studentlinc

How To Talk To A Professor

Michael Leddy has done it again.  You might remember that I pointed you toward him previously in a post he wrote entitled, How To Email A Professor.  Well, he's done it again.  Lifehack.org invited him to guest author a post about the proper ways to talk to a professor.  He writes:

Talking to a professor–out of genuine curiosity, a genuine interest in learning, a genuine desire to improve–is one of the smartest things a college student can do. While some professors are genuinely unapproachable, many are happy to talk to students. Here are five points to consider when you’re talking to a professor.

1. Be mannerly. Before asking “What are your office hours?”, check your syllabus. If hours aren’t listed or won’t work, ask your professor when he or she can meet with you. A reasonable professor will understand that office hours cannot accommodate every student’s schedule...

[read the rest of the article here]

Michael Leddy is an English professor and blogs at Orange Crate Art.

Still Thinking About Greater Than One

[Author's Note: I have been inundated toward the end of this month with the culmination of a couple of projects and assignments.  As a result, the blog has suffered a bit from a lack of attention.  I am working toward getting back on my regular schedule of posting]

There are TWO key discoveries that need to be made when it comes to embracing the idea of Greater Than One (Greater Than One=I am only as good as the people around me).

The first discovery is a step of maturity.  Maturity is when we realize that it takes a team of people to increase a person's effectiveness.  One truly is a too small a number for greatness.  We begin to show  our own personal growth and development when we acknowledge our need for others.

But a belief in the idea is not enough.  Simply believing that one needs assistance and is strengthened by a team of others is not sufficient.

The second discovery is a step of security.  Security is when I begin to place my trust in, give authority to, and offer the responsibility for my success in the hands of others.  This means that I am actively engaged in the process.  It moves from just being a good idea to becoming a solid practice.

Because a proper belief is only validated by proper behavior.

Andrew Carnegie - A Greater Than One Leadership Profile

Sometimes it can be difficult to explain something, but we know it when we see it.  So it is with this biographical sketch of Andrew Carnegie.  He was certainly a man who understood the notion of "greater than one."

Andrew Carnegie, a poor immigrant from Scotland, was one of the great business leaders of the early 20th century in America. He is an American success story, rising from bobbin boy and telegraph operator to multi-millionaire steel magnate by the age of 40.

How did he rise so quickly? Besides investing and using new technology wisely, Carnegie surrounded himself with intelligent and successful people.

And he knew the value of delegation.

At one point, Carnegie employed forty-three millionaires (quite a feat in the 1930's). When asked how he had managed to attract and hire all of them, Carnegie responded that they weren't millionaires when they began working for him.

He explained further, "Men are developed the same way gold is mined. Several tons of dirt must be moved to get an ounce of gold. But you don't go into the mine looking for dirt," he added. "You go in looking for gold."

Andrew Carnegie was an expert in "mining" the "gold" in those who worked for him.

One excellent example of Carnegie's "goldmining" was Charles Schwab, who started at the bottom in one of his steel mills. Carnegie and his associates recognized Schwab's ability, and moved him quickly into leadership. By 1897, Schwab was president of Carnegie Steel. Carnegie was still involved in the business, but delegated most of the responsibility and authority to Schwab. Together, they arranged to sell the company to J.P. Morgan in 1901.

Schwab went on to serve as president of two other steel companies, building them up with creative management practices - many of them learned from Andrew Carnegie. Much of Schwab's own success can be attributed to his start with Carnegie, who recognized and developed his leadership potential by delegating more and more responsibility, and modeling useful leadership skills.

Carnegie's extraordinary ability to delegate came out of a belief in people and a desire to give of himself. This giving spirit was also present in Carnegie's philanthropic pursuits. After the sale of his steel company, he retired to devote himself to giving his money away. Establishing over 2,500 public libraries, founding may humanitarian institutions, and creating a number of Hero Funds in various countries, he eventually gave away close to $350 million.

