7 Types of People who Fail.


Off-Topic Discussions


This article is cast in the world of finance-jobs, but it is much more applicable.

Thought I would pass it on:

> 7 Types of People who Fail ... <


I skimmed it and damned if I did not see Charlie Sheen listed as a type of person.


Grand Magus wrote:
... but it is much more applicable.
Darth Knight wrote:
I skimmed it and damned if I did not see Charlie Sheen listed as a type of person.

Except for warlocks of course.


Grand Magus wrote:
Grand Magus wrote:
... but it is much more applicable.
Darth Knight wrote:
I skimmed it and damned if I did not see Charlie Sheen listed as a type of person.
Except for warlocks of course.

But of course [/bad British accent]

Sovereign Court

I knew cyborgs had infiltrated society! Too bad their financial acumen is less than stellar or their nefarious plans to dominate the world may never have been revealed to the public at large...


Darth Knight wrote:
Grand Magus wrote:
Grand Magus wrote:
... but it is much more applicable.
Darth Knight wrote:
I skimmed it and damned if I did not see Charlie Sheen listed as a type of person.
Except for warlocks of course.
But of course [/bad British accent]

But, of course! *Good British accent


Grand Magus wrote:

This article is cast in the world of finance-jobs, but it is much more applicable.

Thought I would pass it on:

> 7 Types of People who Fail ... <

I like his empirical data and unquestionable research...no wait, he doesn't have any! At least his references were unquestionable...um, hang on, oh yeah none of those either. Well at least Captain Obvious agrees with him!

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

DanQnA wrote:
I like his empirical data and unquestionable research...no wait, he doesn't have any! At least his references were unquestionable...um, hang on, oh yeah none of those either. Well at least Captain Obvious agrees with him!

Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.


DanQnA wrote:
I like his empirical data and unquestionable research...no wait, he doesn't have any! At least his references were unquestionable...um, hang on, oh yeah none of those either. Well at least Captain Obvious agrees with him!

We have ourselves a Pontificator.


Charlie Bell wrote:
Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.

Yeah, you're right. I got the impression from the website that it was an investors source of information and so had academic standards but I'm willing to accept I was wrong. It might not have helped that I'm an accountant and have seen and worked for CEO's of companies that fit well on his list of "Finance Failures".


Darth Knight wrote:
I skimmed it and damned if I did not see Charlie Sheen listed as a type of person.

Failure ain't my bag, man!

Liberty's Edge

Darth Knight wrote:
But of course [/bad British accent]

OF COURSE!


I'm not sure I'd want to work in a field where Excel proficiency is apparently more important than having the foggiest idea what you're actually doing. If that makes me a "nerd/doormat," so be it.


bugleyman wrote:
I'm not sure I'd want to work in a field where Excel proficiency is apparently more important than having the foggiest idea what you're actually doing. If that makes me a "nerd/doormat," so be it.

I found the inclusion the category Excel proficiency very interesting. We live in a world in which being able "to do computations" is becoming a required skill set.

In the world of finance, the main app for this is Excel, so in this context it makes sense to me the author singled that app out above all others. And I have seen first hand how low excel skills makes the task at hand so much harder for the person trying to do the work.

My point is, I think the author is trying to capture the concept of 'computational skill' and calling it Excel proficiency because he does not know what else to call it.

Everybody should take an algorithms class, even Business Majors.

Quite frankly, something as straight forward as typing formulas into cells is a practical application of Algebra. Yep, from High School. The people who did not quite figure Algebra out in High School are going to have even worse times in the future.

----------

These days the "thing" that does the computations is called a computational agent. sigh... whatever happened to the word computer.

There is now a real science of "Computational Thinking". Here is a quote from its progenitor:

Computational Thinking is the thought processes involved in formulating problems and their solutions so that the solutions are represented in a form that can be effectively carried out by an information-processing agent."

Cuny, Snyder, Wing

> Jennette Wing's View Point <

----------

Getting back to the 7 Failures, if I have to work with somebody who can not use excel dexterously and efficiently, I have them transferred.

----------

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For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.

Liberty's Edge

Charlie Bell wrote:
For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.

