Is It Really Your Fault For What You Don't Know?
It's not your fault.Well, wait that's not true.It wasn't your fault at first, but it's slowly becoming your fault.
You weren't given the right skill set in school.
You didn't learn how to use a spreadsheet or to balance an operating budget or how to negotiate the scope of a project.It's not your fault that you didn't learn, then.It's just that now, now that you're out there in the real world, it's your fault for not knowing.
Of course, this isn't fair--but it's the way it is.
You have to deal with the pain of not knowing these things and so does your employer.
Here's an example:
Let's just say that by not being good at Excel, you lose 1 hour per week of time.That's not a lot out of a typical 40-hour week. It's 2.5% of your total work week.But now let's just say that the same is true for most people.There are about 3 billion workers in the global workforce.Multiply that times a typical hourly rate like $10/hr.1-hour x 4 weeks x 12 months x $10 rate x 3 billion workers = $1.4 Trillion
Let's look at that with all the zeros.
$1,440,000,000,000Yeah. That's a lot of work waste.
2 Minute Action
You're not responsible for what happened, but you ARE responsible for what happens next.Your expectations and standards are up to you, but consider that you might not be the only one paying for them.
- Take 2 minutes to watch a YouTube video on something that could improve your work.
- Take 2 minutes to read a Harvard Business Review article that could give you a new perspective.
- Take 2 minutes to schedule time with a mentor or expert in your field and present them with the biggest problem you're facing.
It won't take 2 minutes to be a different person so don't expect that.
It takes thousands of minutes, and you can only clock thousands of minutes if you're doing it consistently day after day.Today is no exception.It's another Wednesday.Let's make it a good one.
The System That's Slowly And Quietly Destroying Us
It's costing money.It's costing time.It's costing headache and pain and frustration.The trouble is that it's the system we've used for so long.The trouble is that it does what it was designed to do, but we don't need it to do that anymore.The trouble is that it still works for some people.
Can you guess what I'm talking about?
It's the public education system.For some, the public school system is effective at doing exactly what it was designed to do.
It creates workers who know how to follow instructions, sit at a desk for 8 hours a day, and stay in their lanes.
The problem is that it's not creating workers for the jobs that don't exist yet.The problem is that right now, we're all spending lots of money UN-teaching new graduates so they can learn what matters in TODAY's workplace.It's rare that an employer needs their team to know Pythagorean theorem or that Neptune is a gas planet.It's more important that they learn how to lift others up, keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity, and how to create new solutions to problems that pop up on the job.I don't need you to know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell--I need you to know the consequences of not correcting global warming.I don't need you to know the date of the battle of Waterloo--I need you to know how to handle difficult personalities.I don't need you to know the names of the states and capitals--I need you to know how to use a spreadsheet to solve an inventory problem.It's not about the formula or memorization anymore.We've got technology for that.It's about solving human problems.
2 Minute Action
What's the skill or human problem that's causing 80% of your pain right now?How will you fix it?Some options include:
- Hiring a consultant/specialist who works with people/companies like you.
- Hiring a therapist to get through the personal or socio-emotional hurdles we all have.
- Building/anchoring a practice or habit into your daily routine.
The punchline is that school has failed many of us.It's up to you to identify and solve.Your clock is ticking so I suggest you make this priority and take action.