Friday, December 27, 2019
Bald Guys Are Beautiful! So Why Not Hire One
Bald Guys Are Beautiful So Why Not Hire OneBald Guys Are Worth HiringBald Guys Are Beautiful So Why Not Hire OneAn Associated Press story had me falling out of my chair in laughter last week. An expert who just happens to be a hair restoration surgeon says balding people are at a disadvantage in getting hired. Whats the follow-up story going to be a plastic surgeon saying people with large noses are also at a disadvantage in the job market?As proof, the hair doc points out that our last bald president welches Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961). Of course, the story fails to note that he ran against an equally bald guy, Adlai Stevenson, not once but twice Since Eisenhower, weve elected two presidents with visibly receded hairlines Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon.Never underestimate a doctors subtle marketing pitch.Im bald, and I dont hide that alleged malady. Im also gainfully employed and have been for most of the last 20 years, during which Ive gotten progressively less hirsute. Ive be en hired and not hired by people with full heads of hair and people with shinier pates than mine.So whats the matter with hiring the follically-challenged? Nothing. In fact, I would argue that they have these distinct advantages in the job marketLess chance of a bad hair moment in an important meeting with a client. Most bald guys dont need to look in the mirror to check their hair before entering the meeting room. They might ask a shoe-shine guy for a little buffing, though.You can trust a person who doesnt hide anything. Real bald guys accept their, um, shortcoming, without covering it with toupees or plugs. (Take that, doc) If theyre honest about their condition, assume theyre honest about anything (Nixon notwithstanding).Baldness is a sign of age, and age is a sign of wisdom. And wisdom comes from experience If youre looking for a seasoned professional to get the job done, keep this in mind.If we were to believe all the statistics about who has the best chance of getting hired, youd never see anyone bald in the workplace, nor anyone who wasnt tall, slim, beautiful, and youthful. Tell me do all of your coworkers match that description?
Monday, December 23, 2019
How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling
How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling How to Face a Personal Career Crisis and Come Out Smiling Typically, if you do face a midlife crisis, it willtake the form of a career-identity crisis. You may lose your sense of purpose in life and your sense of identity. Rather than just hating your manager or feeling bored atyour job, you may feel that your entire chosen career path is meaningless.The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to effectively manage your personal career crisis and come out the other side smiling. Hereare fourtips to help you do just that.1. Take Some Comfort in the Fact You Are Not AloneReports suggest that around half of workers may feelunfulfilled intheir current jobs, so chances are thatplenty of kindred spirits exist around you in the office. These are people with whom you can share your pain and from whom you can seek advice. You can bounce ideas off ofthese people and clarify your thoughts. Some of these peoplemay have a lready gone through the saatkorn crisis, and others may be currently going through it, but all across the board theymay have some practical suggestions.2. See Your Crises as a Career Transition InsteadWe live in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world, a time of boom and bust, a global environment in whichcompanies and political regimes rise and fall seeminglyovernight.This volatility is felt in thework world the traditional job-for-life has all but evaporated. Todays worker may have between 15 and 20 jobs over the course of their lifetime, according to certain predictions.Furthermore,a 2006 study from New York Universitys School of Continuing and Professional Studiesfoundthat todays professionals are expected to change careers three times in their lifetimes just 28 percent of present-day professionals expect to have lifelong careers.Becausecareer changes are so common and normal, it may serve little purpose to view your career shakeupas a crisis. Instead, take th e more productive route and view it as a career transition opportunity.3. Go on aVision Quest (Metaphorically Speaking)A vision quest isa rite of passage practiced onNative American cultures. It is a meditative exercise in whichthe individual spends a fewdays and nights secluded in nature in buchen to do some deep thinking and find spiritual guidance and purpose.Now, this exact activity might not be everyones cup of tea, but the concept of taking time out of your normal life to open your mind up to newpossibilities is a sound one.Why sit around your office orapartment, moping and wallowing in self-pity, when you can go on a retreat, take a few days vacation somewhere, and let the answers find you? Youll be able to think outside of the box and consideryour career in a much more liberated way, freeing your mind and enabling you to come up with some solutions to your crisis.Dont rule out any options at this stage, however strange the may seem. The professional vision quest is a brainst orming exercise, so just enjoy the journey. Therell be plenty of time for realism soon.4. Come Back Down to Earth and Make a PlanOnce youve had time to brainstorm on your vision quest, its time to make a plan, which involves conductingyour own personal SWOT analysis.Lookat your strengths and weaknesses, your career opportunities and your career threats. Try tomatch your strengths and desires to viable alternative career options and opportunities. Understand what youll need to do in terms of training and thesort of title or status sacrifices you may need to make in order to be a credible candidate on your desired new career path. Also, identify the likely career transition period how long will it take you? Six months? A year? Two years?After following these steps, you should have acareer transition strategy and a positive direction in which to enthusiastically channel all of yourprecious, nervous energy. It could and should be the start of a wonderful journey
