Teaching Schedule

Zen Teaching Schedule– Paul Schubert (Updated 4/8/0

Home Groups

Zen at Xavier Mondays 7:00 p.m. St. Francis Xavier, 55 W. 15th St., New York

(Peggy/Paul Schubert, schubertnyc@gmail.com)

City Tiger Zendo

Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. All Souls Unitarian Church, Lexington Avenue/80th St., NYC (Peggy/Paul Schubert, schubertnyc@gmail.com)

Visiting Teacher–Regularly Scheduled

White Plains
Last Tuesday of the month (April 29, May 27)
Tuesday 7:30 p.m. White Plains Interfaith Zen at St. Bartholomew’s Church, White Plains, NY (whiteplainszen.tripod.com; Russ Michel 914-403-3623)

Fordham at Lincoln Center (May 6)
First Tuesday of the month
Tuesday 6:00 p.m. Fordham University at Lincoln Center, The Chapel (Room 221), 60th St. and Ninth Avenue, Manhattan (Sheila Ross: sross@fordham.edu)

Manhasset (April 16, May 21)
Third Wednesday of the Month
Wednesday 7:30 p.m. Inisfada Interfaith Zen Center, St. Ignatius Retreat House, Manhasset, NY (Anne McNeill 516-294-3156.)

Union Theological Seminary

Sunday April 27

7pm
Lampman Chapel
Broadway at 121^st St.

Community Church of New York (Unitarian Church)
Sunday May 18 1pm
Buddhist Explorers Group
28 E 35^th St
New York

Scheduled Visits:

Morning Star Zendo, Jersey City, NJ

Saturday April 12 9:00am

Ridgewood, New Jersey
Monday
Monday 7:45 p.m. 113 Cottage Pl. (Unitarian Church)
Ridgewood, NJ (Carl Viggiani 914-428-8506)

Zen Lightning

Lighting can jolt our reality

Lightning strikes in a moment with force and sound.  Then it is over and there is no way to hold on to it.

What is the source of lightning?  Where does it come from?  Why does it jump from clouds?  A meteorologist can give an answer.  “It’s due to a combination of air currents in the clouds, ice particle colliding, and temperature changes.”  Sounds reasonable—but it does not get to the crux of the matter.  It is just an explanation.  But still we listen to the words and repeat them often enough to believe them to be the fact.  The words don’t reveal where the lightning comes from, or even what it is.   The fact is that no one knows where lightning comes from.

Our life is like this.  We shine brightly for the moment.  We can have stories about where we come from, whether it is the birth of an individual or the birth of the universe.  But these words are just explanations also.  Again, no one knows.  We just say it.  We are just here.

But we have been given the gift to be born humans—to have the capability to raise questions that go directly to our nature–Who am I?  Why? What? 

But more, we are fortunate to have the time and opportunity to explore, not explain, these questions.  The time is now.  The opportunity is our practice.  Zazen, quieting the mind and bringing attention back to the moment, is at the heart of the practice.  This practice begins to loosen the attachment to words and explanations.  It allows us to raise the energy needed for transformation and to have an active insight into our nature.

Active insight expresses itself directly and usefully in all of our activities — work, taking care of others, cleaning, eating.

This is the opportunity and time.  It is ours to make the most of it.

Working Smart—Strategies for Difficult Exams

Most students give away a half a letter grade by not showing all that they know on tests, particularly those requiring problem solving skills.  It’s worth a few minutes to improve the strategy to do well.  Here are some suggestions.

Just pick one or two that is appropriate for you to keep in mind.

 

 

Take a deep breath before beginning in order to calm your mind. Racing forward in the first few minutes can lead to careless errors that are difficult to identify and correct.

Preview the test before you answer anything. This gets you thinking about the material. Make sure to note the point value of each question. Quickly estimate how much time you should allow for each section according to the point value. This preview should only take a minute or two.

Read the directions Never assume that you know what the directions say.

Underline with a pencil what you are asked to do. This will force you to focus on the answer.

Keep track of the time and progress during the test.

Answer the easy questions first. This will give you the confidence and momentum to get through the rest of the test. You are sure these answers are correct.

Go back to the difficult questions. While looking over the test and doing the easy questions, your subconscious mind will have been working on the answers to the harder ones. For problems with multiple parts (i.e. a, b,c,d), and use the earlier sections for hints to solve the later parts.

Answer all questions.  

Avoid careless errors—Think before you start writing.  When the writing starts on the wrong track, it is very difficult and time consuming to rethink the problem and start over.

Review the test carefully, especially the easy questions.

Use all of the time allotted for the test.

Show all your work (especially when partial credit is awarded) and write as legibly as possible.

 

 

The Monk’s Test–Story

This open-ended story appears in many forms. In the published versions, the teacher is Nan-in and the monk Tenno.

The monk had been summoned to see the Zen teacher. It was the custom in the monastery for the teacher to meet individually with the monks in order to test their understanding. The monk had worked with the master for 10 years; He had worked hard, both in mindfulness and reading. Possible questions and scenarios of questions that may come from the teacher raced through his head. He was ready for them all.

The day was rainy, but his spirits were high. At the appointed time, he walked over to the abbot’s quarters. The master immediately asked: “When you entered the building, did you put your shoes to the right of your umbrella or to the left”? The monk hesitated; he wasn’t sure. He had just done taken his shoes off moments earlier. Before he could consider further, the master ended the interview; he had not been aware; The monk remained with his teacher for another 10 years.

Comments:

Scenarios racing through the mind lead nowhere. Yet, the habit of this mental activity seems to be the way to prepare. The reality always seems to be different from the scenarios.

At first look, inventing scenarios seems like more useful than developing awareness. The scenarios fill the mind and block the reality. With awareness, there is room for spontaneity and creativity.

In this story, it is a rare event that the monk saw his own confusion for himself and then did something about it.

