Back in Action, The Art of Possibility

I'm back!
It's been awhile since the last blog...

Just finished reading The Art of Possibility and there are a few pertinent points I'd like to make:

The authors did a great job at offering examples of their "practices." Among these practices include a few I found to be interesting and helpful:

"Giving an A" - I've heard this before when a few of my professors in my undergraduate degree used this method. I always thought it was a very positive way of teaching. Giving everyone an A and letting them be held accountable for their own learning is just another way to skip the grading process altogether. Students are more in charge and they often grade themselves more stringent than the teacher would! I've had this experience with students involved in group work. Whenever students give feedback about their peers, they are very critical!

Believing that others will do well... and they will! Having the mindset of positive thinking can produce positive results. This reminds me of the saying "you're as happy as you want to be"--it's very much a mind game. You have to want it and it will happen. You have to be positive and a believer and things will fall into place.

Be a contributor, lighten up and don't let things bother you so much, be passionate, and involve yourself with others and change your mentality from "I" to "WE."

The book was inspirational and had some great insights into how to work with others, how to mentor others to believe in themselves, their cause, and to take action of your own behavior to benefit the WE method.

My favorite story from the book (that was the best part): Ben is a conductor for an Orchestra and he was nervous about a performance with a few of his viola section players out. Then, another woman was out and to his surprise, did not tell him. He found her later and expressed his anger and in turn, she quit (it was a volunteer orchestra). He then wrote a letter to her, Cora, apologizing and expressing his interest to change his behavior.

I love it when the boss is not afraid to admit wrongdoing. It makes the team that much stronger.