thedailyrob

Monday Morning Quarterbacks in Business School

One of the things I enjoy about my grad school classes are the lively discussions with other students. With quite a diverse set of experiences represented in each class, the dialog usually provides several great insights and ideas.

One of the things I've become frustrated with recently, however, is how some discussions trend toward overly simplistic solutions for complex problems. The recommendations offered are almost trite. When I challenge the thinking to go beyond the surface, I'm often met with incredulous stares.

For example, my group in class tonight was discussing a case outlining the depth of the corruption at WorldCom throughout most of the 90's. I suggested how difficult it would have been for someone to come forward and challenge the fraudulent practices, particularly if your job might be on the line. Since I am always (perhaps naively) looking for the best in people, I wondered if I might have delayed "blowing the whistle", hoping that things would turn around and get better.

What amazed me was how matter-of-factly some of the students responded to my comments. To them, it seemed clear that the right and moral thing to do would be to immediately report the fraud, regardless of the potential consequences. Yes, I agree that is probably the "correct" response, but wouldn't it be hard to actually follow through with it?

It is so easy to sit in a coffee shop and critique the actions of others, but facing these same choices in real life is an entirely different matter. I see this propensity for criticism in churches, businesses, kids sports, volunteer activities, you name it. It's the ultimate Monday Morning Quarterback mentality, now appearing in an organization near you.

I really don't mean to sound cynical. My hope is simply that we could challenge ourselves to consider other viewpoints and not be so quick to judge. It's easy to wax eloquent when you are sipping a latte, but the choices are much bigger and more difficult when you find yourself in the middle of it all.

Here is what Jesus had to say on the matter: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2). What does this mean to you? Should these words change how we evaluate the decisions of others? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

On Having Written

I enjoy writing. I tell myself that in order to motivate me to write more, but it doesn't always work. The problem is, I don't really enjoy writing all that much. It is so much easier to pontificate on a subject over lunch with a friend than it is to sit down and force myself to clearly explain what I mean to say. I want to write more, and yet I consistently avoid the actual process of writing.

This blog has been hanging over my head for the last several weeks, calling out to me like an unused piece of exercise equipment sitting in the corner collecting dust. I keep thinking I need to sit down and just bang out some new and inspiring thoughts, but I never carve out the time to do anything about it.

Despite my perpetual act of avoidance, there are two basic ideas that have finally driven me back to my keyboard to write. First, I've found it helpful to realize that others, professional writers whom I trust and admire, also struggle with the process of writing. Michael Hyatt reposted a great quote on his website this morning from P.J. O'Rourke, about how "writers will do anything to avoid writing."

Donald Miller, author of the classic book, "Blue Like Jazz", has a great quote about writing in his most recent (and my new favorite) book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years". His honesty about the process of writing, and his conclusion about "having written" really resonate with me: "I've never had fun writing a book. I've had fun promoting books, doing readings - that sort of thing - but the truth is I drag myself to the computer... I've wondered for a long time why it is that writers hate to write. William Zinsser says that writers 'love to have written,' and I agree with that."

The second idea driving me to write is the thought that if I never begin my journey, I'll never reach my destination. In Daniel Coyle's book, "The Talent Code", he discusses research suggesting it takes 10 years and 10,000 hours of practice to become world-class at anything. If I ever hope to write something truly meaningful and lasting, then I'd better start cranking out a few thousand hours of swill in order to get the bad stuff out of the way, right?  I also recently picked up, "The Creative Habit", by Twila Tharp, and was encouraged by her views of the rigorous process of creativity.

These two ideas, that struggling with the process of writing is not unique to me, and that a disciplined approach to the process of writing is what it takes to succeed - these ideas have finally brought this frazzled guy back to the keyboard to simply write. We'll see how long this lasts, but for now, here I am.

Have you struggled with the process of writing? What secrets have you found to keep yourself motivated on this journey? I'd love to hear your story.