Dealing with a Bad Employee Performance Appraisal/Review

The ritual of the employee performance appraisal brings with it anxiety and surprise. Sooner or later, almost everyone receives a review that is disappointing and confusing. The immediate reaction to the situation, the accuracy of the subsequent analysis, and follow-up actions can have a major impact on your future performance, evaluations, and compensation. Just in case a bad review comes your way, consider the points below

1. Immediate actions–Getting the bad news

It is not pleasant to hear that performance and contributions have been below standard. However, the immediate reactions are crucial to both understanding and later resolving the performance issues.

First, recognize that the decisions have been made and reviewed with higher levels of management. The decisions will not be reversed, particularly at a review meeting. It is a losing strategy to argue for a change at this time.

Similarly, expressions of hostility and anger are also inappropriate. These emotions tend to make the supervisor defensive, harden negative positions, and “confirm” that the low rating was deserved. Disappointment and frustration can be appropriately expressed. Actually, it is important to inject the right amount of tension into this type of discussion. This meeting should not be easy on anyone.

Two important responses

Listen carefully to the comments of the supervisor. Do not accept vagueness or clichés. Ask detailed questions to clarify the situation. Take notes. This information will be important to really understanding the situation.

Also, take the initiative to establish a follow-up meeting to occur after you have digested the news and have developed some plan to take action.

2. Analysis–Understanding the Situation

Keep in mind that everyone in an organization has their own agenda. Particularly at a performance review meeting, comments can not be automatically taken at face value. An analysis is necessary.

Review your notes and supplement it with other input, particularly the comments of trusted co-workers. Often, the spontaneous comments made by a supervisor in response to a question provide the most revealing information. Weigh all of the information against the scenarios listed below to refine your perspective on the situation:

—7 Scenarios for a Poor Performance Review

Chronic Absolute Underperformance

This possibility for a poor evaluation is difficult to accept, but it is important to look into it fully. It is not sufficient to accept management’s comments. You need to find some trusted people with whom you have worked with and ask for their frank input.

If, in fact, the objective evidence does suggest that your work does not measure up, then it will be a downhill slide until corrective steps are taken. True underperformance is tough to own. However once it is recognized, the next step is to decide whether you are willing and able to make required changes. Sometimes it is just not possible. Alternatively, there may be some other situation you can transfer into where you can excel.

Chronic underperformance is not generally an emergency requiring a rash action; there is time to consider alternatives and take constructive action. However, over a longer time frame, it is unstable to remain in a position where your contributions do not measure up to the norm.

One-Time Project Failure

Not every major project works out according to the objective. Time and conditions have their way of disrupting the best plans and actions. If this happened in your work for the review period, accept the result and have confidence in your ability to return to a high level of performance. However, a run of bad luck begs for another explanation. This is no place to hide.

Valuing Different Activities

From the meeting discussion, there should be a good idea of what was rewarded. Compare this with what you actually accomplished. Sometimes the two are different. Of all of the things that you do in your job, the supervisor is most concerned with approximately 20% of your work. Know what that 20% is! These activities carry the most weight. Check to be sure that your crucial priorities are the same as the supervisors.

Not Trusted by Management

Performance can be fine, but if, for rational or irrational reasons, you are not trusted, the performance review may be their opportunity to send the message. In this case, working harder to improve performance will have no consequence. Once trust is lost, it is difficult to regain and then only at a great cost. The choices are either accept the situation and wait for current management to move on or to find a new situation in which this bias is not against you.

Relative Underperformance

Most organizations, whether they admit it or not, use a forced ranking system. Similar employees are grouped together, ranked from first to last, and reward appropriately. In this system, it is the relative performance that is measured. The superstars come out on top, with the star performers below them.

The argument that you a star in a group of superstars gets you nowhere. Just accept the situation as a short term loss. If you really are a star, just do good work and your light will be seen, either in this group or in a different setting.

Arbitrary Positioning

A cousin of relative underperformance. In some organizations with uniformly strong employees, misguided management may choose to rotate people to the top or bottom over a period of time in order to keep everyone relatively happy. Is it your turn? No one will confirm this to you.

Easy Mark

As noted previously, in a stack rank system, some individual have to come out at the bottom. Weak managers occasionally select the person, other things being equal, they can most easily assign it to. That is why it is important to keep some tension in the meeting. It may have happened this time, but already you need to lay the ground work so that it doesn’t happen again.

3. Strive for a Balanced Response

No matter what your analysis and conclusions are, do not do anything rash. Actions taken in anger or haste invariably lead to a poor outcome for the individual. On the other hand, a bad performance review cannot be accepted without a response. Use your resources—the information that management has stated, comments from trusted co-workers, the list of scenarios above, and your own intuitive ideas in order to do begin to change the situation.

Then, a poor evaluation is just a temporary set-back and a wake-up call to both fully understand the situation and take control of it.

 

Others on this topic: Struggling to Give a Good Performance Review Maintaining Credibility

Employee Performance Appraisals Ranking Methods –Lessons from Arrows Paradox

Working Beyond Everyday Expectations—Learning from Rain

It is not a popular idea these days to do a task without a specific reward or compensation. There is nothing wrong with that. People need to be compensated for their effort.

The possibility for an outcome beyond imagination or expectation is often overlooked, yet experience shows that such results happens all of the time.

It is often not recognized that the approach to doing the activity can have a major effect on an unlikely positive outcome. There are many different attitudes towards performing any activity. The trick is to harness as much energy into the activity as possible. Nature is a guide here.

Nature just operates according to its own truth. Watch the rain for example. It falls from the sky, wets things, and in doing so, nourishes them, and allows them to grow. Then the rain moves to the lowest position, disappearing into the ground, just to repeat the cycle. The occurrence of the rain has effects, usually positive, but at times negative. However, the rain takes no note of these effects, does not compliment itself on the result, or wait for a reward; it simply and directly continues the cycle. There is only direct activity

Our activities can be just as direct as those of nature. This is true for all activities—projects at work, at home doing the laundry, driving, playing with children,

Actions are often not direct however–there is scheming to be done, ambitions to be achieved, goals to be met, expectations to be fulfilled, and frustrations to be vented. Scheming, ambitions, expectations, and frustrations have their place in the human activities. However, they dilute the energy available for the activity itself and dull the potential for unexpected positive results. The mind sticks, the energy is compromised, and there is a loss of creativity.

