MODULE Interpersonal LESSON Opportunities are Created, Not Handed Out: Making Something Out of Nothing

1. MODULEInterpersonalLESSONOpportunities are Created, Not HandedOut: Making Something Out of Nothing

2. Resources Pre-Quiz Self-assessment Situational Judgment Questions Video Link RPC

3. Think and Discuss What are some ways we can create opportunities from contacts with other people in the workplace or through our networks? Why do companies pay well for individuals who are creative and inventive and able to make something out of nothing?

4. Lesson Rationale: It would be great if we could sit around at work and wait for opportunities to be offered to us. But it rarely works that way. We could just do the bare minimum, but if we want to be recognized, given neat projects to work on, or promoted, often we need to create these opportunities ourselves by developing ideas that will get us noticed. But sometimes, we aren’t given much to work with. Perhaps we don’t have a budget or have only limited time or other resources. That is where the valuable skill of “making something out of nothing” comes into play. Bosses like problem solvers, so one way of making something out of nothing is to use our imagination to develop a way to do something more efficiently, or remove an annoying problem that everyone dislikes. Sometimes, our boss places us in a situation to be creative, as in a brainstorming session to develop a commercial for a client. Other times we can make something out of nothing by developing relationships and networking with others. These relationships can lead to opportunities, but only if trust is developed. Often, creative opportunities come in the form of team projects, and it is vital to be able to work together to use all of the creative ideas in the team, rather than one person insisting on only his or her ideas. The crucial idea might even come from someone who joined the team mid-way through the project, so employees should be sure to welcome a new team member as a person who just might have the best idea in the world.

5. This lesson uses group activities to help you practice the creative process. A role-play exercise demonstrates building trust in relationships, a crucial element of making opportunities for ourselves. The lesson also includes discussion questions, a quote and anecdotes, a video vignette, and a “making something out of nothing” self-assessment for you. The key is for you to feel comfortable with your creative abilities, and to realize how these abilities will help you to make your careers more exciting, more interesting, and more lucrative, even when you have to make something out of nothing.

6. Key Words • Opportunities • Brainstorming • Outside the Box • Creativity • Imagination

7. Making Something Out of Nothing Pre-Quiz 1. Being creative means being able to think differently. True False 2. Thinking “outside the box” means: a. Not letting boundaries confine you b. Thinking outside of the confines of the office c. Trying to duplicate current ideas d. Thinking by yourself rather than in a team e. All of the above f. Only A and B 3. Artistic people are the only people who are creative with their thoughts and ideas. True False

8. 4. Which item(s) can help you discover a creative idea? a. Brainstorming b. Dreaming c. Painting or Drawing d. Meditating e. All of the above f. Only A, B, and C 5. While having a brainstorming session, you should NEVER: a. Forget to evaluate each idea as it comes up b. Tell anyone an idea is bad c. Forget to write an idea on the board d. Allow anyone to contribute more than one idea e. All of the above f. Only B and C g. Only A and C 6. Some of the best creative ideas are built upon ideas that already exist. True False

9. Quote “Imagination is more important than knowledge.“ -Albert Einstein Quote – Think About It 1. Describe an historical or well-known current event in which Einstein’s quote holds true. 2. Can you think of an event in your own life in which your imagination was more important than your knowledge? What happened?

10. Anecdote “I was not born into a rich family, so I had to do without many toys that other kids had. I used to like basketball, but didn’t have a way of playing with real equipment. When I was 9 years old, I taped a plastic bucket to a wall and used an old ping-pong ball to “shoot hoops.” At the age of 13, I wasn’t able to ride around on a fancy bike like some of my other friends, so I built a bike from old parts, and fixed it up so it looked like a replica of those more expensive models. When I had my first job in education, our college didn’t have any money to spend on job fairs for our students. So, in 1996, I designed the first Internet job fair. It made the college $15,000, and I won many awards for my “creativity” and “thinking outside the box.” Best of all, the college was happy because the cost of designing and running this Internet job fair was ZERO. It was free of any costs to the school and it helped me get promoted to Director of the department. So you see, making something out of nothing comes from necessity and imagination. We are all good at it as kids, but we need to sharpen it as adults by practicing everyday!” - Career Counselor

11. Anecdote 1 – Think About It 1. What was a creative idea that you had as a child? What factors helped or hindered you in coming up with the idea? 2. Are there factors that prevent us from being as creative as adults as we were as children? 3. What would you guess that the career counselor needed to do to bring his Internet job fair idea to fruition? Why was he promoted?