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Ohio Teen Harvests Energy
Ohio Teen Harvests Energy Ohio Teen Harvests Energy Ohio Teen Harvests EnergyFourteen-year-old Maanasa Mendu of Mason, OH, had a vision of supplying people with energy on demand, without the need for a great deal of cash to pay for it. Putting that thought into action, she created a device called Harvest at the cost of a few dollars and won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, when she was still 13.I think it was around seventh grade and I just saw this piezoelectric news story, she says. The piece was on a Japan railway station using piezoelectric walkways. I thought, this is a perfect solution for our energy crisis. Then why is it elend being used currently?The device evolved. When Mendu first started, the goal was to use piezoelectric effect to harvest low wind speeds and, as she progressed in the Young Scientist Competition, the decision was made to furtzu sich integrate solar energy harvesting.Among the various parts of Harvest, the stem portion is made from pie zoelectric materials, the main part of the leaf is composed of organic photovoltaic material, and the invention also contains a capacitor unit.A prototype of the HARVEST, a bio-inspired energy device that captures energy in the form of wind, rain and sun and converts it to power. Image Discovery Education 3MShe started off testing in a homemade setup, building a wind tunnel and conducting the test tzu siche for the piezoelectric portion. Then, for the outside environment, Mendu mainly used her backyard and other parts of her neighborhood while keeping a log of the environmental conditions there.The electrical outputs have been more than encouraging but improvements may still be on the horizon. She wants to work on the fact that the present material, in her view, has a very low ability when it comes to converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. Shes even open to possibly utilizing a thermal electric generator. I also have to do a lot more testing to see the practicality of my device, she says. Conducting in many different environments.Up to the ChallengeWhen Mendu found out she had won the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, it was a thrill, to say the least. It was actually really surprising, she says. After meeting the amazing finalists, I was blown away by some of their projects. They were so good so I thought everyone had a fair chance of winning. I was pretty surprised when they called my name.But despite its recognition, she isnt just limiting herself to the Harvest invention. Shes presently at work on another, one that is out to optimize piezoelectric energy harvesting by using aeroelastic flutter.She says her support team at home has made it easier to embark on her journey as an inventor. My family was a pretty important part and they were basically my cheerleaders during the entire process and theyve always been very optimistic, she says. During the days when my device didnt work or when I needed some help with the presentation part, they all were really amazing, including my mom, dad, and little sister.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.I thought, this is a perfect solution for our energy crisis. Then why is it not being used currently?Maanasa Mendu, Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge winner
Friday, December 13, 2019
What to Do When Youre the Least-Experienced at Work -The Muse
What to Do When Youre the Least-Experienced at Work -The MuseWhat to Do When Youre the Least-Experienced at Work You just started a new job and youre so excited. Theres just one catch Youre clearly the least experienced person on the team. Maybe youre the youngest, or maybe youve changed careers, or maybe you just made an internal transfer. Whatever the scenario, everyone around you knows their work like the back of their hand, leaving you feeling like youre lagging behind. While thats not the fruchtwein comforting or enjoyable feeling, the fact is youll face challenges specific to having less experience. But since you know that, you can be prepared for- and address- the four most common issues. 1. Challenge You Have Imposter SyndromeWhen you learn co-workers have a lot more experience than you, your first thought might be, OMG they made a huge mistake hiring me. But, unless you lied on your resume (in which case, yes, it was a huge mistake), your new employer knows youre new to this kind of work. And they decided to hire you anyways.That means they landsee great potential in you, and believe you can do this. (Its true Theyre not going to put their neck on the line for someone they thinkll fail.)SolutionThe first step is for you to believe in yourself, too. Youre here because you threw your hat in the ring- and probably put in a lot of legwork applying. So, reconnect with the ambitious self that thought you should go out and apply for this role. What did you argue made you qualified? Lean on those traitsSecond, if you notice anything you feel especially nervous about, see if you cant bolster those skills. Take a class or reach out to a new colleague or a networking contact and ask how to develop the skill you feel youre lacking.2. Challenge You Think You Know it AllSome people fall on the other side of the spectrum, and this challenge threatens to derail you even more, because its harder to self-diagnose. Maybe you know youre the