Curiousity & talent are a powerful combination

I've been teaching over a decade now and have seen a lot of students.

Some show up, some don't. Some do the work, some don't. I know the game, having been a student myself for the better part of my life. I've had the pleasure of meeting and teaching some great ones, students who have gone on to solid careers and success. I've also met my share of challenges.

Occasionally, I run across a student that pulls my attention away from the centre mass of the group. One that pulls me in a way I did not expect. One that has talent, but that's not enough. I've had many talented students, gifted to solve problems. To them, answers come easy and solutions are apparent.

But every now and again, a curious student pops up. Ah, that sweet fresh air of curiosity that blows in like a spring breeze. A curious student brushes away all the mild frustrations of those who are just going through the motions. They reignite a slow burning fire to do more. And normally they show themselves with a question.

'I'm sorry to bother you, but I have a question."

They are humble. You see, curiosity doesn't have space for ego; realizing that there is more to learn and asking questions removes all the space needed to hold onto the notion that you might know it all.

I have one such student right now, every week asking deep, well constructed questions outside of the public eye of the class. Asking me to dig a little deeper and provide a well thought out answer to topics not covered by the curriculum. Because a course outline isn't why they are here. It's the quest, the hunger to dig deeper. To ask questions because, well, there are questions to be asked.

Suffice it to say that when someone apologizes for asking for more knowledge, not only is it my job to step forward and engage; it is my pleasure. I too am a student. I too am curious and you have opened up a new lesson for us to challenge.

Thank you.

The Quiet Blog

Wow. It's been nearly a month since I last posted up my thoughts here. My schedule has been packed lately with teaching, presentations, travel, conferences and a few major writing projects.

Sometimes we fill our plate so full, we try to use all of our time 'doing' things, that we can forget to use our time properly. This has happened to me over the last couple months. So busy doing 101 different things that I've been pushing the truly important things off to one side.

My family has felt the brunt of this. I've been a distracted father, the one who'll be up to read a story just as soon as I finish writing my next thought, a distracted husband who has been busy every evening and weekend on one project or another.

My dissertation has also suffered as I have been gravitating to writing projects, including this blog, that have provided me with quick hits. Writing a doctoral thesis rarely provides instant gratification; it is a marathon project. Instead of putting in the work training for the marathon, I've enjoyed the successful burst of sprint writing.

To this end, I'm adjusting some priorities. I'll still write blog postings when I have a hot idea that I really need to share. However, I won't be hunting for topics for a while. I'll still take on presentations, but only those that either a) move my dissertation research forward or b) are directly related to my current 1-2 topical areas of interest.

If you notice gaps in my posts over the next number of months, this is the reason. I have a few big tasks to knock out of the ballpark and it's time to step up to the plate. I have a few family members that deserve far more attention and it's time to strike a better balance.

To repeat one of my earlier tweets today:
Pixar Wisdom (from 'UP'): "Thanks for the adventure. Now go have a new one. "

This too, in some way, is part of the education of a prof I guess. So, I'll still be around. Just a tad less here for a while. Thanks for understanding! I hope you'll stick with me as new things start happening.

Playtime: Get your creative groove on

At some point in our life, most of us shift towards the literal. Really literal.

Meanings and ideas become consistent. Things are easier to understand. We lose the ability or willingness to hold multiple meanings in our heads at the same point in time. Our interpretations become more static and our experimentation occurs less frequently.

We slowly slide away from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ideal design when he said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”

Remember when a butter knife was the best screwdriver in the kitchen? Many of us even had that perfect knife/tool at the back of our utensils drawer, the one with the tip that had snapped off. (We’d never put it on the table but it became an even better screwdriver!) Yet at some point, a subtle shift happens inside that compels us to search the entire house for the ‘right’ screwdriver because, for heaven’s sake, the butter knife is a ‘knife’.

Now I like to think of myself as a little creative, but still I find myself falling into this static thinking occasionally.  Luckily, I have a couple of rug rats here who do not suffer from any such debilitating issues of imagination.

In our house, Robin Hood is currently the story of choice. The books are read and the classic Disney animated film, with Robin Hood as a fox, is on high rotation. We even took the boys twice to see Robin Hood performed live by a local Halifax theatre troop.

Naturally, this leads to Robin Hood play from the boys. Imaginary arrows and battles erupt in their playroom. Costumes are donned and characters established. At the drop of a hat, they even break into song about their adventures!

This morning, the playroom was quieter than normal. Then I started to here clicks, followed by a small item bouncing across the floor. Click – tink tink... click – tink tink... Hmmm, time to investigate.

