by Rick Baker
On Jan 17, 2020
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
When I was a child neighbourhood parents had a habit of stopping me and asking me to answer math questions. [At one point I thought none of the adults in our subdivision knew how to count their money.] I suppose I was naturally talented at math. Later in life I found myself answering math questions during university level exams...dozens of exams. So, I understand I developed a habit of knowing math.
That knowledge of math has a few side-effects. One side-effect is, when people make claims like they are doing things beyond 100% it catches my attention and my thoughts. I have thoughts like, "Don't these people know when you've got 100% you've got it all & when you've given 100% you've given it all?"
Giving 100% is superlative territory....that's the limit of your giving.
Giving more than 100% - well, that's defying the laws of at least mathematics...probably, the laws of physics...and even the Laws of Nature.
How can you trust a person who makes claims like, "Boss - I'm giving 110%!"? [Some go even higher. You hear 150% regularly and some people have the habit of claiming a preposterous 1000%!
Don't you think all of these people going overboard?...being excessive?...being exorbitant?...over-killing their point and beating it to death too?
by Rick Baker
On Jan 13, 2020
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
We do better with people when we understand them...as Stephen Covey taught - 'Seek First to Understand'.
We all go through ups and downs and the ups and downs can skew our day-to-day personalities. So, yes - it is rash to judge personality too quickly.
Setting day-to-day variances aside, we all have predominant tendencies. While we do not want to pretend we are armchair psychologists, our success in this world of other people increases when we observe people and develop an ability to understand them.
And, people do have predominant tendencies. One of those tendencies has been captured by psychologists and labelled locus of control. Some of us 'have' an internal locus of control while some of us 'have' an external locus of control. People who 'have' the internal locus of control believe they can affect change and outcomes. They tend to be Initiators. People who 'have' the external locus of control believe they have little ability to influence change or outcomes. They are fatalists or Victims.
Victims tend to complain about their lot in life. Victims tend to blame others. Victims tend to blame situations. Victims are pessimistic. Victims make excuses. Feelings of envy and jealousy hang around the shadows of Victims.
Initiators are the opposite.
[Give Victims comfort. Give Initiators latitude.]
by Rick Baker
On Jan 6, 2020
The Thinking Behind The Tweet
When good-to-great leaders tell inspirational stories, their stories are laced with personal values and visions of better future situations.
Stories well told: call them Sticky Stories...because they stick in people's minds. Sticky stories are remembered.
Actions well done: the most-productive actions are driven by emotions and guided by true desires and goals.