Typical of the distractions are the internal conversations that begin with questions and lead to an on-going story that runs at the same time as the activity. For example:

“Why am I doing this?

“What am I going to get out of this?”

“How will this help me?

“Will this project ever work?”

“What is for dinner?”

Instead of allowing these distractions to grow, simply acknowledge them, allow them to drop off, and return attention fully to the primary task at hand.

This approach to an activity takes discipline and an effort. It means becoming aware of and suspending the normal processes of mind activities of mind. Repetition and practice may be needed.

Then, there are the consequences of the activity. In the ordinary perspective, there are planned results to be obtained. Sometimes things work out according to our plan, but on occasion things just go in their own direction. From a different perspective, the consequences are the due to time and conditions beyond planning and rational control.

The approach of bringing full attention is simply to harness our own energy so that the effects are more likely to be creative and useful.

 

The Prince Who Became a Cuckoo

This story, “The Prince who became a Cuckoo: A Tale of Liberation” (by Lo-Dro, translated by Geshe Wangyal, (1982) is long out of print in English. It is a well known tale, evidently from Tibet. However, even in its bare bones summary, it raises some open-ended questions:

 

The prince, as heir to the throne, was provided with many opportunities to prepare himself to rule. Together with a friend, he practiced the mystical arts. They both developed the ability to transfer their minds to other bodies. His friend was deceitful and saw the possibility of taking power. Using the mind transfer method, he tricked the prince into taking the body of a cuckoo bird. Then, he trapped the prince inside the body with no hope of his escape. The friend then took the body of the prince and assumed the position in the court. The real prince, now locked into the cuckoo body, discovered that he was able to communicate with both the animals of the forest and humans. He accepted his situation and remained in the forest to teach them the truth of the Buddha.

Comments:

In this “Tale of Liberation”, what is liberated? Many would say that to have a regal position such as a prince (or a CEO) would be the means to freedom as expressed in the everyday terms of power and wealth. But, the spirit of the prince is now independent of the body or situation, and is free to express itself fully– in this case as helping others attain their own freedom.

As the prince-cuckoo shows, many situations are not of choice or control. Life moves on. But to be unaffected by our position and put full energy into the moment is to be in accord with nature.

The call of the bird has the potential to call one’s attention back from distractions to the here and now. It can be a call of awakening. Or the call may be a reminder of the magnitude of mystery, of how little is known. At other times, it may be dismissed as a sound of a bird, or not heard at all.

 

Digging Deeper for Ideas (2)–Playing with Syncretism

For people who believe their current perspective is sufficient, there is no incentive to dig deeper. Their ideas remain static. However, new ideas and insights are always arising. The simplest approach, especially when the new ideas have opposing elements to the current perspective, is to ignore the ideas or push them aside. However, something is lost and, ultimately, success will be limited.

There are several methods that use opposing ideas in order to achieve more innovative results. One is the Dialectic Method (Thesis –> Antithesis–> Synthesis), which was previously discussed (see Digging Deeper for Ideas—Stealing from Hegel).

Syncretism is another antidote to simplistic solutions. Syncretism is the attempted reconciliation of contradictory ideas or principles. The result may preserve the differences, using opposing elements as appropriate. Thus, the resolution may not be an unambiguous statement, but a fragile system that simply works better than the ones that served as the foundation.

The process holds fewer certainties, but more opportunity for innovation. Syncretic solutions are not merely looking for compromise on the common elements, but using the opposing elements and building bridges to them. Internal contradictions are permitted.

In references, the syncretic process is usually described for large issues that evolve historically over time. As a consequence, the underlying principles are not often considered for resolving conflicting ideas at work or at home.

Below, two examples of global scale syncretic issues are briefly described in order to give a flavor the applications. Then, a method to use the concepts of the syncretic approach to analyze everyday problems is outlined.

Two Classic Examples

(1) In the area of world political systems, a static idea is that the American model of democracy is the best system to be exported to other countries. This transition is “accomplished” by sending experts to teach the people about democracy and hold elections. The results of this naive belief are obvious.

The static approach neglects the fact that people in these countries have lived for centuries in different cultural conditions opposed to democracy. A new government must also reconcile the opposing elements of the cultural heritage with the principles of freedom. For example, India has a participatory democracy, but the political process is different from America since the major parties represent traditional religious faiths. It works in its own way.

(2) There are syncretic possibilities for the practice of medicine on the global scale. Western and Chinese medicine each have demonstrated strengths. However, there are significant differences. Their descriptions of the functions of the body are in non-reconcilable concepts. Also, Western medicines are relatively recent, developed in the laboratory, and evaluated in defined clinical studies. Chinese treatments, such as acupuncture and herbs, evolved over centuries by observation and experience.

Currently, the two disciplines are practiced separately. However, the current approach to medicine will change as information and expertise in both disciplines becomes more common. What form will medicine will take, particularly in developing countries, remains to be seen. From a static view, the western standards could be retroactively enforced on the Chinese methods. However a syncretic approach, which allows contradictions and preserves the differences of the two disciplines, seems to hold most benefit for patients.

Playing With Syncretism—Application to Everyday Problems

The principles can be applied to problems which routinely arise and can lead to better solutions.

One method to take advantage of these differences is to analyze the opposing ideas with a set of questions based on sycretism.

—-Why does each approach have merit?

—-What do the two approaches have in common?

—-What are the specific non-reconcilable elements of each approach?

—-Under what circumstances does each opposing element provide an advantage?

—-How can the advantages of both opposing elements be preserved, even in a fragile structure?

—-Do the new proposals preserve the advantages ?

 

Such questions are rarely asked since there is a bias to force a solution.

