Standard Podcast [1:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5430)

Recently I did a segment on our natural, human tendency to compare ourselves with others. Listeners in Calgary and Cleveland e-mailed that we just should never make comparisons at all because each of us is unique. To that I say, I agree with the unique part, but let’s not get crazy here.

It’s human nature to compare ourselves to other people. It’s one way we quickly discover what we are capable of without having to make every mistake possible. Queen Elizabeth II said about her family, “We learned the way a monkey learns – by watching its parents.”

Observing others is also healthy for developing careers, much like it’s healthy for organizations to benchmark the best practices of companies who do similar work. However, I caution my listeners to not make comparisons that bring them down, such as: “Larry is great at presenting ideas and getting managers to agree with him. I’m not. I’ll never be as good as Larry. Why waste my time trying?” That unhealthy thinking stops a person cold.

I think it’s smarter to take control: “I’m not Larry, but I like the professional way he presents ideas. I’m going to speak up more often until I learn how to present ideas just as well – or better!”

Here’s something else, if you want to motivate someone to improve, especially a child, never tell him he should be like someone else. He’ll resent it just as much as you do. Instead, talk about developing the talents you recognize in him.

Bookmark and Share

Close this Window Bookmark and Share This Page

Save to Browser Favorites / Bookmarks

Ask backflip blinklist BlogBookmark Bloglines BlogMarks Blogsvine BuddyMarks BUMPzee! CiteULike co.mments Connotea

del.icio.us Digg diigo DotNetKicks DropJack dzone Facebook Fark Faves Feed Me Links Friendsite folkd.com

Furl Google Hugg Jeqq Kaboodle kirtsy linkaGoGo LinksMarker Ma.gnolia Mister Wong Mixx MySpace

MyWeb Netvouz Newsvine oneview OnlyWire PlugIM Propeller Reddit Rojo Segnalo Shoutwire Simpy

Slashdot Sphere Sphinn Spurl Squidoo StumbleUpon Technorati ThisNext Webride Windows Live Yahoo!

Email This to a Friend

Copy HTML: 

 If you like this then please subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Powered by Bookmarkify™

More »

Powered by Bookmarkify™

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 8:25 am and is filed under Podcast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.