Change the question from HOW SMART ARE YOU? to ask instead: HOW ARE YOU SMART? and you’ll ready your brain for life-changing discoveries. Einstein once claimed he was no smarter than others, but that he simply stayed with problems long after others left. 
Could we solve more problems with finer genius, if we used Einstein’s keys to learning? For instance …
1. Mystery
– for Einstein all true art and science embody mysteries to ponder. For you?
2. Ethics
– flamed learning for Einstein, the way rhythm lit verse for Mozart. How does music and belief shape your mind?
3. Giving
– through shared insights held greater value for Einstein, than receiving. What was the last life-changing insight you gained from others?
4. Curiosity
– held Einstein’s attention on a starry sky outside and a moral universe within. What do you wonder about?
5. Truth
– allowed Einstein to remain like a child in its pursuit, as did beauty. What recent discovery have you enjoyed and how do you create space for others’ truth?
6. Freedom
– of spirit enabled Einstein to stand against violent opposition to his ideas. What strength allows you to get up again without getting back at those who disagree with you?
7. Imagination
– for Einstein trumped knowledge of sheer facts about any topic. Where do you go and what do you do to stoke your imagination and play?
8. Creativity
– allowed Einstein to think like a genius who advocated breaking rules. What risks are you willing to take in order to create a replacement for broken rules?
9. Simplicity
– in solutions to complex problems was God answering, for Einstein. What complex system or fact did you break into understandable parts for another person recently?
10. Change
– for Einstein meant insanity when people repeat the same approaches, yet expect different results. What change did you make to a broken anything lately, and how do you facilitate others to design and attempt changes that benefit all?
Easy? Likely not, and for good reason.
Einstein said the only thing that interfered with his learning was his education. You?
Consider barriers to brainy results, and then let’s take a shot at Einstein’s approach.
Even experts who cling to facts from past eras, rarely risk innovative wonders for future eras. Sadly, we sometimes settle for systems built on rickety foundations such as the following.
10 dangerous barriers to innovation and new discoveries
1). Scientific Method – Rather than invite wonder, and delight for discovery – we’ve dragged people into a jaded sense of self worth. What if each person lived true scientific methods with a mind to discover 4 possibilities? Spot – Wonder – Test – Win!
2. Lectures – Rather than engage, and invent – lectures drown new ideas and stifle original solutions. What if we run from all lectures, in favor of engaging brilliant ideas together? 100 Reasons to Run from Lectures!
3. Mentoring – Rather than reciprocal coaching, that benefits from differences, mentors advice clever cronies to operate much like a seasoned reprobate. What if we morphed into mutually benefiting opportunities to grow? From Mentor to Mindguide.
4. Fixed IQ – Rather than stretch tasks to make space for more brainpower from all, we operate as if some people are smart and others never will be. What if we saw IQ as fluid, and surveyed for multiple intelligence contributions? Question Brainpower through Mita Growth Survey.
5. Competition – Rather than consider a wider or finer good and focus on ways to give back at times, we push incessantly to advance personally at all costs. What if we cultivated shared values with ethics at the helm? A Brain on Ethics.
6. Traditions – Rather than learn daily from advances in innovation, we cling to traditions as if broken systems from past offer the best plans forward. What if we dropped one sluggish tradition per month for an advanced magic carpet ride over new possibilities? Wonders and Woes of Change.
7. Performance Reviews – Rather than use laughter to build mental and emotional health, we’ve barred it from places it would contribute most growth. What if comedy helped us to deign innovative possibilities past daily mistakes? A Brain on Laughter.
8. Politics – Rather than serve people or build a better world, political leaders serve themselves and build a better campaign. What if all political leaders had to pass a course in civility and serve collaboratively with folks who differ? What’s Political about Human Brains?
9. War – Rather than cultivate freedom and liberate humans, war leaves us primed for violence and without regard for humanity that differs. What if we created an icon and plan for peace to match every tribute we offer to wars or violence? What if we Wired for War or Poised for Peace?
10. Critical Thinking – Rather than offer intelligent responses that critics pretend to bring, brainpower is sadly truncated with increasing waves of cynicism and attacks. What if we harnessed lateral thinking on the other side of cynicism? Brainpower Beyond Sea of Cynicism.
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That is a tough one. I have been out of hands on management for over eight years. A lot of things have changed since my time. The very culture of business and its value systems have changed. The current financial mess is a symptom of that.
I would emphasize new recruits being trained after having been through a selection process at recruitment stage which would have chosen people who would fit into the organization’s culture. The training will be by observing a trained person doing, doing under the supervision of the experienced person, doing alone and being assessed for that. At this stage, remedial measures can be taken if any to see that the employee is fully trained to undertake the task for which he/she has been taken.
Subsequent to this, I would install democratic appraisal systems, with three stage impartiality which will clearly identify performance results, and potential for growth and take appropriate action based on such appraisal systems.
What would inspire a firm to consider this way of going about their staffing will to a large extent depend on how important it is for them that they have long staying employees in their business. This unfortunately does not receive the attention that it deserves with the exception of a hand full of companies throughout the world. Unless the top is convinced that this is the right way to build a long lasting work force, there is no point in paying lip service to HR and appointing people with fancy sounding titles to man such a department.
Just have a look at this story. http://richmclafferty.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/recruiting-the-employee-experience/#comments
The comments may be of interest to you too.
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Thanks Rummy, you build a great case for the kind of learning environment that Einstein too would sanction. What would it take to inspire a firm to consider its benefits in today’s workplace, as you see it? I’d love to hear your views:-)
I tend to agree with Einstein. I was the first MBA to be recruited by my employer of 23years. I was put into training as a Management Trainee for two years before my employers made me a Manager. I learned more as a Trainee about the practical sides of Management than what I had learned as a student of Management! I continue to believe and propogate the view that an MBA degree simply performs the function of filtering. It enables one to choose a good candidate who can be trained to become an effective manager. I rarely if ever had to use any tool that I learned about as a student!
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