esere826:

LEAN MANAGEMENT and JUST-IN-TIME approach to learning uhn??

AjanleKoko:

I was thinking more about the 10,000 hour rule.
Rather than developing advanced competencies in their primary field of study, people prefer to expend their energies on becoming Jack-of-all-trades.

Case in point Pep Guardiola, who learnt German in record time, after getting the FC Bayern manager job. Imagine if, after playing soccer, he focused on learning languages rather than developing the competencies that won him 14 titles at Barca. He would have at best become a multi-lingual soccer pundit.

uceee: No good knowledge or skill gained is truly a waste. But we have to be careful about trying to know everything and then end up not being very good at any particular thing, including our chosen area of specialization. Yes, there is an opportunity cost to learning things you don't see yourself needing immediately. You spend time, energy and maybe money. However, it is better to learn something unrelated to your area of specialization than to sit around doing nothing. The knowledge gained will be worth it. If it is a mentally challenging activity, you will benefit a lot from it mentally. "The brain once expanded to complete a task, never returns to its original dimensions." If it is a physically challenging skill, the health, physical gains will be worth it. Someone also suggested learning on demand which is also very good. But when you need that skill, you may not have the time to go and learn it before an opportunity is lost. You may also measure the cost vs benefit of acquiring it at that time and decide to not acquire the skill. Not knowing that you'll still need it next time. So whenever you have time and cannot learn a skill directly related to your work, learn anything you can get your hands on.

Serendipity:
Thank you but I can never learn how to make cakes because the possibility of my using that knowledge is infinitesimal.

uceee: That may be true. You do not have to go out of your way to learn how to bake. But if you find yourself with a baker who is willing to teach you, and you have the time to learn (perhaps you are on holiday). Should you not learn how to bake instead of going to watch a boring movie or sleep? You may never make money from baking, but you could earn someones regard, admiration with your baking skills. For you, baking cakes is a skill worth having as far as there is a chance you may need it (though its infinitesimal). Imagine this scenario: You have organised an event for the staff in the company you work. For some reason, the cake is supposed to be baked there (you may want to avoid transporting it, or want it eaten while its still warm). Everything is set, but the baker has been delayed (maybe traffic). You could simply start the baking, so that the baker can finish up when he arrives. The cake gets baked in time, you win the admiration of anyone who knows what you did. You would have effectively used skills you just learnt for fun. You could also correct any baker trying to spoil your show with a not-so-well baked cake. I have to say this to avoid misinterpretation, it wouldn't be wise for you to go out of your way to learn how to bake. After all, you have not learnt ALL there is to learn in your career.

AjanleKoko: Some related gist:

Should MBAs learn to code?

birdman:

The thought of an MBA reviewing my code just makes me shiver. It takes 5-6 years of experience and continuous improvement to write competent, high-end code. I can see how a thorough programming course can help manage developers and schedules better, but I'd be wary about throwing an MBA onto any serious project. I wouldn't even let an MBA hire coders - you simply dont know what to look for, and will end up relying on keywords, which almost always get you the wrong guy.

esere826:
LEAN MANAGEMENT and JUST-IN-TIME approach to learning uhn??

Serendipity:
What?

esere826:

Lean management = Save resources (financial/human/time etc) by doing only what is required without wasting resources on 'valueless' extras.
Just-in-time = reduce waste of space by doing things at the right time.


In rough summary, doing the right thing (lean) at the right time (JIT)


An example of a girl using both principles in dating:
a) Instead of dating 8 men in the span of 6 years before finally getting married,which is a waste of time and her 'resources'
b) she'll instead seek to date the one man that she is very sure that she will marry. She might also date him for a month or less before they get married. Her time has thus been saved on heartbreaks, and her 'resources' have been left undepleted


....sheit....i am just a chauvanist

AjanleKoko:

Hmm.
You have a good point.
Though, I think the coding spectrum extends across a wide range, from basic macro development and SQL statements, to industrial-strength applications.

IMO, every professional needs to have at least an above-average appreciation of IT tools. You can make a whole lot of difference, and save your company thousands of dollars otherwise spent on IT consultants, if you're able to do a fair bit of data analysis using Excel or Access, or automate a few processes using VBA macros.

These days, even specialist applications like AutoCAD provide programming extensions and APIs that professionals can use to extend the functionality of those tools.

My judgement: as long as it's directly relevant to your field, additional IT skills will always serve you (and your organization) well.

uceee: That may be true. You do not have to go out of your way to learn how to bake. But if you find yourself with a baker who is willing to teach you, and you have the time to learn (perhaps you are on holiday). Should you not learn how to bake instead of going to watch a boring movie or sleep? You may never make money from baking, but you could earn someones regard, admiration with your baking skills. For you, baking cakes is a skill worth having as far as there is a chance you may need it (though its infinitesimal). Imagine this scenario: You have organised an event for the staff in the company you work. For some reason, the cake is supposed to be baked there (you may want to avoid transporting it, or want it eaten while its still warm). Everything is set, but the baker has been delayed (maybe traffic). You could simply start the baking, so that the baker can finish up when he arrives. The cake gets baked in time, you win the admiration of anyone who knows what you did. You would have effectively used skills you just learnt for fun. You could also correct any baker trying to spoil your show with a not-so-well baked cake. I have to say this to avoid misinterpretation, it wouldn't be wise for you to go out of your way to learn how to bake. After all, you have not learnt ALL there is to learn in your career.

birdman:
relevance and MBAs in the same paragraph. sighs.