My two young ‘merry men’ had figured out that the car launcher from their Matchbox car racing track could be removed. They had also discovered that the tiny Yield signs from their city centre fit quite well inside the launcher. And they were both in full Robin Hood adventure costumes. Testing out their newly created projectile launcher.

Yes - they built a crossbow.

It was awkward and only pushed the projectile a foot or so. But it worked. And they were super pumped! Merry men indeed.

It’s on my desk right now. Letting them launch things at each other didn’t seem wise. They are off in their playroom building a new imaginary world out of pillows, a bouncy ball, a few fire engines and a monster truck.

I’m left amazed at their creativity. And also curious about why I didn’t think of it first. I guess I need to spend more time in the playroom.

How about you?

Observations on Customer Service from 40,000 ft

Take Off

Just recently, I returned from a trip to Hawaii. It was quite a fantastic trip, one that I hope to be able to do again...soon =).

Yet, anyone who has travelled can appreciate that moving two adults and two kids from the east coast of Canada to the beauties of Honolulu has a number of challenges. Timing, food, activities, entertainment, and the necessary naps all need to be thought out in advance. When spending close to 15 hours in transit each way, there are more than enough details and situations to keep us busy.

Our airline, Continental Airlines, decided that our journey needed a little more action. As someone who studies and teaches customer service for a living, here are a few of my observations, captured under “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”.

The Good

The ‘good’ was shown in two standout moments of service.

The first came during our flight home on the red eye. The flight attendant was passing by offering drinks. I, of course, had a sleeping 4 year old nested on top of me and could not move. When she asked if I would like something, I jokingly said that I’d love a glass of wine but my wallet was buried under a 40 lb sack of potatoes. Without blinking, she placed a bottle of red and a glass on my table with a note that I should just come find her when I was freed. What awesome heads up service and a demonstration of trust!

The second moment came during our last leg of the trip home. Again, the flight attendant (seriously, these front line gems really do make all the difference!) had a ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ attitude and an in-your-face charm that created a relaxed and fun trip. Her landing script: “We’re putting this plane down in Halifax so your seats need to be in the upright position. For those of you that are confused about this, you push that little silver button on your arm rest then lean forward. If you are sitting in the most uncomfortable position possible, you got it right.” She was a shining example of the character found with SouthWest or WestJet.

Observations: Your front line people are the face, brand, and voice of your company. When they treat customers as real people through active listening, appropriate responses and authentic interactions, they exponentially magnify value.

The Bad

The ‘bad’ stemmed from a combination of miscommunication and horrible service recovery.

About a week before our trip, I was having challenges with the airline’s website, so I (gasp) called their service centre to ask about baggage sizes and fees. Over the phone, I was told that the first bag from Canada to Hawaii was free; I still have the notes and confirmed the details twice. I called because we didn’t need any hiccups at the airport.

When we arrived, the self check-in system (see below for the ‘ugly’) was trying to charge us $25 per bag. Looking for help, we found two agents talking at the front counter but they kept pushing us back to the self-service kiosks before they would speak with us. After some tension, we explained about the telephone call. The response: they just pointed to the fee sign. “But I was speaking with someone from your company?!” I said. Another point of the finger to the posted fees. Finally, a supervisor jumped in to move things along. Two things happened: A) The information that was passing along by the agent to the supervisor about my phone call was referred to as my ‘claim’, right in front of me (read: you’re lying), and B) we were told multiple times how wrong we were before they finally waived the fees.

Observations: The customer may not always be right, but the customer is always the customer. Even if I was horribly wrong, your role is to take care of me and make things right. Rubbing salt in the wound means you lose.

Side note to all airlines currently charging for luggage: If I can check one bag for no charge on a 3 hour flight to the Caribbean, I should be able to check one bag for no charge on a 12+ hour flight to Hawaii. They are both international. Seriously – get over this flawed business plan. Better yet, charge me $25 more for the ticket and give everyone, everywhere their first checked bag free. This instantly raises the value of your service; people willingly pay for greater value.

The Ugly

Like most airlines today, Continental has self-service kiosks. Frequent travellers know the procedures and can navigate this system quickly. However, other travellers need more assistance, so they need to use the staffed service counter. Sure, self-service kiosks can create efficiencies and reduce wages. But if they are your only source of service, it is a prime point for bottlenecks.

At the Honolulu International Airport, Continental Airlines has 10 self-service kiosks. Yup - ten. On the day we were departing, eight were functional, and the line up to use these machines was nearly out of the airport. This is because many leisure travellers are also infrequent travellers who require more time to navigate the self-service processes.

