Comments on: Accredit where credit is due

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 19:19:14 +0000

Marguerite, I've heard ISPI's Judy Hale speak at length about certification. The question's always whether the certificate (in whatever form) means anything -- and to whom, and why. I think difficulties arise when your direct knowledge is more than, say, two degrees removed -- as in, if you've never heard of ISPI, and you don't know anyone who has, then how much confidence do you put in its CPT designation? In the same way, when you see that there are 199,000 people in your extended LinkedIn network, do you think they're mostly useful resources you can tap? Or are they members of a granfalloon? I suspect that's true with your workplace reputation, as well. The people in client training knew me when I was there, as did many of our sales staff -- but not many people in other divisions of GE, and very few people outside the GE family.

By: Marguerite Inscoe

Marguerite Inscoe — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:01:41 +0000

You do a great job making an ironic point – what is the purpose of a certificate? Our desire to be validated, or to prove we pass-the-muster on a certain body of knowledge. In the workplace, who you are and what you know is much more apparent and important that what degrees or certificates you have (we all know multi-degreed morons).

Wait, I have it…it’s the paycheck.

No poem addition, I apologize.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:54:34 +0000

Here's a version sung by Sinead O'Connor.

In Baffin Bay, where the whale fish go
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin he sailed through Hell

By: Harold Jarche

Harold Jarche — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 15:25:52 +0000

Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage

To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea;

Tracing one warm line through a land so wild and savage

And make a Northwest Passage to the sea.

- Stan Rogers