Comments on: Leadership Lessons from Ajax the Seeing Eye Dog #3: The Importance of Basic Skills http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/ A blog by Envisia Learning for those who are truly interested in increasing organizational performance Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:08:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Ken Nowack http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-376 Ken Nowack Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:15:47 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-376 Thanks for your great point about the combination of coaching + practice. If you haven't seen an earlier Blog of mine how just how much practice is needed for any us to become proficient in learning and applying new skills, here is the link: http://results.envisialearning.com/deliberate-practice-over-10-years-makes-perfect-better/ Thanks for your great point about the combination of coaching + practice. If you haven’t seen an earlier Blog of mine how just how much practice is needed for any us to become proficient in learning and applying new skills, here is the link:
http://results.envisialearning.com/deliberate-practice-over-10-years-makes-perfect-better/

]]> By: Charles Feltman http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-375 Charles Feltman Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:09:59 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-375 Thanks for the nice metaphore. One of the most important aspects of learning the basic you mention, as with any skill, is practice. Ajax needs to practice his basic skills over and over, in different environments, with different people before they become a habitual part of his behavior. The same is so with us humans. Unfortunately, many companies rely too heavily on the one-day training session. But without follow-on practice and reinforcement the training investment is pretty much wasted. As I'm sure you are aware, consistent practice combined with some form of coaching has been clearly demonstrated to increase the likelihood that an individual will integrate new skills, whether basic or more advanced, and shorten the time it takes to do so. Thanks for the nice metaphore.

One of the most important aspects of learning the basic you mention, as with any skill, is practice. Ajax needs to practice his basic skills over and over, in different environments, with different people before they become a habitual part of his behavior. The same is so with us humans. Unfortunately, many companies rely too heavily on the one-day training session. But without follow-on practice and reinforcement the training investment is pretty much wasted. As I’m sure you are aware, consistent practice combined with some form of coaching has been clearly demonstrated to increase the likelihood that an individual will integrate new skills, whether basic or more advanced, and shorten the time it takes to do so.

]]> By: Ken Nowack http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-372 Ken Nowack Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:50:13 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-372 Carolyn--thanks for validating what many of us in practice have seen and what an analysis of our Manager View 360 assessment seemed to show. Being good at your "craft" doesn't gurantee you will have developed these basic leaderhship skills Carolyn–thanks for validating what many of us in practice have seen and what an analysis of our Manager View 360 assessment seemed to show. Being good at your “craft” doesn’t gurantee you will have developed these basic leaderhship skills

]]> By: Ken Nowack http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-371 Ken Nowack Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:48:12 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-371 Jeanne...Thanks for your comments and ongoing support...I know you have quite a bit of insights about effective leadership! Jeanne…Thanks for your comments and ongoing support…I know you have quite a bit of insights about effective leadership!

]]> By: Carolyn Roberts http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-370 Carolyn Roberts Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:39:05 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-370 Just read your latest post re: Ajax and basic leadership skills. I found it fascinating, and related it to my experience in education where competent teachers were promoted to administrative positions without training in management skills. I would say I saw the bottom 5 management skills in play in those situations. One of my educational colleagues did his dissertation on the training in budget management for administrators and found only 10 percent had any training in that yet superintendents often managed multi-million dollar budgets and principals up to millions of dollars. In addition, I work with ministers and rabbis who find they are more involved in administrative tasks than in spiritual development tasks, and they, too, experience probs with the bottom 5 skills. So Ajax is right on. Just read your latest post re: Ajax and basic leadership skills. I found it fascinating, and related it to my experience in education where competent teachers were promoted to administrative positions without training in management skills. I would say I saw the bottom 5 management skills in play in those situations. One of my educational colleagues did his dissertation on the training in budget management for administrators and found only 10 percent had any training in that yet superintendents often managed multi-million dollar budgets and principals up to millions of dollars. In addition, I work with ministers and rabbis who find they are more involved in administrative tasks than in spiritual development tasks, and they, too, experience probs with the bottom 5 skills. So Ajax is right on.

]]> By: Jeanne Hartley http://results.envisialearning.com/leadership-lessons-from-ajax-the-seeing-eye-dog-3-basic-skills/comment-page-1/#comment-369 Jeanne Hartley Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:23:01 +0000 http://results.envisialearning.com/?p=641#comment-369 Hi Ken, I loved your story. A wonderful example. Keep up the wonderful writing I look forward to reading you and Bill. Feels right and it is often inspriational. Jeanne Hi Ken,
I loved your story. A wonderful example.
Keep up the wonderful writing I look forward to reading you and Bill. Feels right and it is often inspriational.
Jeanne

]]>