Ask Dr. MAES Challenge - Win $50

Here is a challenge to all Ask Dr. MAES readers. To answer the challenge, use the email Dr. MAES link on the right. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. The top responses will be posted in a future edition of the MAES magazine.

What do you do with a problem employee? You have several employees. 20% of them are A+ top performers. Everything they do is more than you expected. 75% of them are average performers. They do their jobs. No more. No less. The final person is the problem employee. This person consistently turns in sub-par work and he never meets your deadlines. When they do turn work in, it is usually full of errors and must be redone for the customer. On the one hand, you want this person to be successful. You can coach the person and get them to improve their work habits. Some would say that this person lacks nothing that can’t be taught. On the other hand, the 80/20 rule says that if you spend 80% of your time on the bottom 20%, you will only get average performance out of them. If you spend 80% of your time on the top 20%, you will get 200% out of them. What do you do in this situation?

Send your response through the email Dr. MAES link on the right. Please include your name, phone number, address, and company/school affiliation.

What is the most important thing to learn in school?

Q: What is the most important thing to learn in school?

 

A: Learn to love the process of learning. Unfortunately, somewhere between elementary school and college, most students are turned off from school and learning becomes a chore. This is sad because learning is the most natural part of life. It is also the most critical skill needed to survive the workplace. While in school, learn how to make learning fun. Find ways to keep it exciting and challenging. You will use this skill throughout your life. While others choose to avoid learning new things, you will be constantly improving your knowledge and skills. While others fear being made obsolete by new graduates with state of the art skills in your field, you will be the person who has kept up with the latest technology and gathered the experience to use it wisely. People who love to learn become the architects of progress within their companies. Through them, new ideas and practices enter the organization. Their managers look to them as oracles of the future. What a wonderful position to be in. Do yourself a favor and cultivate a lifelong love of learning. Be like an explorer discovering long lost artifacts, the cure for cancer, or the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Develop a passion for the unknown.