A person, especially a person to use knowledge, how can we achieve results? Such a person, after living and working for many years, after many years after the change, but also how to remain effective? The problem involved is an individual, and therefore may wish to explore start from my own.
I talk about the seven life experiences, they taught me how to remain effective, growing, changing, and at the same age, growing continuously to achieve a breakthrough.
High school, I left the place of birth of the city of Vienna, Austria, to a German company in Hamburg cotton exports do an apprenticeship, I was still under 18 years of age. My father was not very happy, because my family for generations are living in a government civil servants, lawyers, doctors, so he wanted me to go to college. But I'm tired of student life, want to go to work. In order to appease his father, I just Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg, a note book.
That was in 1927. In that distant era, Austrian and German universities do not require students to attend class. As long as the student asked the professor signature on it on the registration book. Students do not even need for this matter into the classroom. They just give the department the staff a little tip messaging, signaling staff will be for students to get the signature of Professor.
Export company apprentices work extremely boring, I almost did not learn anything. 7:30 in the morning to go to work Monday to Friday, 16:00 to work, Saturday 12:00 to work, so I have a lot of leisure time.
On the weekends, I and the other two, also from Austria, but an apprentice working in other companies go hiking, wandering in the beautiful outskirts of Hamburg, a night spent at the youth hostel - we are in enrolled students, so you can stay for free.
Five days a week, at night I soak in Hamburg's famous municipal library, the library next door to my office. How many books the library would like to encourage students to borrow many books. Consecutive 15 months, I kept reading, watching a wide variety of books in German, English and French books books.
01 experienced a: Verdi taught me to set goals and vision
Then me a week to see the first opera. Hamburg Opera was one of the world's top opera (is now). I was very poor, because the apprentice is no salary, but fortunately opera students can see for free. We just an hour before the show starts to get there. 10 minutes before the show began, those cheap seats if it is not sold, it will provide free of charge to students. Pen collection for one night, I listen to the great Italian composer Verdi - he wrote in 1893, "Falstaff" (Falstaff).
Now the play has become one of Verdi's most popular works, but then rarely staged, because the singer and the audience think it's too difficult.
I am totally conquered. I received a good musical education in childhood, that era is a music capital of Vienna. I've heard a lot of opera, but never heard this kind of work. That night it gave me the impression that I will never forget.
I later did some research, very surprised to find this full of joy, enthusiasm and boundless energy of opera life of the elderly was actually made by a 80-old hand! At the time only 18 years old my opinion, 80 years is an incredible young people. I suspect I was not so old people know. At that time people's universal life is 50 years or younger.
Later, I read an article written by Verdi himself, he talked about in the article, people asked him as a well-known figure, and is known as one of the top opera composer of the 19th century, why so old also worked tirelessly to write an opera, but opera is a great deal of difficulty. " I, as a musician, his life in the pursuit of perfection, always avoiding me perfectly. I felt totally obligated to try again.」 He wrote.
This passage made me Mochibuwang - they left me with an indelible impression. Verdi me that age is 18 years old, is already a trained composer. I do not know what their future to become a kind of person at that age, except that rely on exports of cotton textiles is unlikely to succeed. 18 years old, I could not be more naive childish, naive could not naive. Until 15 years later, to around 33 years old, I did not really know what you're good at something, know where they belong. But I was determined, no matter what my life's work is Verdi's words would lead me to become a star before the trip. I was determined that if I can live longer, I will never give up. At the same time, I will pursue perfection, even though I know very well, always avoiding me perfectly.
02 experience II: Phidias teachings - "God can see them."
During about the same time, also an apprentice in Hamburg, I also saw another story, it allows me to further understand the meaning of the "perfect". It is a story of ancient Greece's greatest sculptor Phidias.
440 BC, he ordered the creation of a group of statues - after the 2400 storm, which still stands today on the Athens Parthenon roof. They are known as one of the West's most outstanding sculptures.
