Empowering Others by Genuinely Expecting More

Most of us want to help others succeed. How to do that has been the subject of more management and life coaching books than probably any of us can imagine.

But what if you could help others be more successful by simply increasing your expectations for them? Could it really be that simple?

I could be wildly off base (a trained psychologist I am not), but if you further ponder the results of a few recent studies, you might conclude that it really is as simply as that.

In a recent blog post by Chris Dillow discussing the psychology of why humans accept inequality (brought to my attention by a Tweet from well-known economist Tim Harford), Dillow notes a few interesting experimental findings.

One is that people tend to live up or down to stereotypes. One experiment showed that students performed better when it was arbitrarily thought that they would have a higher IQ. Another showed that some students could be primed to do poorly on a test based on racial stereotypes, with their performance on the same test improving under a different context.

A second finding was one called simple path dependence. The theory is that if you randomly assign to one group of individuals managerial duties that require intellectual ability, and assign another group manual labor, those assigned managerial duties will improve their intellectual abilities through practice, while those abilities will atrophy in those who are not required to use them.

The unfortunate side effects of this side of human nature can be easy to see. A supervisor can be biased in their promotion of one individual over another, with performance results mirroring what the supervisor thought would happen in the first place, reinforcing the bias.

It's not hard to find instances of low expectations directed towards individuals or groups. Examples are all around. If low expectations themselves are helping to contribute to poor results, however, a reverse in outlook could have the potential to help many.

Whether in the classroom, on the job, or just society in general, by giving more people the opportunity to exercise higher abilities, not out of charity but out of a genuine belief that they can excel, we might be amazed at how empowered these individuals can become.

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Different this time: Why Rush's 'slut' rant could help end conservative media's influence of the Right

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh has finally apologized for labeling Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke as a "slut" after she testified in favor of a mandate that would require all employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception.

Rush's allies & critics will no doubt debate the sincerity of his apology. After first making his comments about Fluke on Wednesday, February 29th, he doubled down on them Friday, March 2nd. His apology on Saturday, March 3rd only came after it was clear he was not only facing criticism from fellow conservatives, but that advertisers were fleeing his show.

"I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke," Rush said in his apology, but what else could he have meant for it to be?

There's a line of thinking in opinion-driven media that says that you have to stir the pot in order to be successful. "Get them talking," they'll say. "A little controversy is good every now and then."

But this time it's different, and Rush's comments could very much be a catalyst towards the end of partisan conservative media's dominant influence over conservatives and the Republican party.

Make no mistake about it, creating a little controversy and stirring things up does have its merits. For those looking to build a stronger following as a politician or a commentator, it can be a useful tactic. Successful implementation of that tactic, however, depends on the why and how that the tactic is being used. It works when someone uses it to take a stand, or speak an important truth, that others can rally behind.

Calling a woman a slut because she disagrees with you're political view of health insurance policy is nothing anyone can rally behind. It's just insulting.

More than anything, Rush's current controversy exposes the fact that much of current conservative media is really nothing more than partisan demagoguing, a world where others are attacked not just on the merits of a poor idea, but for simply having an opposing idea to begin with. Often, those attacks are personal, if for no other reason than the hope that belittling someone with an opposing view might help attract and retain an audience. 

Rush's defiance on Friday, followed by a stand-down on Saturday, showed two things. First, by doubling down on Friday, it showed a willingness to keep up the personal attacks when he thought things were still business as usual. Second, by standing down on Saturday, after the damage became unbearable, he showed just how shallow the whole stunt was to begin with.

The apology may be issued, but the damage has been done. This time, his divide and conquer tactic of personally attacking another for simply disagreeing with him was so outrageous that everyone, Rush fans included, could see it for what it truly was.

Damage to the Rush Limbaugh brand will not simply stay isolated to Rush. He's been too much a part of conservative media's success for that to happen. So many conservative talking heads have mimicked Rush's way of doing business that a poor view of Rush will spread to anyone who uses polarization as a business model, and there are a lot of them.

The true fallout may not be known for quite some time, but one can't help but think it extends beyond today. For conservative media, not to mention those on the left who play the same game for the other side, the polarization gimmick just got exposed for the nasty, mean spirited trick that its always been. Now may be a good time for them to reconsider their business model.

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Imagining Our Next Future

A fictional dipiction of a video call in the year 2015 from the movie "Back to the Future II" (1989).We live in the future.  Twenty years ago when you asked, “I wonder what things will be like 20 years from now in the future,” you were, indeed, talking about right now.

Interesting how that little thought exercise plays out, isn't it?

Perhaps more interesting is that when you really think about it, our future looks a lot like how we imagined it. A lot.

When you think back to television shows and movies that depicted the things we would have today, quite a few are true.  Some might be impractical, but they are possible nonetheless.

