cloth all of the shaving left behind will be taken away and the horse will be polished into a marvelous looking horse.  

Today's question is:
"What is persistence and what is grit to you?"

365QOD- Day1172

How's the Water

"in an old tale two fish are swimming against the current.  They pass by an old fish swimming in the opposite direction.  The old fish ask the two, 'How's the water?  The fish keep going and then look at each other and ask themselves,'What the hell is water?"'- An old tale

The other day I was listening to an old video titled This is water by David Foster Wallace.  It was a video that taught a graduating class many great truths.  It is worth searching for.

The tale by itself teaches a great lesson.  How often do we recognize the obvious?  The fish are surrounded by it but yet do not know the name or what it is.

What are some equivalents to waters for us?  I believe daily work life presents many water situations.  We naively plow through the day chores while being surrounded by many people's emotions.

These emotions could be self-directed by others or hidden towards others.  They can be constructive or destructive.  Yet we might not even notice them or their potential effect on our career.

I believe we need to spend 1% of our day thinking about the emotional state of those around us at work.  Where are they at and more importantly where are they heading.  It could be to our peril if we do not invest these 15 minutes.  An insecure person around us could be a great danger.

Today's question is:
"What are the emotional states of those around you?"

365QOD- Day1139

Reading and Forgetting

"Business Books are Virtually Worthless Without This" - Joshua Steimle

This title pulled me in because I can relate to it so much.  I read and I try to capture my thoughts in this blog. But it is hard to get overt the feeling that reading is most often worthless.

Joshua suggests applying the books by creating a business reading club based on a topic that would move your team forward the most.  Then
1. Create a spreadsheet tab for each book
2. Inside each row capturing the idea that you want to apply
3. How you will apply it

This is a wonderful start.  We also add some of the disciplines we learned from my4dx.com \
4. Leading indicators
5. Lagging indicator

I believe that this could be applied in companies, teams, and especially when designing a personal self-improvement plan.

Today's question is:
"Have you created your self-improvement spreadsheet yet?"

The full article can be found at:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232326

365QOD- Day1134

Putting Pieces Together

"In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else which is before it, beside it, under it and over it.:- Johann Goethe
Adding a piece to another piece has the potential to make both pieces more meaningful and stronger or meaningless and weaker. So what is the magic ingredient that makes the connection stronger?

Consider three ideas:
1. Mastery is a journey that requires you strive to reach a higher level.  Each level reached gets longer and longer.
2.  How you practice on the plateaus is critical to whether you ever reach the next level.
3.  Creating a leading and lagging indicators for next level is necessary in order to reach the next level.

These three ideas are from three different books.  The first book shows us what the mastery curve looks like but offers no method as to what to do on the plateau.  So the idea of how you practice on the plateau makes the two concepts stronger.

Now adding the idea from four disciplines of execution, my4DX.com, gives us a way to set up the actions that would formulate the what actions we execute during practice.

The conclusion is that the pieces have to fit naturally in order to make the connection stronger.  By themselves these three pieces are OK but the fit has to make them stronger.  Just knowing the map does not mean we will get to mastery.  Similarly, knowing how we practice is important does not mean we will know what actions to take.  By understanding the right levers to pull we will improve our practice.  This will set us up to measure our progress and get to the next level.

Today's question is:
"How do you know when pieces fit and make the connection stronger?"

365QOD- Day1104

Reviews

“There are 600+ reviews 4star reviews”- an observation in Yelp

Today I went to breakfast in Austin.  Before going there, I wanted to see what great French bakery restaurants there were.  So I turned to Yelp.

While looking through the reviews I noticed this one restaurant that had an enormous number of reviews.  My thought was 600+ reviewers can not be wrong.  To me these reviews are no different than passing a restaurant that is overflowing with people.   All those people can not be wrong.  Well, I have to say that my breakfast was just slightly better than average.  The coffee was great but the food was not the best.  So should I take the time to write an average review.  I won’t. 

Maybe that is the problem.?  People that have great or extremely poor experiences feel compelled to comment.  The rest of us that have an average experience do not.  This seriously skews the ratings. 

We can probably assume that 20% of the reviewers had a bad experience and 80% a great one. 