Here’s the kicker: As I waited in line for nearly 40 minutes, I counted seven Continental staff members working behind the self-service kiosks helping passengers get their boarding passes, weight and check luggage, and have various travel questions answered.

If you have seven staff members monitoring eight self-service kiosks, you can no longer call it self-service. Period. Full stop. End of story. Bring in an additional person, staff every functioning station, and label it correctly: customer service.

Observations: Every time you dehumanize contact with your customers under the name of efficiency, you erode the value. And each time you dehumanize an interaction, you will need to infuse the human touch at another point.

Landing

Continental Airlines isn’t the only company missing a service focus. But they are the one that I spend 30+ hours engaged and interacting with, encountering dozens of staff members. Some individuals were absolutely wonderful. But the underlying focus on people seemed absent.

Service industries need to shake off business processes designed for the industrial age. Luggage can be transported efficiently through an airport. People have needs, emotions and perceptions; handle them with the care they deserve.

In today’s business environment, especially in any service industry, putting processes in front of people will be the quickest path to failure.

Don’t forget the ‘social’ in social media

Back in my early days at university, I knew a guy on a quest. He would go out every weekend to the clubs. He was brutally honest about his end game – he wanted to ‘pick up’. (One day my kids might read this; I’d rather explain the concept of ‘pick up’ over some of the other terms.) His technique was always the same: walk up to his first potential target, make introductions, ask if she was interested in his ‘sale’, duck, control the damage, move on to the next girl. 



When asked why he used such an incredibly aggressive approach, he would always reply that if he asked enough people, he would generally find one person who would say yes. To him - this meant success.



"Let's try listening!"



However, the metrics of his actions were always lost on him. Horrible success rate! Terrible conversion! Too much talking and absolutely no listening.

But much more important: How many people did he leave insulted and offended in his wake? And how many of these people talked to others about him? His reputation as a weasel (sometimes ridiculously classified as a ‘player’) was solidified quickly and lasted an incredibly long time.

In the social environment, he was less interested in engagement and more interested in closing the deal…a deal…ANY deal!

This story jumped into my head today as I was scanning my twitter feeds. I noticed a bunch of tweets directed right to me from people I have not yet spoken to or engaged with. Many of them wanted me to go to their Facebook page, their webpage, read their business model, or look at their Amazon book.

I’ve just met them in a social media universe, and there is nothing social happening. Twitter and other such online tools are social in nature. Whether you’re communicating, collaborating or putting out multimedia, it’s all primarily social. You share with me, I share with you. We get to know each other over time. Within our first 50 tweets, the odds that I’ll look at your twitpic of a rain puddle or a cute puppy are exponentially higher than the chances I’ll like anything on your FB page.

I’m relatively new to the twitterverse (@williamcmurray), having been there about 5 months. I have 300+ followers, made 1700 total tweets with an average of 11 a day, and I’m following nearly 500 people. However, following some early advice from Scott Stratten (@unmarketing), I’m maintaining a reply / retweet percentage of over 70%. Seven out of every 10 tweets I make are either engaging in a conversation with someone or sharing content that I think is cool. My community is slowly growing at a manageable pace, equal to the amount of time I spend engaging.

To my friends in social media, both today and tomorrow, let’s make a pact. We’ll keep listening, continue to engage, commit to interacting with each other, and agree to stay real. And no, you won’t need to sign up for my newsletter to do that.

6 Things To Do When Exams Are Done

For university students, nearing the end of your exam period in April evokes the same feelings as an eight year old on Christmas Eve. Visions of sugar plums and a semester full of course notes dance through the air.

Euphoria that this day has once again finally, magically arrived!
Go celebrate! Enjoy yourself - you've earned it.You are justified to let loose after your exams, embracing the feeling that all of your work has finally come to an end. For many, this means four months without textbooks, assignments or classes.

Yet, this time is a perfect period for preparation. Yup. It’s a wise idea to tie up a few loose ends before you leave your school for the summer and lay the ground for success next year.

Think about it – at this moment, you are keenly focused on your educational path, immersed in both the details of your program of study and the processes of your school. This is the ideal moment to put some plans into place for the coming semester so that you do not come back in the fall cold and ill-prepared.
To help, here’s a quick to-do list, tasks that you should consider before you being your summer adventures:

• Check your academic progress

It will likely be a few weeks before you receive your final grades from the winter semester; however, you should have a fair idea of how you’ve performed based on feedback throughout the semester. Are you reaching your goals from a GPA perspective? Are your overall study skills improving? Review the last year both from a numbers (grades) and process (learning outcomes and habits) perspective. List out your key successes and areas to improve next year.