Videophones?  Easy to do through the computer. Handheld, portable video communication? Many of us have that app on our smart phones.  Flying cars? Not exactly, but that seems to be a problem based more on logistics than anything else.

There’s a quasi-metaphysical theory called the “Law of Attraction” that, simply put, states that what you think about is what will manifest itself in your life.

New Age or not, it’s a theory that contains quite a bit of truth, especially when you consider that almost everything man-made placed in front of you today had to first be imagined in the mind.

When you recognize that a large part of our current future is the result of how we once imagined it, you realize that the time for creating our next future is right now.

So, what’s next?  That’s the million dollar question, really. It’s a question that’s just as relevant for you as an individual as it is to society as a whole.  Where are YOU going to be in 20 years?  Where are WE going to be?  What problems will we have solved?  What will we have created that’s amazing?

Let the dreaming begin.  Things aren’t too shabby here in 2012; living in the future does have its perks. Our next future has the possibility of being even better, and if the Law of Attraction is any indicator, our next future is already being created today.

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The Five Levels of Change Engagement

If there's one thing that is certain, it's that change is happening. How you engage change can have a dramatic impact on your life. In this video, we identify the 5 levels of change engagement and what they mean for you.

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Business & political lessons from the Cain campaign

The campaign may be over, but the public sentiment that put him near the top isn't going away. Three lessons both businesses and politicians can learn from Herman Cain's campaign.

Herman Cain’s campaign is over. Charges of sexual harassment & marital infidelity were simply too much for him to overcome. His opponents are gloating, his supporters disappointed and the Republican establishment is relieved.

Herman Cain’s campaign shouldn’t be simply written off as a fluke.  There are important lessons to be learned for both politicians and businesses looking to get ahead in today’s cultural climate.

Lesson 1: Outsiders are in vogue

Herman Cain didn’t simply defy the typical Republican profile for a presidential candidate (a black conservative as a serious contender), he defied every profile. He had never held public office, not even on a city council. Yet he turned what many in the establishment considered to be a weakness into part of his appeal. Even after misstatements that caused some to question his foreign policy credentials, he was still on top in many national polls for the GOP nomination. Oftentimes when an organization is broken, someone from the outside has to be brought in to fix it. Voters bought into the idea that someone doesn’t have to know all of the answers if they can look at a problem from outside of the box and make good decisions.

Being part of the establishment is not a benefit in today’s world. Just like establishment politicians, Bank of America, General Motors and Fannie & Freddie are seen as the bad guy. It’s those who are seen as outsiders who have the hearts and minds of the American people.

Lesson 2: People are ready to shake the status quo

Herman Cain’s major policy proposal was his 9-9-9 tax plan, which would have simplified the tax code by imposing a 9 percent flat corporate tax, 9 percent flat income tax and 9 percent national sales tax. His tax plan would have completely changed the way our federal government collects revenue and would have actually cost many people more money.  Despite these facts, it was his 9-9-9 tax plan that was his major draw as a candidate. People don’t like the current system, and people are ready for a major change to the status quo, even if it means some negative consequences and unknown risks.

In both politics and business, America seems to be lacking in new ideas. Fixing both our political problems and business challenges within the framework of the past doesn’t seem to be working. Voters and consumers are begging for new bold new ideas, and they will flock to those who provide them.

Lesson 3: Keep it simple

Many politicians and businesses try to be all things to everyone, with carefully crafted plans designed to appeal to as many people as possible. It can certainly be argued that this is the case with Mitt Romney, who is as polished as any presidential candidate in recent memory. Romney has carefully crafted his positions on everything from the economy to social issues, defense & foreign policy. Cain, on the other hand, certainly wasn’t everything to everybody. In fact, his foreign policy positions were confused if not non-existent. But Cain didn’t pretend to be an expert on everything because he didn’t need to be. The economy and our national debt are what are on peoples' minds today, and Cain was still able to go head-to-head with Romney both nationally and in key battle ground states.

Focused and disciplined strategies win in politics and they win in business. A simple message that everyone understands allows you to stand out from the pack and be known for something.  It’s easy to be all things to everyone when times are good, but when times are tougher people want a specialist. Those who have the right specialty for the right situation will often get picked over those who have a longer-established track record overall.

Final thoughts: Authenticity is key, and character still matters

All of the excitement in the world for a red-hot candidate couldn’t overcome the negative effects of questions about character. As important as anything else to the rise of Herman Cain was a sense that he was the real deal. The fact that he was unpolished and unashamed of it caught everyone’s attention and only drew people closer to him. Whether the allegations against him are true or not may never be known, but just the idea that he might not be who he presented himself to be was enough to doom his campaign.

Like politicians, a business is doomed if it doesn’t deliver what it promised the customer. If you say values matter, live them. If you say you’ll give an amazing customer experience, deliver on it. Authenticity matters. Character matters. It’s an important lesson for everyone to remember.

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