An old Albanian saying say: The wolf change his leather but not is habit. This is a meaningful saying because is strongly related with the fact that the change is to difficult for us. For years in row we do same things and we follow a routine. At a certain moment a change is needed either radical or a light one. The need for change is not obvious only in the daily life, it is also in the professional carrier and other aspects.
Businesses as well should taste the feeling of change from time to time. It will give a new dimension in the internal and external environment.
Why changing is so difficult and we do a strong opponent on it? To change is required to have courage and motivation and not all have it. Also there is an internal fear of doing a mistake or loosing that holds us back not to do the change. The change requires more than courage and motivation, it also requires will and needs to be open minded. As the human body reacts versus the climate changes, so we should find the internal force to make the change for good. It will for sure give a new dimension to our existence.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Followership
Followers in the book are presented as "powerful" persons in a company. In fact they are. The followers have that hidden power of non acting according to the instructions or rules, sometimes by mistake and sometimes by intent. This last one may result harmful for an organization. I remember in one of the trainings i have done, the lecture was explaining a topic: Effecting the effectors of the decision makers. He meant the followers because are them who with their interventions can deviate the decisions of the high management. Or from another point of view, a smart dependent can smoothly get e "yes" from his boss even when the boss is that kind of person that always says no and consider himself a god.
In few words followers are really powerful persons not only in a company but also in high level state management. Leaders must take their opinion under consideration.
In few words followers are really powerful persons not only in a company but also in high level state management. Leaders must take their opinion under consideration.
Groundswell
Technology have for sure changed our lives and this change is that deep that sometimes we can't do without it. Years ago when we were teenagers and no cell phone were around, we used to call our friends for a long afternoon walk with a special musical whistle below their balcony. Now we not only ring the bell of our neighbor but it happens the we call our darlings from one room to the other using the free on net mobile calls. Our closest friends that live in USA or anywhere else see and talk with us every night through the messenger (yahoo or hotmail etc.).
These are few of the advantages and the power that internet and the communication technology have given to the people. Of course that the businesses were from the firsts that tried to benefit from this power, either to present themselves or to make business deals. Internet is a very big window for all the businesses and their customers or the potential ones are the passers that can see what they want to.
The other features of internet gives the chance to the businesses to interact with the customers at least even for a simple opinion. Having the close interaction can be harmful sometimes but even though the risk exists, businesses can take advantage of it and give value to their business.
The use of internet is a must and companies should take this as an advantage to increase not only their income but mostly their image.
These are few of the advantages and the power that internet and the communication technology have given to the people. Of course that the businesses were from the firsts that tried to benefit from this power, either to present themselves or to make business deals. Internet is a very big window for all the businesses and their customers or the potential ones are the passers that can see what they want to.
The other features of internet gives the chance to the businesses to interact with the customers at least even for a simple opinion. Having the close interaction can be harmful sometimes but even though the risk exists, businesses can take advantage of it and give value to their business.
The use of internet is a must and companies should take this as an advantage to increase not only their income but mostly their image.
Obliquity
Obliquity, why our goals achieved best indirectly...
As a society we write rules, we obey them and we act upon them. We set these rules for the rest of the world to see how we live , act and obey but the truth is….the truth is something else. Obliquity is what we do not realize but what keeps the world in balance. We speak of what we should act on , but we act on what we don’t speak of.
Dear classmate I wanted to thank you for this semester and hopefully we all will have the chance to take another course from our Prof. Melih Arat.
Wish everyone a good exam
Anri
As a society we write rules, we obey them and we act upon them. We set these rules for the rest of the world to see how we live , act and obey but the truth is….the truth is something else. Obliquity is what we do not realize but what keeps the world in balance. We speak of what we should act on , but we act on what we don’t speak of.
Dear classmate I wanted to thank you for this semester and hopefully we all will have the chance to take another course from our Prof. Melih Arat.
Wish everyone a good exam
Anri
The Power of Positive Deviance
Reading only the first pages of this book i understood that the author have found very meaningful examples to show the real power of the positive deviance. There are many other examples of the positive deviance that the author couldn't now because they are in other countries. But i would like to explain this subject from the political point of view.
During the past communist regime, the Party was using the cases of positive deviance, people with very high results in all the fields of the economy, to create "living heroes". At that time those were really positive deviants because what they were doing was finding solutions for difficult problems where the others couldn't. I remember a farmer who reached to produce 300 kv of corn in only 10000 m square. That man was declared a hero and every farmer of Albania was supposed to get his example.
