Articles written by Richard Wilson Ph.D.

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About me - Richard Wilson Ph.D.

Richard lives in Boise with Jane (artist & teacher), a vizsla, and two cats. He is the proud father of Janelle (dancer, choreographer, and poet) and Carl (sports junky and Nike Factory coach).

He earned a Ph.D. in adult education from the University of

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Business > Leadership Strategies Tips for conducting effective performance reviews: 1 of 28
Effective performance reviews begin with a clear expectation of why the review is being done. There are basically two reasons to conduct a performance review. (1) To document employee performance for either punishment or rewards (i.e. meet any legal due process requirements). A supervisor may write a highly effective performa... More..
Education > Education (Other) Should public school teachers get merit pay?: 2 of 22
Public schools are not structured to effectively utilize a pay for performance model. Unlike a private sector organization, the public school does not have a profitable bottom-line and cannot raise additional revenue through expanding the business. There is no direct, immediate correlation between excellent teaching and schoo... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: Fear of failure: 1 of 10
FAILUREFear of failure is an eternal flame burning at my core.I sought to try something differentor was given a new chore.Pilot light of pale blue fireilluminates memories of mistakes.Lacking the knowledge, skills, and ability,what if my best is not enough?This kindling of deficiency bursts into flames.Internal voices ignite ... More..
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Is Elvis really "The King of Rock and Roll"?: 2 of 19
Elvis Presley (1/8/1935 to 8/16/1977) was the King of Rock & Roll just based on his dominant numbers in the recording industry. In addition, Elvis demonstrated enormous worldwide popularity through his songs, movies, and personality. While he was certainly influenced by other artists of his day, his cross-over appeal through ... More..
Jobs & Careers > Career Path & Goals How to build a more meaningful career: 2 of 18
The key to building a meaningful career is to align your work and contributions with your dreams and aspirations. The words "vocation" and "career" are often confused. Vocation is derived from "vocare" meaning "to call". A vocation is your calling or voice in this world. A career is the road or path followed in the pursuit of... More..
Education > Secondary School (Other) Should school districts provide cash rewards for high grades and test scores?: 9 of 67
Paying a child for grades or test scores deflects the child's attention from learning. Consider how many times you hear, "what will I get or what will you pay me if I do that for you?" Every interaction becomes a quid pro quo transaction with the focus on "what's in it for me?" Suddenly, you are on the hook not only to pay fo... More..
Business > Business Strategy The challenges involved in strategic planning for businesses: 1 of 7
Strategic planning is an iterative, or continuously looping, process intended to maximize current actions to achieve a preferred future. A strategic plan provides stability through a general outline of broad strategies. It allows flexibility through the examination of data emerging from the implementation of objectives and ac... More..
Education > Adult Education Understanding current issues in adult education: 2 of 13
A major issue facing providers of adult education is reaching marginalized populations. The exclusion of and discrimination against individuals and groups is embedded in our cultural, social, economic, and political systems. While the formal education systems are multi-billion dollar businesses, providing adult education oppo... More..
Arts & Humanities > History of Ideas The value of oral history in local communities: 4 of 24
Stories have been a significant way for people to share experiences and make sense of their lives since the beginning of spoken languages. Oral history is flexible, innovative, unpredictable, and full of rich detailsespecially with the added audio cues from the storyteller. Once a story is created, it opens up new possibiliti... More..
Business > Human Resources The reference check: A valuable hiring tool: 1 of 6
Reference checking can be a valuable human resource management tools for gathering information on past performance of applicants. Past performance may be a strong predictor of future performance. A reference check can also serve as a method for preventing discrimination, harassment or violence in the workplace, and for promot... More..