• Review your degree course check list

Most degree programs have a very specific list of required courses to be completed in order to earn the degree. Some of these courses are offered quite regularly while others are available only on an irregular basis, requiring some deft planning skills. Completing an undergraduate degree with a single major is fairly straight forward, but many students miss out on the opportunity to double major or earn both a major and a minor because they start planning too late in the process. Whatever your goal, why not get the greatest value out of your time at school?

• Pick your courses now

Ninety nine percent of all schools have released their course schedule for the 2011/12 academic year. Many have already opened up course registration! Take this time to pick out at least some of your courses for the upcoming year and either sign up now or, if your school has yet to open registration, make a clear note of the first possible dates to register. It’s always better to be the first person signed up for the courses you want than to be scrambling in August to get into courses you have little interest in.

• Seek the assistance of an advisor

The best part of this time of year is that everyone is still on campus and easily accessible. Faculty are marking exams and submitting grades; the registrar's office is bustling and financial services has few line ups. It is an excellent opportunity to take in a couple of meetings, get questions answered, and sort out issues.

• Review available bursaries and scholarships for the coming year

If you have a reasonably strong academic record, you must (repeat – MUST) take a moment to review all of the available bursaries and scholarships at your school. There is all sorts of money available in a variety of forms to all sorts of people. Are you an athlete? There’s money for that. Have you volunteered a significant amount of time? There’s a bursary to celebrate your work. Perhaps you or your parents have belonged to the Eastern Sisterhood of the Pine Tree Quilters? I bet there’s a scholarship of $500 just waiting for you to apply for. The critical issue here is that many scholarships and bursaries go unused every year simply because no one applies; if you think you are somewhat qualified, get your application in.

• Make decisions on living arrangements for the fall

Arrange for residence or sign that lease before you leave for the summer break. Line up people that you are interested in living with. Nothing starts the fall semester off better than meeting up with your chosen roommates in an apartment/house of your preference. Leave the desperate, last minute room hunting for those that didn’t prepare.
Congratulations on making it to the end of another term!

5 Simple Tips to Help Prepare for Exams

April is always an interesting time of year.

As I look out my window, the sun has climbed over the horizon to brighten another beautiful spring day. Birds are singing as they gather around the feeders for their first meal of the day. The first tiny buds are developing on the trees; signs of life are everywhere.

Unfortunately, many students won’t have the pleasure of enjoying this sight today. Heads are still on pillows after long nights of studying. It is, after all, exam season.

As a student myself for 14 years of post-secondary education, having taken far more than my fair share of exams, I’ve learned a few tricks and tips. Mostly, planning is key!

1. Understand the exam you will be writing. Will it be multiple choice or short answers? Calculations or essay questions? This will fundamentally change how you will need to prepare for you test. Some question styles allow you to be familiar with concepts while others require that you have clear, concise definitions and examples ready.
2. Review the course outline and notes from your first class. During the first class, your instructor discussed the goals and desired outcomes of the course. Most exams are written to test against desired skill sets and outcomes; you can easily forget the ‘purpose’ of the course after 13 busy weeks of course work. Start at the beginning.
3. Understand your course and instructor. Subject matter is important, of course. However, the person crafting the exam will have certain styles and preferences that you can pick up on. Note that if it’s a large, common exam for many instructors teaching the same course, you should to try to gather this information ahead of time.
4. Take care of your body and mind. Granted that during exam periods, a lot of studying will take place. It is during this time that you must pay special attention to your diet and sleep habits. Caffeine-fuelled all-nighters might seem like a bright idea, but you can hardly do this for a whole exam period. Sleep and nutrition keep you calmer and help you focus. Plus, you’ll avoid the energy spikes and crashes that inevitably come with CWC (cramming with coffee).
5. Schedule everything. Yes, everything in your exam period should be scheduled, including study time, eating, and sleeping. A schedule will boost your confidence that you have sufficient space to prepare for your exams. This is not the time to take on those extra work shifts or catch up on visits with family and friends; they can all wait until you are finished your exams. Stay focused.

Finally, relax a bit. Exams are meant to test your knowledge on subject material and allow you to demonstrate new skills. Faculty (for the most part) write exams as a way to examine your knowledge, not to trick you.

Remember that everyone is invested in your success!

Short time is hard time

An open letter to university / college students:

Final exams begin in six weeks or so. Perhaps it's a great stressor that final exams are coming up. Maybe it's the 'or so' part.

My experience in teaching tells me that this is crunch time for many students; a time to reflect on their performance in the last six weeks and six months. It is a time to pull up socks and engage with material. A time to jump into the game.

The weather is changing - spring is in the air. No wait. Employment is in the air! Jobs and money, work and reward.