Andrew Carnegie understood how much he needed others to succeed.

He once said, "No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it." When he died in 1919, the epitaph on his tombstone read, at his request, "Here lies a man who was wise enough to bring into his service men who knew more than he."

(Adapted from Maximum Impact Leadership Fax. Injoy Ministries. 1996)

Important Lessons From Peter Drucker

Why is it that people's words often mean more after they die.  I believe that it's because they lived a life that backed up their words and didn't mess it up in the end.  They embodied the principles they preached right up to their last breath.  So it was with Peter Drucker.

I have been fortunate to have been a recipient of "Druckerisms" through books, seminars and audio tapes.  I never had the opportunity to personally meet him.  But his insights affected me and provided some valuable lessons.  Here are just a few of my favorite Drucker statements:

• The mission comes first.  The mission of nonprofits (including churches) is changed lives.

• An organization begins to die the day it begins to be run for the benefit of the insiders and not for the benefit of the outsiders.

• Know the value of planned abandonment...you must decide what not to do.

• Know the value of foresight...you can't predict the future, but you must assess the futurity of present events.

• Focus on opportunities, not on problems.  Most organizations assign their best resources to their problems, not their opportunities.

• Management is a social function and has mostly to do with people, not techniques and procedures.

• People decisions are the ultimate control mechanism of an organization.  That's where people look to find out what values you really hold.

• All work is work for a team.  No individual has the temperament and the skills to do every job.  The purpose of a team is to make strengths productive and weaknesses irrelevant.

• The three most important questions are "What is our business?", "Who is the customer?", and "What does the customer consider value?"

Greater Than One

Batman discovered that he was better with Robin.  They became known as the Dynamic Duo.

Snoopy needed Charlie Brown and vice-versa.

Starsky & Hutch.  Shaggy & Scooby.  Penn & Teller.  Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.

There are moments that I think that I'm good.  But I'm not THAT good.  No one is.  We are better with others.  More productive with others.  Exponentially more creative with others.

We are greater than one.

But sometimes I forget.  Perhaps you have to.  Something might have gotten stuck as we were racing through our adolescence, striving to be independant.  We want to make our own decisions.  We want to be our own person.  We want it our way.

But then we discover that interdependance beats independance.  That decisions aren't made in a vacuum and involve and affect other people.  That I am the person that I am because of the millions of impressions made upon me by other people.  That my way isn't always the best way.

So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for a greatness that is greater than one.  I am grateful for the people who have poured their lives into me and for those who allow me to reflect a little goodness back on them.

When you stop and realize that you are and should be greater than one, who are you grateful for?

100 Ways To Help Student Leaders Succeed [#18]

Dealing With Difficult People

As a student leader, you get to work with all kinds of people.  Some of them will have positive attitudes, follow your leadership, and be an all-around team player.  But there will always be some who know how to push your buttons, frustrate your leadership, and cause friction amongst the team.

I call these type of folks: difficult people.

The focus of this post is going to show you ways that difficult people can make you better.  Rather than avoiding or dreading the time you must deal with people who are difficult, it may be helpful to realize that...

1. Difficult people help us clarify what's really important.
When people are argumentative and find fault in most everything we do, we need to pick our battles wisely.  Simply arguing back only fuels their effort.  We must choose our battles wisely.  Not everything is worth arguing about.

2. Difficult people help us understand how to give grace.
Grace can be defined as giving someone something that they don't deserve (different than mercy - not giving someone something that they do deserve).  Our initial response may be to withold things from people that we find difficult.  Often that's necessary.  But great leaders are able to balance graceful acts with those that are truly deserved.

3. Difficult people help us to learn to care for others unconditionally.
Some leaders only show concern or care for others if they feel like they have earned it or if they show care or concern in return.  While similar to giving grace, a leader who truly cares about people will often be able to see past the poor behavior to the value of an individual.

