A book read recently earned its keep by retelling one of the more entertainingly illuminating stories around. Here it is:
A first mate worked hard and brilliantly, but for a cold-hearted and unimaginative disciplinarian. One day he came back from liberty ashore after a bit of drinking. The captain was on the watch, noticed the first mate’s condition, and said he would write him up. The first mate begged him not to make an official note for a minor, one-time offense, but the captain was immovable. He made an entry in the ship’s log:
First mate drunk today.”
The first mate was very upset at this treatment, which might have scuttled his career. He knew there was little he could do once that entry had been made. However, he did hit upon something that at least offered some comfort. The next time he had the watch he made his own entry in the ship’s log:
Captain sober today.”
What would you make of a reading of these entries? Have you ever written an evaluation like one of these? Have you ever been encouraged to take action on the basis of one?
You bet you have. And not just peppered in amongst your own corporate system, but in the leadership books on offer or on your bookshelf – at least, if they’re anything like the ones I’ve been reading lately.
Evaluate a business on the quality of its performance, not on the fashionable spin placed on the characteristics of its “leaders.” And evaluate the latter on your own assessment, not on that of putative expert observers.
You’ll have a hard enough time sorting things out in either event. But at least you’ll have a solid foundation for understanding and acting on the call you make: your own judgment.
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Today’s tips: Of course, it is always useful to pay attention. Please see Fred H. Schlegel for an example of why that we all may recognize with a mixture of amusement and chagrin.
And speaking of the opinions and thinking of others – just because you must make up your own mind on the basis of your own principles and judgment doesn’t mean you won’t want to inform and test those. There’s no better way to do that than by reading the outstanding authors featured in this month’s Leadership Development Carnival, hosted by Dan McCarthy. Enjoy!
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2 Comments
Forgetting that a review is to improve performance can be depressing, specially when ‘small’ mistakes outweigh big accomplishments.
Hello Fred,
Isn’t that the truth!
Thanks for stopping by!
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