Efficacy-Day One

"Efficacy is the power to produce an effect-the capacity to mobilize available resources toward a desired end."

Question:

Why does anybody need to spend three days talking about one word?

Answer:

Because your "success" depends upon it.

I have always thought of myself as being pretty smart. Well, actually that's not true. There was a time when I was smart and then I was convinced that I wasn't smart and then I was called smart and then I believed I was smart but not really. So, I have been trying to prove that I am smart ever since; that is until Wednesday, November 17 2010. That is the day I met Barbara Logan of the Efficacy Institute, Inc..

Day One:

It is nearly impossible to reproduce the content that has been brilliantly shared in our first day with Mrs. Logan, a powerful presenter with the Efficacy Institute from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It might also be illegal to do so. Instead, I would like to share three observations or insights that I have gain about myself and my fellows in our time together on Wednesday.

Awareness is light in a dark room. The basic concept behind Efficacy is the understanding that effective effort produces results. We all seem to get that. However, there is a deeper belief among many, if not most, of us that we have some kind of "Natural Super Power" within us that makes us more capable of achieving higher results, or out performing other people. When presented with the idea that we don't have this "innate" ability many of our classmates responded as if they had been told "You are not Superman." As you could, imagine that can be pretty disappointing. So, it has taken us a little time to get beyond not being super.

We have been conditioned by our condition. America has been waiting for Superman a long time. It's like we have been taught since our first day of school that there is a great person among us. None of us knows who that is but one of us has within them the seed of greatness. That one person will be our hero and will save the world. And with that thought, we start the egg hunt. We start on this race to find out rather we have "it" or not. We test ourselves and search our souls for signs of the "seed." Unfortunately, our teachers, friends, neighbors and sometimes parents reinforce this idea of "some have it" and "some don't."

The reality is that there is no Seed. There are many seeds and we all have them. A "Learning Orientation" helps us understand that we are good at what we develop. Conversely, the belief in the "Great Seed" theory or a "Performance Orientation" leads us to believe that there are only a few great people among us.

Love Mobilizes Me. At some point in the egg hunt, you will stop searching. The reason the "Great Seed" theory doesn't work is because most of us would be losers in that model. If there is only one egg is the game, then the game is over when I see you win. There is no reason for me to keep searching for something that not there. For example, I see myself as "The Strong, Smart, Creative, Person of Color" in my department. On Monday morning, a strong, smart, creative, person of color is promoted to a leadership position in my department. What do I do on Tuesday? It is very likely that I will become immobilized; unmotivated, non-responsive and disengaged because I'm confused about who I am and what my role is now.

A Learning Orientation reminds us that our love for a thing moves us forward. It is your distinct passion for a thing and your life's unique journey that makes you valuable to any organization. We develop skills and competencies through our journey, which is filled with successes and failures. With this orientation, we see every experience filled with data. Our successes and failures give us feedback on how to get better. They do not determine rather or not we are "the one." Most importantly, operating in our "zone" keeps us motivated to perform.

I am smart. Not because, I'm the brightest light in the room or because I scored well on that project last week. I'm smart because I am learning from every experience and I'm getting better. This journey through Efficacy has been a personal discovery process for me. What discoveries have you made about yourself?