Thoughts on people, teams, organizations, communities, effectiveness and success
The parent’s “Welcome Coffee” at my son’s grade school on the first day-of-school was nicely done, complete with homemade pastries and breakfast items, and greetings from the Head of School and other luminaries. A chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances, and a marker (e.g. think the literal ringing of a school bell) to start the school session.
After a summer break, school – and work for the faculty and staff who count the school as their employer – was back in session.… Read the rest
We love easy solutions: take a pill and lose weight; go to the right schools and become a zillionaire; hire the right “A” player new talent while clearing out the “C” deadwood and make your business a great success.
But life (mostly) is not that way. As Ronald Reagan said, “It’s simple, but not simplistic.”
And here’s the hoax – the canard; the idea that if you just hire those “A Players” – people like the Legion of Super Heroes (pictured right) – the folks in the top 10% of their roles – and “release” the untrainable B and C players to their future career path you’ll have stocked the right talent to have your company become a success.… Read the rest
There is a secret to your success.
It’s on page 9 of the Sunday, February 9, 2010 print edition of the San Francisco Chronicle’s article about American professional football player Jerry Rice.
It’s the same secret that Malcolm Gladwell covered in Outliers, when he reported on the work of K. Anders Ericsson.
It’s the same secret that the research that Stanford professor Carol Dweck uncovered and reported on in her book MindSet in which she identifies two types of approaches: a “fixed mindset” and a “growth mindset.”… Read the rest