Sometimes, it’s a struggle to get people to a higher level of capability. At times, they don’t care so much about developing themselves. Sometimes, they want to learn new things, but their ability to learn and apply is not very fast. Sadly, some people are coming to work just for the salary. Some only look at work-life as a series of tasks to complete.

The challenge is how to distinguish one type from another?

It’s not an easy question. The best recourse is to manage your expectation of people. One, understand that everyone is different. Even more profound is that everyone is different from you.

Second, ask them and look them in the eye as they answer. Ask them if they are genuinely interested in developing themselves. Listen to their answer and watch their body language. Try to see if they are both giving you the same answer.

Third, empathize with them. Some don’t know what they don’t know. People are sometimes conditioned that work is all it is work. They were not allowed to dream of a better career. They have the notion that learning stops after you leave the University.

There is this excellent lesson from John Maxwell’s book about Mentoring. We need to filter the people we mentor using a set of criteria. We have a certain amount of time and resources to develop others. We need to use it wisely and be selective.

When selecting whom to mentor:

Mentoring the 20% who will make 80% difference

1. Select mentees who make things happen

2. Select mentees who seek opportunity

3. Select mentees who can influence others

4. Select mentees who add value

5. Select mentees who attract other leaders. They influence others. They focus on others’ strengths. To attract leaders, you need to be a better leader.

6. Select mentees who equip others.

7. Select mentees who have positive attitude.

8. Select mentees who are loyal. Mentees who put you in a positive light in front of others. Seeks to help you, their mentor.

As I step back, thinking about it. It is profoundly true. For many years I have had the opportunity to mentor different people of different nationalities. However, the more meaningful ones possess a particular set of behaviors and competencies.

Let me share the story of the bricklayer and cathedral builder. This Italian gentleman was walking in Rome in the 15th Century. After a few blocks, he comes across a bricklayer laying bricks under the heat of the noon sun.

The gentleman stops and asks the bricklayer, ‘Good day, May I know what you are doing?’ The bricklayer looks up. With sweat on his forehead, he frowns and says, ‘I’m laying bricks.’

The gentleman thanks him and walks further down the wall being built. After ten meters, he comes across another bricklayer. He asks the bricklayer the same question. ‘Good day. May I know what you are doing?’ The bricklayer puts down the brick he is holding. He wipes the sweat off his brows and looks up. ‘Can’t you see? I’m laying bricks!’

The gentleman thanks him and walks further down the wall. After another ten meters, he comes across a third bricklayer. He asks the bricklayer the same question. ‘Good day. May I know what you are doing?’ The bricklayer wipes his face and looks up. With a big smile, he replies, ‘Ah, young man. Thank you for asking. I am building a Cathedral!’

Seek people that understand they are building a cathedral.

Find cathedral builders and help set them up for success.

In my three decades in the workplace, it’s interesting that most companies don’t pay enough attention to developing their people.

They would even look at it as a cost or expense. In times of financial difficulties, the first budget cut is training. That’s assuming there even is a training budget, to begin with.

The world is evolving so fast that we need to transform our organizations constantly. It means that new skills or upgrading of skills are required. We want to be competitive, yet we don’t invest in our people. How is that even possible?

We claim that our people are our most valuable asset, yet we don’t grow our most valuable asset. We expect them to become better at their work. We expect over and above performance. How is that possible without adequately planned and executed development strategies?

Would you expect your child to be good at a skill without someone teaching him? Would you expect your son to be good at playing the piano but not invest in honing his skills? I should hope not. Would you say, ‘here is a piano, son, learn it? Oh, by the way, I expect you to be the next Piano genius in the country.’

As our economies recover, the more aggressive companies are positioning themselves to be able to capture a more significant cut of the pie. They invest in their people’s ability to sell, provide fantastic customer service, effectively manage projects, and turn out great marketing content.

It’s a great time to grab market share from the slower players. We cannot do that without people. We cannot do that if we don’t develop our people to a higher competency.

Google, Apple, Rustans, Citibank, and other significant players know the importance of people and the criticality of developing them. That’s one of the reasons these companies can outperform their competition. They invest in their most valuable assets. The operative word is ‘invest.’ They don’t spend; they invest.

Companies cannot provide excellent customer service, products, and customer experience with a mediocre workforce. After all, behind these are people.

Our most important asset is our people. Invest in them, and the investment will return with great dividends.

“The doer alone learneth.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

Time and again, we have a piece of knowledge or information we wish we knew. We are at a loss on how to motivate our team. We can’t figure out how to prepare and execute an effective presentation. Our level of expertise helps propel our careers and life.

When we do get that nugget of knowledge that can make a difference in our lives, we would usually do one of two things.

We continue our fascination with it for a few weeks or even months. After that, we allow it to fizzle out without a fighting chance.

Or we put the knowledge to use. We understand that learning is useless unless it is put into action.

Putting learning into action improves our lives, our careers, and the lives of the people that look up to us.

Let us remember that learning is not the key to a better life. It’s the application of the learning.

Have a great day!

I have been silently watching the bashing that happened during the campaign and now even after our votes where casted.

Here are my two cents.

We should unify and not divide the country. May we all have peace and unify for a better Philippines! It is written that ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’.

It is God who position leaders for a reason. Who are we to question Gods wisdom? Let us support whoever God placed for the sake of the country and not for our candidate.

#leaders #leadership #learning #learn