Yes, it is time to successfully finish one journey and move on to another. If you are in a position at school that brings your success into question, consider the following:

1. Time management - Everything you need to know about success in your courses is contained in your course outline. Read it again. Put every single date into your calendar.
2. A calendar - If you do not maintain a calendar, do this NOW. Not in 5 days, not in 5 hours - NOW. Plan every single thing that you must do over the next 7 weeks, then work backwards so that it gets done. Daunting I know, but it must get done. (If you're not willing to build yourself a calendar, flip over to that blog on self-esteem. At least you'll feel better.)
3. Working hard - Yes, you'll need to put in some hours reading, writing and studying. Good news is that you still have time to turn things around. Bad news, you'll likely need to sacrifice some of the other activities in your past activity list.
4. Get help - Every student questioning their status right now should book an appointment with a faculty member to assess performance and get suggestions on improvement. Trying to succeed in school without feedback is like trying to get to the Olympics without a coach. Could happen, but not likely.

Six to seven weeks left. Keep it simple and straight forward.

But that's just my two cents.

WCM

When the voices of tomorrow speak today.

 In 1989, during my first year of undergraduate education, I paid $1,100 for the year of school. Yup - for the whole year! Two semesters of school. Eight months. Ten courses.

Today, that cost is approximately $1,110. Per course. In 21 years, the price of post secondary education has gone up over 10 fold.

Metro News

I'm no expert, but it seems to me that this has been a rather large increase over the last two decades. Sure, everything has increased; the average wage has gone up, the cost of gas has jumped, even a can of Classic Coke (not new Coke - don't get me started on that) has increased. But none of these items have gone up 1000% in the past 20 years, have they? We don't put a ten dollar bill into the pop machine today and didn't pay workers a minimum wage of $0.96 in 1989.

So when I saw the students of Nova Scotia stand up and have their voices heard in a peaceful protest on February 2nd, I was nothing but proud. Here in Nova Scotia, our Premier has raised the cap on provincial tuition to 3%, up from the former increase of ... right - nothing. To compliment this increase, he has served our post secondary institutions with a 4% decrease in funding. Welcome to the second decade of the 21st century and a 'social' government.

If you're a fan of ice cream cones, this in analogous to getting less ice cream on top of a crappier cone. Plus a kick to the knee cap.

When we decide that budgets need to be tightened, why is it that we target those who are eating the least at the table first? Today, our students are saddled with personal debt. Parents, if they can, are having a tougher time supporting their kids to get an education. So, in debt they become, to the average tune of $28,000, with the greatest burden of debt falling to students in the Maritimes.

Nova Scotia is Canada's Education Province. We have 11 universities and 13 community college campuses. Students from our province can confidently remain in their home to earn an outstanding education; students from across Canada and around the globe flock to our schools. Instead of embracing the social values of an education for all, our most socialist government party has decided to turn capitalistic. This is something that frustrates me.

However, over two thousand students here in Halifax decided to take to the streets on Feb 2nd's Day of Action to have their voices heard. They marched in the middle of a snow storm strong enough to close the very schools they attend. They marched in the middle of the downtown streets in which their annual investment of tuition, books and recreational capital flows. They marched in the middle of the day, peacefully expressing their disgust at a tuition increase that serves political gains over provincial growth. They claimed their voice in a process that often moves around them without speaking with them.

My livelihood is made from teaching these young voices. I work with them everyday. And I am thrilled every time they take action, using their voices and intellect to stand up for their opinions and beliefs. They are the leaders of tomorrow. They are strong, smart and stellar, deserving the best that we have to offer. When they stand tall in one voice under one cause, all of those negative whispers of an apathetic generation are rightfully brushed aside.



Putting financial barriers in their path is not the way. They know it, we know it. Could someone tell our government? Better yet, we must encourage our non-apathetic youth to tell them in the next election. For the most powerful tool to bring in a government that supports funding education is through votes.

Politicians understand the marketplace. Show them that the demand is there and they will no doubt supply you with what you desire. They have the ultimate job in customer satisfaction and popularity. They know it and we know it.

From what I see, it's time to start shopping around. But that's just my two cents.

WCM

Just keep half of your canaries flying.

Over the last week, my schedule has filled up pretty quickly. Classes are finding their rhythm and my writing is moving along. Yet as things fill up the little rectangles in my day timer, I find that I start to lose track of some of my pet projects.

Whenever you find that you need help, always seek advice from someone smarter than you. In my case, that is most often my wife. Just the other day, I mentioned this time crunch issue, seeking her help in coming up with some blog topics; my problem was that I was too busy to think about what to write about.

She immediately said, write about that!

