Living in More Than One World
I read like a fiend…books, magazines, newspapers and online. But The Technician Shop is not about me. As much as I’d like to shout out what I’ve read, for the most part I will not*. Technicians are inundated with information. Maybe more like bombarded. I am most sensitive to the time you have for personal development. So when I recommend a book or resource, it’s with this in mind. The books I do recommend will be bite sized and easy to read, or I’ll point to certain parts of a book that are relevant to you.
Today, I’m recommending the whole darn book. Living in More Than One World by Bruce Rosenstein. Bruce’s book is based upon the teachings of perhaps the greatest management teacher of all time, Peter Drucker. Living in More Than One World is all about you, not your manager (though it would be to him in his own sense).
Bruce’s book is centralized around what he calls a total life, which consists of family, friends, work, education, associates and affiliation groups. What caught my eye is how this philosophy parallels what I described in It’s All About You.
In an interview with Bruce, Peter Drucker described people who were satisfied and content as those who lived in more than one world. A quick view of the book’s chapters will provide more clarity:
- Designing your total life
- Developing your core competencies
- Creating your future
- Exercising your generosity
- Teaching and learning
- Launching your journey
Early on in the book you will note that Bruce writes this book for knowledge workers, a term that Drucker coined back in the 1950′s. Here is his definition:
People who work with what they know and can learn and who thus own and control their own means of production. Their knowledge is portable and not dependent on any particular employer or industry.
You might have heard that knowledge workers are white collar workers. They are, but technicians who are frequently described as blue 
collar workers, also fall into this class. Maybe even more so, as continuing education is almost mandatory for technicians who must engage their minds before they can engage their hands.
Living in More Than One World is an excellent, MUST read book! By the way, Bruce’s book is hot off the press. Recommend a copy to your coworkers and manager.
*I have read extensively on marketing, writing, design, management, personal branding and leadership and would be happy to recommend books, learn your point of view or trade information away from this forum if you’re interested.
Image by NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center
Learning Opportunities
I cited Scott Savor for his contribution to yesterday’s post. Scott is headed to the University of Tennessee to work with Pat Summitt, but he had mentioned those two questions to our daughter in his role as a human performance specialist in Tampa. Scott told Carla to ask her coach, what can I do better? and what am I doing well? Scott said that if she did this on a routine basis it would blow her coach away. He said hardly any athletes take this direct approach with their coach and in addition to improving her game, it would make her stand out.
I was actually with Scott when he told her this. When I heard those two questions, the little guy in white who sits on my shoulder practically kicked me in the ear: David! Technicians need to ask their managers these questions!
The point is learning moments in one area of life often pertain to learning opportunities in another. The key is to pay attention and keep your radar up at all times. Do this a little bit and you’ll want to do it alot.
Electricity and Troubleshooting
Did you ever pick up a book on troubleshooting that was written in another language? Even though your main language is English and the book was written in English? Of course you have! Why in the world do some writers make it so hard to understand them?
Did you ever have a conversation about last night’s ballgame with a friend? Of course you did! You talked about the pitching and he jawed back about the hitting. You understood each other’s point of view – clearly.
Reading a Carol Fey book is like talking baseball with your buddy, except that Carol is teaching you about electricity and troubleshooting. Carol is a technical trainer who worked many years for a company that is often confused with a furnace manufacturer.
One of my passions is reading. I read a lot and I have for many years. Carol is one of my most all time favorite authors. Go here for a sampling of her stuff.
My Manager Thinks I Know it all (Part II)
While there are unscrupulous managers out there who take advantage of the fact that their coworkers are footing the entire bill for continuing education, there are honorable managers whose coworkers are footing the entire bill for continuing education. The manager’s challenge is, “where else can I send Bob, he’s been through all of the schooling…”
To begin with and at a minimum, technicians like Bob need to attend educational seminars on new product or equipment that their company sells. The same holds true for new diagnostic or maintenance techniques. Besides the fact that it is in the company’s best interest to have technicians who are familiar with new product, technicians like Bob thrive on new, cutting edge technology. Think of it as a dose of oxygen after running ten, one-hundred yard sprints. It keeps them going.
Okay, back to the original question.
How can I convince my manager that he should send me for additional education?
You need to know why your manager refuses to pay for classes. So ask him. If he needs help choosing where to send you, offer suggestions. If he continues to dance around the question or starts to use the term not in the budget, it’s time to move on and find another manager. Period.
Try this: Lets say you enjoy hunting, fishing or photography. Ask your manager to send you to a class on one of these topics. A savvy manager will understand that he is helping the whole you, not just the part of you who comes to work. Chances are if he sends you to an off-industry class, you’ll really appreciate it and bring an invigorated energy to work. The upside of a happy, engaged you at work far outweighs the cost of a class.
We suggest for management to send technicians to a minimum of one off-industry class per year.
My Manager Thinks I Know it all (Part I)
I am the lead technician for a residential – light commercial HVAC company. Prior to starting at this company I received my associates degree from a technical college, obtained RSES CM status and hold current all NATE certifications. I teach an HVAC class one evening a week at the local trade school. I also average twenty minutes per day in self-study on various HVAC topics. My manager, who is the company owner, keeps blowing me off when I ask him to pay for classes. How can I convince my manager that he should send me for additional education?
One question, would that be the manager who you are working for now, or the one who you should soon be working for? Short answer, reputable companies pay for a minimum of eighty hours of education per year. This means they pay for your labor and the costs of classes. And company meetings where policies, procedures and processes are discussed, do not count.
An immediate thought, given our desire here at The Technician Shop to progress and develop, is to tell you to find a new owner. But we’d like to give your manager and others like him an idea to consider. Before we do that however, we need to make sure of one thing, which is really directed towards our other readers. Prior to asking your manager to pay for continuing education, make sure you are investing a minimum of twenty minutes per day yourself, on your own dime, in your own education. Most serious technicians contribute more to their own education than their employer does.
