Manny's Blog No. 2

“Those Who Know How, Work For Those Who Know Why”

This statement gives us two groups of people with different and very radical ways of thinking. We can visualize how they approach a certain issue and go about to accomplish their goals. The first group focuses on the processes, on the structures and the mechanics of how a certain work is done. In short the phrase “know how” is coined. On the other side there is this other group who are considered the “know why’s”. The group that asks the questions “why”. They are the ones who are “working” but who have first answered the question “Why am I working the way I am working?”

A lot of times, we wrap our minds entirely on the procedural methodology of how to accomplish certain stages of an entire job objective. We of course don’t have to go to the extremes of trying to “reinvent the wheel” each time we start our day! Once we have done our reasonable and logical questioning and applied our basic critical thinking and analysis on why we do what we do, then we’re halfway done, and well on our way to succeed in whatever endeavor we choose to do.

We have seen it in our society, specially in the business sector, the successful ones usually have this mindset of asking “why” and they typically are the bosses of the ones who has the “know-how”. With this general concept in mind, we’re facing the question “Who is the better group, the “know-how” or the “know-why”. They are not mutually exclusive, they both hold their own in our society, both have their places in the sun, so to speak. We just have to allude to the fact that one usually ends up working for the other. We however don’t want to paint a picture to say that one is bad, just because his reason for existence happens to work for the other.

There will always be a pattern that is quite extreme that will lead to problems. This is when we totally forget to ask “why” when we need to ask why. The problem is particularly relevant in our modern, information based society. Change is not only pervasive, but its also moving in a rapid pace. The result is that companies and managers get overwhelmed trying to develop new products faster, trying to satisfy the expectations of company stockholders, trying to beat the sales targets and so on. All the while forgetting why they are there in the first place and what is the real purpose of their organization.

In our existence and our quest to achieve whatever goals we have to achieve, there are more questions aside from the “how’s” and the “why’s”. There’s also some other questions with varying level of importance at a given situation. There is the “when”, the “who”, “what”, and “where”. If we consistently strive to get the most reliable answer to these questions, we are well on our way to success. It is proven from history that the people who consistently answers the question”why” most likely end as the most successful.

We can never say it enough. The less distracted we are, the closer we are to achieving our goals. Worry less about “mopping up the floor” cluttered with life’s problems and more about “turning off the faucet releasing those problems”. We all have to learn how to “choose our battles”. Battles are definitely worth winning, but we should ask the question “why am I involved in this battle”. “Is this moving me a step closer to my end goal or is it just draining me of valuable time and energy that I can put to good use to work toward my goal.

There will always be failures, but to rise up from them, we should never stop to ask the question “why”. Failures definitely make us wiser, and we should never be ashamed of failures. A battle-scarred alleycat is definitely tougher and wiser than a less experienced alleycat. A sailor who has gone through rough seas is better equipped than a sailor who’s always had “smooth sailings” all his life.

Let us always be reminded, “know-how” is important is achieving our dreams. It’s okay to know our limits, but one must never stop trying to exceed them. All people dream, but not necessarily the same kind and the same magnitude of dreams. The difference lay in the answer to WHY.

Reference:

“Is There Too Little “Know Why” in Business?”
Harvard Working Knowledge website

“Behind the Mike”
Michael A. Aun
FIC, LUTCF, CSP, CPAE
Speaker Hall of Fame


Blog 2 Posted By:

Emmanuel Adam

WHY I TOOK IT !!!

I took this class as a requirement of getting into a Physical Therapy Assisting Program.

To add to that, this course based on it's description will give everybody an opportunity to interact and exercise their communication skills and have an opportunity to be read and be articulate on the issues and concerns of our society while utilizing all the latest advancements in techno stuff that that might be available.

MY NIGHT

MY NIGHT

MY FIRST BLOG

MY NAME IS EMMANUEL,

I'M HAPPY TO BE IN THE CLASS, I SEE MYSELF AS A KINESTHETIC, MUSICAL, WITH AN SPIRITUAL SIDE !

I LIKE TO COMMUNICATE AND SOME PEOPLE SEE ME AS QUITE ARTICULATE.