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November 1, 2012 Issue#145 |
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Greetings! If you find it useful, we encourage you to share it with your colleagues, staff, and friends – even your boss! (Hover near the top of the video clip to share). And be sure to connect with Bob’s on his social networks to let us how you like the new look. Scroll down to read, or click here to listen and watch (4 minutes). |
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To your success! Managing Director
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Show Them What You Want This week, I chatted with an executive for an insurance company. As we talked, he expressed his frustration with assigning research to young professionals only to have them send him a series of links, which in many cases they haven’t read themselves. "When I ask for a report," he said, "I want a paper on what they have researched, read and digested, not a collection of links I have to read." As I have spoken with educators, many have told me similar stories. "They cobble together a collection of texts they have found on the Internet," said one faculty member, "and then try to pass it off as something they wrote. They don’t get too far with that strategy." It may be a sad commentary on society, but the character of research and persuasive writing seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Growing up as digital natives, many young people have found information so readily available that they make the leap to, "Why should I re-write something that someone else has written it so well?" GenTrends Archive: It All Comes Down to Discernment As much as that appears efficient at first glance, this does not past muster in a learning environment. In a business environment, it can be perceived as just plain lazy. But before we convict an entire generation of ignorance or apathy, we must ask whether we’ve provided them with adequate expectations. After all, can we fault them for acting on available information? So here are three strategies to stop this practice in its tracks whether you’re in business or education: First, explain the dilemma. As much as we like to think that everyone will employ their best efforts, it is a good idea to relate a couple of your past experiences so everyone’s on the same page of expectations. In a class you might say something like this, "I know you can find lots of information on any topic on the Internet. But simply compiling information, or even reading it, is not learning. Synthesizing what you find into a paper that answers the questions in the assignment will demonstrate to me that you understand what you’ve read and can use it to successfully interact with the world around you." In a business setting, the explanation will have the same purpose but differ in its delivery. You might say, "In an effort to get the job done quickly and efficiently, you might be tempted to search the Web and assemble all the relevant articles into an e-mail or even a list of links. But I need you to read the articles that you think are most relevant. Then glean the most important information from each one as it relates you what I’ve asked you to do. Finally, put yourself in my position and consider how I would best like to receive the information that is both efficient and informative." Free Article: How Can We Rely on Young People to Think if They Don’t Read? Second, show them what you want. In a world filled with mistaken assumptions and people with the fear of making a mistake, you have to provide a clear picture of what you want. The best instructors I’ve had have passed around samples of what a model paper or project looks like. In that way, the students can examine format, style, organization and approach to answering what the assignment expects. The same can be done in a business setting. "This is what a report looks like. This is what a proposal looks like. This is how we approach letter writing and documentation. Here is a list of mistakes we’ve seen made in the past." If you provide a model, they will follow it. Generations Blog: Over-Supervise Then Back Off Finally, ask them what they learned. Many young professionals have gone through school producing reports on what they’re read, not what it all means. Taking time to process their work when it’s submitted will help them understand the scrutiny they should be prepared to endure. This approach is as valid in a business setting as it is in an academic one. You will be pleasantly surprised by some and discover where the work needs to begin with others. In either case, that’s a good thing. All of this will take some time and discipline to follow through. But the reward will be critical thinking students and professionals upon whom you can rely. Webinar: Figure It Out! How to Provide Effective Millennial Feedback
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