Aprender Inglês
One of my learners is finishing a research about " innovation" in his college and he asked me to contribute with it. He sent me out a couple of questions and the result is worth sharing.
I hope you all enjoy reading it:
Interview with the Professor Frank about innovation in business.
1. What do you considerer innovation in your business?Could you compare them to the old-fashion way?
Frank: The best example I can give you is the way the English schools are still very traditional relating to their promises to the students. It's is all about " fluency" in a very fast food way. When I opened my school, I wanted to give my students the truth about the English learning process: there is no such thing as fluency in 18 weeks unless you are a language genius.
By telling the truth and sharing with my students the " behind the curtains" of an English learning process, I am spreading awareness and inviting them to take the responsibility for their learning process with me. By doing that, I realized that none school has done something like that before and it put my school on another level where I have no competitors whatsoever. Specially when one take into account that the schools don't want to take the risk to let the students know that they can't fulfill the promises from the advertisements.
2.Do you think innovation is important?Why?
Frank: Innovation is essential, specially in a market that changes every single day. But as any other thing in life, the excess of it can damage the success of your product or service.
3. Do you keep innovating? If so, how are you doing that?
Frank: As I say, innovation is important, however, the new ideas need some time to catch on, therefore, if you keep changing everyday the idea you created yesterday, you don't give it enough time to get matured.
4. Have you ever tryied to innovate and it hasn't worked out?
Frank: Several times. I believe on the "error and trial" process, not just for learning new things, but also for your planning and strategies to develop it. However, being a risk taker, one needs to know that they have to pay the price for a bad idea. I guess the highest price one can pay is to accept the failure, but on the other hand, you can always learn from it.
5. Do you believe people do not accept well an innovation in the first instance, why do you think so?
Frank: People, usually, don't like changes. Most of us are so dedicated to keep our comfort zone that it is really a surprise to see how fast the world is changing. However, I believe that we have been changing in a collective way, as an individual, I know that to accept those changes require a lot of courage to get rid of the comfort zone though. All in all, in order to not be left behind, people eventually accept the changes and go along with it, specially if they feel that they can either take any kind of advantage out of it or have the control of the situation.
I believe that the latter is the main reason why my students accept the challenge to become learners. Afterwards, getting control of their studies is the best way to avoid spending all their lives paying a fortune to the English courses.
- Happy Anniversary, Frank Experience
Hi Everybody, I think you know me, but let me introduce myself anyway. My name is You and the Professor Frank asked me to write something about the Frank Experience. Well... What can I say?... Let me see...What else? Ok, ok, you...
- "old Dogs And New Tricks"
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks." How many times have you heard this old saying as an excuse for not trying something new or avoiding a fresh approach? The expert animal trainers say that a dog of almost any age can learn new tricks....
- Savoring And Learning
" Aprender não comporta imperativo: só se aprende por prazer e por vontade própria" Last week I had a wonderful surprise; one of my learners, Alfredo, had written his hundredth letter in English (every day he writes me an e-mail about all sorts...
- The Power Of Making Mistakes
Everyone Makes Mistakes Accepting the fact that everyone makes mistakes is easier said than done. Everyone is taught their whole lives to NOT make mistakes and have often been trained or re-enforced negatively when a mistake is made. Perfection seems...
- "true Grit" - The Importance Of Learning How To Overcome Setbacks
Paul Tough of The New York Times Magazine profiled private-school headmaster Dominic Randolph and his focus on instilling character into his students, in addition to the typical focus on academics and extracurriculars. Central to his efforts is a belief...
Aprender Inglês
An Interview about Innovation and Comfort Zone
One of my learners is finishing a research about " innovation" in his college and he asked me to contribute with it. He sent me out a couple of questions and the result is worth sharing.
I hope you all enjoy reading it:
Interview with the Professor Frank about innovation in business.
1. What do you considerer innovation in your business?Could you compare them to the old-fashion way?
Frank: The best example I can give you is the way the English schools are still very traditional relating to their promises to the students. It's is all about " fluency" in a very fast food way. When I opened my school, I wanted to give my students the truth about the English learning process: there is no such thing as fluency in 18 weeks unless you are a language genius.
By telling the truth and sharing with my students the " behind the curtains" of an English learning process, I am spreading awareness and inviting them to take the responsibility for their learning process with me. By doing that, I realized that none school has done something like that before and it put my school on another level where I have no competitors whatsoever. Specially when one take into account that the schools don't want to take the risk to let the students know that they can't fulfill the promises from the advertisements.
2.Do you think innovation is important?Why?
Frank: Innovation is essential, specially in a market that changes every single day. But as any other thing in life, the excess of it can damage the success of your product or service.
3. Do you keep innovating? If so, how are you doing that?
Frank: As I say, innovation is important, however, the new ideas need some time to catch on, therefore, if you keep changing everyday the idea you created yesterday, you don't give it enough time to get matured.
4. Have you ever tryied to innovate and it hasn't worked out?
Frank: Several times. I believe on the "error and trial" process, not just for learning new things, but also for your planning and strategies to develop it. However, being a risk taker, one needs to know that they have to pay the price for a bad idea. I guess the highest price one can pay is to accept the failure, but on the other hand, you can always learn from it.
5. Do you believe people do not accept well an innovation in the first instance, why do you think so?
Frank: People, usually, don't like changes. Most of us are so dedicated to keep our comfort zone that it is really a surprise to see how fast the world is changing. However, I believe that we have been changing in a collective way, as an individual, I know that to accept those changes require a lot of courage to get rid of the comfort zone though. All in all, in order to not be left behind, people eventually accept the changes and go along with it, specially if they feel that they can either take any kind of advantage out of it or have the control of the situation.
I believe that the latter is the main reason why my students accept the challenge to become learners. Afterwards, getting control of their studies is the best way to avoid spending all their lives paying a fortune to the English courses.
loading...
- Happy Anniversary, Frank Experience
Hi Everybody, I think you know me, but let me introduce myself anyway. My name is You and the Professor Frank asked me to write something about the Frank Experience. Well... What can I say?... Let me see...What else? Ok, ok, you...
- "old Dogs And New Tricks"
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks." How many times have you heard this old saying as an excuse for not trying something new or avoiding a fresh approach? The expert animal trainers say that a dog of almost any age can learn new tricks....
- Savoring And Learning
" Aprender não comporta imperativo: só se aprende por prazer e por vontade própria" Last week I had a wonderful surprise; one of my learners, Alfredo, had written his hundredth letter in English (every day he writes me an e-mail about all sorts...
- The Power Of Making Mistakes
Everyone Makes Mistakes Accepting the fact that everyone makes mistakes is easier said than done. Everyone is taught their whole lives to NOT make mistakes and have often been trained or re-enforced negatively when a mistake is made. Perfection seems...
- "true Grit" - The Importance Of Learning How To Overcome Setbacks
Paul Tough of The New York Times Magazine profiled private-school headmaster Dominic Randolph and his focus on instilling character into his students, in addition to the typical focus on academics and extracurriculars. Central to his efforts is a belief...