After the completion of its creation, which has been widely praised, the city of Athens Treasurer after receiving Phidias bill, but refused to pay on the single. He said: "These statues stand on the roof of the temple, and the temple cover at the highest hill in Athens we can only see the front of the statue, but you are all around by carving fee is to say, who statues back. I can not see, but you have our money. "
"You are wrong," Phidias retorted, " the gods see them. " I remember, I was watching "Falstaff" read the story shortly after. It deeply touched me, and since then abide by this principle. I have done a lot of hope that God did not notice a thing, but I still think that even if only "God" to get attention, we must also pursue perfection.
Whenever someone asked what I consider myself to write the best book, I will answer with a smile: "The next of this," I was not kidding, but seriously, as Verdi says he is in the age of 80 still insist on creation, and to pursue their lifelong quest scoreless always perfect. Verdi older now than when I was in spite of the creation of "Falstaff," but I'm still thinking about and working on two new books, and I hope they are written in the past are better than any one, but more importantly, closer to perfection.
03 experience III: continuous learning - when reporters nowadays determination
A few years later, I moved to Frankfurt, Germany. First, I worked at a brokerage firm as an apprentice. Later, the New York stock market crash in October 1929, where I also will be bankrupt brokerage firm, on my 20th birthday that day, I was hired Frankfurt's largest newspaper, worked as a financial and foreign affairs correspondent.
I noticed the book at a local university law school, because students transfer at that time in Europe is a very easy thing. I was still not interested in law, but I always remember Verdi and Phidias to my teachings. Topics to be involved in a lot of reporters, so I think they must understand many areas, so in order to be a qualified reporters.
He worked in the newspaper that published the afternoon. We start work at 6 am, 2:15 pm publishing, so I forced myself in the afternoon and evening learning, learning content including the history of international relations and international law, social and legal institutions, common history, finance, and so on. So, I slowly built up their knowledge.
I still adhere to this habit, every three or four years I will choose a new area , such as statistics, medieval history, Japanese art, economics, and so on. Three years of study certainly not enough to get me one area, but enough for me to understand it. Thus, in 60 years time, I continue to learn every time a field of study.
This not only let me have a wealth of knowledge, but also forced me to learn about new subjects, new ways and new methods - in every area of my research, they have different assumptions, methods used are different.
04 experience four: Regularly review and planning - editor's teachings
My thoughts remain active, another habit of growing knowledge, is the editor of the newspaper, a renowned European journalist to my teachings. Editor of the newspaper are very young. I was 22 years old became one of three assistant managing editor.
I got promoted, not because I was particularly good. In fact, I've never been a first-class newspaper reporter. However, in the 1930s, the people that serve these positions, which is about 35 years old, it is difficult to find in Europe, because most of them died in the First World War. So, even some high position in the post, also had to be filled by young people like me.
20 mid and late 1950s, I went to Japan at the end of the Pacific War 10 years, the case found there are similar.
Newspaper editors around the age of 50 worked tirelessly to train and hone his young subordinates. He told each of us every week to talk, to discuss our work. Year after six months of work in the New Year at the beginning and at the start of summer vacation in June, we will on Saturday afternoon and Sunday throughout the time for discussion.
Editor always things we do well from the beginning, and then discuss what we want to do but do not strive to do a good job, then we'll discuss things hard enough, severely criticized last we do poorly, or that this but do not do things.
In the last two hours of discussion, we will develop the next six months of work: what we should do is go all out? What should we improve things? What each of us need to learn that? Editor asked us to submit their own work and learning programs over the next six months after a week.
I really like these seminars, but left the newspaper that he gave them forgotten.
Nearly 10 years later, I have been in the United States, I think of these discussions. That was in the early 1940s, I had become a senior professor, he began his consulting career, and began to publish some important works.
Then I remembered the Frankfurt newspaper editor who taught me something. Since then, every summer I will stay two weeks, to review the work done the previous year, including I did pretty good, but it could have or should have done better things started, I do Debu good thing, and I should have done but did not do. In addition, I will use this time to determine their own priorities in consulting, writing and teaching.
