Sometimes the Rules Change

In 1905 Albert Einstein proposed his Theory of Special Relativity, which held, among other things, that the Speed of Light was the inviolable speed limit of the universe: no object could travel faster than the speed of light.  And his theory held up for over a century.

Until September.

That is when researchers in Europe reported that they had successfully shot neutrinos from Switzerland to Italy at speeds slightly in excess of the speed of light.

And generations of frustrated physics students do dances of rejoicing.

Rules of the universe rarely change, but they do.  Think of Galileo and the Earth as the center of the universe.  The real prize goes to the people who can imagine the next ten questions that come out of revolutionary discoveries and figure out what to do with that information.

Is that relevant to your life?  Maybe–had you gotten into real estate investing four years ago, working on the understanding that real estate always makes money, it would have been a smart move.  Until in September, 2008, it wasn’t, and hasn’t been since.

We want you to be bold and firm in holding on to your Vision.  But don’t be so rigid that new information fails to get you to think differently. Remember: “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

The Gurus of Get It!

Keep Your Eye On The Ball

One of the little tips that came through our research over and over again was the importance of dealing with people.  And just in case you don’t believe it, this came to our attention today:

IN early 2009, statisticians inside the Googleplex here embarked on a plan code-named Project Oxygen.

Their mission was to devise something far more important to the future of Google Inc. than its next search algorithm or app.

They wanted to build better bosses. . .

But Mr. Bock’s group found that technical expertise — the ability, say, to write computer code in your sleep — ranked dead last among Google’s big eight. What employees valued most were even-keeled bosses who made time for one-on-one meetings, who helped people puzzle through problems by asking questions, not dictating answers, and who took an interest in employees’ lives and careers.

People spend a lot of time developing expertise, they invest in training sessions to increase their expertise, and then they try to hire people to surround them who have necessary expertise.  And all that is just wonderful . . .

Just keep in mind that sometimes the best way to get the job done is to ask the right person in the right way to do it for you.

The Gurus of Get It