Working with these questions requires both a re-examination of one’s preferred approach as well as considering the problem using a different framework. However, without really much use of time or energy, a different, perhaps better, result can be obtained.

The Monk Challenges His Teacher

A young monk went to a private instructional talk with his Zen teacher. The teacher and monk sat, on the floor, directly across from each other. After they sat in silence for several minutes, the monk asked “What do you see?” The teacher replied: “I see a buddha.” Silence again for several minutes, then the teacher asked: “What do you see?” The monk gave a quick response: “ I see a useless bag of bones.” The teacher said nothing, but placed his palms together and made a deep bow to the monk. The period was over and the monk left.

The monk was exultant. He had bested his teacher in a one-to-one exchange. He could not contain his excitement. Later, in the day, while working in the kitchen with a senior monk, he retold the story of the exchange in a triumphant tone. It was a sign of his progress on the path.

The senior monk simply smiled: “No, it was the teacher who has taken you. When he spoke, he showed what was in his mind, and when you replied, you revealed what was in yours!” The young monk had no further response.

Comment:

Our everyday experience suggests that there is an objective world, with distinct objects, an inside and an outside.

The teacher suggests that everything that is seen or experienced is our own life. The possibility is shown to the young monk for the first time. Then, there is no inside or outside, or even an objective world.

The teacher’s response comes to each person. “How do we experience the world? How can that experience be refined”. It is a crucial question, driving to the heart of the matter.

As with all open ended stories, each individual has a unique response.

Meditation, Science, and the Western Perspective

Each person who begins a meditation practice does so for their own personal reasons. However, for those who pursue it in a serious way, the direction of meditation is to deepen awareness so that the individual can be fully present and respond appropriately to the experience of the present moment.

Meditation methods of various traditions are similar, but may emphasize different techniques. In Zen Meditation, for example, there is emphasis on a still body posture, attention on the breath, and an awareness of the activity of the mind. As thoughts and distractions arise during the meditation period, these are acknowledged, released, and the attention returned to the breath. This simple but difficult practice has had profound affects on lives of people since well before the time of the Buddha, over 2500 years ago.

In a recently published article, “Mental Training Affects Resource Use” (Synopsis, Full Article), Richard Davidson et al. at the University of Wisconsin demonstrated the effects of meditation on attention by the western scientific method. Below is an excerpt from the Author Summary:

Meditation includes the mental training of attention. One of the major limitations of the attentional system concerns the ability to process two stimuli. When the second (stimuli) is presented within a half second of the first one in a rapid sequence of events, it is often not detected. (Missing the second stimuli) is thought to result from competition between stimuli for limited attentional resources.

We measured the effects of intense meditation on performance. We found that three months of intensive meditation enabled practioners to more often detect the second target with no compromise in their ability to detect the first target.

These findings demonstrate that meditative training can improve performance on a task that requires trained attention abilities.

The paper describes both measurements of electrical charges in the brain as well as a detailed mathematical analysis. These results may help the understanding of the physical function of the brain and be an advance in the neurosciences. In a related newspaper article (NY Times 5/8/07), the author said that this was the first study to examine how mediation affects attention.

 

Perhaps it was the first study, but countless people who have meditated have seen such beneficial changes in their own lives by direct experience. There is a tendency to give formal studies more weight than one’s own experience. However, if such studies encourage people to try the practice for themselves, they have a larger impact than to the science

Western Perspective: Finally, it is important to be aware of bias of our Western culture. These findings document by western methods the benefits that have been previously known to much of the world. There are many examples of methods that work in the world, that have not yet been documented in the western sense. One example is Chinese Medicine (see Common Sense, Carpal Tunnel Treatment Options and Acupuncture ). The important point is to recognize the bias and use information and judgment in considering these methods.

Managing Multiple Projects—A Jugglers View

“Too many balls up in the air”

People like to use the juggling analogy to convey the impression that they are not just busy but on the edge. It makes for good theater.

Jugglers do put on a good show. They also give the impression that they are on the edge of chaos, but it is also part of the performance; they are in full control.

If you want to benefit from the juggling analogy, a better place to look is in the methods that they use to develop their skill. Those lessons can be applied to managing multiple tasks or projects.

Juggling skills require:

Confident and focused attention.

A heightened sense of awareness is needed to be able to react to the immediate situation. Both the mind and the body need to be in a comfortable position. Jugglers develop these skills.

Excess tension and distraction leads to dropped balls and mismanaged projects.

Following only on the critical activity.

It is impossible for the juggler to follow the complete track of each ball. The juggler though looks through the top arc and makes the required adjustments in the movements to catch and throw based on these observations.

Similarly, in managing multiple projects, identify the key elements and put the attention on those elements, delegating the others.

Anticipating and controlling an upset.

On occasion, the juggling sequence is interrupted (perhaps by a mis-thrown ball) and the juggler sees that he will have to stop. Since he anticipates this, he can choose which balls to catch.

When an upset occurs with multiple projects, all of the projects often suffer, similar to balls being dropped and bouncing in all directions. However, if the right priorities are known, the appropriate actions can be taken to minimize the effect on the most important projects.

Systematically Developing Skills.

Anyone who has picked up three balls and tried to juggle them, finds that it doesn’t go well at first. There is a learning curve. But as their skills develop, adding one ball at a time and an impressive skill develops. There is alot of effort though just picking up balls from the ground during the practice.

Learn to do one project well, then add another.

Jugglers’ underlying skill is real, developed by practice. The frenzy of the performance is an act. That skill should also be the goal of people managing multiple tasks. Sometimes though, the manager’s frenzy is real and the underlying skill is an act. Without the developed skills, projects, like juggling balls, are dropped.

Recognizing Flawed Concepts

It was four years ago that Bush was photographed with the “Mission Accomplished” sign in the background. This photo opportunity marked the high point of the rhetoric. It was for others to suffer and continue to suffer the real consequences. However, even with politics aside, his concept was flawed from the beginning.