I never planned to complete its own strict August each year to develop, but this approach forced me to comply with Verdi's "pursuit of perfection" injunctions, although until now perfectly still "always avoided me."
05 experienced five: his role - the founder's teachings
A few years later, I again experienced an instructive things. In 1933, I moved from Frankfurt, Germany to London, first as securities analyst at a large insurance company, went to a fast-growing private banking after one year, as the bank's economist, also serves as the senior partner of three Executive Secretary of the person.
The three senior partner, a 70-year-old founder of the company, the other two are mid-thirties. At first, I just follow behind the two partners contacted about three months later, the company founder called me into his office, about face and said: "You first came here, I think you're nothing, now you still feel nothing, but you have to stupid than I thought, it is simply foolish to the extreme. "Because of those two young partners of their daily I boast on the day, so I froze there is also nothing to say out.
Then he said: "I know you do securities analysis in insurance companies do well, however, if we want you to do securities analysis, it will allow you to stay in that place had now become your partner. Executive Secretary, but still do securities analysis. think about it, you should do something in order to achieve success in this new position it? "
I was very angry, but still realized that he was right. So, I completely changed their behavior and work content. After that fight, I each for a new job, will consider the following question: " In this new position, I have to do something in order to be effective it? " Every time is different things to do.
I do consulting for 60 years, to many organizations in many countries to provide the service. I've seen in all tissues biggest waste of human resources, promotion is unsuccessful. Many talented people have been promoted to the new position, but not many truly successful people, there are a lot of people it is a complete failure, more people is neither successful nor a failure, became mediocrity .
In a 10-year or even 15 years are very competent people, why suddenly become incompetent work? I have seen cases, almost 70 years ago I made a mistake at the bank in London that committed - they embarked on a new job, to do still is to let them get promoted on those old posts thing. Therefore, they are not really incompetent, but because doing something wrong.
I have a habit of many years, customers who fruitful, especially in large organizations effective client, I would ask what the reasons for their outstanding performance Yes. I got the answer I was experienced in London with exactly the same: a tough boss to force yourself to new positions need to think clearly.
No one's (at least in my knowledge of) their own discovery this. Once people understand this, I will not forget this, and almost without exception, will succeed in his new role. In fact, this need not have superior knowledge, do not need to have amazing talent, but need to do all things new job requirements, that is, to respond to new challenges, new jobs and new tasks to complete crucial matter.
06 undergo six: down - the Jesuits and Calvinistic teachings
Then, after a few years, before and after 1945, I chose early European modern history, especially the 15th century, the 16th century as their field of study for three years (I was in 1937 emigrated from Britain to the United States).
I found that during the study, there are two organizations have become the two dominant forces in Europe, they are the Jesuits and the Catholic Calvin sect in the southern region in northern Protestant areas. The two organizations are successful for the same reason, were created in 1536 (independently created), are beginning to take the same approach to learning.
According to regulations, whenever a Jesuit priest or pastor Calvin denominations do something more significant things, such as making an important decision, they should put their expected results down, then actual results were compared after nine months. In this way, they will soon be able to find what they do well, what their strengths are; what things must be learned, what habits need to change; what things he did not talent, so do not.
I also use this method, it has been insisted for 50 years. It can help a person find their own strengths - this is the most important thing that people understand themselves. It also reveals the need for improvement in terms of what is needed and what kind of improvements.
Finally, it can reveal a person can not afford to do it, and therefore do not want to try to do something Yes. Understand their strengths and how to strengthen these strengths, and know they can not do is what - is key to their continued learning.
07 experienced seven: what you want to leave - Schumpeter's teachings
This is what I want to say about the experience of the last paragraph of personal development. Christmas 1949, I started soon after, my father came to visit us from California after a New York University professor of management courses, the year he was 73 years old, retired a number of years already. New Year, that is, 1950 January 3, my father and I went to visit his old friend Joseph Schumpeter.
