Positive Principles Newsletter
June 2006
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“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has
taken place.”
– George Bernard Shaw
“Whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to
put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be
informed thereof.”
– Anton van Leeuwenhoek (Dutch biologist, 1632-1723)
“Our best thoughts come from others.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
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This month's tip – Share what you know.
Recently, I had the opportunity to apply this
month’s tip in my business. And I was happy to do so. One of my clients,
Tipmont REMC, sends staff members to a leadership development program
sponsored by a collection of utility coops operating across the state of
Indiana. As I understand it, this organization helps its members develop
better leadership and supervisory skills. I applaud them on their efforts.
The program typically uses graduates of past classes to teach the current
class.
Through my relationship with Tipmont, this organization became aware of both
my work and my training materials. Today, the presenters for one of the
leadership development modules requested permission to use my materials.
These people are doing the best they can to teach good leadership
principles with a small budget. I gladly donated my materials for their
use. Then I added a report they did not even know that I had.
I donated materials that I use to create
income and to provide for my family, and it was fun. It was fun because
they were grateful. It was fun because it helped them. It was fun because
giving is more fun than receiving.
I know that many people like to horde what they know. They like to keep it
to themselves as if holding on to information somehow strengthens them. I
encourage you to do the opposite. I encourage you to give away what you
know — and I say that as a person who makes a living by selling what he
knows.
I also know that many people don’t share what they know for a completely
different reason. They have no ill intent. They just assume that other
people know what they know or they simply forget to tell other people.
For those of you in this later category, I’ll share a simple three step
program to help you improve your information sharing efforts. I won’t take
credit for developing these three steps — I learned them from an Army
Chaplain I met while conducting certification training classes with my
friends at Personality Insights in Atlanta. Here are the three questions
he asks himself on a daily basis to insure that he keeps his organization
well informed:
1. What have I done? – Or – What do I know?
2. Who else needs to know?
3. Have I told them?
These questions are powerful. I recommend that you post them somewhere so
that you see them as you work. They will help you become a great
communicator and information sharer.
So for now, I encourage you to remember this month's tip . . .
Share what you know.
Have a great day,
Guy Harris
The Recovering Engineer