Incompetent conceptual planning brings failure at any scale—international, business, or personal. The flaws can initially be masked by rhetoric, emotion, or fabrication. However, sooner or later, the consequences are there for all to experience.

Even though the planners are often adept at disguising it, such incompetence is not difficult to recognize if there is an evaluation of a few key points.

Early recognition of the flaws can help to either correct the project before it gets underway or, at least, minimize the consequences to yourself and others.

These points can be used as a reality check both for politics and personal projects.

Three Points to Check

Clear Thinking

Clear thinking is missing if:

• There is little expertise or experience in understanding the situation. (Further, it is worse if those with expertise are excluded.
• There is fuzzy or deluded thinking. (One symptom of deluded thinking is that the ideas have not been tested by others.)
• The proposal is a response to emotional issues or hidden agendas.

Flexibility

Flexibility is missing if:

• New information is not considered as it becomes available.
• Key assumptions may prove to be wrong.
• Unforeseen events can not be accommodated.
• There is no provision for making changes as events unfold.

Perspective

Perspective is missing if:

• The concept is based on an individual perspective, usually viewed as superior
• The concept does not account for the resources or different sensibilities of the different groups.

The difference in perspective can be seen by example. Consultants can not just instruct people who have lived under an authoritarian rule to hold elections and become a democracy. Cultural roots are much deeper and difficult to change. Such an approach is naive and simplistic.

All of this sounds like common sense. However, in the heat of the moment, it is too easy to barrel ahead without a reality check. These considerations can be used to slow down the process, ask a few explicit questions, and then proceed. It can be used to evaluate our leader’s ideas as well as personal projects.

A related post: Recognizing Incompetence Early–Pretending to be a Manager /

Foam Blocks for Bath time—Good Clean Fun

A while back, there was an article here “Stacking Cups for the Imagination—A Great Toy Not Found in (Many) Stores”. Simplicity, better play value than many marketed toys, and low cost conspire to limit its shelf space. These are a great first toy.

Babies grow and pretty soon they are in the bathtub, looking for activities. Here, there is another simple toy, foam blocks which float, but also stick to the side of the tube or wall when wet. The blocks themselves are pretty simple. They are just EVA foam cut into different shapes about 2 or 3 inches. As with any blocks, you need a bunch of them to really have a good time.

The possibilities are endless. At the beginning, the kids take delight in just sticking them on the wall. Then the adults can build stick figures, houses, or anything with imagination. Pretty soon, the child is doing it also, and by the end of the toy cycle they are making elaborate structures of their own. (These blocks are sometimes advertised for use on dry land. They do not work out so well there, since there light weight causes the “buildings” to be very unstable, easily knocked over and frustrating to children just learning finer motor skills.)

These foam blocks are not available, at all stores, but are a more often found than the stacking blocks. What is remarkable is wide range in price. Most often, they seem to be sold at a price that averages $1.00/ block (say $20 for a box of only 20). A buck a block seems a little steep, especially in view of what they are. But looking around, some places have them for a price that averages 12 cents a block. A factor of almost 10 times cheaper! Perhaps there is a difference, but both float and stick to the wall!

If it makes bath time more enjoyable, it’s worth a try.

Presenting Quantitative Information Well—Lessons from Playwrights

Quantitative information must be communicated accurately and clearly in order to allow the audience to understand its significance and then act appropriately. Clear information leads to better decisions, actions, and results. Conversely, misunderstood information often results in an unsuccessful project. However, in many presentations, more effort is required to communicate the content effectively.

Quantitative information–sales and marketing results, financial reports, survey data, and experimental results–are factual, but it is also open to interpretation and analysis. This article focuses on methods to sharpen the presentation and interpretation of the information. An earlier article dealt with improving the performance of the individual (Another Lousy Presentation at Work).

The principles of dramatic playwriting are a different place to look for guidance. Playwrights have similar concerns to a business speaker. In a dramatic play, there is a fixed amount to time to captivate the audience and make the points of the drama. Every dialog and action must move the play forward. If the play is successful, energy is generated. However, if the characters of play are poorly conceived, not even the most talented actors can rescue it.

The principles that dramatic writers use to shape a play can also be adapted to help guide the presentation of the quantitative information. Examples include:

Character Definition

Pacing

Formatting

Engaging

Here are some comparisons for the theater and information presentations:

Character Definition

The playwright introduces the main characters early and then works with the characters to add dimensions and interest.

Information is the main character for the presentation. It must be put on a solid foundation, so that the audience can use the information during the presentation.

Just as with the characters in the play, it is important that the information be made readily available at the outset. The presenter must clearly show the quantitative information and then assist the audience in coming to understand what the information means. Too often, the presenter reveals the information itself slowly. The talk then deteriorates into a guessing game.

—Give the information and analysis tools early.

Pacing/Formatting

Pacing—In a play, the plot has to proceed at a pace that is reasonable for the audience. A slow development leads to boredom, mental lethargy, and the loss of energy.

Pacing is also important for information transfer. For the presentation, the information should be transmitted at the customary rate that brain is used to receiving it. Matching rates allows the content to be internalized more effectively.

As an example, consider the difference between a printed page (100 characters per sq. inch) and a power point slide (5 characters/square inch). Relying on Power Point slides to transmit quantitative information is just too slow to hold the audience’s attention. One sheet of paper can replace 10-50 slides of information.

Quantitative information is best presented as individual handouts.

Formatting—Viewing a theater set, the eye takes both in the entire stage and then moves back and forth to the individual details. This movement helps to establish a context for the details to become significant.

In the case of understanding information, the eye-mind combination works effectively when all of the information data can be viewed the same time. The eye can freely travel among the details. There is benefit to formatting the content in an information rich display that can be viewed on only a page or two.

The information format must be made efficient and stripped of decoration that does not advance the understanding.

For example, when designing the handout, require that each of drop of ink contribute to the information. In this approach, many of the superfluous decorations that distract the audience disappear.

—Work from a handout designed with an information rich format.