least experienced, but you thin k I got this and therefore have zero interest in listening to others, learning from their prior experiences, or asking for help.As you can imagine, this can hurt you in many ways.First, you dont have the benefit of institutional knowledge. Maybe your idea is brilliant- and thats why someone pitched it six months ago, only to see it fall flat for an unforeseen reason. But you wont be able to learn from that, if you steamroll their feedback.Second, its not going to gain you many friends. Often, theres a degree of paying your dues when youre new. While its not always the most stimulating work, it can go a long way to garnering respect among your colleagues and making you look like a team player. SolutionBy all means, be confident and share your ideas- but dont confuse that with acting like youre the smartest person in the room. One of the best things you can do is work on your listening skills. During a brainstorming session, dont aim to be the first one to speak. Instead, listen to wh at your colleagues have to say and see if you can support, build on, or ask to learn more about their ideas.Additionally, ask for help and feedback, instead of going it alone and guessing. Admitting you dont have all the answers not only makes you more approachable, but it makes people more likely to trust you when you say you know what youre talking about.3. Challenge You Catch All the Low-Level TasksSome grunt work is par for the course. It may even be useful- giving you a foundation so youll understand higher-level tasks that youre going to be assigned in the near future. However, you dont want to be taken advantage of, and some people can tend to dump meaningless tasks on less-experienced colleagues. While you want to be seen as someone with a good attitude, you dont want behauptung tasks to distract from your actual job.SolutionThe best way to handle this challenge is to use open communication. Talk to your boss about the reality of balancing these annoying to-dos with your oth er work. Ask her to help you prioritize your task list, and if she can share how these tasks add value to the team or your future work.If you have colleagues who keep asking you to pitch in, see if you can use these assignments as an entry point to more engaging work. Say, Im happy to help with x, and Im also able to y and would love to make a larger contribution to the project 4. Challenge You Need More TimePhrases like get up to speed and catch up are time-related for a reason. As you know, youll be more efficient at a task the 10th time you do it- and even more so the 100th time.But your co-workers may forget that the database isnt intuitive, or that, before all of the shortcuts are committed to memory, youll have to keep clicking in and out and cross-referencing. If you arent allowed enough time, youre in a perpetual state of scrambling.SolutionThis challenge has an easy fix, because theres no shame in wanting to get things right- or being new. So, often all you need is to give a simple reminder Say, Im new to whatevers taking you a while. Do you have any suggestions for how I could do process faster?Then, ask if, in the meantime, you could have extra time for that task- stressing that you want to do it correctly. Thisll also give them a chance to tell you if times a factor and theyd rather have it done than perfect. Youve leapt to the next level and now are feeling a little out of your league. Take heart thats how it feels at the beginning. But soon enough, time will pass, someone new will be hired, and theyll be coming to you with questions.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
The Newly Leaked Secrets to Skills Section of Resume Examples Discovered
The Newly Leaked Secrets to Skills Section of Resume Examples Discovered Understanding Skills Section of Resume Examples Nevertheless, theres a difference and its helpful to understand when to compose a CV vs resume. Your CV ought to be targeted specifically to every particular lokalitt that you apply to. Employers dont need to understand your complete history. To start with, youve got to tell the truth about what youve got to offer to prospective employers. Other Tips for Writing Job-Specific Railroad Resumes Something to bear in mind when writing a particular railroad jobs resume is that its critical that you find out mora about the position youre applying for. Working part-time is quite popular among them, and they normally decide to work in retail or hospitality. Resume writing doesnt have to be hard. Naturally, the resume objective needs to be the job you wish to take. Writing your first resume is a challenge because you likely dont have a lot to offer at this phase of your career. So rather than focusing on their prior employment you are able to highlight their qualifications. Usually, for any specific position, youll discover minimum qualifications and preferred qualifications. Up in Arms About Skills Section of Resume Examples? It is extremely important that the employer is given the impression that youre well educated and professional. How to compose a simple resume isnt a question people ought to be asking. First impressions matter, even if it has to do with resumes. Your resume should be formatted in an easy, professional way. Free resume format examples are an excellent place to commence. Have a look at free resume examples on the internet and youll observe that headings ought to be the exact same all throughout. A reference page was shown to be much more powerful than listing references on your resume. It is a crucial aspect of writing for your resume. Change career resume examples demonstrate that you should begin with person al details. Notice how you can readily find each position title and the way the company names are emphasized differently. If you do a resume example search, you can likewise find cover