4. Difficult people help us understand ourselves.
This one is a bit convicting.  Many times, we are frustrated by behavior in others because it mirrors behavior that we don't like in ourselves.  It is important to identify the source of our frustration beyond simply laying blame on another.  Difficult people make us take a hard look in the mirror.

5. Difficult people may be our greatest source of untapped potential.
Perhaps you have avoided working with this person because they are difficult.  Yet, beyond personality conflicts or poor conduct, this person may have some extremely beneficial resources to offer to the organization.  Often, people can be difficult if they're in a position that isn't well-suited for them.

6. Difficult people help us to not get cocky (keep us humble).
Are the people around you that you consider difficult merely offering different ideas and ways to do things that are...well...different?   When we have to deal with difficult people, we often find that there aren't easy answers or easy confrontations.  Our own inadequacies are often called into question.

Peter Drucker Dies At Age 95

From the Financial Times...

Peter Drucker, the most influential management writer of the modern era, has died age 95. A spokesman for the Claremont Graduate University in California, where Prof Drucker worked since the 1971, said he died peacefully on Friday morning after a short illness.

Read more here.

Receiving Criticism Can Be Difficult - Giving Criticism Can Be Even More Difficult

I wrote a post awhile back that dealt with some of the more effective ways to receive criticism (read that post here).  Since that time, I've had a few conversations with some student leaders in regards to how they should offer criticism.

They ask me, "How can I offer it in such a way that I don't damage the relationship?"  Of course, the foundation of any team is trust.  If you don't trust each other, then it really doesn't matter what you say or how you say it.  But if trust is established, then the following can be helpful.

I am somewhat aware of how I tend to react or respond when I receive criticism, but it's just as important that I share criticism in a way that's respectful and easier to swallow by those on the receiving end. Here are six steps that may be helpful to incorporate into your next dose of criticism of someone else:

1. Never, never criticize what can't be changed.
It is very difficult for someone to do something about something that they can do nothing about. For example, to say to someone, "You shouldn't have worn that dress tonight," might be true, but is not something that someone can change at that point in time. When people are put into the position of receiving criticism for something that they are powerless to change, they are more apt to receive it as a putdown to them personally.

2. Choose a proper time and place.
Not while you're angry or frustrated. Not in front of others. Not when you're in a hurry. Sometimes it's best to wait if you're emotionally high-strung over an issue. Dramatic confrontations may seem exhilarating, but in the long run, they do more harm then good. Allow yourself to cool off first; criticize later

3. Reassure.
Begin with some specific praise whenever possible. When I served as a youth pastor, one senior pastor that I worked with was very good at being reassuring while giving criticism. He once wrote me a note that said, "Tim, I love you. Don't read your bulletin during the service while sitting on the platform. I love you." When you criticize someone, put yourself in their shoes. How can you speak to them in such that they go away feeling fairly treated, not angry or hurt?

4. Be specific.
Be careful not to attack someone personally. Avoid the use of statements such as, "You always...," or "I think you tend to..." Instead, concentrate on a single instance. If you can't get it straight, how do you expect the other person to understand?

5. Express confidence.
Help the other person understand that he or she can, in fact, improve. Come alongside them with ways to make the changes you wish for them to achieve. Assign responsibility for any future problems while freeing the other person of responsibility for unintentional, past mistakes. View criticism as something positive rather than something to be avoided.

6. Praise improvement.
If you've taken the time to criticize, take the time to praise. To do less is rude. Not only will this speed the process, but further criticism from you will likely be regarded as sincere. If you develop a pattern of constructive criticism and praise, than people will come to expect calm, regular assessments of their work and won't tremble in anticipation of the big blow-up.

Authority Versus Competency

I'm becoming a bigger fan of teamwork everyday.  In fact, our organization is hosting a student leadership conference in April and I've landed on the theme: Greater Than One (>1).  The emphasis will be on how we do our best and most creative work with other people, not just by ourselves.

