In an interesting essay by Jill Ker Conway, she describes the educational philosophy of Mary Lyon, the founder of Mount Holyoke College. Lyon was one of the first to educate women in the 1830s, taking on the task from a very pragmatic perspective.
"Lyon wanted to produce 'hard marble' women vs. 'soft marble' ones. Soft marble was easy to shape, but quickly crumbled before the forces of the elements. Hard marble was more difficult to shape, but it could take a brilliant polish which would last, and which was impervious to wind and weather."*
The analogy related to the New England cemeteries where hard marble tombstones remained readable and polished, whereas soft marble ones collected moss and the lettering faded.
Think about your philosophy of staff development. What kind of employees are you trying to develop? It is easy to give tasks to new people and quickly set them about their business. It takes much more time and effort to create 'hard marble' staff that has the knowledge and understanding to weather the changes your organization inevitably faces in the long term.
Adopt a lesson from Mary Lyon and invest in learning that endures.
-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com
* True North: A Memoir by Jill Ker Conway, 1995, p. 236.
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