I am no expert on the application of time management. But I do try and keep some general guidelines in place. Different systems work for different people; for me, I find I work best managing priorities over time. Time blocks can often be shifted around fairly fluidly. Priorities on the other hand have importance, immediacy and impact. So, how do we manage all of our priorities.

First, keep focus on what is most important. Hopefully, that means family and friends. As a professional student, I could spend hours working away on projects and topics that few people close to me care about. As a professional academic, I have a never ending pile of marking, reading, preparation work and other classroom projects.

I often feel guilty when I work long hours away from my family. Yet, I never, ever feel the least bit guilty when I invest time with my family. Just a few days ago, my boys and I played in our snowy backyard. I built them a snow slide down the back hill and we all shovelled up snow banks, out of which two snow forts were created (and the subsequent ‘epic’ snowball fights). They don't yet have great throwing arms, but they make up for it with enthusiasm. As the time flowed that morning, I didn’t once wish I was on my laptop or reading emails.

Second, be sure to know which demands on your time have immediacy. An upcoming class tomorrow would have immediacy; my dissertation has importance. An internal piece of paperwork might claim to be urgent, but a student in need at my doorstep has immediacy. Some of our tasks need to get done in order to keep the machine moving; others are time stealers. I could grade papers for hours a day over the next 25 years. I will not experience my son’s happy explanation of his day at preschool beyond this day. For example, this morning I'm off to do a morning radio interview that was requested and booked midday yesterday. To be a relevant and timely piece, it has to be executed quickly. Although I'm busy, it gets into my schedule and I'm up early to do it.

Finally, remember that it is a game. You can work 20 hours a day. But what do you get out of it? What is your endgame - what you hope to accomplish during your journey. Where will your actions and attention have the greatest impact today. Watching television is often called a time-waster (especially by those strange people that dislike TV, of which I am not one). However, when my boys ask me to sit and watch a cartoon with them, I am actually having a huge impact for 20-30 minutes on our relationship.

Choose where to spend your time. You'll be amazed how many things we do everyday that do not fit into the categories of important, immediate, or impactful.

When dealing with more than your share of canaries, the goal is always to keep half of them flying. Now I need to run and get mine in the air.

WCM

Time Management and TV

Man, I was busy today.

But so many people can say the same thing, so to write a blog about being busy seems odd. Thus, my next blog will be about time management. Today, we talk about TV.

Mental note folks – whenever someone asks if you would like to be on TV, radio or any other form of media, you say “Yes Please”. Today was just my normal day of busy with a topping of crazy. Then, at midday, I was asked if I could help the regional news with a story. I hummed for a couple of seconds and then said “Yup!”

First of all, sitting down with the local news outlets (thanks CTV Atlantic News and Steve Murphy) can never hurt. I really, truly believe that we need more perspectives on tourism and service. As such, should someone come knocking on the door, you answer. I will be that voice if asked. Every single time.

Secondly, I have already said that I want to build a tourism/service brand here. TV can never hurt. I’m going to take every single opportunity to speak about these issues, whether it’s my topic of choice or another's.

Finally, it doesn’t matter how busy you are; there are regional service tasks that deserve your time. That is why I’ll be up at 5:30 am tomorrow grading papers and prepping classwork. There was a timely question that they asked my help to answer. I said yes. One day, I will need some timely news coverage and have no doubt that "what goes around, comes around." I’ll give 10 times for each one I draw out.

Now, how do I manage tomorrow. Some of today has spilled over somewhat.

But that, as Hammy Hamster would say, is another story. Right now, I need some sleep.

Walking the walk in the first week back

I haven’t written much here in the last few days. The first week or two back into a new semester are always a tad chaotic and disjointed, no matter how well you plan. So I have been writing, but just other things.

The first exciting piece of news is that I’ve resubmitted a chapter of my dissertation for review. This little victory came from following my writing goal (captured Jan 2nd on Mark Leslie’s blog) and getting up very early each day to craft bits and move it forward. Yeah me! Now I’m starting to work on some administrative paperwork and ethics approval forms, followed by the next chapter and then likely some revisions.

Mostly though, I’ve been reading textbooks, taking notes and solving problems. Yup, just like a student. And no, I’m not taking these courses – I’m teaching them.

There is a method to my madness. I’ve encountered the ‘we don’t read the textbook’ groups; maybe it’s a generational thing, but who has time for a new research project right now. Many of my students are buying the textbooks, but not reading them. Boring, they say. But sometimes that’s just how the presentation of information is the first time.

