Which Trumps the Other: Education or Skill? The Debate Continues...

Okay.

No one likes to say it, but I'll do it, anyway. Most of us wonder which means more to us, and whether or not either is mutually exclusive, meaning you can only have one at the exclusion of the other, in our quests to be "successful." We want to be successful because we want to have enough money to...to... To do whatever it is we think will make us and the people we care about "happy." Right?

It's seems just that simple. But how much of the formula involves having that little sheet of paper (diploma) versus having acquired a skill set that is only developed over time after repeated trial-and-error?  The debate has gone on for forever, it seems, with educators and self-made men (and women) weighing in on what they felt was the key ingredient that made them "successful." Interestingly enough, repercussions are evident in the recent internet articles that have surfaced on "7 High-paying Jobs that don't require a College Degree" and such. Meanwhile images - and coverage - of celebrity athletes and musicians who make the decision to follow their intended career path flood the television waves on a constant basis. 

As someone who works within the higher education field, I can't imagine that the individuals responsible for placing these articles front and center -- especially while we continue to lag behind internationally in the area of education and even moreso, specifically, in the sciences and mathematics areas -- are acting in the most responsible manner by doing so. Is this the message or impression we want to leave our elementary school age children? That higher education is not all that necessary to attain the American dream? I wonder that we're sending a very different message than has been the case in the not-too-distant past in a day and time where having a 4-yr degree is more important than ever before. The question becomes "why?"

What purpose would be served by circulating on the internet -- easily one of the greatest vehicles of communications known to humankind -- propaganda that encourages NOT investing in a college education and instead relying upon aquiring training? When trying to help nurture the next, upcoming generation, recognizing that they are driven by immediate gratification, should we make the decision to tell them not to try at all to work at something that will pay off in the long-term, instead? Does it matter that they live in a fast-paced world? Have old-fashioned virtues like hard work, and getting a college education gone the way of many of the other pieces of wisdom that we, as Gen X'ers, used to hear growing up, like making sure to save for a rainy day? Have we just gotten that lazy - or worse yet, do we just not care anymore? I shudder to think it.

I, for one, think we should still tell our youth (and others looking to the media for guidance in what to do and how to do it) to avail themselves to ALL forms of learning: in and out of the classroom. Education and skill training do not have to be mutually exclusive activities. Actually, one usually complements the other quite well. And in today's volatile and uncertain economy, we must be careful that the pendulum doesn't swing to far to the left on the issue of how to impact workforce preparedness. Today's worker must have the minimum educational requirements for multiple career possibilities (this generation changes jobs at a historically rapid rate) and yet also have a diverse set of skills that can help distinguish him or her from the rest of the crowd. In addition, it is an added benefit to actually have the natural talent factor come into play somewhere in there.

And this gives new meaning - and context - to a term usually associated with the acting industry but that has relevance for today's new entrants to the workforce:  He or she must be a "triple threat" - possessing preparation educationally, in skill training and in talent. That's the message I am broadcasting.

Efficacy or Efficiency?

Today's post is on the difference between two words that are rarely used together by normal people in the same sentence. Yet this pair of words is probably the most important duo for most competent people to know and, more importantly, characterize in both their professional and personal lives.

Efficacy: The ability to produce a desired or intended outcome

Efficiency: The ability to achieve maximum productivity with minimum effort

I once had a boss that I knew to be one of the most highly-successful individuals I had ever known. He was not only a former professional football player (for a brief stint), but he had also, since his pro football days, managed to use his natural intelligence to propel himself into an educational path that included a doctorate in allied health sciences. In other words, he earned a doctoral degree in biomedical science research and through a series of personal and professional maneuvers (wheeling and dealing, stocks and bonds, etc) was a millionaire before the age of 50 (at least). I mean, he retired twice from two different tenured positions at universities (no easy feat) and still continues "kickin' the can on-down the road."

And I loved working for him. It was absolutely mesmorizing to watch him at work. Everything was done with such calculated precision. Even on the rare occasions when he made mistakes, it was always a technical error, not a critical flaw. At this point, some people might think, Good Lord! What it must've been like to work for him! He must've been a bear to work for, being super-critical and all. But the truth is: Yes and No.

With all of his masterful skill and his approach of precision in pulling together his work teams, although he was a stickler about details and knowing what he wanted, he never made one feel like he or she was an all-out failure if he or she did not produce to the level of expectation he had. He always approached the situation as the team being a reflection of him. Hence, living by the mantra that a team is only as strong as its weakest player, he, after ascertaining that a player was experiencing real difficulties playing his or her position, would immediately roll up his shirt sleeves and get to work at helping that player to learn his position and get the job done.

And unlike other bosses I've known or have known of, he took his role as a team leader seriously. He was the ultimate deal-maker, the consummate mentor: again, partly because his name was attached to the success or failure of his team members as team captain. But the other part of it was that he believed that people should be given the opportunity to develop their own, and develop into their own potential. It was his job to provide whatever tools he could to help make this "magic" work. And while he never knew which way it would actually go in for certain, he was a prophet, of sorts, in predicting where any given person could potentially go, if they followed his plan or road map for development.

I wll admit that sometimes I balked, as did some others. Being so close to mastery like that, one can sometimes fear being overrun by the shadow of their sansei (teacher). But as I observed his methodology, I learned to appreciate his character and philosophy about how to get things done in working with a team. One thing that I learned and really internalized was how he dealt with his subjects. Even though he was, by all accounts, a "busy" and "important" man (understatement of the millenium), he would always take time to talk to whomever he ran into or demanded his attention at any given moment. He was notorious for having meetings on the side of the street, in transit walking from one meeting to another, with different people who would stop him for advice, or to air a grievance, or just to say hello. Countless times I would have to reschedule an entire day's schedule just so that he could spend the time he needed to to meet with a faculty member and come up with viable solutions to a given problem. And it wasn't only faculty members that approached him: they were professional employees and secretaries, and students (athletes and non-athletes), and coaches, and alumni, and facilities workers. It drove me nuts!

Why, I would complain to myself, would he blow off everyone else in the day -- at least, the next scheduled appointment -- just to allow an appointment to run-over indefinitely?! It didn't seem fair to the people who had been able to finally get an appointment with him in the first place! And I couldn't help but think that those who were fortunate enough to get an audience with him were taking full advantage of him and exploiting his time as though they didn't know he had other people to meet with in a given day! But over time I slowly began to learn the secret to his success. It did not matter who you were, he would always make time to listen to people. He would always take time to talk to people (and at times he could talk!). And at the end of the day, although my criticism of him would be that he was awful at time management because he rarely accomplished all he intended according to his printed schedule as it stood at the beginning of the day (efficiency), he was super-productive based on the results of the interactions he did have during the day because one rarely had to come back multiple times for this particular problem (efficacy and efficiency).

The moral of the story? Take time to be purposeful in what you do. Don't rush. Try to do it right the first time, even though you may still make mistakes. At least those mistakes won't be gross miscalculations on your part. But maximize your potential by taking time to recap and learn from your mistakes (write them down in a journal about your journey as a professional). It will significantly impact the time it takes for your learning curve. You can get the things you want done and the results you intend - as well as so much more! - if you commit to being open to your own evolution and potential-realization. "Busy" for the sake of knocking down a list of things-to-do is not always the same as maximizing each moment, each opportunity. Remember to be a student of your own life and take your interactions as opportunities to grow. It will yield results maximized multiple times over what you originally intended.