Just Plain Bill

Rhabdomyolysis

What in the heck is that?

I had the misfortune to learn the definition of Rhabdomyolysis following an unplanned trip by ambulance just before this past Christmas. I’d had the flu but was getting better, when I collapsed in my home two times, falling to my knees, and found myself unable to stand up. My wife decided to call 911 for a ride to the local hospital.

After several tests in the ER, it was determined that I had influenza A and was seriously dehydrated, which caused the collapse, which led to rhabdomyolysis.

An aggressive IV treatment was started and after three days, it finally led to me being able to stand, and then to walking with a walker for the next four days.

What I reluctantly realized was that it was going to take time to regain my ability to walk normally, a realization that was hard to admit.

Have you ever been in a position when your mobility was seriously impacted? This was the first time when I was not able to do what I wanted to do physically. To be honest, I was worried that my ability to walk normally might never return.

After more than 30 days, my condition has improved to a degree. I can now walk with just a little gimp, but kneeling down is still not possible. Plus, I’m quite unstable, especially when walking down stairs.

So I need to get serious about physical therapy, which, unfortunately, does not include a serious solution to my lack of patience.

Any suggestions? What has worked for you?

Just Plain Bill

The Pride of a Father

This afternoon, I dropped by to chat with my son, a paramedic firefighter just recently promoted to Engineer. At the end of our visit, his fire station got a call, and he and his captain invited me to ride along.

They belted me in the back seat and I sat there watching, so very proud as my son maneuvered his rig through traffic, siren blaring away, to where we arrived at the site of the call, where another rig had already taken care of the call.

Regardless, I sat there with pride the entire ride, enthralled as he downshifted - just as I’d taught him in his early driving days (which also included a heavy dose of defensive driving skills).

How many dads could be as lucky as I?

I’ll be beaming for many days, for sure!

Just Plain Bill

Can you teach “soft skills”?

Last week, I was reading an article from Cenage Learning regarding the need for college students to develop “soft skills”. As a college adjunct professor teaching business writing, I add my support for this need.

Looking beyond higher education, these skills that are so critical to success in the workplace have been found to be lacking in candidates seen by many recruiters. They include:

·     Dependability and work ethic

·     Communication - speaking, writing, listening

·     Problem solving and decision-making

·     Teamwork and collaboration

·     The ability to assume responsibility, be punctual, follow through, etc.

My problem is that while these skills are invaluable in the workplace, I’ve found the most important ones, such as dependability, work ethic, punctuality, and follow through are difficult to teach, or to learn on the job.

In the best of worlds, these are traits you hire for, using behavioral focused questions, such as, “Tell me about a time…” In the interview, look for concrete examples when a candidate demonstrated responsibility, such as taking over a project when a team member was not able to deliver, or even the inculcation of an organization’s culture for a new member of the team.  

By including scenarios in communication, problem solving, or managing the work of others, you can address some of these soft skills in training, especially through the use of story.  

I have a long-held belief that there would be value in teaching “Storytelling” as a separate discipline. I especially like the article From Bedtime to the Boardroom, which supports my belief and identifies why this approach is especially important for entrepreneurs.