Serendipity: Gaining knowledge

Serendipity:
Undoubtedly the saying that no knowledge is wasted appears axiomatic and arguably sacrosanct.
=
In his book ''Think Big'', (pp. 200-212) Ben Carson argues that you never can know what you will be doing fifteen years from now hence one should grab every available knowledge.
=
He cited an incident where he was before an interviewer who mentioned en passe that he had heard about a concert and he also quipped that he too had heard about it which visibly left the interviewer surprised and they then started discussing classical music..
He contends that that knowlege of classical music was instrumental in his success in that interview.
=
=
MY OPINION
Methinks that having or acquiring some knowledge is sheer and utter waste of scarce time and resources.
-----------------------------------------------
For example, I don't see how the knowledge of how to prepare a cake or sew clothes would have a significant bearing on my life if I were a lawyer. This is truer given that I may never get the time to come and be sewing clothes or making cakes for either myself or family.
Even if I would get to use them in future, wouldn't it be once in a blue moon as in Ben Carson's case.
---------------------------------------------
In high school, I was very good at the use of Pitman Shorthand. An aeon has elapsed since I left junior secondary, and I have never got to use not even a vestige of the knowledge I acquired in that subject.
=

Again, acquiring some of this otiose and apparently irrelevant knowledge may be at the expense of knowledge which would have been more apt and handy. In other words, you may be wasting time acquiring knowledge that has not even a modicum bearing on your life or knowledge you may never get to use due to your discipline.
=
At any rate, I suggest that it would be stellar to have a smattering of many things.
=
Your methodical views are welcome!

For example, I don't see how the
knowledge of how to prepare a cake
or sew clothes would have a
significant bearing on my life if I were
a lawyer.

MovingMax:
@ Op with due respect, please no knowledge acquaired is a waste. U may use it directly or inderectly

Serendipity:
Undoubtedly the saying that no knowledge is wasted appears axiomatic and arguably sacrosanct.
=
In his book ''Think Big'', (pp. 200-212) Ben Carson argues that you never can know what you will be doing fifteen years from now hence one should grab every available knowledge.
=
He cited an incident where he was before an interviewer who mentioned en passe that he had heard about a concert and he also quipped that he too had heard about it which visibly left the interviewer surprised and they then started discussing classical music..
He contends that that knowlege of classical music was instrumental in his success in that interview.
=
=
MY OPINION
Methinks that having or acquiring some knowledge is sheer and utter waste of scarce time and resources.
-----------------------------------------------
For example, I don't see how the knowledge of how to prepare a cake or sew clothes would have a significant bearing on my life if I were a lawyer. This is truer given that I may never get the time to come and be sewing clothes or making cakes for either myself or family.
Even if I would get to use them in future, wouldn't it be once in a blue moon as in Ben Carson's case.
---------------------------------------------
In high school, I was very good at the use of Pitman Shorthand. An aeon has elapsed since I left junior secondary, and I have never got to use not even a vestige of the knowledge I acquired in that subject.
=

Again, acquiring some of this otiose and apparently irrelevant knowledge may be at the expense of knowledge which would have been more apt and handy. In other words, you may be wasting time acquiring knowledge that has not even a modicum bearing on your life or knowledge you may never get to use due to your discipline.
=
At any rate, I suggest that it would be stellar to have a smattering of many things.
=
Your methodical views are welcome!

Serendipity:

It becomes foolhardiness and unbecoming when we are unreasonably obstinate to the extent that we fail to admit the truth.
=
I stated unequivocally, that one had better acquire knowledge that there is high possibility of one using. In everything there is an opportunity cost, the opportunity cost of acquiring the knowledge of Spanish is that knowledge of Hausa language I would have acquired which will now be forfeited.
=
Now, there is a possibility that I will get to use the knowledge of Spanish, but the possibility is lesser than that of Hausa given that If would go abroad, definitely, it wouldnt be to a Spanish country. Or what's the possibility of my serving as an interpreter?
=
THE OPERATIVE WORDS HERE ARE: the possibility of using the knowledge.

==
At certain point those days, I wanted to buy a Piano and then get a trainer, but on mature reflection, it became clear, that the possibility of my using that is infinitesimal and that it would be more politic to choose something that will have bearing on my life. And I did.
=
It is better to use my time judiciously in acqisition of knowledge that use it in nugatory things.
=
Now how do you reconcile the example of Pitman Shorthand that I cited with your rejoinder?

SaintChukz:
Do you know it is sheer arrogance to want to force your own beliefs and opinion on others? Please define truth for me? What is truth to you may not necessary be the universal truth to others. Stop for a minute and try to view the world through the eyes of others with recourse to your own views. On the pitman shorthand example you cited, what if you are appointed tomorrow to a position in government circles that would require the use of such a skill or is that not a possibility as well? Again citing the example of the relevance of the spanish language vis-a-vis the Hausa language doesn't even hold a bearing on this discussion for the following reasons ; (1) The Spanish language was propagated by Missionaries, Merchants and Slave masters from the Spanish kingdom to several other nations where they traded centuries ago hence the wide coverage of the language, was the hausa language propagated in a such manner? (2.) if you are an indigent hausa born, would you require going through extra-mural lessons to learn it? It is with the coming of globalization that we are now beginning to see the need to learn foreign languages, i once watched a feature on tv where a european man living in Northern Nigeria could speak not only hausa language but also the native indigent language of the people he was living amongst. So it should be same for you, if you will be going abroad, you can always learn the language when you get there, but then when you get back home and you no longer have a need of that language you learnt, would you call it a waste of knowledge? When it wasn't during the period you needed it, so why should it become a waste now that you don't need it? In countries like America and Canada that are predominantly english speaking, do you know that the knowledge of the spanish language would still be an invaluable asset to you, because as far as i know there are still a sizable number of spanish speaking communities in those countries. If truth is to come from only one source, what then is the credibility of such truth when it hasn't been tested by others?