At first, I pondered about the demise of attention spans in this, the YouTube generation. (I don’t hate me YouTube; I spend more time than I should watching stuff there.) Then, I thought about the ramifications of the whole group of parents/teachers who focused on self-esteem over real accomplishments. This might be the outcome of that failed esteem love fest; Johnny won’t read the textbook because is makes him feel confused and sad with all the new information he has to work to understand.

The question I was faced with is how to address this, not accept it. Do I rant about it? Perhaps waggle my finger and shout “thou shalt read the text!” Fear is an effective motivator? Then I had a different thought.

My students struggle with reading, with writing and math. (Do not get me going on the public education system teaching actual skills.) Perhaps it’s just the case that no one ever taught them how to independently approach the material in a textbook.

So, for the next few weeks, if not the whole semester, I will read everything that I assign to my students, approaching it from their point of view. I’m highlighting key items and definitions right in my text, making notes in the margins, and summarizing the chapters in my own words and with my own examples. On paper. With a pen.

I’m showing them what I’m doing as well. I pass around my notes so they can see. We spend 5 minutes talking about the structure of the chapter, how to deconstruct it, and what the author is actually trying to focus your attention on. I’m sharing my stories of what I think the material is saying to me. I want them to start sharing their notes, their stories of engaging with the textbook, even where they thought it was dry or thick. I’ll tell you how this ends up, success or a failed experiment, down the road.

Right now, I would love to hear your thoughts on getting students engaged in the reading process, whether textbooks or other resources? Let me know. But, I have to run now; a few more pages call out to me before tomorrow’s class.

Starting to run when the starting gun fires

First week of a new semester is always an enlightening time. You learn a great deal about students in the first class.

For example, who shows up to the first class? I've had the 'first' class in two different courses this week; roughly 75% attendance in the first class and 60% in the other. Now every student knows when the first day of classes is held - they signed up for the course, right? And they paid tuition. Approximately $550+ if you’re a domestic student and over $1000 for international students. So why not come? Curious.

But to the students that show up, what do I learn from them? Firstly, who is really paying attention and who is going through the motions. Some already have a copy of the course outline and have purchased the textbook. Others seem to be happy having found the classroom and are curious when the introduction class will be over. First impressions are powerful, as they should be in a world in which first impressions are so powerful.

Speaking of, after stating in one class that I would be forming students’ teams for a major project, I was approached by a handful of students asking if they could actually form their own team. I said that it wasn't my habit to make exceptions but was curious why they asked? Their response was "We would prefer not to work with students that didn't show up to the first class. They have already made a bad first impression."

It gives me hope; my students have learned some valuable lessons already.

It’s all about H2H – Part 2

In my last post, I suggested that the issue of real service interactions might be either misunderstood or underappreciated by some working in the services industry.

It’s time to discuss how authentic service interactions are misunderstood.

Recently, I had an wonderful dinner at a good restaurant here in Halifax. The food was great, the ambience quite nice. The server was pleasant enough and competent. Order taken, food served, bill presented. However, I couldn’t helped being underwhelmed. It took me a few minutes to realize what it was. The ‘patter’.

The server was using patter, her own version of a standardized script used at each table to welcome us, take an order and perform the functions that make up the interaction.

I expect this at quick service restaurants, have even trained it and performed it myself. But in the context of a fine dining restaurant, I was surprised. The problem was that I didn’t believe my server in the basic questions.

“Was everything ok with my meal?" Did she really want to know if I was enjoying it or just if it met expectations?

“Did we save enough room for dessert?” Who’s ‘we’ and why are you not interested in my desire over my space availability?

Granted, service professionals put up fronts, often referred to as emotional labour in service research. This type of acting helps to shield the person, allowing them to present emotions that they might not necessarily feel, emotions that are more appropriate to the context. For example, when a customer asks their service person “How are you today?”, the common response is “I’m great, thank you!”, whether or not this is truly the case. We script generic responses, the call & answer, to minimize the emotional stress required when we interact with so many customers.

Here is the point of my post. Too many service professionals misunderstand real interactions; they are overly conditioned to act or perform a certain way. Performance trumps authenticity.

It’s that small bit of connection when asked ‘How are you tonight?” that puts greater emphasis on ‘you’ and not ‘how’. Real human interaction requires an investment, a commitment and, yes, even a risk of getting more than you bargain for.

In a consumer world where the degrees of differentiation between products are so very slight, it will be those who can make real connections with other humans that will stand out. Gary Vaynerchuk is calling it the Thank You Economy. I’ll just refer to it as authentic H2H experiences.