letter examples too. You just need to zupflmmel the one which you should use and then use your resume example in order to produce the very best letter for your resume. Under that you need to give your address and contact details. You must take care of this section with amazing care. When its just generic info, you might want to leave it out. Highlighting the last employment record will demonstrate the responsibilities an individual previously held and the length of time they usually maintains a job. Your professional resume is significant in many of means. Dont despair if change career resume examples appear to be not working as its very possible that youll need some expert assistance whos a specialist in the area. Just concentrate on the experience gained at the occupations youve had. The process could be defined in two types Sequence is used when the tasks should be carried out in sequential way. All you need to do is to show to the prospective employer you have the skills he is searching for in an administrative assistant. At the peak of the resume you need to have your name and it needs to be easily readable. The clearest place to search for the skills that the hiring manager will discover exciting and eye-catching is the work description itself. Next, have a glance at their site. There are a number of different individuals competing for retail sales assistant roles, which means that your CV should stick out from the crowd, and make sure you get selected for interview. Maximize your chances of succeeding by taking a look at LOTS of free resume examples. At times, it means youll have one page, from time to time, it means youll have more than that. Most receive on-the-job training, which often lasts a couple of days to a month or two. The community edition of UiPath is free of charge and everyone can download and utilize it. To do this, you will need to explain to new people what can give them confidence you will have the ability to donate to the new team. Try to remember that lots of people out there today whod like to venture out and work independently, even if it was just for just a little while. Design for America is a great approach to tell people about your experience utilizing the design thinking process in the actual world. Now you have a fairly good collection of skills going for your intended position, think about expanding beyond that. The reply is 6 seconds for the very first pass. Dont forget to include keywords for the position youre applying for. Both are critical if you are asking for a client-facing position.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Australias skills shortages report released the professions and locations that need you the most
Australias skills shortages report released the professions and locations that need you the most Australias skills shortages report released the professions and locations that need you the mostPosted March 28, 2014, by Julia WattersIf you need a little guidance when choosing a career path, or if youre looking for a change, checking out where the jobs are is always a good place to start. The Department of Employment recently released their Skills Shortages Australia report for 2013 and it highlights not only the industries that are waiting for recruits, but also the states and territories that are most ripe for the vacant job picking.The report welches undertaken in consultation with over 5,500 employers and utilised data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Department of Education, Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) and the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). While this data suggests that the past 7 years has seen an increase in vacancies filled nation wide, there are still plenty of skills shortages for those industries that require specialised graduates. A skills shortage is often indicated by a small number of job applicants per advertised position and a large proportion of applicants being under-qualified for the position. This is especially true of trades and other vocational and practical professions across the board.So what are the best skills to have?Its no real surprise, but technicians and trades are in hot demand with vacancies cropping up faster than they can be filled by suitable applicants. The skills that are almost guaranteed to land you work includeAutomotive trades automotive electrician, motor mechanic, small engine mechanic and panelbeaterEngineering trades sheet metal trades worker, motor mechanic, small engine mechanic, panelbeaterConstruction trades stone mason, solid plasterer, roof tilerElectrotechnology trades air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic, electrical linesworkerFood trades chef/cook, b aker, pastrycook, butcherHorticultural trades arborist, landscape gardenerWhich professions have the most jobs?Professions are experiencing less shortages overall, but that doesnt mean you wont find a niche you can utilise. The professions with the greatest shortages includeMining Mining engineer (excluding petroleum), petroleum engineer and geophysicistHealth Sonographer, optometrist and physiotherapistWhere are the opportunities located?State vs stateIn 2013, there were a larger number of applicants for all roles across all states and territories, with the exception of South Australia, suggesting that for most states, skills shortages had reduced.The Northern Territory boasted the largest increase in filled vacancies with all other states and territories following suit, besides Victoria and South Australia whose numbers remained unchanged. However, Darwin still made the list of hard to recruit places, meaning plenty of opportunities for those with the right skills. South Austra lian employers were found to have the least trouble recruiting with the exception of the states regional areas, while New South Wales recruiters experienced the most difficulty of any state or territory, especially in regional areas.The upshot of this is that, compared to
