connecting neutrons

learning to ride a bike - _MG_2933 by sean dreilinger

What have lions, birds and apes in common? Beside of being creatures they are able to learn. They have to learn otherwise they won’t survive.
For students it’s often an exhausting task. “Studying is hard, let’s go shopping“. If you just read your text books over and over then it is hard. You should acquire some knowledge about learning.

The key is summary. You have to understand your topic to shorten it to its essence. In addition you should have at least once read through your notices and books.
There are various approaches for displaying your shortened stuff. One famous approach is mind maps. Sometimes I find it very useful. Other times I prefer simple drawings or tables. I think everyone should choose its own ways depending on the specific information.

Now the information that you need to learn is shortened. You can begin to “learn” it. I prefer explaining it to someone. Otherwise I repeat it as long as I know it and try to apply it.

Lifelong learning for managers

A man with cigar reading newspaper, Bologna, Italy

Managers. There are everywhere. In companies, in charities and at your local golf club. But what are managers? Or better what should they be?
Many managers see themselves as commanders not only because its suggested through books like “The Art Of War“. He orders, his team execute.

Today this doesn’t work well. It’s kind of obsolete. Managers should not only act as commanders they should also act as mentor.
His role is to collect and execute a general idea. For an optimal result it’s more than just commanding people (more at wikipedia).

So there are managers and specialists in a team. I think there should be only specialist in a team. A manager does need a same level of expertise as an “specialist”. A lot of narrations and theories prove something different. Many managers aren’t prepared for a management positions and some of them don’t see to be prepare at all. Maybe a two weeks “How to manage a team” workshop, but that’s it.

A software engineer must study further. A manager must study further. I don’t see any reasonable argument why managers should stop learning.
In many books which aren’t directly about management the authors rail against managers. It’s mostly because they aren’t well informed. Maybe they heard of some new and fancy technologies or methodologies but never understood them.

In conclusion, I think managers should have a solid base of knowledge which they should be improving as much as possible. Furthermore they should work with the team not against it.

Yes, well done!

yet another waterdrop by paxflickr

Imagine: There’s a strange new game. Every participant earns ten million dollars per month. The only requirement is that they have go working. You are attending this game. Which profession will you choose?

Yes, this is a variation of the famous one billion dollar question. But is this enough? I don’t think so.

Maybe people decide to get any work because they are rich. They don’t care whether they like it or not. Maybe they won’t change their jobs because they want continue working with their colleagues.
But if I change this game and remove this requirement what will happen now?
Some people will continue working others won’t.

Yes, there are people who can live happily without their dream job because their dream is not about their job rather their private life.
I think that there are two extreme parts. People who live their complete life for their job and people who live their complete life for their private life.

I think it’s important that you have goals in your life. It doesn’t depend if they are vocational or private.

It is important that you can look back and say “Yes, well done!”