Average?

     The start of the A-Z blogging challenge catches me rather busy this week officially rolling into a new full time position while filling in for Wild Bill Lewis on 97-5 Y-Country, working on a couple of articles for the Herald Palladium, teaching Organizational Behavior for Lake Michigan College and preparing for a Bridges Out of Poverty Day One Training to lead at Andrews University soon.  Then there's the homework for my PhD in Organizational Psychology.
     In working (or volunteering) for more than 25 years in community and individual development and teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, I've come to abhor the word average.  The average American makes less than a 1/4 of what are U.S. Congressman does, and .0000008th of what the average CEO makes. President Bush was only an average (C) student in college, but managed to become President. I don't know the real numbers, but I know a lot of business owners and leaders who in academic settings couldn't climb above scholastic average, but in the world of building teams and succesfull organizations are vastly superior.
    I don't believe I've ever really met someone who was average. I've met and worked with individuals who were overwhelmed by events in life, or the damage inflicted upon them by others. I've met folks who were so busy trying to be what others wanted of them they had no idea who they were or could be.  I've met thousands of students who didn't fit the boxes our education system tries to make everyone fit.  All of them were passionate, brilliant, innovative and worth helping to see a different vision than whatever was current.  Average was just a label somebody else used in looking at their grades, resume, dress, or current status in life.  I can't do it.  It's a word that after this brief post is being banished from my vocabulary everywhere.      
     Statistically we can crunch data and find the mean, median, and mode for anything we want.  I'd much rather meet folks where they are and help them see how they can build a path to becoming more.  Average is just a number on a spreadsheet.  People have more value than spreadsheets.  At least that's my opinion.

Comments

  1. Debby April 1, 2013 at 9:50 AM

    Hello Jon Wallace. Just out visiting blogs from the A-Z challenge. You may be looking at a busy week but you're off to a great start!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SanderellaApril 1, 2013 at 11:27 AM

    Oh I loved this post. Your exactly correct with your thinking regarding "average". I too, dislike labels on people. I have always appreciated people in how they make me feel when we speak, what they may have to share that I am not aware of, maybe something they do that I had thought about doing and think..."why not", you could do this or that"! I never ever judge people buy their status in life, we all have one....I enjoy them for who they are, what their all about, if they are in the entertainment industry...I enjoy the acting, dancing, singing...I do not want to review their personal life, woes and foes. I just enjoy what they give of themselves to offer people. I am also never jealous of what one may have that I do not. Our country is too busy with the averages in nearly everything and guess what....their numbers don't really serve us correctly. You could write a book on that! Average! I would read it! www.sandysanderellasmusings.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownApril 1, 2013 at 7:22 PM

    HI Jon,
    I don't think it's how we measure up to the person next to us that really matters. That's why I believe that measuring things like whether someones average is just silly. What's really important is what you do with the gifts you were born with. Great post, very thought provoking!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 4, 2013 at 7:14 AM

    Hiya
    dropping in from AtoZ
    there's a constant call to try to be above average but if we all were then wouldn't average shift and we'd all have to start again????
    sorry... one of my bug bears hahaha

    auntyamo
    http://ficticiousamo.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your worldview.

Popular posts from this blog

Transformational Servant Leadership Innovation

Image
Transformational Servant Leadership Innovation Cycle (Wallace)      I was asked this week to post some thoughts on transformational leadership relating to community development and innovation in a forum on Facebook.  That format is a little more limiting and doesn't quite give the opportunity for graphics.  Thus this morning's thoughts for your review and feedback here.      The graphic on the left is a model of my own making describing one path to individual and organizational change. Although they follow slightly different tracks for academics and consultants/practitioners, Transformational Leadership and Servant Leadership are closely intertwined with similar meanings. One must certainly say that Servant Leadership is transformational in scope and outcomes.   Both theories and practices are discussed in detail and endorsed (if you will) by such organizational and individual change experts as the late Stephen Covey , Peter Senge , Ken Blanchard and Margaret Wheat
Read more

You & I: A-Z Blogging Challenge

Image
     One of the more magical moments in my life (of many) was before digital cameras and smartphones at Fort Lamar in Lamar Park, Wyoming Michigan.   I became a fan of Yes by the age of 15, along with early Genesis , Marillion , Camel , Porcupine Tree (recently), and I suppose even some of Gino Vanelli's early work. Their ability to take you places through music, or music and lyrics, particularly with big headphones on or a quadrophonic stereo.The progressive rock movement for me is an extension of my love of Tolkien and Lewis as a child.     You and I may never meet in person.  Yet we are still connected in so many ways beyond this life's existence on the same planet in this time frame and the various atoms and molecules that make up our physical structures.  That you would take a few moments of your time to spend here connects us by spirit.  And for me, regardless of your beliefs, philosophy or theology, we are connected by His spirit as well.     The outdoor facility
Read more

Rejection & Restoration

Image
     Most of us have felt rejected at one time or another.  By a potential mate, spouse, friends, jobs we've applied for, coworkers or bosses.  In my case certainly there were times over the decades where my thinking and behavior deserved being fired or turned away. Other occasions though the rejection doesn't have anything to do with us, but the paradigm of those dismissing our opinions or relationship.  Those who've struggled to find meaningful work during the last five years of the current recession know first hand, often applying for hundreds or thousands of jobs with no feedback or even "thank you but we're going in a different direction" after multiple interviews.           If one doesn't have both spiritual and internal fortitude rejection can easily become a self fulfilling prophecy as the attitude and posture exude "I'm not worthy" where we go. I've never met anyone who wasn't worthy as a human being, in part because
Read more