Friday, November 29, 2019
How to Become a Crossing Guard
How to Become a Crossing GuardHow to Become a Crossing GuardJohnny runs as fast as he can to chase his friend down the sidewalk. It isnt usually this foggy when he walks to school, but this time of year, the dawn breaks about half way along his routine journey. Johnny closes in on Tommy as they near their usual finish line, the last street sign before they cross the busy street in front of their school. The race is closer than it has ever been. Johnny runs as fast as he can. His fingers barely miss Tommys shirt flapping just out of reach. In the instant, the race is over Tommy has no time to gloat. A grown mans arm thuds against their chests just as a red sports car whizzes no mora than three feet from their noses. The exhaust fumes irritate their already overworked lungs. You boys need to watch where youre going You could have been killed The crossing guard looks at them in disgust, his eyes still wide from the close encounter with the car. Johnny and Tommy knew realized they lost c ontrol and that if the crossing guard had notlage had cat-like reflexes, they could have been seriously injured or killed. Crossing guards protect children on their ways to and from school ensuring the children make it safely across streets. A job as a crossing guard is not something one takes as a start to a career. Individuals who work another job from home and those with flexible hours may take on a crossing guard job for side money. It is a seasonal part-time job that only takes a few hours a day, but it is critical to childrens safety. The Selection Process Crossing guards are hired through the normal government hiring process. Because crossing guards work alone with children, school districts usually conduct extensive background checks on applicants to these positions. They are supervised by a manager in the districts central office. That manager is responsible for selecting new crossing guards. Education At most, crossing guard positions may require a high school dipl oma or GED. It is helpful for crossing guards to be licensed drivers sothey know what it is like for drivers to interact with crossing guards. When crossing guards are licensed drivers, they also know the common mistakes drivers tend to make and how to prevent them from happening. Experience Applicants for crossing guard positions do not need any specific experience. All the necessary training is provided by the school district. It is helpful for applicants to have some meaningful work experience sothe hiring manager knows the applicant can successfully hold a job. Any gaps in employment history should be explained on the application form. What Youll Do Crossing guards help children safely cross streets near schools. They only work a few hours a day, during the hour or so immediately preceding and following the school day. While the children are in school and under the supervision of teachers, crossing guards are not needed. Crossing guards are strategically positioned at in tersections or crosswalks with high volumes of foot traffic or vehicle traffic. So they can be identified by school children and landseen by drivers, crossing guards wear brightly colored vests or jackets and carry large stop signs. When children come to a crossing guards location, the crossing guard assesses the vehicle traffic to determine when the children can safely cross the street. For intersections and crosswalks with pedestrian lights, the crossing guard can hold the children until the sign indicates that pedestrians can cross. Small children often do not understand the lights or forget they are present. The crossing guard can also walk out into the street holding up the stop sign. Drivers must stop for crossing guards. The crossing guard stands in the middle of the street holding up the sign until the children have crossed the street. When crossing guards see drivers violating traffic laws, they take down vehicle license plate numbers. They report the numbers to police and school officials. If police notice a pattern of traffic violations around a school, they may send police officers to patrol the area looking for particular violations. Crossing guards also report misbehavingchildren to teachers or principals. Undisciplined children can be more than a nuisance around busy streets they can endanger themselves, other students and drivers. A crossing guards work is performed outside. Protective clothing may be necessary on days withheavy precipitation or at duty locations without shade. If schools are closed, the crossing guards donot report for duty. What Youll Earn According to 2014 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, crossing guards earn an average of $13.00 per hour. The median wage is $11.90 per hour. The bottom 10% of crossing guards earn $8.42 per hour or less while the top 10% earn $18.53 per hour or more.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
The Cure for Micromanaging
