The New Hard Times
A Chinese proverb says “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” 
The New York Times recently launched a new online feature called The New Hard Times.
Anyone who came of age during the Great Depression is in their 90s or 100s today. What do these folks have to teach the younger generation, now faced with an uncertain economic future? In an attempt to answer that question, the New York Times has set up conversations between generations about the Great Depression and today.
One of those featured is Prof. Ernest Kurnow, a 96-year old business school professor who still teaches at New York University. The New York Times arranged a conversation between Prof. Kurnow and one of his students who said “I’m hoping that his experience and his knowledge will give me some insight about what to look ahead for and what is going to happen in our future.”
The videos are compelling and moving. A common theme is the sense of hope and perspective that the older generations can provide the younger generation. Even when things seem bad today, they are better than having to eating dandelions for dinner, as one Grandmother recounts of her childhood.
The feature invites others to create their own videos – to “collect stories from those hard times to get through these hard times.” We can certainly all learn from those who have been down the road before.
Setting Your Own Learning Agenda
Video: Setting Your Own Learning Agenda
Victor Newman
Founder
KnowledgeWorks
Summary:
Set your own learning agenda. Victor Newman encourages individuals to demand a pull approach to education as opposed to a passive push approach. A pull approach better ensures that teachers are teaching what is relevant to the employees. (Duration 3:30)
Don’t Waste A Good Crisis
Fifty Lessons is proud to announce the launch of Prospering In Tough Times, a collection of theme-based videos addressing the current economic criss.
Below is a copy of our most recent email promotion campaign.
Introducing Fifty Lessons’ newest Collection
Prospering In Tough Times
A video field guide for surviving, and ultimately thriving, in a recession
The DOW ended today with a 12-year low, dipping below 7000. General Motors has already received $13.4 billion from the Feds, but have reported that it will need another $16.6 billion. AIG, despite having received more than $170 billion from the government, lost $62 billion in the last three months of 2008.
We are living in extraordinary times. Very few of our employees and managers have faced down a genuine economic crisis. To thrive in the current climate, they need the hard-won lessons of proven leaders who have been there before and come out on top.
In response to this unprecedented need, we have collected the wisdom of the world’s leading CEOs, Executives, and other Leaders who have successfully guided their businesses through challenging periods and made them available in our newest Fifty Lessons Collection: Prospering In Tough Times.
These video lessons will not only enable you to cultivate confidence in your organization but will also give you a framework of how to grow your bottom line during these challenging times - lessons of inspiration, perseverance and achievement.
Learn More about Prospering In Tough Times, the latest collection by Fifty Lessons.
For information on corporate subscriptions, please contact James Reed, +1 781 728 3041.
Sincerely,
The Fifty Lessons Team
Interested? Purchase a subscription to the Library here.



