Posts Tagged question
One way to answer the tough questions of life
Posted by David C. Buchan in Inspiration and motivation, Self improvement on October 2nd, 2009
Reading time: 2 – 3 minutes
Jack Vinson asks,
The biggest question I have upon reading this book is, how I can apply these idea in my life — particularly in the life of my children. I believe that they will “do well” in school, given both of our academic interests. But how do we translate that innate talent into something that gives them what they need to succeed? Gladwell doesn’t offer an answer to that question. (Laying outside the norm)
I wonder if trying to answer this question ‘as is’ is an exercise in futility. It is a powerful and potentially life changing question and so a way forward must be found for as it stands, this question is unanswerable without knowing the answers to some other questions first.
Questions can be dangerous beasties. The answer to “Life, The Universe and Everything” is well known to be 42. The problem is we don’t really understand the question. Let me suggest the difficulty in nswering such a question always comes from our belief system — the way we believe the world is. I can demonstrate this best by asking Jack some follow up questions designed to help him understand where this question comes from and why it is important to him that he answer it.
- How do you think your life would change if these ideas were applied to your own life?
- Why do you believe your childrens’ innate talent is not enough for them to succeed?
- What are you defining as success for your children?
- What mood are you carrying towards the success of your children? (One interpretation could be that Jack is resigned to no possibility of his children being successful and that is why he needs to do something to help them become successful in life. Or, he may be in a mood of wonder and is asking in anticipation of knowing how it will all work out for them. Blogs don’t hold the necessary indicators to give a clue to his mood which, I stress, only he can personally confirm.)
Several questions which if asked would lead to many more. They are designed to help Jack achive lthe clarity he needs to answer his initial question.
If you can’t find an answer you may be served by trying to find out why you are asking.
What stands between you and greatness today?
Posted by David C. Buchan in Self improvement on September 27th, 2005
Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes
Jack Vinson reports he was just asked, “What stands between you and greatness today?”
This is no doubt a powerful question. Asking it of myself sends a wave resonating through my body. Yet, I can also feel a strong pull away from answering it for to do so would mean looking deep inside and an associated fear that I may not find the answers.
If you are feeling the same, then it is likely you are centering in on one of your core enemies of learning. That is, something which prevents you from observing your world in a way that you need to move forward. I’d suggest the following activity to help.
Find a quiet place, take control of your breathing and ask yourself “What stands between me and greatness today?”. Listen for all your responses, especially the quiet ones which can’t be heard over the din of voices directing you elsewhere. If the din is to loud, simply acknowledge our thoughts and refocus on your breathing, then ask the question again.
One of the miracles of our identity is that we can treat it as a story we have invented for ourselves. A story which has served us well in making sense of our world. The power lies in the story itself. Because we created the story, we can edit it any way we like.
“What stands between you and greatness today”, is a fantastic question to ask at the start of the day. An alternative would be to ask, “What stood between me and greatness today?” before you go to bed.
List of selection criteria to invite people into your network
Posted by David C. Buchan in Networking on June 16th, 2005
Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes
In his book, Your Personal Survival Guide to the 21st Century, business author Roy Sheppard writes
You can tell a good networker at a party – they attract people like a magnet because they are worth knowing. They are interested in others, and they respect people deeply. They actively put individuals together. When they meet someone new, a poor networker asks the question “How useful is this person to me personally?”. A distinguished network will ask themselves, “How useful is this person to my network?”.
It is good advice, but I’ve been wondering just how do you know the value your new potential network contact brings. Indeed, how do you assess the value of existing network contacts.
Some possible criteria are:
- the duration of contact you’ve had with them
- how frequently you meet
- the impact of workload on their availablitity for conversation
- the ease with which they can be contacted
- locality
- professional speciality (common or scarce)
- the number of referrals made/used
- who they know (their network and position as a centre of influence)
- their exposure to new people
- industry
- the quality of their networking skills
Each of these will have a different weighting and it would be interesting to understand if something more formal could be created from it. That would enable me to focus on the higher leverage people in my network and serve everyone better.
8 focus group questions which highlight enemies of learning
Posted by David C. Buchan in Self improvement on May 2nd, 2005
Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes
Becoming aware of your enemies of learning can quickly open up new possibilities for understanding and development. Jen Drechsler has created a list of things to listen for when attending focus groups. Are you saying the same things, or similar? As you read each of them note the external focus. Most suggest it’s the fault of someone other than the person making the statement.
I’ve added my comments after each in bold, completing the sentence with one (of many) logical outcomes.
[via Conversations with Dina]
Some good advice for Clients attending focus groups – Women’s Focus Groups: Eight Traps to Avoid – by Jen Drechsler. She seems a little annoyed with Clients who don’t really listen. I fully understand this
.
< : article the>There are eight traps to beware of during qualitative research. If you hear yourself saying any of the following, you should stop for an immediate reality check:
1. “She’s not our customer” … and so there is nothing that I could possibly learn because, as she is not my customer, any experience she has is irrelevant to my world.
2. “The moderator didn’t get to…” …the thing that was most important to me. That’s their fault, not mine. They should have known it was important even if I didn’t say anything.
3. “They don’t know what they want” …and I can’t be bothered to ask them. What if they don’t want what I can give them…
4. “They are just saying what they think we want to hear”…and I know that because what I want to hear is different from what they are saying. Also, what they are saying is unimportant.
5. “She’s a professional”…therefore she doesn’t know anything and I don’t give her any authority to help me learn from her professional expriences.
6. “What did we learn?” (usually asked within seconds of the group ending)…about how to justify what we do. Compare this with “What did we learn about ourselves and how we contribute to the situation we’re having difficulty with?”
7. “We already knew this” …and that justifies us taking no further action, or bothering to listen for anything new.8. “My wife always says that” …and because I don’t listen to her, I won’t bother listening to you.
And ends with some advice :
“Break the glass and dare to sit in the room where the research is happening. Don’t take copious notes. Rather, sit quietly and listen…with all your senses and a good deal of humility.
Take heed not to shake your head when one of the participants disagrees with your favorite idea. Try a smile every now and then. She has given you her time (albeit for a small fee); the least you can do is be interested in her life. Remember, she pays your salary. “
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Charter for Compassion
