willie jackson

Blog

  • Obligation and opportunity

    When you walk by a shirt that’s been knocked to the floor from a rack in a department store, do you:

    1. pick it up?
    2. pick it up if someone’s watching?
    3. step over it and mutter “that’s not my job” to yourself?
    4. fail to see the shirt at all?

    Painting in unfairly broad strokes, based on completely unscientific observation, I’m of the mind that the situation above indicates how generous a person is: to the homeless, to servers and hostesses, to housekeeping at hotels, and to family members.

    Some people look for opportunities to do good, others do it when they feel pressured to socially, and everyone else falls somewhere in between.

  • Unnecessary premiums

    For many (many…) years, I drove a 1991 Honda Accord.

    It’s the car I used to get picked up from elementary school in, the car I inherited when I was old enough to drive, and the car that saw me off to Atlanta when I started my career. It gave me little trouble in the 475 years that I owned it.

    During this same time, I saw many of my peers graduating to more expensive vehicles that were decidedly sexier than my charcoal sedan.

    You probably know where this is going: many of them quickly learned about a pesky little concept called the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Premium gas, expensive oil changes, and expensive maintenance.

    Bummer. Fast-forward to last month, and an unrelated story:

    When the Dollar Shave Club tore through the Twitternets with its brilliant and viral video, I signed up. I sprung for “The Executive” since it’s scientifically proven that women like men who shave with more blades tm.

    Judge me, I don’t care.

    As it turns out, the Executive razor is wonderful…but a terrible fit for how I shave and currently wear my facial hair. So I’d be better off with the cheapest one or sticking with the overpriced (but simple) blades I buy from CVS.

  • Better tomorrow…and the day after that

    I’m a big fan of outlandish and unrealistic goals, but it makes sense to be a bit pragmatic with them from time to time. One example is striving for perfection in all things.

    This isn’t the same as striving for zero errors in the production of widgets, or striving for 100% customer satisfaction; I’m talking about striving for infallibility.

    Instead of striving to be without fault (which I suppose is a noble goal, but far loftier than my mortal brain can manage), it might be worthwhile to strive to be better every day.

    It’s a deceptively simple goal, but it’s decidedly not easy to consistently implement. It also requires that we’re specific about what we’re improving.

    It stops being fun after a while (how do you continuously optimize your finances anyway? who wants to call companies to negotiate a $30 discount on a deductible every year, for example…), but we can start with something we want to improve, determine what success looks like, and map out the steps to reach the goal.

    By the way, how are those New Years Resolutions coming along? 🙂

  • From the shadows

    No one likes being wrong, and asking for help doesn’t come natural to many people. But there’s a difference between being careful and hiding in the shadows to avoid failure.

    I’m not sure that there’s a specific balance that I’d recommend (or even that I consistently achieve myself), but I do know that it’s easy for an aversion to fear to turn into productivity paralysis.

    Interestingly, being proactive about addressing the things you don’t know and need help with and fear and struggle with…is the best way to keep these things under control and master your weaknesses.

  • Learned leadership characteristics

    Studying great leaders (both living and deceased) is proving to be an interesting and worthwhile endeavor for me.

    When I see traits in myself that I possess and lack (as illustrated by the stories I read), I’m able to 1) determine what philosophies and methodologies resonate with me and 2) make mid-course corrections when I find valuable nuggets.

    There are many leaders I admire, and just as many whose lives I wouldn’t want under any circumstances. Exposure to an array of perspectives and personalities inform the way I see myself being remembered, respected, and how I’d feel about myself during quiet moments of reflection.

    I don’t think it’s impossible to grow into a respectable and effective leader without spending time on things like this, but I’m inclined to stack the deck in my favor.

    And besides…many of these stories read better than fiction.

  • In praise of timidity

    That subject line is as close as I can get to an April Fool’s joke.

    I realize that not everyone is wired with a disregard for the impossible or a high tolerance for risk but as with any trait that does not come natural…it might be prudent to develop these things.

    The history books aren’t filled with many self-doubters, nor are legacies forged by those who prepare to prepare to plan.

  • Pulling away from the pack

    I’m a firm believer that you can succeed not just by being remarkable, but by simply nailing the fundamentals consistently.

    While others are caught up in trends and pivots and re-alignments, consider doing a good job, consistently.

    You’ll outlast most just by showing up every day.

  • Tough love

    I think my generation has a hard time dealing with criticism.

    That’s too bad. Many would kill for the guidance and wisdom we ignore and reject because we can’t see past the packaging.

  • Thoughts?

    It has become customary for people to solicit feedback on ideas with “thoughts?” but I find it to be a bit lazy, obnoxious, and ineffective at times.

    I realize that Tweets sometimes require statements to be truncated, but I don’t believe the same limitations exist in many other places…

    My grouchiness on the topic aside, the best way to get an unhelpful answer is by not asking a specific question. Asking a the right question puts you halfway to the answer that you seek.

  • Rethinking education

    When I got my job with Accenture back in 2007, it wasn’t because I was an incredible programmer.

    It was because I fit the profile of someone they thought could have a long and productive career with the company. It’s true, I could have, but I brought no noteworthy technical skills with me when I started.

    This resulted in a frustrating catch-22 after I was hired as a consultant: no projects wanted to bring me on since I was both new and lacked a technical competency, but there’s virtually no way I could have developed the experience needed in a vacuum without someone giving me a chance.

    I finally built rapport with a manager who foolishly brought my onto his project and I had little trouble finding work after that, but this is beside the point. The point is that I didn’t graduate with the hands-on experience needed to be successful in my field.

    Many of my peers failed to transition successfully into the workforce in a timely manner because of this. Some went back to grad school and subsequently missed the market completely — overqualified and inexperienced. An unenviable plight.

    Does this mean that my alma mater failed me or that I was an apathetic student? I’m not sure either of these things are true, but I’m certain that different opportunities would have changed how I approached the job search back then.

    I had a professor during undergrad named Melissa Raulston. Melissa was a no-nonsense small business owner with a lot of experience and an intense passion for young people. Under Melissa’s direction, I blossomed both as a student and as a leader.

    [Ready for a good laugh? Enjoy.]

    She saw strengths in me that no one else saw, and often held me to a higher standard because of it. Melissa’s story is remarkable and I’ll let you read about it yourself, but what I love most about Melissa is that she’s doing something about the problems she sees.

    Most notably, she’s starting the Wellspring Studio School.

    What are the causes of a lack of workforce preparation and endemic disengagement among college students? What can be done to improve workforce-readiness and post-graduation outcomes? The WellSpring Manifesto proposes answers to these vexing questions that are endangering America’s competitive position in the 21st century.

    I love that. Take a look at the Wellspring Manifesto to get a sense for what the school stands for. If you’ve got some ideas for Melissa, let her know.

    And if the project resonates with you, spam everyone you know share it.