The Cure for MicromanagingThe Cure for MicromanagingIts a top complaint of employees meddlesome managers who are always looking over their shoulders.No one likes working for a micromanager. Likewise, most managers dont want that label.Yet its a persistent problem, and perhaps we should have some sympathy for these overworked managers who are compelled to stay on top of everything for everyone all of the time. It must be exhausting.From the micromanagers point of view, they must feel they have no choice but to provide constant supervision and direction because of problems that occurred in the past.Luckily, there is a cure for micromanaging.Managers who effectively use geschftsleben storytelling techniques in their work will find that employees necessitate less oversight to be productive, require fewer rules and policies to keep them in line and are more engaged overall.Here are the steps along the path away from micromanaging and towardLess oversightTelling stories about your own past experiences and those of others in similar roles will teach employees to think for themselves. Thats because unlike instructions a story explains what to do and how to do it. The way Annette Simmons in The Story Factor describes it, story is like mental software that you supply so your listener can run it again later using new input specific to the situation. The story plants a memorable piece of information that is easy to remember and highlights what is most important.Fewer rulesWhenever something goes awry once, humans have a tendency to create a new rule. Thats why youll find wacky laws on the books such as no walking your dog on the right side of the street on Sundays. The problem with rules is that they are too rigid and they create separation between people. Instead of a new policy, try using the story-triggering technique. Do something remarkable and get people talking. If your employees tend to show up late for meetings and you departure only after the last person has ar rived, start on time every time, regardless of who is there. They will get the message and you wont have to create a new dictate.More engagementListening to your employees stories will allow you to connect with their self-interest. Our secret fears, passions and beliefs are hidden within the stories we tell. If you elicit stories from your employees, youll discover useful information and you will convey empathy. Ask question that prompt stories with questions that begin with Tell me about a time when. or When have you felt. or What happened? Your silence, patience, understanding and thoughtfulness will provide insights and demonstrate respect.The cure for micromanaging isnt a bitter pill storytelling is a fun way to make you a more effective manager and your employees more content.What more storytelling tips? Listen to the free 30-minute audio training Making the Business Case for Storytelling.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Here is why nothing fails quite like success
Here is why nothing fails quite like successHere is why nothing fails quite like successWhere were you on January 28, 1986?If youre American, and you were older than six at the time, the chances are that you know the answer to that question.On that morning, the space shuttle Challenger exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven members of its crew.A special commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan determined that the explosion resulted from a catastrophic flaw in what are called the O-rings. These rings are like rubber bands that seal the joints of the solid rocket boosters that launch the shuttle and prevent hot gases from entering into it.The problem with the O-rings wasnt new. NASA had been flying its shuttles with damaged O-rings as far back as 1981. Engineering documents described the O-ring erosion as an acceptable risk, the standard way of doing business. As one flight after another was completed successfully despite dangerous levels of erosion, NASA began to d evelop institutional tunnel vision.The anomaly eventually became the norm.Seventeen years later, it happened again.On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia blew up, killing all seven astronauts onboard. This time around, the culprit was a large piece of foam that had separated from the shuttles external fuel tank during its lift-off and struck its left wing, leaving a gaping hole in the thermal insulation.The foam debris had struck and damaged the shuttle in the past numerous times. These launches were all characterized as successes since the damage from the foam didnt compromise mission safety. As a result, foam shedding, as it was internally called at NASA, became an acceptable way of doing business, despite the serious risks it presented.NASA was able to successfully launch numerous shuttle missions, despite the erosion of the O-rings before Challenger and despite the foam shedding before Columbia.In each case, success created complacency with the status quo. Success boost ed egos. Success put blinders on the most capable engineers and managers working at NASA.When we succeed, we assume that everything went according to plan. When were too busy lighting cigars, we fail to see that we succeeded despite making a mistake or despite taking a serious risk. We ignore the warning signs, the near-misses, and the necessity for change. We chalk up our successes to our skills and genius even where blind luck deserves the credit.Just because youre on a hot streak doesnt mean youll beat the house.The moment we think weve made it is the moment we stop learning and growing. When were in the lead, we assume we know the answers, so we dont listen. When we think were destined for greatness, we start blaming others if things dont go as planned. When we declare ourselves to be an expert on something, we begin asserting confident conclusions without bothering to gather all of the facts. We launch shuttle missions despite glaring problems with the spacecraft.The author Eli zabeth Gilbert sums up the saatkorn sentiment in her brilliant TED talk Creativity, she says must survive its own success.You must survive your own success.The next time youre tempted to start popping champagne corks following a victory, stop and pause for a moment. Ask yourself, What went wrong with this success? What role did luck, opportunity, and privilege play? What can I learn from it?And the next time youre tempted to fear failure, keep in mind the words of English author Dean Inge Nothing fails like success.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.
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