Final reading Assignment Ch.16

Ch.16 was an interesting chapter for me. It reminded me of my grandfather. Now, my father and brother are working as craftsmen, they make steel products. They chose this job as influenced by my grandfather.

My grandfather was a typical “craftsman”, and everyone approved that it is his calling. One of the reasons is his long time working. He spent his 50 years for working. As a result, he got great techniques that usual craftsmen do not have. As Perkins says, learning takes time. Of course he started at the beginning of incompetent, but he never give up working. Therefore he succeeded.

In addition, he loved his job like Issac Stern in this book. Actually, making steel products is not an easy work. I know that he lost his one eye by the spark. However, he looked so happy when he was working. My father said “I often heard he was humming while working”. Even after his retirement at the age of 70, he often saw my father working, and said “may I help you? ”.

He worked alone, so he was not a “leader”. However, his attitude impressed a lot of people (for my father and brother, he is an ultimate goal!), so I believe he was a great leader.

6.1 Class

On 1 June, we had a presentation in class. I realized the difficulty of telling the main point briefly. My presentation was prolonged because I put too much information other than some main points in it.

My presentation is not god, but my team member tried to listen carefully and ask many questions... thank you.

I will try to do better in a final presentation!

Suzu's Personal Mission Statement

1.At the end of every day I wish to feel that I have…
not forgotten to say “Itadakimasu” and “Gochiso-sama”
tried to enjoy everything
talked with people a lot
smiled heartily
challenged difficulties with courage
never excused myself
been patient if there were bad things
been honest and kind to everyone
thanked for spending a good time today

2.Someday I hope to have…
traveled all over the world
met various people and valued them all
found a job that I can involved in
been a mother and loved my family

3.When I die I wish to believe I have
had a simple and ethical life
been generous
believed others
loved others
had a wonderful life

It was first time for write down my personal vision. That’s all I come up with now. When other articles occurred to me, I would like to add.

About 1, my recent challenge is especially “trying to enjoy everything”. I am so busy now because of many assignments, presentations and club activities so that I often feel like throwing away them. However, these are things that I decided to do because I was interested in. Therefore, I'd like to try to enjoy and do them without excusing “I cannot do them because I am busy”.

2 is my future vision. I do not have a clear vision about my future career, but I hope to get a job that I can involve in. In order to do so, I have to challenge difficulties.

Finally, 3 is my sentence. I hope to die peacefully with satisfied.

Week 6 assignment

I would like to focus on Chapter 7 “Conflict”. I was surprised at this chapter because I’d thought that all Shackleton’s team members are cooperative and gentle so they could survive. However, there is a description that “more than half of his crew consisted of potential troublemakers”, and there were a lot of terrible conflicts in fact. Even so Shackleton was close by them and respected them. I was impressed by his attitude.

From his attitude, I also learned that “trouble makers” who often oppose and criticize are needed for the team development. Sadly, they tend to be ignored and excluded… Actually, I am not willing to have a conflict with trouble makers, because it exhausts me. However, their criticisms will make team member discuss deeply and get a better solution (although some criticisms just interrupt other member, it is a bad case). I think showing disagreements is an act of courage, because we have to take a responsibility to disagree with someone. Moreover, it takes much energy. Therefore, there are several things to thank “trouble makers”.

I tend to avoid showing disagreements and compromise. So, it may be good to follow “trouble makers” a little.

Development and Leadership

I’m taking a class of introduction to development studies. In the last class, we had a guest speaker who participated in Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (青年海外協力隊). She told us her activity in Panama. Her lecture was so exciting! I thought it was related to leadership lessons.

She explained 3 important things she has learned in Panama: communication skill, flexibility and planning skill. Especially, I was so influenced by the last one “planning skill”.

