Manuel

Practical Toolkit for Learning AND Performing

Revisado: 11-27-23

After over two decades as senior leader and executive at Vanguard, I know first hand the pressure to “execute flawlessly.” The responsibility to care for trillions of dollars is colossal. I am also an ultra runner who regularly completes runs of over 26.2 miles, often in remote and rugged terrain. Both of these activities do not lend themselves to simply showing up and doing. Being the hands-on learner that I am, I began to leverage my work on the trails to help me gain mastery over skills critical to succeed as an executive in Corporate America.

One of the most important skills that emerged from this deliberate approach is to know the difference between preparing for an activity and then performing at the top of your ability when it matters most. To give you an example of what I mean, consider that the actual distance and time required to complete an event is approximately 5% of the total time I will spend training and preparing for it. Think about that. Ninety-five percent of my effort to successfully complete a significant task will be focused on preparation.

How much you prepare for any task will of course depend on many variables but this is too often left to chance or worse yet, not even considered in the first place. Do you truly understand the difference between preparing for and executing a task? Is the time you invest preparing for an important event or activity proportional to its complexity, difficulty, or risk? Does your preparation focus on highly concrete activities correlated to successful execution? How do you regulate this effort based on the urgency of a particular situation?

For a thorough and highly practical introduction to the concept of spending time in a “learning zone” distinct from the “performance zone” in any circumstance read this book - The Performance Paradox, written by my friend Eduardo Briceño. Eduardo has dedicated his life to this subject both as a highly successful practitioner in Wall Street and Silicon Valley, and as a coach and leadership consultant to some of the largest and most impactful organizations on the planet. His book shares highly relatable anecdotes that help us understand the difference between learning/preparing and performing, breaks the myth that we must always choose between learning and doing with compelling and pointed examples, and arms you with a practical and powerful toolbox you can leverage at work, in the community, and throughout every aspect of your life.

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Sausage-making self indulgence

Revisado: 09-09-19

I picked this book based on its title and publisher’s summary, looking to hear a good story about the Premier League. While absolutely aligned to the title, the narrative itself went into minutiae to be enjoyed mostly the authors. It’s as if the book promised a good story on how sausage became a favorite for breakfast, only to dedicate most of the narrative to the exacting science of optimizing every ounce of edible (and not so edible) raw ingredient.

The narrator of this version made matters worse with his awkward intonation and cadence, which for someone who is partially deaf and wears hearing aids, means I enjoyed every other word.

Certainly worth reading if you a) have the right expectations, and b) have perfect hearing.

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Amazing story, poor narrator

Revisado: 07-14-18

This is a five star story and book, unfortunately narrated by someone who either didn’t research proper pronunciation or didn’t care to do so.

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Ideology in search of data

Revisado: 04-21-16

After reading books by Ariely, Kahneman, and Silver, all which present their arguments completely based on peer reviewed research or objective data, it can be hard to read books lacking the same discipline. Ruppel Shell puts forth an ideology at times supported by fact and data, but mostly based on opinion and extrapolations. There are some interesting historical anecdotes that offer insight into the evolution of retail, though sadly these are also overshadowed by the author's foregone conclusions.

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