One of the things that often trips up student leaders is how they handle the authority that they've been given once they are selected or elected to a student leadership position.  Many begin to recognize that as the leader, they have authority over those whom they lead.  The part that can frustrate both them and the team is when they also feel like they have to be good at everything that the team is supposed to accomplish.  That is just not true.

Authority versus competency may be confusing to some.  What I mean is that you don't have to be good at everything that you're in charge of.  Some of you may immediately disagree with that statement.  I understand.  Often we're selected for a leadership position because we've shown that we're good at certain things.  And once we're selected, we think we have to be better than everyone else that we work with in order to maintain our authority and remain the leader.  But that's a myth.

I've encountered too many situations where I have authority in a certain area, but I don't have all the  competencies necessary to accomplish (with excellence) what needs to be done.  Which is why I lead and have a team of people in the first place.  But we're often tempted to think that as THE LEADER, we must be good at everything.

For example, I have authority over a very large budget within my organization.  This money funds a majority of our initiatives and projects.  But I am not very good at crunching numbers or balancing books.  I will never be confused as a financial genius.  But that's okay, because the guy in the office right next to me does all that.  His job is to handle the books.  Even though I have the authority and must give an account for the funds, I don't touch them...I don't organize them...I don't allocate them.

In fact, the minute I start to move into that area and try to take over the financial end of things, people  get nervous because they know that I'd probably mess things up.  I understand that.  I accept that.  I'm a better leader because of that.

This notion of feeling like you have to be good at everything you're in charge of not only hurts your leadership (because you should be focusing on your strengths) but your team as well.  Hopefully, your team was formed by bringing together people who have complementary strengths to the weaknesses of others (including the leader).  Thus, if the leader feels like his or her competencies needs to be greater than that of his or her fellow teammates, it will end up dumbing down the team (and offending the teammates).  Because no one is good at everything.

Don't confuse your authority with your competencies.  You don't have to be good at everything that you are in charge of (in fact, you probably never will).  This is a GOOD thing.  Because it gives other people the opportunity to use their strengths and to get involved.

Now, as the leader, it's good to be mindful and knowledgeable about what the team is doing and  accomplishing.  You should be aware of how things are going.  I know the status of our finances.  I get a report (which has to be explained to me).  But that's different than feeling like you have to be better than everyone on the team at doing everything.  There's a difference between telling people to do something and telling them how to do it. 

Those who are micro-managers (people that are in charge of a task, project, group of people who want to have their hand in every little detail) often like to show the people on their team they know how to do everything (and do it better than everyone else...know anyone like that?).  Part of this mentality comes from a fear of losing control.  They also tend to confuse competency with authority.

Here are some good things to think about to make sure that you don't fall victim to feeling like you have to be competent in every area where you have authority:

1. The foundation of teamwork is trust.  When a leader trusts the people on her team, she allows them to complete their tasks without feeling like they have to compete with them.

2. Don't feel like you have to have all the answers.  Sometimes we think that because we're the leader we must be the one to have all the answers...or at least the right answers.  Not true.  I don't know is a great answer, especially when you really don't know.

3. Let your team know what needs to be done, but allow them to be creative in accomplishing it.  If you operate out of the mindset that there is only one way to do something (your way...no highway option) then you miss out on the giftedness of your team.

4. Discover your strengths and the strengths of your team members.  When a question or assignment comes up in someone else's area of competence, allow that person to take the reigns and lead the group.

5. Clearly communicate the desired outcomes and expectations for a project.  This will give your team some room to maneuver but also keep everyone on track to complete the project in a successful way.

Rudy Giuliani's Six Principles of Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership latest e-newsletter, Leading Effectively, included the highlights from a Rudy Giuliani (former Mayor of New York & chairman/CEO of Giuliani Partners) address where he explored "six principles of leadership that are critically important for success":

• Develop strong beliefs
• Be an optimist
• Have courage
• Relentless preparation
• Teamwork
• Communication

Link to the article here.