If we do the math for a 100 reviewers: (on scale 1-bad 5-great) and 100 average reviewers that did not comment.

NewAverage100= (20*1+80*5+100*3)/200=3.4  in other words slightly above the average score of 3.

Similarly for 600 users, 120(20% negative), 480 positive(80%), with 600 average no comments.

   NewAverage600= (120*1+480*5+600*3)/1200=3.6  in other words  above the average score of 3.

So with 600 reviews the numbers show that I should have a better than average experience.  This was the case: slightly better than average.

I believe that we should take the time to provide average reviews.  This way we will get a better feeling for the reality before we experience it. 

Today’s question is:

“Have you ever taken the time to turn in an average review?”

365QOD- Day1070

Knowledge vs. Experience

“What is the difference between knowledge and experience?”- a naïve question

Many years ago during a panel  interview I was asked why I was so comfortable.  I proceeded to draw on a white board my knowledge areas.  These by themselves were many. 

I explained to the panel that I could easily work in any one of the fields and feel comfortable.  They nodded BUT what shocked them was when I showed connections between the fields, the dots, that I claimed knowledge in.

In my opinion, that is the difference between knowledge and experience.  The ability to connect the knowledge pieces into a meaningful whole is where the magic occurs.  Just learning and creating the dots is not enough.  It is the application, after the facts are connected, that provides the strength that leads to experience.

By the way, I got the job because of that explanation.

Today’s question is:

“How do you connect your dots?”

365QOD- Day766

"They were connectors" - my answer

I wrote a post about Paul Revere yesterday.  I provided my hypothesis that the effect of making communication easier also makes it more difficult to connect to people.

You probably have your doubts about this idea.  Well a couple of examples.

Paul Revere was not the only rider that night.  DO you know the second one?  I do not know the name but I know that I have read that there were two.  So why do we know Paul and not the other one? 

He was a connector.  Paul was a member of many clubs and groups and had a public reputation.  The other person did not have the same level of influence.

Another example.  Rosa Parks.  She was not the first person to protest moving to the back of the bus BUT she is the one that we all remember.  Why?  Like Paul Rosa was a community connector.  She not only was a part of the black organizations in her town but interacted with many white people.  She served as a personal tailor to many your white women getting ready for their cotillions. 

Her influence was great because she belonged to many groups of different types of people. This is the same reason why Paul Revere is known today.  They connected to lots of people.  They not only connected BUT connected strongly to lots of people.

Today's question is:
"How good of a connector are you?"

365QOD- Day731

“Only the paranoid survive” – Andy Grove’s book title

I remember giving a speech at a major university to an incoming freshmen engineering class.  In the speech I described my world as a professor and an engineering manager in steel industry.

During the speech I told a story of how major steel got its lunch taken by mini mills because they were not paying attention to the low-end producers.

In the story I told how Andy Grove went to a conference where he heard this story and he restructured the strategy at Intel to handle this threat.

As the title of his book suggests, he believes that being paranoid is helpful to survival.  BUT I believe that you still have to be a bit more confident. Paranoid Confidence as Derek Flanzraich from Greatist terms it.  “I believe the best entrepreneurs develop a healthy balance of paranoia and confidence. They're vigilant and realistic while, at the same time, never lacking the gumption to believe their vision is right.”

Today’s question is:

“Do you exhibit Paranoid Confidence?”

365QOD- Day730

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“I can’t see that”- a lack of vision

I happen to have a boss who is a great visionary person.  He can see what is wrong and what he wants instead.  He is very clear of his vision.

I am an execution guy.  Once he sets the vision, I have to be able to execute it by making sure all of the pieces are there and in the right place.  Obstacles in front need to be identified and overcome before they become difficulties.

The two skills are complementary and not exclusive.  Some people excel in one and not the other.  Developing both makes you more complete as a person.

Today’s question is:

‘Do you compliment your fuzzy vision with clear execution?”

365QOD- Day702

"Careoke" - my invention

While driving around I heard a song on the radio.  The radio did not register the song artist or tittle so I pulled out my cell phone and used Shazam to obtain the information.

A funny thing happened next.  After the song information was obtained the song lyrics started scrolling across the screen.  I could read them as I drove.