Just my two cents… WCM

The Future and other such mental wanderings

Around this time of year, I find myself reflecting on the year past and the year to come. Have I used my time wisely in 2010? Personally, I find this a tough one. Made a significant move, started a new job, relocated the whole family with all the wonderful details that encompass that.
The big cloud hanging over my head: did I make progress on my thesis? And that is a resounding NO. John Lennon said that life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans and I, for sure, had a big case of the “life”.
It’s so easy to make excuses. Things were busy. Work was busy. Family was busy. Busy, busy, busy!
Perhaps it’s the reality of watching my peers defend their thesis that brings home the reality that I’m not writing. The rest is just a convenient excuse.
So, 2011 – you are the year. I’m calling you out right now! I will walk the talk I give to students about doing it, getting it done, GRINDING it out.
I want the sunny skies and some relaxing days. But first, my last major project stands in the way. I’m going to beat you, that’s promise.

The 7 Ways to Succeed in University

As the semester winds down and everyone takes a breather after exams, it’s an excellent time to reflect on some of the tips and tricks to succeeding at university. As my good friend always told me, there is no great secret!
1. Read the Course Outline
Every course begins with a course outline. In it, you will find all the gems of wisdom, including readings, assignments, and due dates (more on these below). Your professor has put in hours thinking about their course layout and design.
The easiest way to learn something about your professor is to read the outline. You’ll know what you need to prepare every week for the entire course, when the busy sections will be, and perhaps find ‘low hanging fruit’. Asking questions to your professor about course layout that is clearly in the outline sets a bad tone. However, asking a ‘clarifying’ question, such as ‘Question 1-4 are to be prepared in week 4. Will you be using them as material for class discussion or collecting them?’ immediately shows off your attention to detail. Yup – impression management…
2. Go to Class
Really. No, really!
Yes, professors rarely take attendance. However, material covered in class most often appears on exams. Techniques used to solve problems, approaches for case work, or simply how your professor is looking for an argument to be fully developed all come out in class. Students who attend and actively participate do better and have less stress. Note that this normally works best when you have your reading and prep work done before class; however, attending class unprepared is better than not attending class.
Hints, tips and tricks (not to mention changes in assignments, topics, and due dates!) are also all delivered in class; as it’s the scheduled meeting place, this changes do not need to be announced anywhere else.
3. Listen to your Professor
Professors can’t help but stress certain pieces of material or provide examples that naturally show up on evaluations. They passively tell you how we structure questions, what material to focus on, and which is less important to your immediate success.
Most importantly, we tell you what we expect. If you’re told to submit a 4 page paper on topic XYZ, double spaced with 6 references, it means that a strong paper cannot be accomplished in 1.5 pages (not enough detail) and that 10 pages is too much (don’t pad your work), that some research is required to support your arguments and that you need to leave space to written feedback within your document.
If your prof is clear about their expectations, you should work on meet / exceeding them. Your single spaced, 20 page paper might be the greatest written work ever, but when your prof has 100 papers to grade, you’re just annoying the person grading your work.
4. Complete ALL of the required readings
They’ve been assigned for a reason. Look for this material on exams and as expected referencing within your assignments. More and more, professors are moving away from traditional readings and selecting articles, stories, and other forms of media that provide a base of knowledge that you can then apply in your work. Use the information and demonstrate that you have engaged with the readings as often as you can.
And really, you had to expect some reading…
5. Do ALL of the Assignments & Tests
It never ceases to amaze me the number of students who miss tests or fail to submit assignments. It all adds up – not handing in work is just bad math! I have had students say to me that they didn’t submit that paper worth 15% of their grade because it was still wrong and not ‘up to their standards’. Ok, basic logic says that getting a D+ on a poorly written paper is still better than a zero.
And to deal in advance with the question of ‘Is there anything I can do to bring up my mark?’ typically asked by students with outstanding work, the answer is almost always “Plan better next time’.
If you hand in all of the assignment work at a reasonable level, you pass the course. Worry about perfect later.
6. Treat Due Dates as Non-Negotiable
Write out all of your due dates in one big, semester-length calendar as soon as you receive your course outlines (I told you they were handy!) and then move them all up one week. Yes, you’ll front load your first few weeks, but this is typically the time without many projects and tests. This way, you’ll be early on all of your work, have a built in buffer zone in case ‘life’ happens, and likely have more time available at the end of semester to focus on exam prep.
7. Play Nice with Others
Most courses now include a large group component; to successfully navigate group work, you need to work well with others. Step up as the team leader or group manager. Maintain influence in your group’s direction and progression. Listen and consider other people’s needs, motivations, schedules, etc… Essentially, treat people better than you would want to be treated.The investment in people will be rewarded.
As the new semester begins, I’ll post up some survival skills in time management, classroom management, and other topics!
Good luck and good learning. WCM