Management Stories # 27 - Lead a positive transformation

In 1982, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin were conducting a study of the adult-learning process.

They videotaped two bowling teams during several games.The members of each team then studied their efforts on video to improve their skills.

But the two videos had been edited differently.

One team received a video showing only its mistakes; the other team’s video, by contrast, showed only the good performances.

After studying the videos, both teams improved their game, but the team that studied its successes improved its score twice as much as the one that studied its mistakes.

Evidently, focusing on the errors can generate feelings of fatigue, blame, and resistance.

Emphasizing what works well and discussing how to get more out of those strengths taps into creativity, passion, and the desire to succeed.

This sets an outstanding example of how to lead a positive transformation.

Management Stories # 22 - Change is the teacher

Positive change requires letting go of old patterns and taking a fresh approach. It demands going beyond our preconceived notions.

A story about the relationship of a teacher and student illustrates this principle.

A student who thought he had it “all fgured out” would visit his teacher each day for personal lessons about life. Despite the teacher’s attempts to share her life experience, the student resisted.

One day the teacher took a different approach. The teacher asked the student if he would like some tea. The teacher proceeded to set the tea table and brought in a huge pot of piping hot tea.

She not only filled the student’s cup, but once the cup was full, she continued to pour. Tea overflowed, streaming onto the table and the beautiful carpet.

Shocked, the student jumped up from his chair and started screaming at the teacher.

“Stop! You must be crazy! You’re ruining everything! Can’t you see what you are doing?”

The teacher continued her pouring as if the student weren’t present until the entire pot was empty.

Only then did she look calmly at the student and respond, “If you want to receive my tea, you must keep your cup empty.”

Like a wise student, we can gain insight only if we are open to change.

Change is always our teacher, pointing new directions, suggesting new options, testing our potentialities.

Change challenges our current reality by forcing a new reality to rush in.

If we’re open to it, if our cup is empty, new possibilities flow into our lives. If we’re not open to change, we respond to it like an enemy we have to fend off.

No Overpowering

Many relationships fail because one party tries to overpower another, or demands too much.

People in love tend to think that love will conquer all and their spouses will change the bad habits after marriage.

Actually, this is not the case.

There is a Chinese saying which carries the meaning that "It is easier to reshape a mountain or a river than a person's character."

It is not easy to change.

Thus, having high expectation on changing the spouse character will cause disappointment and unpleasantness.

It would be less painful to change ourselves and lower our expectations.

Be the change!

Who moved my cheese ?

Look in here for one of my all-time favorite theories - "Who moved my cheese ?", a cute brief presentation of Dr Spencer Johnson's excellent write-up.

Who moved my cheese?

Cheers
P.K.