Schumpeter had already become a world-renowned economist, although already 66 years old, but still preaching Tuition at Harvard University, and served as president of the American Economic Association, and active in academic circles.
In 1902, my young father served in the Austrian Ministry of Finance civil servants, but also a part-time university, to teach some of the courses in economics, then met Schumpeter. Schumpeter then still only 19 years old, is the most intelligent student in the class. He and my father completely different character. He flashy attitude, arrogant, rude, vain, and my father was a gentle, polite, humble me. However, we hit it off but the friendship remained intact. 1949, Schumpeter had different person and did. Nearly seventy years, he taught at Harvard University, has been to the pinnacle of fame.
Two old men together to enjoy the recollection of events, had a great time. They both grew up in Austria, have worked for some time in Austria, and later had gone to the United States - Schumpeter in 1932 came, my father late his four years. Suddenly, my father laugh out loud, ask Schumpeter:? "Joseph, you still want to leave the question of how it's reputation" Schumpeter burst into hearty laughter, I laugh too.
Schumpeter after yourself two important books published, has said for some well-known words. He said he most wanted to stay reputation is "the greatest lover in Europe and Europe's greatest jockey - and perhaps the world's greatest economist," he also only 30 years old then. He answered my father said: "Yes ah, the problem now is still very important to me, but the answer is not the same now I want to stay reputation is a first-class train teachers sixty-seven economists"
He must have seen my father's surprised expression as he added: "You know, Adolf, I had come to know just by a theory book and go down far enough age a. If the individual can not change people's lives that he would not change anything. "my father went to see a reason for Schumpeter, it is that he has been ill, is running short. Five days later, he was forever.
I will never forget them this conversation. I learned three things.
First, we must ask ourselves, in the end want to leave a kind of fame.
Second, the answer will change with age growth. It will follow its own maturity as well as changes in the external world is changed.
Third, only changed the lives of others is something memorable.
08 Summary: Everyone can learn these things
The reason I have taken the trouble to tell their stories, there is only one reason - to keep everyone productive for many years I know, whether managers or academics, but also senior officers or whether it is a first-class doctors, regardless of teachers or an artist, and I have to get some very similar lessons. Whether it is with whom I collaborate, I will try to find each other sooner or later his success is due to what factors. As a consultant, I have worked with many people, they come from different types of organizations, including corporations, governments, universities, hospitals, opera, symphony orchestras, museums, and so on.
Without exception, I will hear very similar stories. Therefore, for "one person, especially a person to use knowledge, how can we be effective? Such a person, after living and working for many years, after many years after the change, but also how to remain effective?" This question my answer is: quite a few by doing simple things.
First, we want to establish their own goal or ideal , like Verdi's "Falstaff" as I set the goals and ideals that. To the goals and ideals, means that a person can not be bad person at heart.
Second, I discovered many years to maintain the effectiveness of people's attitude to work as Phidias: God visible. They immoderation and abide by their own standards at work. In fact, they have a strong self-esteem.
Third, they continue to learn as a lifestyle. They may not like me, every three or four years to learn a new discipline. However, they will continue with the test, their results are never satisfied. They are the minimum requirements of their own, no matter what should do better, and often demands on themselves to do these things in different ways.
Fourth, these active thinking, growing people, but also insist on performance evaluation. I found that a growing number of portraits of Jesus and the first to do Calvin sect as the result of their own actions and decisions recorded, and then they were compared with original expectations. In this way, they will soon discover where their strengths, but also found themselves what needs to improve, change and learning. Finally, they also know what things they are not good, so it should let others do.
Every time I asked a man of remarkable results, ask them to tell me the reasons for the success, I will hear similar stories, such as a teacher or boss passed away many years to tell them, as long as they work, job or position has changed, it requirements of the new job, a new job or a new job must consider carefully - they are always different from the original requirements of the job or the job.
Finally, and perhaps most important point : One of the most important principles embodied in all of these habits, that is, those effective, and can continue to grow and change people, especially those who have to use knowledge-based, to assume their own development organization of work and responsibility. (This article End)