“Endeavor to persevere…”
In Measurements That Mislead, Jonah Lehrer tells us that many tests designed to measure talent turn out to be very bad at predicting long term success, such as SATs and the annual NFL combine. Economists at the University of Louisville say there’s no “consistent statistical relationship” between Combine results and NFL performance.
The reason is that those tests measure maximum performance, which is applied in short bursts. They don’t measure typical performance, which is measured over long periods of time. For example, supermarket cashiers were tested to find out who could scan a few dozen items the fastest. Those results were found to have a very weak correlation with job performance as measured by actual scanning results.
The problem is that some people who have the talent to do well over short bursts do not always have the work ethic or the motivation to sustain that performance advantage over time. These tests do not measure how hard and how consistently people apply their talents.
Sometimes you have to adapt your style to fit the audience
There’s a lot to be said for “being yourself” in a presentation or a sales meeting; people can usually spot when someone is not being genuine and will raise their guard accordingly. But taken too far,
Persuasion is not about getting people to see things your way; it’s about getting them to see your point in their way.
One person can always make a difference.
A thirty-year era of repression, “stability” and fear ended last week after eighteen days of protests by ordinary Egyptians. Millions took to the streets in what has been called a leaderless rebellion. One of the most thrilling aspects of the revolution is that it was carried out by millions of ordinary people; as one person called them: “heroes with no names.” There was no strongman who organized a putsch and seized power.
Yet even a mass movement inevitably requires a voice, and one of the most eloquent voices is Wael Ghonim, whose interview on Dream TV helped to reenergize the protests when the regime was hoping that they would run out of steam. That riveting interview was Ghonim’s leadership moment, when his eloquence, deep conviction and courage came together to make a real difference.
If you can take the time, do yourself a favor and watch the entire interview.
I told my wife last night that we must be walking around with “kick me” signs on our backs. In the past 48 hours, we’ve been subject to several instances of poor customer service:
- The night before last, we went to a local shop to buy some Pandora charms for her birthday. Although the store in the mall has a larger selection, we wanted to give the neighborhood store some business. After being first ignored, then treated condescendingly, and finally insulted, we walked out.