I've heard this a lot from people in the military, usually attached to the term "Power Point Ranger."

Liberty's Edge RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2013 Top 16

The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:
Charlie Bell wrote:
For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.
I've heard this a lot from people in the military, usually attached to the term "Power Point Ranger."

We all hate it, but we all have to do it. Although GEN Dempsey, the new Army Chief of Staff, has said that he hates Powerpoint. Who knows? Maybe organizational change will trickle down.

Grand Lodge

When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)


TriOmegaZero wrote:
When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)

Did it look something like this:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav

Grand Lodge

Nah, not that epic.

As an aside, are you the same Curious on the Giant in the Playground forum?

Liberty's Edge

Curious wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)

Did it look something like this:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav

Fixed link.


8. Those who bring their sword to the job interview.


I think I may be severely allergic to the worldview presented in that article.


Curious wrote:
TriOmegaZero wrote:
When I had to do my class presentation at WLC, I opened with 'I have not qualified on the Powerpoint weapon system, so I hope I will not kill too many of you with my presentation.' :)

Did it look something like this:

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/08/u-s-officer-in-afghanistan-mows-dow n-powerpoint-rangers/?intcid=postnav

Sweet!

Dark Archive

Charlie Bell wrote:
For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.

Power Point is also an essential skill among educators, to the point that at least at the college I attended there are classes in how to make a power point as part of the educational curriculum. And while it is not a mandatory skill yet, I have sat on many a jury in mock trial since getting to law school and we always end up being subjected to some sort of power point the reduce either the defense's claim, the prosecution's claim, or both, to easily remembered bullet points. Some people in the legal profession are concerned about the CSI effect, I am worried about the power point effect.

Sovereign Court

David Fryer wrote:
Charlie Bell wrote:
For the military, it isn't Excel, it's Powerpoint. If you're an officer, you had better be able to do Powerpoint (except at LTC and above, at which point you have minions to do it for you). Same if you're a staff NCO E6 or above. I get real irritated when I have somebody that should know better sending me jacked up slides that I have to fix or else me, my boss, and his boss all look jacked up in front of a full bird colonel or general officer.
Power Point is also an essential skill among educators, to the point that at least at the college I attended there are classes in how to make a power point as part of the educational curriculum. And while it is not a mandatory skill yet, I have sat on many a jury in mock trial since getting to law school and we always end up being subjected to some sort of power point the reduce either the defense's claim, the prosecution's claim, or both, to easily remembered bullet points. Some people in the legal profession are concerned about the CSI effect, I am worried about the power point effect.

Powerpoints are really handy for teachers, Save space on the board for improvised/student work and make sure that the kid who didn't hear that last instruction because he zoned out for a few seconds can check on the board and then get on with his work. Also good for exploring lots of different writing styles without piles of paper.

It also helps with teaching the same lesson next year (go over the slides to refresh your memory and then start tweaking things for the new students).


Power Point and Excel are useful Microsoft products. Now that Balmer bought Skype, I wonder if this move will be a win or a fail for him.

I can see this move going badly and resulting in the board sending him off to early retirement.


Evil Lincoln wrote:
I think I may be severely allergic to the worldview presented in that article.

I got a rash just reading it.


Sarah Connor: What did he just say?
Gas Station Attendant: He said there's a storm coming in.
Sarah Connor: [sighs] I know.
The Terminator (1984)

The Exchange

DanQnA wrote:
Charlie Bell wrote:
Dude, it's an op-ed type piece, not a peer-reviewed academic journal article. Sometimes people post opinions on the Internet.
Yeah, you're right. I got the impression from the website that it was an investors source of information and so had academic standards but I'm willing to accept I was wrong. It might not have helped that I'm an accountant and have seen and worked for CEO's of companies that fit well on his list of "Finance Failures".

Quite - the article was largely garbage. While some of the things were reasonably true (though also bloody obvious: don't procastinate if you want work to get done on time - well, that's kind of the definition of procrastination) I know lots of people (including myself) who have traits like these who are perfectly successful in finance.

Anyway, if the guy had any imagination, the article would be called The Seven Habits of Highly Ineffective People.

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