All these were lies (demagogy) because at that time all the energies of the system were canalized on those "positive deviants". Of course that with all that governmental support they must have been the positive deviants. But Who were the real positive deviants?
I think that the positive deviants were those people who were trying to earn living working 12 hours per day in cooperative and keeping their children well fed,well educated and healthy. The positive deviants were those workers, innovator ones which in those primitive technological conditions were producing necessitous goods for the rest of Albanians. Other positive deviants were those intellectuals who with their creations were trying to opened the eyes of the people about the regime where they were living (ps. Ismail Kadare). All of them were not leaders but all individually found solutions for their problems and were worthy to be followed.
During the past communist regime, the Party was using the cases of positive deviance, people with very high results in all the fields of the economy, to create "living heroes". At that time those were really positive deviants because what they were doing was finding solutions for difficult problems where the others couldn't. I remember a farmer who reached to produce 300 kv of corn in only 10000 m square. That man was declared a hero and every farmer of Albania was supposed to get his example.
All these were lies (demagogy) because at that time all the energies of the system were canalized on those "positive deviants". Of course that with all that governmental support they must have been the positive deviants. But Who were the real positive deviants?
I think that the positive deviants were those people who were trying to earn living working 12 hours per day in cooperative and keeping their children well fed,well educated and healthy. The positive deviants were those workers, innovator ones which in those primitive technological conditions were producing necessitous goods for the rest of Albanians. Other positive deviants were those intellectuals who with their creations were trying to opened the eyes of the people about the regime where they were living (ps. Ismail Kadare). All of them were not leaders but all individually found solutions for their problems and were worthy to be followed.
Switch
For the change to be successful, both of these sides (elephant &rider) need to be convinced – if you only address one side of the equation you greatly reduce your chance of success. Meanwhile, along with the elephant and rider you should also consider the path they follow – the context in which the two operate.
So somewhere we should start to change :For things to change, somebody somewhere has to start acting differently. Each has an emotional Elephant side and a rational Rider side. We've got to reach both., and we've also got to clear the way to succeed.
By now, the Heaths have explained how others have directed the Rider, motivated the Elephant, and shaped the Path. Whether we’re trying to do better in life , trying to motivate people, change things at work, or trying to rally support to improve our community, Switch offers a great framework for enacting that change.
Obliquity: Why our goals achieved the best indirectly?
Last night my little son was having a strange behavior toward me. He was trying to convince me that he had eaten and slept enough (the major problem of little kids). Finally after he was convinced that i was very satisfied with him, he told me his request, that was a skateboard that he have seen in a shop. Telling the truth i was wandering how a 3 and a half year kid may find such a complicated way to reach his goal. At the same time i remembered that i was doing the same.
In our daily activity we may face different obstacles that do not allow us to reach our goals easily. what we do is searching for alternatives in order to get the required result. This proces is related also with the will and desire we have for our work. Otherwise the efforts spent will have been much more higher and no satisfaction would have been felt when the goal is reached. The non direct one most of the time is more effective than the direct one. Is in our nature to react immediately or to take the defending position when someone or something comes directly to us. We are not that much alert if this someone or something comes not exactly from the same direction and in the time we are waiting for. In such as case we are more willing to accept what comes to us.
In an organization such an acting manner is very effective because the boss or any colleague is more open minded and willing to listen or support you instead of going directly and through your idea or proposal in the table.
Obliquity gives a clear view of the fact that sometimes the non direct way, is the correct one to reach our goals.
In our daily activity we may face different obstacles that do not allow us to reach our goals easily. what we do is searching for alternatives in order to get the required result. This proces is related also with the will and desire we have for our work. Otherwise the efforts spent will have been much more higher and no satisfaction would have been felt when the goal is reached. The non direct one most of the time is more effective than the direct one. Is in our nature to react immediately or to take the defending position when someone or something comes directly to us. We are not that much alert if this someone or something comes not exactly from the same direction and in the time we are waiting for. In such as case we are more willing to accept what comes to us.
In an organization such an acting manner is very effective because the boss or any colleague is more open minded and willing to listen or support you instead of going directly and through your idea or proposal in the table.
Obliquity gives a clear view of the fact that sometimes the non direct way, is the correct one to reach our goals.
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