Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, would have celebrated his 114th birthday today.  I grew up on Dr. Seuss and have already introduced my young sons to many of his books.  I am convinced the amount of reading my mother encouraged as a child has contributed to my success as an adult.

Sadly, I was recently reading that the U.S., once #1, is falling way behind on literacy.  True, the number of truly illiterate is small and typically tied to a substantial disability, but by all accounts, we have really not improved the quality of our learning since the 1970s when as many as half of our jobs were blue collar.  Thus the fact, we are losing many jobs to countries like China and India.  Certainly, disparate pay scales are an issue, but of greater concern is the fact we lack enough qualified people to fill the jobs.  This also speaks to another vicious cycle present in the U.S., that of poverty and literacy.  For, where you have poverty, you often lack literacy, and where you lack literacy, you probably ensure poverty. 

We must recommit to making sure that all Americans are literate.  We must find new and creative ways to excite both children and adults about education and learning. 

Further, it is vitally important that we stay committed to learning as individuals and business organizations.  How about you...are you committed to continuous learning?  Do you manage a learning organization? 

Here are a few ideas for an individual:

1. Begin writing your goals to improve clarity.
2. Commit to reading at least one book each month.
3. Seek out workshops and seminars that are teaching information you are interested in. 

And for the business organization:

1. Involve all of your employees in your strategic planning and goal setting.
2. Start a book club.
3. Bring in workshop presenters and speakers. 

Make this investment of time and money in yourself or your company.  I am confident it will pay huge dividends!

Here's great Dr. Seuss book I found as an adult.  I typically give it to people transitioning from high school to college, college to work or work to retirement.  Thank you Dr. Seuss!

Oh The Places You'll Go