Reading 101—reading for non-readers: time to get serious - Professional Growth

Program Manager, July-August, 2003 by Daniel Ward

The problem with articles like this the people who need to read them usually don't. That is particularly true of this article, since the topic is the importance of reading and how to encourage it in the workplace. If you are reading this, you probably don't need to be convinced that reading is an important part of your professional development. It's the people who are not reading who need to hear the message. That's the problem.

Another problem, of course, is that even if we read, we are often hesitant or unable to translate what we've learned into action--but that is a topic for another day.

Reading and Program Management

What does this have to do with Defense Acquisition Management? I'm glad you asked. The body of available material related to our discipline is significant, and much of it can be found at the DAU press Web site. (The sidebar on p. 48 provides links to a few Web sites with reading lists, reviews, and--in most cases, free--access to the complete texts.) Government personnel can obtain free printed copies of many DAU publications, and almost everything is available online.

These reports and publications provide a tremendous opportunity to discover lessons learned by others, to explore new ideas, and to further our own professional development. Of particular interest are the Military Research Fellows Reports, which cover topics from Transatlantic Armaments Cooperation to Simulation-Based Acquisition to an analysis of how cost-based strategies are undermining the DoD. Did I mention they are free?

Why, What?

This article will focus on two questions:

* Why do some people not read? * What can be done about it?

An admittedly unscientific inquiry into the "why'" question identified three main reasons people give for not reading:

I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME

This is the most puzzling reason of the three. While Einstein did in fact prove that time is relative, everyone actually has the same number of hours in a day as long as our velocity does not get too close to the speed of light. How we choose to fill those hours vanes significantly from person to person, but the amount of time in a day is essentially constant.

Therefore, the first explanation should probably be rephrased as follows: "I don't choose to spend time on reading, even though I have the same amount of time each day as everyone else." While that doesn't really answer the question, it might shed some light on the situation. A lack of time is not the problem--the issue is a lack of will. Blaming inadequate hours in the day ignores the dimension of personal responsibility.

Everyone who makes decisions about how to spend time can decide to do a little reading once in a while. Even the president of the United States (whose workdays are long, with a schedule largely dictated by others), manages to read books.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START

We can't complain about a shortage of reading material in the world today, so this second reason is probably rooted in a sense of being overwhelmed. So much is available that could be read, that deciding which selections should be read is no simple task. The solution is to stop trying to find the perfect starting point. Starting somewhere is better than not starting at all. The Harry Potter books teach more about courage, teamwork, and leadership than many management textbooks. All you really need to do is find a topic that interests you, find a book on that topic (your local librarian, bookstore clerk, or Internet search engine can help), and read it. It actually is that simple.

Of course the other solution is to ask for suggestions. Family, friends, and coat workers might be able to point you in the direction of an interesting book or magazine. Or check out Books That Shaped Successful People, edited by Kevin Kelly, to see what books various entertainers, professional athletes, politicians, and historical figures recommend.

I DON'T THINK READING MAKES A DIFFERENCE

The cynical opinion that time spent reading is wasted cannot easily be defended, except perhaps in the case of people who only read material that is not worth reading. In their case, the suggestions in the previous paragraph and the sidebar apply.

Reading matters a great deal. Don't take my word for it--ask professor Warren Bennis who wrote, "How can executives become more enlightened? I would suggest that executives read more." I 'm sure Bennis would not object if we expand his advice to include human beings in general and not just executives. If enlightenment and wisdom are instrumental elements of success, then surely reading makes a difference.

Perhaps the hesitation is grounded in a fear that we can't remember much of what we read. Fortunately, the 19th Century English essayist Sydney Smith addressed this point when he wrote:

"It is no more necessary that a man should remember the different dinners and suppers which have made him healthy, than the different books which have made him wise. Let us see the results of good food in a strong body, and the results of great reading in a full and powerful mind."