Engage the Audience

A great play engages the audience by inviting them to compare their impressions with the author’s perspective and draw their own conclusions. This process generates the energy of the performance.

For quantitative information, reveal your view of the relationships to the audience. The relationships are revealed by methods such as comparing, contrasting, testing cause and effect, and challenging your own conclusions. The audience can mentally work and play with the relationships as they are discussed. This process leads to tested, sound conclusions. Energy will be generated, just as in a fine play.

—Reveal and test the relationships with the audience

In summary, the focus is on the content—presenting it early, pacing, formatting, and engaging the audience. When the information is in good shape for presentation, you are free to let your own style shine through, just as the actor with fine material.

 

(A useful reference for quantitative information displays is Edward Tufte)

The Monk Hakuin and the Baby—Just the way it is.

Zen stories are entertaining in their content, but they really are about the reader. This story is an invitation to see our own situations from a fresh perspective. Although they can be read for a moral or a point, a key aspect is to experience how the story resonates with our own situations.

“Hakuin and the Baby” or “Is That So?” can be found in many versions, both on the web and in print (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Paul Reps)

There was a monk named Hakuin who was well respected for his work among the people.

In the village, there lived a young woman, the daughter of the food sellers. The young woman became pregnant by her boy friend who worked nearby in the fish market. When the parents found out about this, they were very angry and pressured her to reveal the name of the father. She wanted to protect the young man and blurted out the name of Hakuin as the father.

After the baby was born, the parents took the baby to Hakuin. They told Hakuin that he was responsible for the baby and left the infant with him. He responded: “Is that so?” And he simply accepted the responsibility for the child without further reaction.

The monk had no experience with babies. But he began to care for its needs, finding food, clothing, and warm shelter. The other villagers became very angry with Hakuin for his offense and his reputation was trashed. These comments did not affect Hakuin, who continued to put his effort and attention into the care of the baby.

After several years, the young woman was filled with remorse. She confessed to her parents the name of the true father. They immediately went to see Hakuin, apologized, and took the baby back with them. Hakuin watched as they returned to there home with the child he had cared for since birth and replied “Is that so?”

 

Comments:

“Is that so?” reflects the acceptance of what the moment brings. Acceptance in the sense that one responds appropriately to the situation with a calm mind and spirit. There are no calls of fairness or unfairness, of being experienced in the task or not, of complaining about a lost reputation, of wishing that it were different. The needs of present are simply addressed.

More than the physical situation, it is the spirit of the monk’s mind at the initial instant that the situation arises that makes his actions so compelling. It is not passive acceptance; there is direct action here. The calm mind allows effort to be fully directed to the situation without dispersal of energy.

The same tasks of caring for the baby could also be done with resentment or a turbulent mind. Then, there is room for fairness and unfairness, complaining and wishing it were different. Same tasks, but the energy is completely different.

All of these stories are about the reader, not a fiction story about the monk. The situation may be one at work, home, or with a friend that brings the same apparent unfairness and inconvenience to an individual at the moment. Responding with a calm or turbulent mind makes all the difference.

The calm spirit is within the potential of all humans.

Setting Priorities to Improve Productivity—Busy may be necessary, Complications are optional

While multitasking is the proclaimed mark of importance, multitasking is really effective only for relatively mundane tasks. More difficult projects, requiring thought and insight, benefit from focused attention. People recognize this difference, and research is beginning to confirm their observations. A recent article about productivity and multitasking (“Slow Down Brave Multitasker” NYTimes 3/25/07 Pg 1) contained two relevant examples:

In a recent study, a group of Microsoft workers took, on average, 15 minutes to return to serious mental tasks, like writing reports or computer code, after responding to incoming e-mail or instant messages “I was surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task,” said Eric Horvitz, a Microsoft research scientist.

“Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes. Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.” (David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan.)

The loss of productivity begins when simple tasks are allowed to interrupt the more mentally demanding projects. This intermizing of tasks adds complication and leads to inefficiency.

The outline below can help to increase productivity by clearly separating priorities and complexity:

1. Make a list of ALL the activities that you may have to work on. Be sure to include even low priority projects that you may never get to. A complete list ensures that no projects have been inadvertently forgotten. 2. Divide the activities into two categories–Complex and Straightforward. This distinction is important, especially in view of the above research. The two categories serve to separate out the items that can be “multitasked” from the more complex project tasks requiring focused attention.

Examples of straightforward tasks are: checking e-mail, completing routine paperwork, returning phone calls, instant messaging, reading standard reports. More complex projects have a longer time frame and are not clearly defined—developing a strategy, designing a product, writing a milestone report.

3. Separately rank the priority for projects in both the complex and straightforward categories.

4. Set out time for the highest priority complex project and put full attention into that project. Defer all straightforward tasks, including e-mail, until that work period is complete.

People can do one thing at a time; concentrate first on the highest priority complex project. Since it is the most important, there is no need to be concerned with the other activities during this period.

 

In summary, being busy is not enough. Avoiding the complications of mixing priorities with the difficult tasks can lead to higher productivity without more effort.

 

Recognizing Incompetence Early—Pretending to be a Manager

Acting Presidential—a term not heard much these days—gives the impression of a confident leader, using power in a bold manner with great results. Leadership is about being in charge, respected, competent.

Unfortunately for many people in responsibility, “Acting” is as far as it gets. These people crave the trappings of power– the compensation, the status, the perks–but not the difficult decisions, responsibilities or pressure. When it comes time to actually do the job, they are somewhere else.

If these people remain in their position long enough, the consequences of incompetence catch up. There is no place to hide either for them, or for the people working with them.

There is much information about with the causes of managerial incompetence (i.e. deficient skills, lack of effort, personal insecurities etc.) That information often does not help. Sometimes, it is really not about trying to address the problems of these people, but about trying to do the job as best as possible.

The first step is to recognize incompetence early. Incompetent managers have developed other skills that have allowed them to survive and prosper. This early recognition can enable people to take the next steps to minimize the effects on project as well as the effect on reputations when the consequences of incompetence hit.