I thought to myself.  Wow!  Everyone thinks they can sing in the shower and in their car.  Immediately I connected these ideas and thought, "Why not at least have the lyrics show up on a 6" device above the center of the dash that would flash the lyrics so that they at least can get the words right?"  Imagine a trip across the country with everyone in the car singing songs.

So am I going to pursue it?  Heck no!  The idea is interesting and I believe someone will eventually do it.  I just offer it for taking.  It is not consistent with my brand or where I want to invest my time.

Today's question is:
"How do you chose what you will pursue?"  

365QOD- Day674

"Extend to each person no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness, understanding and love you can muster and do it without thought of any reward.  Your life will never be the same"- Og Mandino

In post 673 I talked about giving away control.  Another guideline of how we should deal with others is given above.


Always:
1. Extend to each person no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness
2. understanding and love you can muster
and
3 do it without thought of any reward.

The reward is that your life will never be the same

Today's question is:
"Do you extend all of these towards all spirits you contact?"

365QOD- Day597

“Let me look at my crystal ball” – my joke

Last weekend one of the inserts in USAToday was of 30 visionaries of different fields offering their advice on what the future will look like.  It was interesting article because it focused on the future 30 years from now.

The articles in the insert reminded me of a Yahoo story earlier in the week which showed French artists attempts at predicting the future on postcards a 100 years ago.  The predictions were amazingly accurate. 

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/historic-visions-of-the-future-slideshow/postcards-from-the-future-photo-1347289263.html

I wondered if we would do as well in predicting the future 100 years from now.  Our worlds seem to move at such a pace now that predicting next year is difficult.  Maybe that is the point.  These folks predicted long term instead of short turn. 

Today’s question is:

“What would you predict will be reality 100 years from now?”

365QOD-Day565

"56% of people found jobs from their network"- 1974 study as referenced in the Tipping Point

I heard this statement and had to rewind the audio book.  The study learned that the network connection was not a friend BUT an associate. What!

You would think that if you are down and out your friends would be the ones that lead you to your next job.  They are not because they tend to be within a close circle that look at the same opportunities and many of times work together. 

The people who you associate with travel different circles and can expose you to different opportunities and ideas.  They can suggest an opportunity that you would not have even heard of or would normally considered.

Consider that this study was done in 1970s.  Today with Facebook and LinkedIn that percentage has to be higher.  We tend to keep in touch with many more people than in the past because messages and email are so quick to construct and do not require much thought.

The Tipping Point book by Malcolm Gladwell also points out that in the past "tribes" tended to be less than 150 people.  This was because people did not feel as connected to other members and did not feel social responsibility to larger groups.

This fact is still valid.  I feel a connection to the 500+ LinkedIn folks I am linked to BUT unless I maintain a direct communication with them that link will become weaker over time.  It is no different than our brain and the neuron that have not fired in a while.

Today's question is:
"Have you refreshed your 'weak' network links?" recently?"

365QOD-Day537

"If you keep a dairy when you are young, it will keep you when you are old" - Cecil Beaton

As we age we tend to forget.  It is interesting to note that some of my long term memory is pretty good.  I can remember friends with whom I went to elementary school.  Recently I even looked most of them up.

We all need a crutch as we get older. A dairy is a great idea.  You can periodically review it and learn from it.  It is hard to learn by simply relying on memory alone.

Today's question is:
"Do you have a system for capturing your day?"

365QOD-Day500

"THANKS for your support" - RT

I keep writing.  I keep creating.  Hopefully I am getting to be a better writer and a higher level thinker.   

Recently I actually started to listen to the CDs that come with my Success magazines.  The magazine costs a little over 30 dollars per year for a monthly magazine.  The quality of the magazine is excellent. 

BUT the CD makes the price of the magazine irrelevant.  By itself the CD is worth the price of the magazine.  It I spend the month listening and re-listening to the CD while driving I would get so much more information than what I paid for.  If I pick up just one new idea that I implement, the cost is minimal.

The CD makes the package extra-ordinary. 

Today's question is:
"What makes you extra-ordinary?"

365QOD-Day472

"FU Diploma and FU Money"- from an earlier post

Early on when I started writing this blog I did a post on the importance of having both FU money and FU diploma.   I showed examples where having only one was not enough.