She said that it is important to involve others and motivate them as a leader. For example in Panama, she worked with a colleague who has no motivation. He was a driver, but clearly he was reluctant to work. He was often late for the time to pick her. To motivate him, she suggested painting pictures on his truck with children. At first, he was not willing. However as he saw children painting pictures happily, he got to be motivated. Her planning succeeded to motivate him.

She also said that the key to motivate others is making them fun! By the example, she showed that “fun is the motivation of motivation”.

I learned how important to motivate others and to make others fun from her. It was very pleasure to take her lecture.

Week 5 assignment

  I was so impressed the section “Minimize Status Differences and Special Privileges” in chapter 6. The section is picked up in class too.

When I was in a junior high school, I was a member of tennis club. The club had a typical old-fashioned “caste” system. For example, there was a rule that younger member should come to school much earlier and maintain the tennis court for seniors. In addition, youngest students are prohibited to come in tennis court, because we have only 3 courts although there are a lot of members. Therefore while seniors enjoy tennis, youngest students just run and picked up balls. They are so tough for us.

Moreover, youngest students sometimes called and scolded by seniors after school. The reasons are various. For example, we are often blamed of being late, small voices, and not saying hello to seniors when we meet them in a passage.

Now, I thank seniors for teaching me common sense. Being prohibited from playing tennis is hard for me, but all the more I still remember the delight that I felt when I play tennis in the court for the first time.

However, I think the system should be disused, because “free-caste” will minimize resentments and stress, and make all member together as explained in chapter 6. Actually, the “caste” was so stressful for me. I really agree with Shackleton’s idea that leaders should get no special privilege. When I became a leader, I would like to make a “free-caste” team.

(In consequence, I quitted the tennis club because the “caste” seemed not to be disused. However when we became seniors, my friend changed the club into “free-caste” one. I was so happy.)

Week 4 Assignment

Week 4 Assignment

In chapter 4, the author suggests the importance of avoiding “summit fever” and keeping our emotional well-being.

 I think I tend to get to the state of “summit fever”. For example, I went skiing with my family when I was 10 years ago. I was so absorbed in skiing, so I skied all day long without meals (actually, I forgot to eat something). In the night, I came back to the hotel and took a bath. Getting out of the bath, I felt dizzy and fell down. Fortunately, my mother helped me, so I was ok. However, I nearly struck my head against the desk, so dangerous. I should not let myself be too concerned about something, because it may lead the state of “summit fever”. I have to be cool-headed.

In addition, I completely agree with the way that the president of Nissan chose. Keeping our emotional well-being is the first priority even if there are lot of things to do. When I was preparing for an entrance exam, I found that. Whenever I was exhausted and came to a deadlock, I’ve never done well. On the contrary, when I was relaxed especially by chatting with my friends, I felt my mind worked well. Reducing my stress is much more important than I had expected.

Avoiding “summit fever” and keeping our emotional well-being: both need self control. I would like to be good at controlling myself well…

What did you think of it??

 The sentense in chapter 3 (p.46 the last paragraph) made me deep think.

 It is "I believe the role of the leader demands that personal fears are best controlled or dampened untill negative information is digested".

 I think the attitude of recent Japanese goverment is like this. I heard that when Fukushima nuclear accident happened, some information was kept reporting by goverment. The purpose is maybe to maintain our composure.

  I think it is important. However, the accurate information is also essential for us... In these cases, sould politics leaders tell us everything??

  It is a difficul argument. We had this discussion in bible class. It was so interesting for me.

 If you like, let me know your opinion! ^^

Week 3 Assignment

Chapter 3 was so useful for me. I realized that being optimistic is a key to success. I think I am a kind of optimist, but sometimes I get in a negative spiral…

One clear example was a musical concert on April (I said it in the first class!). The stage was special for me, because it was the first time to sing alone on the stage.

To make a stage, we have to have rehearsal many times. In the rehearsal, all casts and staffs see and check each performance. It was a nightmare for me! At the first rehearsal, I lost myself and forgot everything. Nevertheless the music was going, I could sing at all.

