Effective Experiment Part 2
My favorite non-fiction writers are Stephen Covey and Malcolm Gladwell. Covey wrote the best-selling work The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey list seven behaviors that set apart mundane and extraordinary people. Since the novel's inception, many renditions of the work are now available for different life stages, including The 7 Habits for Happy Kids and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Gladwell distinguishes himself from other authors correlates historical events to current events. Besides being on the New York Times Best Selling list five times, he also hosts the Revisionist History podcast. Revisionist History allows its listener to be transported across time and space to get a global perspective of societal issues.
Inspired by both men, I decided to conduct a Gladwell-esqe experiment asking people at different life stages the ultimate Covey question, " What makes a person effective?" To do this experiment to the best of my ability, I went on my LinkedIn, where I scoured my connections to determine who would be the best fit for this project. I realized that the answer to this question changes as one grows and evolves. So, I decided to divide people into life stages and ask them for their answers.
Post Grads
They were supposed to be apart of the Second Coming of the Roaring Twenties. Instead of roaring good times, COVID-19 has caused a mass migration towards their parents' home. As hiring freezes and diminishing job markets creep around every corner, these post-grads have to develop Plan-B or Plan-C to journey into this brave new world. Some work from home, while others go to post-secondary school. Some might be currently looking for jobs or working temporary jobs. They don't know what's next. Yet, these people actively work towards a better tomorrow.
Here are their answers.
(Left Kyler Gray, Center Jada Hester and Right Giorgi Beruashvilli)
Stage 2: Post Grads
Kyler Gray: (22, 1L, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL ) People are deemed effective by how well they can overcome the hurdles and adversity thrown their way. My idea of an effective person is the one who can lift themselves out of the trenches, knowing that even with a few lost battles, an effective person knows that they may still win the war. All of the adversity we face in life comes temporarily; having personal self-development not only to acknowledge that but also to use it as a stepping stone to future success defines how effective a person and leader you are. You can connect with Kyler on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyler-l-gray-9a2084142/.
Jada Hester: (22, Masters in Media and Communications with a focus in Journalism, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.) The ability to listen, adapt and empathize. You can connect with Jada on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jada-hester-a2b3ab15a/.
Giorgi Beruashvilli: (22, Masters in Management students, University of Central Florida, Summer 2021 graduate, Orlando, Fl. ) A person is effective when they have the internal motivation to compete with oneself. It's competing against past yourself. When you set the benchmarks, you compete only against who you were yesterday. Usually, in the workplace or any other environment, we say people who against others lack that one component is not as successful and are not good team players. People who compete against themselves are better team players. You can connect with Giorgi on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgi-beruashvili/.
