Monday, January 08, 2007

Want To Be An Expert?

One of my favorite motivational authors is Harvey Mackay. He writes a weekly column that is often filled with wisdom that is applicable to most of us. This week he writes on "Are You Working On You?". I won't repeat the entire column here , I will let you read it, but he writes about how little people read today. However, in his column he cites some numbers that I found interesting.

  • If you read just one book per month for 12 straight months, you will be in the top 25 percentile of all intellectuals in the world!
  • If you read five books on one subject, you are one of the world’s foremost leading authorities on that subject!
  • If you read just 15 minutes a day – every day, for one year – you can complete 20 books!

This got me thinking about some of the classes I have taught in the past nine years. I survey the class (a group of people who are trying to advance in their career, hence they are in a certfication prep class) and I am usually dismayed by how little anyone reads anything. Well reading this column and these numbers made me think... if you really want to be an HR expert all you have to do is read. Look at these numbers... one book a month.. 5 books on one subject... just 15 minutes a day...

So in 2007 become an expert... read 5 books on HR and another 7 in business, classics, whatever and you will be on the top of the heap.

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