Who am I to you?

Dear Readers,

As you may be aware, this blog has been inspired by my Marketing class and is one part of a personal branding exercise.  When I look in the mirror I see many things that I am and many things that I can be.  I wonder how do you see me?  As become more careful about how I project myself into the world it become important for me to a clear image of how I am viewed, what people think I am capable of etc. 

Please let me know if there is something I can do for you?

All the best,

Wendell Solomon      

A Small Victory

Dear Readers,

This past Saturday, I hosted the first meeting a new club that is affiliated with the Kelley School of Business at IUPUI.  This club is the Global Leadership Academy (GLA) the purpose of this club is to develop global leaders within the greater Kelley network.   As a co-chair of this event I played a significant role in the planning and execution of this event.   With significant help from my co-chair and the faculty sponsor we created something from nothing.  We had three fantastic speakers who shared their wisdom with us.  A summary of the three talks is a likely the topic for a subsequent blog post.  Like anything there was room for improvement, more event promotion, providing more lead-time for the invitees, a little more coordination about the logistics (things like parking), but overall the event was a success.  To be candid I am quite pleased with myself I am not sure this is because we created something from nothing, or if this because I haven’t volunteered for much of anything since 2004, or if it is because the event was successful.

In any event this small victory makes me want to pick the metaphorical sword and go slay the next dragon. 

I hope that you savor the taste of victory soon, please feel free to recount a success here.

All the best,  

Wendell 

The only way out is through

Dear Readers,

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the podcast titled Quit which is produced by 5by5.  This podcast is focused on helping  people quit their traditional jobs to start their own venture e.g. entrepreneurs.  I have only listened to a few episodes but thus far think that Quit is covering a lot of issues that all entrepreneurs face regardless of their industry.  The host does a good job of pointing out the lack of employment security in the modern world.

Thus far I have found this podcast both inspirational and insightful, even if it has the lightness of a call-in morning radio show.  What resources have you found to be a useful in helping refine your view of the world?

All the best,

Wendell

http://5by5.tv/quit

The Quest for Mentors

    

Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? Mark 8:18

Dear Readers,

Sometimes certain concepts get used so many times, by so many people, in so many ways that the meaning of that concept can get confusing.  When this happens I find it helpful to redefine that concept for myself in a coherent way.  The following two examples are relevant to the remainder of this post. 

What is smart person?  A smart person is someone who learns from their own experiences (mistakes).

What is a genius?  A genius is someone who learns from the experiences (mistakes) of others.

Using these definitions I strive to be a genius.  However, to be a genius one must expose themselves to the experiences of others.  Many amazing people have captured their experiences in the writing.  If you would like a list of books/authors/thinkers.  I will gladly compile such a list for you.  The issue with reading someone else’s written experience is that their message may not be the message that the reader is seeking at that specific time.  The beauty of the written record is that the message will wait until the reader is ready for it.

Everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn, is the premise of the School of Everything (http://schoolofeverything.com/).  Please note, I never heard of the School of Everything until my Google search a few minutes ago so please do not view this as an endorsement of them, but rather I am using them to support the idea that we are all students and we are all educators.   However, finding the right person to teach the lesson that you are ready to learn next, is a can be a challenge, and this is the quest for a mentor.  Please see the link below from Forbes.com about how to find a mentor.  

I will share what I have learned about mentoring: 

1.      Do not work for an existing mentor, this will change the dynamic of the relationship and it will be difficult to separate current project issues from long term personal/work growth items.

2.      Mentors will change over time, once you learn (this may take many years or never happen) what someone is best suited to teach, someone else may be better suited for your next message.

3.      Many people are disinterested in what you have to offer, so in addition to finding someone who can has much to teach you have to find someone who in interested in what you bring to the table, to create a reciprocal relationship.

As you can see, I have much to learn about mentor/menteeship.  What can you tell me about your journey in this space.

All the best,

Wendell

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kerryhannon/2011/10/31/how-to-find-a-mentor/2/

Also radio lab did an interesting bit about genius which can be found at the following link.

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91971-secrets-of-success/

Memories of Loss

Dear Readers,

A few weeks ago I was driving through the country side in southern Indiana, and I happened upon a squirrel eating a nut in the middle of the road.  I swerved to the left but unfortunately the squirrel’s final decision was running to my left.  To be candid I am disappointed in myself because if I had done anything differently the windy and hilly countryside of southern Indiana would be marginally more cheerful then it is today. 