Here are some behaviors to help identify these managers early:

Success is declared early and by proclamation.

Credit is taken at the first successful milestone and extrapolated to the end of the project. They then move on to a new area before the full consequences of the work unfold. Others inherit the mess later. Check with the people in these earlier projects and see what was left behind.

Alternate perspectives are not fairly considered.

Responses are dogmatic and serve to end the discussion. Criticism is often harsh. The criticism often degenerates into a personal attack, particularly when the other person is not in the room.

There is advance planning for distributing blame for set-backs.

A particularly telling clue is that other people are positioned to take the blame, even before the project fails. (This is forward looking management as viewed by the incompetent.)

Perks are disproportionately sought.

In some cases, acquiring perks take up more effort than the core business.

Speaks differently to subordinates, peers and supervisors.

The difference is in both tone and content.

Encourages secrecy, particularly with like-minded cronies.

This withholding of information allows the manager to distort the situation.

Backstabbing is not quite the same as incompetence, although some of the behaviors are similar. Related points can be found in Backstabbing 101.

 

 

Cleaning House–Saving Memories, Losing Junk

Being surrounded by out of date possessions slows the mind and drags down the spirit It is easy to get lost in them.

The easiest approach is to store them somewhere, the attic, basement, or garage. Increasingly people are renting external storage space, at significant expense to store junk. A recent statistic indicated that twice as many families rent external space now than ten years ago. Interestingly, professional organizers often advise against renting external storage space. Once that sink hole opens, there is no turning back.

At some time though, it’s time to move or just dig out. Then, it may be difficult to distinguish items which have real economic or sentimental value from outdated stuff. Here are some ways to get a grip on the situation.

1. Sentimental Objects.

The joy of these objects is in the occasional discovery and the memories triggered by them. Keep the emotion of discovery alive, even if the object is not kept.

Most sentimental objects are stored out of sight and only occasionally rediscovered. It is the discovery, not the use that is the fun. But you can keep the possibility of discovery alive. Use that digital camera to take pictures of all these sentimental items before they make their way out. Burn a few disks and send them to the family members. They can stuff the disk in their drawers and every now and then stumble across it with pleasure. Actually, more people may share in the delight of discovery

Some of these items can never be used again, like the stuffed animals that have gotten musty or are now recognized as dirty. Others could have great value for people right now. Find these a new home.

2. Select Rather than Sort.

Select from scratch. A key question is: “Would you select this item if you did not already own it?” It may be nice to have, but would you actively choose it now? Suddenly many items become expendable. Why find a new place for something you would not choose?

Usually, people tend to sort through things into keepers and junk. This sorting approach favors keepers since the criteria for declaring something junk is much higher. Selecting is a more efficient process.

3. Assess Usefulness and Value.

There are so many things that might come in handy someday and are worth something. This stuff surrounds us. However, when the items are viewed in terms of the chance that they will actually be needed and the replacement cost, it becomes easier to shed these items.

Books are a good example. They just accumulate. Some are extraordinary and we will always want them around. Others, particularly gifts, have little interest but take their place on the shelves. If you look at a hundred books on your shelf, pick the ten best. Then select out the obvious losers for discard. There may be upwards of half in the gray area. The first instinct is to keep them. After all, there is some chance that you may want to reread a few of them at some indeterminate time in the future. There are two things to keep in mind. First, used books are much easier to replace than in the past. Almost any used book can be obtained relatively inexpensively over the web. So the real value of the books we may use again is really only a few dollars. As many as 90% of the books can be let go without much potential cost.

And clothes. If the clothing has not been worn in a couple of years, the question to ask. “When would this be worn again?” Without a specific answer, it can be let go.

If all of the items that have a small probability of being used again are grouped together, the pile is large. In fact however, there may only be a small expense in replacing those few items that will actually be needed again in the future.

A realistic view of probability of use against replacement cost changes the balance and allows the large amounts of marginal stuff to go.

 

These guidelines can help to clean house and make mood lighter and faster.

Two Monks and a Woman–Story

The story of Two Monks and a Woman is a very well known Zen story. There are many versions of it, but the origin is not clear.

Here, this story can both stand alone and also provide a different perspective to the post immediately below this one (Eliminating Mental Bias Decision Errors).

A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her.

The senior monk carried this woman on his shoulder, forded the river and let her down on the other bank. The junior monk was very upset, but said nothing.

They both were walking and senior monk noticed that his junior was suddenly silent and enquired “Is something the matter, you seem very upset?”

The junior monk replied, “As monks, we are not permitted a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

The senior monk replied, “I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still.”

Comments:

The older monk, his mind free, saw the situation, responded to it, and continued to be present to the next step after letting the woman down.

The younger monk was bound by ideas, held on to them for hours, and, in doing so, missed the experiences of the next part of the journey.

Reference to Decision Making:

Mental attachment to an idea or earlier experience blocks the full experience of the present here and now. Attachments slow the mind, interfering with appropriate responses to the immediate situation.

In order to evaluate a situation requiring a decision, the mind must be open to the possibilities. Being anchored in the past restricts the choices. Examples of holding on, outlined in the Mental Bias post, are favoring current conditions and giving disproportionate weight to old information.

The mind cannot will itself to be free. There are methods to calm the activity of the mind in order to be more open. The first step is to develop awareness.

Eliminating Mental Bias (Cognitive) Decision Errors

“The decision made sense at the time.

How did we get stuck with such a bad result?”

Good decisions look forward to the future in an unbiased way. However, human decision makers tend to hold to the present and their individual perspective. The unrecognized clash of these two facts often leads to a mediocre decision and poor results.

In order to increase the likelihood of making the best decision in the future, watch for this clash. The first step toward improvement is become aware of these biases. Then, deliberately make an effort to change behavior in order to compensate for them.

Here are five specific examples of mental biases followed with suggestion actions to compensate and help make a better decision.

Examples of holding to the present.