12. Anecdote 2 “One of the greatest examples of making something out of nothing is the story of the Apollo 13 mission. During the space flight, an oxygen tank exploded on the outside of the ship, which crippled the capsule. As the astronauts circled the moon to gain speed to get back to earth, they were showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. NASA engineers recognized the problem immediately. A device on the spacecraft called a “scrubber” was malfunctioning and carbon monoxide was building up inside the capsule. Carbon monoxide is fatal! Completing the mission seemed impossible, and retrieving three dead astronauts seemed likely. Instead, the NASA engineers went to a duplicate spacecraft they had on earth, they took items out of the sister capsule and tried to make a “scrubber” out of miscellaneous items that would be on the Apollo 13 capsule out in space. The engineers and technicians had less than thirty minutes to complete the task or the astronauts would die! The engineers did it with no time to spare and talked the astronauts through how to make the “scrubber.” What ingenuity and greatness! We can truly make something out of nothing if we have desire, ambition, and motivation.” - High School Principal

13. Anecdote 2 – Think About It 1. If you were one of the NASA engineers, how would you have approached the problem of how to make a “scrubber” out of miscellaneous items? 2. How would making something out of nothing as a member of a team be different from making something out of nothing all by yourself?

14. Video Link RPC – Think About It 1. Why did the director replace Brad with Richard? 2. What did Brad do to make his job “vulnerable?” 3. What are at least three things that Richard did that helped to bring about his “promotion?”

15. Discuss each of the following attributes and think of recent examples of how you used these trust-building qualities: • Reliability • Consistency • Follow through – do what you say you will do • Be predictable so people will know what to expect of you • Do what is asked of you with 100% commitment • Have a “Count on me attitude” • Communicate clearly • Be punctual

16. Every day we have to think on our feet and be creative, build ideas, and make new relationships in order to create opportunities for ourselves. The better we hone this skill, the more marketable we become to our employer and to ourselves.

17. Making Something Out of Nothing Self-Assessment 1. I can recognize problems that need a solution. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4 2. I don’t censor my ideas when I am first thinking of creative ideas. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4 3. I prefer not to do something over and over if it isn’t working well. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4

18. 4. Sometimes I can see a new or better way to do something or solve a problem. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4 5. I believe that I will have to create my own opportunities to advance in my career. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4 6. I know how to think “outside the box.” HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4

19. 7. I know how to create opportunities through contacts with other people. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4 8. I am motivated when someone asks me for my ideas. HOW CLOSELY DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOUR CURRENT SITUATION? Not at all Just a little Very close Right on! 1 2 3 4

20. Tabulate Your Score to the Making Something Out of Nothing Self-Assessment QUESTIONS FOR THE STUDENTS: 1. In which areas of Making Something Out of Nothing from the Self-Assessment are you strongest? Weakest? 2. How do you explain this?

21. Journal your responses to the following questions: • 1. What are some ways we can create opportunities from contacts with other people in the workplace or through our networks? • 2. Why do companies pay well for individuals who are creative and inventive and able to make something out of nothing?

22. Final Thoughts: This lesson focused on two ways we can make something out of nothing. One way is through personal relationships and networking, the other way is using our own creativity, ingenuity, and imagination to make something happen. By harnessing these skills, we will receive a tremendous amount of satisfaction in the workplace and in life.

23. “Opportunities are Created, Not Handed Out: Making Something Out of Nothing” – Situational Judgment Questions • 1. Bettina is stuck in what seems to be a dead end job. She is bored, underpaid and has no hope for being promoted because there is no room for advancement in a 4- person store. What should Bettina do with her situation? • a. Quit and hope she finds something better. • b. Look for another opportunity while she continues to work. • c. Stay with this job, maybe things will get better for her. • d. Complain to her boss about how horrible her situation really is. • e. None of the Above

24. 2. Helga is a 5th grade, school teacher. She feels like her class is not as attentive as they should be; they seem bored and uninspired to learn. This makes her feel sad and dissatisfied with her job. Helga’s school is very poor, so she has to teach class without the use of computers. Even new textbooks are out of the question. Helga has to teach her students history, nature and astronomy next week and she is at a loss about how she can make her classes interesting. What should Helga do to “make something out of nothing”? • a. Use her own money to purchase computers for her students • b. Ask her grandfather to visit the history class next week to discuss his World War II experiences. • c. Take the students outside and explore the insects, plants, trees, flowers, and wildlife around the school- yard and the local park as part of their nature class. • d. Borrow new textbooks from a school in a neighboring district. • e. B and C only.

25. 3. Keisha is between jobs and is volunteering at a soup kitchen once a week. She meets another volunteer there named Mrs. Smith. Mrs. Smith tells Keisha that her dream is to start a tutoring program for disadvantaged children. She has some money to pay for it, but isn’t sure how to get it off the ground. Keisha was a tutor for several years and has lots of ideas for what would make a good program. She senses an opportunity to make something out of nothing! What should she do? • a. Keep her ideas to herself and set up her own tutoring program without Mrs. Smith. • b. Write up some ideas for how to get the tutoring program started and some ways in which Keisha could help to make it happen. Show the ideas to Mrs. Smith. Continue to develop a relationship with Mrs. Smith that could lead to a job offer to set up the tutoring program. • c. Tell Mrs. Smith that she has tutoring experience and would love to help out once she has her program up and running. • d. Let Mrs. Smith know that she would be interested in being hired to set up the tutoring program. • e. Wait and see what Mrs. Smith does before taking any action.