I am not disheartened because mistakes happen, and hopefully next time I will avoid the woodland creatures.  This experience points to how easy it is to say callus things that belittle the value of any life.  When I was younger, I had no understanding of loss, or my own mortality.  During that time I said some callus things and regretfully I cannot redact those statements.  Moving forward I will better support those experiencing loss. 

Sincerely,

A Wendell who misses his late Uncle Bill 

Carrie Candidly: Things Not Discussed at Grandma's Dining Room Tabl...

Carrie Candidly: Things Not Discussed at Grandma's Dining Room Tabl...: Today my brother blogged about perception and how everyone's view of a situation (even if they were present for the same event) is diff...

Perception as Reality

Dear Readers,

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.  Albert Einstein

Perception is reality, or more precisely it is the reality that matters.  People don’t see the world as it is; rather they see the world through their mind's eye.  I suppose this is just another way of way of saying that that we all have our own viewpoints, or see things in our own way.  See the linked Lifehack article to learn more about this topic.  To me however this concepts reaches further and reminds me that what is real is somewhat ethereal.  For example two people remember the same event completely differently, which has been an issue with Eyewitness testimony in trials.  See the Wikipedia article for more information about eyewitness testimony.  

I perceive this to be real, perhaps I am mistaken.  What to you perceive to be real.

All the best,

Wendell Solomon

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/your-perception-is-your-reality.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewitness_testimony

Thermostat as Model

Dear Readers

Way back in 1999 one of my jobs was writing scripts to test the functionality of single loop digital controllers, so this thought has been cycling though my mind a while.  A thermostat is a common example of a single loop controller.  When it becomes too cold the thermostat registers it and sends a signal to the furnace to turn on.  Many people have encountered both amazing climate control that goes unnoticed while providing consistent even heat, and extremely poor climate control that either freezes or roasts its victims.  For more information about control theory please see the linked Wikipedia article, or for information about people reacting to feedback loops please see the linked Wired article.

Many people quite frankly won’t find thermostats very interesting.  But the humble thermostat asks a lot of important questions. 

- What is your goal (desired temperature)?  

- Are you doing too much or too little (Running too hot or too cold)?

- Do you have a good source of feedback (is the internal thermometer providing accurate readings)?

- Are you doing a good job (roasting or freezing people)? 

- Are you doing the right thing (maybe the weather is perfect and the heat should be turned off and the windows opened)? 

I find this model just one of many that help keep me on target, provides a constant source of incremental improvement.   

Readers, let me know tools do you use to help keep you moving forward?

All the best,

Wendell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_theory

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_feedbackloop/

MBA as Commitment Device

Dear Readers,

As most of you know about a year ago I embarked on a journey of personal exploration and rebranding.  This journey comes with the added benefit of more education and accreditation.  I am talking about going back to school to earn an evening MBA.  

The media often questions the value of an MBA is in the modern world, for example see the March 1^st 2013 Wall Street Journal article link below discussing how an MBA is “not worth it”.  The article points out quite correctly that you cannot buy a network, however placing yourself in an environment with like minded people can catalyze the creation of a network.  So far I have met and connected with at least a dozen extremely bright, motivated people whom I most likely would have never encountered without this experience. 

A source of personal value is that the MBA has served me as a commitment device.   Please see the Feakonomics link below if you would like to learn more about commitment devices.   A few years ago, I started to read a book on the fundamentals of accounting.  Unfortunately, I never finished it, because it was just too dry in some areas.  I did however, finish the fundamentals of accounting course work.  I can tell a similar story about microeconomics. When I was in undergrad I took microeconomics, the entire course could be summarized in solely by the supply and demand curve.  However the course I took this last spring supplied a much more diverse set of skills and applications.  A final example is this new started blog entitled Polite Candor.  I could have started a blog several years ago to help codify, and express myself to the world but I never did.  Fortunately, I have an opportunity to blog as part of my course work, and this commitment device will encourage me to share with the world. 

Is an MBA right for everybody? No of course it isn't, but it has helped keep me committed to growing in a number of dimensions that I wouldn't have been exposed to on my own, and it has been introducing me to several great people I wouldn't have otherwise met. 

Readers, let me know what commitment devices you have used to help catalyze your personal growth?

All the best,

Wendell

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323884304578328243334068564.html

http://freakonomics.com/2012/02/02/save-me-from-myself-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/