1. Giving disproportionate weight to the first information received.

The initial set of facts, by virtue of their familiarity, tend to be reassuring. Consequently when additional information is received, the new information is evaluated against a higher standard and may not be properly considered. Make the effort to fully value the new information.

2. Favoring choices that allow current conditions to continue.

The status quo also has its familiarity. There is often pressure to continue with the current path. It is important to value the current situation objectively. Question if the current situation, evaluated on its own merits, would be selected now or continued.

3. Favoring choices that justify previous decisions or actions.

There is a tendency to make choices that confirm previous actions, even if the earlier decisions or actions were flawed. This bias can lead to a compounding of errors and a deteriorating situation. It is particularly important to guard against this bias since the negative consequences can be so severe. An opinion from someone not involved in the previous actions can serve to provide objective balance.

Examples of Individual Perspectives.

4. Selecting Confirming Evidence.
It is natural to favor information that supports the individual view. It is very easy to ignore, or not fully evaluate, information that does not fit well into one’s perspective. Make the effort to ensure that all the information is being examined fairly. Allow others to fully evaluate all the facts.

5. Asking the decision question in a distorted way.

Very often, the questions leading to a decision are posed in a misleading way that emphasizes one preferred direction. Then, the discussion follows the logical consequences of the biased question. Check to see if the question has been properly formulated in a neutral way and revise if necessary.

 

It is important to keep in mind that the above five examples of mental bias are simply behavior habits. Such habits only contribute to a poor decision when people are not aware of them. Watch for these tendencies and make adjustments when possible. It is far more rewarding to catch these behaviors as they happen rather than deal with a poor result influenced by mental errors.

Other articles in this series can be found by clicking the Thinking /Perception Skills category in the right box or through the links below:

(2) Use of Working Theories

(3) Listening for Consequences

(4) Put Aside the First Idea

 

 

 

These types of decision errors can often be traced to the tendency to mentally hold on to old ideas that interfere with appropriate responses to the present situation. A different perspective to this type of attachment can be seen in the Zen story Two Monks and a Woman.

 

 

 

Common Sense, Carpal Tunnel Information, Treatment Options, and Acupuncture

In almost every large office, it seems that you pass someone wearing a wrist brace and a report of carpal tunnel. Some people suffer for years. Then, they may find that they did not get the most appropriate information or treatment.

If you search the web for “carpal tunnel treatment options”, a prominent site is published by the Mayo Clinic. The available progressive treatment options:

Splint or brace

Non-steroid anti-inflammatories

Cortisone injection

Surgery (open incision or endoscopic)

The same progression is listed on a number of similar sites such as the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

There is something missing here. For example, we know a number of people who have gotten excellent results using acupuncture procedures. These are real people, with actual experiences, but their treatment method seems to be ignored in the searched options.

This omission of information has to do with the way medicine is merchandised. If a physician or institution doesn’t sell the procedure, it’s not listed as an option. Other established procedures not available there may be mentioned with doubt or vague anecdotes. Disinformation may not be good medicine, but it is good marketing.

The sufferer must get the full background information himself. No one else will do it. The most reliable way is ask and learn from people who have had personal experience. It only takes a few questions and contacts to have access to the network of sufferers out there who have used acupuncture. Track down these professionals who have a record of excellent results treating carpal tunnel so that you can choose whether it fits into your treatment options. Anecdotes about unknown people, advertisements, commercial web references generally have little value.

Common Sense Approach to Treatment Options

Sufferers generally follow a prescribed program working through the options until the results are satisfactory. It is important to consider the options early, since after people begin a treatment or engage a physician, they tend to remain with it rather than evaluate new information and make a change.

With full information, different perspectives for treatment options can be considered. The objective is to reduce pain as fast as possible by working through the options in an appropriate order.

1. Methods with speed and no side effects

Acupuncture methods may not be familiar, but progress can be evaluated over a relatively short time period.

Braces and Splints

2. Drugs

Non-steroid anti-inflammatories, Cortisone injection

3. Invasive–Surgery

Open incision or Endoscopic

The important point is to recognize that no group will provide the sufferer with the full range of options available. However, to obtain information about less familiar methods, such as acupuncture, find the people who have had actual results and the professionals who did the treatment. Then use the information as appropriate .

Cold Remedies, Miso Soup, and the Influence of Advertising

There have not been many advertisements for miso soup. However, miso with scallions is a stronger cold medicine than most of the common remedies that are more profitable for the healthcare industry.

The ingredients in miso soup have a long record of warding off colds. Miso with scallions is an old Chinese herbal remedy. Its documentation goes back to the 4^th century when the famous Chinese herbalist Ge Hong (284-363) wrote about it in a book “Zhou hou bei ji fang”, rendered in translation as “Handbook of Prescriptions for Emergencies.”

The soup has great value when used at the very first indication of a cold—headache, stuffy nose, slight fever, dry, scratchy throat. It should be taken immediately, not to even wait for the next meal. Then rest in bed, covered to induce sweating.

The first 4-6 hours are crucial. The formula can knock the cold out then, but later, after the cold develops, it’s too late. Other remedies are necessary.

It doesn’t matter if you believe this or not. Miso is just healthy food so anyone can try it for themselves and decide based on their own experience.

This information came to me recently. It worked. It is not described on the medical reference sites for colds on the web (i.e. Mayo Clinic, Wellness Letters etc.). Few people have ever heard this since there is no money to be made selling small amounts of soy bean paste and scallions. Perhaps someone will package it up, advertise, and sell it for a good profit. Then people may take notice.

In case you decide to try, here is the simplest recipe. Be sure to include the rootlets of the scallions.

Miso Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water.

1-2 Tablespoon Miso or red soy bean paste (usually sold in the refrigerated section).

6-8 green onions stalks also known as scallions, (white part) chopped. It is important to include the little rootlets from the scallions in the soup.

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add the miso & scallions.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, no longer.

Lie down to rest covered up for a couple of hours to induce sweating.</