In yesterday's post I talked about how the importance of an MBA has been reduced.  Many folks do not benefit from getting it because they are not ready for the knowledge.

Last week I was listening to a show and heard the expression
MBA- Massive Bank Account

I love that abbreviation.  It would be nice to have an MBA degree and have an MBA account.

Today's question is:
"Do you have an MBA account?"

365QOD-Day470

"It fits" - the relief expressed when the last piece solves the puzzle

The other day I read an April 23rd issue of Forbes.  In the issue there was a story about Golan Leven.
He is a professor at Carnegie Mellon.

Mr. Leven has constructed a 45 piece free universal construction kit that allows people to connect pieces from different games such as Lego and wooden blocks together to create a new bigger final results.

These missing pieces extend the possibilities for each type of game.  They allow one to print them out on a 3D printer and use them.  He has not been sued because he is not replacing any one of the game pieces but providing an extension to the set.

Today's question is:
"What pieces are missing in your toolkit that if they existed could make you a more complete?"

365QOD-Day444

"You do not know anything until you have actually done it"- a comment made to me

A few years ago I wrote a book on ETF trading.  I never published it but simply used portions of it to teach MBA courses on how to invest.  It was fun to see the students apply the knowledge I was passing on to trade ETFs.

I wrote about it, taught it, so I must know it? Well, there is a difference between theory and practice.  In theory I know everything that is to ETFs.  Well maybe most things I I needed to know.

However, when I actively started to trade I quickly learned that I knew what to do but my execution sucked.  Of course I thought it was the brokerage company.  Maybe it was lack of real time data.

Nope it was me.  Until I started to actually do it a lot, I did not know the many little steps that I failed to absorb and apply. 

Today's question is:
"What do you know in theory BUT would have a difficult time applying?"

365QOD-Day392

"If you don't have the time to do it right the first time, how will you ever have the time to correct it?"- Anonymous

Currently I have placed all of the last year's 365 posts in a Word document and have read through it once.  It is amazing how many mistakes I made during the writing of the posts.  sorry....

The writing process is about passion.  Write what you are passionate about and hopefully the readers sense the energy and are motivated to keep reading.  The editing process is tedious.  You are looking for mistakes and it requires a different skill set.

Ultimately I will produce a book which groups the posts by topic. I will read each chapter and re-order the posts for the best flow.  This will also show me the gaps that need to be filled by future posts.  Another insight will be to see how each group connects to each other. 

The really cool part of this exercise is to take 365 pieces and organize them to create a mosaic.  One in which each piece stands on its own but together they make the picture clearer.  It seems to me that this is something that we often fail to do in life.  We expose ourselves to a lot of inputs but rarely do we take the time to organize that data into information. 

Today's question is:
"Are you connecting the dots or simply splattering paint on your canvas?"

365QOD-Day216

"Creativity is just connecting things.  When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they really did not do it, they just saw something.  It seemed obvious to them after a while.  That's because they were able to connect experiences they have had and synthesize new things.  And the reason they were able to do that was that they have had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people...


Unfortunately, that's too rare a commodity.  A lot of people in our industry have not had very diverse experiences.  So they don't have enough dots to connect, and they end up with linear solutions without broad perspective on the problem" - Steve Jobs as told to Wired magazine

The key to these statements is in "just connecting things".   If you look for connections you will find them.
When I talk with people in different fields of study I listen to what they are working on and I try to see the connections to what I am working on.

One of my favorite people to exchange ideas is a gentlemen by the name of Nicolai.  He is a former gallery owner and world class designer.  To listen to him speak is a joy.  He is so passionate that even if you are not interested in design you become interested in.

Seeing the connections of  how he would approach a design of a system to how I approach it is precious to me.  He has been able to advise me on changes I wanted to make and I was able to help him with designs he was working on.  He was able to see things in my designs that I did not.  Similarly, I was able to connect pieces that were not obvious to him.

Our backgrounds are different but yet we can form connections with different forms of knowledge and make it our own.  The universe does not care whether you approach a problem from the left side or the right side of the brain.  The universe cares that the final result include both types of thinking to achieve anything worthwhile.

Today's question is:
"What connections did you make today?"