From then, I completely got in the bad spiral. I got to think worse and worse, and be afraid of singing. I felt more nervous and considered how I could quit my role many times.

However, my senpai(senior) changed my heart. She said “You look so depressed! Don’t worry. If you made mistakes, nobody blame you. Just enjoy! How good your singing is not a problem. The problem is whether you have fun!”. Her message made me optimistic.

When I got to be optimistic, I began to see reality: I consider ways to be a better singer. I found it is just a “practice”. I practiced twice times as before. It made me reduce my fear. Fortunately, all members help my practice till late every day.

In consequence, I enjoyed the stage so much (although I made a little mistake…) !! I really thank the senior and other members for cheering up me. Then, I also learned how important being optimistic is.

 “Being optimistic” is my motto whole my life!

My sentence is...

"She lived a simple and ethical life".

I'm not sure I'm practicing  now, but I'm trying.

 First, about "simple". I am interested in ecology. I believe "to be simple" leads to ecology movement. I'd like to stop mass-produce and mass-consume and keep my suroundings simple. In addition, I would like to value "simple" feelings. For example, I smile heartily when I am happy, and I want to cry when I am sad.

 Second, abot "ethical". I am in the fair trade club because I believe that fair trade is  a "ethical" trade. And fair trade industry is closely related to organic fashion and food. They are produced with care about our health and safety.I think they are also "ethical". I want to live with these ethical products.

 Finally, I hope to be "simple" and "ethical" to people. It means "to be honest" to people.

Week two

My long-term goal:

I have two long-term goals.

First, I would like to work with various people in the future, especially people with various nationalities, because they will broaden my horizon.

SEA program was the prompt that made me to think so. In the program, I met a lot of people with various backgrounds. It was so precious experience for me!!! I knew that my sense of value is not absolute at all.

For example, my host mother was Irish. I gave her Japanese sweets as souvenir. Few days later, she brought these sweets and said “I do not like them, so can you eat them?”

I was so surprised at her behavior, because it is unbelievable for Japanese people. However I soon found that she was so kind that she said so. I really thank her for being honest.  

The experience is just one of examples. I faced these cultural differences many time. It looks to be a hard experience, but I really enjoyed it. I got to hope to meet much more people and their ideas.

The second goal is to use what I have leaned in ICU for making our society good in the future. I like the book “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. In the book, I was moved the word that “wisdom without love is useless”. Before reading the book, I had thought that I study for just my future and interest, but now I changed my mind.

My possible major is anthropology. I would like to try to think how anthropology makes our life better.

My short-time goal:

To communicate with foreign people, English is the most useful tool. Sadly, I do not have enough confidence in my English skill, especially speaking and listening skill. Therefore I had been ashamed to speak with people sometimes during SEA program. I regret so much.

However I realize my English improved in the first year of ICU. I hope, no try hard ro study English hard!

In addition, l would like to learn how to communicate my intention effectively and understand what people want to tell me (maybe it is “interpersonal communication skill”). I believe I can learn in LILTDY!!

Preface

One of the hardest situations I have ever experienced was losing way in the mountain at night.

When I was 10 years old, I participated in camping school. The main event of the program was “Kimodameshi”. It was a program that groups of four kids walked through the small mountain at night. The way was short and teachers watched out us secretly, so it must have been safe. However our team lost the way (because we did not follow the way teachers told us, we were so bad kids).

We got panicked when we found we lost the way, but soon we laughed at the situation and began to get help. We shouted for help and notified our place by flashlights. In five minutes, teachers found us.

I think we could practice the 3^rd and the 8^th strategies Perkins suggest: “instilling optimism” and “finding something to laugh about”. Although it does not seem to be a serious situation, it was frightening for 10 years old kids. To be honest, I was so scared because it was so dark and I heard a ghost story about the mountain. However, I could behave unashamedly thanks to friends.

We learned a lot of things from the experience although we were so scolded by teachers.